Happy Halloween weekend from our family to yours!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Time on the Cape!
It was definitely an amazingly appreciated weekend after too much travel for D and shift work for S to have the gift of using a colleague's Cape Cod cottage for a getaway.
S and I got in on Friday night and caught up on all things important like Dateline exclusives as we munched on Doritos and slugged down soda.
We worked off the junk food on Saturday hiking around Marconi Beack and the Fort Hill trails. Read: Beautiful! except for this terrible sighting of a disme
mbered bird carcass. I am sorry, but I had to write it down, because this is one of those memories that we'll be able to laugh about for years. Picture the Red Maple Swamps on a beautiful day, side-by-side with the most picturesque New England marshlands in God's own country, and then, yeah, D almost steps on huge dead bird.
Next we watched some college football - an actually exciting game between Northwestern and Michigan State - at The Red Barn, where S had a buffalo chicken sub and I relished a Meditterrean style pizza. Next door at "The Gift Barn" we picked up a Christmas ornament and a 300 piece puzzle (we are puzzle enthusiasts, but can get over our heads a bit sometimes with those 1000 piecers...).
Then off to Provincetown, where we window shopped, took another stroll on a freeeezing cold beach (barefoot for me!) and of course got more munchies. Mocha lattes and caramels at a place called the Purple Feather (How could you not?!) and then pepperoni pizza for S and a greek salad for me at the more down-to-earth George's.
We got to see crazy Halloween actors and a lounge singer in a window serenading tourists with show tunes from the Wizard of Oz. It was awesome.
Next, dag-nabbit!, we finished that puzzle while watching SNL, then we snuggled in at the cottage to watch Anchorman, which granted, was funnier the second time around. We both love Steve Carrell's impersonation of a severely mentally handicapped weatherman. C'mon.
The next day it was an intense round of Apples to Apples (we must remember to bring this game to Thanksgiving) and a lunch of ribs and eggplant for the veggie at the Marconi Grille.
It was an incredible mini-vacation that I think can get us through the next month. Though, its without a doubt clear that a Turkey Day Countdown is strictly imperative. 32 DAYS TO GO!
S and I got in on Friday night and caught up on all things important like Dateline exclusives as we munched on Doritos and slugged down soda.
We worked off the junk food on Saturday hiking around Marconi Beack and the Fort Hill trails. Read: Beautiful! except for this terrible sighting of a disme
mbered bird carcass. I am sorry, but I had to write it down, because this is one of those memories that we'll be able to laugh about for years. Picture the Red Maple Swamps on a beautiful day, side-by-side with the most picturesque New England marshlands in God's own country, and then, yeah, D almost steps on huge dead bird.
Next we watched some college football - an actually exciting game between Northwestern and Michigan State - at The Red Barn, where S had a buffalo chicken sub and I relished a Meditterrean style pizza. Next door at "The Gift Barn" we picked up a Christmas ornament and a 300 piece puzzle (we are puzzle enthusiasts, but can get over our heads a bit sometimes with those 1000 piecers...).Then off to Provincetown, where we window shopped, took another stroll on a freeeezing cold beach (barefoot for me!) and of course got more munchies. Mocha lattes and caramels at a place called the Purple Feather (How could you not?!) and then pepperoni pizza for S and a greek salad for me at the more down-to-earth George's.
We got to see crazy Halloween actors and a lounge singer in a window serenading tourists with show tunes from the Wizard of Oz. It was awesome.Next, dag-nabbit!, we finished that puzzle while watching SNL, then we snuggled in at the cottage to watch Anchorman, which granted, was funnier the second time around. We both love Steve Carrell's impersonation of a severely mentally handicapped weatherman. C'mon.
The next day it was an intense round of Apples to Apples (we must remember to bring this game to Thanksgiving) and a lunch of ribs and eggplant for the veggie at the Marconi Grille.
It was an incredible mini-vacation that I think can get us through the next month. Though, its without a doubt clear that a Turkey Day Countdown is strictly imperative. 32 DAYS TO GO!
Final Monterrey Post - Written 1.5 weeks ago
I am writing from Monterrey Mexico a final time after the conference I attended here has officially wrapped. Now is the time for a fun post! A work-is-over-but-I-am-still-here-in-fantasy-location post. Finally!!!
Firstly, I did the coolest thing today. The hotel where the conference was held and where we stayed is clearly a beautiful and fortunate place to be for international travelers. It has the funkiest architecture and color scheme in the room and in the lobbies (purple and orange) and lovely little luxuries like a sectional loveseat (for putting one’s tired tootsies up after a long day schmoozing) and a porthole mirror between the bedroom and the bathroom. It is truly unique. It is also connected to a gorgeous mall, so even given a security concern, travelers can enjoy some fun shopping or shop for basics without ever really leaving the premises or going outside. I know of people attending the conference who live in other Latin American countries who are so excited to be here, because they get to shop for things they can’t get back where they are teaching. How relieving to find those essentials on a trip for back home!
So speaking of shopping, I was saying how I did the coolest thing today. I used my ATM card at a machine in the hotel today. My ATM card, from a Mid-Atlantic based bank, in Mexico. Not only did it work, but it gave me pesos until of dollars, so I never even had to worry about currency exchange! So I got here with nothing but plastic, and in less than a minute, I got paper pesos. I don’t know if that seems fantastic to you, but I am a big fan. I really dislike carrying cash, and love when I can track every single expense I have using my debit account leger online.
Anywho, I got the money out to buy the best gifts ever for some of the boys in my life. I got S and JJ, who is turning 2 this month (!!) Monterrey Tigres futbol jerseys. JJ’s actually came with matching shorts, which will be so cute! I figure since I am staying in Monterrey I might as well support it, and I know S is a big fan of “el tigre” the animal, so I figure he’d be keen to cheer on a soccer team by the same name. I of course have no idea how good they are. I also got myself one to remember the trip and for Halloween dress up purposes (S and I are fans of low key costumes with matching themes).
Once I got back to the hotel from shopping, I spent some quality time looking out my window. I am on the 29th floor and overlook a pretty cool highway scene, some intense mountains, and a bit of Nuevo Leon where we are. I am small enough and the window is big enough so that I can sit completely inside the pane and look out. So I painted my fingernails and toenails inside of the window and listened to some Spanish music for a bit, until…I got hungry, which is actually what inspired this post.
I was very grateful to have met some wonderful teachers from a school that have invited me to dinner for the night, but at 7pm/read 8pm to my stomach, because of the 1 hour time difference. Now I am a light eater all day until about 4pm, when I need a pretty large snack before a still sizeable dinner. That’s just how my metabolism works, for better or worse. So around 4:15, my body said food. Because I had just been shopping, and I am beginning to realize how notoriously cheap I am, I didn’t want to purchase more food prior to dinner, or nibble from the mini-bar, which costs a fortune. I did have some Mexican candy I was saving for S, but in light of his super-nice souvenir purchase just moments ago, I was less guilty about eating it myself. So I decided on a plan – I’d heard from other people that the candy bag we’d gotten with our conference goodies was well, a mixed bag, and so I thought I would do a review for you on the blog. Now, as a disclaimer, I fully admit to being a gringo (i.e. – Foreign White Person) and I also do not have any experience in critiquing food other than what my tongue and stomach end up thinking about something. I am not trying to be culturally insensitive. I love Mexico, and I have been so impressed with the people, the geography, and the culture. Just not the candy. And I am an honest person, so I am going to tell it like it is.
Here goes:
Tiliko Chamoy
Imagine expecting an Airhead and getting what feels like a congealed old packet of ketchup instead. At first it’s chewy and sweet and you think this might be some sort of appealing sour patch kids set up, because you see the packaging reads “pica” so you know it must be a little more “flavorful” soon. Then you get a hint of spice, which my gringo tongue is unable to label, and then you get old, dried ketchup taste. That is about it, except that it is also super gooey and sticky and therefore I would only give this to children if I wanted to make both them, and the parents who had to clean up after them, really sad.
Tamborindo
Okay, now that you have learned all about the Tiliko Chamoy, think of the same candy taste, only sharper and more spicy, not in the shape of an Airhead, but in a mound. It’s red all around it, but brown, mud brown in the middle, and super granular, like eating spicy/sweet sand. At least it’s not as sticky as the Tiliko Chamoy, but it’s close. Some English writing on the packaging says, “Hot and salted tamarind fruit candy,” so I guess that’s what it is. However, starving as I am, I can only eat about half of it.
La Vaquita
So I am super excited for this one after the first two duds. It describes itself as a milk caramel lollipop. Absolutely nothing wrong with that! Upon consumption attempt I find that it is much more edible than the other candies so far. The pros are that: it is edible, and the flavor is pretty pleasant and does taste a little like caramel. The cons are that it I it has no flavor it you just lick it, so you have to bite it, and when you do it gets all stuck in the cervices of my big old teeth. Then there’s the distinct cinnamon flavor, unadvertised and completely overpowering the caramel. Now I like cinnamon, but after two spicy treats from heck, I was really hoping for a soft, chewy caramel and did not get that.
Marzapan Azteca
Okay, so I have never before had marzipan, and so I don’t know what it is “supposed” to taste like. This tastes like flaky chalk with nuts. Maybe a hazelnut, so at least a yummy nut, but it is still a little disturbing, because as powdery as the thing is, I cannot make out any nut bits in it. So I am eating nut saw dust mixed with chalk, and if I am being honest, because it is so bland, it’s my favorite candy so far. I eat it all as a palette cleanser, but then just as I get the caramel out of my teeth, the marzipan forms a nice paste on the roof of my mouth. It’s time to try something else.
Bocadin
At first I am worried (and excited?) that this is a gum. Worried, because given the weird consistencies of the other candies, do I know if I will know whether or not it is a gum by consuming it? Maybe not. Excited because travelers can never have enough gum.
It is not gum. It is a chocolate covered wafer with absolutely no crunch. It’s like eating cardboard with a film of cheap chocolate on it. The Maxi I brought home for S from Venezuela was 10X better. And, honestly, I am just sad it’s not gum. But I move on.
Nutresa
Okay, so I am biased, but this is now my favorite by far. It is a chocolate coin, which we all know I have a weakness form. However the wrapper advertises “En Sabor de Dulce de Leche” and, en realidad, no es en el sabor de dulce de leche. It tastes like cheap chocolate, no different than what was scarcely covering the Bocadin. But a chocolate covered coin always win points with me.
Nucita Tri Sabor
So, this looks, before opening, like a small tub of Neapolitan ice cream. I am immediately fearful. Opening it, it smells very strongly like Neapolitan ice cream, which really scares me, because it has the consistency of a pat of butter and those things just don’t jive in my mind. Tasting it is like eating very, very thick frosting with a lot of artificial vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry flavor. I begin to worry about my impending sugar rush…and crash.
PS – Only after scooping the faux-frosting Nucita out of its tub with my finger and getting it even more sticky, I notice a little scoop especially made for the Nucita in my candy bag. It reminds me of the stick we American kids use to scoop out that chemical cheese paste to put on our crackers. I guess all countries have crazy gross out snacks and some love and other think are ick.
De la Rosa Malvaviscos Bianchi
Not soon enough, I start out on my final candy selection, marshmallows! They are in Vanilla, Strawberry, Lemon, Orange and Banana flavor, so I am not out of the woods yet. I also really shouldn’t eat these, since gelatin is made from horse hooves and as a Vegetarian, I do eat gelatin rarely, and always feel guilty, Like I am amputating the foot right from the horse myself. But for science, I decide to eat one mini-marshmallow of each flavor. I almost take my decision back when I break open the bag, and a smell not of any sort of fruit, but of “chemical” comes out. I can’t even place the chemical. It smells like hard plastic toys is perhaps the best analogy. But this is important, so I grab one of each of the 7 flavors and dig in sequentially. Vanilla tastes completely like regular marshmallow – hurray! Then I notice a trend. Strawberry tastes completely like regular marshmallow. Lemon tastes like that chemical smell at first, then completely like marshmallow. Then I realize there are 7 distinctly different colored marshmallow varieties and only 5 flavors. So I stick the purple one, the blue one, and the green one in my mouth at the same time and get an overdose of chemical taste, and a bit of an instant headache. It is time to put the yucky sugar down.
It actually feels just as exciting to stop eating the candy as it was when I was starving and first got the idea to try it out.
Herein lies another good lesson from my travels this time around – that no matter how much you love the experience of new places, there’s almost always a deeper appreciation and preference for home after a faraway trip.
I can’t wait for my Reese’s, and my “Mexican cuisine” Chipotle back home!
Hasta la vista, D
Firstly, I did the coolest thing today. The hotel where the conference was held and where we stayed is clearly a beautiful and fortunate place to be for international travelers. It has the funkiest architecture and color scheme in the room and in the lobbies (purple and orange) and lovely little luxuries like a sectional loveseat (for putting one’s tired tootsies up after a long day schmoozing) and a porthole mirror between the bedroom and the bathroom. It is truly unique. It is also connected to a gorgeous mall, so even given a security concern, travelers can enjoy some fun shopping or shop for basics without ever really leaving the premises or going outside. I know of people attending the conference who live in other Latin American countries who are so excited to be here, because they get to shop for things they can’t get back where they are teaching. How relieving to find those essentials on a trip for back home!
So speaking of shopping, I was saying how I did the coolest thing today. I used my ATM card at a machine in the hotel today. My ATM card, from a Mid-Atlantic based bank, in Mexico. Not only did it work, but it gave me pesos until of dollars, so I never even had to worry about currency exchange! So I got here with nothing but plastic, and in less than a minute, I got paper pesos. I don’t know if that seems fantastic to you, but I am a big fan. I really dislike carrying cash, and love when I can track every single expense I have using my debit account leger online.
Anywho, I got the money out to buy the best gifts ever for some of the boys in my life. I got S and JJ, who is turning 2 this month (!!) Monterrey Tigres futbol jerseys. JJ’s actually came with matching shorts, which will be so cute! I figure since I am staying in Monterrey I might as well support it, and I know S is a big fan of “el tigre” the animal, so I figure he’d be keen to cheer on a soccer team by the same name. I of course have no idea how good they are. I also got myself one to remember the trip and for Halloween dress up purposes (S and I are fans of low key costumes with matching themes).
Once I got back to the hotel from shopping, I spent some quality time looking out my window. I am on the 29th floor and overlook a pretty cool highway scene, some intense mountains, and a bit of Nuevo Leon where we are. I am small enough and the window is big enough so that I can sit completely inside the pane and look out. So I painted my fingernails and toenails inside of the window and listened to some Spanish music for a bit, until…I got hungry, which is actually what inspired this post.
I was very grateful to have met some wonderful teachers from a school that have invited me to dinner for the night, but at 7pm/read 8pm to my stomach, because of the 1 hour time difference. Now I am a light eater all day until about 4pm, when I need a pretty large snack before a still sizeable dinner. That’s just how my metabolism works, for better or worse. So around 4:15, my body said food. Because I had just been shopping, and I am beginning to realize how notoriously cheap I am, I didn’t want to purchase more food prior to dinner, or nibble from the mini-bar, which costs a fortune. I did have some Mexican candy I was saving for S, but in light of his super-nice souvenir purchase just moments ago, I was less guilty about eating it myself. So I decided on a plan – I’d heard from other people that the candy bag we’d gotten with our conference goodies was well, a mixed bag, and so I thought I would do a review for you on the blog. Now, as a disclaimer, I fully admit to being a gringo (i.e. – Foreign White Person) and I also do not have any experience in critiquing food other than what my tongue and stomach end up thinking about something. I am not trying to be culturally insensitive. I love Mexico, and I have been so impressed with the people, the geography, and the culture. Just not the candy. And I am an honest person, so I am going to tell it like it is.
Here goes:
Tiliko Chamoy
Imagine expecting an Airhead and getting what feels like a congealed old packet of ketchup instead. At first it’s chewy and sweet and you think this might be some sort of appealing sour patch kids set up, because you see the packaging reads “pica” so you know it must be a little more “flavorful” soon. Then you get a hint of spice, which my gringo tongue is unable to label, and then you get old, dried ketchup taste. That is about it, except that it is also super gooey and sticky and therefore I would only give this to children if I wanted to make both them, and the parents who had to clean up after them, really sad.
Tamborindo
Okay, now that you have learned all about the Tiliko Chamoy, think of the same candy taste, only sharper and more spicy, not in the shape of an Airhead, but in a mound. It’s red all around it, but brown, mud brown in the middle, and super granular, like eating spicy/sweet sand. At least it’s not as sticky as the Tiliko Chamoy, but it’s close. Some English writing on the packaging says, “Hot and salted tamarind fruit candy,” so I guess that’s what it is. However, starving as I am, I can only eat about half of it.
La Vaquita
So I am super excited for this one after the first two duds. It describes itself as a milk caramel lollipop. Absolutely nothing wrong with that! Upon consumption attempt I find that it is much more edible than the other candies so far. The pros are that: it is edible, and the flavor is pretty pleasant and does taste a little like caramel. The cons are that it I it has no flavor it you just lick it, so you have to bite it, and when you do it gets all stuck in the cervices of my big old teeth. Then there’s the distinct cinnamon flavor, unadvertised and completely overpowering the caramel. Now I like cinnamon, but after two spicy treats from heck, I was really hoping for a soft, chewy caramel and did not get that.
Marzapan Azteca
Okay, so I have never before had marzipan, and so I don’t know what it is “supposed” to taste like. This tastes like flaky chalk with nuts. Maybe a hazelnut, so at least a yummy nut, but it is still a little disturbing, because as powdery as the thing is, I cannot make out any nut bits in it. So I am eating nut saw dust mixed with chalk, and if I am being honest, because it is so bland, it’s my favorite candy so far. I eat it all as a palette cleanser, but then just as I get the caramel out of my teeth, the marzipan forms a nice paste on the roof of my mouth. It’s time to try something else.
Bocadin
At first I am worried (and excited?) that this is a gum. Worried, because given the weird consistencies of the other candies, do I know if I will know whether or not it is a gum by consuming it? Maybe not. Excited because travelers can never have enough gum.
It is not gum. It is a chocolate covered wafer with absolutely no crunch. It’s like eating cardboard with a film of cheap chocolate on it. The Maxi I brought home for S from Venezuela was 10X better. And, honestly, I am just sad it’s not gum. But I move on.
Nutresa
Okay, so I am biased, but this is now my favorite by far. It is a chocolate coin, which we all know I have a weakness form. However the wrapper advertises “En Sabor de Dulce de Leche” and, en realidad, no es en el sabor de dulce de leche. It tastes like cheap chocolate, no different than what was scarcely covering the Bocadin. But a chocolate covered coin always win points with me.
Nucita Tri Sabor
So, this looks, before opening, like a small tub of Neapolitan ice cream. I am immediately fearful. Opening it, it smells very strongly like Neapolitan ice cream, which really scares me, because it has the consistency of a pat of butter and those things just don’t jive in my mind. Tasting it is like eating very, very thick frosting with a lot of artificial vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry flavor. I begin to worry about my impending sugar rush…and crash.
PS – Only after scooping the faux-frosting Nucita out of its tub with my finger and getting it even more sticky, I notice a little scoop especially made for the Nucita in my candy bag. It reminds me of the stick we American kids use to scoop out that chemical cheese paste to put on our crackers. I guess all countries have crazy gross out snacks and some love and other think are ick.
De la Rosa Malvaviscos Bianchi
Not soon enough, I start out on my final candy selection, marshmallows! They are in Vanilla, Strawberry, Lemon, Orange and Banana flavor, so I am not out of the woods yet. I also really shouldn’t eat these, since gelatin is made from horse hooves and as a Vegetarian, I do eat gelatin rarely, and always feel guilty, Like I am amputating the foot right from the horse myself. But for science, I decide to eat one mini-marshmallow of each flavor. I almost take my decision back when I break open the bag, and a smell not of any sort of fruit, but of “chemical” comes out. I can’t even place the chemical. It smells like hard plastic toys is perhaps the best analogy. But this is important, so I grab one of each of the 7 flavors and dig in sequentially. Vanilla tastes completely like regular marshmallow – hurray! Then I notice a trend. Strawberry tastes completely like regular marshmallow. Lemon tastes like that chemical smell at first, then completely like marshmallow. Then I realize there are 7 distinctly different colored marshmallow varieties and only 5 flavors. So I stick the purple one, the blue one, and the green one in my mouth at the same time and get an overdose of chemical taste, and a bit of an instant headache. It is time to put the yucky sugar down.
It actually feels just as exciting to stop eating the candy as it was when I was starving and first got the idea to try it out.
Herein lies another good lesson from my travels this time around – that no matter how much you love the experience of new places, there’s almost always a deeper appreciation and preference for home after a faraway trip.
I can’t wait for my Reese’s, and my “Mexican cuisine” Chipotle back home!
Hasta la vista, D
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Done with crazy presentation
I know God has good plans for me, but today was *gasp* better than I expected. It was a bit horrific. I got into Mexico at 1:30pm yesterday, did a good 10 hours of work, went to bed around 12:30am, woke up around 4am, and worked another 12 hours. This is after my 4am flight 
to kick-off pre-presentation time in Mexico, which is prettier than I expected, by the way.
I kept on telling myself to have a good attitude, and if nothing else, time keeps on going, so at a certain point my presentation would be over with for better or worse.
Though I think both my boss and I felt very flustered by the build up to session-time, I also think we did pretty well! We got some interesting discussion going afterward with people and it seems like they appreciated the information and learned something, so that's all I can ask for. Looking back on the experience, which I have been dreading in some capacity for nearly a full year now, it's taught me a lot.
Like to go with the flow, to be silent instead of negative, to say something nice instead of being silent, to sleep when I can and wake up when I have to, and to never have coffee before a big presentation (my norepinephrine transmitter pathways, i.e., the neurotransmitters that stimulate the production of adrenaline) do all of that work for me.
Even went I was praying for an earthquake to strike before having to present today, I was thankful for the blessing in my life that it is to be here in this awesome place, to do what I love, to get the opportunity to grow and be challenged, and to meet new people who care about health and helping kids. That is what it is all about. That, and a really good night's sleep tonight.
Hasta Luego!
PS - In case you're a bit slow to the draw, the exhausted lady up top is me. The little praying girl is "A," the she-child S and I hope to maybe have one day. I think of her in times of stress, about how awesome and teeny tiny she'll be, and it calms me right down. :)
to kick-off pre-presentation time in Mexico, which is prettier than I expected, by the way.I kept on telling myself to have a good attitude, and if nothing else, time keeps on going, so at a certain point my presentation would be over with for better or worse.
Though I think both my boss and I felt very flustered by the build up to session-time, I also think we did pretty well! We got some interesting discussion going afterward with people and it seems like they appreciated the information and learned something, so that's all I can ask for. Looking back on the experience, which I have been dreading in some capacity for nearly a full year now, it's taught me a lot.
Like to go with the flow, to be silent instead of negative, to say something nice instead of being silent, to sleep when I can and wake up when I have to, and to never have coffee before a big presentation (my norepinephrine transmitter pathways, i.e., the neurotransmitters that stimulate the production of adrenaline) do all of that work for me.
Even went I was praying for an earthquake to strike before having to present today, I was thankful for the blessing in my life that it is to be here in this awesome place, to do what I love, to get the opportunity to grow and be challenged, and to meet new people who care about health and helping kids. That is what it is all about. That, and a really good night's sleep tonight.
Hasta Luego!
PS - In case you're a bit slow to the draw, the exhausted lady up top is me. The little praying girl is "A," the she-child S and I hope to maybe have one day. I think of her in times of stress, about how awesome and teeny tiny she'll be, and it calms me right down. :)
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Under the sun
Sometimes when I get really busy, or supposedly so, in life (as in these past 2 months or so), I forget how amazing some of my roots are. By this I mean simple routines and habits that ground me in life, and help me to stay inspired to be the being I am supposed to be out there with other people and internally with myself and my God.
One of those things for me now is yoga. It's been a really pain that since the late summer, there have been fewer evening classes offered at my studio and more people taking them, and of course, I am too busy to get to any of them but the most popular.
We're all there mat to mat and while I am trying to "zone in," I end up just going through the motions some of the time. One of my favorite recent classes, however, was one of these super busy kinds. What made it awesome was that after a really hum-drum class, we ended with up-the-wall relaxation (when you put your legs up the wall as you lay on the floor - this helps you to sleep well after an evening class) and then we meditated in silence for a few minutes.
I don't think I have ever meditated like this before. It was dark (literally), communal, and after a lengthy prep time of yoga asansa (posture-taking) and pranayama (appropriate breathing), I didn't feel forced to think. Instead, I kept intent on breathing past any thoughts that would come my way. I felt like a got into a new place in myself, that will be waiting there for the next time that I am ready for it.
Another root of mine is listening to people more wise than me encourage me to be my best self. This summer, and really since coming to New England, I have tuned into the lead pastor at NorthPoint Community Church near Atlanta, Georgia as he gives his community their weekly message. Now while I have lots of (perhaps self-righteous) reasons why I would never want to live in the southern region of the US, I think that if I ever moved to Georgia, I would be in good hands with this church and their leadership.
I'd gotten behind week by week, and now I have about 2-3 messages left to listen to before I am caught up with the church's regular schedule. I think a lot of my slacking has been self-indulgent - I feel that I am so busy that I sense my life must be full enough without this healthy rountine to fill in any missing pieces. In reality, I probably needed this piece of my life more than ever, as I have been meeting new people, traveling far away from home, and making some pretty big decisions these days that are relatively unique to me, like how to save and share my money and how to manage a department at work.
I really got excited this week when Andy (the pastor) wrapped up his sermon series on time speaking about Ecclesiastes. This is the "eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die" book of the Bible, as quoted by the Dave Matthews Band. It reminds me that 3000 years ago for a king on the Sinai pennisula (Solomon), the same questions were swirling around human hearts as for me and my friends right here, right now. What do we do with ourselves after we have made mistakes or experienced achievements that leave us feeling only partially fulfilled? How can we improve that reflection of ourselves when we look in the mirror and do not see exactly our ideal self looking back? Solomon says there is no hope to look for fulfillment "under the sun," because there is plenty of hypocrisy, injustice, and plain mediocre here that cannot be corrected in a lifetime of human effort. Instead, Andy suggests, that young people like me, "Pour your extra time into something that has purpose beyond the bookends of your life."
Now, for me, I certainly don't know what that looks like quite yet. I am open to suggestions! But it's a steep challenge for someone who feigns busyness even in the luxury of time without children, medical problems, money problems, or and major life crises. I mean, I do feel busy, I do feel stress, but then again, I am in the process of living. It's natural to feel such things, if not in one part of life, than in another. Just because that stress comes from positive circumstances does not mean it isn't there. At the same time, wanting to fulfill a destiny means sometimes, and perhaps often, needing to exceed the general expectations of one's self and one's society, who might say that the absence of illness is health. It is sometimes more challenging to act with courage and greatness when one is well than when one feels weak, and I am learning that more and more.
As I go off to another big challenge in another foreign land this week, I am going to remember that my purposes are greater than myself, and my routines are precious reminders of who I am called to be.
One of those things for me now is yoga. It's been a really pain that since the late summer, there have been fewer evening classes offered at my studio and more people taking them, and of course, I am too busy to get to any of them but the most popular.
We're all there mat to mat and while I am trying to "zone in," I end up just going through the motions some of the time. One of my favorite recent classes, however, was one of these super busy kinds. What made it awesome was that after a really hum-drum class, we ended with up-the-wall relaxation (when you put your legs up the wall as you lay on the floor - this helps you to sleep well after an evening class) and then we meditated in silence for a few minutes.I don't think I have ever meditated like this before. It was dark (literally), communal, and after a lengthy prep time of yoga asansa (posture-taking) and pranayama (appropriate breathing), I didn't feel forced to think. Instead, I kept intent on breathing past any thoughts that would come my way. I felt like a got into a new place in myself, that will be waiting there for the next time that I am ready for it.
Another root of mine is listening to people more wise than me encourage me to be my best self. This summer, and really since coming to New England, I have tuned into the lead pastor at NorthPoint Community Church near Atlanta, Georgia as he gives his community their weekly message. Now while I have lots of (perhaps self-righteous) reasons why I would never want to live in the southern region of the US, I think that if I ever moved to Georgia, I would be in good hands with this church and their leadership.
I'd gotten behind week by week, and now I have about 2-3 messages left to listen to before I am caught up with the church's regular schedule. I think a lot of my slacking has been self-indulgent - I feel that I am so busy that I sense my life must be full enough without this healthy rountine to fill in any missing pieces. In reality, I probably needed this piece of my life more than ever, as I have been meeting new people, traveling far away from home, and making some pretty big decisions these days that are relatively unique to me, like how to save and share my money and how to manage a department at work.
I really got excited this week when Andy (the pastor) wrapped up his sermon series on time speaking about Ecclesiastes. This is the "eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die" book of the Bible, as quoted by the Dave Matthews Band. It reminds me that 3000 years ago for a king on the Sinai pennisula (Solomon), the same questions were swirling around human hearts as for me and my friends right here, right now. What do we do with ourselves after we have made mistakes or experienced achievements that leave us feeling only partially fulfilled? How can we improve that reflection of ourselves when we look in the mirror and do not see exactly our ideal self looking back? Solomon says there is no hope to look for fulfillment "under the sun," because there is plenty of hypocrisy, injustice, and plain mediocre here that cannot be corrected in a lifetime of human effort. Instead, Andy suggests, that young people like me, "Pour your extra time into something that has purpose beyond the bookends of your life."
Now, for me, I certainly don't know what that looks like quite yet. I am open to suggestions! But it's a steep challenge for someone who feigns busyness even in the luxury of time without children, medical problems, money problems, or and major life crises. I mean, I do feel busy, I do feel stress, but then again, I am in the process of living. It's natural to feel such things, if not in one part of life, than in another. Just because that stress comes from positive circumstances does not mean it isn't there. At the same time, wanting to fulfill a destiny means sometimes, and perhaps often, needing to exceed the general expectations of one's self and one's society, who might say that the absence of illness is health. It is sometimes more challenging to act with courage and greatness when one is well than when one feels weak, and I am learning that more and more.
As I go off to another big challenge in another foreign land this week, I am going to remember that my purposes are greater than myself, and my routines are precious reminders of who I am called to be.
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