Jedi's nicknames:

Mr. Jedi
Jedi Puppy
Silly Puppy
Sneaky Puppy
Big Puppy
Puppy
Kai Kai Dui (Toisan, a dialect of Cantonese, for "bad boy")
My Good Boy

Happy New Year! I started this year off beautifully by traveling to Zion and Bryce with Daniel, Vince, and Kevin M. from church. I had decided to travel to Utah about two months ago after reading a list of the best places to see in the winter time, and I felt pretty determined. Both parks featured their own mesmerizing charms and fun adventures. Personally, I enjoyed Zion's trails more than Bryce's because they were shorter yet showcased a greater variety of scenes. Bryce's views, however, looked more spectacular overall. While words cannot capture the gorgeousness of either park, Bryce was a winter paradise, a place I did not want to soon leave. I took so many photos, utterly enthralled by the canyons' shapes, patterns, and hues at every turn. I think this trip will remain unforgettable for a long time. It was just so beautiful, I am already sickly nostalgic.

On the way to the Lower Emerald Pool in Zion. The trail was short and icy.

Afternoon sun on the way up to Angel's Landing. We did not complete the hike due to windy and icy conditions.

Bryce--captivating at every angle.

I could not get enough of these snow-capped hoodoos.

The four. I would travel with this group again.

Last weekend, Froilan and I got to stay over at Oscar's house in Monterey. Even though our last rendezvous in Monterey happened almost exactly a year prior, it felt like an eternity ago. This weekend was a very fantastic and satisfying time filled with various outlets for self-indulgence. On the first night, we drank a tasty beer whose name I've forgotten and watched an Australian horror film called Babadook, which not so surprisingly turned out to be laughable. We woke up at six the next morning to go pier fishing for sardines and mackerel but found little success. The breakfast burritos that Oscar bought for us were pretty exceptional though. The following afternoon was the highlight of the weekend for me. We visited the paradisaical Point Lobos where the shore waters appeared green and blue in heavenly hues. The lush, woodland coastline looked so gorgeous from every angle that I couldn't imagine a scene in California that offered a more divine, visual pleasure.

Oscar had recommended dinner at a popular touristy restaurant renowned for its cioppino, so we ate there and instantly tasted the warm glory that was Phil's Fish Market's distinctive bowl. Back at Oscar's we played three games of bananagrams--I won two after Froilan boasted about beating many others. We closed the night by watching The Creep, which was legitimately creepy and reminded me a bit of myself. On our last morning, we ate brunch at Tico's and drove to the local beach for digging up crabs, playing catch, and wrestling in the sand until 4PM came along. An hour later, we prayed, hugged, and said our goodbyes, and I wondered when I would ever again feel like time had stopped.

Oscar turned a walking stick into a selfie stick.

Froilan and I entering the frigid waters at Point Lobos.

China Cove; unfortunately, it was closed during our visit.

Phil's Fish Market--Oscar's recommendation. The cioppino and artichoke hearts were deadly delicious.

Enjoying our last meal together: brunch at Tico's.

Overheard in my Illustrator class: "Was Bilbo Baggins a real person? Someone told me the movie was based on a true story."

Yesterday I suffered over twelve episodes of diarrhea. I don't think that contaminated food was the cause, because no one else who ate the same food got sick. I believe it was from swimming in a contaminated pool for my water aerobics class, which I dropped from my schedule this morning. Somehow I forgot the incident during a swim class two years ago when someone's feces were found at the bottom of the deep end. 

11:00 - Leave house
11:30 - Arrive at school and finish Illustrator assignments
01:00 - Illustrator class
04:30 - Leave Illustrator class and do homework
05:15 - Prepare for water aerobics class
05:30 - Water Aerobics class
07:00 - Leave class, shower, and eat
07:30 - Go home
08:00 - Arrive at home

The goal is to evade all traces of slow traffic. With this schedule, I will be able to sleep without the restraints of a bed time and an alarm.

Professionally, it has been an emotional week. Every person I've informed of my resignation responded with shock, frustration, or tears. I didn't realize how much I mattered or how much I was admired, until I announced our imminent goodbyes. Even the cafeteria ladies at the school I frequent for lunch each week felt sad. Consequently they've been feeding me extra large portions.

It is time to renew my passport and let imaginations become the consequences. But I need friends to join me.