Fall and Central Park

It's already mid-October and it still feels like summer in Orange County! I would do anything to go back to Central Park in New York and experience my favorite season the right way with booties and knits, not in my summer clothes. I miss you Fall. 

Sam Edelman booties and Free People sweater in their proper environment

The Metropolitan Museum x Andy Warhol Exhibit

No matter how busy my schedule is when I'm traveling, I always manage to fit a museum into my itinerary, especially when they have the Andy Warhol exhibit! The man made these iconic pop arts decades ago and we can see the influence it has made in the urban and street art sector to this day.

Woman got culture - Uness

The iconic front steps also where Queen B sits in Gossip Girl

Mao Tse-Tung by Andy Warhol

Jackie Kenney by Andy Warhol (1964)

The only pictures I managed to take until i decided to buy some Andy Warhol postcards instead.

Missing New York

Getting the travel bug again after my last trip to New York. Take me anywhere where the leaves change color for fall.

Sunset at John Wayne as I wait for my flight 

Amazing that we can fly anywhere our little heart desires...the biggest accomplishment of man

Times Square - Manhattan New York

Rose Bowl and Hello Kitty, Hello Art Recap

Just your typical Sunday in SoCal by starting the day at the Rose Bowl Flea Market (every 2nd Sunday of the month) then heading down to Known Gallery for the Hello Kitty, Hello Art exhibit. Nothing like finding some one of a kind rings and vintage sweater for the holidays before seeing the international icon Hello Kitty make her debut in the urban/street scene.

Some amazing bags by Zone 6 based out in San Francisco. Loving the bottom right doc bag 

Future vintage luggages - $150

One of a kind handmade rings by Sunset Rocks based out in the Philippines - $50  

 

Future Vintage phone for my humble adobo - $75

Hello Kitty Barbie?

Some light reading while we waited 2.5 hours for the Hello Kitty, Hello Art Exhibit - Cosmo who? 

Hello Kitty Octopus Lantern

Sharing the throne with the homegirl 

Posters - $100 (forrealz)

Living in Orange County is pretty boring so thank goodness you can drive 40 minutes out to find some cool stuff at the flea market and then to LA where there's always something happening.

A Break for Fall

The summer of 2012 as a grown up is so different from all my past summers. I rarely went to the beach, hardly saw any of my friends, and slaved my life away at a boring, dead end job that locked me inside a cave of gray walls. This was probably my worst summer, but one full of life experiences that I will take with me from this day on.

Aside from working in South Orange County under a management team that could care less about the people who make their firm run, I was able to find out what I don't like and what I wouldn't want for myself in the future. I want to be somewhere that will invest time in the professional development of their employees and promotes happiness in the work place. This place did the exact opposite.

The breaking point came in early September. I had given myself a time limit of 6 months to figure out the next step for this place...will they promote me or keep me as an intern but make me do the analyst work without the title and benefits? well, the latter came true and I think I knew that this was going to happen back in August. I hated the place so much that I would drive home crying, wondering why I wasn't good enough or why I even bothered staying. Yes it's a job and I'm able to pay my bills, but it was starting to affect my physical health (I had an outbreak of shingles that lasted 2 weeks) and instead of settling and killing time there, I decided to put in my 2 weeks and take a break from the routine. I made my last day at work the same day I was suppose to fly out to New York and meet Aaron and it was the best day of 2012. As I made my rounds of good bye, I knew I was making the right choice because everyone was congratulating me as if I'm leaving the slums. I know everyone hates it there and it's sad to know that they're only there for the paycheck and not by choice, but I'm willing to give that up and live a bit on the uncertain side and figure out what I truly want to do with myself.

September 2012 was the end to another chapter of my life and NY was the break I needed to re-evaluate myself and figure out what's in the next chapter for Milly. Yes I'm unemployed, broke, anxious about the future..but I'm young, smart, and driven and I would never settle for anything. Maybe it's the novelty seeker in me but I feel that as long as you're driven and persistent, you can only go up. So as I wait to see what possible opportunities are out there for me in my mid 20's, I'm going to take a small break and enjoy myself in "the city that never sleeps". 

most of my pictures were posted on instagram under @Millyvu or #millytakesny

West Cali Road Trip

...photo break on the way to San Francisco. Beautiful California coast

San Francisco by night at the highest point in the city. Bay Bridge to the left. Miss this city.

San Francisco Love

...in love with this city.

San Diego Zoo

A few of my favorite pictures that I took this week on my mini-vacay at the San Diego Zoo.  I know San Diego is only an hour or so away from Orange County but it feels so nice to get out of town and do something I haven't done in a while. San Diego is probably one of the better zoos in California and I haven't been here in ages! The last time I went here the pandas were a brand new addition to the zoo and I remember it was at least an hour wait just to catch a glimpse of them.

I decided that my cheetah pants would be appropriate attire for the zoo but I was bummed to learn that they don't have any cheetahs there! I guess the chinese leopard will do.

If you ever come to San Diego, make sure to check out Gaslamp in Downtown San Diego. We didn't get the chance to because it was so crowded and we got tired of looking for parking but I heard there is a rooftop club called Altitude at the Marriot that's pretty sweet and no cover charge! Also make sure you check out Extraordinary Desserts. It's a charming cafe with gorgeous and delicious desserts.

San Fran

Take the scenic route up to san fran where you can see the coast of california instead of cows and dirt roads on the 5 south. The only drawback is that instead of a 7 hour car ride, this takes an hour longer. Good news is that it doesn't feel like it because of all the pit stops along the way like this that allows you to get out of the car to stretch your legs and absorb the gorgeous views of the west coast. I honestly didn't think i was in cali as we were driving up because it reminded me of the coastal drive in melbourne australia.