Introspective Realities

"Set yourself free from the past, bring peace into your life, and move into the present by letting go of your anger and bitterness."

There will always be times in your life where you are faced with people who are rude, passive aggressive, and go out of their way to make you feel uncomfortable. I am not naive to think that when I encounter these interactions that I am not responsible to the negative energy put out towards me. To think otherwise is just irresponsible. Every challenge I have met in life - whether personally or professionally, I try to look at myself to determine what I've done to create this negative energy.

Recently I have come across one of those life lessons through a person who wants to make sure I know that I have done something so offensive that she will actually pretend that I don't exist. At first it really bothered me. I live my life with intention and try to be a good listener and have an open heart to all people who enter my life. What is the lesson that I need to learn through this person's erratic and rude behavior towards me? It's easy to say that it's just them. That it's their problem and I'm perfect... but that's usually not the case, is it?

Although I don't have intentions to try and mend this friendship (since I've already tried) - I do intend to look at myself to discover what lesson it is that I need to learn in order to let go of this negative energy and move forward. No matter what, we will always run into people like this in our lifetime. We can get angry, upset, or even cry - but the bigger lesson here is to figure out how to acknowledge our faults and move on. Let it go... which can be one of the most challenging things to do.

So this week after a month of meditation and emotional struggle, I've decided to continue my life with the best of intentions and let go of any negative energy directed at me. I am the first to admit I am not perfect, and I am the first to apologize for any harm I've caused. But if someone cannot accept that and move forward, that is their issue and not mine.

I can only control my own destiny, and right now that energy is focused on graduating in June, taking adventures with my partner, and surrounding myself with people who are trying to do good things in life.

San Francisco Treat

I've been trying to see more of the U.S., as it seems that I've spent a lot of my traveling outside the country when there are so many amazing places to see right here in the U.S.! What started as an idea with some of my Urban Studies friends to head down to SF for our spring break, transformed into just a couple of those friends going along with me and my best friend Janelle. We found an incredible deal on airfare, and the rest sort of just worked itself out.

Four of us ventured down from Seattle for an extended weekend in this international city. I didn't expect to love SF as much as I did! I knew that I would like it, but SF is one of those cities that is not only beautiful - it also has the right "vibe" that I could really get down with. First off, the public transportation is incredibly comprehensive and easy to navigate. A very important piece for any traveler (as well as the folks who actually live in the city). We effortlessly navigated the BART to Union Square and found ourselves in the middle of the city with our hotel just a couple blocks up.


Our first night, my dear friend Kendra, who graduated from the Urban Studies program last year and also went to Europe with me last summer met up with us to show us around. She lives about an hour away, and grew up in the bay area. She took us to a wonderful restaurant in the Mission district called, "Cha Cha Cha's". They had the best sangria I've ever had, and everyone in the place was drinking pitchers of it. We had a fun meal full of delicious flavors and tons of drinks. Next, she took us to a bar called "Bruno's" up the street where they had a small dance floor, and where the DJ was playing awesome 90's hip hop mixed in with some Prince and Michael Jackson... there's nothing more that I could have asked for! We danced the night away, and I have to thank Kendra again and again for showing us such a great night in the city.


The next day, we walked through Chinatown down towards Fisherman's Wharf. Chinatown was no joke, it felt like we had left the city and entered a real Chinese city. The people, storefronts and smells were of a foreign place, and we were amazed by how quickly the scenery had changed. And then, just as quickly the city changed again! We were then walking through little Italy, where all the shops were Italian and people were sitting outside cafes drinking coffee and eating pastries. Again, I felt like I was strolling through any Italian city within blocks! We then made it down the Fisherman's Wharf, which was like any area near the water. Tons of tourists, street performers and restaurants.


That night, Janelle stayed in and the rest of us went out to a nice dinner. I treated myself to a filet mignon, and we proceeded to have one of those nights where the conversation never stops. We discussed of course our love for Urban Studies, but then everything from family to politics to food to childhood stories. It was a moment that I realized how much I enjoy people in intimate settings. At this point in my life, quiet times with a small group of people is so much more appealing than large bars or parties with tons of strangers. Thanks to Kennith and Gerry for an honest conversation filled with heartfelt intentions.

Our last day was by far my favorite. We headed to Golden Gate Park, where we spent half the day at the California Academy of Science. It was so incredible, filled with innovative technology, an aquarium, planetarium, living rooftop, and a bio-dome. It was a modern building with solar panels and clean design. Everything we saw was really interesting and cool! Even the cafeteria had amazing food with many different options. We got to catch up with another friend from school there, who then took us to the Haight & Ashbury district (think Jerry Garcia). It was exactly the type of neighborhood that I love, quirky, original, and filled with many interesting characters.



We ended our last night at the Pour House where I had found a Groupon for. This bar was a little off the beaten path, but close enough to where we were staying. As we walked into the dark bar, it felt so comfortable and welcoming. Our bartender was one of the best, he was nice, informative, and gave the largest wine pours I have ever seen. To top it off, he kept pouring our glasses after we had drank half of them! Trouble! Anyhow, we ended up relaxing, having great conversation, and even got to order Thai food right to the bar! It was a great way to end an amazing trip.

This One is For You, Sarah!

I know that all of us have had people in our lives who somehow through time and space fall out of contact. It happens. Life moves fast, life gets busy, and all of a sudden you realize you haven't talked to a friend in over 2 years! One of those friends for me is a special person who I met years and years ago through mutual friends.

We ended up becoming house mates after I moved back from Portland in 2005. We had another house mate, Liser - Sarah and Liser had been besties since they were wee little tykes. Anyhoo - needless to say, there was drama, boyfriends, dinners, drinks, but mostly there was fun! We had some of the most amazing house parties, BBQ's, and some of the best times were when it was just the 3 of us...Friday nights were usually movie nights where we giggled, had drinks, had smokes and sushi with a movie. I can remember us making our own jokes and laughing until we were crying on numerous occasions.

Since then, friendships have been strained, tested, and separated through distance. Unfortunately Sarah and I really lost contact. We both met people around the same time, and have since built lives with them (four years ago). The last time I saw Sarah was probably over two years ago and since then have only sent brief emails. A couple of weeks ago I got a phone call from her Mom to invite me to her surprise baby shower.

Another friend and I decided to go - and were so glad that we did! The moment that Sarah walked into the shower, she saw us and her eyes welled up with tears... it was a heartening moment where we all realized that too much time had passed, and how important it is to be there for your friend's special moments. We all knew how powerful this interaction and small gesture had been, and it really warmed my heart knowing how much it meant for Sarah that I was there. I was so happy to be there!

I also found out that Sarah is one of my 4 readers :) So I wanted to write this blog for her, and let her know that I am so happy for her and her new adventure into motherhood! Congrats to you and Dave! This one's for you Sar-bear!

The Big Island

GREG AND I CELEBRATED 4 YEARS OF CREATING AN AMAZING RELATIONSHIP THIS FEBRUARY!

Greg and I took our yearly winter vacation to Hawaii this year. Getting away in February is such a nice break from the cold and rainy NW winters, we have been able to do something sunny and beachy for the past 3 years. It is so important for our relationship and our souls to take some time and recharge, preferably in the sun! I am so lucky to have a partner who puts travel at the top of his priorities too. We like to travel together, and we also encourage each other to travel separately. I think that it's healthy and fabulous to have that understanding.

My best friend Mike moved there with his lovely partner Hannah. A few days before we arrived, they got engaged! We were thrilled to spend some time with them and celebrate their new lives out on the Big Island. I have only been to Hawaii once before, and it was also to visit Mike when he lived in Maui. I love the islands, and the weather is so perfect. High of 80 and a low of 70. The island breeze makes this northwest girl feel like she's reached paradise!

We were able to drive around the island visiting both the Kona and Hilo sides. The Big Island has many different climates, including lava fields, dry climates, tropical, and mountains. We loved seeing the landscape and hiking around. I ate like a pig, the plate lunches are incredible and filling! The Kailua pork was on every menu, and we were able to do a fabulous sushi night as well. Local food is so important to me and Greg, and we were so happy to get a taste of some of that local Hawaiian flair! The beaches were beautiful, and we can't wait to get back next year for Mike and Hannah's wedding.

Now back to the routine, pounding out the rest of this bachelor's degree... June can't come soon enough!

Zina Linnik Project - How Tragedy Changed a Community Through Deep Civic Engagement

This is the research that I am working on over the next 5 months..

Introduction

On July 4, 2007, a young girl named Zina Linnik was abducted from her backyard in the Hilltop neighborhood of Tacoma, WA. The community searched for her for a week before police located her body and confirmed that she had been raped and murdered. Zina was 12 years old and attended McCarver Elementary school. From this tragedy came an opportunity for the Hilltop community to come together and preserve Zina’s memory.

Community members of Tacoma wanted to gather and figure out ways in which they could prevent any sort of incident like this happening again. In coming together, members of the community were able to brainstorm and come up with rebuilding McCarver Park so that the children could “play in peace”. This park is adjacent to McCarver Elementary, and had not been kept up in any way. From this plan stemmed another plan to rebuild Wright’s Park, another Tacoma park that bookends the Hilltop community with McCarver Park.

From an awful tragedy that struck the Hilltop community came an outpouring of community involvement and efforts to regenerate the safety in Tacoma. The Zina Linnik Project gained much momentum and turned into a 3.5 million dollar project. There have been many steps along the way that have changed the lives of community members, especially the children involved. Students from McCarver Elementary have had the opportunity to participate in a positive way, leading to change in their community.

Research Objectives

The objective of this research is to document the process that the Zina Linnik Project has done thus far. It began as a grassroots effort that gained a lot of support and eventually state and city grants. There have been many community members, students, college students, college professors and the Greater Metro Parks Foundation (Tacoma), involved in making this project possible. It is important to study how all of their efforts have impacted their community, and how this process might be helpful to other communities and their efforts to positively change their own community.

Another objective is to quantify data that can measure the impacts of this project. There are a number of ways in which this project has impacted the community, and my research hopes to provide data that indicates these impacts. This includes questions about increases in student enrollment in college-bound middle school programs; the activation of student voices and respect they experience from others (e.g., in families in school, in community); parental involvement in their children’s school-based activities; and community involvement in the project through campaigning donations and participation in the new community garden.

This research is not aimed for publication; it is an undergraduate research project for credit that may or may not be circulated in the public as information only.

Subject Recruitment

I plan on using normal volunteers and students for interviews of their involvement of the Zina Linnik Project. There will be college-aged students varying in age and sex. I also will use teachers from McCarver Elementary, former and current students of McCarver Elementary, a professor from University of Puget Sound, professors from University of Washington, individuals from the Greater Metro Parks Foundation in Tacoma, and community members. I plan to contact all of the subjects by phone or email, and will provide a brief description of my research.

Method and Procedure

My data collection will include obtaining numbers of parent participation at McCarver Elementary. This data will be anonymous, and aim to see if there was a difference in parent participation before and after the Zina Linnik Project was set in place.

I will document all the fundraising that has been involved as well as a breakdown of how the money was raised for this project.

I will be conducting interviews of the teachers at McCarver Elementary School to see if there was a difference in grades, behavior and attendance. I will also be asking their opinions about how a project like this has affected them as well as the students.

I will collect information about enrollments of McCarver Elementary School graduates in the local middle school college-bound program.

I will also interview college students who have participated to see how they have been impacted in helping out with the project, and if it has made a difference in their further community participation in other projects.

I also plan to interview some previous McCarver Elementary students as well as current ones in order to find out how this project has affected them.

Research subjects will not be compensated.

My research will be from February 2011 – June 2011.

Benefits

Better understanding the impacts and potential long-term outcomes of a community project such as this will not only benefit the local Tacoma community that has been involved, but will also benefit other locations that may be interested in working on such a project. More specifically, the benefit of this research is to provide specific data that will both assess the value of the project and its potential reproduction.

Risks

There are minimal risks with this educational research project, particularly because all subject-based data will be collected anonymously unless the individual is speaking as an official (e.g., principal of school, executive director of community organization). There always remains a risk of invasion of privacy and potential stress of seeing one’s own self in aggregate data.

Informed Consent

Prior to each interview I will obtain informed consent by explaining how their interview will be used in my research. For those who wish to not include their name, as well as minors; I will use their information as anonymous aggregate data, using anonymous quotes in my paper.

Overjoyed!

My oldest friend Morgan came to visit from Arizona this week. I only get to see her about once or twice a year, so it is always a special time that I look forward to. I've known Morgan since we were 6 years old. She was my childhood neighbor and best friend. I sort of forced her into the best friend status, as I made my mother buy me a "best friends" necklace (you remember, the ones with the two pieces of hearts?) and drive down to her house. There I asked her if she would do me the honor of being my best friend... who could say no to that? So I apologize Morgan if I forced you into a relationship, but what can I say? It led to a lifetime of friendship!

Throughout the years we have always stayed in contact, and I've seen her grow into an amazing person. Morgan was always incredibly creative and sweet. She never had an enemy, and was involved in many different circles of friends. I always admired her ability to float in and out of those circles with ease, and that she emulated kindness and fun. She has turned into a wonderful and intelligent person who is always in my thoughts.

Yesterday she met me and our friend Marisa for lunch. In the middle of our lunch date, she pulled out two tiny bottles of champagne with homemade cards attached asking us to be her bridesmaids! My eyes filled with tears, and instantly I still saw the small child version of Morgan. Words cannot express my happiness and how honored I am to contribute to this life changing event. Marisa and I both looked at each other and then at Morgan laughing and tearing, so happy for this incredible friend!

Congratulations Morgie B, I love you!

My Best of 2010....

I've decided to compile of a list of my favorites from 2010! This is in no way organized or methodical by any means, just some great things/places that made me happy in this past year...

Best T.V. Show:
Eastbound & Down: The Story of Kenny Powers - HBO
This show is absolutely inappropriate and hilarious. It ran its second season this year, and I have to admit I was ashamed I didn't know about it sooner! Funny good times with HBO!



Best Restaurant:
The Backdoor Kitchen, Friday Harbor San Juan Islands
http://www.backdoorkitchen.com/
This little restaurant is tucked behind an industrial building in Friday Harbor. It has a beautiful outdoor seating area as well as a romantic, rustic interior. Dim lights and delicious food! Enjoyed a bottle of good wine and a meal of natural, organic and sustainable food. We had Thai style lettuce wraps, Sea Scallops and Pork Chops that were from the farm down the road. So amazingly fresh, and the atmosphere is very subtle and perfectly romantic for two...


Best Sushi:
The Sushi Cafe, Renton Highlands
http://www.yelp.com/biz/sushi-cafe-renton-2
This is a great neighborhood sushi joint close by my house. The sushi is amazing - fresh, delicious, and perfect! The family who runs it, even better! The Dad makes the sushi, and the kids wait the tables. The service is quick, and even better there is a great wine shop next door that does free wine tasting Friday evenings. If you bring in your own wine to the sushi cafe, there is no corkage fee! My favorites are always the Hamachi, the Sunset Roll (crab, carrot, tuna, hamachi and salmon wrapped in a cucumber), and a simple salmon avocado roll. Go there and find your happy place!


Best Album:
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Kanye West
Okay, I think we can all agree that Kanye West can be or perhaps is a complete tool of a douche. With that said, he is a musical genius - and may actually be as good as he tells everyone. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is just plain good. It is one of the best rap albums to come out in a long time, and features tracks with Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Drake and tons of other incredible artists. I love hip hop, and have not been impressed with anything new that has come out in quite awhile. Kanye West makes damn good music, and luckily this one leaves out the cheesy auto tuned mess that was his last album.



Best Hair Stylist:
Rebecca Wellington, Wellington Loft Salon
http://www.wellingtonloftsalon.com/
Okay, I'm biased... this is a dear friend of mine who has been in the industry for the past 10 years. A couple of years ago she branched off of working for a salon to create her own space to do her craft. Wellington Loft Salon is located off the Mercer Street exit in Seattle, WA and has a cool trendy feel. She has converted this loft into her own hair extraordinaire space that you will totally love. Rebecca is a true artist, and will make you look beautiful!

Best Travel Gadget:
The Ipod Touch - Apple ($215 for 8gig $280 for 32gig)
For those of us who don't actually have an Iphone, the Ipod Touch is a great gadget. I've personally been really wanting to get an Iphone - but the budget conscious person inside me just can't imagine having over a $100 phone bill! So I bought the Ipod Touch after someone stole my old school Ipod. When I traveled to Europe this summer, the Ipod Touch was so handy! Of course it stores all of your music, and the new ones even capture HD video! I downloaded Skype for an app on mine and was able to call home for 2 cents a minute wherever Wifi was available. I also had downloaded a few travel apps that helped with language, maps, recommendations and transit schedules. Simply amazing!

Friends

As life flows through time and space, so do the friends and memories that you make along the way. The older I get, the more I realize how important friendship is - and how friendship changes just as life does. Relationships of all kinds evolve and change, even if you don't acknowledge it. Yesterday as I was telling Greg about how happy I was for one of my best friend's new job in Portland, he reminded me of all my close friends who are spread out all over the country. One of my best friends moved to the east coast 5 years ago, another close friend is in Hawaii, and more recently one of my best friends I made moving up to Seattle left for Texas. Now, the last two closest people in my life have moved (or are moving) to Portland.

I am excited for all the changes that occur in life, especially when they lead my friends towards their path of happiness. My friend on the east coast met her husband there, and now have a beautiful daughter with another on the way. The friend in Hawaii, well lets face it - he lives in Hawaii... what could be better? But, he is truly happy being able to live the beautiful island life, surfing and living with his lovely girlfriend. My friend who moved to Texas left with a broken heart, but is now happy with an amazing job and an amazing boyfriend. Now, two of my closest friends have gotten wonderful opportunities with their jobs in Portland - and have left the comfort zone of the "home town" (which I believe everyone should do at least once).

I realize that maintaining friendship is difficult as distance and busy lives interfere with what was once so easy and even taken for granted. I hope that all my friends know how much I love them, even though our friendships have changed. The only thing in life that we can depend on is change, and once we surrender to that idea - we acknowledge that we cannot hold onto the past. We can only embrace the present and enjoy our friends and moments as they happen. I love you all, and hold all of our memories and futures near and dear to my heart...