out on bail fresh outta jail california dreamin'

well, i slogged through the boundless mires of literary criticism and feminist theory and broke on through to the other side, and oh, how sweet it is. this year's christmas gift exchange with the boyfriend resulted in a slick and sturdy crosley record player, and i've been holed up in my room for days, bringing it all back home and revisiting highway 61 on vinyl.

of course, i could've been home in new york by now, but i'm sticking around for a few extra days to make extra cash for the long winter break ahead, which will include a trip to los angeles and san francisco. since i've never been further west than colorado, i'm incredibly excited and somewhat overwhelmed by the possibilities. i mean, we're talkingdisneyland, venice beach, cable cars, hollywood, haight-ashbury.. disneyland?! expectations are high, to say the least, but all the travel guides in the world aren't going to give me the juicy details that you all can. if you have any la/sf recommendations for vintage shopping, restaurants, cool areas, thrifting, people watching spots, and other generally cool things that stray from the typical tourist fare, get in touch - all tips would be much appreciated!

[via basilio silva]