On the Road Again.

Already I can tell this is going to be a swell trip.  

What started as a short vaca to the Bay (mostly to see the Warriors play the Lakers) has turned into a 17 day break, complete with a road trip across country with my sister, job searching, and a reunion with my besties.

It was stressful to plan, I won’t lie, but already, it's so worth it.

We spent the first few days in Custer, South Dakota, staying with my grandparents and picking up Tall 1 (my much missed Fiat), and it was during this stay that my grandma mentioned something to me that really settled well. 

She was telling us about this book she had just read, as we were driving through the Black Hills on an abnormally sunny March morning, and it had to do with New Year's Resolutions. Instead of a list, she said, or even a mantra, the book recommended a single word to think about for the year, one itty bitty word to focus your thoughts on. 

To her, that word was "focus." To my sister, it meant "positivity." And for me, I think my special word is "moment."

Which is fitting because I believe I wrote a post about a New Year's Resolution and it had to do with gratitude. To me, gratitude and being in the moment go hand in hand. Having gratitude is being thankful, and for me, it means looking at all that I have now, in the present moment, and being appreciative of where I am and how my quality of life is, which is pretty darn spectacular. 

I mean, my breakfast this morning consisted of avocado toast, Japanese French Toast (complete with green tea ice cream, miso butter, maple, and toasted nori), and I got to spend it in the company of my brother and sister, as well as my grandma, who stated to the entire restaurant that it was one of the happiest days of her life. 

That meant the world to me, and I took in that moment, being in the company of my family, and dining together over some of the finest cuisine, and it made me feel grateful. 

This trip, I can already tell, is not only going to be filled with fantastic food, family time, and new sights, but it will fill my soul with feelings so worth all the unnecessary stress I put on myself when I planned it. 

I'm not only on the road again towards a destination, but I'm on the road to discovering the true meaning of gratitude, and what it means to be thankful for each and every moment. 

Let's get this party started!

I don't know how I'll ever go back to eating cereal again..

Ready for the road!

Roadtrip playlist uploaded and ready to roll..

Through South Dakota, Wyoming, and Utah, Alyeska and I kept ourselves plenty occupied with busting a move and singing at the top of our lungs..

Well a nine hour road trip constitutes a "treat yo self" type dinner, so per my dad's suggestion (who was last here in Salt Lake City in 2001), we ended up at Red Iguana, which was way worth the half hour wait in the snow.

We'll be sleeping good tonight, ready for the road tomorrow!

Off Track.

I was trying to think of a good way to start this post, but I kept getting sidetracked.

I had my cat trying to claim territory on my lap, there was an especially exciting Warriors vs. Thunder basketball game raging in the background... and already I forget what I'm talking about.

It seems that I keep losing my train of thought. 

See, today was brew@602's official Grand Opening with Frames & Things up at Whistle Hill. 

We had Conductor Joe greeting everyone onboard, a fantastic Brew Crew keeping everything on track, spontaneous dancing, giveaways, and even a celebratory champagne smashing. 

It was popping.

And even through the mad rushes, spilled coffee, and the few grumpy customers that come with working at a coffee shop, I left work with a smile, appreciative to be part of an environment that has helped me grow and allowed me to enjoy my job these last few months in Alaska, not as an obligation, but as a positive experience. 

That's what I've enjoyed so much about being at 602. There are moments where I'm waiting on a perfectly measured 26 second shot, that I look around at this renovated train car and feel this sense of pride at being part of the ride. 

More important than pride though is that I always look forward to going to work, not because I'm scheduled to, or because I need to "make dat money", but because I genuinely enjoy being there. My passion is making coffee, providing a memorable experience to fellow coffee lovers, and being there every day seeing all of my family's hard work coming to life for the community.  

I'm grateful for the opportunity to have been able to express my creativity and humor (and propensity to use puns) in many areas of the business, and it has inspired me to further my search in the creative field, as I know that's where I'm meant to be. 

My penchant for standing out comes from my family, and brew@602 is proof enough of that. Yeah, we opened a business that was way off the traditional business track, but that's the track I would rather be riding on.