live inspired

an image & a thought

2012-01-30T00:00:00.000-08:00

chicago | noticed.

2012-01-28T00:00:00.000-08:00

mt. diablo | a peak & a friend.

2012-01-27T00:00:00.000-08:00

i was desperate to go camping, antsy to get out, and relieved when i finally did. sorrel and i went up to mt. diablo for an overnight on 1/15-1/16, froze when it dropped below freezing, and ate chips & mango salsa for dinner and breakfast. lol. we also had a bandit come steal much of our deliciousness, including dehydrated persimmons! rar.

looks like elephant feet, right?

the basics | bow drill.

2012-01-26T00:00:00.000-08:00

getting back to the basics.
my friends sorrel & abel taught me how to use a bow drill. well, it was more like all three of us worked on making the tiniest little flame - if you want to call it that. it. was. awesome.

quote | being simple

2012-01-25T15:57:00.000-08:00

The individual who is simple, who accepts themselves as they are, makes only a minimum demand on others in their relations with them. Their simplicity not only endows their own personality with unique beauty; it is also an act of love. This is an example of the truth that whatever sanctifies our own soul does, at the same time, benefit everyone who comes into our life.

-Caryll Houselander

heaps | urban ore ecopark

2012-01-25T00:00:00.000-08:00

remembering how inspired i was at this junk yard of reuseable goods...
i have a fantastic idea that's only remained an idea since it's inception. i need to act!

ashland | daniel + stephie

2012-01-23T00:15:00.000-08:00

when we went camping, i also took a few photos of these two lovelies. they're fantastic as a couple: honest, hilarious, and so loving.

chicago | beckoning of lovely 11.11.11

2012-01-13T12:57:00.000-08:00

in november, i visited chicago for the first time for a couple reasons. one of my main reasons was to participate in the final beckoning of lovely gathering. i arrived alone, knowing no one, completely open (and a bit shy) as to what might unfold.

when amy and the yellow umbrella arrived, cheering ensued and i felt a palpable energy of anticipation. i like to believe that we all were there to feed the inner child in us that believes in the goodness of people and the hope of living a life of whimsy, love, kindness, openness and play.

it turned out to be a very special gathering where we all made a wish, sent "i love you" texts at the same exact time, witnessed a public marriage proposal, sang together, laughed together, and experienced the magic of lovely together. it was particularly special because i received a memorable charm necklace of millenium park and met a bunch of lovely women who i got "merried" to, and i even made a new friend who i ended up spending the rest of the day with!

remembering this event reminds me of a couple things about life:

when your heart is stirred, piqued, curious...pursue it. show up.
and wait.
raise your hand and say, "i'm here." you will get called on to participate.
smile and say hello.
be curious always
let things emerge as they do.
HAVE FUN!!!!

making a wish.

the lovely ladies that traveled from afar to share the day. merried & bringers of peace.

people got white pillow cases and were asked to draw a cloud on it. i drew my cloud on my arm.

the event ended with everyone singing. the words of this song resonate: we're here because we're here because we're here because we're here... (9:20-9:40 in video below)

this video was made by amy and captures the entire event in 11:11. (i even make a lil cameo appearance at 4:00-4:20)

quote | when the time was fulfilled

2012-01-03T10:44:00.000-08:00

The miracle of God comes not only from above; it also comes through us; it is also dwelling in us. It has been given to every person, and it lies in every soul as something divine, and it waits. Calling, it waits for the hour when the soul shall open itself, having found its God and its home. When this is so, the soul will not keep its wealth to itself, but will let it flow out into the world. Wherever love proceeds from us and becomes truth, the time is fulfilled.
-Eberhard Arnold

making space.

2012-01-01T18:39:00.000-08:00

to you, from me, for this new year.

1.1.12

2012-01-01T18:08:00.000-08:00

it was...
to stay in the heart break, anger, and sorrow until i could finally move through it.
to stay crying when i couldn't stop.
to stay with my friends, as they worked through the intensity and hardship of being in marriage relationship.
to stay in one place, and not think about moving on to the next grand adventure.
to stay with the depression of not being able to run after being injured.
to stay in the physical pains.
to stay home, instead of wandering away for another weekend.
to stay with a tedious project i would rather not do.
to stay present to all of it.
to stay engaged.

it's clear to me that i experienced staying to be in the context of some discomfort. this makes complete sense to me since i don't like to be in uncomfortable situations. but what took me by surprise was that i actually have a harder time staying with the feeling of joy.

because when life was as good as it's been this year, i convinced my mind that it's easier to imagine that what is good, would come to an end. in the latter part of this year, i found myself imagining tragic scenarios unfolding while driving home, riding my bike, running, walking, sitting, lying like a vegetable -- anything really. i felt less vulnerable this way.

"joy is as thorny and sharp as any of the dark emotions. to love someone fiercely, to believe in something with your whole heart, to celebrate a fleeting moment in time, to fully engage in a life that doesn't come with guarantees - these are risks that involve vulnerability and often pain. when we lose our tolerance for discomfort, we lose joy." -brene brown, the gifts of imperfection

"until we can tolerate vulnerability and transform it into gratitude, intense feelings of love will often bring up the fear or loss." -brene brown, the gifts of imperfection

but...

"joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are." -marianne williamson

a year ago today, when i wrote about the then unknown theme of stay, i didn't know that when i stayed in all of it: the muck, the delight, the sorrow, the thrill, the happiness, the ordinary... that i would find a deeper capacity for sorrow, gratitude and joy, and therefore a deeper connection with people and with God.

it's been a profound year of growth. and i look forward to another year of expansion. another year of staying. i hope the same for you too.

*a dear friend also wrote about her 2011 reflections, and i would highly recommend giving it a read. her honesty and vulnerability are moving.

quote | william clemmons

2011-12-17T18:06:00.000-08:00

journeying more deeply into our deepest center and into the world around us pushes us into seeing more deeply into all of life. not only are we forced to deal with the illusions of our false selves, but also of society.

the one who begins to live deeply as a contemplative begins to see things as they really are. we are called to deal with the illusions of ourselves, so we can enter into a loving dialogue with the world. we are called to embrace the world as we journey deeper and deeper into ourselves and God.

we turn with a singleness of vision, to see God in each new situation, in every person, and every experience--seeing all those things in a truer perspective.

i wish | perched

2011-12-14T00:00:00.000-08:00

merry | a tree named benny.

2011-12-12T21:59:00.000-08:00

it's my first live christmas tree, ever.

growing up, my parents were always worked throughout the christmas season since it was the busiest time of year. you see, they owned a toy & gift store practically my whole life. my sisters and i were always busy helping out at the store, wrapping up other kids' toys. so celebrating christmas usually fell by the wayside for my family. in fact, it was usually a pretty stressful time. and after a long day at the store, we were too pooped to do anything. and by "we" i mean, my parents. i'm not sure how my sisters felt, but as a young child, i did get pretty wide-eyed at the wonder of christmas - the lights, the gifts, the mystery of santa claus - but i never knew how to rally a family of all older people to get on board with a holiday i secretly wanted to relish. i was just a wee little lass with a small voice, envious of the stories & delights i had only really heard of.

two sundays ago, i moseyed over to a christmas tree lot to take a gander at the selection and within the first 7 seconds, i saw my tree. nameless at first, by the time i paid and got the trunk trimmed, his name came to me. benny. (the boy that helped me load the tree in my car suggested the name jerry since "benny's are usually tall." i laughed and let him know i'd consider it, even though i had immediately vetoed it in my mind. hehe.)

i've dressed benny simply, with some white lights and a few clear ornaments. & i think i like him, a lot. : )

but more than having a tree, i'm just appreciating that my inner little lizzy gets a chance to relish christmas just a bit this year...

chicago | texture ii

2011-12-08T00:00:00.000-08:00

chicago | texture

2011-12-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

play | vertical worm

2011-12-06T00:00:00.000-08:00

(maybe more like larvae)

anyway, you do whatcha gotta do, to play.

on being 28.

2011-12-04T14:22:00.001-08:00

i meant to post this a while back, but tomorrow became 4 days, 9 days and now, 2 weeks later... but here it is: a recount of experiences at age 28.
this past year was more than i could've imagined, most of it, normals of daily life-living sprinkled with bursts of inspiration and the deepest heart stirrings this girl could've asked for.

in some sort of liz-brain logical order…these are the things i want to remember about year 28.

started noticing a lot more white hairs. stopped pulling them out (except on days i feel ocd), and haven't managed to fully accept them yet. :\
i joined a dance troupe. learning choreography kicks my ass --hard, but it feels great to be challenged in a new way
backpacked in the sierras for 7 gloriously hard days; i learned to receive help.
became a vegetarian
nine months later, began an intense love affair with all sorts of meat. (funny how things work out.)
had the most intense creative flow that kept me up for 36 hours
shared my soul at TEDActive
met a magnetically charming man
had a profoundly sad ending with that magnetically charming man
met a couple, on a boat, on the way to a desert island in puerto rico; spent a few unforgettable days with them eating the whitey-white bread, canned squeeze cheese, and faux spray butter sandwiches and skinny dipping under the moon
my dad was diagnosed with 4 life threatening aneurysms. he decided not to get surgery. he's still alive.
2nd year of a new tradition of barrel tasting in sonoma
2nd year of a new tradition of volunteering at western states
a dream comes true: private show with gregory alan isakov
yosemite. that last look.
had my first official break up with a friend
a joy parade in east palo alto, inspired by bob goff
raced in the inaugural born to run ultra; ran 10 miles
beloved point reyes with old friends - steph, seiwei, jeff, nathan
7 days in my beloved state, montana
3 of 4 weekends, spent bike camping
crossfit skeptic turned evangelist
battled injury after injury; running came to a significant halt
grew a wart; burned off the wart
annette births abby joy.
spontaneous road trip to arcata, ca in a sub24o trip
joined a small group at my church, to experience deeper community
had my first (and probably last) experience of harbin hot springs.
finally went to ashland, oregon: one of my heart's callings
finally went to chicago, illinois: another one of my heart's callings
finally went to santa barbara: one of my local destinations this year, to visit yon
made a lot of new friends: emily, jenny, mary, lisa, billy, matt, samuel, kristen, jen, cole, janet, isaac...
started the gratitude jar and it's shown me that i am most frequently grateful for people
gave a commencement speech at art institute sf
started dreaming up how/when i can do BOSS 28-day survival school
started dreaming about how/when/where i might be able to bike tour for an extended time
allowed my heart to get stirred by someone i only experienced through the typed letters on my screen. which made meeting in person, extraordinary.
i cried in front of my boss
applied for the amazing race with that same boss; got rejected; and did it again, but better.

chicago | light & leaves.

2011-11-27T13:55:00.001-08:00

joyful thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T08:53:00.001-08:00

as you give thanks, hope it's filled with joy!

29 | surprise!!!!

2011-11-24T07:18:00.001-08:00

i am generally pretty low key about my birthday. (well, maybe except for my sweet 16th when i had fliers made, a dj, and a bunch of people - many whom i barely knew - at my house for a full on dance party. but that was another life ago.) this year, i had planned on going to work, having a quiet dinner with heather, and going to rehearsal. easy peasy.

in fact, i woke up feeling kinda sick and wondered if i should work from home that day. but my manager, richard, had put a hold on my calendar from 10-2pm to have a generative conversation about ux/ui design for a website. i was really looking forward to that meeting, so got myself together and showed up.

10am rolls around and i don't know where richard is. i head over to the zamzee office and receive a spontaneous happy birthday song, and find out that richard's not there. in fact, lance (who was also supposed to be part of this meeting) says, "i don't have that on my calendar, and neither does richard." my face contorts. i'm confused.

i head back to hopelab, and richard rolls over to my cube and asks me to hold put until 11 when he'd be done with his meeting. "well, chris and i were going to get tea...is it okay that i come back by 11?" richard's face stalls and he hesitantly says, "uh yeah, i think that'd be fine." i'm confused.

i go to chris' office to say that i only have about 30 minutes to grab some tea, but ask if he'd still like to. he doesn't really respond. hahahaha. he wishes me happy birthday and hands me a gift. i open it and LOVE it. the gift is so him -- oozing thoughtfulness and creativity! anyway, while i'm sitting there, heather shows up holding up a large sign that says, "are you thankful for lizzy? of course you are!" (that has georgia mae's beautiful artwork all over it!) while shouting those words and blowing a birthday horn. oh! and pulling a garden wagon with a tree in it!!

shock.

continued shock...

anyway, my friends/colleagues were encouraged to write something they're thankful for about me on clear ornaments with a white sharpie, and then to hang it on my new tree! (which, i might add is a very resilient tree - a characteristic that heather heeded to mention several times, perhaps subconsciously since i managed to kill a japanese maple earlier this year.) eep. :\

after all of the office shenanigans, heather whisked me away to get a pedicure and to eat lunch. we walked around downtown redwood city with happy birthday crowns on our heads, while a small yellow cloud of balloons followed every step. hehe, we also brought joy to people who cared to stare. :-)

the day was sheer delight! every part of my birthday was perfect - spontaneous, unexpected, meaningful, fun!, & quite peaceful. the gift of being surrounded by people i love and who love me, is better than anything i could've hope for.

i am so grateful for this amazing life i've been given. truly, i have been experiencing a transcendent joy, bringing me right into the heart of Love.

thank you everyone.

in particular, thank you richard for using your boss rights to place a fake 4-hour meeting in my calendar & thinking quickly on your feet! ;-) and thank you heather for knowing me so well, for loving me so well. i can't imagine my life without your friendship.

muir woods | a rainbow, a hike, & dragon's breath

2011-11-22T00:00:00.000-08:00

up & down the dipsea
we roamed...

28 lessons learned in year 28.

2011-11-21T00:00:00.000-08:00

i'm turning 29 tomorrow and i've been feeling particularly reflective given that i'm about to enter my last year as a 20-something.
i learned a few things (or re-learned) (or had it drilled into my head this time around) this past year and thought i'd share my list.

1. be honest

2. choose vulnerability. be vigilant about this

3. fight for simplicity

4. leaving an interaction enlarged is a wonderful feeling; be someone who enlarges others

5. look at the data; break the cycle of inference

6. question certainty; it's an opportunity to wonder

7. practice gratitude every single day

8. don't shy away from structure and commitment; they can actually help create more freedom.

9. commit. go all in

10. be open, stay open

11. risk

12. if it really matters, try again & again & again & again

13. learn to say no if it's not important to you

14. pay close attention

15. follow your heart, always

16. don't strive to make something happen, let it unfold

17. live wholeheartedly

18. please, laugh at yourself

19. trust your gut

20. stay present to what you're feeling and feel it all the way through

21. love what you love

22. examine your values, especially the old dusty ones. take them off the shelf, blow off the dust and remember why you keep them there

23. stop comparing, stop it; it's the death of creativity

24. reach out to the people you want in your life, be intentional

25. say yesyesyes! especially to the things that both excite and scare the shit out of you.

26. your perspective, who you are and what you bring, is unique in all the world.

27. stay engaged, no matter the outcome

28. i am beloved.

lists.

2011-11-20T08:09:00.001-08:00

lovely, aren't they?
i was talking to someone yesterday and they asked me if i make lists. i said yes. and while sitting there, i realized that my most recent journal is probably about 82% lists (and i'm only about 20 pages in)! the topic of my lists include: dreams, personal goals by end of 2011, portfolio content, photo ideas, blog posts, intentions for my recent chicago trip, experiences for year 29, and 75 answers to 108 questions of a self-inventory thing i'm doing.

anyway, the reason i bring this up is because there's a blog i really appreciate written by a friend, tony. he's a truth-seeking dad, husband, urban farmer, academic, hunter, geek!, cook, etc. he's also quite quirky as well as a manly man. he started blogging not too long ago and i resonate (or want to resonate) with the topics he writes about. he recently wrote a piece on starting a "stop-doing" list.

for those of us who might struggle with wanting to do too much, i found it to be a helpful reminder to focus in on what's important - to cut out the frivolous stuff of life - in order to focus in on the real juicy stuff of life.

missing little people.

2011-11-19T09:45:00.001-08:00

was looking through some pictures from my last visit to san diego and felt tingly all over. i miss this one.

chicago | charmed in every way

2011-11-13T20:30:00.001-08:00

i'm surprised by how much i loved chicago.

for a non-big city girl, i was completely charmed...

more to come.

ps. can you find me in this photo?

ashland | hyatt lake sunset, ii

2011-11-09T00:00:00.000-08:00

another take of spectacular beauty!

chloe

2011-11-08T00:00:00.000-08:00

i've been bird sitting this skittish beauty for the past six days. during that time, i noticed that:

she has either impeccable vision or smell and can immediately identify if i have a carrot or fuyu persimmon in my hand
she bites very hard. ow.
from her seed mix, her first choice is dried fruit. in fact, her food looks tastier than human trail mix. what the heck?
she will make a commotion if there's fun being had and she's not involved
whistling piques her curiosity, and she tends to sing along
she's a very effective alarm clock when you least expect it

it's good for me to be responsible for a living creature (e.g. cats, chickens, small children) every so often... it helps me get me out of my head and slows me down while caring for others.

chicago | never been

2011-11-07T11:57:00.000-08:00

when my dear friend moved out to chicago a couple years ago for grad school, i remember saying to myself that i would go visit her at some point. well, that point has arrived!

i'm finally going to chicago nov 9-13! it'll be fantastic to catch up with the first person i met in college, who i felt like i could be completely my crazy-let-my-hair-loose self with (probably because she was the only other korean from so cal in that wild hippy santa cruz potpourri of folks).

besides spending time with the dear friend, i'll be at the beckoning of lovely 11/11/11 event hosted by amy krouse rosenthal. i think i'll wear a yellow jacket to match her yellow umbrella, so if any of you plan on going, please say hello. everyone is welcome!

o, and ... i plan on checking out windy city crossfit. hope i actually make it to a class; it's always a little intimidating to visit a new crossfit gym.

ashland | heh?

2011-11-06T19:46:00.000-08:00

i added the left eye hole, but otherwise....
i think my almond butter sandwich didn't feel comfortable knowing he was getting eaten that day. & he had no way of escaping his certain doom.

ashland | bacon s'mores

2011-11-05T23:39:00.000-07:00

i think we're on to something...
especially as an after breakfast treat.

ashland | hyatt lake sunset

2011-10-30T23:52:00.000-07:00

completely enthralled by ashland, oregon. i am so utterly taken by this weekend's trip because of stuff like this:

friday morning thots | 10.28.11

2011-10-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

it's been over a year since i noted that i've been feeling a draw towards ashland, oregon. and the time has finally come.

i'm spending the weekend in a place i know i will call home, without ever having been there. my heart feels open and willing to explore, not just the land, but my internal mountain tops and deep ravines. i call it a visioning trip, where i hope to encounter God in the silence of the mountains and in relationship with my friends. it's time and space to dreamdreamdream, slow down and experience the clarity that comes when i am running with all of my heart and body in the wilderness.

& camping. o, camping.
enough said.

lily | a little monkey helper

2011-10-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

lily picked him herself.
he's useful for both providing relief while teething and for holding pacifiers (and to increase the overall happiness factor in any situation. i mean, who can resist a tiny sock monkey?)

quote | the new community

2011-10-25T11:07:00.000-07:00

we can too easily become identified with goodness--feel that we are 'the enlightened ones.' we cease to ask questions about what we are doing, how we are doing it, whether it might be done another way. not only must we question ourselves; we must create the kind of atmosphere that invites others to question us and to give us feedback on how they perceive and hear and experience us.
-elizabeth o'conner

sometimes, i think this means directly inviting people to give us feedback about: the decisions we make, how we spend our money, who we spend our time with, how we spend that time, the passions they see that we're dampening or ignoring, the work that brings us to life or the work that's killing us slowly, patterns they notice (healthy and unhealthy)... there's a lot to list.

most people don't feel okay offering unsolicited feedback. so until we're able to exude the kind of openness that welcomes it, i think it'd serve us to hand-pick a few special folks who we trust and who love us and to ask them to speak into our lives.

i specifically point out the "who love us" characteristic because i believe those are the people who will speak the truth, as they see it & as harsh as it may be. love, the great motivator, will allow & foster space for candor, grace, kindness, empathy, openness.

who are the people in your life that speak into it?

sage | library outing + a favorite story

2011-10-24T10:45:00.000-07:00

my parents never read me the velveteen rabbit growing up, but i must say, it is one of my favorite children's books. the message in it is profound.

so to my delight, sage picked it up and brought it over to me to read to her while roaming the children's section at the public library. i didn't get through the entire story before she started wandering off to bring me other books, playing with the magnetic alphabet, and asking me to perform a puppet show, but i kept reading...perhaps for my own sake.

anyway, before all that i managed to grab this picture of her and the book - one of my favorites from this weekend's visit to san diego.

An excerpt:

"What is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. "Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?"

"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."

"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.

"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."

"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?"

"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."

white & fuzzy

2011-10-20T14:29:00.000-07:00

guess who has a new rug in her new cube?

i'm in the process of igloo-izing my very light tan cube.
simplify, simplify, simplify
de-clutter

& wear green crocs!

simplicity complexity simplicity complexity

2011-10-09T23:24:00.000-07:00

of the morning still.

2011-10-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

a serenity only known in the chill of dawn.

i stood on hendrik point and noticed the beauty of a bent-out-of-shape fence against an iconic backdrop.

up.

2011-10-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

3 things

2011-10-04T14:53:00.000-07:00

have completely taken me today: this, this, & "i thought that was the title" (in reference to "3 rounds" written above the workout of the day) at crossfit this morning.

they all stir me up with pure goodness: joy, empowerment, & laughter (in that order)

grateful for simple things today.

breaking through.

2011-10-04T00:04:00.001-07:00

to arcata & back.

2011-10-02T23:54:00.000-07:00

i couldn't stop.

i just couldn't.

at 5:15am on friday morning, my alarm clock notified me that it was time to get up. i needed to pack a couple pb&j's, get my camelback ready, and take my friend to the airport. since i was heading north, i had planned on spending the day on mt. tam roaming the trails and giving myself plenty of space to be. i've been needing a lot of blank space these days, as my heart's been feeling heavy.

but, a weird thing happened. mt. tam came and went and i had no inclination to stop. so i drove north through sebastopol, headed east through grueneville, hit the coast and took the windy hwy 1 up to arcata.

i couldn't stop.

i just couldn't.

once i got up there, i found a friendly co-op where i asked for directions & purchased some figs and a large quantity of my new favorite grain, farro. after this pit stop, i knew it was time to turn back south. so i drove until my body hit its sleepy wall. at 10pm, i rolled onto a random street in cloverdale, and slept until my trusty 5:15am alarm awoke me again. it was still dark, which gave me enough time to make it back to sf in time for an incredible sunrise at hendrik point, which sits just before the golden gate bridge, heading southbound. the hill felt still and the air had just the right amount of morning chilliness without it being distractingly cold.

i felt a deep soul serenity while standing there, and i felt a clarity in my kardia. i'm not describing the kind of clarity that comes with being able to articulate something well. instead, it was the kind of clarity that brings with it a sense of mysterious inexplicable peace. i just knew in my heart that something had passed. i knew in my heart that the months of process and struggle and staying present to discomfort had finally come to its end (at least for this iteration).

i drove away from home, wanting to get away from everything...but found that peace came to me on my journey back home. it only took 661 miles. :)

abby joy.

2011-09-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

i had the immense privilege of meeting abby joy this past weekend. she's the newborn daughter of my lifelong friend annette and her husband abe. she's a fighter who does what she wants (like telling the world she was ready to come out 10 weeks early and then trying to escape from her incubator). i have a feeling she may occasionally give her parents a hard time, but that she'll penetrate the world with her deep compassion, fiery spirit, and joyful heart.

in the meanwhile, there are a whole lot of people praying for her to drink her mama's milk and grow strong. you're beloved abby joy!

adorable.

2011-09-25T11:27:00.000-07:00

objectively speaking...
she's the most adorable 6 month old baby around!

my secret life.

2011-09-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

oh just a little something on the side...

shh, don't tell.

quote | thomas keating

2011-09-20T07:42:00.001-07:00

The experience of God's love and the experience of our weaknesses are correlative. These are the two poles that God works with as God gradually frees us from immature ways of relating. The experience of our desperate need for God's healing is the measure to which we experience God's infinite mercy. The deeper the experience of God's mercy, the more compassion we will have for others.

Source: Invitation to Love, Thomas Keating

lovers.

2011-09-14T00:30:00.000-07:00

i stared at unabashed lovers on a mid-morning hike.

two different trees forming so natural a connection.

taking slow dance to a different realm of comprehension;

they count in decades, not in steps.

swirling at each other's branches

leaning in and out

bending by the month.

i wonder if they resonate with this poem by ee cummings.

high sierra trail | day 7 | guitar lake to whitney portal

2011-09-13T03:01:00.000-07:00

today's mileage: 16 miles

we woke up at 3am and started our ascent by 3:50am. it was pitch black and the sky blanketed us with stars. i barely slept because the slight bump i was on began to feel so uncomfortable that i kept thinking i was sleeping like this.

the day before, i had felt in my gut that this would be a hard climb, and it was. hit with altitude sickness pretty early on, i felt miserable for almost the entirety of the ascent. nausea, diarrhea and headaches were my symptoms and all i wanted to do was cry. so i did, in the dark, by myself.

i'll spare the sob story, but what i came out of this time was this: i can't make it in this world alone. i consider myself an independent person who typically handles things on my own. it's rare for me to ask for help because i know i can probably figure it out. but sometimes... i need to accept my weaknesses, cry out for help, and say yes! when help arrives. i couldn't have made it up mount whitney if it weren't for the committed and generous help of my friends brendon and di.

it took - what seemed like - an eternity to summit. in the early hours of this journey, the sun rose and illuminated the route we had taken and the route we were on. it was both painful and joyful to see (first image); i was at times, in disbelief that i was hiking up a mountain. "i'm crazy!" and "this is so amazing! i'm so glad i'm here!" stirred around simultaneously. but i've found that it's that exact cocktail of emotions/thoughts/feelings that flag for me that i am alive and well...and on a very good journey. :)

when we finally got to the drop off point, i mustered up an excited smile for this picture. but shortly after, my headache came back with a vengeance.

we finally all made it to the top and caused this hoot, and made it off the peak of the mountain before a big storm rolled through.

and how awesome is this guy? if i hiked up mt. whitney just to see him... it could've been worth it. (he didn't know i took this picture. i was in stealth mode.)
after what seemed like another eternity of the descent (i.e. 98-100 switchbacks and 6,000' drop). we drove to the nearest town, and ate (a lot). this kinda of mass consumption continued for the next couple days...

high sierra trail | day 6 | crabtree meadow to guitar lake

2011-09-12T03:01:00.000-07:00

today's mileage: 2.7 miles

we woke up when we woke up, ate a slow breakfast, lounged around, and then finally made our way to guitar lake. it was our recovery day before mount whitney, but i didn't feel recovered. the tiredness just sank in, and i realized today that the final day would be really really hard.

this pic was inside my tent when i went back in for a mid-morning lounge around. (someone eerily watched from outside.) o_O

about a mile in, i met scott & alisa (dad/daughter hikers) and we chatted for a lengthy period of time. it was lovely to meet new folks and to have an extended conversation. plus, when i offered alisa my what-i-now-considered-repulsive trail mix, she practically inhaled them. lol. it's amazing how other people's food looked SO much yummier then my own. she clearly concurred. ;-)

a few memorable moments from the lake:

getting to know scott & alisa over dinner. (they decided to camp with us that night and hike with us the next morning.)
sun setting into the mountain range.
dropping my camera on a rock --> cute boy from d.c. helped me get the jammed filter off the lens. hehe ;-)
looking at disbelief at the mountain we were going to climb at 4am in just a few short hours.

mystery.

2011-09-11T23:28:00.000-07:00

it the moment, we may never know why we make the choices we do, why we experience what we experience, why someone chooses to engage with us the way they do, or even why we feel a certain way.... and maybe we never will.

but what i am learning is that regardless of ever understanding or knowing the answer to the "why's," the duly important process is to stay engaged and to stay true to one's Heart of hearts (kardía) in our journey. kardia will guide us to what's really important; there God dwells.

i believe that one day - likely not in this lifetime - we will come to know the why's. and when we finally arrive at that point where our unknowns become known....it won't even matter. so why do you think it matters so much now?

high sierra trail | day 5 | junction meadow to crabtree meadow

2011-09-11T03:00:00.000-07:00

today's mileage: 8.9 miles

this section of trail brought a pretty significant change in the experience. we transitioned to the john muir trail where the traffic increased to seeing someone about once/hour, whereas in previous days, we saw 1-2 people/day. we also had to hit 11,000+ twice today which means we started the hike with a straight incline for a while, then down, then back up again. it was pretty rough. at one point i thought i was lost, so i yelled out my friends' names like a small child who's lost sight of their parent in a giant mall. they called back my name and a sense of relief came over me. then a bit later, while climbing to that second 11,000+ point, i sat down on a stone step, propped my head against my backpack (still on my back) and fell asleep. i was so tired that my body shut down to the soothing sound of a nearly silent forest and gentle breeze that swept over my body. it only lasted about 10 minutes before i awoke and then i somehow managed to pick myself up and slowly make my way to b, d, & m, who were waiting for me on some large rocks. i think we were all kinda pooped.

shortly after that long break, we made it to crabtree meadow... and seeing this open space brought the deep soul refreshment i needed. i felt like i was in montana. ;-) plus, it was lovely to wash my crazy dirty toes in the icy river.

by the end of the day, i realized i was getting antsy, kind of bored, noticeably irritable, and feeling done. i was tired and coming to the end of me. i think there's also something about doing the same exact routine for 5 days in a row that was starting to wear me down. i'm not a routine kinda girl, so the monotony of cooking breakfast, packing up shop, hiking all day, eating lunch, getting washed up, setting up shop, sleeping, and repeating the cycle, that just got to me. even though everything we saw and experienced was unique to each day, this repetitive process stirred me up in a way i normally don't have to face.

i think paulo coelho said it well in a recent tweet: "if you think adventure is dangerous, try routine. it is lethal." hahahah... of course i would resonate with that quote.

anyway, i was in my tent before dark and fell asleep like a happy baby on an unfortunately slightly inclined spot. and we decided to sleep in the next day because the journey would only be 2.7 miles to our next camping spot before our day 7 trek up to the top of mount whitney.

high sierra trail | day 4 | maurine lake to junction meadow

2011-09-10T12:58:00.000-07:00

today's mileage: 14 miles

during day 4-6, i packed up my camera up because it was becoming a bit too cumbersome to pull out and use or have it hanging off my neck-ish area. it felt good to just be on the journey, not necessarily documenting it.

pictures below: maurine lake in the still morning, the hot springs where 15 boy scouts took over, and finally the first & last campfire we had. the fire was such a treat!

the funniest memory of day 4:

robel is massaging melody's feet. it's dark, and i can only see them by the glow of the fire. robel says, "your feet are stiff....girl, have you been hiking?" we all burst out into laughter and declared that line to be the best quote of the trip. turns out, it was.

snippets from day 4's journal entry:

"today was really hard. really hard. i didn't eat enough and was pretty hungry for the last few miles. it was quieter than the other days.

... and i felt determined. like really really determined. there is a fire, a drive, a passion, a Spirit that is beyond me

...i felt overwhelmed by the beauty

....the days are starting to blur a bit."

high sierra trail | day 3 | kaweah gap to maurine lake

2011-09-09T04:41:00.000-07:00

the arroyo valley, surrounded by the great continental divide, was by far one of the most exquisite hikes i have done. my breath was stolen by its great beauty. and mo lake was such a pleasant surprise to arrive to.

today's mileage: 12 miles.

for more pics, check out the facebook album.

high sierra trail | texture

2011-09-08T02:26:00.000-07:00

i felt a small explosion inside when i saw this fallen sequoia. (i think it's a sequoia.) i sat near these exposed roots when we stopped for lunch on day 3. after consuming my (unfortunately) never-ending supply of peas and beets, i took some time to examine all of its beauty.

this shot is my favorite of all the textures i saw on this trip. all of the live and dead wood was...heavenly.

quote | there is no rush

2011-09-07T07:55:00.000-07:00

The theology of progress forces us to act before we are ready. We speak before we know what to say. We respond before we feel the truth of what we know. In the process, we inadvertently create suffering, heaping imprecision upon inaccuracy, until we are all buried under a mountain of misperception.

But Sabbath says, Be still. Stop. There is no rush to get to the end, because we are never finished. Take time to rest, and eat, and drink, and be refreshed. And in the gentle rhythm of that refreshment, listen to the sound the heart makes as it speaks the quiet truth of what is needed.
Wayne Muller

Source: Sabbath, Restoring the Sacred Rhythm of Rest

high sierra trail | day 2 | bearpaw to kaweah gap

2011-09-05T23:21:00.000-07:00

day 2 was the second hardest day of this journey. 7.5 hours and a steep climb that took all day. (ok, i exaggerate.) we went from bearpaw to my favorite lake, hamilton lake, to be greeted by a spectacular crystal clear ice cold water bath. i felt like a million bucks after i dunked myself in. after some lounging around and greeting fellow travelers, we started what would be second hardest ascent of this trip.

i swear, i felt like all we did was go up and up and up and up until our noses bled. okay, not really....it was just until one of the members of our group went into shock because of sudden altitude sickness! it was a bit of a scare, but we managed alright. and since we camped at close to 11,000', we stayed up to watch the stars. it was absolutely unreal.
for more pics, check out the facebook album.

friday morning thots | 9.2.11

2011-09-02T13:05:00.000-07:00

i have watched this clip of kevin st. laurent & micaela hellsten lindy hopping several times now and every time, i can sense their connection even more powerfully.

kevin gets micaela to move her body, by way of moving his body. he doesn't stand still and flail his arms around to try to manipulate her body to respond. if he did, all she would do is move her arms. that would not be dancing, that would be some variation of an arm wave. instead, his entire body is engaged and essentially does what he wants her to do (in simplified terms). and she follows it all, really well! it's completely natural and so damn beautiful to witness that kind of connection. two bodies becoming one, yet each with their own sense of personality and flair. and the whimsy!!!! oh. i love.

there's a guy i dance with on wednesday nights; his name is gabe. he's my favorite person to dance with...the connection is unreal sometimes. i remember one time i was so surprised and delighted by how he got my body to respond to one of his leads. i was so impressed with the move and i could tell he was pretty proud of having led it. i think it's tremendous when we can experience this kind of connection (not just in a dance context) with something/someone. it brings me pure joy and fills me with hop(e).

i missed lindy hopping this past wednesday due to a major lack of sleep. my spirit missed it....my body, even more. i need to dance!

quote | i dream of a quiet man

2011-09-02T12:47:00.000-07:00

I dream of a quiet man
who explains nothing and defends
nothing, but only knows
where the rarest wildflowers
are blooming, and who goes,
and finds that he is smiling
not by his own will.
-Wendell Berry

Source: Sabbaths 1999:II in Dancing With Joy edited by Roger Housden

high sierra trail | day 1 | crescent meadow to bearpaw

2011-09-02T00:01:00.000-07:00

after hiking 11.4 miles, we witnessed the sun leave it's soft print while setting into the valley. this experience set the tone for how this trip would be: exquisite.

for more pics, check out the facebook album.

high sierra trail | day 0 | san jose to lodgepole

2011-09-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

melody / robel / brendon / di / me

7 days
72 miles

this is how it all began...

sunset looking out the back of the truck cab. we drove a giant '96 ford f250 4x4.this is di.

for more pics, check out the facebook album.

high sierra trail | question certainty

2011-08-31T00:01:00.000-07:00

before i left for the sierras, i made a comment about a certain photo of a women wearing her bikini on top of mount whitney. i said (rather judgmentally) that i "certainly won't be wearing my bikini when i summit."

well, i'm happy to report that attitudes change. and in fact, opposing opinions can easily turn into inspiration if we let go our our egos and remain curious. yes! that is me plus six others in our underwear on top of mt. whitney!!

my friends and i agreed to strip down to our underwear/bikinis when we arrived at the summit. in fact, our two new friends scott & alisa (dad & daughter thru hikers) were open to the idea as well. so when we all reached the summit, we looked at each other and said, "are we really doing this?!" there was an unsaid excitement in the air as we quickly stripped down in the cold. we recruited a lady walking around in her green puffy jacket to take our pictures while a 15-person boy scout troup we yo-yoed with during the trip, hooted & hollered in the background.

my lesson learned is to consider my certainties....and to re-consider them.

maybe my no or yes can turn into inspiration for saying yesyesyes! or nonono! maybe in re-considering the things i'm absolutely certain - even judgemental - about can be a source for whimsy and inspiration, that i can even invite friends (and strangers) to take part in. maybe it's a source for creating those unforgettable moments that break us out of what we think we know in order to experience something we wouldn't have even considered. maybe it's a catalyst for stepping more and more into being alive. and certainly...it's a source for immense fun! ;-)

high sierra trail | packing

2011-08-30T00:01:00.000-07:00

"not bad liz!"
that's what i thought to myself about my packing before the journey started.

but what i realized during the trip is that i want to go ultralight to whatever degree that i can without cutting off my limbs. carrying a heavy pack is really hard and it unnecessarily multiplies the "i'm miserable" factor by some unquantifiable but noticeable amount.

for you geeks out there, this was my packing list:

essentials
mountain hardware skyledge 2.1 tent + footprint
mountain hardware phantom 15 bag
thermarest women's prolite plus
leki women's poles
osprey women's ariel 65
rei raincover (depends on location/weather)
headlamp + extra batteries
bear canister (rented from the ranger station)
mini swiss army knife
mini flash light
s-biner (eh, not essential)
2 boxes of matches (stormproof, regular)

cookware
soto od-1r
msr isopro 8oz
spork
cup
pot (also used as bowl)
cloth napkin
1/5 of a sponge
45 water tablets

clothes/accessories
rei pants
patagonia pullover puffy
rei rain jacket
patagonia long johns
patagonia short sleeve base layer
patagonia long sleeve merino wool base layer (would not take next time)
patagonia zip up base (would not take next time)
2 sports bras (could possibly go with just one)
2 underwear
1 bikini
3 medium thickness wool socks (would bring only 2 really thick pairs next time)
2 thin socks (need only one for evenings)
bandana
bug bucket (mosquito net hat; would not take next time)
mountain hardware gloves
mizuno arm warmers
2 beanies (only needed one)
chacos (will be replaced with lime green crocs)
micro towel
3 dry sacks: 20L, 8L, 4L

hygiene
mini deodorant, 2oz
mini toothpaste, 1oz
colgate wisp toothbrush
7 strands of dental floss in ziploc
lemon eucalyptus bug spray (need to take less, transfer into smaller container)
ultrathon, 2oz
chapstick, .5oz
biodegradeable soap, 2oz
sunblock, 2oz
first aid kit
one roll of trader joe's toilet paper minus the cardboard roll
3 baby wipes
5 tampons (needed more, thanks di!)

camera equipment
canon 5d
24mm, 1.4 mark II
3 batteries
4 memory cards (4gbx3, 8gb)
camera strap
bag for accessories
lens cleaning rag

"luxury" items
the way of the heart by henri nouwen (a small thin book)
thin paper journal
pen

then, add the consumables
3L of water
21 oz water bottle + water
7 days of dinners + snacks (i shared meals with one person, she took care of breakfast and lunches)

at my fullest load, i was probably carrying just about 50lbs. i'd like to figure out a way to get my total weight down to about 33-37lbs with a base weight of 18-20lbs. this means i need to shave off about 10-12lbs from the non-consumables list. yipes! i better start throwin' out those matches.

quote | the cost

2011-08-29T00:01:00.000-07:00

"It costs so much to be a full human being that there are very few who have the enlightenment or the courage to pay the price. One has to abandon altogether the search for security and reach out to the risk of living with both arms open. One has to embrace the world like a lover. One has to accept pain as a condition of existence." - Morris West
Source: quoted at herondance.org

what does it look like to "embrace the world like a lover?"

high sierra trail | following

2011-08-28T22:03:00.000-07:00

the light drew us awake

the path led us

to follow lively rivers

and forests of life and decay

up mountains with sheer drops

jumping from rock to rock that were

tango dancing with flowing snow

still lakes, valleys of magnificence

mountain tops capped by exquisite sunsets

the darkness called us to be still

it brought rest

and restlessness

the darkness freckled by a world of light

only to be seen

as we went higher and higher

to gaze straight into her face

all these things seen

felt

experienced

touched

untouched

finally broke me.

all of the beauty

pain

suffering

awe

finally broke me.

all i could do was nod, "yes."

high sierra trail | beginnings

2011-08-28T01:37:00.000-07:00

there's so much to share...

friday morning thots | 8.19.11

2011-08-19T04:57:00.000-07:00

two things:
...
what i have learned
what i have come to know as true,
solidifies via passage through a wilderness

...

if you do something enough times, you'll get good at it.

it's just a matter of what you're getting good at.

today, i'm running from one place to another to take care of my last few errands before i take off for a week-long backpacking trip in the sierras - the high sierra trail, to be exact. and on the very last day, we plan to summit mt. whitney where apparently, some people wear bikinis at 14,497' elevation. um, i certainly won't be wearing my bikini when i summit, but i'm glad someone felt the need to do so and post it on the trusty internets. cheers!

i noticed it when i looked up.

2011-08-17T22:56:00.000-07:00

on tuesday, i sat outside in the back lot of my office to take a break from the waterfall of details i'm drenched in right now. after inhaling my my burrito (light on the rice and beans please), zanahorias curtidas and squirts of lime juice, i sat there, letting the sun's rays soak into my skin; i needed to slow down and breathe. it's been a busy work week, coupled with the details of preparing for a week-long backpacking trip in the wilderness - a duration i've never done before, and one that is causing a bit of humbling anxiety.

while sitting there breathing, i looked up and noticed these flowers. (you wouldn't know that i was surrounded by mostly concrete from the picture.) it was so beautiful that i stared for a while as i squinted to keep my gaze. then went back in to grab my camera. so simple & lovely in every way.

quote | old inuit song

2011-08-15T17:58:00.000-07:00

i think over again my small adventures
my fears
those small ones that seemed so big

for all the vital things
i had to get and to reach
and yet there is only one great thing
the only thing

to live to see the great day that dawns
and the light that fills the world.

source: journeys of simplicity by philip harnden

friday morning thots | 8.12.11

2011-08-12T12:37:00.000-07:00

stirring around in my noggin, in the flesh & the most invisibly visible places:

bike camping again this weekend. 3xs in one month = a very surprised me!
63 assisted pull ups and zercher squats has made me one very sore girl.
i feel like a wild bird in this exact moment!
what does kindness look like?
failure is not fatal. but GEEZ, sometimes it just feels so miserable!
"ordinary courage is about putting our vulnerability on the line." brene brown
"tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" mary oliver
i am so grateful. so so grateful.

happy friday!

(if you remember, tonight is the perseid meteor shower. get up high and stay up late. if you miss it, at least enjoy the almost full moon. (full moon is 8/13, fyi.))

wdydwyd? | a closer look at scott

2011-08-10T00:01:00.000-07:00

so scott from wdydwyd...

this is why i first stopped to talk to him:

yeah, i know. crazy right?

i found out that when he first started sand sculpting, he made $70 on his very first day at venice beach back in '86. these days, he makes about $300-400/day. (it's probably because of the topless irregularly breasted nature of this mermaid. do you think her sunglasses stay on when she's swimming around?)

wdydwyd? | bike camping to sam p taylor (again)

2011-08-08T00:44:00.000-07:00

you know how time spent browsing the internet can go: click click click click click, pause, click click (sometimes leading to an exorbitant length of time wasted). well on one of those clicks, i stumbled onto this photo through a twitter connection. you'll notice on the bottom of the picture an opaque "wydydwyd?". when i saw it, i wondered what the heck that crazy long acronym was about, so after a .013 second search, The Google told me what i needed to know. except, the answer unexpectedly invited me into a much larger question: why do you do what you do?

(thanks a lot google.) anyway, the question was haunting because it was impossible to get out of my head! fast forward a few days from the initial click and i get presented with a bit of a dare to post my own wdydwyd self-portrait from isaac (the guy in the photo) and he would in turn share his most impactful excerpt on joy + how that joy's manifested in his own life. (the topic of joy is in response to the work i'm doing for hopelab's joy campaign.) it seemed like an intriguing trade!!

so this weekend while bike camping up to samuel p taylor, i thought it'd be fun to invite my biking buddy kristen to participate (...as well as whoever else we'd meet along the way)! here are the folks who we asked to play, including kristen:

(from left to right)
bc / 24 / farmers market stall employee
jim / 37 / marin community farm stands organizer
paul / 33 / artist, illustrator, cyclist
scott / 58 / sand sculptor, artist
kristen / 26 / flight attendent, climber, up-for-adventure gal pal

you know what surprised me?
bc, jim, and scott had immediate responses when presented with the question! they didn't hesitate at all. i was inspired by their clarity and confidence in the moment.

and then there's my response to wdydwyd. i had a few statements that resonate true for me right now, but the one below is most befitting since one of my intentions this year is to live in the reality that i am beloved. in this particular journey, i've noticed that the gift is two-fold: i've been able to believe not just in my own belovedness, but also enter into others' belovedness (both of which which can be challenging at times).

i'm finding that to see oneself and to see another as beloved might be one of the most motivating reasons to be kind, tender and vulnerable, to show grace and to practice integrity, to commit and pursue, to speak truth, to be open to changing, to delight and to choose to love...

so why do i do what i do? because i love being changed by:

(ps. this photo was taken on a tree stump with a timer. apparently, i missed my head and stood about 12" from being in focus - a lovely recipe for an interesting photo!)

thank you isaac for challenging me to act on my curiosity & to reflect on this simple, yet profound question.

one of my favorite people

2011-08-07T00:03:00.000-07:00

amy rainbow.

the unplanned nature of these connections makes it so much more fun (oh, and of course meaningful)! i happened to be in point reyes bike camping; she happened to be home.

we shared foraged blackberries, saw bambi, sat beneath the sun, & shared love. what sweetness....

friday morning thots | 8.5.11

2011-08-05T09:05:00.000-07:00

being drawn towards...

asheville, nc (north carolina in general)
ashland, or
chicago, il
spain
south of france-ish
boulder, ut
right here.

ah, the inklings can be so persuasive.

underground

2011-08-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

sometimes we can't see the fruit of our labor because the "fruit" (or root in this case) is actually growing underground. but just wait until you pull that carrot out of the ground and see how giant and tasty it really is. SAT.IS.FACTION!

perhaps this is what it is to believe without being able to see. faith, perhaps?

lily. 100 days.

2011-08-03T00:01:00.000-07:00

in korean tradition, it used to be a pretty big deal to make it to the 100th day of life. this first segment of time was crucial because any number of things could go wrong and lead to a baby's death. to get through the first 100 days symbolized that a child would make it. these days, however, the 100th day is an excuse to get together and eat good food. (at least that's my take.) well i like that excuse.

for lily's 100th day, after i ate a lot of good food, i snapped a few pictures to capture how delicious she currently is. i simply love her to bits and adore her perfect little self. and since her default face is a frown, i have to say that my ego was stroked when i (effortlessly) made her laugh.*

*ok, it wasn't effortless. i had to make really weird noises and faces while lifting her up and down.

i think she's bored of being a table decoration.

don't worry girl, i'd be crying too if i got dressed in that outfit. (no offense sister!)

a new love indeed.

forget what you know.

2011-08-02T00:01:00.000-07:00

question assumption.
stop and wonder.
be curious.
re-wonder.

i did this recently by asking myself if my "dining room" really needed to be a dining room? sure it's the room right next to the kitchen, but i'd much rather have a studio to paint and sand, and to enjoy a glass of wine while getting my hands real dirty. so i said goodbye to the room formerly known as the dining room!

i spent last thursday evening staining some wood and painting with minimal light wee into the night. there, happiness glazed over me.

i wonder what else in my life is posing as something because it "should be" rather than being what it could be?

those moments

2011-08-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

in a 30 hour trip to & from la, i had the most delightful time being emo ("aunt" in korean) to my sweet lily. she is wonderful and her facial expressions are so her! during her 100th day celebration, she was passed around (more like stolen) from person to person, so the limited time i got to be with her and make her laugh were perfect moments of joy. simple and loving, those moments seem like the true stuff of life.

bike camp | samuel p taylor highlights

2011-07-30T20:35:00.000-07:00

i didn't know anyone going into this trip, but figured that they all had to be pretty rad if they were willing to ride to go camping. so i met all of these women for the first time at the ferry building and we rode 33+ miles from sf to samuel p taylor state park on 7/22.

bikes in the wilderness make my heart flutter.

east palo alto > caltrain > ferry building > sam p taylor > larkspur > ferry > ferry building > caltrain > mountain view > baylands route back to east palo alto

ended up biking 60+ miles over two days and came home craving more.

montana | highlights, the visual version

2011-07-27T01:01:00.000-07:00

i don't think i can use words to describe how i feel about these images. so here they are. beloved moments captured from my recent trip to montana - the second of many more...

flight from bozeman to ennis.

i just sat there and let susan push a plane with me in it.

rattlesnake.

the view wasn't too shabby.

walking home.

up close at home.

my room.

bare.

resting at the saddle.

the high holy 4th of july parade in ennis

virginia city store.

yes.

o sweet jesus. this is one of my favorites.

virginia city post office.

candy making.

textures.

the making of a cake. german chocolate, to be exact

missed the fireworks, but got a bumpy ride instead.

thunderstorm + lightning.

breakfast in dell at calf-a.

red canyon road. yes please!

shop, set up.

prepared for the grizzlies.

the sun rose.

we finally say hello.

by far, one of my favorites!

we watched everyday as she just sat there in all her majesty, drawing every good thing towards herself.

montana | highlights, the written version

2011-07-25T23:17:00.000-07:00

7/2: cantaloupe + yogurt + granola snack, the overlook at rattlesnake, update conversation on the couch, the outrage

7/3: looking back down the meadow on our hike up to the saddle, the exhilaration of crossing a snow covered roaring river

7/4: sheri's home + studio, pie delivery, textures textures textures all over virginia city, noticing all of the periods.

7/5: calf-a, flying over hidden lakes, capturing tears

7/6: morning conversation on the deck, turning left onto red canyon road, wildflowers wildflowers wildflowers, creation of the treasure map

7/7: the sun finally rising, thousands of drops of dew, sent and sent, making giddy pickles, smorkits, exchanging simple & full i love you's

7/8: sunrise, emails from susan & heather, wandering into altitude gallery, "it's like church bells to them [the bears]"

bike camp | samuel p taylor

2011-07-25T00:23:00.000-07:00

friday-saturday
bike camping through heaven.
more pictures to come...

fruit.

2011-07-21T00:01:00.000-07:00

during the summer, the farm is prolific -- plums, apricots, blueberries, blackberries, corn, sunflowers, squash, flowers, tomatoes, herbs, greens... but what often gets forgotten are these beauties. (eh, they're probably better for picture taking anyway.)

gratitude jar.

2011-07-20T00:01:00.000-07:00

i started something new. it's called a gratitude jar and it was inspired by my friend gyu-hee who's updating her facebook status everyday with something she's thankful for that day. i want to do the same thing, except with pen & paper.

why?

1. i found these two glass jars in a consignment store in montana and want to put it to better use than to make my place seem more cute & rustic.

2. i want to increase joy in my life (and gratitude & joy are intimately linked).

3. i'd like to invite my friends who come visit to practice this too.

in a year, i should have a jar full of gratitude and hopefully a more joy-full spirit.

perhaps you can try it too! all you need is a few pieces of paper (cut up into small pieces), a pen, something to hold those two things, and a jar to place the notes in. easy.

here's to more joy!

the amazing race | the submission

2011-07-17T22:09:00.000-07:00

one of my goals this year was to apply for the amazing race. hahahahaahah. (that was a genuine laugh, in case you were wondering if it was real.) i'm laughing because this goal is pretty stankin' random, and i don't think i would've thought of it if i didn't have some special people in my life i could imagine doing it with. i'm feeling like a lucky girl right now.

when i mentioned it to my boss richard earlier this year, we both realized quickly that we should apply together. well, the deadline for the application sprung up on us two days before it was due (july 15), so we scrambled to put something together. for a moment, i was worried that we wouldn't be able to meet up to make a video because richard was in montana, but we coordinated meeting up at sfo on deadline day (without a panda suit, sorry).

so here's everything we submitted for season 20 of the amazing race: (my photo, his photo, our photo, a 70 word bio, and a 3-minute video)

team bio: Richard is Liz's boss. They’re a dynamic duo defined by good communication, brilliant brainstorming, and serious fun. A once polite, professional relationship has grown into authentic friendship. Still, Richard gets micromanagy under stress, and Liz is queen of at-the-deadline delivery. They’re sometimes prone to "magical thinking" and are working on being more practical. They share a passion for travel, adventure, and courageous experimentation. They try, fail, and get back up!

team video:

submitted!

if we don't hear back by august 15th, then it means we didn't make the first cut. call me optimistic, but i think we have a really good chance because i'm pretty sure the show has never had a boss/employee team of color, and definitely not one who have won. we're a unique blend. just sayin. ;-)

friday morning thots | 7.15.11

2011-07-15T10:33:00.000-07:00

what. a. week.

an emotional week, a swirly week full of doubts, assurance, emails with all sorts of striking content, saying goodbye to beloved montana, unexpected connections, snippets of dreams seeming closer to reality, hard workouts at crossfit, a 6 month commitment, two great 20+ mile bike rides, curbside conversation, dancing dancing dancing, mouthwatering dill sauerkraut, evocative quotes (see below), laughing juxtaposed with sadness, a cocktail of anger, phone chat with dad at the togo's parking lot, passion ignited, grace & kindness received, "understand my greatness," reading a bedtime story with a little one on my lap as we rocked, the full moon light, juicy plums...

here's what paying attention to the details of life gets me: seeing the bigger running themes, intentions manifesting, gratitude, slowing down, and presence.

meaningful quotes from the week:

Live with no regrets and love with no excuses -Paulo Coelho
A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes. -Mark Twain
If you want to be strong, be yourself. The real strength you have is in the authentic person you are. -Ralph Marston
Jesus was more interested in our hearts than our plans. Plans work out or don't; our hearts define our lives -Bob Goff
If you search for the awakened heart, there is nothing but tenderness. -Jack Kornfield

this week, i have not been sure of many things. but i am absolutely positive of this: i want to live an honest life.

montana | the sun before the set

2011-07-13T08:58:00.000-07:00

the light lingered
until it became dark

montana | the wilderness

2011-07-11T22:22:00.000-07:00

even though i stayed in a lovely home in montana, i had to backpack for at least one night. so wednesday morning, i set out to camp at avalanche lake (where apparently, golden trout will jump straight into an iron skillet). but after talking to the rangers, they highly recommended i go somewhere without snow; they said it would be more pleasant. i fought the thoughts in my head that told me "so what? i can handle it," and deferred to their recommendation since i wasn't prepared to hike in snow.

i ended up setting up shop at the base of mount hebgen & hiking it that same day (6 miles round trip). everything about it was exquisite except for getting eaten up by mosquitos and thinking i was going to get attacked by bears. (ack, i wish i wasn't so good at imagining things.) anyway, i never got attacked by a bear, but the mosquitos had their way. to avoid those pesky critters, i held myself captive in my tent and fell in and out of sleep. (there's nothing very entertaining about being confined to a small backpacking tent.) between moments of consciousness, i watched the sunset, saw the sky light up with the cosmos, hand wrote an email, wrote out a treasure map, and finally woke up to the morning dew dampening my down bag.

through that process, i learned that the light shows up in so many forms, and every time, it can't help but unashamedly shine all of its glory.

montana | the cosmos

2011-07-10T23:16:00.000-07:00

i took over a thousand pictures on this recent trip to montana, and i like 491 of them. but flipping through all of them sort of feels like the scattered stars i saw the night i spent at the base of mt. hebgen (when i laid awake, wondering if bears would attack me).

montana | july 2011

2011-07-09T02:44:00.000-07:00

o boy.
one week in montana will leave a girl hungry for more.

let the downloading of photos begin!