Taking Root

A sprig of Rosemary ready to root. 

For a long time, I felt like this sprig of Rosemary: full of potential and ready to root. Well, I suppose it has technically only been 4 years since my undergraduate graduation in 2010, but it sure felt like an eternity since I felt like I found somewhere and something to take root into.

Upon graduation I had been exposed to so many complex concepts and had alluring visions of how I would change the world into a better place. I had earned a B.A. in Sociology and minor in Visual Arts, but like my fellow classmates, had little experience. And, I still did not know what to set my heart on, though it longed for so much.

Through all the post-graduate hardships, I had always found nature to be most soothing and inspiring. When I felt lost and lonely, bouncing from internship to internship, part-time job to part-time job, with no clear path of where I was headed, I sought refuge in the San Gabriel Mountains of my backyard.

The Mt.Wilson trail in Sierra Madre was particularly my most favorite trail. I could hike up that trail day after day and still feel challenged and reinvigorated each time. I saw in the trees, foliage, and river waters peace and serenity. When I felt the saddest, it was my trail of tears. When I felt the happiest, it was my clarity. It also led me to a most amazing person, whom I will explain more about later.

Mother Nature never ceases to impress and surprise me. This sprig of Rosemary pictured was an experiment I played with after one of my Master Gardener classes this past May. We were learning about the various ways to propagate plants: by seed, cuttings, etc. I broke off this sprig of Rosemary from our school bush, scraped off 2/3rds of the magical prickly greens, stuck it in an old juice glass with water and forgot about it for about a month. The results astonished me. After weeks of being too busy to pay attention to this sprig of Rosemary sitting on my windowsill, I noticed it one day and was blown away. This sprig of Rosemary didn't need anything but water to stimulate roots. This sprig of Rosemary was yearning to become it's own plant, as I was yearning to become my own person.

And, I feel like during this past year, I really have grown into my own person. Yes, there have been moments of pain and self-doubt, but they have not been without many more moments of pure joy and happiness. Like when I met my life goal I set a few years ago to move out of the house by the time I'm 25 with a steady job. Not only did I get to achieve that this past May, but I also got to move to the hippest part of Los Angeles and with the best roommate a gal could ever dream of having.

At our housewarming, my loves <333: Alli, Sara, and Jessie (from left to right).

Jessica, the blonde beauty next to me, has been a cherished treasure-of-a-friend to have found. She has one of the youngest souls and purest hearts I've thus encountered in life. She has been a great friend and shows gratitude, love, and kindness to all around her.

After college I never wanted to live with roommates again, but Jessica was the exception. Although we live very separate and busy lives, and have traveled a lot this Summer, we enjoy so many of the same things in life, such as cooking and gardening. We both love traveling, and we both are lucky enough to share the same amazing 2nd grade students, soon to be 3rd graders this coming Fall. Jessie is the Lead 2nd Grade Teacher at our school, and I get the privilege of having her awesome students walk through the garden each week. We also started the "Garden Stand" together, which I am so excited to start up again this coming school year. I can't wait to work with Jessie on this again; she breathes such excitement and possibility into new ideas and we jive really well together.

I am also so grateful for my new friendships with Alli and Sara (from left to right). I also worked with them at Larchmont and they have been such great company and friends to spend time with. Alli helped me with shopping for things for our new place when we just moved in, and she also helped us clean our home before we moved in. She and our other awesome friend Amanda, which isn't in this particular picture, but was at our housewarming party where we took the photo, both came over to a "cleaning party," of yellow rubber gloves, mops and sponges. Let's just say our home wasn't the cleanest of homes before we moved in. And Sara, I get the company of having on Thursday nights when we go to the Micheltorena Garden Potluck, and during our walks around the Silverlake Reservoir.

Our mini-potted garden oasis. 

I've lived on my own independently before moving out to Silverlake, but this place is different because I am financially responsible, and it feels fantastic to be able to take care of myself in this way.

Jessie and I started a little garden in our little backyard. Our home is far from an Urban Homestead, but it feels like a mini one to me every time I head into the backyard for a few sprigs of basil or chives from our potted garden. When we are home together, some Saturdays we make breakfast and sit outside to bask in the sun and read Gardening at the Dragon's Gate by Wendy Johnson. This "Breakfast Book Club," is still a tradition-in-progress which we have only just begun once this Summer and hope to continue.

It has been such a pleasure to cook simple foods while using basic herbs from our garden. We have tri-color sage, an old classic I discovered years ago when I helped my mom with her garden; apple mint, which I hope to steep teas from; Italian Basil, which sprung back to life after some neglect on my part; and a few geraniums, and potted flowers, donated by Muir Ranch's Plug Mob. I've enjoyed strolling down Sunset Blvd to the Farmer's Market on Tuesdays for some fresh produce and fruit, then trekking back home to play in the kitchen, with Lana Del Rey serenading from our Jambox and perhaps a glass of wine. When I'm cooking in the kitchen, no matter how simple the meal, the world around me just melts away and nothing else matters except for what I am creating for the plate in front of me. The layers of flavors, the chopping, the timing, the smells, the spices, the taste tests, my hands, nose, taste buds, and vision, all align for the dish at hand.

I'm hoping to add more to our garden oasis. More edibles equals more flavors and opportunities in the kitchen in my mind. Some miniature citrus trees and some vertical gardening would add more beauty and life to our backyard. In our rich city of Los Angeles, with its parking challenges, endless traffic and small backyards, we have to make do with what we have, keeping in mind that even the smallest spaces can spark the greatest ideas.

Jet is one of our most cultured house guests.

Jessie and I have transformed this unfamiliar place over the past 4 months into a warm home. We have brought together the best of things we have, being resourceful and creative, inviting good energy to fill our home. Jet is definitely a fur ball of good energy. Sometimes, I bring Jet home with me to hang out and show him around Silverlake. We've been to the dog park, and I've introduced Jet to the school garden. I've taken him to the garden pot luck. Jet has a good time, and I love having him over to visit from time to time. He is such a cultured pup!

We couldn't have made our house into a home without the love and support of our friends and family. We had our housewarming party in July, and it was so much fun. It was quaint and sweet, with amazing company and much laughter. Even my brother made it out from West Hollywood with a fancy bottle of champagne in hand, despite his busy schedule!

And, one more big Kudos to another important man in my life, my mon cheri, Raul. He is that amazing person whom I mentioned earlier in this post. We met on the Mt. Wilson trail hiking. We ran into each other 3 separate times! The first time was while I was coming down on a turn and he was coming up with his cousin and his westie Bruno. The second time was while I was walking Jet and he was walking Bruno; we ended up hiking together up to Orchard Camp, the farthest I had ever been up the Mt. Wilson trail.Then we hadn't seen each other for 3 months; until finally, one day he was running down and I was hiking up. On this 3rd time, just as he was about run past me, he turned around, said hello, and asked for my number. That encounter began a magnificent journey.

This party would not have been possible without the chef skills of this handsome man whom I am honored to be loved by. Raul came home for my cousin Tina's wedding, for our vacation to St. Thomas of the U.S. Virgin Islands and for my housewarming party. He made his mom's potato taco recipe, which was delish and a talk at the party. Together we mashed potatoes, folded them into tortillas, lightly fried them and topped them off with sour cream, Cotija cheese and lettuce. They were a hit at the party! We made guacamole and salsa with the fresh produce Jessie picked up from the Farmer's Market and made Caipirinhas and Cuba Libres for our guests. Raul made all those drinks and the tacos!! We also had french baguette sandwiches with various meat and cheese fixins which also all disappeared by the end of the party.

Iron Chef Raul.

Mexican Potato Tacos!

Raul kept me calm as party time was nearing, and we were driving around town like mad buying food and party supplies. In addition to all his help in the kitchen, he also helped us screw in some hooks with his bare hands into our kitchen wall frame to hang our pots and pans. This was a decorative and space-saving idea Jessie and I thought we could do, and Raul made it happen. Jessie and I would have been able to figure out how to hang the pots, eventually, but it was Raul's willingness to get it done for us that made my heart melt. How can you not love the man who makes your house nice and hangs pots and pans up on the kitchen ceiling for you?

El amor de mi vida, Raul. 

I am so grateful to be in the arms of this magnificent man. He is everything I could ever hope for in a person, a friend, a dreamer, a seeker, a protector, a do-er, a passionate force which inspires and re-inspires with his every gesture of love and kindness, of patience and self-sacrifice. We have grown so much together over the past 2 and 1/2 years of our relationship. He has supported me in every way a person can be supported and without his love and encouragement, I don't think I'd be taking root where I have happily done so in my life career-wise and soul-wise. Without him, I think I still would be that Rosemary sprig in that jar of water, with roots protruding everywhere, dreams to make real, and nowhere to grow into; with him, I have discovered the richest soil of life, free to grow deeply and together up high into our ripest dreams. Cheers to you baby! Thank you for all your love. 

*Photos by Tiffanie Ma and Jessica Jensen.