riding the fung wah

The waterfall on Creek Road - June 14th, 2011. Gorgeous, isn’t it?!

Back here again, as I always am when I come home. What sort of deep insight did I gain this time, you ask? Well, a little bit more than last time, which isn’t saying much. Being there in warm weather reminds me of when I would come here often four years ago, the summer after I graduated from high school.

Compared to then, at least, I’ve definitely changed — I know that High School Me would’ve imagined that College Graduate Me would be heading off to the Hill, living in Georgetown, and delivering snarky commentary on Congressional politics on the side. Instead, I’m headed off on a yearlong adventure in London, studying China, and making zero income on my way to becoming ridiculously overeducated.

I don’t think High School Me would’ve wanted to run off to Europe for that long. I’ve always been so attached to my hometown that I never wanted to be too far away. But I guess that’s the change that happened over the past four years — I think I’m finally eager to go exploring, to live somewhere else. As comfortable as home is, it’s when I’m here that I’m the most lethargic. It’s a good place to touch base, but I can’t stay here for long, at least not at this point in my life.

Despite saying that, I still feel kind of like a little girl marching around in big girl high heels. I’m glad to have realized that my ambitions have changed and expanded to take me places I never would’ve dreamt of, but I also still feel so much the same as before. I don’t know where that will take me, but it’s good to always know that no matter where I’m heading, this waterfall will still be waiting at home. And next time I’m back, maybe it’ll offer me some more insight then. Maybe I’ll have actually grown up some more by then. Maybe I’ll have finally kicked that pretentious espresso habit.

Probably not, though. Who am I kidding.

This dress is AWESOME. The end.

phillyfilly:

via postgradslump

Philadelphia was recently voted one of the world’s most underrated cities by Travel and Leisure.

[…] No longer the underdog, our nation’s first capital is attracting more than just students on field trips. One reason is its melting-pot food scene, invigorated by chefs such as Jose Garces, who runs eight Latin-inspired eateries, from Amada to Tinto; Marc Vetri, who helms Italian eateries Vetri, Osteria, and Amis; and Adan Saavedra, who serves Mexican haute cuisine at Paloma.

Check out the other 24 here.

You hear that friends and family? Come one, come all!

[photo via picturephilly]

What up?! I feel the need to rep this city today, on Day 4 of my spring break back home, while many of my friends are out enjoying the sunshine on various Caribbean islands.

What, pasty is cute, all right?

Today, while the Boyf was in class, I ventured down the road, past St. Paul’s, to this little cafe/bakery called Bea’s. I had scouted it out on a guide to London earlier in the day, which gave the place five stars for its amazing espresso and baked goods. 

Once I stepped inside, I felt a surge of satisfaction, mixed with a tinge of embarrassment that such an obnoxiously fancy little coffeeshop could give me so much pleasure. I get such a bad reputation for my obsession with pretentious coffee and cupcakes, and I fully deserve it. It is such a weakness. 

The girls behind the counter eyed me up suspiciously, and I suddenly wished I had a newer handbag, a better haircut, and any accent that wasn’t so nasally and Mid-Atlantic. But I swallowed my pride and ordered, really quietly, a flat white. When I asked about the cupcake flavors, the girl gave me a meaningfully bored look before she rattled them off to me (raspberry, Bailey’s, toffee, and red velvet.) I hurried ordered a red velvet cupcake (I can’t help it; I want to taste every single red velvet cupcake in the world!) and scurried upstairs and out of sight.

TimeOut London was right — the espresso was sweet and heavenly, and the cupcake was perfect with a frosting that was both whipped and cream cheese-flavored (how do they DO that?!). But they forgot the mention the attitude — your cupcake comes with a fork, God forbid you eat it with your fingers; no, there’s no wireless Internet here, and no, there’s no public restroom either. You have your fancy coffee and your gossip, and then you get the hell out. Definitely a coffee shop for well-off, shopping bag-laden, blowdried ladies, not for the poor student looking for a safe haven to guzzle coffee and write grad school apps, and yours truly is clearly much more of the latter.

So I quickly finished my treat and ducked out, sadly. It may be the perfect paradise for me, but it’ll be years (and many paychecks) before I’m the customer for them.

Took a drive down Creek Road today to visit the little waterfall along White Clay Creek. It’s one of my favorite spots in the entire world. I didn’t realize how creepy it feels to park your car along the road and trek deep into the woods until I walked out there today, by myself for the first time, with my cup of coffee in hand. Definitely felt like a scene from a horror film—at least, that’s what I imagine horror films are like (I wouldn’t know; I don’t do those). But the waterfall was just as beautiful as I remembered it, even in the winter with ice frozen over the top. I like sitting here whenever I come home and benchmarking how much has changed since I was here last.

Turns out, not much has — I still drink the same pretentious brand of coffee, I’m still fiercely allergic to everything that grows, and I still haven’t shed my freshman 15.

Thanks a lot for the reflection, creek.