Monterey Diary

 For Thanksgiving weekend Asia, I, and our parents headed up to Monterey. That's where my grandparent live and where my mom grew up. It's kind of like the meeting ground for our entire Chinese side of the family. We set off early Thanksgiving morning excited for the fantastic weekend to come...

We hit the road. The car was packed with our luggage, food, and CD's to last the full 5 hours. I've always loved long car rides. I think they're such fun and a good way to spend time with the family. Plus I enjoy all of the great scenery California has to offer. We made a few stops to get gas and of course Starbucks. Chai frappuccino with a shot of espresso, my drink of choice. As we drove further and further away from LA the landscape got duller. The area just north of the Grape Vine is probably my least favorite spot on the 5 freeway. Nothing but barren agriculture for miles. The sides of the road became colored with reds, oranges, and yellows. We passed through miles and miles of seasonal vineyards. I told my dad to pull off of the freeway for a photo-op. We took a few family photos in front of the vineyards, but they weren't so flattering...However we did manage to get some fun shots in the middle of the road. We worked on our modeling, to no success, and got in some good laughs. We packed up and hit the road yet again, only a third of the way there.

We finally made it to the coast. After hours of singing Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber songs, I was relieved to be out of the car. Although we did have really important discussions about our new collection and our next steps. I realized the tremendous amount of work that needs to be done in the next month, and I know that I won't have a free weekend till next year. Runnin' this company is time consuming!! Asia and I enjoyed the sea even though we were freezing as we battled the wind. I felt like I was in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, one of my all-time favorite movies. There was no one for miles, it felt like a dream. Pure nostalgia. We headed to Fisherman's Wharf to get a taste of clam chowder before our Thanksgiving feast. And we got some lightly battered calamari for another appetizer. We made a quick stop at a local candy shop and picked up jawbreakers, rock candy, and my favorite food cotton candy. By the end of our little trip to the wharf I was so full I couldn't bare to think of the big Chinese feast awaiting us at my grandmas.

 We feasted and feasted big. So much good food, but sadly no photographs. After we finished eating we decided to hit the big stores at midnight for black Friday. I'm not aware of any Walmarts in the LA area so when I found out they were selling waffle makers for $3 we needed to find one. Luckily there's two in the Monterey area. We hopped in the car, drove to the major shopping center, and searched for parking for 45 minutes. It was a madhouse. Those people do not play when it comes to black friday. There were cars parked on the sidewalk and in ditches by small streams surrounding Walmart. Super hectic, but we managed to find parking at a nearby public park. haha! It was hot and musty and people were yelling. And as you can see below they were classy. Chanel in Walmart. Overall it was a ton of fun, I really enjoyed the chaos of it all.

The next morning, like 6 hours later, we did some more shopping. My mom knew of a couple thrift stores that were having Black Friday sales so we stopped by. Each one was having a 50% off all items in the store sale. It was heaven. Since the people in Monterey have no clue about fashion we scooped up all of their treasures. It was like a sanctuary for velvet. Velvet dresses, skirts, button-ups, t-shirts, and vests. Plus a ton of other pieces that wouldn't have lasted more than a day had they been on sale in LA. And nothing exceeded $5. And I got like 7 books to add to my library including White Oleander, The Sea, and Olympic Portraits by Annie Leibovitz. Honestly, best black friday ever. Plus we sold a couple of Once Youth pieces during our sale. We spent the rest of the day relaxing, completely shopped out. 

We woke early Saturday morning. The Monterey Museum of Modern Art had an exhibit on Andy Warhol. It was necessary to see his work. I've recently been reading a lot about Andy Warhol and the brilliant world he created. About his local hangouts, the factory, and the people he surrounded himself with. The museum had a few pieces from other artists which I enjoyed, but not like the prime Warhols. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take photographs, but the art was exquisite. Absolutely stunning.

Just bein' artsy~

Saturday afternoon was spent at a local fishing spot in Carmel. We drove down the 1 freeway, through some residential areas, and hiked down to the water. The water was clear and the air was crisp. I explored the tide pools and chased seagulls. We got back in the car and continued our trek down to Big Sur. We stopped at the iconic Big Sur bridge for a few photos and ended up staying there till sundown. We didn't make it to the actual beach, sadly. For those who haven't been up the California coast it is so incredible. So many wildflowers and exotic plants. The ocean is so blue and you're bound to see a dolphin or two. The golden coast is home to some of the most pristine scenery in the US. This Thanksgiving break was such a treat. I was able to find so many treasures and see so many wonderful sights. All I can say is I can't wait for winter break.