a visit from a friend

well this weekend went by insanely fast. antoinette has somehow already come and gone! it was so wonderful. we didn't get everything we wanted accomplished, but we got much of it done. the first night she was there, we had dinner with morning, ryan, cait, justin, jacob m., and sydni. it was a delicious meal (how could it not at india palace?) afterwards, morning, antoinette, and i got dessert at this place. we all ate at laughed and then antoinette and i retired. the next day, (did i mention when she was here i missed virtually all my classes?) we got up and began our roadtrip.
had breakfast at ihop. it was delicious. we literally sang our way to vegas (i had six mixes created for the road trip). there, we ate at el segundo sol or segundo del sol or something like that. we'd had it the last time we were in vegas and it was so. incredibly. delicious.
anyway, by the time we got to los angeles it was pretty late but we went out and did karaoke anyway. i won't go into all the details but the whole trip with her was such a blast, it really was. we got back and spent all monday going out, watching movies, eating delicious meals, and just sleeping.
it was hilarious because i haven't been able to sleep well all semester but with her sleeping in my bed i fell asleep instantly. literally. the next morning she'd be like "you fell asleep SO FAST." after asking her how she knew i was asleep she'd go, "i could hear your sleep breathing." so it was an ongoing joke after that. her presence alone would lull me to sleep, and my sleep breathing would lull her to sleep.
i need to get married.
so she came and today she left. the drive back was surprisingly lonely. i didn't think i'd be that sad with her gone but for some reason it was just difficult. i found myself flirting with waiters and introducing myself to people. i'm just myself when she's around. it's been so long since i felt comfortable in my environment. haven't felt judged or put out or whatever. whatever stupid thing.
so i was left contemplating the things i learned during our time together. i watched eat, pray, love. i know it's gotten it's criticisms and rightly so, but there are aspects to that movie that i really enjoy. for one it gives me travel fever like WHOA. it also makes me think about my relationships with people and how i want to live my life.
and i mean actually live my life, not just talk about how i'm going to live it and then do the same thing every day. so here are some things.
1. i can't just keep escaping. it's ok to have a movie marathon weekend or to lie in bed all day and eat chocolate, but just not every day. it's important to have something to work on, a social environment, so that you get out there and feel the weather and deal with people. because hiding away all the time will get you no where.
2. people don't make who you are, but certain people can bring out who you are. and it's important to remember that when they aren't around. and it's ok to miss people and it's ok to be alone, and it's ok to meet new people and it's ok for friendships to fall apart. it's the natural order of things. that's one thing i like about the movie. you can miss a person, you can love them. and if you miss them a lot, then send them some light and love and then let it go.
3. documenting time together with people is so important! i took tons of videos and pictures when antoinette and i hung out, and i only wish i had done more! going through the videos is so funny. i remember things i would have forgotten and some of the best moments are captured. i was also reminded that you should document your life in an interesting way. different mediums and formats, different films and cameras, stuff like that.
4. it's time for me to start saving up some money to go on a serious adventure. i'm talking jet setting from one exotic locale to the next. some people are afraid of traveling or they're afraid of settling down or something like that. but it's important to do those things you're afraid of, it really is. the unexpected could very well be the best thing that ever happened to you!
5. you should do what makes you happy. even if that means wearing a wolf shirt for four days straight and getting weird looks from people.
that's all i've got for now. here are some photos of our trip.

seriously what is up with my moon/ asian eyes?

the best pals. from japan. run the saloon/ karaoke bar. so wonderful.

this dog is so ashamed of the dress it's forced to be in.

did i mention it was snowing almost the whole road trip there? craziness.