things i think about while powerwashing 29

life comes at ya fast

No, don't worry. Nothing bad has really happened in the past few weeks.

I've just been out there living life (PLAY CIV VI UNTIL 1 AM) and touching grass (READING A MANGA ABOUT WINE). But in actuality, I have gone out and done some things like go to MLB Opening Day at the A's game, visited Berkeley, and got to support some friends' art!

It's been wonderful. Getting to explore the Bay Area every weekend slowly teaches me that there's more to the area than I know. There's a fascinating undergrowth under the tech bro crust that has developed over the past decade or so, whether that be coffee culture or the art scene in San Francisco. That's not to say this area doesn't have its issues.

For me, it's hard to reconcile the two parts of the Bay Area: the beautiful communities I've known my entire life along with the ones that I am getting to know, versus what seems to be a increasingly dire housing crisis.

Is this perception true? I think so. Rents in the South Bay especially are so damn high that it's almost impossible to rent a place on your own without being a six-figure engineer. Even then you might be paying over half your paycheck each month on rent.

That's a lot to come back to, huh? Well, let's also dive into some of the lighter and happier things that have happened to me.

I went to Utah and Arizona! I got to see my friend Vic again, check out Caleb's place, drive through the Southwest (snow AND rain) and also hike through Antelope Canyon. I made a little vloggy vlog about it and you can watch it here:

Definitely the highlight of the year so far, and probably one of the only trips I'll do this year. Life feels more tiring these days, so I'm just trying to chill out more and get more of a day to day routine. And I think it's been working out for me thus far.

So yes. That's it for the life update! I'll promise to be a little more regular with the updates in the future. And now for the pet of the week:

pet of the week

Honestly, why do I even pretend this section is for real animals anymore. I've gotten plants. I've gotten wild animals. Soon someone is gonna send me their Neopet or Webkinz from yonder.

Anyway, send me your pet photos at ryan@torrtle.co. I hope to one day post a real pet. A dream of mine, if you will.