My Happy Place

Hello blogging world,

I am currently at a Starbucks in Emeryville (a 5 minute drive from my house in Berkeley) and I am in my happy place.  Moving somewhere brand new, with no job and not too many friends can be hard.  A lot of times I can't shake the feeling that I'm out on my own...alone.  And when I get those feelings...like I did today, I have to admit that Starbucks is my happy place.  It is my home away from home.  When I was backpacking Europe this past summer, and I started to feel a little frustrated with being in the New and Unfamiliar all the time...Starbucks was there to make me feel for a brief moment, I was home.  Every Starbucks, whether it be in Spain or Mexico or Emeryville is all set up the same with the same menu, the same comfy seating, the same free Wifi! (pronounced WeeFee in Spain).  And I think that THAT, more than the coffee, is what is behind the Starbucks craze.  That it can be a home away from home.

Anyway else have an odd appreciation for the 'bucks?

Sunset hike

 Today some of my roommates and I hiked to the hills behind Berkeley, and we timed it to watch the sunset. It felt so good to be doing something local with my roommates and being in nature.  Am I the only one who gets an automatic "de-stress" from being enveloped by trees.  And then we watched the sun go down right behind the Golden Gate bridge.  What a way to cap off Monday right?

That is the City across the bay and to the right. Ahhw love it.

Anyone else do something to ease their Monday blues?

Berkeley

On my walk to a coffee shop the other day I tried to capture what makes Berkeley...Berkeley.

 The local junior high

Often times, and besides the many "crazies" that inhabit Berkeley, I feel like I am walking around in a fairy tale.  Actually, I suppose there usually is a crazy or two in a fairy tale.  Anyway, Berkeley has a cottage like charm to it.  And I'm pretty sure it also has one of the highest Cafe to person ratios in the country.  But that just makes me love it even more.

Newest Nor Cal Resident

I am now officially a resident of Berkeley California!  Last night I made the 7 hour drive up by myself in my Prius.  There is nothing like making the drive to your new home.  I was excited, scared, anxious, and a little sad.  Definitely a whirlwind of emotions throughout the long drive.  Today I walked to a local coffee shop around the block from my new house.  I love that I can simply walk from place to place.   Berkeley has so much character, from bookstores to cafes to record stores and cottage style homes.  I can't wait to start getting to know this city, as well as San Francisco, and blogging about along the way.