A Weekend: in Santa Barbara

A lot of the weekends here in Los Angeles are used to explore new areas.

And this past weekend was all about Santa Barbara!

We’ve heard good things about this city— delicious seafood, neat architecture, easy drive — so we were excited to make that short trip up north to experience a new town.

Hello, Santa Barbara

A city inspired by Spanish colonial architecture.


It usually takes about 95 minutes from LA, but departing Friday afternoon, we were hit with some traffic (per usual).

It took us about 3 hours, including a short pit stop (at In N Out) for a snack (burger).

We explored downtown Friday evening— enjoyed the Christmas carols and performances by children along the street, and ate some good fish, Turkish desserts, and ice cream (McConnell’s Fine Ice Cream).

The weather for Saturday was mild and sunny so we ended up biking for 10+ miles on the main streets and along the ocean. It was a great way to stay active while exploring and soaking in the scenes of Santa Barbara.

Brunch at Scarlett Begonia (steak and eggs + green rancheros with shrimp + a cinnamon roll) and the BREAD (shiitake scallion!) at Oat Bakery were definitely memorable.

The change of scenery to Santa Barbara was refreshing—and I can see ourselves visiting again during another season.

Next time, I definitely want to check out the wineries in that area!

(Photos taken on a Canon Rebel T6i)

About Grief, Pt 1

I thought of my mom’s death a lot this week.

I think of her pretty much every day, but this past week I was specifically reminded of my grieving process for her.

The mother of my husband’s good friend passed away recently. And when I had heard how she passed and the suddenness of it, my heart and chest- quite literally- ached for the friend.

And aching for the friend triggered the memory of my own pains of when I lost my mom unexpectedly.

About two weeks after my mom passed, I had strong chest pains, and tightness in my left chest. I thought I was having heart issues. Is this what a heart attack feels like?

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