Butterfly Hues

New Decade

2017-03-16T22:14:00.000-07:00

Happy Womb Emancipation Day to me!

Not much to be said, everyone knows how I feel about days like this. But I supposed I should mark the occasion as it is the beginning of a new decade. We'll see where it takes me or rather where I let it take me. Everyone says, this is the time for big decisions and where life starts to look more like what we imagine when we are young and enjoy the free of responsibility life. Stay tuned for an update on where that goes. In the mean time, here is some advice I was given today. I already see myself implementing a few of those points. In fact, I can't wait to do so.

Smile

Say yes more often

Take in the moment and enjoy the good times

Don't lose sleep over anything

Love your family

Always keep learning

Be honest

Be open to criticism

Plan for the future

Be open to taking a different path

Recognize who your mentors are and take advice

Always make time for self care

xo,R
©2017

Quote of the day

2017-02-06T22:00:00.000-08:00

"In business and in life -you don't get what you deserve, you get what you negotiate."
-Chester Karrass

xo,R
©2017

Master Plan 2017 Edition

2017-01-02T11:30:00.000-08:00

Truth be told, not much has changed from last year's goals.
Last year, I finally managed to finish paying off my car which allowed me to finally travel again. I want to do a lot more of that this year as well as go to more concerts. I want to focus on experiences rather than material possessions.
I want to continue building on the healthy habits I created last year.
Some things haven't changed in a while more than goals, they are habits.

Write more
Be more active
Read more
Eat more veggies

I still need to figure out the whole house purchase situation. House prices have skyrocketed again and that has put a serious hold on that goal.
But in the being an adult realm, I still need to open the IRA and start investing.

Finally, since I now have a computer, it might be the time (FINALLY) to start the podcast!

xo,R
©2017

Farewell 2016

2016-12-30T11:20:00.000-08:00

Let's start at the beginning: Good Riddance 2016!

There isn't really much that is good to say about 2016. It was mostly a bad year. It seems like nothing really materialized as far as goals and expectations.

I managed to have breakfast about 98% of the year and that is a huge accomplishment for someone who used to pride herself on not needing to eat breakfast.

I decided it was time to go back to the gym even if it was at the end of the year and then boom! I get the worst flu ever and the gym stops. I hope I am back to healthy quickly so I can get back on that.

I traveled again! It was such a thrill! I had definitely missed those days of wondering around a new city and eating new foods. I missed that moment of just enjoying the view and being thankful.

I definitely should have worked harder. I thought I was, but clearly I wasn't. I hope to have learned a lesson from that and make next year the year where I actually get things done.

Farewell 2016! Here is to 2017 being the year where I finally live for the moments that can't be put into words.

xo,R

Quote of the day

2016-11-08T12:25:00.000-08:00

A pedestal is as much a prison as any small, confined space.
-Gloria Steinem

xo,R
©2016

Quote of the day

2016-10-13T12:00:00.000-07:00

To reach a port we must set sail -Sail, not tie at anchor. Sail. not drift.
-Franklin D. Roosevelt

xo,R
©2016

Street Art Colombia Edition

2016-10-08T12:34:00.000-07:00

Some of the street art I found in the streets of Colombia...

Cartagena

Medellin

Santa Marta

p.s. I am seriously wondering about the weird shapes of these. What is wrong with my phone?

xo,R

Tayrona

2016-10-07T09:56:00.000-07:00

On the way to Tayrona, we stopped in Santa Marta.
It was really nothing to be seen. I was a bit sad that a trip to Aracataca didnt happen for obvious reasons. But there wasn't much time here before heading to Tayrona the next day.

It is like she is always taking care of us...

Of course we had to try it! It was surprisingly soft...

Relaxing pool night before heading to the jungle...

The jungle hike was intense to say the least. Sweating was very real. The beach was definitely the clearest I have ever seen.
While it didnt rise up to expectations, it was a great experience to have.

We were fooled when we saw this view... we really thought we were almost there. We weren't even halfway...

So we thought we were close now... and we still weren't...

About 3 hours later, we made it!

The water was just CLEAR as can be! Not sure if it comes through in the photos, ha!

Wild passion fruit flowers!

xo,R
©2016

Medellin

2016-10-06T09:54:00.000-07:00

Next stop: Medellin
There is so much to say about Medellin starting for the contrast to the coast. Antioquia is green and has mountains upon mountains. The smell of pines was a sensory overload on the way from the airport to the city.

The hotel was in Poblado, which turned out to be quite the rich area of the city or so it seemed in comparison. It was clear and there were so many trees. It was just beautiful.

The food in Antioquia wasn't really all that to be honest.

I was not a fan of the bandeja paisa. It was just so blah. But now I know. One would think I would have been excited about that avocado. But though avocados are the size of a baby's head in Colombia, they seem to be tasteless. They are like water down versions. It was the weirdest thing.

(T:Whatever didnt cost us anything, let's turn it into a party)

Of course, the cable cars were a must and they definitely made sure the experience was rounded. It was easy to see that somethings don't change: the marginalized people are the same everywhere in the world.

We went all the way to Park Arvi, of course and I caught me looking really happy and I was.

Plaza Botero

Snapchat photos because I forgot to take real photos but these empanadas definitely deserve a mention. They were my favorite thing to eat in Medellin!

xo,R
©2016

Playa Blanca

2016-10-05T08:58:00.000-07:00

Second stop was Playa Blanca.

While I will admit I have seen clearer as well as warmer waters, Playa Blanca was just beautiful.

For a change, I went in the water and stayed there for hours.
Also, to my surprise and everyone else's, I got a tan! I was so excited about it but it is starting to get a little disturbing. I am just not used to it and it is lasting quite a while.

We had coconut rice and fried fish. That coconut rice was so good, I am on a mission to learn how to make it even though I know it will never be the same....

The come and go of the waves was just so relaxing...

S and I. I am so excited that now she wants to travel. Here is to many future adventures!

I would like to disagree here. I believe that is what mezcal is for....

Here I am contemplating that life is better by the ocean...

xo,R
©2016

Cartagena

2016-10-04T09:48:00.000-07:00

After a very long traveling hiatus, I made my way to Colombia!
First stop: Cartagena

It is not a secret that I have wanted to go to Cartagena for years now. I, of course, owe that desire to GGM. Upon arrival, I couldn't help but notice that the smell of guavas he spoke of was nowhere to be felt. But the heat and humidity were definitely in abundance.
The people in the coast were so nice. I found it suspicious at first, but then I realized that is just how they were. It gave me a little hope for humanity.

The Walled City was just so beautiful...

Of course, walking on the wall itself was a must

So I decided to post this photo because I tried to take a picture of GGM's house, and what do you know I took a picture of the wrong side. What should be showing here is the house on the right... epic photography fail...

Mandatory sunset on the wall... it was just so beautiful and so surreal when you look a map...

I forgot to touch her boob... does that mean I won't ever go back to Cartagena?

On the last day, we finally got a coconut!

xo,R
©2016

Rain Room

2016-06-06T10:38:00.000-07:00

My grandpa told me that I must not let anyone tell me stories about anything. Or if I may, then I must also try to seek the experiences myself so that I know first hand.

In other words, things aren't always what we are told because people lie.

With that in mind, I made my way to the Rain Room and let's just say disappointment was served plentifully. At least for me.

I am not quite sure what I was expecting either. But I do know based on how people speak of it, it definitely wasn't what I encountered. I am glad I saw it with my own two eyes and I have the experience. But my money would have definitely been spent better elsewhere.

xo,R

p.s. apologies for the crappy iPhone photos. My phone had a seizure of some sort.

Street Art

2016-06-01T10:18:00.000-07:00

Spotted on my way to work today... nice reminder to just keep moving.

"No temas ir despacio, teme no avanzar"
T: Don't be afraid to move slowly, be afraid of not moving forward.

xo,R
©2016

Quote of the day

2016-05-16T21:30:00.000-07:00

"Think of how you love me. I don't ask you to love me always like this, but I ask you to remember. Somewhere inside me there'll always be the person I am tonight."
-Francis Scott Fitzgerald

xo,R
©2016

The Latest in The Bay

2016-04-25T12:08:00.000-07:00

I made my now annual trip to the bay this past weekend. I tried to take some photo. But since it is always the same, I refrained as much as possible.

I always enjoy my trips to the bay to see my friends and to indulge in college nostalgia. I still love the bay, but I think the kind of love I had before has definitely changed. Anyway, here are some photos to commemorate the trip.

As usual now, follow me on snapchat for a more live update!

The usual breakfast at La Note, of course! I know I could be making this at home, but there is something special about making this a stop every time I am in the bay!

S and I on the bart on the way to the City! If we had only known we were going to be sent back to where we came from on the return trip, maybe we would have picked a different time to go back. Cryptic I know. But long story short, there was a guy with a gun in the station where we were headed and so it took an hour to get to where we were going when it should have taken 5 min.

One of the many, many murals in SF!

Oh campus! The beauty!

xoxo, R

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

2016-04-06T23:04:00.000-07:00

I was able to attend a private preview event at the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood and it was awesome!
It was really great to see a lot of the details in person. I will definitely be going back to explore with more time, not to mention that I didn't really get to use the wand to reveals the secret elements only accessible via "casting spells" with the wand.
The Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride was amazing! The wait in line is going to be insane though once it opens tomorrow, but there are plenty of details to keep people entertained.

I took TONS of pictures, but they mostly will be short lived on my snapchat story: rx_sz. Follow me there for more!

The entrance to Hogsmeade Village

Hogwarts!!!

The entrance to Dumbledore's office inside Hogwarts!

xo,R
©2016

The Keeping

2016-03-08T10:44:00.003-08:00

"When you are accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression"

Happy 105th International Women's Day! Here is to one more year or inequality!

xo,R
©2016

Not Lost Yet

2016-01-27T09:00:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I feel like I am losing my edge, then something like this morning's apocalyptic sunrise happen and the floodgates of inspiration crash open and it just flows... on and on...

xo,R

Master Plan 2016 Edition

2016-01-02T13:10:00.000-08:00

I think it is good to stick with the approach of years past as not much has changed. But more than that, I have come to realized that it is really the little things that matter. As I have gotten older, I realized that goals are achieved one step at a time.
I want to travel again. I was dormant last year and it was for a good reason, but it was just not very me.
I want to have better health habits. My stress level definitely decreased last year, but I still need to work on that.
The goals from last year remain as those are more habits than goals, such as reading more, writing more, being more active and eating healthier. I also need to make a better effort of keeping up wit the blog because last year I sucked at it!
I also need to add a few more "I need to start acting like an adult" goals that I should have done a few years ago:

Open an IRA
Start investing
Buy a house (maybe)
Pay off my car

Finally, I must add, however, that the podcast going live will be a must. I got halfway there last year, so this year I must walk the other half.
But

"Si somos todo terreno, sobran los caminos."

Farewell 2015

2015-12-28T13:00:00.000-08:00

This was finally the year I switched jobs! There have been some ups and downs, of course. But so far, it has mostly been ups. I look forward to what will be of it in the future, or rather what I will make of it. I am obviously allowing the time for it to be, or to show me that it won't be so I can act accordingly.
The year that comes to an end has mostly been a good year. The end of it, however, has really given me a run for my money in as far as patience is required. I have learned that things don't come to you when you want them, but when you need them. But that is not to say, you have sit around waiting for them. You have to go out and get them. It is just they play hide and seek until you are ready.
I am just not very good at the waiting game. I want what I want when I want it. Otherwise, I tend to lose interest and move on.
I learned a little discipline as well. But there is still do much more I can do in that department.
I continue to learn about how little the opinions of others matter. Oh, but there is always someone ready to remind me that everybody is watching. I just skip a step and get right back on track.

Farewell 2015, you thought me lessons I did not know I needed to learn, but I thank you for them.
May 2016 bring what 2015 fell short of and more.

"The best is the enemy of the good. Absolutely go with the good. if you hold out for the best, you might end up with nothing."

xo,R
©2015

Done! Done! Done!

2015-11-04T09:44:00.000-08:00

Does anybody remember this post? It has been quite a while, I know. But in related news, I am so excited today! I am finally student loan debt free!!!!!

xo,R
©2015

Naciste Andariego

2015-07-14T11:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's unfortunate event reminded me of something I discovered years ago and that made a mark...

Tú ya naciste andariego,

andariego de nacencia,

así me decía mi abuelo

allá por mi adolescencia.

Y en verdad, amo el camino.

Soy un Quijote sin mancha,

la vida puede ser corta,

pero yo la vivo ancha.

Y en verdad amo el camino,

amo el camino y sus cosas

y aunque a veces yo me espino

me encanta cortar las rosas.

Padezco de un mal llamado

soñador y vagabundo

y ese mal sólo se cura....

...por los caminos del mundo.

-Joan Sebastian

xo,R
©2015

RIP JOAN SEBASTIAN

2015-07-13T20:40:00.000-07:00

All that is left to say is that we lost of one the greatest. We are so quickly running out of great composers/songwriters and with his departure there is an empty space left that nobody will ever be able to fill.
A legend is gone. I will forever treasure the times I had the privilege of being able of enjoying him perform live.

"No soy un angel, pero nací con alas como las águilas o tal vez como los cuervos. Lo cierto es que me dieron alas grandes hechas de melodías y verbos." -Joan Sebastian

xo,R

T: "I am not an angel, but I was born with wings like eagles or perhaps like crows. The only true is that I was given big wings made out of melodies and verbs."

Life Mantra

2015-06-18T11:38:00.000-07:00

T: If something good happens, travel to celebrate. If something bad happens, travel to forget. If nothing happens, travel so something happens.

xo,R

Street Art

2015-06-12T23:00:00.000-07:00

There was a very Georgia O'Keffee side wall mural on tonight's dinner venue.

xo,R