chicago | beckoning of lovely 11.11.11

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!!!!

:)

xo

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)

chicago | never been

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.

tedactive | intentions.

i only had three intentions going into tedactive. (call me an over-achiever, hehe.)

1. meet & connect with JR

2. meet & connect with amy krouse rosenthal

3. practice authenticity.

it's no fun trying to control situations, so i try to keep the flow pretty open allowing me to stay present (hence, not a lot of intentions). i'm happy to report that all of those intentions were met. i was a bit uncertain that i'd get a chance to meet JR, but there is always a way...even if for just four precious minutes.

post conference...my mind & heart are swirling with both an intensity and lightness. (hard to explain...& still processing.)

to start the post-ted decompression, saturday was spent almost entirely alone. late rising led to trail running up in the skyline ridge for an incredibly self-controlled six miles (i could've literally run all day if it wasn't only my second run back from the 4-month hiatus), reading, afternoon napping, dinner, piano-ing, and then sleep again. it was glorious.

lots more to share..