High Five

Hey Everyone,

#1 Viva Las Vegas

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Last week I left for Vegas with a group of friends and had a blast. The real kicker was seeing people's reactions when I told them why I was going to be in Vegas that weekend. Many of them had just assumed I was going for the Electric Daisy Carnival, but my favorite reaction came from one of my girlfriends who cracked up when I told her I was actually going for a card tournament. She of course was thinking along the lines of Poker or Blackjack (and rightfully so) so when I revealed that it was actually a Magic the Gathering tournament she darn near fell out of her chair in tears laughing. Anyway, one of my buddies placed 161 out of over 4000 people that participated. Way to go and a literal high five for him!

Although I didn't participate in the main event at the Grand Prix I did enjoy my time at the Convention Center meeting new people and doing Vegas things with my boyfriend on the side. It'd been almost a decade since I saw Cirque du Soleil's O at the Bellagio with my parents so when my boyfriend decided (kind of last minute) that he wanted to catch a Cirque show before we left, I was super excited! With an hour to spare that Friday night, the concierge informed us that the only Cirque show with tickets available was Zumanity. You know, the risque one with the topless performers. I don't think it gets any more Vegas than that.

The boyfriend and I had a fun and enjoyable night at the intimate little theater inside the New York New York Hotel and Casino. Although some parts of the show were not my cup of tea, the acrobatics, dancing, and live music were all just stellar. It's hard to be overly critical when you're watching these performers effortlessly glide through the air and stage completing gravity-defying stunts while you're sitting in your seat with your mouth open in awe. It was a really special treat courtesy of my boyfriend.

#2 Graduation

I'm so proud of all of my friends who graduated this month! Congratulations to each and every single one of them for reaching this momentous milestone. I finished my undergrad in 3 years and went on to finish my Masters the following year so even though I don't regret any of it, sometimes, my college years do seem like they flew by in one big blur.

Claire has been there with me since the very beginning. I roomed with her in our tiny little triple with another roommate when we lived in the on-campus dormitories our first year as college freshwomen. The next year, even though we didn't room together, we lived in the same on-campus apartment. The following year we rented a house with a few other girls and then the year after that, we ended up moving to an off-campus apartment where we were united as roommates once again.

I'll never forget the countless adventures, laughs, and tears I've shared with Claire and all the other wonderful people I met in college. I'm so excited to see where their careers will take them!

#3 Sushi Cocktail Party

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I got to attend a sushi cocktail party in Oceanside c/o Yelp this week. I think it's always fun to find excuses to dress up and mingle with people. I brought my fellow foodie and dear friend, Michael, along for the ride as my +1 and we indulged in the delectable offerings of seemingly endless sushi and accompanying libations.

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We arrived a little early to partake in a "secret" happy hour in which we enjoyed a flight of 5 different sakes and an amazing plate of mussels.There was a really cool live Instagram printing center that printed out pictures for you on the spot. It was a neat homage to Polaroids way back when except with a 21st century social media/technological twist. Good times!

#4 San Diego Blood Bank 5k

The last couple of 5ks I've run, I put in little to no effort preparing for whatsoever. With just under 3 weeks left until the next one and since I'm on my summer vacation, I decided to actually try and train a little bit for this upcoming 5k (hopefully this will ricochet any bad omens that my bib number might be trying to suggest) . My goal is to finish the SDBB 5k in under 28 minutes. I believe the first 5k I ever ran I completed in just under 30. Wish me luck!

#5 Ballroom Latin Dance Club (BLDC)

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Recently, I joined a local BLDC and have immersed myself in the world of Salsa, Bachata, and Merengue. I'm not very good but I am addicted! Classes are every Tuesday and Thursday and for $10 for the entire summer, it is such a steal! I wanted to learn to dance for a couple of reasons. The first of which was to boost my confidence. I've always been a little awkward with my body especially when it comes to dancing. This is also the main reason I started Zumba nearly a year ago. I thought maybe if I joined a dance club, it would be a safe environment for me to learn something I've always wanted to be able to do and shake some of that awkwardness off along with my booty. The second reason I joined was simply to become more aware of my body whether that be the different muscles in it or just working on my posture in general (I'm notorious for being a sloucher).

I have to say, I am really enjoying myself through this new found outlet. I find dance to be an extremely satisfying and pleasant way to express yourself and connect with people. I actually went to my first real Salsa event last Wednesday at the Marriott hotel. I remember asking the Salsa instructor the night before if he had any tips for an unexperienced dancer like myself (a fish) going into a sea of experienced dancers (the sharks). I was voicing my concerns that I'd be eaten alive out there on the dance floor and no one would want to dance with me. He assured me that he'd had some of the most fun dancing with girls who didn't know what the heck they were doing but looked like they were genuinely having a good time. This was the best advice he could have given me. The second I stepped foot in that hotel I had a smile on and did my best to follow where the gentlemen were leading me, lo and behold, I don't think there was a minute where I wasn't dancing and smiling, genuinely having a good time.

When was the last time you tried something a little out of your comfort zone?

As always, thanks so much for reading!