April's Gluten Free Discoveries
I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in
January 2012. Yes, it was very recent and yes, I do still struggle with my
gluten-free diet. Despite the limited items I can ingest, I get very excited
when I find naturally gluten- FILLED items that are gluten FREE. My always
exciting new discovery is gluten-free beers (especially since I discovered this allergy less than four months before my 21st birthday). I tried Tweason’ale by Dogfish Head at CreeksideBrewery, my favorite bar in San Luis Obispo. It is a sorghum-based ale brewed
with strawberries and buckwheat honey. YUM.
On April 5, two great things happened. One, I turned
twenty-two. And two, I received an assorted box of Liz Lovely Gluten Free Cookies from my travelling boyfriend (Thank you again!!). These
are, by far, the most delicious treats I have ever had the pleasure of
consuming. To anyone who has any sort of allergy, these cookies are also dairy
and egg free. But honestly, allergies or not, everyone needs to try them. Don’t
worry, I have made nearly every one of my gluten-eating friends try these
delights and they all agree—these cookies rock.
Coastal Peaks Coffee
As most of you know, I am a Barista at Coastal Peaks Coffee, the newest (and nicest, I think)
coffee shop in San Luis Obispo. What you may not know, however, if that I have
been working as Coastal Peaks Coffee’s Marketing Intern since the end of
February. This is my first hands on marketing experience where I have gotten to
use the knowledge I have gained through Cal Poly’sOrfalea College of Business (side note: Cal Poly’s Business College is
#64 in the nation if you’re looking for a beautiful and prestigious place to study
business in the future).
As Marketing Intern, I am responsible for a large majority
of our online presence. I’m the one asking for reviews,
responding to them, writing and sending out newsletters, and updating our
lovely Facebook Page. Since I get the pleasure
of working behind the scenes AND as a Barista, I get to see all our promotional
efforts succeed first hand. We have gotten significantly busier!! It has
been incredibly gratifying knowing that I am a part of the team that is
transforming Coastal Peaks Coffee’s reputation throughout the entire Central
Coast.
Sometimes I Pretend I Exercise
If any of you have ever been to the beautiful Central Coast,
you will know that the pastime of many of its residents is hiking. Personally,
I’m not crazy about hiking. It always seems like no matter how “in shape” I
am—hiking always kicks my butt. Despite my aversion of the activity, I knew I
needed to experience the beauty of San Luis Obispo in a more heightened way
(get it?).
The “P”
If you have ever lived on Cal Poly’s campus, you
have probably hiked the “P”. Well, as embarrassed as everyone else made me
feel about this—I never hiked it…until April of my Senior year. I expressed my
lack of experience to my beautiful roommate, Katie, and off we went. We saw
tons of turkeys and slipped a few times on the way up, but it was a blast. I am
so grateful I got to fulfill every freshman’s activity—even if it took me a
while to do it.
Bishop’s Peak:
Oh, Bishop's Peak--this is my favorite hike in San Luis Obispo.
Is it difficult? Yes. Will you be huffing and puffing on your way up? Yes. But
is it worth it? Absolutely. My best friend (and roommate) Julie, her visiting
friend, and I decided to hike up this beauty. There is something majestic about
being able to see all the corners of breath-taking San Luis Obispo from the
tippity top of a mountain.
At the top, Julie and I made a very humorous discovery. The
iPhone has a Panorama setting so of course we used it to photograph the
scenery. But we also realized that if you are sneaky enough, you can get
yourself in to the frame multiple times.
My A Cappella Obsession
Take it SLO has been a huge part of me for three
life-changing collegiate years. I have always been so grateful for the unknown
entity of people who started Take it SLO years ago. Due to the convenient
timing of my college career, I was a part of Take it SLO during its Ten Year
Anniversary/Reunion and got to thank those individuals who helped form my group
of best friends and home in San Luis
Obispo. Below is a video that Dov Rohan put together from the weekend—Thanks
Dov!! Yes, I am the one making the sappy, tearful speech at 10:14. I love Take
it SLO, what can I say?
(I couldn't paste the video in-- I think it was too long. It's definitely worth checking out though!)
The Simple Serendipities
Sometimes there are small things in life that don’t fit into
categories, but to ignore them would be a sin. Here are a few things that made
me laugh so hard I thought they were worth sharing:
Nerds Candy: My best friend randomly texted me while I was
in Europe and it said something like this: “There is gluten in Nerds. You can’t
eat them…that’s so sad!” My immediate response was along the lines of “who
cares, I don’t eat Nerds (or candy) anyways.” Well, not three weeks later, I
was at Take it SLO practice and my friend extended his hand, full of yellow
Nerds, and asked if I would like some. As I was reaching for his hand, I
remembered that silly trivial fact about Nerds that saved me a stomach ache.
Thank you Julie for your random (and helpful) knowledge!
Being 22 and Broke: I
don’t always attend the bars in downtown San Luis Obispo, but when I do, I
bring cash. It limits the amount of money I can spend and the amount of drinks
I can consume—perfect, right? Well, one day I unexpectedly attended the
avoided land of the bars with NO cash, just my card. Normally this would
frighten me—but not this time! On the night of April 25, 2013, I (for the very
first time) asked a bartender to “put it on my tab”….just like in the movies! I
felt like a rock star.
What am I doing after graduation?
I have been a full-time student for 17 years. Coming into my Senior Year, I quickly learned how exhausting it is to keep saying “I don’t know” to the constant questions about what I am doing after college in the "real world." Well, I now have an incredible response to all those who have ever asked!
I GOT A JOB!!
For the year following my graduation, I will be serving my country as a FEMA Corps Team Leader in Vicksburg, Mississippi. FEMA Corps is a full-time residential service program for young adults ages 18-24 that focuses on disaster preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery activities. I am honored, excited, and nervous to begin this new chapter of my life. My service will begin on July 24, 2013.
This unique life experience is yet another reason why I began this blog—to inform and inspire you, my readers, to do something that will change your life, even if it absolutely terrifies you.
Update on the right now (since I'm a few months behind on these updates...):
Graduated from Cal Poly on June 15, 2013
Moved back home on June 17, 2013
Flew to Buffalo, NY to visit my family for the first time in four years on June 19, 2013
It's been a busy few weeks. Hopefully the next post will be coming your way a lot quicker than this one! Enjoy!
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