Aerial Views

There's something about planes that I really enjoy. You'll find me at a window seat, staring out blankly in a daze, thinking up stories, or writing in a little book. Sometimes I'll read, but my eyes will always gravitate to the window from time to time. Oh the sights that you see.

On my way back to Seattle on Monday, the sky was clear enough that I was able to see Crater Lake below me as the plane was passing through Oregon.

I've never seen the lake on land, but whoa does it look amazing from up high! That island inside of it, I learned, is called Wizard Island, which I found to be pretty neat!

Once I was in Washington, I was also able to get a decent picture of Mount Rainier.

 

Currently there's a storm watch in my area for a chance of snow! Very light of course, that will probably get rained away by tomorrow morning, but I really hope it happens!



Mom's Birthday Celebration!

*Warning: Tons of photos in this post!*

Already I'm missing my mom, my sisters, my family, and the California sun. It's really true what they say, you really don't know what you're missing until it's gone.

I'm really grateful I got to go back for my mother's Birthday weekend. I really think my sisters and I made her year.

My mom is everything to my sisters and I. She's a strong and independent woman who raised five girls by herself in an unfamiliar country. She's sacrificed so much for us to have an opportunity to chase our dreams, that we are forever grateful for her. Never has she asked for anything but health and happiness for us, and for that, we owe her everything.

RECAP of the weekend:

My sister Dao (who currently lives in New York) and I arrived in Sacramento late Friday evening. The next morning we surprised my mom to let her know we were here. She didn't expect a thing and her expression was priceless!

It was strange to be back in Sacramento, though I was here just a few weeks ago. But I definitely took advantage of it with some quality time. My sisters and I did a three hour bike ride around Lake Natomas (that really kicked my butt!).

Emily, ready to pound that bike trail pavement!



This is me, completely pooped!

 Afterwards we took my cousin out to bowling for his Birthday and to the toy store so he could pick out his gift.

For my mother's Birthday we got dressed up in our best for family photos!



My mom, me, and Oanh

 

Bothering my mom as she gets ready!

I was doing my 'mug' face

Behind the scenes! So much light, I can pass as a vampire!

The twin and I

My sisters and I are a bit... sassy!

It's been such a long time since we've done a family portrait. I think to date we have only done it three times. Below you'll fine some old ones and the new ones (I wasn't able to find the first family portrait).


The second family portrait (I was seven)



New family portraits, now age twenty-two!

And what's a birthday without a gift ;) I think we certainly made her day memorable.

The Book Thief and Surprises

Why it took me this long to read The Book Thief, I have no idea. Though no doubt, I've been missing out. I first heard about the book from a friend in high school, she recommneded it to me since it was her favorite book. But I didn't take her recommendation. Why? Because it's set in Nazi Germany around WWII.

The thing is, the halocaust scares me. As a child and teenager, I read a lot of stories from that time period and every single time it hurt to soak in the words. It hurt to know what evil humans were capable of. I think of the people I've never met who died unimaginable deaths and I weep and grieve. Maybe I was too young to be exposed to it when I was.

It was stupid to do, but I started to avoid books about the halocaust. But I shouldn't have. These stories were written to be known.

So at the urging of a friend, I read The Book Thief. It wasn't what I expected, it was different. And I loved it. The writing was beautiful in a way that reached out and touched you and the characters were so vivid that it's only natural you grow attached to them. Needless to say, it has made my recs list and I can't wait to see the film adaption.

On another note, I am so excited to go back to Sacramento tonight! This weekend, my sisters and I are surprising my mom for her Birthday! She has no idea! On top of that, it's also Friday and a half work day for me! Oh yes, and on top of that, Michael and I are going to see The Hobbit before my flight! For Friday the 13th, today's not looking too bad!

Back to Sac (Part 4: Onto SF)

Since we were in California for the week, Michael wanted to spend a day in SF. Surprisingly, being a California native, I had yet to see the Golden Gate Bridge. So the day after Thanksgiving we went. It was our first city getaway and we were welcomed with great weather.

After the Golden Gate Bridge and checking into our hotel, we grabbed lunch at Samovar Tea Lounge, one of Michael's favorite places. After enjoying the meal and tea, I could understand why he like it so much. Everything that touched my lips was phenomenal that we ended up going there the next day for breakfast too.

For the remainder of the day, we strolled the city, trying to avoid black Friday shoppers as we went. Later on we grabbed some wine at ENO, then had sushi for dinner. Let me just say now that I HAD THE BEST SUSHI EVER at ICHI Sushi. The creative fusion of ingredients on top of the impeccable fish and rice seriously made my pannies drop (not really, but you get what I'm saying right?)

Golden Eye Snapper on the bottom right was my fave!

After the amazing sushi and later into the night we met up with some Seattle friends who were also in SF for a drink. All in all, it was a great day.

The next day we went back to Sac and enjoyed what little time we had left with my family. Then we made the long trek back home with a sedated Blaire (my cat).

To note, I did finish my NaNoWriMo project, but never uploaded it to the site. During that week, I made the difficult decision to euthanize my beloved dog, Kiwi. He was nine. One day I'll write a post about him, but right now I just can't. There's nothing I could say right now that would help ease the loss. I can only hope that he's happy now and forgives me, wherever he is...

A last photo of us playing together.

Back to Sac (Part 3: A week of Thanks)

Oh yes, where was I? Thanksgiving week!

Michael and I were really spoiled with such amazing food. There's really nothing like home-cooked meals made from ma mere. Thanksgiving seemed to last a week from all the spoils we got to enjoy.

This is just a taste of the deliciousness made by mom. This was one of Michael's favorites. Mine, as always, was her signature crab dish. It just cannot be replicated or imitated. Definitely one of a kind.

It's a bummer how time with loved ones always seem to go so fast. The week flew by right before my eyes.

This year, was a lot different for me. For one, I was coming home as a visitor, and two, I was bringing a significant other home with me. I don't think I've brought anyone home for the holidays since high school. Thanksgiving was also bigger than normal as our family shared the day with my brother-in-law's family.

Can you spot my head?

I'm so thankful for my family and the time we had together. Being with family truly is priceless.

Back to Sac (Part 2: Thanksgiving)

Take a moment and pause. Appreciate your life as it is now, because it will never be like this, ever again...

I'm a very nostalgic person. Though I shouldn't, I always look to the past, trying to make sense of it as if it could explain the person I had come to be. Sometimes, the past can do that, but sometimes it holds you down, shackling you, never letting you go, which in turn creates an environment of unhappiness in your present. You see, I have a hard time letting the past go.

Around the holidays and the cold weather, my nostalgia hits its peak. In my head I compare the current years to the previous ones and so on. Once I filter through in my mind do I see how much time flies and life changes.

This thanksgiving was no different. I was going home for the holidays. The act of going home and leaving home all over again created a mental fog and a feeling of displacement, because home had completely changed. It wasn't just my sisters, mom, and I. New additions had come to our family through marriages. Thanksgiving when I was seven was completely different to Thanksgiving now as twenty-two. Where did all the years go? Where is home now?

In the moment, life seems to be moving at a snail's pace, but when you take a step back, everything flies by.

It's hard for me to acknowledge this when I yearn for some comforting moment of the past, which I think, makes it hard for me to accept Seattle as my new home. Maybe I don't make much sense, or I'm not making it very clear. So to simplify: No point in life is ever the same, it changes even though you don't notice it. So appreciate it now, before it's gone forever.

An example of this would be my idea of home. I've always wanted to leave Sacramento. I always looked for an 'escape plan,' but now that I have it. I miss it, and now I'm looking for ways to go back home again. But even if I go back, it's not the same. Time has changed it.

So enough of my confusing spiel that has you scratching your head, and onto my narrative account of my time there in my next post!

Back to Sac (Part 1: The Drive)

My hiatus from my blog and Seattle is now over!

For a week and a half I went back home to Sacramento for Thanksgiving break to see my family. Words cannot express how excited I was to see them nor can they express how much I miss them now that I am back in Washington. I am so blessed to have them in my life and every day away from them is hard. We're a tight knit family, and it'll always stay that way.

One thing about me? I really hate long car rides. I just don't have the patience for it. I get antsy. I get sick. And I definitely get bored. But Michael and I buckled down and drove all the way to Sacramento. We started bright and early, and it was cold and below freezing.

But after only three hours in, we stopped in Portland for Breakfast.

Using Yelp, we found Mother's Bistro & Bar.

Then we got back on  the road only stopping for gas and bathroom breaks.

Unfortunately for Michael, he had to drive the whole way since I didn't know how to drive stick.

Long car rides are funny. Well actually not funny, because it drove me crazy (as you can see). The majority of the ride was flat and monotonous and music and audiobooks can only do so much.

But it was all worth it to be in the arms and company of my family.