some changes

On 21 February, it will be a year since I worked last. From that date in 2008, I have had quite the year. I hope that in hind sight I see less of the frustration and manic job searching; the nearly 250 jobs or companies I applied to, and more of the blessings in having time off. Listed below are some of the wonderful notables from the past year of my unplanned unemployment:

• My flight pattern since I was at McMurdo Station: ZCM-CHC-AKL-SYD-BNE-LAX-SEA-BLI, YVR-YYZ-ORD-SDF-ORD-DEN-MIA-PAP-MIA-DEN-PDX-SEA-BLI, SEA-DFW-GRU-DFW-SEA, BLI-SEA-DEN-SEA-BLI. I love to fly!
  
• I took two road trips: One by myself to California, and one with Storey, in Australia.
• Brazil. Simply Fantastic!
• There are a few new and way-old friends who I never expected to hear much from again, but who have become quite dear to me. Thank you specifically to, Janelle, Maria, Leeps, Amanda, and Scott.
• I have been able to see every member of my immediate family, including Sara who moved closer to me in Seattle.
• I served with my church in Haiti. Unforgettable.
• Finding my great coffee spot in Boulevard Park!
• I spent a wonderful amount of time with the children of my friends and cousins (thanks Aaron & Jen for the photo)!
• My 30th birthday rolled around!
• Somehow, I managed to stay financially afloat. You know that story in the Bible about the woman who's oil is miraculously replenished...
• Coffee...mmmm...
• I have been able to spend about four months in Washington, which is the closest I have to 'home.'
  

Things will be changing here on my blog and in my life this week. I am both excited and apprehensive about moving forward in my life. As I have been looking for a job, there have been a few people at the top of my list who have taken extraordinary amounts of time with me or made me feel valuable when I was most down. Thanks again for the patience and positivity; you know who you are!

top ten places to travel

I have been thinking about the places I want to visit and see someday (if not sooner). Most of them are a bit off the beaten path. In no particular order:

one.
Maldives: a series of atoll islands off the southeast coast of India.

two.
Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania: I would like to climb the mountain before the glaciers are gone, please.

three.
Masdar City in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, United Arab Emirates: a small country packing a big global economic punch. Masdar seeks to be the first zero-carbon emissions city on earth.

four.
Croatia: said to be a beautiful country, yet-untouched by too many tourists, on the Adriatic Sea.

five.
Greece: who wouldn't want to see the history, the hillside of white villages, and the fantastic Mediterranean seascapes?

six.
Madagascar: An African island of oddities (unless you live there; then they are normal). I really want to see the Baobab trees!

seven.
Tierra del Fuego/Patagonia, Chile & Argentina: amazing mountains, glaciers, waterways, culture, and fauna all at the tip of the South American continent.

eight.
Taj Mahal, India. I would like my picture taken with it.

nine.
Cuba. Only because I can be Canadian and can go there freely.

ten.
Iceland. Extreme snow and ice, with hotsprings, waterfalls, volcanoes, and fantastic local culture.

all i want for christmas

twelve, joyful friends.

eleven, bars of chocolate.

ten, networking contacts.

nine, prayers answered.

eight, boxes unpacked.

seven, charming men.

six, member family.

five, photos published.

four, kitchen chairs.

three, job offers.

two, more continents.

one, home that's not so temporary.

random items about myself

My friend, Kris, posted seven random things about herself; so following suit:

one. Today my car turned 76,300 miles. No significance, just random.

two. I am currently reading 8 books.

three. I once had a cold that "moved into my eye" and caused a cataract-like fog to impede my vision.

four. It seems a bit strange when I have to run by the cemetery when there is smoke coming out the crematorium's chimney.

five. I love to surround myself with warm, inviting colors, but my favorite color is blue.

six. I never wanted to learn how to drive. But, I loved it when I finally received my drivers' license. I had to take each test from drivers' ed to the DMV written and driving tests two times.

seven. Speaking of driving, the only self-inflicted incident I have caused was running into a snow bank on my way to work ($1700 in damages). Ironically, 10 months later, I was selected to drive shuttles in Antarctica where there is an abundance of such impediments. Thanks for hiring me, Kris!

poly-what?

I recently was disgusted at myself when I realized I bought eggs in a poly-styrene carton a couple weeks ago. I couldn't believe I accidentally took a dozen of these fragile orbs home in, what is better known as, styrofoam. I am the shopper who will spend a few extra cents for the cardboard package. And, I'm the person who decided this summer that I should avoid smoothie stands that only have styrofoam cups for their beverages and pass on church coffee in styrofoam cups.

Polystyrene is one of the worst man made materials to dispose of. It is not recyclable (except in very specific places and under specific circumstances) and it does not biodegrade. It's a substance that is made for the sole purpose of being "disposable;" but the irony, is that is does not "dispose" of itself in a landfill.

Did you know that: "Polystyrene packing peanuts are banned [in Antarctica] under the Antarctic Conservation Act" (National Science Foundation). A number of cities and states are working on bans for polystyrene take-out packaging (see NY Times article on Portland below).

So, what can you do to help the situation?

one. Avoid purchasing polystyrene products. Also steer clear of items that are packaged with polystyrene.

two. Kindly suggest to your churches, businesses, and friends that they should look into alternatives to polystyrene products. Paper products are nearly as economical and much more biodegradable and there is nothing wrong with using the "real" plates and cups! It just means you might be the dishwasher!

three. Be an advocate and write companies who use polystyrene packing materials. Encourage them to use starch-based, cardboard, or paper products to cushion their merchandise for shipping.

I believe we have moved to the other side of the Information Technology Revolution and are heading towards a Sustainability Revolution on a global scale. I invite you to be trendy and do your part.

Here are a couple of links to pro-active earth-friendly companies and ideas:

Wikipedia's explanation of polystyrene.

Treehugger.com on the the best coffee cup.

The Fairmont Eco-Meet Program.

The Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978 (671.2, 671.3, 671.12).

Naturopack: Sustainable Packaging.

Portland, Oregon passes a Ban on Polystyrene Foam Items.

right now I am...

feeling...
overwhelmed and under-stimulated.

enjoying...
whitecaps on the ocean.

wondering...
if I should sell the contents of my unpacked boxes.

listening...
to the sounds of an espresso machine and quite ebbs and flows of conversation.

drinking...
an almond latte.

wanting...
to move forward.

loving...
freedom to go places.

looking...
for a different place and time.

Thanks, Kris.

moving along

This week I have decided to put some priorities on paper, list out some goals, write down my 'options' for the near future, and such. So, here are a few things that I am looking forward to when I find that new job:

one. Sinking into a new community.

two. Finding new friends.

three. Unpacking my boxes.

four. Generating a sustainable income.

five. Experiencing self-worth through work again.

six. Being independently me.

seven. Reciprocating hospitality given to me.

eight. Indulging in the purchase of a queen-sized bed.

nine. Reflecting on all the amazing places I went and people I saw during my time "off."

ten. Spreading the news to people who care about me.

I'll expect about seven of the items; and hope for all 10!

soundtrack for my birthday

For my 30th, thirty songs on my life's soundtrack right now (in alphabetical order):

1 annie waits, ben folds

2 average girl, barlowgirl

3 blessed, brett dennen

4 circle, louise setara

5 cut, plumb

6 end of october, david crowder band

7 fix you, coldplay

8 i'm coming home, paul coleman

9 long long time, guy forsyth

10 mansions, burlap to cashmere

11 mirrors and smoke, jars of clay

12 oh the glorious, brett dennen

13 one million miles away, j. ralph

14 prayer for a friend, casting crowns

15 recycled air, the postal service

16 samulai, te vaka

17 secret smile, phish

18 somewhere over the rainbow, ku kahi

19 stay, robbie seay band

20 sunshine, matt costa

21 the girl from ipanema, getz & gilberto

22 the luckiest, ben folds

23 there is a river, jars of clay

24 this side, nickel creek

25 time to move on, tom petty

26 turn out the lights, matthew pryor

27 walk unafraid, rem

28 what you thought you need, jack johnson

29 when she dances, j. ralph

30 wildflowers, tom petty

the weekly hope-to-do list

one. get an interview somewhere.

two. find three more jobs to apply for.

three. get my passport back in my hands.

four. laundry and pack.

five. fly to a foreign country.

six. go to a birthday party for someone who I've never met.

seven. walk a lot.

eight. drink amazing coffee from the world's best roasters.

nine. visit the beach.

ten. take lots of pictures.

kendall's tag

My dear friend, and former roommate, Kendall, tagged me with the following:

Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours:

one. I am infatuated with snail mail. Somehow I always send more than I receive, though!

two. I think feet are the most disgusting part of the body.

three. I love maps and globes.

four. I tend to hold onto people tight. Once you're a friend of mine, you'll have a difficult time shaking me off.

five. I'm a multi-tasker at heart. I can't hardly watch a movie anymore without something else in my hands; book, crochet, journal, paper-crafting stuff and a cup of coffee or tea to boot.

six. I am not a morning person. I do not like to leave the comfort of my bed. I do not enjoy communicating with people much before I have had a cup of coffee. I like to have time to think about my day; alone. This was particularly difficult in Antarctica, where I was greeted by 50 to 250 people whenever I walked into breakfast (which is the most important meal of the day). Depending which shift I was working, these folks may be as disheveled as myself, or just off work and ready to chatter.

I am not going to tag anyone going forward, but you know who you are if you want to participate.

good things

Here are a number of great things that happened on Thursday in British Columbia that made it a good day and a couple things that occurred since then to keep life interesting:

one. The weather was clear and amazing.

two. I arrived at my destination without getting lost. Because I often get lost in Vancouver, I carefully charted my directions in bright pink gel pen ink on my new area map. It worked. I was 45 minutes early.

three. When I arrived in the building of my meeting, I plopped down in a chair in the lobby and asked the UPS guy for the time. His answer told me I had 20 minutes. We chatted briefly and he eventually left, but came through the front glass doors a few minutes later to give me a 10 minute reminder and wish me luck at the interview. What can brown do for you?

four. I took the "grandma's kitchen" approach to my interview and I was less intimidated and nervous than usual. Using this approach, I visualized myself sitting in my grandma's comfortable, familiar, carpeted, brown and yellow-toned kitchen rather than the swanky office with crazy chairs and cool interior decoration in a trendy downtown high rise. It took the edge off.

five. I have run into my friend, Jenny, in three countries and a continent now. We've seen each other in Denver and Seattle in the United States, Christchurch in New Zealand, McMurdo Station in Antarctica, and now Vancouver in Canada. One of my stops in the afternoon was near her. She is studying at the University of British Columbia and I dropped in for coffee. She is a wonderful friend to meet up with all over the place!

six. After 15 years, or so, I also tracked down a great pen pal from camp, Maria. I enjoyed supper with she and her husband, Colin near the border on my way back to Bellingham. We had plenty to catch up on and I am excited to see her doing well in life. It gives me hope for my undefined future.

seven. Colin, Maria's husband, has decided to take up javelin throwing. Funny, since they never knew I threw javelin; and have coached, and could give him a couple pointers. We drove to his parents house where his new javelin is kept and tossed it around a bit. Very intriguing web we weave; and how sometimes it crosses in the most peculiar places.

eight. The recruiter, who I interviewed with on Thursday, had a job description to send for my perusal already on Friday. I have a good sense that he saw what direction I want to go in right now; even if my long term goals are a bit muddled in my own head sometimes. I should have met with him a long time ago.

nine. I booked a trip on my frequent flyer miles. No sense in being all talk and no action about it; I just did it. I have the time and I have the miles to use. I'm slightly nervous about the spontaneity of the adventure (I'm a planner at heart) and a little worried that my passport won't come back with the necessary visa on time (I'm really tight on time). So, I won't share anymore details until I know for certain that I will be admitted to the destination I've chosen.

ten. I am hopeful; at least for today.

moments

Here are a few moments from the past week that I am prepared to leave there:

one. Not finding a job or hearing back about one before Labor Day (or Labour Day, depending what country you are in).

two. The 36 minute phone call with Sprint (that did end up saving me $46).

three. Being upset that a communication snafu meant a missed connection with a friend.

four. Picking blackberries for two hours and still coming up a bit short for jam (my purple fingers are pictured at right).

five. Rain, rain, go away, come back some other gray day.

On the other hand, there are a few things I will hope for and look forward to in the next week, or month of September:

one. Fresh hopes to find a job in the month of September; my sixth month of searching. May I be so bold as to hope it is in this short work week?

two. To see my sister, Sara, this week. I also look forward to seeing a friend from 15 years ago, Maria.

three. To my long, leisurely coffee stop on Tuesdays and Fridays.

four. To possibly use some of my frequent flyer miles during the month to knock off another continent.

five. To find spontaneous and unexpected joys in life; and to give some of those joys to other people around me and far away.

warm fuzzy feelings

In the last couple of days, I paid attention to those good feelings:

one. smelling evergreen trees.

two. watching a good, redemptive movie with a cute lead actor (totally recommend Bella).

three. attending the church I grew up in and still feeling like I'm part of the family.

four. listening to great music with my sub-woofer in my car on a rainy day.

five. circus animal crackers; ya know, the ones totally coated with pink and white frosting and sprinkles!?

six. enjoying lunch with old friends, catching up with old neighbors, and snarfling* dessert with cousins and relatives.

seven. receiving a phone call from a friend who makes me feel like I still have an interesting life; even when I've got nothing to do except talk about what could be, should be, or might be (thanks, Amanda).

eight. sending a letter to a friend, or five friends, about all the things that could be, should be, or might be, but are not yet.

nine. making a kid smile. I make faces at them all the time and it makes them laugh (for ages 3 months to 4 years-ish only, though).

ten. sharing a similar experience or emotion with a friend and knowing someone else "understands."

*This is not really a word, but I used it a lot when I was little and think it should be revived:
Snarfle: v. the act of eating rapidly.
example 1) Jane was so hungry, she snarfled her breakfast.
example 2) No one else will get any supper if you keep snarfling all the food!

unusual observations

one. I voted for the first time in a primary election; at least to my recollection. Washington has a new system where the candidates do not claim a party and we could end up seeing two people from the same party running against each other.

two. I enjoy walking.

three. It's blackberry season again. I saw this quote for the occasion:
Earth's crammed with heaven,
and every common bush afire with God,
but only he who sees takes off his shoes;
the rest sit round it and pluck blackberries.
-- Elizabeth Barrett Browning --

four. I don't enjoy discussing my job prospects, previous employment, or lack of work with people I don't know well, but I feel like I have to in order to network.

five. It only took me five months to get to wear my new bike helmet after I purchased it. My bike is still functioning fabulously; just had to pump up the tires and lube the chain after a year of non-use.

six. I, like many other Ice people, still have a difficult time patiently explaining to people that Antarctica is south; not north. Along the same lines, please note: There are no polar bears there...in Antarctica, a continent...on the south side of the world.

seven. The Belgians make wonderful chocolate.

eight. Canada's CBC has better Olympics coverage than NBC.

nine. On August 16, my two sisters, brother, and myself were all in the same state (of Washington) at the same time. This is unusual, because you typically can't find us in the same country.

ten. If I had a dollar for each one of my frequent flier miles, I would be wealthy.

friday feels good

What a gorgeous day today! A lot of locals have been complaining about the near-90F temperatures, but folks need to appreciate the sun when they get it out here!

My Ice friend, J, stopped in with one of his Trek America tour groups this morning. They were on the Alaska Ferry that docked in Bellingham. We had a cup of coffee together before they scooted off down I-5 to Seattle. I nearly mistook the guy for an Alaskan Kodiak bear with all the facial hair he's sporting these days! Despite the grizzly appearance, and that he took a "toe shot" way up north in Dawson, Yukon (you can google it, but you probably don't want to), everyone should be so fortunate to have a friend like J.

On my way back, I dropped in at Boulevard Park on Bellingham Bay. There is a coffee shop here that may replace the one I found in Fairhaven a couple days ago because it has a fantastic view over the water and free wi-fi, too! I have a lot of things I could accomplish indoors, but this morning was for spending time outside on a lovely morning, reading and journaling, and listening to the conversations around me; some of which are listed below:

.Finances, taxes, and IRA's
.Airports and island building in Dubai and The Maldives.
.The poor choice of deck chairs at the coffee shop.
.Construction on The Guide Road and how many lanes the new bridge over the Nooksack river will have.
.The road construction project lead to conversations about the Vancouver 2010 Olympics.
.The inappropriateness of a burning fireplace on the deck of the coffee shop on such a warm day.
.This passed year's Valentine's Day surprise.
.The noise levels of bagpipes at a wedding.

And no one thought I was listening.

So, today I sat and breathed in God's creative work around me; the people talking, the green, fresh-cut grass and greener seaweed, the yellow flowers growing between the rocks, the water, islands and boats of every shape and size, friends, celebrations (like Laura's birthday), coffee, warm and clear weather, peace and joy, and fresh sea salty air. Ah.

my to-do list

I have come up with a list of tasks, in one word, that I assigned myself to accomplish each day. In lieu of having little else to do right now, it keeps my mind occupied to focus on these few words and the things they represent for me. It seems simple, but I usually have a hard time fitting them all in:

one. read

two. exercise

three. learn

four. look

five. listen

this week's favorite inventions

This week, I enjoyed a few lovely inventions:

one. George Forman Grill and the Panini Sandwich.

two. Cottage Cheese. Good on pasta, sandwiches, by itself, or try it on nachos with tomato, olive, onion, mushroom, and another shredded cheese, if you choose. I would imagine artichoke, pine nuts, or jalapeno would be other great toppers.

three. Pandora Music. If you ever wanted to type in a song, or artist, and get your own personal commercial-free radio station based on those and other personal preferences, this is for you!

four. McCormick's Pepper and Sea Salt Grinders. They are simply fun to use.

five. Adobe's Design software. I don't have much, but I love the ability to create on my computer!

six. Tea Tree Oil. A great natural healing skin ointment and, for me, it has a smell association of New Zealand.

seven. Wireless Internet at coffee shops. Nothing better than getting work done while sipping an amaretto latte in a cozy place!

nine good things

This week has been challenging for me, so I decided to post a list of the good things that I have:

one. I have had three good contacts for income-generating work.

two. The sun is out; although it's hot.

three. I can still afford a latte once or twice a week.

four. I am healthy.

five. I have encouragers out there.

six. My cell phone was replace for well-under my $50 limit and I didn't have to sign a new contract to get it.

seven. Due to the delay of my Miami to Denver flight (which was actually to my benefit, since my flight from Port au Prince was delayed and I wouldn't have made it if they hadn't sat on the ground for two hours), American Airlines rewarded me with 3000 extra frequent flier miles.

eight. I have a great sister who has put up with me this summer in her apartment.

nine. I had dinner with my Uncle Denny and Aunt Marilyn who were rolling through town tonight from Kalamazoo, Michigan; and it was very tasty!

better left behind

While there are lots of great things about this country that I like to experience, there are also a few I'd rather not bring back to The States:

one. smelling like mosquito repellant.

two. crying babies and smelly diapers.

three. humid heat with no air conditioning.

four. wearing conservatively warmer clothing than I would in the U.S.

five. sweating in my sleep.

six. having need for a security guard in Port au Prince.

seven. seeing poverty. I know it exists everywhere, but it's particularly potent here.

eight. being around so many people all the time.

nine. limited water and power.

ten. being tired, sick, and exhausted.

haitian happiness

Haitian happiness is what they call getting some sort of bug around here. However, listed below are a few things that are really great about being here:

one. the colors; everything from the tap-taps to the fruit to the artwork is cheerful.

two. the stone walls lining the streets.

three. the mountains are so green and sweep broadly into valleys toward the sea.

four. the food; though I haven't been able to eat much of it, is quite tasty.

five. the children are so anxious for love and attention and bless us with a few smiles.

six. gorgeous flowers and tropical plants.

seven. simplicity of life.

eight. rich culture.

nine. can't go wrong with fresh coffee and fresh fruit.

ten. being able to make even a small difference for a few kids.