A San Diego newbie reached out to me recently after seeing my 22 San Diego Musts post. Being new to the area, she wanted to meet a fellow transplant and try one of the coffee spots on my list. (We actually ended up at my new favorite place, Young Hickory.) I thought I’d be imparting whatever lessons, tips, and tricks I’ve gathered from my 1+ year in this city, but as it turns out, I was way more excited to hear her story.
Her name is Anabelle Harari, a food justice fellow and world traveller. After graduating from college in 2011, Harari knew she wanted to travel. Backpacking in Europe? No. Trekking in South America? No. She instead volunteered in Nepal, working in a Kathmandu slum for four months, teaching about environmental issues at a local school, and launching a school gardening program. She also educated local women on health and basic nutrition. Harari then traveled all over India, worked on her blog, got to know farmers, villagers, and NGOs, and spent time in a Kerala ashram.
THEN, she spent a summer teaching gardening and social justice in Canada before moving to Jerusalem, where she worked at a Jewish-Arab school, running their community garden. This past September a fellowship opportunity brought her back to the States and into the beach community of Encinitas, just north of San Diego. There she lives on a 67.5-acre property, developing sustainable agriculture systems and working on state policies for the Hunger Advocacy Network.
OK, are you as impressed as I am? Read on to learn more about Harari and how this nomad is settling into a life of staying put (for now):
After basking in some morning sunshine in Pacific Beach this past weekend, starved and adequately toasty, we stumbled upon the charming Cafe 976, located a few blocks from the beach. Set in what used to be a 1920’s home then a school then an antique store (!), this restaurant offers breakfast, lunch, smoothies, coffee, and plentiful workspace. Seriously, nearly half the patrons were pounding away on their MacBooks.
This place is definitely a hidden gem, but I can’t decide what I love more: the rose-filled garden outdoor seating or the fact that their vegetarian sandwich actually contains so many veggies. Hey, other restaurants, lettuce and tomatoes does not a veg sandwich make.
San Diego unveiled its new Central Library in November, and since then the landmark has quickly established itself as a place that’s about so much more than books. Beyond the bay views, art exhibitions, and sleek architecture, the Library Shop is a great boutique of home goods, accessories, pet needs, and, of course, books. This ain’t your musty regional library with stale, boring gifts. At San Diego’s Library Shop, you’ll find everything from Rifle Paper Co. to handmade jewelry and artistic bookends—and all proceeds benefit the San Diego library system.
What’s more, the Library Shop also hosts awesome events. This past weekend, I went to the Shop’s morning yoga class run by downtown studio Hale Holistic. We set up our mats outside the shop, and even though the morning was a bit chilly—we can be wimps in San Diego—the sun came out and it turned out to be a beautiful day. With the PA system, it was easy to hear the instructor, and the class was a perfect medium level. Sometimes as these types of free events, the classes can be a bit basic, but for someone who does yoga once to twice a week, it was just challenging enough. To top it off, they served James Roasting coffee (for free) afterwards, so what’s not to love?
Here’s a look at the yoga class and other goodies from the Library Shop. And for updates on their upcoming events, including a calligraphy workshop on May 31, check out their Facebook page for more info.
It was a chalkboard scribbled with “Surf Board” that drew me in. Charity Hestead had Instagrammed a shot of the board, and I just loved the hilarious mix of DIY dainty and raunchy Beyonce. Since Instagram is a bit of a rabbit hole, I descended deep into her feed to find a fellow San Diegan, social media maven, and vintage shop owner with a penchant for crafting, hiking, and a strong commitment to Beyonce lyrics. (Another chalkboard shot reads, “I woke up like this.”)
I asked Charity to tell me a bit about herself and her rituals, because if a girl has that kind of taste in song lyrics, she must have good taste in everything else, too. Today she talks about no-regret donut breakfasts, growing a garden in an apartment, and doing the long distance thang.
I haven’t spent all that much time in Pacific Beach, a typical SoCal coastal neighborhood with surfers, skaters, party hoppers, and the like. But I have spent enough time there to know about the famous Slomo, who frequents the boardwalk on roller blades… on one leg… and in slow motion.
As it turns out, Slomo is actually 69-year-old John Kitchin, a former neurologist who decided to leave his life of materialism and working himself “into oblivion” to, quite simply, do what he wanted. And what we wanted to do was skate.
In this New York Times documentary, filmmaker Josh Izenberg gets to know the man behind Slomo, who talks about taking the other fork in the road, the neurological pleasures of skating, and why he used to be a self-proclaimed asshole. It’s a very cool film that serves as a great reminder to step back every once in a while, evaluate the day to day, and decide if what you’re doing in life is as fulfilling and thoughtful as you’d want it to be.
