a former gymnast with a neverending case of wanderlust
Have you ever heard of the comedian Brian Regan? He’s my favorite because he takes everyday things that are super relatable and makes them hilarious. For example: feeling out of place in a conversation about art. As someone who isn’t knowledgeable about art, I can very much relate when he jokes about walking up to… Continue reading 72 hours in Los Angeles, part II
Prior to this trip, I would have said there’s a zero percent chance I’ll ever move to LA. It’s hot, crowded, noisy, expensive, the air quality is terrible (upon arrival, I invented a game; it’s called ‘Fog or Smog?’ and, as it turns out, it’s often difficult to determine the answer), and traffic is a… Continue reading 72 hours in Los Angeles, part I
After a drizzly and wine-filled first day in Santa Barbara, my sister and I woke to clouds hanging low over the mountains – mountains we never actually saw the top of during this trip. But at least it had finally stopped raining. Our train back to LA didn’t depart until 6:30pm, so we had almost… Continue reading Spring break in Santa Barbara, part II
My sister moved to Los Angeles in 2016 and, until March 2023, I’d never visited her there. It’s not for any dramatic reason. It’s just that she shares a small apartment with a roommate and they both work from home, the roommate often on evenings and weekends, so having overnight guests isn’t super feasible. And… Continue reading Spring break in Santa Barbara, part I
Sometimes I think I should have been a pilot. I’m not actually sure the realities of that job would be the best fit for me – and I love my actual job – but I know for sure that I’d never get sick of gazing down at our beautiful planet from the air. I’m forever… Continue reading Snapshots from the sky: Denver to Los Angeles
My next couple days in San Diego were mostly filled with conference-y stuff; attending talks and poster sessions, presenting my own poster, etc. But we did still manage to find some excellent restaurants. The Gaslamp Quarter is full of places to eat, so you’ll never go hungry. For breakfasts/brunches, we ate at Chocolat, Opera Caffe,… Continue reading Where Desert Meets Ocean – San Diego, California (part II)
Every year in March or April, scientists in biology-related fields converge in one place for five days to attend Experimental Biology. It’s a huge conference; the first time I walked in and saw the giant exhibit hall filled with posters and vendors, I was awestruck. I’d never seen so much science in one place. Anyway,… Continue reading In which there were pandas – San Diego, California (part I)
2016 was a rough year. I think we can all pretty much agree on that. Nasty politics, violence, and the deaths of our favorite celebrities ruled the news. But rather than focus on the bad, I thought I'd finish off the year with a list of my favorite 2016 adventures. Here are this year's top… Continue reading Diana’s Best of 2016
Handstands Around the World 