Post-Grad Life: Napa and Santa Cruz

My first week post-grad has been an amazing one--I spent a day in Napa with my grad school cohort, painted some 'thank you' post cards for family members, slept in till 10am, and took a day trip to Santa Cruz. I've also been working out on a regular basis again! Hooray for self-care!

Some of our cohort (as well as respective partners) having fun in Napa, CA

My painted postcards (You can see more photos in this post).

I can't believe a year has passed since I spent a summer in Santa Cruz. As much as I love San Francisco, I can't help but return to a warm(er) place surrounded by forests and coastline. It's much quieter and slower than San Francisco, but hey, I'm okay with that for a couple of months. I started a garden last year and that was one of the most successful gardens I maintained. I like when the weather is on my side! I missed going to the tide pools, redwood forests, and riding my bike without fear of dying.

Gorgeous coastline off of HWY 1

Tide Pools

 Tide pools along the coast resemble underwater 'terrariums'! I love how the algae and seaweed resemble moss and lichen.

Nothing happened. My lungs are weak :(

Cool find of the day: I was trudging through a field and found this giant dandelion. I was immediately reminded of the humongous dandelions in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Secret of the Ooze (1991):

Comic Alliance

Well, that sums up my first week of post-grad life. Next week is dedicated to thesis revisions and job applications, but lots of fun in-between. I have plans for some tutorials that I'll post on this blog, and I have several garden projects that I'll share in the very near future.