#1 Hello 2018
01 January 2018 // Coronado, California
New year, let's go build stuff!
Anyone else tend to cling hard to a lot of loved things from the past aren't the same anymore? You know the usual ones– Friendships that have scattered over time. Former hometowns. Adventures of previous years.
Last year, I realized how much I loved those things and wanted to relive or recreate 'em. But in order to keep pursuing my purpose, I saw I needed to focus on here and now.
That means being patient with the process as our new community is built one relationship at a time. That means committing to fewer "random projects" so I can take on each day with more heart. That means putting in the hard work it takes to build meaningful things- at home, at work, and in community.
So whaddup 2018? It's a time to build and a time to double down on what's in front of us. Let's get started.
#2 The Jihyun Visit
02 January 2018 // San Diego, California
One thing I’m trying to work on is being the type of person who immediately after seeing another person starts trying to serve them and being relentlessly helpful. I know some people like that and they’re the coolest.
Being like that doesn’t come natural. At least not to me. When I see people— these days my first response to people is wondering if they’ve seen Coco so I can go on and on about it.
It’s super helpful for me to get to learn from people who are awesome at serving others. Jihyun is that kind of person, and having him around for a few days to kick off the year probably bodes pretty well.
#3 Books on Adams Ave.
03 January 2018 // San Diego, California
Did a little stocking up for some early 2018 reads. I’m hoping to do some filling the gaps of books that seem like ones I should’ve read forever ago but never got to.
I don’t think the bookstore clerks see too many people walk out with just Ready Player One and Thomas Merton.
After reading more last year than I ever have, I’m looking forward to the good reads this year has to offer. I’ll probably be scaling back the amount of books and trying to absorb more from books I like. I tend to slow things down a lot when I really like what I’m doing, so that would be a sign I’ve picked up really good books.
#4 Julian & Jihyun
04 January 2018 // San Diego, California
It’s kind of weird that once upon a time I thought I was an introvert. Too long without quality time with people and I get a little stir crazy when it’s been too long without a night out and some quality time.
Strengths and weaknesses usually come from the same parts of our character, and they vary so much from person to person. I love learning from other people’s, in convo and just by being a part of their lives.
#5 Dense Living
05 January 2018 // San Diego, California
“I want to live so densely, lush, and slow in the next few years that a year becomes ten years, and the past becomes only a page in the book of my life.”
–Nayyirah Waheed
#6 Dia de Reyes
06 January 2018 // Tecate, Mexico
What was a fantastic day.
I took my Miguel’s invitation to his family’s home in Tecate for Dia de Reyes… every year they open up their house to the community for a day of service and partying and I admire that so much.
Dozens of kids and their families came in from the surrounding area to get food, clothing, toys, and a really great time that consisted of piñatas, woodfired pizza, gift wrapping, finding Jesus in cake, and an impromptu Boyz II Men serenade.
I really think that acts of service are at their best when you have a hard time telling it apart from celebrating life with friends, and today was that kind of day.
#7 JB: The B is for Birthday
07 January 2018 // San Diego, California
I brunched at Karl Strauss to celebrate JB because this weekend, the B stood for Birthday.
So happy we now live in the same town and family, JB. You’re one of the most loyal people I know and the world around you is better for it.
#8 The Quiet Nights
08 January 2018 // San Diego, California
Eight (seriously!) years ago, when I started the project of taking a photo every single day, I always asked myself what criteria I would use to choose “the one” at the end of the day. The best aesthetic photograph? The most memorable moment?
I hoped over time that as I got better with a camera and as life got more interesting, those two would meet along the way. Often they did. At the end of every day I’d have to ask myself which moments made the day worth it, and that question got me doing more worthwhile things with my time. And more often than not, those things were pretty photogenic.
(Also, I had some really arbitrary rules like only taking a self-portrait on my birthday or trying not to feature the same person twice in a year. I’ve totally dropped those!)
Now that this project is going on its ninth year, I’ve chosen to focus just as much on honesty. I’ve learned that not every worthwhile thing happens at the ridge of a mountain. A lot of the most meaningful parts of life happen in quiet living rooms, overly familiar spaces, and in the ordinary. How do you capture these times in a way that doesn’t suggest minutiae but instead reflects their subtle significance? More importantly, how do you remember the value of these times while you’re in them?
I don’t know yet, but the camera has been a great teacher thus far.
#9 The Yes Mingler
09 January 2018 // San Diego, California
Pro-Tip: If you ever get an invite to one of Gary & Amy’s workshops —a cross between an improv class and a networking event, you should do the improv thing and say heck yes.
If you make it a point in life to make the people around you look good and to have fun while you’re at it, you’ll go far.
#10 Here’s Karl
10 January 2018 // San Diego, California
When we get out of town guests, tacos are a must. You could stay with us for a month and we’d manage to do a different taqueria every night.
Loved having Karl come hang with us after his math conference and introducing him to Salud. A great reminder that I don’t come by here nearly enough.
#11 Stay Strong, SB
11 January 2018 // San Diego, California
Last night was a chill one en la casa, but a part of me was thinking about everyone back in my old/second home.
It’s been such a rough month for Santa Barbara, sad to see this all in such a beautiful and special place. Fuerza.
#12 25 Years of Scott
12 January 2018 // Rancho Santa Fe, California
One of the best parts of being at Plant With Purpose is the team I get to work with every day. It’s really rare to find a working culture where both humility and excellence are in full effect, and that starts at the top.
Tonight I got to celebrate Scott’s 25th year with the organization and that really is worth something celebrating. Directing a nonprofit wasn’t romanticized in 1993 the way it is now. Sticking with one through 25 years is really rare, through rebrands and recessions, earthquakes, expansions, and times when fundraising results were really scary.
I’ve only gotten to be around for about a year of that, but it’s enough to validate everything I heard people from eight countries say about Scott. He brings out the best in the people he works with.
#13 Africa Rocks
13 January 2018 // San Diego, California
One of my favorite marriage traditions is not getting each other stuff for Christmas, but using what we would’ve spent for some sort of an experience. This year it was an annual membership at the zoo, and it’s gonna be fun taking spontaneous, short visits or even using this place as a zone for reading, dreaming, brainstorming.
#14 Meet Hammie the Pug
14 January 2018 // San Diego, California
This weekend, we got to meet Hamlet the puggo. He’s eight weeks brand new to the world. Fun fact about Hamlet– he has a thing for scratchy chin stubble.
#15 MLK Promenade
15 January 2018 // San Diego, California
“The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool. If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority.”
–Martin Luther King, Jr.
If you look at recent trends and demographics it feels like this is MLK’s most prophetic quote. The church exists to bring about God’s vision for the earth, rather than to make people feel comfortable, but the latter is really common. The way MLK’s legacy speaks loudly to people inside and outside of church is a reminder that in a world full of irrelevant social clubs, those who choose to live out of conviction will feed a hungry world.
#16 Newtopia Nights
16 January 2018 // San Diego, California
Things that would’ve been helpful to know before last night:
• Inglourious Basterds did in fact get more Oscar nominations than Pulp Fiction did.
• Lithuania is the newest member of the Eurozone.
• The first popular TV program created by David Kelley in the ’90’s was Doogie Howser.
Didn’t do anywhere nearly as well as the last time we were here, but whatever. We still won friendship points.
(Yeah, repost cause I put up the wrong vers. and I can OCD like that)
#17 Tenth and Ballpark
17 January 2018 // San Diego, California
“Compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded. It’s a relationship between equals. Only when we know our own darkness well can we be present with the darkness of others. Compassion becomes real when we recognize our shared humanity.”
–Pema Chödrön
#18 Bookstack
18 January 2018 // San Diego, California
What were your best reads last year? My reading list is long as usual, but I still love recommendations.
Here’s to my very favorite reads in 2017.
#19 Milktee
19 January 2018 // San Diego, California
Spent a lot of time dreaming dreams and making plans this week. Plans for housing. Plans for travel. Planning comes pretty natural to me.
It’s a strength and a weakness. It’s a gift, because it makes sure my dreams don’t stay dreams and that I often end up living out wild ideas. The flipside is that too much time spent in the planning zone can take me away from the present, making it harder to enjoy moments that are right in front of me.
One thing that helps is setting up little outings as planning sessions. Somewhere out of the house, where a couple hours are actually dedicated towards the making of plans. When it’s time, I get to really engage my forward thinking, and when it’s not, I get to practice having an off-switch.
Annnndddd whenever I need a little extra help staying in the moment, milk tea never hurts.
#20 Women’s March San Diego
20 January 2018 // San Diego, California
Walking through the streets of San Diego today reminded me of the Women’s March last year in Eugene. Encouraging. A reminder that the deep desire for a better, more equitable world, is one shared by so many people. So many believe it can get better.
We don’t really get to choose which moments in history that we’ll be born into. My grandparents lived through World War II and all of the destruction that brought… but not by choice. My aunts and uncles experienced the tensions and changes of the Civil Rights Era… also not by choice. Our lives hold the pages of future history books as well.
What matters is how we show up for these moments. I want to walk with enough humility to know I won’t change everything singlehandedly, and with enough determination to do everything I can anyways.
#21 Coffee First
21 January 2018 // San Diego, California
The widely accepted idea is that time flies when you’re having fun, but I often find the opposite to be true. Time seems to go by the fastest when I get a little too wrapped up doing things for the sake of getting them done. It expands when I start exploring. Think of the first day of a trip abroad. Often, that one day expands and feels longer than a week.
This is a huge reason why I value midweek adventures, getting out of the house more often, and not getting overly stuck on a routine.
#22 Running the Rift
22 January 2018 // San Diego, California
“How much this book of life changes, he thought. And we are not the ones to write the pages.”
–Naomi Benaron
Book No. 01 of 2018
In this novel, an Olympic runner has to pursue his career, his family life, and his relationships against one of the most brutal backdrops of recent history… the Rwandan genocide.
This book’s characters felt true and alive. While the story got off to a bit of a slow start, it eventually picks up steam as both Jean Patrick’s running career and his country’s internal conflicts start to take off. This was a coming-of-age story that reminded me of some of those hidden gem movies I find on airplanes.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
#23 Mission Bay
23 January 2018 // San Diego, California
“To hope does not mean to know the future, but rather to be open, in an attitude of spiritual childhood, to accepting it as a gift. But this gift is accepted in the negation of injustice, in the protest against trampled human rights, and in the struggle for peace and fellowship. Thus hope fulfills a mobilizing and liberating function in history.”
–Gustavo Gutierrez
#24 Wild Drowzee
24 January 2018 // San Diego, California
On my lunch break, and a wild drowzee appeared.
#25 Ocean Glance
25 January 2018 // San Diego, California
My year just isn’t complete until I’ve made and published my video yearbook. I spent a considerable amount of time today working on it so I could have it done by February… and now 2017’s is finally complete!
I’ve been doing this since 2010– a compilation of my photo-a-day project and my favorite video clips. I share it for fun, but it’s really just an exercise of gratitude for me. I can replay the video from any given year and feel so thankful for the life I get.
#26 Downtown Glance
26 January 2018 // San Diego, California
I like the fact that being positive comes natural to me, but I’ve noticed the times where you become the closest to other people are during shared times of hardship and challenge, or when opening up about anxieties and other low points. Vulnerability can be a gift, not always a comfortable one.
#27 Booking It
27 January 2018 // San Diego, California
A great Saturday consists of:
• A 5.5 mile run
• Stocking up on running supplies at REI
• Going to my favorite Italy-vibes café for some Italian espressos
• Leaving the place with plane tickets to Italy 🇮🇹
#28 Mount Volcan
28 January 2018 // Julian, California
This weekend was a rad one. I’ve gotta admit to enjoying life quite a bit lately. We just made plans for a trip I’ve been dreaming of for years, so that’s pretty easy to get excited about even months in advance, but I’m also finding myself pretty excited about the day-to-day stuff that’s been happening lately.
We finally found a book we both enjoy enough to read to each other at night. We’re race training and all that running must be doing it’s endorphin-pump thing, because I physically feel better than I have in a good while. Today we went on a hike around Santa Ysabel and got to spend most of the afternoon visually feasting on these panoramas.
I’m good and ready for this week now and wanting to take it all in slowly cause it’s been such a good stretch.
#29 Sam & Richard
29 January 2018 // San Diego, California
New Friend Report: Sam & Richard
Richard talked to us about being a dad, which is great, and Sam talked to us about his hobby– collecting and restoring watches. I thought that sounded awesome and in my head I kept picturing him sitting in an old study filled with wood furniture, like in Tin Tin, holding up gears and tiny pieces up to a magnifying glass.
#30 Spicy Ramen Challenge
30 January 2018 // San Diego, California
At 8700 Scofield units, the Samyang nuclear instant ramen is apparently the hottest instant ramen on the market. But life is all about growth and challenging yourself, right?
Get the full version of the video tomorrow when you sign up for my Increase Your Impact newsletter.
#31 Moonlit
31 January 2018 // San Diego, California
I did the blood/blue/super moon wrong and went out to do some moonviewing when the moon was a little too high up and no longer supersized or bleeding.
Thankfully, there actually isn’t a wrong way to look at the moon and I still got some lovely views.