Weekend Getaway in Puget Sound

After traveling the world this past year, it has made me more grateful and excited to travel more locally. There are so many beautiful amazing places to visit right here in the pacific northwest to keep me busy for a little while. My first weekend getaway since I've been back in the states was to Puget Sound.

It was nice to get out of the house, have a change of scenery, and a quiet weekend. Not to mention the cooler temperatures were favorable compared to the heat wave happening in Portland.

Yay for moss, fog, ferns, insects, huge lakes, mud, turtles, chocolate, and wine.

Young Coconut Juice from India

Speaking of coconuts...

I had a double take when this guy started climbing the coconut tree like it was nothing. It probably took him 30 seconds to get to the top. And he cut down some young coconut with a machete and then climbed down from the tree. The whole transaction probably took 3 minutes. Wow! I thought I was good at climbing trees, but this guy put me to shame.
I was introduced to the wonder of the young coconut juice in India. A slightly sweet clear liquid packed with nutrients and electrolytes did the trick for me on hot afternoons between yoga sessions.
pictured: myself and my yoga peeps enjoying a young coconut

Wishing I could go back to that life right now.

Happy Friday!

I was so happy to stumble apon this huge pile of chairs while I was in Shanghai. I hope it delights you as well.

Rock and Wood Hostel in Shanghai

I've stayed in many youth hostels during my trip around the world, and this is the first one I've felt blog worthy. Rock and wood blew away my expectations with beautiful architecture. The over sized dining table made out of a huge plank of wood was my favorite part to this public meeting area. I felt comfortable working on my craft projects here for hours. People would come and go and ask what I was doing. I felt very comfortable. After chatting with the barrista, I found out the owner is an architect and has designed many of the famous hostels in China. I don't remember his name so if any one knows please leave a comment.

The coy pond and private alcoves in the garden made calming retreats after a long day of exploring the city. Every detail was just right. I definitely recommend staying here if you are going to Shanghai.

Fun Snap Shots around Shanghai

One of my favorite things to do when visiting a city is to wander aimlessly with my camera. I hope you enjoy the results.

In Awe of Iguazu Falls

Iguazu Falls in Argentina is a special place. There was so much beauty all around me that it was hard to take it in. I feel very special to have the opprotunity to see this place. The national park has an impressive series of walk ways that go right up to the falls and some even go over the falls which allows you to experience the falls in a very intimate way. I kept gettting soaked throughout the day by the mist blowing up from the bigger falls. I didn't really mind becuase it was so hot and the sun is very powerful in South America.

The rainbows come out with the sun, so I was able to see a few in the afternoon.

Not only were the falls absolutely breath taking, but I was also able to see wildlife like tucans, aligator, frogs, birds, coaties, butterflys, etc. The butterflys were definitely magical. There was one point where there was a hundered yellow butterflys swarming around me. It was very beautiful and dream like. There were also many butterflys that had black and white and a little bit of red graphic patterns on their wings. They were lovely as well.

The coaties around the park have a dependency on humans for food/trash. They are not scared of humans so you can get really close to them. I don't think we have coaties in the states, but they are very cute!

My pale complection is not built for this type of tropical climate. I keep getting sun burned no matter how much sun screen I use and yesterday I even got a pretty bad heat rash from my all day outing. My poor skin has layer and layers of sunscreen and deet plus skin rash and bug bites. I guess you have to take the good with the bad.

This interesting article explains some of the geology behind the falls.

Cut Paper Triangle Typography

While I was across the world, I still managed to do some hand typography. This custom piece of type was designed for a collaboration with Michal Garcia. Each letter is made up of several tiny triangles all hand cut by me in various Japanese coffee shops.

Traveling Across Argentina by Bus

I was a little hesitant to sign myself up for an 18 hr bus ride, but flying was not in my budget. I booked a ticket for cama completo which is the most executive bus class where you seat can lay flat. The company was called via Barileche. Overall, I was very impressed by the buses, despite the nasty unhelathy food.


This is my seat. It folds back to lay completely flat which made it very easy for me to sleep on my side or back.


I mostly poked at my din din becuase I was scared to eat it. I think the upper right was mayo on turkey, but I'm not too sure. I think I nibbled on the crackers. I had a snack earlier so I wans't that hungry. I watched a movie and then it was time to sleep.

When I woke up in the morning there were rolling grassy hills spotted with low lying trees. They served us breakfast around 8. Also, a disappointment. I ate an apple that I brought on my own. There was an LED sign that had the time and temp and if the bathroom was being used "WC occupado."

Then I went back to sleep for another 2 hours. When I woke up the landscape changed and we were in a rain forest. And then we arrived at Puerta Iguazu 1 and a half hours early! I don't feel tired and cranky from the bus ride. I actually feel quite rested and ready for more exploration. Cost of bus ride: 124 dollars.

And I'm off to travel the world!

I've been awfully quiet on the blog lately becuase the holiday season swept me away and then I had to prepare for my journey around the world. Oh yes, did I mention I'm starting a 6 month journey around the world and my first destination is Argentina. I've been enjoying Buenos Aires for several days while adjust to the change of pace. The rhythum in Argentina is very different than the US, but I'm starting to get the hang of it. I have met some really cool people from all over the world and most of them speak english so its always easy to find people to hang out with.

Hawaii Trip

I just got back from vacation and I have to say hawaii is one of the most beautiful places i've been to. It was so pretty it almost seemed fake. I fell in love with the place very quickly as I often do when I travel. I think it would be fun to move there for awhile.

When I first arrived I was privileged enough to see this beautiful rainbow.
These trees were so cool! Their roots grew down from the branches giving the tree a very eerie feel. I caught myself stopping to stare at these trees. They are visually stunning.
I couldn't resist taking the obligatory silhouetted palm tree photo.
This is the seven passenger plane i took between the islands. I was pretty freaked out at first but the ride ended up being really cool. The view was amazing and we flew pretty slow so you could really see what was going on.
This is the view from our hotel balcony. It looks too pretty to be real right?
As the plane was landing we flew over this farm land that was really nice pattern and color inspiration for me.