This Monday, I received some fantastic news. After a full three months of searching for a job here in Rochester, I finally found one. And was offered the position!
Starting February 8th, I will be the health project coordinator for a study on smoking cessation in the Dominican Republic. HOorAy!
I can't describe the surreal feeling I have at this point, knowing that I *finally* have a grown-up job. I have an 8-5, Monday through Friday, salaried with benefits, job. It's ridiculous. I have to get work clothes. I have to wake up early. I have to commute. This is a whole new ball of yarn. (I don't know if that's a real idiom, but I'd rather talk knitting than sports...) Aside from being a great opportunity to travel and to speak Spanish, this is an excellent chance for me to get into a serious academic study and get some first-hand experience working with international development. Oh man, business trips to the Caribbean. Can't beat that...
So anyway, I get two weeks to finish off my funemployment, and what a gift that is! I've been knitting like crazy for the last 24 hours. And as a result, I now have three hats and a partial scarf. I'm looking forward to selling some items at the Craft/Zine fair at the Flying Squirrel Community Space in a little over a week. I think with some effort (and occasional breaks for my poor hands) I can have a good supply of finished items to sell. Now that I don't have to worry about an extensive job search (read: stint in financial uncertainty) I can invest in some more yarn to really bust out some nice work. It will be nice to know that I can make money back instead of giving everything away. I love making gifts, don't get me wrong, but it's nice to have some return so that I can invest in even more projects.
I'm also looking forward to doing some design projects in the house. Most of all I can't wait to paint. I'm thinking a dark mustard in the dining room, and soft gold in the living room, and white with pale green, taupe and chocolate in the bathroom. I want to go antiquing and hopefully rescue some great pieces for our living space. It's so fun to have such a BEAUTIFUL house to grow into and develop. I almost wish I could just spend all my time decorating, baking bread, and gardening. And knitting. Oh well, the work will make all those things possible, as time allows.
Off to my sister's house to hang out for a few hours. Hopefully I'll stop by the yarn shop, too.
Showing posts with label goals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label goals. Show all posts
Friday, January 29, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
your dreams are always coming true.
It's that time of the month. Soul Matters time, that is. I have my meeting with my group tomorrow, and, of course, I've left most of my reflection and work for the last minute. I meant to look at it this weekend, but I ended up blogging about other things. So, back to Possibility. Let's see what I can work out.
First of all, the spiritual practice that they wanted us to do was, in my opinion, dumb. We were supposed to read a poem by Robert Bly every day. And it was a dumb poem, saying that instead of expecting the ordinary, we should imagine that a moose will come out of a pond carrying your unborn child in his antlers.
???
My point exactly. So we were supposed to read it every day for two weeks and see what sorts of things we would start to think were possible. It's meant to get us out of our routines. Personally, I don't think this would help my spirit, so I didn't do it.
However, if I were to explore this concept without the dumb poem, I think I would start to understand that a lot of the things I'm most proud of doing seemed like really crazy ideas at the beginning. Some of the wildest things I've done have been the most worthwhile. And while I'm looking for a job and trying to shape what my life in Rochester with Adam will look like, it's important to think big, not small. There, lesson learned.
The next part is the challenge. I need to brainstorm all the things I think are impossible. I've already listed these things, and I'll say now that I did NOT succeed in creating a home yoga routine, nor did I fast or do anything else, really. Not even close. I did yoga once. And I attempted to fast once. So, there are some improvements I can make. And I have decided that those things are big leaps, and I need small steps. That means meditating regularly, and mindful eating. The point is, I've figured out what my long term goals are, and now I know what small steps will lead me in that direction.
The other little trick I've learned is modifying my dreams. At this point, I think it's pretty unlikely that I'll go back to the woods to work as a trail laborer. And frankly, I haven't been convinced that I do actually want to. But...I am planning on going back this summer to visit, and hopefully see people from my crew. That would pretty much satisfy that dream of mine, but it fits into the reality of other choices I'm making in my life. I probably don't want to spend 6 months in the woods without Adam and without a phone to call him. So I'll go for a week or two, sleep under the stars, hike some trails, and that'll be that.
I don't mean to say that I should compromise my dreams for things that seem more reasonable. I just mean that I will never accomplish what I want if I will only accept one hypothetical result. Part of realizing your dreams is understanding that your dreams are coming true all the time. Even if they don't arrive in the exact package you expected. And that is the heart of possibility. The ability to see everything as an opportunity, every new experience a gift and every new acquaintance as the potential for something grand.
Living boldly means that we embrace all the little moments that will lead to someplace fabulous. Rejoicing in our small accomplishments acknowledges that every step brings us closer to our goals.
I used to feel like I was such a poser because I "pretended" that I practiced yoga regularly, when really I had only been practicing for a few months. I wanted so much at 17 to be a true yogini. But I knew that it would take time. Because I stuck with yoga and still practice, however sporadically, no one could tell me today that I do not understand the fundamentals of yoga and have a true foundation in the philosophy. And so there is no reason that I should have let that keep me from feeling like I was a yogini. My path led me here, and no one can disprove that those few classes I took as a junior in high school helped me along the way. Even at our beginnings, we are undeniably bound for success. That is the whole power of the future and the unknown. No one can really say "You'll never be a true yogini" or "You'll never become a doctor." Because they don't know the future. Maybe today is the first day of your 20 years as a massage therapist. Maybe all that journaling you've been doing for all these years will be a best-selling book in 3 years. Maybe yesterday was your first day as a lifelong bike commuter. The possibilities are truly endless.
This entire month I have been avoiding the theme Possibility because there is really only one thing that I want to be possible: getting this research job. I want to believe so much that it will happen, and I think I've done everything I can to make sure that this dream is realized. But since I don't know the future, I don't know if tomorrow will bring an end to this job search, and the beginning of another, or the beginning of 5 years with a health project in the Dominican Republic. I want to believe that it is possible. But if it doesn't work out, I have to imagine something equally acceptable to do with my life.
I firmly believe in listening to the messages that life sends you. For example, on a date with a guy that I liked, I got hit in the head with a sign. And that sign happened to say "Sign." That made it pretty clear. I also think that the job with St. Joseph's Villa did not work out because it wasn't right for me. When you have to work hard to make something feel good, it's probably not that good for you. I'm also hoping that it didn't work out because I was meant to have this job with the University of Rochester. And if not, I'm going to spend a lot of time working at a coffee shop and re-imagining my future.
I'll wrap this up with a little story from my friend, Brian Andreas. This has always been one of my favorites, and I think it fits pretty well with this evening's thoughts.
And, because I can't help myself, here's another:
First of all, the spiritual practice that they wanted us to do was, in my opinion, dumb. We were supposed to read a poem by Robert Bly every day. And it was a dumb poem, saying that instead of expecting the ordinary, we should imagine that a moose will come out of a pond carrying your unborn child in his antlers.
???
My point exactly. So we were supposed to read it every day for two weeks and see what sorts of things we would start to think were possible. It's meant to get us out of our routines. Personally, I don't think this would help my spirit, so I didn't do it.
However, if I were to explore this concept without the dumb poem, I think I would start to understand that a lot of the things I'm most proud of doing seemed like really crazy ideas at the beginning. Some of the wildest things I've done have been the most worthwhile. And while I'm looking for a job and trying to shape what my life in Rochester with Adam will look like, it's important to think big, not small. There, lesson learned.
The next part is the challenge. I need to brainstorm all the things I think are impossible. I've already listed these things, and I'll say now that I did NOT succeed in creating a home yoga routine, nor did I fast or do anything else, really. Not even close. I did yoga once. And I attempted to fast once. So, there are some improvements I can make. And I have decided that those things are big leaps, and I need small steps. That means meditating regularly, and mindful eating. The point is, I've figured out what my long term goals are, and now I know what small steps will lead me in that direction.
The other little trick I've learned is modifying my dreams. At this point, I think it's pretty unlikely that I'll go back to the woods to work as a trail laborer. And frankly, I haven't been convinced that I do actually want to. But...I am planning on going back this summer to visit, and hopefully see people from my crew. That would pretty much satisfy that dream of mine, but it fits into the reality of other choices I'm making in my life. I probably don't want to spend 6 months in the woods without Adam and without a phone to call him. So I'll go for a week or two, sleep under the stars, hike some trails, and that'll be that.
I don't mean to say that I should compromise my dreams for things that seem more reasonable. I just mean that I will never accomplish what I want if I will only accept one hypothetical result. Part of realizing your dreams is understanding that your dreams are coming true all the time. Even if they don't arrive in the exact package you expected. And that is the heart of possibility. The ability to see everything as an opportunity, every new experience a gift and every new acquaintance as the potential for something grand.
Living boldly means that we embrace all the little moments that will lead to someplace fabulous. Rejoicing in our small accomplishments acknowledges that every step brings us closer to our goals.
I used to feel like I was such a poser because I "pretended" that I practiced yoga regularly, when really I had only been practicing for a few months. I wanted so much at 17 to be a true yogini. But I knew that it would take time. Because I stuck with yoga and still practice, however sporadically, no one could tell me today that I do not understand the fundamentals of yoga and have a true foundation in the philosophy. And so there is no reason that I should have let that keep me from feeling like I was a yogini. My path led me here, and no one can disprove that those few classes I took as a junior in high school helped me along the way. Even at our beginnings, we are undeniably bound for success. That is the whole power of the future and the unknown. No one can really say "You'll never be a true yogini" or "You'll never become a doctor." Because they don't know the future. Maybe today is the first day of your 20 years as a massage therapist. Maybe all that journaling you've been doing for all these years will be a best-selling book in 3 years. Maybe yesterday was your first day as a lifelong bike commuter. The possibilities are truly endless.
This entire month I have been avoiding the theme Possibility because there is really only one thing that I want to be possible: getting this research job. I want to believe so much that it will happen, and I think I've done everything I can to make sure that this dream is realized. But since I don't know the future, I don't know if tomorrow will bring an end to this job search, and the beginning of another, or the beginning of 5 years with a health project in the Dominican Republic. I want to believe that it is possible. But if it doesn't work out, I have to imagine something equally acceptable to do with my life.
I firmly believe in listening to the messages that life sends you. For example, on a date with a guy that I liked, I got hit in the head with a sign. And that sign happened to say "Sign." That made it pretty clear. I also think that the job with St. Joseph's Villa did not work out because it wasn't right for me. When you have to work hard to make something feel good, it's probably not that good for you. I'm also hoping that it didn't work out because I was meant to have this job with the University of Rochester. And if not, I'm going to spend a lot of time working at a coffee shop and re-imagining my future.
I'll wrap this up with a little story from my friend, Brian Andreas. This has always been one of my favorites, and I think it fits pretty well with this evening's thoughts.
Everything changed the day she figured out
there was exactly enough time
for the important things in her life.
there was exactly enough time
for the important things in her life.
And, because I can't help myself, here's another:
In my dream, the angel shrugged & said,
If we fail this time, it will be a failure of imagination
& then she placed the world gently in the palm of my hand.
If we fail this time, it will be a failure of imagination
& then she placed the world gently in the palm of my hand.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Sun Challenge
Another one of my resolutions (that I've been kicking around since August) is to begin writing short stories using the prompts from the Sun Magazine. They have a Readers Write section, and give topics 6 months in advance. I would love love love to get a story accepted, but even if I don't, it's still a great way to start writing more regularly and seriously. Here are the next few topics:
The Last Word
Beauty
Slowing Down
Teenagers
The Office
Medicine
The Last Word is due February 1, and I'm pretty sure I could get something in by then. I can't think of a story at the moment, but I'll work on it. Right now, I'm going to get back to reading this month's issue and pay special attention to the stories they include.
It should also be noted that only non-fiction is accepted. Which is fine by me. Fiction baffles me. I don't know how people come up with entire worlds that are not their lives. I'm pretty good at finding a way to make my stories fit into any category, and I'm sure I'll be able to write about Beauty, Slowing Down, and Teenagers. We'll see about the rest...
The Last Word
Beauty
Slowing Down
Teenagers
The Office
Medicine
The Last Word is due February 1, and I'm pretty sure I could get something in by then. I can't think of a story at the moment, but I'll work on it. Right now, I'm going to get back to reading this month's issue and pay special attention to the stories they include.
It should also be noted that only non-fiction is accepted. Which is fine by me. Fiction baffles me. I don't know how people come up with entire worlds that are not their lives. I'm pretty good at finding a way to make my stories fit into any category, and I'm sure I'll be able to write about Beauty, Slowing Down, and Teenagers. We'll see about the rest...
resolve.
Words color my world.
I don't think I ever could have imagined the poetry that would weave my world together and make it dance in my memory for a lifetime. From journaling as a pre-teen and teenager, to livejournaling as a young college student and then to blogging in The Real World, writing has been my way of making sense of the experiences and adventures that compose my life. No matter where I've been, be it the confused darkness of a family paralyzed by divorce, or the bonnie Highlands of Scotland, writing is compelling, necessary, and important. She is my good friend, and my most trusted therapist.
My love of language, then, is the natural progression of my friendship with the written word. To learn to express myself in more beautiful and exotic words was like discovering a secret garden. I could use these new words with new people, and they would take me to places like San Sebastian, Vieques, and Chefchaouen. I learned more about grammar than I ever had known, and so I became more confident in using my native language to express myself. I find I am always curious about what one word means, and I am fascinated by the posse of other words needed to define one. And so, another etymological lesson:
Resolve. Re-solve. Solve again.
to bring to an end; to settle conclusively; to reach a conclusion.
Resolution. To make a new solution.
finding a solution to a problem.
It's a new year, a new decade. Time for a fresh start. Time to go back to those old decisions and remake them. Resolve to do what is good for us, for our health, for our wellness and our future. We forget that behind every resolution is a decision we made that something was BAD for us. Losing weight really means that we don't want to overeat or to remain sedentary. Quitting smoking, obviously means we KNOW that cigarettes are bad for us. Buying too much, spending beyond our means and wasting beyond our allotment are good reasons to save money and to be thrifty. Part of making a resolution means looking back at all the ugly moments from the last year and finding a new way. How do we make change? How do we start over?
The truth is, New Years is a farce. It is a scheme to force everyone to operate on the same schedule of putting off our resolutions until one day in January. Months in advance, we talk about how we will make changes. "My new year's resolution will be to start running again." "I'm going to finish all those projects I never got around to." The problem is, we can start doing that NOW. We don't have to wait until the ball drops to begin the race toward our dreams. It's like Dick Clark is holding the toy gun, and we're all at the starting line waiting for his signal. As soon as he says go, we can all begin again. But not until he says so. Are we insane?? Dick Clark didn't even say "13" in his countdown! It's time to find a new starter for the race.
What happens if we fall of the wagon in February? Or worse, January 2nd. What then? Is it all over until next year? We're fooling ourselves if we think we only have one chance at this. Personally, January is a horrible time for me to make plans for my future. I'm cold, depressed from lack of sunshine, and generally walking like a zombie till March. I'm hibernating. So I don't need Carson Daly telling me that it's time for a fresh start.
However, I do feel hints of inspiration as I walk mummified through these frozen streets. Yesterday, on a frigid bus ride home with Adam, I suddenly thought about our garden, and what I want to plant this year. Even though I can't put a darn thing in the ground until April, I can still look through seed catalogs and draw up designs for the garden.
The point is, every day is a new day. So hallelujah for that. Maybe yesterday was awful, but today can be completely new. And we should allow our dreams and goals to evolve with the fluidity of each passing day, instead of it all hinging on one cold day just past winter solstice. New Years always creeps up on me, and I find I've had no time during the holidays to imagine the possibilities of the new year. And so I leave that for February. Sometimes even June. No matter what, I give myself the power to decide ANY day that I want life to be different. And if I fail one day, I just go to bed early and let the world remake itself as I sleep. When I wake up in the morning, the day is new, with no mistakes.
That being said, since this is the time of confessing our resolve for change, here are some ideas I have been chewing on:
1. I need a solid, regular, committed relationship with my yoga mat. It seems at this point that the only way that is going to happen is with an unlimited pass to Tru Yoga. So as soon as I have a paycheck, I am going to be spending at least 4 nights a week glued to my purple mat.
2. I need a paycheck.
3. I have been thinking about some lyrics by Ani Difranco, and they've been digging in, so much so that I can't shake them anymore:
I think I hold much too tightly onto the idea of what I am instead of oozing with the beauty of who I am. As silly as it sounds, this obsession is currently manifested in the terror I feel in contemplating chopping off my long hair. I have been thinking about it for months now, and still haven't done it, even though I actually found a photo of exactly what I want my hair to look like. The problem is, cutting my hair short feels like such a permanent act. It takes years to grow it long. But I have to remember that it's not a tattoo, it's not a wedding vow, and it's not an infant. It's my hair, and I have the earthly right of doing whatever the hell with it that I please. Yes, it is pretty when it's long, but I also only shower every three days because I hate waiting for my hair to dry. And, as long as it is, all I ever do is wrap it up in a little bun at the nape of my neck. But it's long and pretty, and sometimes I feel like it is a huge part of who I am. If it's gone, who am I?
All that being said, I have a hair appointment today at 3:00. I wrote this because I'm afraid I'll go in and say, just trim it, please. And I think that's cowardly.
More than a few experiences over the past few months have made me realize that this life is really all we have, and the more we sink inside ourselves, the less we will ever know about the possibilities of this world. Having the courage to do such a little thing as cut my hair is part of a huge awakening. If I can't get myself to part with these curly locks, I will never be able to do the wild things I imagine for this life.
When I was little, I used to lie in bed, paralyzed, trying to get myself to get up to go to the bathroom or get a drink of water. I was afraid of the dark, and monsters under my bed, and I would wait for more than 20 minutes, telling myself "Now!....Now!....NOW!" And I wouldn't lift a finger. This went on for months. Maybe years. Until the day I realized that if I had to tell myself to jump, I would never do it. So now I jump before anyone can say "Now!" And it works. That's how I get myself to jump off 20ft. cliffs into freezing cold water. That's how I buy plane tickets (and gear from REI...so bad). But seriously, I deliberate too damn long. I need to trust myself, and know that, as long as there are no rocks at the bottom, I'll survive any jump from any cliff I set my mind to.
So today, my resolution is to chop off my hair. If it's long enough, it will get donated to Locks of Love. The point is, I'm the one saying "Now!" Life is too short to waste on self-importance and fear. So here's to today, and all the possibilities that the rising sun brings.
I don't think I ever could have imagined the poetry that would weave my world together and make it dance in my memory for a lifetime. From journaling as a pre-teen and teenager, to livejournaling as a young college student and then to blogging in The Real World, writing has been my way of making sense of the experiences and adventures that compose my life. No matter where I've been, be it the confused darkness of a family paralyzed by divorce, or the bonnie Highlands of Scotland, writing is compelling, necessary, and important. She is my good friend, and my most trusted therapist.
My love of language, then, is the natural progression of my friendship with the written word. To learn to express myself in more beautiful and exotic words was like discovering a secret garden. I could use these new words with new people, and they would take me to places like San Sebastian, Vieques, and Chefchaouen. I learned more about grammar than I ever had known, and so I became more confident in using my native language to express myself. I find I am always curious about what one word means, and I am fascinated by the posse of other words needed to define one. And so, another etymological lesson:
Resolve. Re-solve. Solve again.
to bring to an end; to settle conclusively; to reach a conclusion.
Resolution. To make a new solution.
finding a solution to a problem.
It's a new year, a new decade. Time for a fresh start. Time to go back to those old decisions and remake them. Resolve to do what is good for us, for our health, for our wellness and our future. We forget that behind every resolution is a decision we made that something was BAD for us. Losing weight really means that we don't want to overeat or to remain sedentary. Quitting smoking, obviously means we KNOW that cigarettes are bad for us. Buying too much, spending beyond our means and wasting beyond our allotment are good reasons to save money and to be thrifty. Part of making a resolution means looking back at all the ugly moments from the last year and finding a new way. How do we make change? How do we start over?
The truth is, New Years is a farce. It is a scheme to force everyone to operate on the same schedule of putting off our resolutions until one day in January. Months in advance, we talk about how we will make changes. "My new year's resolution will be to start running again." "I'm going to finish all those projects I never got around to." The problem is, we can start doing that NOW. We don't have to wait until the ball drops to begin the race toward our dreams. It's like Dick Clark is holding the toy gun, and we're all at the starting line waiting for his signal. As soon as he says go, we can all begin again. But not until he says so. Are we insane?? Dick Clark didn't even say "13" in his countdown! It's time to find a new starter for the race.
What happens if we fall of the wagon in February? Or worse, January 2nd. What then? Is it all over until next year? We're fooling ourselves if we think we only have one chance at this. Personally, January is a horrible time for me to make plans for my future. I'm cold, depressed from lack of sunshine, and generally walking like a zombie till March. I'm hibernating. So I don't need Carson Daly telling me that it's time for a fresh start.
However, I do feel hints of inspiration as I walk mummified through these frozen streets. Yesterday, on a frigid bus ride home with Adam, I suddenly thought about our garden, and what I want to plant this year. Even though I can't put a darn thing in the ground until April, I can still look through seed catalogs and draw up designs for the garden.
The point is, every day is a new day. So hallelujah for that. Maybe yesterday was awful, but today can be completely new. And we should allow our dreams and goals to evolve with the fluidity of each passing day, instead of it all hinging on one cold day just past winter solstice. New Years always creeps up on me, and I find I've had no time during the holidays to imagine the possibilities of the new year. And so I leave that for February. Sometimes even June. No matter what, I give myself the power to decide ANY day that I want life to be different. And if I fail one day, I just go to bed early and let the world remake itself as I sleep. When I wake up in the morning, the day is new, with no mistakes.
That being said, since this is the time of confessing our resolve for change, here are some ideas I have been chewing on:
1. I need a solid, regular, committed relationship with my yoga mat. It seems at this point that the only way that is going to happen is with an unlimited pass to Tru Yoga. So as soon as I have a paycheck, I am going to be spending at least 4 nights a week glued to my purple mat.
2. I need a paycheck.
3. I have been thinking about some lyrics by Ani Difranco, and they've been digging in, so much so that I can't shake them anymore:
"I had to leave the house of self-importance
to doodle my first tattoo
realize a tattoo is no more permanent
than I am"
to doodle my first tattoo
realize a tattoo is no more permanent
than I am"
I think I hold much too tightly onto the idea of what I am instead of oozing with the beauty of who I am. As silly as it sounds, this obsession is currently manifested in the terror I feel in contemplating chopping off my long hair. I have been thinking about it for months now, and still haven't done it, even though I actually found a photo of exactly what I want my hair to look like. The problem is, cutting my hair short feels like such a permanent act. It takes years to grow it long. But I have to remember that it's not a tattoo, it's not a wedding vow, and it's not an infant. It's my hair, and I have the earthly right of doing whatever the hell with it that I please. Yes, it is pretty when it's long, but I also only shower every three days because I hate waiting for my hair to dry. And, as long as it is, all I ever do is wrap it up in a little bun at the nape of my neck. But it's long and pretty, and sometimes I feel like it is a huge part of who I am. If it's gone, who am I?
All that being said, I have a hair appointment today at 3:00. I wrote this because I'm afraid I'll go in and say, just trim it, please. And I think that's cowardly.
More than a few experiences over the past few months have made me realize that this life is really all we have, and the more we sink inside ourselves, the less we will ever know about the possibilities of this world. Having the courage to do such a little thing as cut my hair is part of a huge awakening. If I can't get myself to part with these curly locks, I will never be able to do the wild things I imagine for this life.
When I was little, I used to lie in bed, paralyzed, trying to get myself to get up to go to the bathroom or get a drink of water. I was afraid of the dark, and monsters under my bed, and I would wait for more than 20 minutes, telling myself "Now!....Now!....NOW!" And I wouldn't lift a finger. This went on for months. Maybe years. Until the day I realized that if I had to tell myself to jump, I would never do it. So now I jump before anyone can say "Now!" And it works. That's how I get myself to jump off 20ft. cliffs into freezing cold water. That's how I buy plane tickets (and gear from REI...so bad). But seriously, I deliberate too damn long. I need to trust myself, and know that, as long as there are no rocks at the bottom, I'll survive any jump from any cliff I set my mind to.
So today, my resolution is to chop off my hair. If it's long enough, it will get donated to Locks of Love. The point is, I'm the one saying "Now!" Life is too short to waste on self-importance and fear. So here's to today, and all the possibilities that the rising sun brings.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
isn't it ironic...
when i ended my last post, i intended to head out on my bike for the evening, but what i did instead was stick around home and realize plans i had half-heartedly tried to make to attend the uganda lobby days conference in dc. instead of going to women's group, i bought a plane ticket and made arrangements to stay with a good friend from abroad. it was the best decision i've made this spring.
aside from being interesting, informative and inspiring, this trip was also full of irony. for example:
1. while i waited in the rochester airport to head to this peace rally, i was held up in my terminal by a plane-load of WWII vets exiting their plane to applause and standing ovations. ironic, considering i was on my way to protest war. and here they were, former soldiers, being honored by complete and total strangers. bizzare, to say the least.
2. i happened to be riding the same metro line that, while i was in DC, suffered a massive crash that killed 10 people, including the driver. although i was never near the stop and was in the conference when it happened, it was still surreal to take that same line the day after and watch the solemn and slightly nervous faces of my metro companions.
3. in a strange flow of conversation, i was invited to lunch with adam's ex-girlfriend, nicole. one of the girls in my new york delegation had been talking about how she had lost her cell phone and was trying to make sure she could still meet up with her friend for lunch. she discovered that i was vegan and excitedly invited me to go with her to lunch. she and "nicole" had worked for PETA one summer, traveling in a van and handing out vegan goodies, and she couldn't wait to see her again (ahem, she couldn't remember her last name though...) finally i realized it was the same nicole and very abrubtly declined. adam and i had joked about meeting up with her, but i was certainly not interested in having lunch with the woman adam lived with in his house for three years. even if i've already met her and think she's nice...
4. i made a friend at the conference, and we were driving around the city, looking for a gas station, when we ran out of gas. oh irony of all ironies.
5. i saw my friend alyssa's boyfriend biking around Adams Morgan, where i was staying with miriam (i met alyssa AND miriam in spain). then i found out alyssa had been the same place i was earlier, trying to catch glimpses of reese witherspoon shooting her latest film at the nearby starbucks.
so there you have it. there are other things worth blogging about, but i need to move on.
i quit my job at starbucks. my last day is next sunday. i couldn't be happier. i am a little sad that it limits my traveling abilities, but i can't wait to have those mornings to blog, read up on current events, job search, work on grad school apps and spend time with adam and betsy. our garden is exploding with fresh food and i need to get rid of a lot of things i don't need anymore. and there are many more books to read as well.
i'm getting more excited than ever about going back to school. i've been excited about clark university, but i just looked at uc-davis again, and i have a great feeling about it. i would love to live in davis, first of all, and i think the program would be great for me. i think the work that i'm doing now could really help me in the program, and depending on how i design my curriculum, i could get into agriculture, women's issues, sustainability, etc. one amazing thing about this program is that it's about building great communities that help protect our environment and take care of people, and davis is such an exemplary community. they also do extension work in sacramento, which is the most diverse city in the nation according to Time magazine. so it seems like a great model from which to learn. personally, i love that it is extremely close to the stanislaus, yosemite, tahoe and a host of other parks and forests for weekend hikes. and it's also the most bike-friendly city in the country. i think we're on the right track...
spending a year away from school, especially in environments that are extremely non-academic, i am thirsting for some brain stimulation and a chance to challenge myself. last year i wanted to give my brain a break, and it's been really good for me. i challenged my body and pushed it further than i ever thought it could go. i sat on mountain-tops, meditated on the shores of calm creeks and was nearly swept away in a raging river. i hiked 2 miles into the sky, carried all of my worldly possessions on my back. and now it's time to do all of that figuratively with my brain :) i can't wait to see what new adventures are waiting for me. just a few more months in americorps, and then who knows where i'll end up!
aside from being interesting, informative and inspiring, this trip was also full of irony. for example:
1. while i waited in the rochester airport to head to this peace rally, i was held up in my terminal by a plane-load of WWII vets exiting their plane to applause and standing ovations. ironic, considering i was on my way to protest war. and here they were, former soldiers, being honored by complete and total strangers. bizzare, to say the least.
2. i happened to be riding the same metro line that, while i was in DC, suffered a massive crash that killed 10 people, including the driver. although i was never near the stop and was in the conference when it happened, it was still surreal to take that same line the day after and watch the solemn and slightly nervous faces of my metro companions.
3. in a strange flow of conversation, i was invited to lunch with adam's ex-girlfriend, nicole. one of the girls in my new york delegation had been talking about how she had lost her cell phone and was trying to make sure she could still meet up with her friend for lunch. she discovered that i was vegan and excitedly invited me to go with her to lunch. she and "nicole" had worked for PETA one summer, traveling in a van and handing out vegan goodies, and she couldn't wait to see her again (ahem, she couldn't remember her last name though...) finally i realized it was the same nicole and very abrubtly declined. adam and i had joked about meeting up with her, but i was certainly not interested in having lunch with the woman adam lived with in his house for three years. even if i've already met her and think she's nice...
4. i made a friend at the conference, and we were driving around the city, looking for a gas station, when we ran out of gas. oh irony of all ironies.
5. i saw my friend alyssa's boyfriend biking around Adams Morgan, where i was staying with miriam (i met alyssa AND miriam in spain). then i found out alyssa had been the same place i was earlier, trying to catch glimpses of reese witherspoon shooting her latest film at the nearby starbucks.
so there you have it. there are other things worth blogging about, but i need to move on.
i quit my job at starbucks. my last day is next sunday. i couldn't be happier. i am a little sad that it limits my traveling abilities, but i can't wait to have those mornings to blog, read up on current events, job search, work on grad school apps and spend time with adam and betsy. our garden is exploding with fresh food and i need to get rid of a lot of things i don't need anymore. and there are many more books to read as well.
i'm getting more excited than ever about going back to school. i've been excited about clark university, but i just looked at uc-davis again, and i have a great feeling about it. i would love to live in davis, first of all, and i think the program would be great for me. i think the work that i'm doing now could really help me in the program, and depending on how i design my curriculum, i could get into agriculture, women's issues, sustainability, etc. one amazing thing about this program is that it's about building great communities that help protect our environment and take care of people, and davis is such an exemplary community. they also do extension work in sacramento, which is the most diverse city in the nation according to Time magazine. so it seems like a great model from which to learn. personally, i love that it is extremely close to the stanislaus, yosemite, tahoe and a host of other parks and forests for weekend hikes. and it's also the most bike-friendly city in the country. i think we're on the right track...
spending a year away from school, especially in environments that are extremely non-academic, i am thirsting for some brain stimulation and a chance to challenge myself. last year i wanted to give my brain a break, and it's been really good for me. i challenged my body and pushed it further than i ever thought it could go. i sat on mountain-tops, meditated on the shores of calm creeks and was nearly swept away in a raging river. i hiked 2 miles into the sky, carried all of my worldly possessions on my back. and now it's time to do all of that figuratively with my brain :) i can't wait to see what new adventures are waiting for me. just a few more months in americorps, and then who knows where i'll end up!
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