Summer Road Trip Series: from Melbourne down the Great Ocean Road

August 1, 2014 by Cassie

It’s time for an international road trip, yes?

Olivia of Halfway Somewhere took an amazing trip along the southern coast of Australia, and she shares her journey with us here today.

In her own words:

“The Great Ocean Road is one of Australia’s iconic destinations, and in December of last year (I’m in the southern hemisphere, so it was a summer trip!), I finally took the time to drive most of the way along it with my sister. We grew up just a few hours away but, like is often the case with places in your own state, it took me over 20 years to get there.”

Great Ocean Road

THE INSPIRATION

“I’d been wanting to do the trip for a while, but since I live far away for uni, whenever I went back home, I was too busy seeing friends and family to take the time. There really wasn’t any particular reason for going other than it was just time to get our act together and finally visit this area of the country.

We drove from Melbourne down to Geelong and from there it’s straight down to Torquay and onto the Great Ocean Road. There’s a lot of awesome little beach towns to stop in on along the way – Anglesea, Airey’s Inlet, and Lorne, to name a few.”

Great Ocean Road

THE HIGHLIGHTS

“One of the most fun stops along the way was the Split Point lighthouse. There’s nothing extraordinary about the lighthouse itself, except for the fact that it was the setting for a popular kids show in Australia in the ’90s, Round the Twist. We were singing the theme song for hours that day.

The other obvious one is the Twelve Apostles, the main attraction of the Great Ocean Road. We stopped by a few times since the first time they were mostly shrouded in fog and we stayed overnight close by. In the evening the view was amazing. Then as the sun went down, there were hundreds of baby penguins making their way in from the water, which was awesome to watch.

We stopped in Port Campbell, which is a really fun small town. The official Great Ocean Road goes all the way down to Warnambool, although you could actually keep going all the way to South Australia if you wanted to and had the time.”

Great Ocean Road

great-ocean-road

THE NEXT ADVENTURE

“I just ticked off two road trip I’d been wanting to do (around the south of the USA and around the redwoods in California). My ultimate dream road trip is to buy an old Winnebago and spend a year or more slowly driving around. I’ve been a bit obsessed with this idea for a while now and my short recent trips and have only made it worse. Hopefully I can save up enough to do that in 2016, but we’ll have to see.”

Great Ocean Road

Olivia’s Blog // Twitter // Instagram

Have you ever been to Australia? Olivia’s trip makes me want to visit.

There’s another featured road trip scheduled for this time next week—but it’s not a car. Stay tuned!

Filed Under: Life, Travel Tagged With: australia, australian road trip, great ocean road, halfway somewhere, olivia peters, photography, summer road trip series, travel

Through the Lens: photos from July

July 30, 2014 by Cassie

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Summer is flying by.

I know, who wants to hear that? But even though I’m a little sad July is coming to a close, I’m really looking forward to August. I’m flying home for the first time since Christmas, my BFF and college roomie is coming to L.A. for a visit, and then I kick off my second year of grad school. It’ll be a busy month for sure, and I plan to soak it up before another crazy semester begins.

But right now, let’s have one last look at July, shall we? There were quite a few highlights.

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I cannot get enough of the beach. Even though it’s often a stressful, longer-than-it-should-be drive to the coast, it’s always worth the effort of getting there. Sunsets on the beach are where it’s at.

And how did I manage to snap the following photo of Obama? Journalism has its perks…

obama

President Obama was in town for about 24 hours, and a handful of the Neon Tommy reporters got to cover his LAX arrival, a speech he gave at a college and his departure. I covered his departure, which meant getting cleared by the White House and sitting on the tarmac in the hot sun for hours. All in all, I spent an entire day mostly waiting around for a couple exciting minutes of helicopters flying the president in, him walking from the helicopter to Air Force One and giving us a little wave before taking off again. See for yourself.

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(He’s looking right at me!)

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Though a lighter picture-taking month overall, July was jam-packed. Even though I’ve been juggling a couple of jobs and a night class, I’ve managed to sneak in plenty of fun, too: watching tons of fireworks with a sweet view from the top of a hill, revisiting a couple of favorite neighborhood spots (it’s hard to be a regular anywhere in this town—too many options!), and celebrating our one-year anniversary of living in L.A.!

And the fun won’t end in August. In fact, I’ve got an open spot for August’s Beer with a Blogger. Who wants to grab a couple of pints with me?!

I loved July—how about you? And what do you have going on next month?

 

 

Filed Under: Photography Tagged With: beach, dockweiler, dtla, lax, obama, photo roundup, photography, through the lens

Interweb Finds: the most-hated dog, Eurotripping & more

July 27, 2014 by Cassie

avocado tree

I’m trying to be kind to my body.

Lately, I’ve had lots of aches and pains in my neck and back, and it’s no secret why. (Blogging, technically, is only making it worse.) I’ve also found myself popping more Ibuprofen than usual for headaches. So I’m doing more yoga at a new place (I’m taking a yoga studio tour, if you will, via Groupon), drinking more water and drinking less alcohol. And this week, I plan on taking the plunge and buying new running shoes. Mine are almost three years old. It’s time.

But right now, it’s interweb finds time. Check out this week’s link roundup:

Speaking of yoga, pets interrupting yoga is the cutest thing you’ll see all day.

Did you hear about the American Ninja Warrior competitor who kicked ass and broke records? She is incredible. (Kacy went to my undergrad alma mater, too—represent!)

As someone who browses rescue sites almost daily (ahem), I’m well aware of how overpopulated shelters are with pit bulls. In Los Angeles County alone, an estimated 200 pit bulls are killed every day. Here’s a powerful essay about the breed by a pit bull owner:

“There is no other dog that figures as often in the national narrative—no other dog as vilified on the evening news, no other dog as defended on television programs, no other dog as mythologized by both its enemies and its advocates, no other dog as discriminated against, no other dog as wantonly bred, no other dog as frequently abused, no other dog as promiscuously abandoned, no other dog as likely to end up in an animal shelter, no other dog as likely to be rescued, no other dog as likely to be killed.”

Check out these tree roots growing among concrete. They look like art!

I’ve loved following along on Sydney’s Eurotrip. (Doesn’t she look like she’s having a blast?)

“Women who are ambivalent about women against women against feminism.” The Bloggess nails it:

“I’m not saying you can’t choose to not be a feminist but know what you’re choosing. Don’t make a decision about a group based on the most radical beliefs of a group. Don’t get defensive if you get deeper and are exposed to difficult ideas about intersectionality and race and gender and colonialism and patriarchy and male liberation. Just listen. Some of it will make sense. Some of it won’t. Some of it will later when you’re a different person. Some of it you’ll change your mind about throughout your life and the world will change too. Some of it is bullshit. Some of it is truth. All of it is worth listening to.”

Age 30 is not a deadline. (Seriously, this mentality of “doing it all” in your twenties hurts everyone.)

 

And that’s all for now! Come back later this week for my monthly photo roundup, including shots of the Obama at LAX (!). But right now, I’m going to shut the computer and do a few stretches. What do you do when you’re not sick but your body hurts?

 

Filed Under: Interweb Finds Tagged With: american ninja warrior, eurotrip, feminism, Interweb Finds, link roundup, pets interrupting yoga, pit bulls, state of the american dog, sydney chronicles, the bloggess, tree roots in concrete

Summer Road Trip Series: from San Diego to San Francisco

July 25, 2014 by Cassie

montana de oro feet

Have you ever traveled solo?

Like, get in the car/on a plane and spend a night or week or month (!) discovering, eating and sleeping by yourself?

I’ve realized… that I haven’t. Long day trips, yes, but I’ve yet to experience the peaceful silence of solitude that descends at night on my own. I’d like to change that one of these days, but for now, I’ll live vicariously through my next Summer Road Trip Series featured guest. Meet Corey of But We Will Stay, and follow along on her adventure traveling from San Diego to San Francisco!

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THE INSPIRATION

“To get out of town. To think in quiet. To take pictures. It was to see a friend that had just gotten back from Afghanistan and then explore some places on the California coast that I had seen Kevin Russ take amazing pictures of and that I never knew existed.”

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THE HIGHLIGHTS

“I almost didn’t go in the beginning AND when I first go to Fairfield my car smelled like sulfur… turns out the battery in my car was all but bursting into flames by the time I got to a Pep Boys the next morning. My clothes, being that they were in the trunk (where my battery is in my car, weird I know) smelled of sulfur so I had to air them out a bit.

I went Zuma Beach in Malibu to take a picture of a FOOD sign and went on to Santa Monica Pier to ride the ferris wheel. Turns out you are not allowed to do so by yourself there, so by myself so an employee had to ride with me.

I also went to Photobooth SF to get my tintype taken. That was an awesome experience and I highly recommend it. They have all different sorts of toy cameras and refurbished polaroid cameras. After getting my tin type I headed down the coast to stay in Morro Bay. The next morning I went to Montaña de Oro beach and Pirate’s Cove/Shell Beach. It ended up being a nude beach, but as it was very overcast when I was there, there were only a few sunbathing.”

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THE NEXT ADVENTURE

“In the fall I am moving out to Nashville, TN. I am so, so excited not just to live in a new city but to road trip it through the states to get there. I have my current plan on Roadtrippers. I am moving and making the most out of the trip, stopping and going a little out of my way here and there to see gorgeous things. I am so excited. I love road trips so much.”

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Corey’s Blog // Instagram // Twitter 

Good luck on your big move, Corey!

The series continues this time next week—with an international road trip!

Filed Under: Life, Travel Tagged With: corey white, photography, road trip, san diego, san francisco, solo travel, summer road trip series, west coast

Looking back: my first year in L.A.

July 23, 2014 by Cassie

one year in L.A.

We woke up in the canyons of Utah, braved 115-degree dry heat in Vegas, and paid nearly five dollars a gallon for the last leg of the trip. It was a Thursday, and it was L.A. or bust.

John and I arrived in Los Angeles one year ago Friday. We’d been on the road for 10 days, driving through small towns, big cities and vast deserts. We saw a lot of incredible things, but the most vivid memory of all was when we crossed into L.A. County. The highway was wide, the mountains were high and the setting sun gave it all a dreamy, hazy glow. We had made it. This was “home.”

driving into L.A.

Adjusting to our new surroundings wasn’t easy. Within the first day, we had a stinky iPhone full of air freshener juice and a ticket for talking on said phone as welcoming souvenirs. Thankfully, we had a place to stay, but finding an apartment was frustrating and difficult. Our bank accounts took major blows, jobs were scarce and grad school was looming. It was a lot to deal with at once.

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The first year certainly hasn’t been easy, but it has been amazing. I’ve had the chance to meet some extraordinary people working as a journalist and have taken the time to explore the Golden State with short road trips and camping adventures. I’ve woken up in a tent on the beach to see seals frolicking in the ocean, I’ve interviewed rock stars and activists and politicians, I’ve made a ton of new friends at school and through the blogging community, and I’ve had my best friend and partner next to me every step of the way. Being on this adventure with John has made the difficult times easier to deal with and the celebratory times even sweeter.

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And what’s not to love about L.A.? You could look at the negatives, and a lot of people choose to. I’ve encountered many of them myself, but the good has far outweighed the bad. Los Angeles is such a diverse city, both culturally and geologically, and that has made for so many new-to-me experiences. I needed a culture shock. I needed to step out of my comfort zone. And I needed to live in a city full of opportunities to make me realize just how many are open to me if I go after them.

cassie-walking

So thanks, Los Angeles, for giving me the biggest thrill of my life. Thanks for making me work for it and for letting me reap the rewards. Whether I stay another year, five years or a lifetime, I’ll always look back on the first 12 months as a game-changer.

Happy anniversary, Los Angeles.

 

Filed Under: Life, Life in Los Angeles, Photography, Travel Tagged With: anniversary, california here we come, life in Los Angeles, one year in l.a., road trip

Becoming yourself

July 20, 2014 by Cassie

Joyce Carol Oates quote

So much has changed in the past few years, it’s hard not to think I’ve changed drastically, too.

I certainly feel different. Wiser, more thoughtful, unafraid to ask for what I want, adventure-seeking and self-loving. My younger self would be pleased. Pleasantly surprised, even.

But I think Joyce Carol Oates—fabulous woman that she is—said it best when she wrote the line above. At our core, we always remain the same. The potential for all those qualities I mentioned was always within me. It just hadn’t been realized to its fullest yet. And if that’s the case, how much more room for growth is there? I’ll play it safe and say it’s limitless—just in case it exceeds my expectations.

Witty Title Here Instagram

P.S. Related reading: A woman to aspire to

 

Filed Under: Thoughts on Life Tagged With: becoming yourself, change, joyce carol oates, potential, quotes, room for growth, solstice
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