mikoehle

[mikoehle]

#goals

[mikoehle]

I love you not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning (via lastdaxamite)

[mikoehle]

supergirl season two drinking game → we drink when they drink

[mikoehle]

Fantastic for Disney to do this after all of their Princess/Damsel in distress tales

A major Hollywood milestone has been met, and it’s been a long time coming. Ava DuVernay became mighty high in demand, fielding interest from a variety of projects as wide-ranging as Marvel’s Black Panther to an original sci-fi tale from the mind of Colin Trevorrow. Eventually she landed on an adaptation of A Wrinkle of Time at Disney as her next project, and as the film’s pre-production continues, we’ve now learned that it marks a genuinely new piece of history: DuVernay has become the first African American woman to ever direct a film with a budget over $100 million.

This is aweome!!! A Wrinkle In Time is one of my all time favorite books.

[mikoehle]

[mikoehle]

Operation Mason Jar Salads was a success #lunchwithstyle #chickpeafarroandgreens #heartyveggieandquinoa

[mikoehle]

#Chicago #StateStreet #lovethiscity #ArethaFranklin (at Chicago Theater)

[mikoehle]

The things I do so I can enjoy the nice weather. #lifeofamedstudent #willnotbeatotalshutin #yesthosearemovies #spring #beautifulday

[mikoehle]

SF - Day 1

Traveling to a place where you know there is no one to welcome you with open arms once you get there, generates a weird mixture of feelings. I felt rather lonely yet extremely excited at the same time. The loneliness disappeared as soon as I defined a purpose for my trip. In short, clear my head and rediscover myself. Well it’s the end of day one, and I would say it has been a success. I spent most of my day exploring Fisherman’s Warf. This weekend is Warf Fest in celebration of the Warf’s 25th anniversary. Or at least I think that’s what I heard. I walked around Pier 39, took an obligatory picture of Alcatraz, went to visit the sea lions, took more obligatory pictures of them (maybe too many), then stopped to have some clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl.

The entire time I was there at the pier I thought I was walking through Warf Fest. It wasn’t until I asked around about an event that I knew was supposed to be going that found out the festival was actually a couple blocks west of me. And so my journey continued west. When I get there I see little vendors selling fresh fish as well as clam chowder. I am not gonna lie. I was a little annoyed I got my chowder at a tourist shop and not a vendor. Determined to get some fresh fish even though I was already pretty full, I bought a calamari cocktail. Raw squid soaked in Italian vinaigrette. It. Was. Delicious! From there I went to snap some photos of a WWII submarine. I remember going seeing it with my parents last time I was here. It was where my dad got his WWII veteran hat that he still proudly wears in honor of his brothers (and himself even though he won’t admit it much). From there I made it my mission to visit Ghirardelli Square, home of the Ghirardelli chocolate factor. You better believe I wasn’t going to pass up chance to visit that. On my there I run into the cable car turnabout, the place where the cable car reaches the end of its tracks and get turned around in the opposite direction on this turnabout. The cable cars were the highlight of my trip last time I was here. I only got a picture this time, but riding on them is definitely on my to-do list before I leave. It is around this time that I realize just how drastic of a temperature change San Francisco can have. When I arrived at 2 pm, I was burning up, but around 6 pm I was freezing. My t-shirt and cardigan didn’t quite cut it. To warm up I hurried inside one of the three Ghirardelli shops at the square and ordered myself a hot chocolate. Definitely did the trick. By this time it is around 7pm and rather dark outside so I start to head back. I walk past the Warf just in time to catch the fireworks. From there I decided to make one more stop before returning back to my hostel. My last stop was Coit Tower, and probably my favorite stop of the day. The 210-ft Coit Tower that sits atop of Telegraph Hill gives you a 360 view of the city when you at the top. By 9 pm tower seemed tower had already been closed to the public, so I didn’t get to go inside, but I still got to hang around outside. Honestly I think that might have been better. It had a great view, and it was so peaceful! It was just me and the sounds of the city. It was the first time I got to just sit and think about me, to reflect. Realistically it probably wasn’t the best decision, me, a girl, alone at night in an isolated place. Yeah not the wisest I realize, but I would have done it again just to have that moment. Honestly, actually just might. We’ll see. Tomorrow is the Golden Gate Park, home of the Japanese Tea Garden and SF Botanical Garden. I am hoping to get some good me time there as well. Alright well it is almost midnight here, and the café I am sitting at in Little Italy, Caffe Puchini, is getting ready to close, so it looks like it’s time for me to make the block trek to my place. Until tomorrow.

[mikoehle]

Passing through St. Louis

[mikoehle]

Waiting on my plane to San Francisco

Going out to my classes post-block exam Halloween party before my bus to St. Louis didn't really get my trip started on the right foot in terms of helping me figure out what I am doing with my life. Shocking how a bar and alcohol can do that. My original plan was to go out, celebrate with my class, have a drink or two, and not get drunk. Guess what happened though. Yup, that's right. I got drunk. I just couldn't resist "bonding" over shots with my friends. Definitely paid for that decision later, but I'll get to that. My bus was scheduled to leave at midnight so I wanted to leave Vintage by 10:45 so I had time to change out of my "costume" and make sure I didn't forget anything. 10:45 rolls around, I am drunk and decide I could afford to leave a little later. It's 11:15 by the time I leave. Second poor life decision of the night. I get home and frantically run around the house so I can get everything in order. I find a cab at 11:45 and make the bus with only minutes to spare. Miraculously the only thing I have seemed to forget so far is my ticket to clam chowder tasting at the Wharf Festival (which I can reprint) and my list of things to do in San Fran (received a picture of it from Meghana, my roommate). As I get on the bus in my drunken state, I decide it would be better to sit in the upper section of the double-decker bus. It was not. Being that high up and drunk on a moving bus made for a perfect storm for my motions sickness. The other bad part about being upstairs was that the only bathroom was downstairs and I couldn't get to to while the bus was moving. Fantastic. I spent the first hour of that bus ride desperately trying not to throw up. Eventually I sobered up enough to fall asleep. After five hours drifting in and out of sleep, the bus arrived to its St. Louis stop. I was dropped off on a street corner. Nothing too uncommon for the Megabus. From there I walked to the Metra and stumbled upon a neat little square. Those pictures I posted was of that. The Metra conveniently took me straight to my terminal, and I passed through security with ease. Aaaand that brings me to the present. I expect boarding will start in 20 or so minute, which leaves just enough time for a power nap. Peace for now.

[mikoehle]

An Impromptu Excursion - San Francisco

The next couple of days my posts will be about my trip to San Francisco. The reason for my this little excursion is so I can get my head back on straight. Lately  everything in my life just feels so out of wack. I haven't felt like myself. Most days I wake up feeling like I am stuck in some sort of fog, which makes it hard to focus well on med school and studying. My grades have really taken a beating because of.  Basically my life is lacking balance, structure, and support. Here is to what I hope will be a journey of rediscovery, and the beginning of a new and better me.