it drizzled & poured all day, so after work,
i ate pastries at a cute bakery
and did some resume updating,
(and by "some", i mean i rephrased one
bullet line, called it a day, and then walked home)
~*~*~*~*~

"do something each day that scares you."

some of the best things that i have made happen,

is due to following through with this quote^

"be accessible, be easily reachable, be welcoming.

keep the door to your life open so new breezes

bringing new ideas and new people

can enter and enrich it."

holiday work par~tay
i feel happy and fortunate to have

very wonderful, down-to-earth coworkers.

i feed them blueberries;

they give me endives + doughnuts.

we find ways to enjoy rat-infested breakroom

lunches together and sometimes watch the

ocean sunset together while sipping wine.

"remember why you started."

~2015~

this year, i decided to pack
all my belongings (for the 3rd time),

and move to san francisco,

where i now wander around,
admire endless stunning views,

and weave at work.

 it has been exhilarating.terrifying.magical
and i can't wait to do more.

uku has arrived!
~*~*~*~*~*~

the city glows

my newest hobbies include:

indoor rock climbing,

playing the marimba for strangers and their children,

& attempting to learn to play the ukulele
(which was initially inspired by 
this cover i heard years ago,
and recently re-inspired by my
coworkers//living here in the city
surrounded by the bay) 

watched a pulitzer-prize winning play
at the Berkeley Rep, ate pizza at Zachary's,
engaged in a thoughtful conversation
about cultural appropriation.

twas a good day.

we live/work in a beautiful place

"After a rough crossing that left most of the passengers cold and terrified, Nujeen seemed calm and happy. Speaking fluent English, she described the journey: "I enjoyed it. I have never been on a boat before. It was very beautiful. I didn't know if I was going to live or die, but thanks to God we are here." 

 

~Syrian refugee Nujeen, 16

this song started playing during yoga flow,
and in the midst of it all,
somehow, i became inexplicably happy~

tis the season to wear orange wool sweaters &

scarves purchased w/ money gained from gambling in vegas!

meanwhile while buying a burrito:

Hannelore, a tiny soft-spoken German artist

(who may have been born in Prussia
when it still existed)

said I was "a natural teacher"

and that she "loved me"

and "learned so much by watching me"
during a weaving program using
natural & found materials.

allow yourself to brew and marinate

and

"it's okay for your dreams to change,

it doesn't mean you're giving up."

skypping with dog.

when i called his name,

he looked towards the door..

:')

one year ago, we were watching an athenian sunset

by the acropolis. happy birthday diana!

eating rice crackers, seaweed + strawberries

in creaky giant old wooden houses

#veganmidnightsnacks

~*~*~*~*~*~

i love when you try to make a meal out of

whatever you find in the fridge, and it

actually tastes good together.

my lunch=
garlic rainbow chard, baked beans,

1 chicken nugget and 1 latka.

ALAMERE FALLS. PT REYES

i climbed up/down a treacherous slope with jagged rocks

 and also got poison oak in my eye.

i walked into the break room and my jaw dropped

at the sight. our costco-sized bag of dried cranberries

had been viciously ripped, gnawed, and clawed open.

hundreds of crimson cranberries were scattered wildly

all over the table, chairs, and carpet.

i can only imagine the feast that took place

after work hours....

#rats

i found a rooftop garden where i can eat and read

and admire the towering buildings around.

p@lo @lto
the magical moment when you drive out of the

city fog and SUNSHINE permeates your world.

my new goal is to make things whenever i can.

starbucks, i don't need you anymore,

i made my own drink using this + organic milk + sugar

p e s c a d e r o
s t a t e    b e a c h

 i love spending my days off at misty beach
shorelines that go on for miles and miles.

 I took a daytrip down to santa cruz & played with
crab legs at a beautiful beach off highway 1.

then, i alternated between listening to
static and horribly redundant radio music
while cruising up the coast back to the city.

100% banana slug
an alumni amongst the redwoods

my secret star strikes again!

she (Camille) is wonderful,

talented and magically creative.

my room is now filled with little cardboard

houses, paper lilies, rainbow candles & a little

astronaut man gliding through the solar system

"i had a lot of fun at your storytime,

you're really good at this. thank you."

-what a mom said to me today after my

storytime program for ~35 people

^___________^
thank YOU.

i wasn't planning on it, but i ended up teaching a 5 year old all about Communism in the art studio.

he was really interested in pennies and fairness,

and started asking super relevant + hypothetical
questions, which really led me no choice but to educate
him in child-friendly metaphorical language.

today, i opened my locker at work &

these paper lilies burst and overflowed out.

i stood there, shocked.

it was one of the beautiful, surprising

and poetic things i've ever experienced,

like something out of a GG Marquez novel.

thank you my "secret star", whoever you are.

i will always make time to lounge in the sun.

gotta prioritize some things in life :)

a cross country flight and

some strategic planning later,

my sister and i successfully surprised

our mom for her birthday!

i've always wanted to show up at home

unannounced and it finally happened!

a mini 3.5 day vacation back home :)
it's such fun being a tourist in your own hometown!

DIANA VISITS THE BAY
even though i got heat exhaustion/stroke
earlier at work and she was recovering from the flu,

we decided we still needed to go hiking

along the california coast at sunset.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think there was

more sunshine in Seattle than in San Francisco.

That's why days like today are absolute perfection.

I lounged amongst fluttering dragonflies,

watched puppies and kids play,

read my library book and got happier

with each passing moment.

i hadn't planned on eating an entire

pasta entree by myself while a wedding was going on. 

the original plan was just to
sit in a coffee shop and read.

this is happening more and more, but
sometimes, when I look at a kid,

i feel this overwhelming burst in my heart.

i see this smiling wild bundle of energy & untapped

potential and i want to do everything to

nurture the bundle and prevent it from

being trampled on, thrown in a cage

and told they are an animal.

then the song "i can show you the world"
plays in my head and i unleash
paint, glitter, needles,
literacy + numeracy foundations, and some lens for
developing compassionate critical thinking
at them and we dance in the woods with our new tools,
and together, diverge from the System
and set each other free.

#whatifantasizeabout
~
Cathy said I am going to shift the world,
 so let's shift on.

woohoo!

i successfully ran my own toddler program
for the first time today!

thank you parents + babies for acting entertained

by my singing, wiggling & storytelling

and participating in active engagement.

my last minute lesson-planning + improvisation
skills from working with kindergartners
really came in handy; phew.

now i feel like i can do anything
 ~ * ~ * ~ *

breezing across bridges
My commute will never get old.

it's STUNNING every single day.

-sunshine, rain, or fog.

just cruising through sleepy towns

"if you have come to help me

you are wasting your time.

but if you have come because

your liberation is bound up with mine,

then let us work together."

- Lila Watson (Australian aboriginal activist)

^one of my top 3 favorite quotes.

"the clearest way into the universe

is through a forest wilderness."

I drove to the Muir Redwoods! Hooray for
exploring new roads & celebrating/appreciating/enjoying

nature at it's absolute finest.
 
My parents and I came here 4 years ago:

discussions of our deepest flaws,

meditation processes, things we've stolen,

produce stickers + bedtime stories

Heisenberg and I watched twinkling city lights

from a park, and then I quizzed him on his supposed

knowledge of southeast asian national anthems.

 ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

 today was filled with such beautiful

little moments, sceneries and being present.

THANK YOU PAI FOR A WONDERFUL DAY.

SO EXCITED FOR ALL THIS PRODUCE

FROM THE FARMER'S MARKET

*strawberries

*pluots

*avocados
*peaches

*samosas

The hollyhock seeds I planted 29 weeks ago

finally bloomed! My mom sent me pictures:

 THEY ARE EVEN LOVELIER THAN I HAD PREDICTED.

I made this at work while parallel playing
and giving positive descriptive feedback.

Completed another week! I deserve some ice cream.
T G I T