Spotted at: Valencia St, San Francisco
Occupation: Works for a San Francisco restaurant group
What are you up to today?
I'm on my way to work.
How long have you been in the restaurant business?
A long, long time. Forever.
How did you start?
I don't know how we all start becoming restaurant kids, but when I was 15 or so it was my first job and it's just gone from there.
What do you like about it?
I think there's really good energy and fun people. It's kind of addictive, all that energy.
Are you a foodie as well?
Yeah—I love food. I cook and my boyfriend is a chef also, so we spend a lot of time at home conjuring up stuff.
What's your favorite thing to make?
We're really into Vietnamese food right now. We just went to Vietnam and got really inspired by all the awesome food.
What were the highlights of your trip?
Oh man, it's just a really cool country to travel in—we went from the south to the north (Ho Chi Minh City to Saigon) and the food changes a lot the whole way up so there's always something exciting to try regionally. The beaches are great, and the beer is 15 cents sometimes. We did the same sort of route that a lot of people take—up the coastal regions, and then inland a little bit at the north and south. We were really into Ho Chi Minh City. It's so vibrant, there's so many people that just crossing the street is a huge adventure!
Are you planning on taking any other trips in the future?
Yeah, we've been thinking about maybe India this year hopefully or Myanmar, so many places in the world!
What else do you like to do on your free time?
We're out and about a lot, so we go out drinking, go to shows—I was just at the Bluegrass festival this weekend.
Did you go to the festival to see anyone in particular?
I saw Lake Street Dive and they were super good. On the last day I saw Rising Appalachia—they had a really good show too.
Where are you originally from?
I'm from Boulder, Colorado.
Do you miss anything from your hometown?
I really miss a lot of things about it. Like seeing the stars all the time, and how distinct all four seasons are. There's seasons here too, but it's just different. We just sort of had summer the last few months and now it's kind of transitioning I feel.
How would you describe your personal style?
I guess I usually wear vintage-inspired dresses, so definitely really feminine. Lots of dresses and skirts. Usually some oversized sweater of my boyfriend's or whatever I find. You can never leave the house without a sweater here.
I also wanted to ask you about what you're wearing today. This dress is great!
This dress I bought from a little vintage shop in Boulder. And this is my boyfriends sweater.
I noticed your ring too—it's really pretty!
This ring is awesome; it's my grandmother's ring and I found it years later. I have sort of funny fat fingers but it fit me perfectly. She was a turquoise collector so she has a lot of amazing pieces.
And your bag?
My bag I got in Argentina.
What were you doing in Argentina?
I was studying tango.
How did you become interested in tango?
I've always been a dancer, and I just started dancing tango recently. I was going to be in Buenos Aires for over a month, and I just thought it was a once and a lifetime opportunity to immerse myself in the dance. While I was there, I couldn't get enough. I danced and danced every day!
What do you like about it?
Tango is amazingly challenging; it's sensuous and energetic and complicated. I think of it sort of like the chess of dance. I took to it right away and I've been falling more in love with it ever since.
