I graduated from Stanford just recently, and after being asked by one of my underclassman friends for some recommendations for things to do in and around the campus, I decided to draft up this article. A qualifying note: Stanford is an enormous institution. There is so much to experience. Try to give yourself some compassion and grace. Most people spend only four to...
While going to school in the Bay, my friends and I would often take day trips into San Francisco using the CalTrain. Sometimes we would just study at a cafe but other times we’d be looking for an activity. So here are some ideas for you! A collection of pieces from the SF MOMA. Haight-Ashbury is called the birthplace of the 1960’s counterculture movement, and...
(Bradley Siefert) As the cold begins to set in and my skin begins to miss the feeling of the sun, I turn to Instagram for inspiration as to how folks across the country are spending their time to venerate the autumnal seasons. This is a list of my favorite creators who document their relationship to their environment and work to increase joyful accessibility to the...
Myself at Maui Goat Yoga. For the past three years, I’ve enjoyed starting my morning with these yoga instructors on YouTube. You might not get the same type of specific advice that an in-person class provides, but as a mobile student, I have been so grateful to these folks and their regular classes. I feel that they’ve helped so much on my surfing journey...
My sister and I kicked off the Halloween season last night with Death Becomes Her (1992) starring Meryl Streep, Bruce Willis and Goldie Hawn. Rotten Tomatoes has got this film all wrong, awarding it a measly 55%. Ignore that. This is one of the silliest, and surprisingly thought-provoking, movies I have seen in a long time. I’ll give a few details: actress...
It’s humid (which I welcomed after coming off of the 15-hour plane ride that had rendered my face so dry). The streets are very clean (Uncle Jeff, you were right). Our taxi driver had lived in Singapore all her life, except for the time she spent at university in Melbourne. She, like many belonging to my parents’ generation, said that her home city has changed a lot...
Every Saturday this summer, I had the honor of performing with a very talented group of performers through Sacramento Comedy Spot’s Musical Improv class. I had never taken an improv class before and hadn’t sang in front of an audience in over a decade. But over six weeks, I grew to trust in these creative and open-minded strangers who were so laid-back (even as I...
My sister Morgan stares directly at the sun by Lake Clementine against her better judgement. (Do not attempt at home). Books, films, writing, updates on my life in SacraTomato I’ve been living in my childhood home for the last 2.5 weeks. I always look forward to the intense heat of summers in Sacramento. This June has been unseasonably cool, but now we’re really...
By(e) Sonja Hansen The Synergy swing on the back porch offers a view of an enormous, out of control jasmine plant. Last week, as I was walking upstairs, I saw a friend enter the Synergy kitchen below me. “Hey!” I greeted him, out of sight. “Who’s speaking to me?” He asked, confused by the disembodied voice. “Me! It’s Sonja!” I answered. “God?” He searched. “Where are...