NOVEMBER 2018

NOVEMBER 2018

#305 Skies on Fire

01 November 2018 // San Diego, California

California sunsets late in the year are my favorite.

#306 Make it Personal

02 November 2018 // San Diego, California

Why does it really matter?

I know and I get to work with so many people who are all about creating change. Almost all of them face the same struggle. How do you get other people to care? You can’t do it alone, and sometimes apathy is worse than opposition.

You need to always remind yourself why it matters and keep making that clear to matters. Don’t take it for granted that you have a great solution to a problem. Talk about how that problem affects people, how it affects you. What makes you angry? What’s at stake? What does the world look like if the problem gets solved? 

If you can stay close and connected to your own reason for being on the path that your on, the more attractive that path will be for others.

#307 Garlic Toast

03 November 2018 // San Diego, California

Saturday night dinner with Ivy & JB.

#308 Letters to Tree of Life

04 November 2018 // San Diego, California

After an incredible, challenging, and important sermon on privilege, our pastor announced that she was going to Pittsburgh the following week and would have a chance to visit the Tree of Life Synagogue that lost members of its faith community during a terrible shooting last week. She invited us to write letters for her to take, and to contribute to a prayer quilt.

Richard Rohr says that all great spirituality is about what we do with our pain. When we embrace it in a way that helps us connect with each other, we imitate God.

#309 Neighbors & Crops

05 November 2018 // San Diego, California

Low key obsessed with this chair for reasons I don’t even get.

#310 Election Day 2018

06 November 2018 // San Diego, California

Voting is easily the coolest way to get a sticker that I can think of– and also, it can be an act of love.

As a US citizen, my vote has an impact that’s felt around the world. A vote in a US election just might be the most impactful around the world. It’ll impact people in hospital beds. It’ll impact people who have lost everything due to war. It’ll impact those in hospital beds, in unemployment lines, or in need of mental health care. It’ll impact the environment, soil, and our ability to grow enough food. It’ll impact the kids who live down the block from somebody who really shouldn’t own a gun. It’ll impact the kids who witness what happens to adults who abuse, assault, or bully.

How did I get such a privilege? It was hard earned by people who came before me. It’s a privilege I might not have had for about 80% of the country’s history. I was born in the right place and right time to have this sort of privilege.

Voting isn’t always easy. Some issues are complicated and tricky, others are a little more plain. But I believe that I’m blessed with what I have so I can give it away- and that includes my vote. I believe that it would be terrible stewardship to not use it.

Vote as a responsibility. Vote as a prayer. Vote as an act of love.

#311 Steady Progress

07 November 2018 // San Diego, California

One of my most steadily growing beliefs is this: Lasting change happens through long-term, committed, sustainable actions.

I’m not a believer in overnight fixes.

While seeing the election results come in, I was bummed to see how many candidates I was cheering for come so close to winning while falling short. I was also thrilled by a lot of other races, surprise wins, and that sort of a thing. What a mixed bag.

Ultimately, I’m happy to see all the firsts. The increase in women represented. The turnout from the under 30 crowd nearly tripling from 2014. I think these might be better indicators of long term change than any one candidate’s victory.

Elections are extremely important, but I think they simply take a snapshot of attitudes and values that are always evolving. This one reminds me that there is a lot to celebrate, and a lot more that needs to be done to encourage empathy.

Keep at it, friends.

#312 Surprised By Hope

08 November 2018 // San Diego, California

“What you do in the present—by painting, preaching, singing, sewing, praying, teaching, building hospitals, digging wells, campaigning for justice, writing poems, caring for the needy, loving your neighbor as yourself—will last into God’s future. These activities are not simply ways of making the present life a little less beastly, a little more bearable, until the day when we leave it behind altogether. They are part of what we may call building for God’s kingdom.” 

–N.T. Wright

Book No. 21 of 2018

Falling wayyy behind on my reading goals this year. I forgot how rich and dense N.T. Wright’s writing can be so it took me a good while to get through this, but I’m glad I did.

Many mentors I’ve had passed on helpful wisdom to me that came from this book. It’s amazing it took me as long to start reading it as it did. The big idea it instilled in me is that my faith isn’t an escapist one, where this world is disposable and Heaven is all that matters. Instead, the great hope for the future is one where the current, created world is revived and transformed.

The ideas in the book resonated with me greatly. The one thing I wish was a little different was that I wish it was a little more accessible. The ideas in it are just that important.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#313 Table Topics

09 November 2018 // San Diego, California

I was commissioned to put together a deck of table topics for a church potluck. I suppose I should answer my own prompts.

1) My most memorable birthday was my sixth, celebrated on board a flight from Cairo to California. A bunch of other passengers, and the flight crew improvised a whole party using whatever was available on board.

2) The portal would be at my office. The catch is that my home would then be in Oregon. That would be much cheaper than having a portal to Oregon while living in San Diego.

3) Nachos count. If they don’t, I can accept that argument as long as you’re also willing to disqualify potato salad and macaroni salad for being carbs drenched in a sauce with some fruits or veggies.

4) To most people’s surprise, I would probably pass on the unlimited travel. I LOVE travel, but even if it was free, I wouldn’t necessarily want nonstop travel or have the schedule for it. Plus, with the amount I’d save on not buying food, I’d save thousands I could put towards travel.

#314 Daniel Visits SD

10 November 2018 // San Diego, California

Daniel is in town and we’re up all Mexican lucky.

#315 Daniel’s in Town

11 November 2018 // San Diego, California

A good friend is one who will get out of bed at 3 in the morning to respond to your needs.

Even if that need is going to Denny’s to build a Lego spaceship.

#316 Weekday Surfers

12 November 2018 // San Diego, California

“When you put creativity into everything, everything becomes available.”

–Robert Rodriguez

This has been one of my favorite quotes lately, since I’ve seen it come true in my life quite a few times.

When something doesn’t happen the way you thought it would, it can be easy to assume that it’ll never happen. It just means it won’t happen the way you expected to. Creativity is the ability to see plenty of solutions to a single problem, multiple pathways to where you want to go.

#317 Lego Spaceship

13 November 2018 // San Diego, California

What did I learn this week? I learned that the Denny’s by my house is the most happenin’ Denny’s at 3:00 AM.

#318 Brisket Sliders

14 November 2018 // San Diego, California

Mid-November, but who’s to say that we can’t bust out the grill.

#319 Potted Leaves

15 November 2018 // San Diego, California

A crazy productive writing day spent offsite. Good things.

#320 Staff Beach Cleanup

16 November 2018 // San Diego, California

I love this team and how we’ll even make the beach cleanup competitive.

#321 Milano La Jolla

17 November 2018 // La Jolla, California

Accidentally discovered a great new Italian spot for date night.

#322 Fell in the Sun

18 November 2018 // San Diego, California

Really ready for life to look a little bit different.

#323 Dogs Watching Dogs

19 November 2018 // San Diego, California

What’s better than watching Dogs on Netflix? Watching your dog watching Dogs.

#324 Shiitake Lamb Noodle

20 November 2018 // San Diego, California

I love the way this dish came out. Noodles and lamb with shiitake with chili and sesame oil. I’m hoping to make this part of my regular repertoire.

#325 Grilled Cheese Thanksgiving

21 November 2018 // Carson, California

Earlier in the week it seemed like Thanksgiving this year was about to get cancelled. Wildfires and sick bugs and everything else seemed to create the perfect storm to disrupt it all. But a little improv meant that in exchange for the typical dinner, we were able to see even more family this weekend.

Hopefully next year we won’t get as many curveballs. But we’re here and we’re thankful.

#326 Norm’s

22 November 2018 // Carson, California

We’ve been seeing a lot of this diner this weekend.

#327 Turtleneck Puppy

23 November 2018 // Bakersfield, California

Some Thanksgivings look a little more like grilled cheese and the Parent Trap, my doggy in a turtleneck, 24 hour diners, Playdoh Pictionary, and sticky buns. (Really though, Beignet’s giving off some hardcore 90’s mom vibes.)

#328 Class of 2008 Reunion

24 November 2018 // San Diego, California

The high school reunion episodes of every show are usually some of the best. In real life, these things are weird. How has it already been ten years?

My class reunion and Deanna’s were on the same night, but I think I have more friends from her school than my own, so I got to party with the Centennial Golden Hawks. What a riot.

#329 Bedroom Cubes

25 November 2018 // San Diego, California

One of these days we’ll own a real dresser.

#330 Green Needles

26 November 2018 // San Diego, California

Seeing gray skies and rain through these needles is really making me miss Oregon.

#331 100 Miles With Cam

27 November 2018 // San Diego, California

Congrats to my buddy @cam8schmidt for completing his quest of a 100 mike run earlier this week, and on your birthday week to boot!

I love cheering for friends who pursue the big goals they’ve got in them. Glad I got to join for a single percent of it.

#332 For The Family

28 November 2018 // San Diego, California

I legitimately LOVE that #GivingTuesday is a thing. Over the past few months, I’ve had a blast working on @plantwpurpose’s campaign for this year’s event.

Rampant consumerism can be quite destructive, so giving in a way that simultaneously helps people and the environment is such a good move. This year, @plantwpurpose is aiming to help 250 families overcome poverty by healing their land.

Poverty and environmental problems can seem like such large issues that are out of our hands. I’ve had the treat of meeting a few Haitian families this year who have turned barren hillsides into mini-forests, all while growing more food to eat and sell.

I believe that a little bit of help goes a really long way when you have locals in leadership, good soil, and a generosity of spirit.

#333 Rainy Day Walk

29 November 2018 // San Diego, California

Days like these don’t happen very often in San Diego, but I wish they did. My favorite weather.

#334 Public Market Crowds

30 November 2018 // San Diego, California

Packed night at the public market because the Christmas tree is lit.

OCTOBER 2018

OCTOBER 2018

#274 Don’t Stop Seeking Justice

01 October 2018 // San Diego, California

I’m probably not doing #inktober but here’s a drawing and a story I’ve been thinking about a lot lately about a woman and a judge:

The judge was, to be honest, not a very good guy. He didn’t care much about doing right or about people, which seem like two important things for judges.

As for the woman, she had been harmed by someone. Mistreated. We don’t know much about the details, just that something happened to her that shouldn’t have. 

Anyways, she kept showing up. In front of the cranky judge. She kept demanding justice. She wouldn’t get over it.

The judge wished she would just simmer down and let it go. She wouldn’t. Finally- he gave in. Not because I agree that it’s the right thing to do, he clarified. He didn’t care about that or about her. He just didn’t want to be attacked.

The first time I heard that story, I didn’t get it. It didn’t seem dramatic enough to me. Almost all the details are fuzzy. There was no plot twist where the woman figures a strategy to outsmart the judge into doing right. The judge’s heart doesn’t grow three sizes. She just keeps going at it until finally, it works.

Perhaps it’s not the romantic story I want, but it’s the true story we need. There are lots of stubborn people in places of authority. Sometimes, seeking a more just world looks like showing up every single day, speaking truth, sharing your story to the ones who can change things, each day showing up stronger than the day before. Persistence is a virtue.

#275 Parking at Home

02 October 2018 // San Diego, California

The sun goes down earlier, I get home later. This is October.

#276 Rocketeer Recording

03 October 2018 // San Diego, California

Spent a few hours in the recording studio for a video project. It’s happening!

#277 College Area

04 October 2018 // San Diego, California

Not much parking in the area, but there is good Southeast Asian food.

#278 Working Late

05 October 2018 // San Diego, California

Emma’s keeping me charged while putting in a late night of work.

#279 Planting Hope Gala 2018

06 October 2018 // Carlsbad, California

Gala was a smash hit this year.

#280 Big Breakfast

07 October 2018 // Coronado, California

Dude. I have always been such a big breakfast lover. I feel like my appetite can be twice as large in the morning than at other points in the day.

Last week was a crazy one for both myself and @deanna.suzanna - she left one clinic and started at another. In the in-between, @plantwpurpose held its annual Gala. So many things!

So, on Sunday, Deanna plans the perfect morning for me. BIG breakfast- at the @delcoronado breakfast buffet. Such a brilliant surprise. Such good lox. And such a great nap afterwards.

Here’s to learning to rest. Any good surprises come your way lately? I hope the answer is yes. Stay on the lookout for them.

#281 Cactustown

08 October 2018 // San Diego, California

Took Beignet to the vet and I liked the look of this guy.

#282 Deanna’s 29

09 October 2018 // San Diego, California

Today is National @deanna.suzanna Day. Go greet her everybody!

I’m constantly in awe of how much she uses her gifts of listening, digging deeper, and being available to literally save lives. If everyone who knew her could actually see how much of an impact she makes on our world by showing up for those who struggle, they’d be floored.

I’m so thankful for you Deanna! Every day brings deeper and realer love.

#283 Turtle Pond

10 October 2018 // San Diego, California

Haven’t been out for a visit hear in too long to remember.

#284 The Pink Sky

11 October 2018 // San Diego, California

One of the best parts of one of the best parts of the year.

#285 The War and Treaty

12 October 2018 // San Diego, California

This album. It’s been a long time since I’ve come across a full record this moving, stirring, and well, healing. Healing Tide legitimately lives up to its name.

It only took a couple of listens on Spotify to get me to go out and buy the record, which is saying something, cause I try to limit the record collection to only albums I know will be all-time faves. But from the moment ‘Love Like There’s No Tomorrow’ takes off, I was so energized by heart and vulnerability that I went for it.

I’m so glad I did. Even the liner notes are as motivating as the album itself— “While listening to this record, commit to searching yourself and finding a new love from within. Visit a place you’ve never been before. Meet new people on purpose, not by accident. Open yourself up to the idea that we are all one and the same.”

#286 The Other Happiest Place

13 October 2018 // San Diego, California

We were supposed to do Disneyland this weekend, but started feeling a little under the weather on Friday night. We decided laying low would be the wiser way to use our weekend, and so we turned this into the happiest place on Earth.

I needed that! It turned out to be an amazingly restful weekend. I got to enjoy Friday night’s beautiful lightning storm, a spectacular pink sunset, a half season of The Good Place, and the most exciting Ducks football game I’ve seen since, like, 2015.

#287 Andes Market

14 October 2018 // San Diego, California

I work so close to this South American market, but it took me an unfortunately long time to pay it a proper visit. Happy to change that!

#288 Andean Corn

15 October 2018 // San Diego, California

Choclo. Honestly a very underrated ingredient.

#289 Pastel de Choclo

16 October 2018 // San Diego, California

For #internationalfoodday I took on the challenge of making something from Chile. It’s been a while since I’ve tried making something in the kitchen I’ve never made before so I thought it would be a fun challenge.

I went with pastel de choclo- a beef pie topped with a layer of cooked corn meal. I got to try this in Chile, but that was seven years ago and I haven’t thought about it since.

Turned out pretty good! Now I’m wanting to visit Chile all over again. Swipe around for some recipe notes.

#290 City Heights Future

17 October 2018 // San Diego, California

Spent the workday doing some writing in City Heights. This part of the neighborhood’s got some energy.

#291 Small White Church

18 October 2018 // San Diego, California

Eager to get through the next three weeks.

#292 Kaiserhof

19 October 2018 // San Diego, California

Some days the inspiration just flows and other days it just makes grunting noises while you try to crank the lever harder and harder. I’ve been in a bit of a creative rut lately, and that’s no fun.

These dry spells don’t scare me the way they used to, though. They just run their course. The thing about ruts is that they expire, but they don’t have marked expiration dates. That would be so helpful, but you just have to keep going. Hopefully this week turns some things around. Sooner or later, the groove will be back and it’s so freeing to remember that.

#293 Dog Beach Dynamo

20 October 2018 // San Diego, California

Come here for an instant pick-me-up.

#294 Time For Gear

21 October 2018 // San Diego, California

Here for the gear and to dream up some future adventures.

#295 Stained Glass Cross Plans

22 October 2018 // San Diego, California

Monday night small group and a sneak peek at an upcoming addition to the sanctuary.

#296 PB Outing

23 October 2018 // San Diego, California

How do things get better? One step at a time. 

I’ll be honest, this past week was a rough one for me, and it seems like it went that way for a lot of people. I felt unmotivated for the days at hand and impatient to live in better days.

To get to those better days, you sometimes have to fight through the discouragement and lack of motivation. What helps me is remembering that I don’t need to solve everything all at once. I just need to take the next step for making things right that are in front of me.

Here’s to that next step, whatever that might look like for you!

#297 Man Made Pond

24 October 2018 // San Diego, California

Work days made better with a lunch break walk out here.

#298 Casita Mayahuel

25 October 2018 // San Diego, California

Got introduced to Casita Mayahuel this week. I’m loving the old time Oaxaca vibes plus the impressive mezcal collection.

#299 Poverty Uprooted

26 October 2018 // San Diego, California

It’s the heart of production season for me at work. I’ve been able to dig in and start making a number of things. Here’s one work-in-progress that I’m especially excited about. 

Poverty Uprooted is a look at what growing out of poverty looks like at a household level. @plantwpurpose is geared to make a widespread impact across entire regions, so it was fun to switch it up and focus on how individual families transform as well. Having met a bunch of these faces made it all the more special.

#300 Dia de los Muertosfest

27 October 2018 // San Diego, California

Squeezing in a little Dia de los Muertos funtimes on an otherwise packed day.

#301 House Preview

28 October 2018 // San Diego, California

A little house inspecting after church.

#302 Not in Montreat

29 October 2018 // San Diego, California

The last time I was in North Carolina, about three years ago, I hiked totally by myself in search of waterfalls and fell in love with what I saw.

I was supposed to be there last weekend, but last week I realized that I needed to be home. So I cancelled the trip, and I’m feeling happy about it being the right move.

It feels totally weird for me to be this happy about a cancelled trip. But, I know where I need to be.

I love to travel. So much. But I’m also learning that it can be a bit of a crutch or an escape for me. I’m working at figuring out when that’s the case. For now, it feels good to have made the right choice this week.

#303 Voter’s Homework

30 October 2018 // San Diego, California

Honestly, I find voting really fun! I took about an hour to hole up in one of my favorite coffee shops and dig into some of the issues going on in this year’s ballots.

This election, like every election, has an impact. On people inside the country and outside of it, on kids and kids yet to be born, on the poor, on struggling families, on the sick and elderly. What we do during an election has an effect, even deciding to stay home. But with all that at stake, why would you want to do that?

We don’t get to choose the moment in history we’ll be born into but we do get to choose how we’ll show up for it. Vote for accountability. Vote for empathy. Vote for others.

#304 Halloween Evening

31 October 2018 // San Diego, California

A pretty quiet halloween this year, but I think that’s what we needed.

JUNE 2018

#152 Deanna’s Last Day at CRF

01 June 2018 // San Diego, California

This weekend, Deanna finished up her last day at the Douglas Young Clinic, bringing light to darkness there for over a year.

Celebrating the change in jobs with some German eats.

#153 Pool Fun

02 June 2018 // Bakersfield, California

Yeahhhhhh- we’re due for some summer.

Between Deanna switching jobs and spending the afternoon beating the heat with some swimming pool time, I think today marks the start of the summer feeling. At least for me. And this summer has so many trips and adventures and hopes, I don’t want to miss a minute of it.

#154 Beth’s Retirement Party

03 June 2018 // Bakersfield, California

What a career.

We got to head up to Bakersfield for a day to celebrate my mother-in-law’s retirement. Beth has been such a big help as I’ve gone further into my professional life, from giving me the best mock interviews while applying for jobs to simply being a great example of pouring out love and hard work into serving people through your career.

Thanks for being such a good example of how to go to work every day with joy, dedication, and purpose.

#155 Deanna at UPAC

04 June 2018 // San Diego, California

Today Deanna started her new adventure as a therapist with UPAC.

It’s been such a wild ride being with Deanna from the time she was picking grad programs for social work to now being at the final stretch towards licensure. It’s really difficult work that never really gets the gratitude it deserves. Some parts were extremely tough, but I keep seeing her get better with every new experience.

Right now, we’re really happy about this new opportunity. I admire how committed she is to using her professional skills to making sure people get the help they need, no matter where they’re coming from.

#156 At The Polls

05 June 2018 // San Diego, California

Because I really procrastinated registering to vote this time around, I had to wait in this really long line at the voter registrar’s office for people whose registration status was “it’s complicated.”

I was there for maybe an hour, and I met so many fun people in line. I don’t know how much that speaks to turnout overall but that place was packed. And lots of younger voters too, a lot of people there for the first time.

I love the energy. The desire for things to be better and the desire to play a part in the process, no matter how small.

#157 The Car Show

06 June 2018 // San Diego, California

Every other Wednesday, the neighborhood gets together for a car cruise of classic lowriders. It’s a lot of fun, and I didn’t know it existed until now.

If I did, then I probably could’ve avoided accidentally ending up in the show, cruisin’ in my 2014 Nissan Sentra. But life is full of surprises.

#158 Just Mercy

07 June 2018 // San Diego, California

“There is a strength, a power even, in understanding brokenness, because embracing our brokenness creates a need and desire for mercy, and perhaps a corresponding need to show mercy. When you experience mercy, you learn things that are hard to learn otherwise. You see things you can't otherwise see; you hear things you can't otherwise hear. You begin to recognize the humanity that resides in each of us.”

–Bryan Stevenson

Book No. 13 of 2018

Wow. I loved this book. I always knew I would, but I was still surprised that it resonated with me more than I expected. Bryan Stevenson has a heart and mind that every single person should take note of. The way his book emphasizes redemption and justice for everyone exemplifies what my faith is all about.

Bryan provides an intimate look at the issue of incarceration, the wrongful sentencing of innocents, the role that race and poverty play, and the lack of solutions for the wrongfully convicted. His knowledge stems from experience and he weaves in very well-told stories that deeply humanize the issues. (His wealth of knowledge was what I expected, his impactful skill as a storyteller was a surprise.)

Beyond providing knowledge, this book was motivating. It made me want to make sure justice and mercy were key pieces of my life.

I put this in the top five of important books from this decade, and it it’s one of my all-time faves.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

#159 Anniversary 6

08 June 2018 // San Diego, California

Six years ago, there were these two kids who went on their first date.

Y’know, you’re not supposed to date somebody whose been a really good friend for three years. It’ll just make everything complicated and messy. And who knows if the friendship will survive that? Why ruin a good thing?

Or you can say, screw all that, and go on to have the time of your life for the next six years and counting.

Happy dating anniversary to us, feat. Russian food and Improv.

#160 Happy Birthday Levi

09 June 2018 // Orange, California

Happy birthday, Levi. I hope year three is your best one yet. TFTI.

#161 Confirmation

10 June 2018 // San Diego, California

“Would you guys want to be confirmation mentors?”

“Okay, sure! Wait… what does that entail?”

For the past few months, Deanna and I had the chance to be confirmation mentors for a couple kids at our church. It meant meeting up over frozen yogurt, greek food, or burritos over the past few months and talking about the topics discussed during confirmation classes, their confirmation retreats, or Star Wars… let’s be real, 80% of my conversations were about Star Wars.

The confirmation director said that was cool, though, so on Sunday, Alex, Jordan, and the rest of their cohort were officially confirmed and welcomed.

#162 A Corner of Home

11 June 2018 // San Diego, California

Keep aiming for a life of full-fledged empathy. Understand that it’s an ideal we’ll never get to fully embody, but that it’s so important to keep trying and to keep reminding ourselves that we’re meant to be here for each other. Take sips of both grace and ambition, and keep showing up.

#163 Bel Canto

12 June 2018 // San Diego, California

“If what a person wants is his life, he tends to be quiet about wanting anything else. Once the life begins to seem secure, one feels the freedom to complain.” .

–Ann Patchett

Book No. 14 of 2018

I’ve been such an admirer of Ann Patchett’s writing ever since I bought State of Wonder on a whim years ago. Bel Canto is probably her most known book, at least as far as fiction goes, and gets a lot of praise. I couldn’t wait.

Overall, I liked the idea and the poetic way the story unfolded– a birthday party for a CEO of a Japanese mega-corps thrown in the home of a South American Vice President goes wrong when rebels invade and hold a bunch of the dignitaries hostage. There were some great ideas, but there were other parts that were a little bit too drawn out for me. (I guess that matches the feeling of a drawn-out hostage crisis.) I think I was more partial to State of Wonder, but Ann Patchett is still one of the best literary storytellers out there.

⭐⭐⭐

#164 Writer’s Day

13 June 2018 // San Diego, California

My work flow includes writing three blog posts a week, seven emails a month, a weekly newsletter, and so on.

That’s a lot of writing, and in order to make sure it comes out well, I need to get in “the zone.” I’m a much more effective writer when I can just sit down with a cup full of focus. I can knock out several weeks' worth of writing or so all at once that way.

Batch working is the best.

When it’s this warm, I love getting to do that work outside, and for that reason I love Better Buzz’s front porch. And their Best Drink Ever. Iced. Such a good writing companion.

#165 Cliff Lines

14 June 2018 // San Diego, California

At a glance, my pursuits are all over the place.

I don’t really like to compartmentalize. But- it would be nice to quickly communicate what I’m all about with a smaller word count.

Lately, I’ve been working to clarify what it is that ties it all together. Here’s what became clear:

I’m a big believer in something MLK said... that the most urgent question in life is what we are doing for others. I want to help people answer that question.

My travels and storytelling follow a desire to help people connect and empathize across cultures and distance. Applying that to the world of nonprofits and social justice helps empower those who help.

Every time I’ve seen someone go all out in answering that question, it leads to purpose and connection- and that’s something we all need.

#166 Won’t You Be My Neighbor

15 June 2018 // San Diego, California

“I think you’re special just the way you are and I like you very much.”

Morgan Neville’s Mister Rogers documentary was fantastic- and such a timely reminder that standing up against all the scary things of the world can look like being the living image of gentleness.

Fred Rogers had a simple but big belief that was at the heart of everything he did- everybody has value regardless of what they have or haven’t done. If one person acting on that belief can impact so many lives, imagine what could happen if we all did.

#167 Elote

16 June 2018 // Del Mar, California

Enjoying a weekend at home before we return to the PNW for the first time since moving. If happy wife equals happy life, then elote also equals happy life.

#168 Neighborhood Days

17 June 2018 // San Diego, California

Whenever I’m stuck in a long line, I’m pretty good at daydreaming and outlining things in my head and running thought experiments to keep myself entertained. I don’t get upset at slow service at restaurants because I think food should be enjoyed slowly. I don’t express anger often. All that made me think that patience was a strength of mine.

I’m learning that patience is so much more than that. And I have a lot to learn about patience.

Patience also means being able to sit through a season of life that doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. It means being able to endure the time it takes to resolve uncertainty. It means being able to keep working towards progress, even if change happens so, so slowly.

In that regard, I’m not particularly patient. But I’m getting there.

#169 Factfulness

18 June 2018 // San Diego, California

“The next generation is like the last runner in a very long relay race. The race to end extreme poverty has been a marathon, with the starter gun fired in 1800. This next generation has the unique opportunity to complete the job: to pick up the baton, cross the line, and raise its hands in triumph. The project must be completed. And we should have a big party when we are done.”

–Hans Rosling

Book No. 15 of 2018

In the last 20 years, the portion of the world population in extreme poverty has halved. Most of the world now lives in middle-income countries.

This is just one of numerous pieces of data that indicate the world is improving, extreme poverty doesn’t always need to exist, and that progress is possible anywhere. Hans Rosling does an excellent job pointing out that we are severely conditioned towards seeing the world as a scary place where everything is getting worse, and even “experts” are prone to thinking this way when our best indicators suggest otherwise. By ignoring these trends, however, we’re adopting a very skewed view of the world.

This book was the best storytelling I have ever seen with data and statistics, and Rosling presents them all in such good humor, that it didn’t even feel a little bit dry. I appreciated how effectively he dismisses the idea of thinking of the world as developed vs. underdeveloped, and instead presents a spectrum of development.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

#170 Open Door

19 June 2018 // San Diego, California

“Never be afraid to show up for someone else.”

–DeBraun Thomas

Happy World Refugee Day. Open doors are a great way to spread Love to the hurting.

An open door can look like activism, phone calls, and letter writing to make sure our policies stay compassionate. An open door can look like grassroots efforts to help new neighbors find jobs and get settled. An open door can look like fundraising to help somebody make the journey out of North Korea… Syria… Somalia. An open door can also look like a literal open door, with some soup and sandwiches on the other side.

#171 Mitch’s Harbor

20 June 2018 // San Diego, California

I had a lunch meeting, but since I’m the most painfully slow eater, by the time my meeting ended, I still had half of an octopus tostada left.

I was sitting by the harbor and it was nice out, so like, no complaints. I was ready to enjoy the rest of that tostada on my own. Then the waitress going on her lunch break decided to share the table and I wound up getting to learn about her time living on the Barona Indian Reservation and the challenges of working as a surgical nurse.

That was time I would’ve otherwise spent just scrolling on my phone or getting mad at Twitter or something. Instead I had a good chat. I wish this was more of the norm in our world. Where our default behavior wasn’t just to retreat back into the keep-walking-straight-ahead routines of our day, but where we took more time to notice the places and people around us.

And with more octopus tostada too.

#172 Canada Badge

21 June 2018 // San Diego, California

The excitement is real. I can’t wait for this time next week and being in Canada!

Even though I’ve lived in the Pacific Northwest, all my Canadian experiences have been out East. I’m looking forward to seeing Vancouver for the first time.

Any suggestions? You know I’m always down for unfamiliar foods, good breweries, great hikes and outdoor activities, and such. I’m also also a big fan of meeting new people- so if you’ve got some friends in Vancouver you think I should share one of those local microbrews with, let me know!

#173 Parts Known

22 June 2018 // San Diego, California

Last night, I was watching a few Parts Unknown episodes, because that’s just a good way to get yourself pumped to travel again. I think peak Bourdain is when he’s at a place you’ve been yourself, so I hopped around to those episodes. Buenos Aires, Manila, then South Africa.

Smack in the middle of his time in Johannesburg, I had to hit pause on some b-roll.

I would know that school uniform from anywhere!

St. Ende’s!

The rest of that episode made me happier than I had words to explain. I felt so fortunate to have South Africa as part of my story. To have had the chance to eat at the markets and to learn about the changes that have taken place in my lifetime by chatting on rooftops with guys my age. I felt so privileged to have had the opportunity to go to church, clubs, malls, and movies with people, being invited into their world.

The best storytelling is the kind that leaves you thankful to be alive.

#174 GCF Reunion

23 June 2018 // Bothell, Washington

When we first moved to Eugene, finding community didn’t happen right away. It was surprisingly difficult. Then we met these people and that changed everything.

When Deanna and I left, so did most of the rest of us. To Denver and Minnesota and North Carolina and Boston and beyond.

But reunions and weddings and returns to the PNW are great and it was so good to see everybody again.

#175 Seattle Pride

24 June 2018 // Seattle, Washington

Our visit to Seattle put us right in the parade route for PRIDE.

Not only that, but we had the perfect guides to meet us for the occasion. Deanna’s old coworkers and classmates met up with us along the route for some snacking and spectating.

We learned a lot from an insider’s take on Seattle‘s edge, the massive presence of Amazon, and all the populations you’ll find in town.

#176 Gastown

25 June 2018 // Vancouver, British Columbia

And my earliest impression of Vancouver turned out to be this: that it was one hip city with a whole lot to do. There’s absolutely no way we’d make it through a three day stay without racking up a large list of things for a return trip.

All this was perfectly reflected by trying to find somewhere in Gastown to eat for the evening. The trendy, steampunky neighborhood by the waterfront was home to a bunch of good eateries and shops.

Oh and Gastown is now one of my favorite neighborhood names, alongside KC’s Power and Light District.

#177 Capilano

26 June 2018 // San Diego, California

I got to spend my day in this wonderland of trees. BC is beautiful.

#178 3rd Anniversary

27 June 2018 // Vancouver, British Columbia

Our third anniversary was a really sweet one, trying to make the most of our time in Vancouver while celebrating.

We had a look around Granville Island, went for a bike ride around Stanley Park, and got ourselves a dinner at the Nightingale.

Deanna, thanks for being the best adventure partner I could ask for.

#179 Go By Train

28 June 2018 // Portland, Oregon

Being in Portland comes with such a strong and vivid feeling that always makes me feel alive and at ease.

A little sad that I only come here now as a visitor but also really happy that I get to come visit, y’know?

#180 Trillium Lake

29 June 2018 // Government Camp, Oregon

A deep sense of respect for nature. Understanding our connection to the Earth’s natural systems and processes and wanting to be in proximity to that. A deep desire to cut out waste, unnecessary consumption, or dependency on technology. These are things living in Oregon taught me.

It makes sense that my next stop afterwards is a mission to help others understand and value these same things, as I see how much the environment affects the vulnerable around the world. I don’t get to come out to scenes like these quite as easily, but they really are the best teachers.

#181 Return to Eugene

30 June 2018 // Eugene, Oregon

And just like that we found ourselves back in Eugene.

MAY 2018

#121 Waiting For God

01 May 2018 // San Diego, California

“As one has to learn to read or to practice a trade, so one must learn to feel in all things, first and almost solely, the obedience of the universe to God. It is really an apprenticeship. Like every apprenticeship, it takes time and effort.”

–Simone Weil

Book No. 08 of 2018

This was the first I’ve read of Simone Weil beyond a few scattered quotes, and wow, her writing is sharp, honest, and challenging.

Waiting for God is a collection of essays and letters, largely her correspondence with a priest who was a dear friend. She discusses her reluctance towards baptism, connects her own spirituality with other cultural encounters, and unpacks what it really means to love your neighbor.

In spite of how long ago this was written, Simone Weil is such a compelling communicator that it was easy to get a sense of what she was like as a person. Extremely open minded, capable of seeing things through so many different lenses, while at the same time being completely honest things she can’t buy into completely, refusing to practice something without being convinced of its significance.

I have a lot of respect for her work, and this is one piece I’m really thankful to have read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

#122 Leisure Lagoon

02 May 2018 // San Diego, California

It’s always pretty mind blowing when you try and connect the dots to figure out how you got where you are. Who are the people you spend the most time with and how did you meet them? What episodes of your life led to your current job? How did you end up in whatever city you’re in?

Whenever I get a little taste of that perspective, I’m reminded that it’s always more worthwhile to pursue purpose over comfort.

#123 Cliffside

03 May 2018 // San Diego, California

I turn 28 by the end of the week. I can’t claim to be in my mid-twenties anymore. When your age ends with 7, you can kind of stretch it. 8? Yeah, you gotta start using that “late-" prefix.

I’m really happy about where I am right now, and at the same time, it can be hard to remember that. It’s so easy to be given a new opportunity, a great job, a beautiful relationship, and then to have it get so familiar that you forget the marvel that each one is. It’s easier to get caught up in thinking of what could go wrong, what’s still missing, and all that.

But each one of those things is a gift, and each one’s a reminder that God’ll make things work out beautifully in the right time, and not a moment sooner. If life is a bit of a comedy, then timing is a part of the art.

#124 Volcano Rabbit

04 May 2018 // San Diego, California

I don’t deal with the Gaslamp Quarter very much, especially on Friday nights. I never had enough of a reason to swim through the chaos.

Deanna made us reservations at Volcano Rabbit, though, and now I have a few more reasons. To name a few- the octopus taco, the shortrib mole, and the yummy mezcal old fashioned.

#125 Twentyeight

05 May 2018 // San Diego, California

I’ve got it good.

Thank you everybody for the birthday wishes, the texts, the sushi rolls, the memes, the chocolate, the Phillies win, the clear water, the bookstores, the ice cream, the matcha latte, the paw prints, and the good times.

Two years left to finish off everything on that twenties bucket list. I’m not even sure what items I have left to do but I’m happy to have some fun people to collect those checkmarks with.

#126 Puppy Cousin Conference

06 May 2018 // San Diego, California

Imagine taking your kid to a playground with about 150 other kids, telling them that two of them are their cousins, and leaving it up to them to go find each other.

We tried the dog equivalent of this with Beignet and her puppy cousins, with some success.

#127 No Future Without Forgiveness

07 May 2018 // San Diego, California

“One of the most blasphemous consequences of injustice, especially racist injustice, is that it can make a child of God doubt that he or she is a child of God.“

–Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Book No. 09 of 2018

I have a ton of respect for Desmond Tutu, and reading this book of his was long overdue. Hooray for running into this copy at the library bookstore.

Of all the accounts I’ve read of apartheid’s end, this was probably the one I was most enriched by. Tutu unpacks the process of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission- a group that is so easy to romanticize, but one that earned its legacy through difficult decisions, risks, and listening.

Tutu goes into detail when recalling how brutal apartheid was and how much suffering it caused. The way so many South Africans were dehumanized then reminded me of current events closer to home. Change is still needed, but it’s also still possible.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#128 Padres v. Nationals

08 May 2018 // San Diego, California

Finally got to my first game of the season just in time to watch Bryce Harper go 0-for-4 while freaking Jeremy Hellickson almost throw a perfect game against the Padres.

Here’s hoping this is the first of many more stadium trips.

#129 Pupusa Night

09 May 2018 // San Diego, California

Grabbing pupusas at the OB Farmer’s Market because a night like this one was long overdue.

#130 Beignet on the Rocks

10 May 2018 // San Diego, California

“We are sometimes inclined to think that the same things are monotonously repeated over and over again in the history of creation. That is because the season is too long by comparison with the brevity of our individual lives and the transformation too vast and too inward by comparison with our restricted outlook, for us to see the progress..."

–Teilhard de Chardin

#131 New Cuyama

11 May 2018 // New Cuyama, California

We got into our campsite a little after dark. A bummer, at first, since I’d spent peak hours for photo lighting stuck in traffic.

But then, those stars. The pics don’t do them justice, but I hardly care. I can’t remember the last time I had a sky full of stars that bright and clear.

#132 Blue Sky

12 May 2018 // New Cuyama, California

This weekend.

This place.

These people.

It was everything I could’ve wanted from the past couple of days.

#133 Mothers Day 18

13 May 2018 // Bakersfield, California

Made it to Bakersfield this weekend just in time to surprise my mother in law for Mother’s Day, before making it to San Diego to take my mom out to dinner for Mother’s Day.

Yay for all the moms.

#134 Daring Greatly

14 May 2018 // San Diego, California

“Connection is why we're here; it is what gives purpose and meaning to our lives. The power that connection holds in our lives was confirmed when the main concern about connection emerged as the fear of disconnection; the fear that something we have done or failed to do, something about who we are or where we come from, has made us unlovable and unworthy of connection.”

–Brene Brown

Book No. 10 of 2018

I’ve been trying to focus more of my reading this year on books that I should’ve read long ago. This one’s a great example. I’ve read several of Brene Brown’s others and her TED talks have been among my favorite, but despite this one being her most known, I hadn’t gotten to it until now.

I loved it. I found a good portion of this book to be extremely relatable, helpful, and encouraging.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#135 The Food Lab

15 May 2018 // San Diego, California

This package from my sis-in-law showed up last week- what a perfect birthday gift!

Kenji is one of my favorites. I believe he wrote more about eggs in this book than I wrote in my masters’ thesis. And that’s just the first chapter.

#136 Coffee & Writing

16 May 2018 // San Diego, California

Today’s work featured a lot of writing, so here’s today’s workspace. For a long time, coffee shops were pretty much my only workspace. I don’t mind the flashback.

#137 Law St. Beach

17 May 2018 // San Diego, California

“At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a friend, a child, or a parent.”

–Barbara Bush

#138 Temporary Palaces

18 May 2018 // Solana Beach, California

True statement. All palaces are temporary palaces. Any guesses where I found it? On the side of a very high-end furniture store in one of our most upscale neighborhoods.

Fitting.

I don’t think we can be reminded enough of how the things we tend to hold in such high regard- status, capital, political power, influence, followers- those things don’t last. Whoever’s on top in almost any arena probably won’t be in ten years.

It doesn’t mean that building things, leadership, and ability are meaningless. But it does mean that they get their meaning from being bigger than any one person, and in order to do truly meaningful work, it can’t be just about yourself.

#139 Tiger Stalking

19 May 2018 // Escondido, California

This Weekend Was Wild feat. DJ Richard Parker.

#140 Lunch at Ortiz’s

20 May 2018 // San Diego, California

My new week’s resolution is to come by here way more often.

#141 Everybody Always

21 May 2018 // San Diego, California

“After long enough, what looks like faith isn’t really faith anymore. It’s just compliance. The problem with mere compliance is it turns us into actors. Rather than making decisions ourselves, we read the lines off the script someone we were told to respect handed to us, and we sacrifice our ability to decide for ourselves.” . “The fix for all this is as easy as the problem is hard. Instead of telling people what they want, we need to tell them who they are. We’ll become in our lives whoever the people we love the most say we are.”

–Bob Goff

Book No. 11 of 2018

This book was exactly what I’d expect from Bob Goff, in the best way possible. Several simple but profound chapters that make you smile and get you wanting to do bold things with the life you’ve been given.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

#142 Kakawa Coffee

22 May 2018 // San Diego, California

This little spot opened up in my neighborhood two weeks ago and I’m loving it. Kakawa Coffee didn’t take long to make it onto my list of favorites. The Kakawa latte might be my go-to, but the dulce de leche espresso is always a good option too.

Also, that’s Gladys behind the counter, and she’s the nicest! Say some prayers for her homeland of Venezuela. It’s going through a real rough time right now.

#143 Incarceration

23 May 2018 // San Diego, California

Honestly, I don’t give enough thought to the issue of incarceration. My church hosts a monthly meeting focused on racial reconciliation, and last night this was the topic. I had the chance to hear from a couple where the husband spent 25 years behind bars.

Hearing their story- especially their memories of family visits and raising kids with one parent locked away was pretty powerful. What really stood out to me was when the man started sharing about his own childhood, growing up with a mom who’d been assaulted. These things are totally cycles that get passed from one generation to the next.

It’s a complicated issue, and I’m definitely not an expert in spite of all those Ear Hustle episodes I’ve gone through at the gym. I just know that prison shouldn’t be seen as an easy, out-of-sight solution. Everything that happens to a prisoner after a sentence also has huge impacts, at a generational level.

I think that Jesus was being real deliberate when he noted the way we treat those in prison as equal to the way we treat God.

#144 Happy Lunch Ballgame

24 May 2018 // San Diego, California

Turning the lunch break into Little League is always a good idea. Especially when Little League includes pizza, Capri-Suns, sunflower seeds, and Big League Chew.

#145 Yes Week End

25 May 2018 // San Diego, California

“The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun."

–Christopher McCandless

Yes, week end.

#146 Mom’s 63rd

26 May 2018 // San Diego, California

Celebrating my mom’s birthday with family over the weekend was a blast because #ballislife

#147 Hanging Tomato

27 May 2018 // San Diego, California

This long weekend so far:

🍤 Stepping in a World Market and discovering that they’re giving gift cards to whoever can find a golden seahorse in the store. I love a good scavenger hunt so it took all but 20 minutes to find it hidden in a stack of bath towels. Then it took a few hours to figure out how to make the most of my $20.

🍅 Successfully building a hanging upside-down planter for our tomato to grow from underneath some snapdragons. Here’s to re-wilding the house.

#148 Memorial BBQ

28 May 2018 // San Diego, California

Really good weekend. Maybe my first time enjoying ribs-in-a-pool. Definitely my first time trying Andrew’s mixology skills and they are sharp. Would recommend both.

#149 The Lowlands

29 May 2018 // San Diego, California

“In a world of diminishing mystery, the unknown persists.”

–Jhumpa Lahiri

Book No. 12 of 2018

I enjoyed this book a lot more than seems to make sense for me. It’s overall kind of a sad story, and things fall apart more than they come together, but something about Jhumpa Lahiri’s ability to craft expertly sympathetic characters made me want to stay immersed in their world.

This is one I’m glad I finally got around to.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

#150 Dee’s CRF Farewell

30 May 2018 // San Diego, California

One of the fun parts of being married to someone else who builds their career on helping people is that you meet all kinds of people through them.

I spent tonight hanging out and grabbing pho with Deanna’s coworkers one more time before she transfers to work at a new clinic, talking all things Italy and impersonating Carl from Up.

#151 PLCPC Block Party

31 May 2018 // San Diego, California

“Be a reflection of what you’d like to receive."

–Kristen Butler

APRIL 2018

#91 Vernazza

01 April 2018 // Vernazza, Italy

It was Easter Sunday and it was gorgeous.

Cinque Terre came as beautiful as advertised. It was a gorgeous day outside, so the park was pretty full of visitors especially in the center alleyways if each village.

Still, it wasn’t hard to pull back from the crowds and the hiking trails just outside of each one had incredible views and lots to stop and take in along the way.

It’s been a long winter. It’s time to lose the jackets and the feeling like I’m not doing enough.

#92 Cinque Terre

02 April 2018 // Manarola, Italy

Getting to see some of my favorite places with my favorite person. I think even after a bit of time has gone by I’ll still be digesting how thankful I am for these past few weeks.

#93 Monterosso

03 April 2018 // Monterosso al Mare, Italy

This trip has been a fantastic reminder of my own relationship with travel.

I’ve taken so many different kinds of trips in the past few years– work trips and fun trips and ones that blur the lines. Iconic cities and warm villages. Service trips and food adventures. Weekend camping trips and living abroad for months. There’s one thing that ties together all the best kinds of trips.

Connection.

Sometimes that means traveling overseas to reunite with friends. Other times it means asking for help and getting welcomed in by locals. Other times it’s a spiritual connection that gets stronger. Or a bond between you and your travel partner. This can look so many different ways, but if you ask me whether or not I had a good trip, the answer comes down to whether or not I experienced connection.

The answer is usually a resounding yes.

#94 Italian Marketplace

04 April 2018 // La Spezia, Italy

During our stay in La Spezia, we had this sweet marketplace just below our hotel the entire time. Some days they’d be selling vintage stuff, and other days it’d be more of a farmer’s market. We hopped out for one last look during our last day in town before making our way back home.

#95 Rome to Home

05 April 2018 // Copenhagen, Denmark

And now the journey home. The scenic route goes right over Copenhagen and these nearly untouched clumps of Greenland.

#96 Back Home

06 April 2018 // San Diego, California

Back at home and home feels nice.

#97 Beignet All Day

07 April 2018 // San Diego, California

Beignet all day in this year of the dog.

#98 Auntie Ella’s Birthday

08 April 2018 // Torrance, California

I can never say enough good things about my Auntie Ella. She’s my idea of what it looks like to live a good life. She’s worked hard but has never chosen to spend what she’s earned on herself. Instead she invested in everybody else in her life. Like, every single person. She’s helped people get education, housing, food, businesses, jobs, vehicles, medicine, books, surgeries, and so much more.

We got to celebrate her 85th birthday with her over the weekend and it was so great to see her so happy.

#99 Matt & Kim

09 April 2018 // San Diego, California

True story- Matt & Kim put on a really fun live show.

#100 Depot

10 April 2018 // San Diego, California

“But here’s the thing about time. No matter where you are, it moves in one direction. Forward.

And this linear movement is nature’s way of testing what we have labeled as meaningful. Only time can reveal whether a certain pursuit is driven by fleeting novelty, or if it motivated by a strong sense of purpose."

–More to That

#101 All Our Wrong Todays

11 April 2018 // San Diego, California

“That’s what love can do for you, if you let it— build a person out of all your broken pieces. It doesn’t matter if the stitches show. The stitches, the scars, just prove you earned it. And so I stop trying to keep all these versions of myself apart. Instead, I make us whole.”

Book No. 06 of 2018

Okay, this was an extremely fun and enjoyable read. When I saw that most of Elan Mastai’s prior writing had been for TV and movie scripts, it made perfect sense to me. It was so easy to visualize every fast paced turn of events as it happened.

So the story follows Tom, who lives in a totally different version of 2016 than the one we remember. He lives in a tech utopia, where war is obsolete, diseases are eradicated, and progress happens without a second thought. Then he accidentally time travels into our world, and that sets up a high energy Back-to-the-Future style storyline.

I had a good time reading this book. I loved Tom as a protagonist and narrator, and I look forward to wherever Elan Mastai goes from here.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#102 Costco Squad

12 April 2018 // San Diego, California

Kudos to Miguel for taking the most 🔥 squad photos a Costco has ever seen.

#103 OB Coworkers

13 April 2018 // San Diego, California

New study: weekends that start at Belching Beaver are 87% more likely to be a good one.

#104 Earthfest Oceanside

14 April 2018 // Oceanside, California

Today doesn’t have to be a handful. If you’re not feeling your to-do list, feel free to borrow this one for the day:

Do one thing to serve others, one thing to bring you a step closer to a big goal, and one thing to awaken your own sense of wonder. Just those three things and that’s it!

#105 Puppy Brigade

15 April 2018 // San Diego, California

Hey world, I’ve got the Puppy Brigade over here.

(If you’re imagining us strutting down the street right now, please imagine us doing so to HUMBLE.- thank you!)

#106 Matcha Joe-Joe’s

16 April 2018 // San Diego, California

Current obsession. I don’t know how long Trader Joe’s has been making these in a matcha flavor, but I’m definitely glad they are. Even if the cream filling does look a little bit like wasabi.

#107 Live Love Explore

17 April 2018 // San Diego, California

“What I have learned from my journeys is that I can’t truly experience a place if I am not willing to learn from it. The Way of the Traveler bars us from being experts. Once we are experts, we shut down, we lose our curiosity, we think we know too much. The Way of the Traveler demands that we stay students, learning from the chorus of teachers that surrounds us if we’re only willing to listen.”

–Leon Logothetis

Book No. 07 of 208

This was a good read! At first I was expecting something a bit heavy on platitudes on things I already agreed with, but it turns out, the book makes for a great guide to incorporating exploring, learning, and giving into your own life and story.

I actually found the most benefit in the little Q&A exercises the book has sprinkled within each chapter. It made it less about another person’s story and more about engaging your own.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#108 Eye Heart OB

18 April 2018 // San Diego, California

At first I came home thinking I would get even more things done after work and put a real dent in this week’s list. Then that started to feel kind of isolating so I went on a wander around the neighborhood instead.

That resulted in a grand total of zero regrets.

Productivity is great and all, but it’s totally like a dog that just wants to pull you ahead if you don’t have the right grip on its leash.

We’ll get to where we need to be. There’s plenty of good stuff along the way too.

#109 Beignet & Bandit

19 April 2018 // San Diego, California

We’ve wondered for a little while how it would be to have a two-dog household. Now we know. I’m a fan of it. And why stop there?

#110 The New plantwithpurpose.org

20 April 2018 // San Diego, California

When I started working at Plant With Purpose, one of the first things I wanted to do was to get us a new website. I think the work we do in the field is innovative, urgent, compelling, and worthy of attention. I thought our digital presence should reflect that too.

I’m no developer, but I do love to examine and investigate what sets apart the websites that capture my interest versus the ones I ignore. I learned a lot about what makes for an effective site throughout the process and ended up designing a wireframe for the site we wanted. I made a mockup using Adobe Programs and passed it along to an amazing developer who turned the vision into reality.

I don’t know if you’ve ever worked on a project like this, but it can be quite the journey. I’ve now been at Plant With Purpose for over a year but this month, that site was finally launched. It felt like such a relief to have gotten to that point.

Please, check it out! And read about our mission. I’m glad to have my role to play when it comes to global sustainability.

#111 Battle Trail

21 April 2018 // San Diego, California

“One person appears to be keeping silent and yet condemns others in his heart; such a person is speaking all the time. Another person talks from morning to evening and yet keeps silent; that is, he says nothing except that which is helpful to others.”

–Abba Poeman

#112 Balboa Earthfest

22 April 2018 // San Diego, California

Not a bad day to hang out outside and talk to people about sustainability. #balboaearthfestival 

#113 Pam’s Kitchen Table

23 April 2018 // San Diego, California

We heard the sound of jazz and we were lured by a sign that said “Gumbo and beignets. Tonight only.” We looked in and saw a narrow restaurant. The candles and music made me think it would be a fancy one.

We got a seat and ordered a plate of beignets to split. We enjoyed them, then met the owners of the place.

Pam and her boyfriend just moved to San Diego to start Pamela’s Kitchen Table. Before that she lived in Louisiana and in Australia, actually working for the Irwin family. That Irwin family. She’d been a personal chef but the restaurant thing was a new endeavor.

She told us their soft launch was going well and they were mostly finding out what possible menu items would work. They’d already had to deal with curveballs like a no-show sous chef and a noise complaining neighbor.

Then they brought us out some gumbo to try, and that is one good way to get a customer for life. I’m glad we’re getting a Cajun spot with cool owners and I hope they do really well.

#114 San Diego Republic

24 April 2018 // San Diego, California

“The most beautiful people I’ve known are those who have known trials, have known struggles, have known loss, and have found their way out of the depths."

Dr. Elizabeth Kugler-Ross

#115 First Staff Retreat

25 April 2018 // San Diego, California

I’ve had my hands full with our staff retreat this week, but it’s been good times. One of my favorite takeaways was the importance of results, processes, and relationships. Neglecting any one of these things can result in negative outcomes.

📸: Miguel

#116 Team Plant With Purpose

26 April 2018 // San Diego, California

It’s been a really fun week. I love working with this team and it’s actually pretty rare that we’re all physically in the same spot. This staff retreat was a blast.

📸: Miguel

#117 Go Gary!

27 April 2018 // San Diego, California

If there’s anybody who should be giving a lecture about the importance of PLAY, it’s my friend Gary. That’s why I was thrilled he was the featured speaker of this month’s Creative Mornings meetup.

Needless to say, Gary killed it. Play makes everything better.

#118 Bye Bye Bandit

28 April 2018 // San Diego, California

One of us had a really hard time having to see Bandit go back home. Beignet stayed on the grass and was pretty much crying for the next three hours.

That was the saddest thing to have to listen to. We’ll see if we get through this weekend without getting a second dog.

#119 Infinity War

29 April 2018 // San Diego, California

As a kid, I couldn’t play with action figures unless the story ultimately resulted in some battle that required the involvement of every single figure I owned... and even some things that weren’t quite action figures. Board game pieces. Honey bear containers. Precious Moments figurines. (They don’t look useful in combat, but they got the power of prayer!)

All that to say, Marvel seems to get how I like my stories to end and I knew I had to get to my favorite theatre in town for Infinity War.

#120 Salt & Straw Young Inventors

30 April 2018 // San Diego, California

All month, Salt & Straw’s been running a few limited edition Young Inventors flavors, designed by elementary school kids. We got to taste them all.

To the kid who made Lots a’ Nacho - I got a mouth full of tortilla chips in that scoop, but I like the way you operate! You see things that 95% of the world don’t think go together and believe they can mesh beautifully. That’s the sort of thing that gives us stuff like Space Jam. We definitely need more people who think that way.

To the kid who made The Cookie Monster - You know how to play to your strengths! Cookies are great, why not make a great ice cream by loading it up with cookies! Substitute cookies with friends and ice cream with life, and magic will happen.

To the kid who made Maple PB Brioche French Toast - I don’t think I learned what brioche was until I was 17. You are ahead of your years and that’s nothing to be ashamed of! Never lose your appreciation for a full breakfast.

To the kid who made Mango Chamoy Sorbet - I ordered a full scoop of your creation! The chamoy was the perfect tongue tickle. I think you were inspired by a treat that reminds you of home. Always take the time to celebrate where you come from.

To the kid who made Coke Float Caramel Volcano - I think you took something that you really enjoyed and then decided to bring that to others. That way of doing things works for so much more than ice cream, but it works pretty well for ice cream too.

MARCH 2018

#60 The Awakened Woman

01 March 2018 // San Diego, California

“There is a deeper hunger that lies within us, waiting to be discovered. It is the innate human hunger to support one another.”

–Dr. Tererai Trent

Book No. 05 of 2017

This was a fascinating read. Dr. Trent’s story is a journey from being a child bride to a doctor to giving back to her village in Zimbabwe through education, en route to accomplishing her five written dreams. This is part memoir, part exploration into scientific and spiritual ideas that are relevant to her story, part manifesto of global feminism, and a letter to her sisterhood.

In many ways, I was a bit outside the target audience, but I enjoyed it a lot. It definitely got quite esoteric at points, but it’s also one of the most quotable books I’ve read in some time.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

#61 Young and Fired Up

02 March 2018 // San Diego, California

From the high school and college students I’ve had the chance to speak to over the past few weeks to the students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas (who are pretty great on Twitter, BTW), I’m finding myself surrounded and encouraged by the hunger of young people to change the status quo.

I used to think that the energy of young people is helpful for creating change. Now I believe that the energy of young people is necessary for creating change.

I’ve included some of my thoughts about why that is in my newest blog post (link in bio, of course), along with a few simple actions to encourage young changemakers.

#62 Ten Miles

03 March 2018 // San Diego, California

Model posin’ but just cause I’ve ran the furthest I’ve ran in nearly two years.

In a week, I’ll be running the San Diego Half Marathon to raise money for Plant With Purpose. Over the past year, I’ve been able to travel firsthand to meet families in Thailand and Tanzania that have overcome poverty and protected their ecosystems.

In short, I want to see that happen for even more families, and that’s what I’m running for! I would absolutely love it if you could help by donating to support me for a few miles using the link below.

#63 Hodges Hike

04 March 2018 // Escondido, California

Going on a hike around the lake with the family to kick off one really active week.

Three simple recovery runs leading to the half marathon. One more week of fundraising for Plant With Purpose. Celebrating Beignet’s third birthday. Planning a film and almost all my trips the rest of this year. Family in town.

Glad we get to do all these things, but also, I am gonna have such a blast napping the rest of the day after that race!

#64 The Answer is Love

05 March 2018 // San Diego, California

What are you learning lately?

What I’ve been learning is that: 

a) At any given moment, everybody’s got some kind of struggle 

b) Those struggles are usually kept hidden 

c) Those hidden struggles actually have a better ability to connect us to each other than anything else

This lines up so well with what Kevin Love recently wrote on an article I retweeted. It should be required reading for everybody. "Everyone is going through something we can’t see."

“The reality is that we probably have a lot in common with what our friends and colleagues and neighbors are dealing with. So I’m not saying everyone should share all their deepest secrets – not everything should be public and it’s every person’s choice. But creating a better environment for talking about mental health… that’s where we need to get to.”

The past month hasn’t exactly been the easiest, but I’ve also heard things that other people are going through that remind me that there’s no room to be bitter, and so much need for compassion.

#65 Theatre Break

06 March 2018 // San Diego, California

Shoutout to MoviePass for making it reasonable for me to catch 30 minutes of Black Panther instead of sitting in traffic on my way home. How did people even survive in 2016? Such a mystery.

#66 Damn Good Doughnuts

07 March 2018 // San Diego, California

In the world of communication, the messages and stories that are the most effective are almost always the clearest ones. For example, this new doughnut shop just advertised damn good doughnuts. I ended up buying a dozen and they were correct. Damn good. For better or worse, though, this phenomenon isn’t just limited to doughnuts.

Harmful ideas often spread just because they are more easily understood than the truth.

The world needs truth tellers, good leaders, and compassionate people to master the art of clarity.

I put everything I write or work on through a ten question test, to make sure it’s as clear as I can make it. Whether you’re in nonprofit marketing like me, some other form of advocacy, or even if you’re just interested in moving people, you just might find it a useful process too.

#67 Stories Have Magic

08 March 2018 // San Diego, California

“Our stories have magic– they give shape and purpose to communities and even nations. Storytelling has depth that brings collective empathy, reminding us of the essence of our humanity, the ubuntu, the humanness, that makes us human beings."

–Tererai Trent

#68 Beignet Turns Three

09 March 2018 // San Diego, California

We’ve got ourselves a three year old now!

Bringing home this this doughnut is easily one of the best decisions we’ve made. I’m so glad we went the route of adoption too.

There’s nothing quite like Beignet hops to welcome you back home at the end of the day, having a fellow Enneagram 7 in the house, and knowing that beneath all that puppy energy is a total sweetheart.

Here’s to many more years of fluff in our lives.

#69 SD Half Expo

10 March 2018 // San Diego, California

My body is ready.

Let’s hope!

#70 San Diego Half Marathon

11 March 2018 // San Diego, California

Good run- San Diego Half is in the books!

I got to run mostly with my sis-in-law, and my nephew was the one to spot me actually cross the finish line. I beat my last race time by about ten minutes, and I felt like I had even more gas in the tank after this race versus the last time.

I absolutely love the atmosphere around race events, and I just might be hooked now. Can’t wait till the next.

#71 Coffee Grab

12 March 2018 // San Diego, California

“What sustains us, what is fundamentally beautiful is compassion; for yourself and for those around you."

–Lupita Nyongo

#72 One Year at Plant With Purpose

13 March 2018 // San Diego, California

Today marked one year since I started working at Plant With Purpose.

When I got the job I was thrilled to land a job where I could use creativity and marketing... for an organization that exists entirely to help people... internationally! What a great fit. I still feel that way.

These were things I’ve known I wanted to do for a very long time, but I’ve learned so much in just a year by getting to fully engage.

Then there’s the team I get to work with, the communities I get to serve, the ones I got to visit last year in Thailand and Tanzania, and the ones I have yet to meet.

One year down and it definitely feels like I’m just getting started.

#73 Pre-Trip Library Visit

14 March 2018 // San Diego, California

The week before a trip is just the right time for a library visit to pick out what I’ll be reading on the road. Suggestions?

#74 Doing Good in an Age of Anger

15 March 2018 // San Diego, California

If you’ve been paying any attention at all for the past eighteen months, you know we’re living in a strange and divisive time.

There’s so much tension these days. I’m not just talking about the tension between people (although, f’real, there’s a lot of that.) There’s also a whole lot of tension within people.

Like… you want to find common ground with different people, but you also know that neutrality towards injustice is to side with the oppressor. You know the news cycle is unhealthy, but you also believe it’s important to stay aware of the issues. You believe in hope and optimism and positivity, but you also don’t want to be dismissive of the real problems people face.

There are so many questions like these that I’ve been trying to wrestle with over the past few months. And I haven’t just been wrestling. I’ve been taking notes. Paying attention to people who I think are doing good things in spite of the current conditions.

I’ve compiled the things I’ve learned from them into a guide. And these have been such helpful things for me that I’m giving it away for free. Visit philippelazaro.com and you’ll be able to download Doing Good in an Age of Anger. That’s something we could all use more of.

#75 Embargo Grill

16 March 2018 // San Diego, California

This is embarassing... I’ve lived next to Embargo Grill for a year and never went in until this weekend. Oh my. They are amazing, and those were the best empanadas I’ve had in years. I am very sorry everybody for letting you down and I promise to make it up to you all by eating their Cubanos with consistency.

#76 Happy Place

17 March 2018 // San Diego, California

Today I ate a macaron the size of my fist and also a giant poke bowl, but I still think this was my favorite part of the day.

#77 Ladle

18 March 2018 // San Diego, California

When the day you ran a half marathon is the most *relaxing* one you’ve had in about a month, that’s when you know life has gotten pretty wild. It’s just been one thing after another with car stuff, sickness, work deadlines, the whole shebang.

The past few weeks have totally been a sprint towards a finish line that comes tomorrow, when we leave for a trip that I’ve been wanting to go on for as long as I can remember.

In the meantime, I’ll just say that when life gets to be all kinds of madness, it’s a really great thing to have good people around you. That can make all the difference.

#78 LAX Dropoff

19 March 2018 // Los Angeles, California

I never thought I’d find a big downside to international travel, but there totally is one- not being allowed to take along the dogs in your life.

We dropped her off in LA last night and she’ll be roomies with Bandit for the next few weeks. So thankful to Nat & Moose for taking her in.

But for real, chewing on ice cubes is like her favorite thing. She would’ve loved an entire country called Iceland.

#79 Reykjavik Bound

20 March 2018 // Los Angeles, California

Here's to that next adventure.

Here's to the string of flights to get to where you need to be. The people you'll run into along the way. The swim holes you'll strip down for and the nights out you'll suit up for.

Here's to the bright lights of a foreign metro, or and the dim home lamps of a rural village. Here's to every flavor of every bite of every unfamiliar dish you'll come across.

Here's to the unlikely souvenir. The crumpled ticket stub in a pocket. The scuff mark from a subway platform. The bruise from the thing you did that hits the perfect balance between kinda dumb and still worth it.

Here's to the train cars, hillsides, Irish pubs, and rooftops that will host your next breakthrough epiphany. The subtle sacredness of an unexpected holy site.

Here's to going, looking to consume minimal materials, but to drink in new, diverse perspectives from the tap. To going in with a whole heart and open hands, humbly wondering what you have to offer back to the world.

Here's to experience, belonging, and purpose. And always going where the love is.

#80 Reykjavik

21 March 2018 // Reykjavik, Iceland

Day one in Reykjavik was mostly made up of adjusting to the time zone and the cold and hanging around the city center.

Central Reykjavik is artsy and full of personality, all while still having that clean, bold Scandinavian feel. We walked around small shops in between efforts to find some of the more interesting food options.

🇮🇸

#81 Selajalandsfoss

22 March 2018 // Rangárping, Iceland

So thankful.

This was one of the most breathtaking days of my life. We hopped on the road towards Southern Iceland and found ourselves underneath waterfalls, across from glaciers, beside volcanoes, and in geothermal pools. We even got free ice cream! 🍦

#82 Thank You Iceland

23 March 2018 // Keflavík, Iceland

Thank you, Iceland. It really has been a dream come true- one I’ve had for a very long time.

#83 Tim and Sarah

24 March 2018 // Tonbridge, England

I met Tim in college. He was spending a year on exchange from England. I had just spent a semester in Argentina and wanted to hang with international students all the time. We grabbed coffee and hit it off. That was seven years ago.

I met Sarah a year and a half later when Tim was back in England and I was visiting London. They just started dating. Though we kept in touch, that was the last time I saw Tim in person until this weekend.

This is one of my favorite things about life. The simple coffee and conversation can turn into a wedding abroad seven years later. It really makes me wonder what seeds I’m planting in my life right now and what they’ll be in seven years.

#84 Bridal Brunch

25 March 2018 // Tonbridge, England

It was a fantastic weekend! Enjoy the honeymoon. ‘Til next time, which is hopefully soon and maybe somewhere in Canada! 🇺🇸🇬🇧🇨🇦

#85 Fontana di Trevi

26 March 2018 // Rome, Italy

In just a couple hours we managed to grab ourselves a Roman breakfast, and blitz through to the Trevi Fountain, the Vatican, the Colosseum, and the Pantheon.

I know rushing is the least Italian thing ever, but we didn’t really intend to see Rome. I’d been to all these places and was thinking it would be more of a hub to get to Siena. Deanna had never been to Italy, though, and I wanted her to see some of the exciting spots.

We made a quest out of it, then managed to grab our bags and train with just enough time to spare. Now it’s on to my old home base- Siena!

#86 Piazza del Campo

27 March 2018 // Siena, Italy

Siena, Italia. 🇮🇹

One of my favorite cities in the world, hands down. In 2010, I actually got to live here for a whole summer. Taking every day extremely slow, having the best pizza al taglio around every corner, actually getting pretty decent at Italian, and watching people make their way through everyday life on streets that haven’t been changed in centuries. I can’t believe I got that treat. That summer was so good for me in a lot of ways.

Now let’s see how that Italian of mine has been holding up.

#87 Return to Siena

28 March 2018 // Siena, Italy

When I left Siena after studying there for a summer, I said what I imagine a good majority of study abroad students say- I’ll be coming back!

It’s a weird and amazing thing when you actually make good on that declaration. It took me eight years and I now have a wife to come with me. Most things in my life have since changed but this place hasn’t changed much for hundreds of years.

Anyways, it’s a thrill to be back even if it did take a good bit of time. Enjoying every second I’m here.

#88 Cinzia

29 March 2018 // Siena, Italy

Io sono riunito con la mia professoressa Italiana dell’estate che ho pasato qui otto anni fa. Cinzia, è stato bello rivederti e grazie per i apertivi!

La seconda foto è un flashback dell'ultima volta nel 2010.

#89 Montalcino

30 March 2018 // Montalcino, Italy

One thing I didn’t do quite enough last time I was in Siena was... leave Siena. I mean, I love it there, but it’s also surrounded by quite a few other small but magical feeling Tuscan towns.

Return trips are for making things right and so before leaving Tuscany we took a quick bus ride into Montalcino, where a few old streets and thin stone alleyways take you between abbeys and wineries. Brunellos are a must.

#90 La Spezia

31 March 2018 // La Spezia, Italy

“The mysteries of the faith are degraded when made into objects of affirmation or negation, when they ought to be the object of contemplation.”

–Simone Weil

FEBRUARY 2018

#32 Intense Student Art

01 February 2018 // San Diego, California

I gave a little presentation at the cutting-edge, forward-thinking high school in town this week. Their student art on display was full of so many thought provoking pieces. I could’ve brought some of them to MOCA to hang on the walls and nobody would’ve questioned it.

Confederate Kermit… Captain Kim Jong Un… my art classes in school definitely weren’t this Black Mirror-ish.

#33 Mound Visit

02 February 2018 // San Diego, California

“We rip out so much of ourselves to be cured of things faster than we should that we go bankrupt by the age of thirty and have less to offer each time we start with someone new. But to feel nothing so as not to feel anything – what a waste!”

–Andre Aciman

Rock a soft and open heart.

#34 Gaglione Bros.

03 February 2018 // San Diego, California

Wake up and smell the cheesesteaks. Pregaming for the Super Bowl with San Diego’s best wit whiz, if you weren’t sure which side we were on.

Some guy in a Pats shirt walked in here while we were eating. Bold move, mister. Like… there’s totally a Red Lobster for you across the street.

#35 Super Bowl Win

04 February 2018 // San Diego, California

This is us after the Super Bowl.

This is not us after This Is Us.

#36 New Seeds of Contemplation

05 February 2018 // San Diego, California

“We are so convinced that past evils must repeat themselves that we make them repeat themselves. We dare not risk a new life in which the evils of the past are totally forgotten; a new life seems to imply new evils, and we would rather face evils that are already familiar. Hence we cling to the evil that has already become ours and renew it from day to day, until we become identified with it and change is no longer thinkable.”

–Thomas Merton

Book No. 02 of 2018

It felt like a good time for another Thomas Merton read. This one was packed full of so much good stuff. It wasn’t a long read, but it was so rich that you couldn’t just brush through it.

I’ve been finding more and more value in contemplation over the past few years, and this book seems to offer a very big picture look at what contemplation is– and definitely what it isn’t. I can see how this book could even frustrate some, continually raising the bar for how to approach one’s spiritual life in humility. I’ll definitely be returning to this book a lot.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#37 Amazon Books

06 February 2018 // La Jolla, California

How I rate what I read:

5 – A favorite. This book was life changing to some extent. The difference between a great book and a favorite is if I feel like I might be a better person after reading or if I’ll be returning to the book’s wisdom many times in the future. I’ll maybe give 2-3 books this ranking each year.

4 – A great book. Most books I read land here. This usually means there isn’t anything I would’ve changed about it.

3 – A pretty good book. Maybe I would’ve changed a few things here or there, but reading it was still well worth my time.

2 – I probably didn’t need to read that, or it didn’t meet expectations. Usually I rate books 2 stars if none of these other descriptions fit.

1 – I wish I read something else instead. I give this ranking to maybe 1-2 books a year.

#38 Run the Bay

07 February 2018 // San Diego, California

I’m running again.

Deanna and I are signed up to do the San Diego half-marathon in about a month, meaning my long runs are getting longer, and I’ve had to get creative with weekdays, logging in a handful of miles on my lunch break or just before work. If only we had a shower in the office! Sorry errybody.

Last year, I decided to get a physical checkup for the first time in years since I should probably stop taking my health for granted. The jolly doctor, who might as well have been an Egyptian version of the doctor from the Simpsons, told me in between chuckles– “27! The golden age! You should be in top health!”

Thankfully, I was. But I started to think– what on earth am I doing with my golden age? I started to feel convicted that I wasn’t scaling volcanoes or training for Pyeongchang.

The healthiest I ever felt was two years ago when prepping for the Eugene Half Marathon. Having a concrete goal and a training schedule goes a long way to making sure I actually run an ideal amount… and I know this is a really cliche thing to say, but it helps me feel way better about the rest of my life.

My sleeps are better. My mood is up. I have more energy. All those good vibey things runners don’t shut up about, they’ve been all true for me.

Bodies and souls may be two things, they aren’t necessarily two things totally isolated from each other. Bodies were still deliberately crafted to work in certain ways, and I love that.

#39 Donuts

08 February 2018 // Carlsbad, California

I am giving so much social media love to The Goods in Carlsbad right now for their amazing donuts and extra friendly staff. As if donuts weren’t already a very good way to win my affection, sending me home with a few extra for my friends is a great way to make sure my friends know of their radness.

Simple but great lesson for businesses, organizations, or even people in general– make people feel great! Add donuts whenever possible.

#40 Office Olympics

09 February 2018 // San Diego, California

Opening ceremony for Office Olympics. Fewer drones, but more muffins.

#41 Osso Bucco Plate

10 February 2018 // Carlsbad, California

So this turned out to be an extremely eventful weekend, sandwiched in between two really full weeks- mostly good things though! One of the highlights was definitely the discovery of Tip Top Meats, their little in-house German eatery, a new place for me to get South African boerwoers and this mega plate of osso bucco.

#42 Year of the Dog

11 February 2018 // San Diego, California

Welcome to the Year of the Dog everybody!

I was really hoping to get to go all out for Tét this year, because honestly, I’m way more partial to dogs than last year’s roosters or next year’s pigs, but this weekend got so full between having to handle car registration stuff all Saturday, going for an 8 mile run that night, and feeling a little sick afterwards.

Taking those lazy days with grace doesn’t come easy for everyone. Out of necessity, Sunday instead turned into one of those, which is also a pretty appropriate way to celebrate the year of the dog I suppose. I ended up putting a good dent in Matt Haig’s new book, which I’m totally loving.

#43 Sentra

12 February 2018 // San Diego, California

Financial concerns are strangely universal. People in real poverty have it rough but ironically, others in a much more comfortable position spend a similar amount of time worrying about it.

I try not to worry about finances too much, but we’re not exempt. With both of us working full time we have more financial access than we’ve ever had in the past, but with what’s left of student loans and the cost of moving to and living in California and medical things and grown-uppy stuff, we’ve also had a more expensive year than ever before.

One thing that kept getting more and more expensive was the cost of hanging onto my car. I realized if I were to do everything I needed to, I would’ve spent the equivalent of a down payment of a newer car that didn’t need a bunch of work. So over the weekend we got a pretty good deal on a pretty lightly used Sentra.

This weekend made me feel so privileged… that we have the means and opportunity to solve a problem that simply. That to us, big financial concerns are still a long ways from threatening anyone’s survival. That statistically, we have it easier than almost everybody else, even if it doesn’t feel like it on a day-to-day level.

Perspective matters. It’s harder to be generous and compassionate when daily concerns make us forget how good we actually have it.

#44 Missions Beyond

13 February 2018 // San Diego, California

“Love isn’t a state of perfect caring. It is an active noun like struggle. To love someone is to strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now."

–Fred Rodgers

Kudos to Brad Montague for putting this truth nugget into my awareness.

#45 Valentine’s Pho

14 February 2018 // San Diego, California

Pho isn’t for first dates. Generally speaking. I mean, it would totally win my heart, but I think that the general population is less eager to overlook the slurping noises or drops of soup flung into their faces from rice noodles being whipped all over the place.

For us on our sixth Valentine’s together and on a busy weeknight, pho was just right. The crazy restaurant-going crowds tend to leave those hidden gem hole-in-the-wall places alone.

So thankful for Deanna. For most of our relationship, Valentine’s Day has been a reminder that love isn’t just a good feeling, it’s also showing up when things get really difficult. There’s no one else I’d rather share life and pho with

#46 ISSA Career Night

15 February 2018 // La Jolla, California

“I’ve been studying marketing and business but I realized I don’t actually like selling things to people for some company. How do you do it for like a humanitarian cause?”

“Is it really difficult to earn a sufficient income from working for a nonprofit?”

“How do you turn creativity into a career that helps people?”

“If I want a job that allows me to travel, what do you recommend I do while in school?”

This was such a fun evening! I got to meet and share some of my experiences with students in the social sciences at UCSD. Their questions were totally ones I had 5-7 years ago and I loved being able to talk a bit about strategic optimism.

I even got to be interviewed by Wayne the master filmmaker!

#47 Alann

16 February 2018 // San Diego, California

“You cannot be a man of faith unless you know how to doubt. You cannot believe in God unless you are capable of questioning the authority of prejudice, even though that prejudice may seem to be religious. Faith is not blind conformity to a prejudice- a “pre-judgement.” It is a decision, a judgement that is fully and deliberately taken in light of a truth that cannot be proven. It is not merely the acceptance of a decision that has been made by somebody else.”

–Thomas Merton

#48 Wakanda Weekend

17 February 2018 // San Diego, California

How much did I love Black Panther? Oh man. I expected to love it and it exceeded expectations. That paint a picture?

I loved the attention to detail, the culturally rich visuals, the way this superhero movie transcends its genre’s tendencies to oversimplify moral questions, the Dora Milaje. I really loved the vision for African advancement that still looks African- not one built on Western notions of what modern looks like.

But most of all, I loved the crowns and the dashikis and the looks of joy on the crowds around the theatres over the weekend. It was a long overdue moment. All storytellers should take note of what a big difference good representation makes.

#49 Panda Bear

18 February 2018 // San Diego, California

The plan was to go to LA this weekend, but we got sick and decided that staying around town was a better call. It didn’t really feel like a long weekend, but I’d say we did our best to make the most of it.

Despite the unexpected, we found time to go on a run, play a bunch of Codenames, read to each other, obsess over Black Panther, discover a new Filipino-Hawaiian restaurant, and hang out with this big guy.

#50 Bonne Table

19 February 2018 // San Diego, California

Cold weather in San Diego makes me happy. Lately I’ve been getting that (at this point really predictable) itch to get out of town and go somewhere. And the plan is to do that very soon! In the meantime, I’m enjoying this chill that makes it feel like I’m somewhere else, somewhere a lot further north.

#51 Ready Player One

20 February 2018 // San Diego, California

“That was when I realized, as terrifying and painful as reality can be, it’s also the only place where you can find true happiness. Because reality is real.”

–Ernest Cline

Book No. 03 of 2018

This book was fun. I used to think Ready Player One was a Kurt Vonnegut title- partly because it sounds like some of his book titles, and partly because Vonnegut is kind of involved in Ernest Cline’s story. Kind of.

Instead, it’s a story set inside a world that’s basically the internet meets virtual reality, where a Willy Wonka-level contest breaks out to see who would end up inheriting the internet company that pretty much runs the world. It all sounds complicated, but it was easy enough that Deanna and I started taking turns reading chapters to each other as a bedtime story. A very, very nerdy bedtime story.

⭐⭐⭐

#52 How to Stop Time

21 February 2018 // San Diego, California

“And, just as it only takes a moment to die, it only takes a moment to live. You just close your eyes and let every futile fear slip away…”

“If I could love without fear of being hurt? If I could taste the sweetness of today without thinking of how I will miss that taste tomorrow? If I could not fear the passing of time and the people it will steal? Yes. What would I do? Who would I care for? What battle would I fight? Which paths would I step down? What joys would I allow myself? What internal mysteries would I solve? How, in short, would I live?”

–Matt Haig

Book No. 04 of 2018

Wow. This book really got to me, taking on our complicated relationship with time and channeling it into a truly creative story.

The novel follows Tom, a 430 year old who literally doesn’t look a day over 41. He lives with a rare condition that makes him age ridiculously slowly and gives him a lifespan of about a millennium. In exchange for being cared for and being allowed to take on a new identity every eight years, Tom occasionally has to do dirty work to keep his true existence a secret. His society of long-lifers have seen what superstition and prejudice have done to others like them literally throughout history.

But of course, all that drama is on the back-burner to the real questions that a 430 year old has to face. How do you find love when you outlive your lovers by leaps and bounds? What does parenthood look like? How do you live in such isolation? This book made me feel. A lot.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

#53 Fun Job

22 February 2018 // San Diego, California

“Failure is a part of life, it’s part of building character and growing. Without failure who would you be?"

–Nick Foles

#54 Lunch Break Softball

23 February 2018 // San Diego, California

Lunch break softball has been happening and I am in full support of it.

Thanks for tuning in to my shortstop livestream.

#55 Auntie Ella’s Story

24 February 2018 // Carson, California

There’s no one alive I admire as much as my Auntie Ella.

Her story has so many chapters but they always come back to family and selfless giving. She moved to the US on her own in the 50’s to work as a doctor. After a few years she went back to the Philippines and treated entire villages. She returned to her own private practice in Philly, enjoyed an adventurous marriage full of flying planes with my Uncle Bill, and continued to host medical missions to the Philippines.

She’s helped support medical expenses for family members and life-saving surgery for someone with CHD. She renovated a church, brought a library to a village, and treated that whole township to burgers. She helped fund years of education for a young priest with no resources, a kid from the slums who is now an X-ray tech, and... me.

She turns 85 in a couple months and I knew I had to use her birthday as an opportunity to talk her into sharing her story in front of a camera. As time goes by, I’ll be more and more thankful I did this.

#56 Visiting Dad’s Site

25 February 2018 // Cypress, California

Visited my dad with my aunts.

“What was he doing in 1973?”

“What’s the significance of that?”

“He was my age back then.”

“He was already in the US then… actually, I think that was the year he finished his medical residency and applied to live permanently in the United States. He needed to go back to the Philippines to get a document, but it worked out perfectly with our parents' golden anniversary.”

“Sounds like a pretty big year.”

“That was what he really wanted to do- to become a doctor and live in the United States.”

“He did it.”

“He did it.”

#57 Dormified Office

26 February 2018 // San Diego, California

I just gave my office wall the college dorm room treatment, except with Tanzanian farmers instead of Bob Marley.

#58 Target Night

27 February 2018 // San Diego, California

On paper, it seemed like February was gonna be a chill month. With trips ramping up for the rest of the year, most likely, I was thinking this would be the calm before the storm.

Except it wasn’t really that calm.

Surprises with sickness and car issues and finances and all kinds of things threw quite a few curveballs. A lot of good and a lot of not-so-good.

When life gets like that, it really makes a simple night of going to Target and getting those things you’re overdue to actually buy real nice.

Now here’s hoping for a lot less drama in March. I’m hoping it’ll be a good one.

#59 Somi Somi

28 February 2018 // San Diego, California

It was just a week ago that Oliver posted a photo from Some Some and now look at where we are!! Enjoying ube and black sesame swired ice cream out of a taiyaki fish. A huge thanks for the treats and great hangs last night. Love talking conferences, creative endeavors, work and passion projects, travel, and making the most of life. And I’m definitely coming back here a bunch too.

JANUARY 2018

#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.

DECEMBER 2017

#335 Plant It Forward Holiday Market

01 December 2017 // San Diego, California

After a gazillion events like this over the weekend, it's safe to say that Christmas mode is totally on and welcome.

#336 Tree Hunting

02 December 2017 // El Cajon, California

Hunting for just the right tree with my baby and our baby. We found it.

#337 Our Good Normal

03 December 2017 // San Diego, California

How do you get back to normal life after a big adventure? That sudden shift back to ordinary used to be a threat to me. Not so much anymore.

After weeks of adventures, travel, hustle, and work, it's pretty nice to jump back into my home base. I arrived on the morning of Giving Tuesday and got to hit the ground running with work and with life at home right away.

But isn't that the dream? To work on something you love until it's time to go home to someone you love. To go on adventures and to return to a home base that's one big adventure itself.

It definitely helps that our "normal" is anything but- it's the sweetest normal I know. We're back to it and I'm loving these days as they come.

#338 Chicken Cordon Bleu

04 December 2017 // San Diego, California

Mission: I had some real good cordon bleu while I was in Korea. Like, I forgot that the dish existed for a little while and then I had a bit of the one that was served to me and it all came rushing back. I knew I had to give it a go once back at home.

The Results: Pretty good. Here’s the thing you’ve gotta do- spend three minutes toasting your panko crumbs right up front. That way when you end up cooking the real deal, it stays nice and crispy. Also, this is a pretty good use of muenster slices.

#339 Trivia at Newtopia

05 December 2017 // San Diego, California

Taking on Trivia Tuesday with our knowledge of Stieg Larson’s books, Kobe’s draft year, and Weezer’s discography.

#340 Passport Retirement

06 December 2017 // San Diego, California

A happy retirement to this dear friend. Thailand/Malaysia marks the last trip I'll be able to take on my current passport. It's technically got two years left before expiring, but its beat up binding and lack of blank pages put me at risk of not being let in some countries.

It's kind of sad. I've had this passport since 2009, and that's the perfect window for it to tell the story of my most important journeys.

They're all here:

🇮🇹🇦🇷 - My student visas to Argentina and Italy that left me with a lifelong desire to be a global citizen

🇿🇦 - My entry to South Africa that forever changed my perspective on helping others.

🇪🇺🇫🇷🇬🇧🇧🇪 - The first trip I took with Deanna internationally around Europe.

🇩🇴 - Our honeymoon

🇵🇭🇵🇭 - A pair of stamps from the Philippines- from the time I took her to meet my grandma in '14 and my grandma's memorial service last year.

🇹🇿🇹🇭 - My first visits to Plant With Purpose's field programs this year.

Sometimes it seems like the world is in pretty poor shape, but each of these journeys remind me of all the good that's out there in people around the world. It's a good worth fighting for.

There's a miserable stat of more than half of Congress not owning a passport. But that's also a clear area for improvement. If you're gonna change the world, you've gotta make an effort to go and meet the world.

Of course, travel is a privilege. But it's one opportunity I don't think should be squandered by those who have it.

Hopefully my next passport arrives quickly. There are more stories to be lived and big shoes to fill.

#341 Psych the Movie

07 December 2017 // San Diego, California

I’m pretty sure the world became a much darker place the moment after Psych went off the air.

So glad to jump back into this world, even if just for a night.

#342 Karaoke & Kimonos

08 December 2017 // San Diego, California

Thank you Min Son Chon, for being everything that you are.

#349 Culture Care

09 December 2017 // San Diego, California

“An industrial map in the mid-twentieth century colored New York’s Hudson River black. The mapmakers considered a black river a good thing—full of industry! The more factory outputs, the more progress. When that map was made, “nature” was widely seen as a resource to be exploited. Few people considered the consequences of careless disposal of industrial waste. The culture has shifted dramatically over the last fifty years.”

“When I share this story today, most people shudder and ask how anyone could think of a polluted river as good.   But today we are doing the same thing with the river of culture. Think of the arts and other cultural enterprises as rivers that water the soil of culture. We are painting this cultural river black—full of industry, dominated by commercial interests, careless of toxic byproducts—and there are still cultural mapmakers who claim that this is a good thing.”

–Makoto Fujimura

Book No. 47 from 2017

This was a book full of important and valuable ideas for artists and makers.

It wasn’t always the clearest or most straightforward book to understand. I realize it’s a book about art and culture that’s destined to be on the esoteric side, but a little clarity would’ve probably helped me appreciate it even more.

Still, I enjoyed hearing Fujimura’s perspectives on art, culture, creation, environment, and faith and this book gave me the impression that he’d be fascinating to sit down and talk to. He puts caring for culture at a similar level of importance as caring for the environment and physical needs.

⭐⭐⭐

#344 Kirstie’s Party

10 December 2017 // San Diego, California

HBD to a real rad coworker, friend, and party-starter.

#345 Borek

11 December 2017 // San Diego, California

Mission: Make some Borek, the Turkish/Mediterranean wonder made up of minced goodies inside of yufka pastry.

The Results: I was pretty happy with this having never made borek before, but there's a few things I would definitely do differently. Working with yufka or phyllo dough is really difficult, which meant some parts were thick and dry while others had burst through. The spiral shape was a tricky one too. All in all, though, I'm pretty glad with how this all came together.

#346 Little Fires Everywhere

12 December 2017 // San Diego, California

"Sometimes you need to scorch everything to the ground, and start over. After the burning the soil is richer, and new things can grow. People are like that, too. They start over. They find a way."

–Celeste Ng

Book No. 48 of 2017

Celeste Ng is steadily rising up the list of my favorite authors. This book hits a lot of the same strong points that Everything I Never Told You did, taking a single episode of suburban drama and going down every forking path leading up to and resulting from the incident.

Also like her debut, her characters are so richly drawn, flawed and relatable. Her ability to weave in themes of identity, race, gender, etc. clearly but not heavy handedly is also a rare gift. This was one of my faves from this year.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#347 Salisbury Steak

13 December 2017 // San Diego, California

Mission: Sometimes my meals are inspired by some exotic locale, other times they're inspired by the 50's Americana advent of the microwave dinner. Salisbury steak was one of the latter.

Results: I had lots of ground beef left over from borek and I still had duck fat to work with for gravy. This dish turned out to be a better fridge cleaner than I thought, and not too bad except for coming out a bit on the salty side.

#348 Slow Cooker Mac & Cheese

14 December 2017 // San Diego, California

Mission: It’s slow cooker season, and that means mac and cheese becomes a big deal. Since I didn’t want to get anybody sick, though, I couldn’t really use my hands. This was the first item where I had to use Deanna as a sous chef to do all the things I couldn’t.

Results: The pasta was a bit on the al dente side, but that’s what I like. The trick to get the cheese all creamy could be either Velveeta or cream cheese, but I had neither. Still turned out to be a treat.

#349 I Shall Not Hate

15 December 2017 // San Diego, California

“People should understand that Palestinians don’t live for themselves alone. They live for and support each other. What I do for myself and my children, I also do for my brothers and sisters and their children. My salary is for all of my family. We are a community.”

Book No. 49 of 2017

Izzeldin Abuelaish has an important and incredible voice. The Gaza-based doctor faced one of the biggest episodes of personal tragedies. After losing his wife to illness, a few weeks later he lost three of his children when an Israeli rocket struck their apartment where they had been locked down.

Abuelaish has so much to say about people learning to live in peace. His refusal to hate “the other side” in spite of having every reason to is one that leaves all of us who have lost less without an excuse to not choose better things than hate.

#350 Beignet Does Fiesta Island

16 December 2017 // San Diego, California

This weekend turned into a recovery weekend. I’ve been fighting off some stuff, so instead of all the outing-filled weekend before Christmas I was hoping for, I got the weekend of rewatching Superbad while cleaning every room in the house that I needed.

It still wouldn’t have been right if I didn’t get out of the house for a little bit, so Beignet got the treat of Fiesta Island living up to its name as always.

I love December and all of its irregularities. Most people find it a rush, but I love the way it breaks up routines and unexpectedly opens up pockets of time to humor curiosity.

#351 Christmas Prep

17 December 2017 // San Diego, California

Let's be real, I'll probably still be listening to Chance's Christmas album well into April.

#352 Amigo Secreto

18 December 2017 // San Diego, California

Did I luck out with my Secret Santa or what? Dave not only made this sweet frame out of a repurposed gate, but it's decked out with scraps of an article I wrote and my favorite quotes... you know, like the favorite quotes you put on Facebook in like 2009 and haven't seen in a while? Yeah, he did his homework! (Also, I'm glad the '09 me had a taste in quotes I can still be happy about in 2017.)

He said the frame was a pretty clear choice since I chronicle so much of life through photos. So here's to doing the most meta thing by chronicling the frame in a photo.

#353 Christmas Evenings in OB

19 December 2017 // San Diego, California

“Giving should be joyous, an infectious pleasure at the capacity to bring about change."

–Nick Kristof

From my hood to yours.

#354 Red Curry Martini

20 December 2017 // San Diego, California

The Mission: Make a martini with a nice red curry twist. Making a flavored cocktail that doesn’t seem like a cheap gimmick, that’s true to the flavor it emulates, and that actually tastes good isn’t always an easy task. With an out-there flavor like red curry, it gets even harder.

The Results: Just a dash of curry paste and the infusion of a thai chili were what I really needed to get the right suggestion. I went with a vodka martini over gin because I actually prefer it that way, and orange bitters helped bridge the gap between the regular ingredients and the wild cards.

#355 Your First 1,000 Copies

21 December 2017 // San Diego, California

“The fundamental difference between someone you trust and someone you don’t is your belief in whether or not they are looking out for your best interest above their own.”

–Tim Grahl

Book No. 50 of 2017

If I could do anything differently about my book back when I wrote it, I would have definitely been a lot more strategic about marketing the thing! I’ve learned a lot about marketing since that serves me well for book sales and beyond, but this book would’ve been real helpful two years ago.

Grahl’s book is about selling your own book, but really his marketing tips could apply to marketing just about anything. The central idea is that good marketing is all about being relentlessly helpful, and that’s not just limited to books.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#356 Beige by Beige

22 December 2017 // Bakersfield, California

"We're going to win this war not by fighting what we hate, but saving what we love."

–Rose Tico

A few days to really, really unwind in Bakersfield with family are actually what I'm loving right now.

#357 The Christmas Adobo

23 December 2017 // Bakersfield, California

The Christmas Adobo.

You can’t really force a tradition to be born, but if this is the birth of a new one, I’m totally cool with that.

#358 Snuggles With the 2015 Christmas Gift

24 December 2017 // Bakersfield, California

This fluff right here is the tiniest thing in the world.

#359 Christmas 17

25 December 2017 // Bakersfield, California

There's a no-man's land where your childhood Christmas traditions have faded and you haven't yet started building the ones your kids will remember. Such are my Christmases these days, but they can still be so good.

On Christmas 2017...

• We finally got to spend the day with spoilt Beignet, who is acutally a Christmas present herself, from 2015
• Deanna won MVP by repurposing some of her late grandma's charms into Christmas ornaments- only tearjerker gift this year
• Star Wars stuff
• Some great convos on the car ride back to SD
• We wound up at a house party in Cerritos with a side of my family that knows how to get down

Who taught ya how to step?

#360 Walking to Listen

26 December 2017 // San Diego, California

“If I could understand my craving, then maybe I wouldn't end up spending my entire life saying good-bye, moving on. I wouldn't have to walk across America, or prove anything, or keep quietly wondering if there was something else I should be doing, somewhere else I should explore, someone else I should be. If I could understand the slippery schemes of the unsettled mind, instead of getting swept up in them, then maybe I could just sit, and that would be enough. After all, to seek something is to assume it's not already here.”

–Andrew Forsthoefel

Book No. 51 of 2017

This book had a lot of potential. After all, I take pretty easily to books that feature the author on some sort of geographic quest and the theme of listening is one that seems to be badly needed in 2017. I wondered if this might have the potential to be the second coming of Peter Jenkins’ Walk Across America.

The sort answer is no, not this book. Forsthoefel has a lot of good ideas but the presentation is often a blur of inconclusive internal dialogues, enough quotes from Rainer Maria Rilke and Walt Whitman that I should get credit for reading their books, and a sense of distance from the experience. I would’ve loved a deeper plunge into the experience rather than a cycle of “I-met-these-people, they-said-this.”

⭐️⭐️

#361 Triumph of the Heart

27 December 2017 // San Diego, California

“In my explorations of the nature of forgiveness, I realized that in many ways, forgiveness is the willingness to place more attention on the good than on the bad. It means taking on a view of life and a practice of living it, that enables you to experience more joy and love while also giving more joy and love to others.”

–Megan Feldman Bettencourt

Book No. 52 of 2017

I did it! Last book of the year, and what a great choice to end on. I had never heard of this book and found it at an amazing sale in Malaysia. Gold.

Megan Bettencourt explores forgiveness through a variety of lenses– within marriages, from children to parents, in war zones and inner city schools, through science, and in spiritual practices. She meets with a Rwandan priest who adopted the children of his mother’s killer, a recovering alcoholic who turned into a leader in advice-giving around Phoenix, Israeli and Palestinian girls who learn how to befriend “the other side” at a San Francisco camp, and the father of a shooting victim in San Diego who works with his the family of his son’s killer to prevent gun violence. I remember attending that program as a kid.

This book had such a good blend of rich information, truthful insight, and powerful stories- all presented clearly and sharply. I loved it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#362 Olive Oil Cake

28 December 2017 // San Diego, California

The Mission: Make an olive oil cake.

The Results: I did it!

This marks the 52nd item I’ve made for my 2017 cooking project and the final one! I’ve tried to challenge myself to cook stuff off a list of things designed to sharpen up some of the culinary skills I thought could use some improvement.

I’ve done this project for the past two years. I’m not planning to continue it in 2018. It’s been a blast, and I’ve definitely gotten a lot better in the kitchen, but it’s also fairly time consuming and one of my goals next year is to cut back on the amount of projects I have and to pour more heart into the ones I keep. Plus, I started this task when I was a grad student tired of mental work all day. It was great having something to do with my hands at the end of the day.

Anyways, I’ll keep cooking. Just not for a challenge. For other people? I’d love to!

#363 52 Books of 2017

29 December 2017 // San Diego, California

I thought I should set a pretty ambitious reading goal in 2017, being done with grad school and finally having time to read for fun. 52 seemed like the right amount, averaging a book a week. I read the final one this week.

I know exactly what I’d be doing if I were you. I’d be pinching and zooming to see everything I read. You could do that, or you could check the #philippereads17 hashtag for the titles and reviews.

I didn’t really want to focus my reading on one particular thing. I wanted to read pretty broadly and diversely. And that meant I read from different genres, cultures, genders, and time periods.

The funny thing is that even though I tried to read broadly, just about all the books seemed to point to a common theme: reconciliation. A memoir of a doctor in Gaza who lost half his family in a bombing, an in-depth look at case studies in forgiveness, and a global chef’s autobiography directly exemplified reconciliation in action.

Books like Hillbilly Elegy, The Righteous Mind, and Braving the Wilderness put it in light of modern times. Silence, The Mothers, and Boxers & Saints showed the horrors of failing to offer forgiveness, even to yourself. The Next Worship, The New Jim Crow, and Collapse demonstrated the need for reconciliation in today’s world, and even the Pope’s apostolic exhortation spoke to daily reconciliation within a family.

All that was unplanned, but when you read 52 books from different times, authors, and styles and they all seem to say the same thing, it’s worth paying attention.

#364 Jihyun in Cali

30 December 2017 // San Diego, California

For 👏🏽 real. 👏🏽 Not 👏🏽 a 👏🏽 drill.

Jihyun is in California.

Also, Taqueria Revolucion is really, really, really good.

#365 Year End Yawn

31 December 2017 // San Diego, California

The end of a year and the beginning of another always makes Beignet so emotional.

NOVEMBER 2017

#305 This Series

01 November 2017 // San Diego, California

This series, man. I love this time of year when a bunch of people find out that, hey, baseball is actually pretty full of drama.

My favorite win was when the Astros beat the Yankees in the ALCS, because it assured I’d be happy with a bunch of the storylines tied to either team winning. It’s a great one for the City of Houston, Verlander, (not you, Yuli), Altuve, and last place teams with hopes for three years down the line.

Phillies 2020. Can’t wait.

#306 The James & James Show

02 November 2017 // San Diego, California

Is there a recipe for meaningful experiences? Sometimes I think it just looks like being honest and wholehearted and to invite other people to be in that same moment. 

James Bishop and James Spaite put together a fantastic evening of creativity, honesty, and togetherness– I seriously love having these two as Plant With Purpose ambassadors and just knowing them. 

Something about the low, warm lighting in the old Episcopalian church combined with musical textures and storytelling was just the right setting to bring me back to another time in life… probably one where doing things like this at 9 on a weeknight used to be a little more common.  

#307 Red Letter Revolution

03 November 2017 // San Diego, California

“I always tell our community that we should attract the people Jesus attracted and frustrate the people Jesus frustrated. It’s certainly never our goal to frustrate, but it is worth noting that the people who were constantly agitated were the self-righteous, religious elite, the rich, and the powerful. But the people who were fascinated by him, by his love and grace, were folks who were already wounded and ostracized — folks who didn’t have much to lose, who already knew full well that they were broken and needed a Savior.” 

–Shane Claiborne

Book No. 44 from 2017

This book did a terrific job of articulating how Christ’s teachings interact with some of the most touchy subjects today– immigration, civil disobedience, racism, feminism, etc.

The rallying cry for people to “not get political” has never been less effective. What counts as “political” only expands. From government budgets to healthcare, eventually down to the reasons you aren’t watching football anymore. Avoiding all “political” conversations only means that the arenas your faith can inform have to shrink to accommodate that expansion.

Instead, there’s a way to engage politics that doesn’t go around them, but beyond them, and I think this book points in that direction. It isn’t partisanship. It’s being able to listen to the most important voice.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

#308 85º

04 November 2017 // San Diego, California

If these baked goods could talk, they’d say "you’re where you’re supposed to be right now. Stop and smell us, the pastries." 

In my case, it’d be totally true. It’s so easy to take note of everything that feels like its missing, everything that hasn’t been done yet, everything that’s gone away. It can be a lot harder to notice the fact that all of my needs have always been taken care of, and that’s more of a miracle than I often acknowledge. 

These baked goods can’t talk, but it’s still true.

#309 Easy Sunday

05 November 2017 // San Diego, California

An easy Sunday afternoon in North Park, just days before a big trip.

Just like a balanced life is full of healthy cycles of work, play, and rest, mine seems to thrive in a healthy rhythm of home, away, then home again. There was a time when I could’ve gone fully nomadic. It wouldn’t have been right for me, and I’m glad I chose against impulse.

That said, I’m thankful for a life at home that is so much richer because of the time I’ve spent away from it. Knowing how to lean into curiosity, how to follow love all over the globe, and how to come back to it in the end.

#310 Chicken Rice Pilaf

06 November 2017 // San Diego, California

Mission 44: The original plan was to make chicken biriyani, but that’s a pretty time consuming dish. Instead I made a slight adjustment to the plan and went with rice pilaf. One of the “fun courses” I got to take back in college was a Middle Eastern Cooking Class, and the pilaf is one of the things I remember best.

The Results: This was pretty good! The rice was a little bit risotto like, and there were some key ingredients that should’ve been there that I didn’t have handy like almond slivers. The flavor came through though, and this didn’t take as terribly long to make as it easily could have.

#311 Roy Halladay

07 November 2017 // San Diego, California

It’s rare that a famous person’s death will feel personal, but my favorite baseball player died today and Roy Halladay was a gem.

Growing up as a Phillies fan, you’d have to wait long stretches in between windows where the team was actually good. When Halladay joined the team, I wasn’t used to my favorite team attracting such talent. He instantly made the entire team better when everyone else tried to adopt his work ethic.

I scrambled home as fast as I could to catch the end of his playoff no-hitter. I associate Roy Halladay on the Phillies with such a happy era in my life. When he retired, I hoped for his sake that it wouldn’t be the case of an athlete running into an identity crisis post-career, being so driven and all. Instead, his retirement press conference was more like a motivational speech.

He gave away the core of his extreme motivation– “I realized just how quickly everything can be taken away.” Knowing how easily you can lose things like health, your job, or life itself shouldn’t be a reason to live with unhealthy caution. Just a catalyst to engage and give everything 100 percent. #RIPdoc

#312 Work Festivities

08 November 2017 // San Diego, California

Shoutout to Melissa for having been so awesome to work with in my first six months at Plant With Purpose. This was our last day in office together, which was also when I learned you were moving- but had to keep it under wraps..

Good luck in the OC! We'll miss working with you but excited for your next chapter.

#313 Galaxy Tacos

09 November 2017 // La Jolla, California

So this octopus tostada is one of the most wonderful things I've tasted in a long time and Colby is a wonderful friend for introducing me to the world of Galaxy Tacos

#314 Katy Perry

10 November 2017 // Los Angeles, California

Yeah, sure, I have a flight to Beijing that leaves in about thirteen hours, but whatevs. I'm down to take a space journey with Katy Perry.

#315 LAX to Beijing to Seoul

11 November 2017 // Los Angeles, California

Thrilled, cause on the other side of this 18 hour journey are a few days to hang with my guy Jihyun

And this is how this adventure starts. First leg to Beijing is the first of eleven planes I'll be hopping on over the next sixteen days.

I have a few objectives for this trip, including shooting a film and celebrating a wedding, but in spite of that, I've kept planning pretty loose. I've been in need of that burst of aliveness that comes with not being entirely sure what each day will bring and I think this adventure comes at exactly the right time.

#316 Beijing Layover

12 November 2017 // Beijing, China

The flight into Beijing felt long. Not the longest flight I've been on by any means, but couldn't fall asleep and time travel through this flight like I usually do. Instead it was a marathon of five movies, drafting work emails, and reading halfway through a book I packed.

I was wondering if I might've been losing the travel stamina that's served me well for such a long time. Then I arrived and it all came back. The excitement of a total change of scenery.

I never know when that feeling of immersion will suddenly strike but that ended up happening while walking around the Beijing airport. I managed to find some awesome soup that was way overpriced by local standards and a pretty good deal compared to what I'm used to. Noticing everything, feeling at home so far away from home.

#317 You So Pretty

13 November 2017 // Seoul, South Korea

So happy that my passage through Seoul led to spending some real quality time with this brother. Thanks for the amazing hospitality, Jihyun, and for all the places we did go.

Jihyun took me through the back alleys of Itaewon and showed me only the most hardcore pieces of graffiti. After that, we turned into Anthony Bourdain for the rest of the afternoon and I think I had six consecutive meals or something.

#318 Seoul to Bangkok to Chiang Rai

14 November 2017 // Bangkok, Thailand

Lots of airport/airplane pics lately, huh? Well that's pretty much been my world for the month of November.

The cost of physical energy is well worth it for the spiritual reward of every meaningful thing done while away.

#319 Ja Cho

15 November 2017 // Chiang Rai, Thailand

This is Ja Cho– He had one of the most infectious smiles in the whole village, and though we needed two translators and three languages to communicate, nothing could really hide his joyful spirit. It didn’t come easy and his story is like that of so many people in his village.

“I left my home village when I was still very young, so I don’t have a good recollection of what that is like.  I’m originally from China and lived there until I was 15. It was a famine that caused us to move. We were very poor, and my parents decided to move us to Myanmar. We lived there in a place called Namisuh. I got married there."

“Even though we moved, we faced challenges there like conflict, famine, and health issues with my parents. My parents passed away. Now I have one son living with me in the village. My other children and grandchildren live in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, other cities."

"I am Christian. I cannot read or write, but I listen to teaching at church and follow the teachings. I teach my children to do good things, and I’m involved in a leadership role at the community level and community forest level. When we talk about sustainability, we need to talk about the past. If we don’t understand the past, we can’t look at the future. Sustainability means I will pass on land, farmland and cattle, but also knowledge to my children.”

#320 Na Kuh

16 November 2017 // Chiang Rai, Thailand

Meet Na Kuh

"I am from Myanmar and I moved with my parents after the conflict. If I got caught, I would have been forced to be a porter for the army. Between the government army and the rebel troops, this created a very difficult situation for us. We walked from our village into a border area, then into Thailand. There were 2-3  families together, with our children. It took us about a week to enter into that border area. While we were walking on the Burmese side, we had to watch carefully. We were at risk of being caught by the government army.”

When she arrived in Thailand, she found challenges in her new home village as well. Na Kuh is a member of the Yellow Lahu tribe, an ethnic group that relies on the forest.

"There can be a lot of problems with the Forestry People when we go out and gather firewood from the forest. In areas protected by forestry people, we aren’t allowed to gather firewood, or graze animals. There are regulations protecting the forest by law so we cannot gather it. We cannot collect food from the forest."

"We plant trees into our forest so we have a community forest committee that walks around to check the forest. When you have good management from local people, the government people won’t come and disrput you. My dream is for nobody from this village to have to go out and work outside. We want to work together within the village and help each other. We don’t want to see people have to find outside labor and work like slaves."

#321 The Golden Triangle

17 November 2017 // Chiang Saen, Thailand

I had the opportunity to take a visit to The Golden Triangle. This is where Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos all meet up at the same river confluence. (Myanmar's the little strip in the middle)

Two more borders I’d love to cross over if I had a little bit more time and an easier passport to travel with. But what’s a good trip without a “next time” list anyways?

#322 Chiang Rai to Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur

18 November 2017 // Chiang Rai, Thailand

Another day, another plane, but the lumps and houses of Chiang Rai look good from up here.

Also, I'm running into the problem of running out of passport pages! Not fond of the State Department ending that extra pages option. It's a total Cadillac problem, but I had a harder time than normal getting on this flight. It'll probably be up for retirement once I'm back.

#323 Petaling Street

19 November 2017 // Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

I decided to save enough time today for simply walking around the streets of Kuala Lumpur, to take in as much as I could. This city brings so many different cultures together and merges them to confront all five senses. Walking around the mildly sticky humidity, passing the cluster of people of many different heritages right around the city’s old town, in between signs in Urdu for Halaal food and signs in Chinese for mee noodles, it was overwhelming in the best way possible.

Right by my guesthouse, I found Petaling Street, an old Chinese influenced market street and a great place for pedestrian stall-browsing. I managed to find the flip flops I forgot to pack and the Chinese fried chicken I’d been craving all week.

#324 Uppercase Bangsar

20 November 2017 // Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Welcome to my workspace for this week… Uppercase Bangsar. This place is a rad co-working hub for remote workers and KL locals, and is it just me or does the unfinished wood, consistent yellow-colored branding, and industrial warehouse vibe actually make me an estimated billion times more productive?

I used to fantasize about being a digital nomad and that whole deal, but ultimately it wasn’t for me. Still it’s a pretty fun treat to get just a little taste of it this week- not to mention, glorious air-conditioning that lets me escape both the outside heat, and the thunderstorm going down at the same time.

#325 Petronas Towers

21 November 2017 // Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

What do you think it’s like to be the former tallest building in the world? Is it sad to be reminded of your glory days at the top, knowing that you’re no longer the superlative you once were? Does the Burj Khalifa stir up thoughts of anger and envy? Freaking Dubai, right?

Or maybe it’s a relief. After all, it’s hard to live up to a title like tallest-building-in-the-world. Would people love you just for your shape and size? Would people even care what’s on the inside of you, or would they treat you like some token for selfies and postcards. Maybe, just maybe, being the second tallest building in the world has its perks if it means people are more interested in the real you.

#326 Phuket

22 November 2017 // Phuket, Thailand

Capping off this wild couple of weeks with Phuket. So much fun. So gorgeous.

#327 Island Hopping

23 November 2017 // Phuket, Thailand

I spent my Thanksgiving out here, so I think it’s safe to say that I’m feeling pretty grateful.

Really, though, I don’t think I could have it any better. I have a job that lets me do work I love, and when it’s done it lets me come home to a life I love. I get to go on these adventures, and when those are all done, I get the adventure of coming home to a crew I love.

#328 Dream Phuket

24 November 2017 // Phuket, Thailand

One of the more amusing parts of this trip was how radically different all the places I got to stay were. I spent some time in the rural villages of Chiang Rai, and in Malaysia my guest house was clean and had everything it promised– but it also looked undeniably like a prison cell with how thin it was.

This hotel in Phuket was sort of on the other end of the spectrum, as was its poolside bar.

#329 Ivy & JB

25 November 2017 // Phuket, Thailand

What. A. Wedding.

A blur of colors and joy and crying people and unplanned singers and floating lanterns and love. This whole night was so much fun and it made me happy to see these two so happy.

#330 Trisara

26 November 2017 // Phuket, Thailand

A parting shot at this gorgeous villa. Been getting spoiled over here the past few days.

#331 Back to Seoul

27 November 2017 // Seoul, South Korea

Ready for the return trip, and that takes me through one last night in Seoul and hanging out with Jihyun.

Going from the warm humidity of Phuket to suddenly walking the streets of Seoul at wintertime was a contrast made even more vivid by walking into a Thanksgiving potluck blaring Mariah’s Christmas album.

Christmas wasn’t even on the radar when I left for Asia and now it’s in full swing. Quite the homecoming.

#332 Giving Tuesday

28 November 2017 // San Diego, California

It's #GivingTuesday and Plant With Purpose is at it giving away entire forests. I love being a part of this team, but you probably already knew that.

This year, CyberMonday made Jeff Bezos the new richest person. What if on GivingTuesday we gave a boost to the poorest communities?

The longer I've been involved with so many different causes, the more I appreciate the importance of dealing with root causes. I love Plant With Purpose because of how well it takes on the challenge of poverty with environmental restoration and spiritual growth.

If you want to give effectively, know that when you give a forest away to a community that lives off the land, you're putting the power to transform their lives back into their own hands and keeping it there for generations.

There's still a few hours left to give as part of Giving Tuesday- visit the link in my profile!

#333 Braving the Wilderness

29 November 2017 // San Diego, California

"I won't sugarcoat this: standing on the precipice of the wilderness is bone chilling. Because belonging is so primal, so necessary, the threat of losing your tribe or going alone feels so terrifying as to keep most of us distanced from the wilderness our whole lives. Human approval is one of our most treasured idols, and the offering we must lay at its hungry feet is keeping others comfortable. I'm convinced that discomfort is the great deterrent of our generation. Protecting the status quo against our internal convictions is obviously a luxury of the privileged, because the underdogs and marginalized have no choice but to brave the daily wilderness."

–Brene Brown

Book No. 45 from 2017

Picked this one up for the Unconventional Book Club. I've been partial to Brene Brown since the TED Talk but had yet to read anything in full. The idea behind this book seemed so timely I looked forward to it.

It took me a little while to figure out the book's direction, but it became clearer midway through: recognizing shared humanity clarifies those moments when speaking up bravely is important, and how to do so in a way that's more effective.

⭐️⭐️⭐️
 

#334 The Light is Winning

30 November 2017 // San Diego, California

“We might see an opportunity to reflect on what is being revealed, embrace the change that is needed, and move forward in newness of life. After all, isn’t that how the story goes? Life to death, death to resurrection.”

–Zach Hoag

Book No. 46 from 2017

This book was a pretty quick read. The ideas are sound and valuable, but the arrangement kept everything a bit hazy.

If he simply told his story of his upbringing in a Texas cult boldly and vividly, I think the story would have made his points for him. If he went the route of trying to make his case more globally with fewer personal examples, that could’ve worked too. Instead, this kind of falls in a vague gap in between personal memoir and social commentary. I wasn’t quite sure who the book was for- it seemed like he wanted to speak to those with a negative view of religion, but takes a lot of insider knowledge for granted.

⭐️⭐️

OCTOBER 2017

#274 The Kindness Diaries

01 October 2017 // San Diego, California

“The small moments, the small acts, the small changes. We always think that change needs to come in broad strokes. That in order to follow your dreams, you need to get on a yellow motorbike to cross the world on kindness, but maybe the real epiphany is to pay attention to all the dreams unfolding around us. If I could make one promise to myself, I decided it would be this: when I got home, I would leave the bloody phone alone. I would pay attention. I would let my heart break open a little more. I would allow myself to be happy.”

–Leon Logothetis

Book No. 39 of 2017

The Kindness Diaries is also a Netflix series, and while the book has just a little extra detail compared to the show, it mostly covers the same ground: Leon traveling around the world by yellow motorbike without money, relying on the kindness of strangers.

Still, I wanted to double up and read this book– a light, fun, and simple, but still pretty motivating one. I could relate so much to his experiences. I’ve never circled the globe by bike, of course, but I have taken a lot of trips and I’ve gotten myself into lots of uncertain situations. Without fail, I’ve ran into really kind strangers all over the world who are willing to help out, and I think that’s done so much good to my outlook on life.

⭐️⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

#275 Pray For LV

02 October 2017 // San Diego, California

Las Vegas. Some days the best way to show up is to mourn with those who mourn, but keep showing up and loving brilliantly.

#276 World Curry

03 October 2017 // San Diego, California

Whenever I feel a little under the weather, the first thing I do is pretty much triple my water intake, take a ton of naps, and try to clear the airways with as much spicy food as I can get my hands on. Spiced up pho, ramen, curry, wasabi, all fair game. Oh, and movie marathons.

Yay for alternative medicine.

#277 Sambal

04 October 2017 // San Diego, California

Mission 40: Make the Indonesian chili paste to be used on shrimp, fish, chicken, beef, or pretty much anything that makes sense.

The Results: I found plenty of recipes for sambal that were fairly complicated and twenty ingredients deep. Then I learned from some people a little more familiar with the item that sambal is often made pretty simply- five or six ingredients. I’d rather pay for that than twenty so I went with: red chilies, garlic, lemongrass, shrimp paste, and a little bit of sugar and oil.

It turned out pretty much the way I would. Getting to work with a mortar and pestle was pretty fun, and this made the perfect paste for flavoring fish.

#278 Meeting Jeremiah

05 October 2017 // San Diego, California

Got to finally hang out analog with Jeremiah

Welcome to San Diego, man. Glad you're a neighbor.

#279 Friday Night Freeway

06 October 2017 // La Mirada, California

I love to travel, but that’s a totally different statement than I love to transit.

#280 Walk to Defeat ALS

07 October 2017 // Bakersfield, California

Had a real memorable time in the Walk To Defeat ALS on Daryl’s squad.

There’s no denying that some parts of the human experience are terrible. Being one of many people coming together, though, that is one of the best parts.

#281 A Weekend With Nephews

08 October 2017 // Bakersfield, California

A weekend with the nephews is three board games running simultaneously, sifting through a gigantic tub of Legos, reading business best-sellers out loud to a four year old, and spending two days becoming a better person.

#282 Deanna’s Birthday Dinner

09 October 2017 // San Diego, California

Hey guys!

Today my favorite person in the world had a birthday. And we had a really, really good time.

Thanks to everyone who came to Bali Hai or did anything today to help Deanna feel special, but most of all, thanks to Deanna for always helping me be a better person, being the best puppy mama a Beignet could ever ask for, and giving the world so much light.

#283 To Sell Is Human

10 October 2017 // San Diego, California

“Where negative emotions help us see trees, positive ones reveal forests.”

–Daniel H. Pink

Book No. 40 of 2017

I was able to benefit from this book before even reading it. I found a PDF explaining Daniel Pink’s ideas about the “new elevator pitches” and used them to strengthen the way I talk about Plant With Purpose.

Since one chapter turned out to be so helpful, I figured, why not give the whole book a shot? That chapter remained the most useful out of the entire book, but the whole was still worth the read. I don’t think I needed much effort to convince that just about everyone is in the business of selling in some way.

⭐️⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

#284 Natural Beignet

11 October 2017 // San Diego, California

“If you can’t accept me at my stinkiest, you don’t deserve me at my fluffiest.”

–Beignet

#285 Road to Sac

12 October 2017 // San Diego, California

Where this freeway ends is where my journey begins.

Eight hour drive to Sacramento after an eight hour day at work. The plan is to stop and take a nap whenever and wherever I feel a bit of tiredness coming on, but to drive when I’m awake. All worth it to see two great friends tie the knot.

#286 Justin & Caytlin

13 October 2017 // Sacramento, California

I still remember when Caytlin first told us about her first date with Justin three years ago while we were camping at Yosemite. They’re now officially Mr. & Mrs. Weaksas and their wedding couldn’t have been more fun.

We’re so happy for the two of you, and Charlie Waffles the Corgi, of course.

#287 SacBrunch

14 October 2017 // Sacramento, California

One quick bite before getting on the road again.

By road, I mean a really, really long drive down to San Diego, and by quick bite, I mean a really large bite of a Mexican scramble surrounded by fun people.

#288 Moviepass Kind of Night

15 October 2017 // San Diego, California

After such a quick turnaround with Sacramento, long drives, and packed weekends this month, we were ready for the chillest day-off ever.

Thankfully our Moviepass cards showed up just in time. And I enjoyed It even more than I was expecting to.

#289 Hanging With Allison

16 October 2017 // San Diego, California

You know what trend I’m all in favor of? Sea salt foam on top of drinks.

I’m also in favor of friends like Allison coming to town for a visit.

#290 Mission Bay Prayer Cycle

17 October 2017 // San Diego, California

Plant With Purpose works in Northern Thailand, where religious and ethnic minorities face a ton of persecution. Our Thai staff has started the quest of bicycling a circuit from Chaing Rai to Chiang Mai and back, while praying for the peace and unity throughout the region.

In solidarity, I got to start my Tuesday by biking around Mission Bay with my US-based coworkers. I love working in a spot where this is the sort of thing that happens on any given weekday.

#291 Katsu Curry

18 October 2017 // San Diego, California

Mission 41: For last year’s cooking challenge I made chicken katsu and was really happy with the way it turned out. I knew I wanted to do it again so for this year, I took on the extra challenge of trying to do a katsu curry.

The Results: It turned out pretty good! I had to improvise with quinoa chips (I know) when I found out we didn’t have panko crumbs like I thought. Still I’m happy to have a few leftover pieces waiting in the fridge.

#292 Side Hustle

19 October 2017 // San Diego, California

“It's not just about avoiding or overcoming economic uncertainty, it's about creating something for yourself and having ownership over that, and that's a wonderful thing.”

–Chris Guillebeau

Book No. 41 of 2017

I typically enjoy what Chris Guillebeau puts out, and this was no exception, though I didn’t think I would be reading it so soon after it’s release. I love his side hustle ideas, especially since this approach to life largely helped me put food on the table while in grad school.

This time around, I took other insights regarding how to help get some of my other passion projects off the ground. I’m still seeing the ways I’m benefitting from having gone to his book signing in La Jolla a month ago!

⭐️⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

#293 Coffee at James

20 October 2017 // San Diego, California

Live compassionately, live creatively, and you’ll be the sort of person the world really needs right now.

Every time I see somebody who defies living by “the template” in order to make compassion a priority, I’m reminded of how much an impact that sort of person usually has without even realizing it. It makes me want to do everything in my ability to encourage everyone to develop these two traits in whatever way that looks like in their life. It really would change the world for the better.

#294 Almost Brewing

21 October 2017 // San Diego, California

So many almost-awesome things this weekend, but also so many really good things.

Like... showing up to this bar wearing a Phillies cap and finding out that Rhys Hoskins was actually there an hour before. BUT then immediately getting the best nitro cold brew I've ever tasted, for only $2.50.

Or ALMOST going to a Canine Carnival full of costumed dogs BUT putting an old tank top of Deanna's on Beignet instead.

Or ALMOST eating at Snooz but being driven away by a stomach that protested against an hour wait time BUT getting bagels and good quality time with Ben and Rachel.

Or ALMOST getting a picture with Daniel but forgetting my camera BUT getting to hang anyways while the Astros won the pennant.

Almost a good weekend but still a good weekend.

I started the year with the goal of reading through 52 books before it was over. I figured it would be doable, but still ambitious given how long I usually like to linger over pages. I got off to such a hot start, too, and by March or April I think I was about five books ahead of schedule.

Then things started getting busy. And I ran into a few dense books that took 2-3x as long to get through, so I fell back on pace, and then behind.

For the past few months I’ve been either right on pace or behind by one, and I anticipate a busy November. Also- I really needed a slower paced weekend, so I decided to try to get through these three nonfiction titles in just a couple sittings. They aren’t long reads, but they are pretty good ones.

#295 How To Be Cool at a Pumpkin Patch

22 October 2017 // San Diego, California

Here's a quick guide on how to be the coolest crew at the pumpkin patch:

1) Bring your dog.

2) Watch her start madly barking at the animatronic witches.

3) Get props for her Halloween Spirit.

Needless to say, Beignet Baby's first pumpkin patch visit was a success.

#296 Literary Lockdown

23 October 2017 // San Diego, California

I started the year with the goal of reading through 52 books before it was over. I figured it would be doable, but still ambitious given how long I usually like to linger over pages. I got off to such a hot start, too, and by March or April I think I was about five books ahead of schedule.

Then things started getting busy. And I ran into a few dense books that took 2-3x as long to get through, so I fell back on pace, and then behind.

#297 The Magician King

24 October 2017 // San Diego, California

“He took a deep breath and sat up. Away from the warmth of the goddess’s body he shivered in the early morning ocean air. But even the cold felt good to him. This is life, he kept saying to himself. That was being dead, and this is being alive. That was death, this is life. I will never confuse them again.”

–Lev Grossman

Book No. 42 from 2017

I read Book One from The Magician’s Trilogy earlier this year and was kind of disappointed. It wasn’t so much an homage or allusion to Harry Potter and Narnia as it was glorified fan fiction. So why did I go ahead with the second book? I’m still not really sure, but probably at least partially because I got them as a set.

The good news is that I liked Book Two a good deal better. I still found Quentin to be a pretty annoying protagonist, but less so compared to the first. The plot this time around showed more restraint and paced itself much more nicely. I even hit a groove with it in the middle.

Still not a particularly winsome book, but enough of an improvement that I’d consider giving Book Three a shot.

⭐⭐

#298 Eight Flavors

25 October 2017 // San Diego, California

“You can find these eight flavors in kitchens from New York to California, used by families whose ancestors came from everywhere, from Italy to Vietnam. And through these eight flavors, I learned that American food has a complicated, continuously evolving identity– just like Americans themselves.”

–Sarah Lohman

Book No. 42 of 2017

Reading this book felt so much like listening to a Gastropod episode, which may or may not be how I initially found out about this. It’s a very detailed anthropology of Lohman’s canon of American flavors: black pepper, vanilla, chili powder, curry, soy sauce, garlic, MSG, and sriracha- that selection itself could stir up lots of discussion.

I enjoyed the book. It would get pretty dry sometimes, then I would read a little historical episode or a scientific expose about an ingredient that would be utterly fascinating, providing some balance all over again.

⭐⭐⭐

#299 Longanisa Breakfast Sandwich

26 October 2017 // San Diego, California

Food Mission 42: Not long ago I saw a video of Alvin Cailan explaining his favorite breakfast sandwich, which was a little bit surprising. It looked great, but there were so many personal preferences that were different to mine. He marbled his eggs to make them not runny. He mentioned he used Spam in lieu of longanisa. There were other things I loved about it, though, like julienned scallops as the green. I decided to try doing one my way.

The Results: Smashing some of the longanisa into patties helped them work in a sandwich. I kept the egg runny, which was mostly good, but it did make things a bit harder with how spongy Hawaiian rolls can be. The scallions were a hit. I’d love to try this again, maybe with brioche buns instead.

#300 How To Be Everything

27 October 2017 // San Diego, California

“It is tempting to try to whittle down all our interests and backgrounds into a single motivating force. The danger of trying to devise a single Why is the risk of oversimplifying things and just applying a new version of the specialist ideal to our lives. Understand the patterns and forces that move you, but learn to be comfortable with your plurality. You are a complex and nuanced creature. You contain contradictions and surprises. That’s a good thing.”

–Emilie Wapnick

Book No. 43 from 2017

Emilie Wapnick uses the term “multipotentialite” to describe people with a wide variety of interests who prefer not to limit themselves to one endeavor. Jack-of-all-trades has a negative connotation, and renaissance man has a positive one, but they’re two sides of the same coin that this book is all about.

So much of it resonates with my multipotentialite, try-everything, enneagram 7 self. And while most business books are pretty firm with insisting that mastery of one thing is better, the early part of this book was extremely affirming, especially as it describes strengths more common among these types: synthesizing information, adaptability, big picture thought, etc.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

#301 JB’s Bachelor Party

28 October 2017 // San Diego, California

I ain’t a bachelor, but I bachelor partied to celebrate JB.

Looking forward to welcoming you into the family, but really, it feels like that’d already happened years ago.

Also, there’s a monster at the end of this post.

#302 Continuing the Conversation

29 October 2017 // San Diego, California

I made the news this weekend! And not for anything terrible! Quoted in the UT and got my mug on CBS. They decided to go with a clip where I look really bored and spaced out, which is unfortunate because the actual event was anything but boring.

On the same day as headlines also covered a White Lives Matter rally in Tennessee, my church hosted a Talk Race Forum, with a wide variety of congregations and other community members attending. It was a productive workshop, forcing us to confront the ways in which white supremacy is ingrained within each of us.

I think churches have a pivotal role to play in confronting the sin of racism, and should be the leaders of bridge-building. I see a lot of churches strike out in that arena, but I'm glad to be part of one that participates. I'll gladly lend my food-coma'ed, head-scratching face to that.

#303 Pad See Ew

30 October 2017 // San Diego, California

Food Mission 43: In prep for Thailand, I decided to take a stab at one of my favorites- a good pate of pad see ew.

The Results: It wasn’t quite what I was going for, but it still made for a good dinner (and I made enough to keep feeding myself with for the following week.) Still, I can’t wait to get to Thailand for much better pad see ew than I’ve ever made.

#304 Stranger Things-O-Ween

31 October 2017 // San Diego, California

Our Stranger Things Halloween marathon (half-marathon?) was totally enhanced by the presence of some Eleven-themed cocktails.. 

Behold the Eleven…

+ Blended scotch
+ Dry vermouth
+ Soda water
+ A pinch of sea salt
+ A dash of maple syrup
+ Of course… a garnish of Eggo waffles

So good you just might find yourself upside down! Take it easy or you’ll be feeling like a Demogorgon the next day. One too many, and you just might go full Winona. Consider yourself warned and don’t blame me if you wake up to big tears in your wallpaper.

SEPTEMBER 2017

#245 Surly Brewing Co.

01 September 2017 // Minneapolis, Minnesota

Made it to Minneapolis with a good appetite and great company. Awesome catch up with Nick and Susie

Also, Surly Brewing is great and is definitely a different name than Sultry Brewing. Thanks for the recommendation, Dave!

#245 Fargo

02 September 2017 // Fargo, North Dakota

46 of 50:

🔘 North Dakota

⚪️ South Dakota

⚪️ West Virginia

⚪️ Wyoming

⚪️ Alaska

The road to 50 states continues. Thankfully it includes a stop in Downtown Fargo during NDSU's first game of the season.

#246 Palisades State Park

03 September 2017 // Garretson, South Dakota

I’m still totally wowed by this place. After driving through hours of cornfields, you wouldn’t think you could suddenly turn a corner and be greeted by dazzling bedrocks and shining blue waters, but hey, that’s what we got.

We got out of the car, wandered down a little trail, and started following some boulders to see where they would lead. It was just warm enough to make getting in the water perfectly refreshing.

Having this tucked away in one of the country’s least visited spots makes it feel all the more like a treat. I’m glad we came.

#247 Big Sioux

04 September 2017 // Brandon, South Dakota

“This doesn’t mean we must ignore the duties of the world forever; that would be impossible. Let prudence be our guide. However, I do believe that it is a common mistake of Spirit-filled people not to leave the cares of the world periodically to praise God in their spirits and to rest in the peace of His divine presence for a few moments.”

–Brother Lawrence

#248 Back to Funner

05 September 2017 // San Diego, California

Want life to be more fun? Work with what’s in front of you.

I’m always in need of reminders to do this. It can be so easy to focus on what -isn’t- there. Often, I feel like I could be making the creative stuff I was meant to if I only had the right collaborators around. Like I could be helping more people if only I had more time on my hands. Like I could be loving life a whole lot more with a few different circumstances.

The thing about the most creative, caring, and joyful people is that they work with what they have. The filmmaker who decides that cardboard can be just as good as any prop. The friend who lives a busy life but always stops to take a sincere interest anyways. The  person who refuses to let a day go by without seeing the beauty in it.

Living this way takes practice, but it’s a whole lot better than waiting around helplessly. It’s more fun.

#249 Room All Clean

06 September 2017 // San Diego, California

Some people react more to aesthetics than others, and I think I’m one of those people. I take to a clean space like a plant to sunlight.

Aesthetics are more about the way something looks. They may start there, but they quickly turn into the way those visuals make you feel, the moments they take you back to, the dreams they take you closer to. It’s why even though I’ve never been a graphic designer, visual artist, or professional photographer, the role of visuals have always surfaced in what I do.

#250 The Mothers

07 September 2017 // San Diego, California

“The weight of what has been lost is always heavier than what remains.”

–Britt Bennett

Book No. 36 of 2017

Truth be told, I wanted to like this book a lot more than I actually did.

It was a well-written book, I can say that with honesty. The writing style was clear but creative and characters were well fleshed out. I loved the scenes revolving around a family church in Oceanside, a pretty familiar setting.

Unfortunately, there were many points where I just found it hard to relate to the characters. Some of the choices that they made were a little bit hard for me to empathize with.

⭐️⭐️ ⭐️

#251 Superfish

08 September 2017 // San Diego, California

Hitting the pause button this weekend so hard.

But I do have a fun new toy to play with– #superfish by @moment

Considering how big of a role photography plays in my life, I spend relatively little on camera equipment. I haven’t bought an actual new camera since 2011, and I think I’ve gotten maybe one or two lenses since.

Every time I’ve gotten something new to play with, though, it’s really opened up a whole new level of fun to the way I document life, and I notice even more good.

I guess here’s one area where I’ve been doing the buy less, buy better thing before I really thought about applying it to more realms in life. All the more reasons why I should, though.

#252 LiNK Gala 2017

09 September 2017 // San Diego, California

Had a blast over the weekend at the Liberty in North Korea Gala and getting to see some fun people again. Plus, the Beverly Hills Hotel is like, decadent, yo.

Still super proud to be a part of the LiNK family for over five years now, which in LiNK alumni terms makes me one of the old guys. This team has done so much to help North Koreans who face the most difficult odds.

#253 Reset

10 September 2017 // La Jolla, California

So far this week: nobody I know is going in for surgery, no new hurricanes have formed, no earthquakes have struck, I haven’t woken up mysteriously looking like I took a punch in my sleep, and things are looking a lot more calm.

I have a pretty high tolerance for crazy, but man, that was starting to get out of hand. Sundays are usually the best reset button.

I’m looking forward to a quiet week, more quality time, and a little more creative dreaming.

#254 Sunlight Cracks

11 September 2017 // San Diego, California

I recently had a moment where I started to feel a gap in between what I had and what I wanted. I wanted to get creative and make something with a bigger impact. I wanted to be more of a connector between people. I wanted to do well at work and see a movement grow. I wanted to do well at home and catalyze a happy family.

I said a prayer that seemed to make sense. “Whatever you’ve given me, I will grow.”

What I heard back was something more along the lines of– hold up, reverse that.

I had the right idea, but the wrong roles in mind. Remembering whose hands are more capable, more in control, was a rush of freedom. “What you give to me, I will grow,” God reminded me, removed all the burdens of effort and returned all the joy of doing.

#255 Taco Tuesday With Durbel

12 September 2017 // San Diego, California

Our director from the Dominican Republic, Durbel, is in town for a month to study English. He's our second international director I've been able to meet, and he's so much fun. Energy!

We took him out for tacos and chocolate tasting and I covered up the labels of the different samples to see if he could find the Dominican batch. Without even tasting, he picks it out right away. The darkest one, which bias aside, also happened to be the best.

#256 Simple Sliders

13 September 2017 // San Diego, California

Mission No. 38: I went to a networking event a couple months ago. It wasn’t the most successful event in terms of meeting people, but it was worth my time because they had the most amazing sliders I’ve had to date. Simple, too! Just some buttery Hawaiian rolls, seared down burger patties, a generous block of cheese, caramelized onions and a pickle. Of course my simple mission would be to try and recreate the magic.

Results: Yes! Of course, with a food item that simple, it wasn’t the most difficult to try and reverse engineer what made it so good. Simple doesn’t always mean easy, though, and in this case, every item needed to have been made just right for this thing to be as good as its inspiration. I think I was at least close.

#257 Shadowbahn

14 September 2017 // San Diego, California

“American faith in the early part of the twenty-first century didn't emerge at all. By the conclusion of the new century's first score of years, only those who have a stake in an American idea defined by wealth and power can still speak of that idea so shamelessly, since wealth and power is the only American idea left.”

–Steve Erickson

Book No. 37 of 2017

This book was weird!

The Twin Towers suddenly reappear in the Badlands of South Dakota. Music starts playing, but only to some people. Something about Elvis’ brother, and a pair of siblings driving across the country from L.A. - on top of that, the book resembles a book of poetry the way the chapters are written out, even though it does deliver some narrative.

I loved the creativity, but the story and its meaning were so murky that it would’ve benefitted so much from more clarity.

⭐️⭐️

#258 Before Closing

15 September 2017 // San Diego, California

Some people need to work in a quiet space, a library, or some sort of at-home sanctuary. I’m the total opposite.

Back in college, I could never do the library thing. I would take my laptop to the plaza in the middle of campus, or the student center and sit right in front of the door. Now, I’m all about coffee shops and basically the most public places I can find.

I welcome the distractions that come, the people I run into by chance, and the small conversations that I let interrupt work. I often get inspired by something totally unexpected and get better work done anyways.

Every encounter is an opportunity to serve, and an opportunity to be inspired.

#259 Ivy & JB’s Wedding Shower

16 September 2017 // San Diego, California

This weekend, we got to celebrate Ivy and JB’s upcoming wedding with a shower that was to-scale with a lot of full-on weddings I’ve been to. Plus we had lots of family in town and my dance-floor itch was scratched.

I remember meeting JB back in 2013, and it’s been a blast seeing these two from the start continue to grow as a couple and learn from each other. Marriage is gonna have some really good things in store for them.

Weekends like this one are a good reminder why moving back to California was a right choice on so many levels. We get to be here to share moments like these.

#260 Buko Life

17 September 2017 // San Diego, California

Some people say it doesn't matter what you believe, but I disagree. Beliefs make you. You can be open-minded to all kinds of ideas, but you should also know what you believe in.

What we’ll ultimately be remembered for will be what we’ve given our time and energy to, the way we’ve responded to life’s challenges, and the small but meaningful changes we’ve made to the world. All those things stem from what we believe in most.

If you’ve never taken a fair amount of time to think about what you believe makes the world better, what the story of everything looks like, it’s so worth it. Is power and greatness what’s important? Giving hope? Helping others?

Down that rabbit hole, I’ve play a lot of connect-the-dots, trying to make sure the my decisions make sense based on those beliefs. Beliefs shape priorities, which shape habits, and before you know it, you’ve got a legacy in the making.

These thoughts brought to you by the juice of a fresh young coconut.

#261 Dinner With Durbel

18 September 2017 // San Diego, California

My church has sponsored a village in the Dominican Republic for several years, during which it’s seen its ecosystems restored, its people living easier lives, and spiritual renewal. The village is just about ready to graduate and enter a new phase of self-reliance.

.With Country Director Durbel in town, I got to help facilitate a dinner with him and the church’s Mission Beyond group to give an update on the process. This was such a fun night getting to connect my church and work worlds over grilled chicken while playing translator.

#262 Hipster Overkill

19 September 2017 // San Diego, California

Deanna warned me that if I went to work with this shirt and my camera strapped to my bag I would have crossed into unbearably-hipster territory.

I doubled down and brought this kerosene lantern off the shelf to light the way.

#263 This Child Will Be Great

20 September 2017 // San Diego, California

“Public opinion matters; if it is pointed, focused, and intense, it can turn things around. In this global age individuals are sometimes tempted to believe they have no power, not even collectively. This is not true. The public can make a difference if it is willing to take a position and stand up for a cause in which it believes.”

–Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

Book No. 38 of 2017

And in the year 2017, the very first political memoir was this one– by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the president of Liberia and Africa’s first female head of state.

I learned a lot about Liberia, it’s history, it’s one-of-a-kind relationship with the United States, the cultural clashes with the descendants of repatriated American slaves, and the dictatorial regime of Charles Taylor– the latter I was only passively familiar with through travelogues set in West Africa.

Sirleaf is a more skilled leader than a writer, the storytelling style often comes across as flat and overly rigid, her life has been more than interesting enough to have this book still be a fascinating one.

⭐️⭐️ ⭐️

#264 Chris Guillebeau at Warwick’s

21 September 2017 // La Jolla, California

I followed a burst of spontaneity on Chris Guillebeau’s book signing in La Jolla the other day, and it led to a great night.

I hadn’t been thinking of one of my upcoming projects as much of a “side hustle” until that evening, but it totally fits the bill. And I found myself gaining so much excitement for it that I feel like the night paid off in the form of all the momentum I got from meeting fun people.

Looking forward to getting to this book. Chris’ stuff in the past has always been super practical, and that seems to be especially true for his latest.

#265 Costco Lunch Date

22 September 2017 // San Diego, California

They often say: keep on dating you spouse, it keeps your marriage sharp.

They don’t often enough say that some of the best dates are in Costco’s Food Court, going on a sample run, and then going head-to-head on their display of an at-home arcade-style basketball hoop game.

#266 Planting Hope Gala: Seeds of Empowerment

23 September 2017 // Carlsbad, California

I got through my first cycle of Gala season and it was fun getting to see so much of the Plant with Purpose family gathered in one place. After all the numbers have been added up, it’s clear that this year’s gala was the best one yet!

I’m incredibly proud of the team I get to work with, and especially of Kirstie and Melissa for putting together such an outstanding event. Getting to go to work everyday hasn’t lost any shimmer, months after the fact.

#267 Normal Records

24 September 2017 // San Diego, California

Record shopping is a shopping I like, and I don’t say that about a lot of shopping.

Also, Birdtalker and the latest from The Lone Bellow have been some of my most recent obsessions. So many good albums this year, I don’t think I’ve been able to give some of my future favorites enough attention yet.

#268 New National

25 September 2017 // San Diego, California

It’s been hard to keep up with so many of my favorite artists releasing new albums this year- some after a decent hiatus. I definitely made an effort to give some intentional listening sessions the the new National album. There are few artists who’ve been such a consistent favorite of mine.

I’m sad I’ll be missing their San Diego show in a couple weeks, but this will be in heavy rotation this fall.

#269 Caramelized Onion Flatbread

26 September 2017 // San Diego, California

Mission 39: Let me start this one with a story.

Seven years ago, I got myself lost on purpose in the middle of Siena, Italy. I walked around the old city center alone, mesmerized by everything ancient. It felt small and grand at the same time. I needed the bite and wanted the cheapest thing possible. I walked into a pizzeria on the edge of town with simple signage offering two euro slices.

#270 November; Southeast Asia

27 September 2017 // San Diego, California

I’m excited to note where I’ll be spending a good chunk of my November– back in Southeast Asia. I’ll be visiting Plant With Purpose’s Thailand program, celebrating Ivy & JB’s wedding, tending to some geographically-challenged friendships, and doing the digital nomad thing for just a little bit.

• Seoul
• Chiang Rai(ish)
• Kuala Lumpur
• Phuket

If anyone has any recommendations, I’ll take ‘em. And if you know anyone based out of these areas doing creative, compassionate work that I need to meet, I’d love to get put in touch!

#271 Kilowatt Night

28 September 2017 // San Diego, California

Having a great weeknight starter kit:

• Good Friends
• A Full Stomach
• A Cucumber Sour
• A Crisp Fall Evening
• Openness to having a great time

#272 Compassion Talks

29 September 2017 // San Diego, California

“People are hard to hate close up. Move in.”

–Brene Brown

#273 Photowalk with Oliver

30 September 2017 // San Diego, California

Had a fun time meeting and going on a little photowalk with Oliver. The lighting at OB Pier wasn’t messing around.

Find me anyone wanting to live remarkably in a world full of templates and conventional living and we’ll have plenty to bond over.

JULY 2017

#182 Whole Life Festival

01 July 2017 // Del Mar, California

I went to the Del Mar Fair for the first time in a decade… this thing has not changed one bit.

Plant With Purpose got a spot at the Whole Life Festival, a celebration of botany and sustainable agriculture with organizations and thought leaders helping to spread awareness and ideas about holistic environmental health.

Of course, all this was a little bit hard to find behind the rows and rows of trucks selling deep fried pizza, mega turkey legs, and vats of oil.

#183 Beach Cities at Night

02 July 2017 // San Diego, California

I went to college in a beach city, party town, student slum kind-of-world.

I’m realizing that right now, I pretty much live in a grown up version of Isla Vista. But hey, that’s where so many of my happiest memories came from, so no complaints from me.

#184 Kauai Shave Ice

03 July 2017 // San Diego, California

I’ve lost count of trips into the ocean this week.

I’m pretty sure we’re turning into beach bums. And I’m kinda okay with it.

#185 Fourth of July 17

04 July 2017 // San Diego, California

The Fourth of July means unfinished business- The Fourth of July for Americans is less a time of looking back than a time of looking forward, less a time for congratulating ourselves on the exceptionalism of the United States, much more a time for challenging ourselves on the state of the American proposition. (Words from America Mag)

My Fourth this year was a winner. Got to set up the grill for the first time to have family over and the results were great. And living right across from SeaWorld has some perks. I get one of the best firework shows in town without having to even leave the house.

#186 Prosciutto e Melone Doughnuts

05 July 2017 // San Diego, California

Mission 27: Prosciutte e Melone Doughnuts. It’s a pretty farfetched concept, but hear me out.

Have you ever known a weird couple that seems to make no sense on paper, but once you see them vibe together it just works? It doesn’t happen often, but it happens. In the food world, this is prosciutto and melon.

Who would think that the salty, fatty slices of cured pork would mesh so well when wrapped around chilled, juicy cantaloupe pieces? Well, the Italians did, because they tried it out to a good deal of success.

I love sweet and salty combos, and the bacon maple doughnut has been well-established as a good one. I wondered if there might be potential for this odd couple to play well on top of some fried dough as well.

The results: Yes!

I spent a while juicing a cantaloupe to make some melon flavored glaze… that came out even better than I expected. I used my old beignet recipe to make the doughnuts, and while it was hard to work with the shape of doughnut bars, they still came out alright. Maybe not the most visually appeasing recipe, but also, one I was still pretty proud of at the end of the day.

#187 This City at Sunfall

06 July 2017 // San Diego, California

I’ve been able to work under so many different leaders over the years… at work, in churches, in academia. I’ve come across so many different styles and personalities.

There are so many different ways to be a great leader. That said, there’s one thing shared by all the people I looked up to the most while working or serving under them.

Humility.

Every leader that I’ve looked up to has had humility as one of their core traits. Not an auxiliary trait. Like- it would be impossible to describe them without noting how they were constantly deflecting or sharing praise, showing restraint around the limelight, or completely disinterested in showing off.

Humility unfailingly leaves a bigger impression on me than skill or accomplishments. Two of the best pastors I’ve ever known left a lasting, positive impression on me by apologizing for things misspoken. I remember those moments better than any sermon, and they did a better job than any sermon of making me want to be humble and own my errors.

I know I want to be like that. At the very least, I’m already a very big fan of humble.

#188 Fates and the Furies

07 July 2017 // San Diego, California

“Because it’s true: more than the highlights, the bright events, it was in the small and the daily where she’d found life.”

–Lauren Groff

Book No. 25 of 2017

Here’s one that sat on my reading list for a long time because of all the praise I heard about it. I finally got around to picking it up at Powell’s once I found a really good price on a copy in like-new shape. I brought it with me on a long plane ride and I’m so glad I did.

Groff’s story explores the ins and outs of a marriage that spans decades. It takes a simple story and peels away its layers, little by little, leading you to discover more and more hidden stories behind each character along the way. Her writing shows so much restraint and caution in crafting a clean but striking narrative.

She writes with such sharpness, painting scenes that are both rich and delicate at the same time. I haven’t come across too many authors who have this type of command over words and emotion.

⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️

#189 Dunking a Beignet

08 July 2017 // San Diego, California

If you know my dog, you’ll totally why I’ve been a skeptic of letting her off leash at Dog Beach. She has so much wanderlust, I wasn’t sure she’d be able to handle herself.

We only live a few minutes away from Dog Beach, though, which is such a delightful place. I tried taking her there on leash, but seeing her wanting to run free was a bit painful.

Cue the Rocky-style training montage– we’ve been working on a little off-leash training for the past few months.

Then, Saturday became such a proud moment for puppy parents. We cheated a little bit, by letting her let some of her energy out at the dog park, then we took her into the ocean. And she did so good! She tagged along with us the whole time, going after the ball and coming back despite the potential distractions of hundreds of other dogs.

You go, Beignet baby.

#190 OB Photowalk

09 July 2017 // San Diego, California

How I Spent My Pretty Rad Sunday Night:

Met new friends, took in some coffee, ended up on a photo walk around OB. Brought the dog and she turned into the evening's muse.

#191 Roadmap to Reconciliation

10 July 2017 // San Diego, California

“Reconciliation is about how to relate even after forgiveness andjustice have occurred. It’s about how to delve even deeper into re-lationship with one another. An absence of hostility is possible without a spiritual dimension, but reconciliation is not. Reconcili-ation is possible only if we approach it primarily as a spiritual process that requires a posture of hope in the reconciling work of Christ and a commitment from the church to both be and proclaim this type of reconciled community.”

–Brenda Salter McNeil

Book No. 26 of 2017

Of all the books this year, this one may have been the one with some of the most practical use. McNeil offers a good overview of what reconciliation is and breaks down the process into stages: realization of a new reality, identification with the “other,” preparation for lasting change, and activation of change.

This book was also the shortest book I’ve read this year, but if there’s such a thing as a value-to-page ratio, then this was also perhaps the richest. It’s a book that I think would be worth reading in a group setting, especially among a group with a diverse set of viewpoints and experiences.

⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️

#192 Beignet Baby

11 July 2017 // San Diego, California

I was talking to a couple of friends recently, telling them about our Beignet adoption experience.

At the shelter, she flashed us a pair of puppy eyes and offered a couple of gentle licks. Compared to the other yappers in the kennel, she seemed to be the only one with the temperament we were looking for. Plus she responded to a couple basic commands, which was pretty promising.

When we first brought her home, she was a total wild child… and stayed that way for the next several months. Puppy energy for days on end. What a trickster.

A year and a half and one big move later, though, and she’s so much more like the dog she made us think she was when we took her home. She hasn’t had an accident in almost forever. She’s never been aggressive, just assertively playful. She eats trash every now and then, but she can also handle the ocean like a champ.

We’ve spent a year and a half living the #lifeofabeignet and I think we got a good one.

#193 Volunteering at the Farm

12 July 2017 // Encinitas, California

Soil is fascinating. Soil is a natural antidepressant. The microbes found in soil have been found to have similar effects on a brain as chemical antidepressants.

Long story short, I love volunteer days spent at Coastal Roots Farm with our Plant With Purpose staff.

#194 Truffle Boy

13 July 2017 // San Diego, California

“I’d always tried to show respect for other people’s religious beliefs because I would never say that I know the one answer, and for a moment that day I shared a belief in a higher force. It made sense. All the parts of the world suddenly fit together as a whole. It’s what I felt the first time I ate truffles at Arcodoro and what I felt the first time I met Jane. Those were moments that came out of the blue.”

–Ian Purkayastha

Book No. 27 of 2017

This is the first book I’ve read this year by an author younger than me, but it was written with a lot more expertise and experience than a lot of older authors bring.

I discovered Ian when I heard an interview with him on The Sporkful. (At least, I’m pretty sure it was the Sporkful.) He told stories of how he hustled it as a truffle dealer, trying to peddle his gourmet goods in the back kitchens of some of New York’s most reputable restaurants. It reminded me a lot of how Jay-Z often talks about his hustlin’ days, just swapping out the banned substances with truffles. There’s still a lot of shady, cartel-driven business in the gourmet food world. That I learned.

I also learned a lot about why truffles are so valuable and how difficult they are to harvest. And of all the European politics that go into branding a product like a foraged truffle. Another book this one reminded me of was Phil Knight’s Shoe Dog. It was a look into the hard work that it takes to make a big idea succeed.

Ultimately, though, I was won over by Ian’s simple passion for his product and how transcendent the whole foraging and distributing experience was for him. He’s got some good stories to tell.

⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️

#195 Public Market Dates

14 July 2017 // San Diego, California

A place with lots of good food where you can run into some great people is my kind of place. If some of that good food happens to include lobster rolls, even better. 

It’s been a good past week on a couple of fronts– lots of time spent at the Liberty Public Market, going on some long awaited double dates, squeezing in good conversations in between overhead airplane noises, and loving the coast. 

#196 A Year After Lola

15 July 2017 // San Diego, California

Today a year ago, my grandma spent her last day on earth after 98 full, abundant years. She would've turned 99 last Monday.

She was the only grandparent of mine who lived long enough for me to get to know. And even if it was only enough overlap for me to have caught her later years, they were enough to let me know I had a family history of hospitality and widespread loving to live up to.

I miss her, but I'm also thankful she lived so long and fully that I got to experience her care and love. She left so much of it to linger, it almost feels like she's still around in the Philippines, waiting for our next visit.

#197 Family Day in OB

16 July 2017 // San Diego, California

My in-laws are in town... just about all of them! On their first full day, Simon taught me how to play Magic the Gathering, we went to church, Beignet went into the ocean, and I finally got to try the steak tartare benedict and guava melon mimosa at Breakfast Republic.

And the fun weekend is turning into a pretty fun week.

#198 Houseful of Fam

17 July 2017 // San Diego, California

Growing up, I was always happiest when my house was fullest. There was a strong correlation between when things were tough and when the house was empty.

I still love a full, packed house, friends or family everywhere, and food. Probably even more so.

When we left Oregon for California, we knew we would have to downsize, and we definitely did. We literally have half the space we used to. But we probably get even more use out of it by not letting that stop us from hosting as many people as we can. This week we had both families over. We had to ask them to bring beach chairs so we’d have enough seats, but it worked.

Get rid of things to make room for people.

In my dream world, my house is a coffee shop in the morning, an Irish pub in the evening, and a hostel overnight.

#199 Lavender Lemonade

18 July 2017 // San Diego, California

Mission No. 26: I’ve had the longest lasting fixation on lavender lemonade. Somehow those two flavors go together really well, despite lemons being bold and aggressive and lavender being a more delicate taste. It’s like a couple of complementary personalities that just meshes the right way.

The Results: The hardest part of this concoction was trying several different spots to try and buy lavender before giving in and ordering some online. But the results were great. I cooked them into a lavender syrup that steeped with the fresh squeezed lemon juice so much better.

#200 Late Night Ticket to Ride

19 July 2017 // San Diego, California

When the concept of your board game is “make trains really long and connect different places,” of course my nephew Luke is gonna want to play.

Little did he realize he signed up for a game that would take us deep into the night.

#201 We Used to Watch the Waves Crash

20 July 2017 // San Diego, California

Going as far back as college, one of my favorite spiritual practices were all those silent prayers of watching one wave crash after the other, vastness and consistency, separation and global connection. Just staring for a few seconds felt like a fistful of Our Fathers.

For the past few years, I’ve found myself living in landlocked places, forced to leave behind this practice. That’s not such a bad thing- having to leave your spiritual comfort zone reminds you that the meaning matters more than the method. But man, I missed it.

Yesterday, I started to wonder if that might’ve been at least a part of the reason I’ve been called back to a coastline. I spent the sunset with a book and a Beignet, watching waves crash. They hadn’t missed a beat.

#202 Nephews in Del Mar

21 July 2017 // San Diego, California

My nephs are in town and everything is great.

Also, I recommend pretty much everything I’ve been reading the past couple weeks: Fates and Furies, Amoris Laetitia, and Romans.

#203 OB Beans Grand Opening

22 July 2017 // San Diego, California

Sadly, it looks like I didn’t win the raffle for free coffee for a month/year. But the raffle tickets came in the form of matcha lattes so it’s all good.

Any of my econ-versed friends want to gve me a good Game Theory explanation for the raffle jars?

#204 Hanging With Marly & JP

23 July 2017 // San Diego, California

Thanks, ComicCon and Puesto , for giving us a chance to get back together and catch up with Marly and JP. It had been a minute!

And it was great getting to finally meet ya, JP. Come back to SD soon.

#205 Perfect Little World

24 July 2017 // San Diego, California

“It amazed Izzy the way the children rushed through so many complicated emotions without space between each one. Everything rose so quickly to the surface and then subsided, like firecrackers, and what had originally been so jarring to her, their unguarded emotion, now filled her with great comfort, that anything, no matter what it was, would eventually give way to something else.” 

–Kevin Wilson

Book No. 28 of 2017

At first, the premise of this book sounded really interesting to me. I was ready to read about a (probably dystopian) world where instead of parent-child bonds, all children are raised in bulk, with general society serving a collective parental role.

This book was written to be pretty fast paced, and its world is rich and lively. But the concept is kind of underwhelming. It turns out that the collective approach to raising parents is simply a psychological experiment underwritten by the owners of a Mega-Corporation. And what results isn’t too different from the collectivist style of parenting in many non-Western cultures, combined with the publicity and drama of reality TV.

⭐️⭐️

#206 David & Dayna

25 July 2017 // San Diego, California

The last time I saw David, our wives weren’t even in the picture. It’s been almost ten years.

We teamed up to take on some BBQ ribs and had several years to get caught up on. It was a blast and it was great meeting Dayna. We gotta hang out again– more than once a decade.

#207 Staff Beach Day

26 July 2017 // San Diego, California

I came back from Bocce ball to find my whole office intensely focused on the sand. At first I figured we were making a really intense sand castle. After all, we have a lot of technical people. Maybe we just wanted a lot of structural integrity.

I asked what was up and no one replied. They were so into it. I also thought it might’ve been some zen garden project, and everyone was really focused.

Turns out, everyone was looking for a set of wedding rings that had gotten lost. About an hour later: success. One was found, the other was in the car the whole time. Congrats to Ellen and Matt, and thanks for the team bonding!

#208 Seared Scallops on Udon Noodle

27 July 2017 // San Diego, California

Mission No. 27: Make a dish that perfectly highlights scallops as the star. Scallops are amazing, after all.

The Results: This was a pretty easy dish to make, since I was so comfortable with all the ingredients that went in. Udon noodles were my base, and I made a pretty good sauce from soy and garlic. The stars of the show, the scallops, were complemented by bits of bacon oil and brown butter, with a bit of mushroom.

#209 Kenzie Karaoke

28 July 2017 // San Diego, California

I don't like goodbyes. I like karaoke much better. If I have to say goodbye, I'll make sure that's balanced out with a good dose of karaoke.

F'real though, Kenzie, we just started being co-workers! I love my job and so much of that is because of the team I get to work with. Most of that team and culture was recruited and developed by such an HR powerhouse.

Good luck to Team Leas. The Bay won't know what hit it. Thanks for bringing me on board in time for a few great months of working together.

#210 Walk in the Park

29 July 2017 // San Diego, California

This weekend, I met and had spontaneous conversations with: a couple managing a crazy long distance relationship (she’s recently widowed and lives in Mexico while he travels 300 days a year for work), a woman in her 80’s who plays basketball at the gym every week and goes to Alabama for tournaments, her genuinely joyful friend who survived a terrible tragedy you’d never expect, an Iraqi refugee who is working hard to help other recent arrivals with their transition, and another Iraqi who was working for the UN at the time the compound was bombed in 2003.

And I took a nice walk in the park with my family.

#211 Board

30 July 2017 // San Diego, California

You know how I like, have absolutely no hobbies or interests at all and need a new one? And how I need something new to spend money on because I have way too much cash all the time?

To help myself with that situation, I bought a surfboard. It’s taken me long enough, with how much time I’ve spent living in surfer paradises.

#212 Pints for Pups

31 July 2017 // San Diego, California

Beignet still hasn’t figured out how to start a little side hustle to pay her share of the rent. We’re hoping she can go viral and change that soon with royalty payments. Until that happens, though, we’ve figured out how to get her to save us $1 on pints. Thanks, Culture!

JUNE 2017

#152 BizX

01 June 2017 // San Diego, California

I love how you never quite know where you’re going to find yourself at any given day. I was at work in the afternoon, when I discovered that I’d be going to a business networking event. I would be going because a chain of five other colleagues couldn’t make it, but I thought, what the heck, I’ll go.

I was a total fish out of water. Most of the people there were from a big money business world, and my first clue should’ve been the fact that the event rented out the Museum of Man and had free cocktails and hoer d’ouerves– shoutout to myself for actually doing more than just standing at the charcuterie board and eating all night long. I could’ve so easily done that.

Instead I got to meet a bunch of people from totally different walks of life, and I had a whole lot of fun doing so. Here are my three big tips for these sorts of networking events.

• A pretty good tolerance to strong wine is an asset. Not everybody had that, and the pinot gris they were giving out by the door was a lot more potent than it looked.
• Do everything in your power to not choke on prosciutto while networking. This will kill whatever good vibes you have built up. If you are working on a slice of prosciutto, it is better to hide in the corner and eat it secretly than to choke on it in front of your new connections.
• Let the other people do most of the talking. This will show that you are interested, and you’ll get to actually eat a lot more charcuterie that way.

#153 Our Common Home

02 June 2017 // San Diego, California

My 9-to-5 job is to literally tell stories that show people how a better world is possible. That we get to build up our common home. To be honest, it often feels like there’s a pretty big gap in between the world we live in and the one I want.

This week was especially bad in that regard.

You probably heard about the terrorist attack in Portland last week. An angry man was threatening two Muslim teenage girls on the train. When a group of men intervened, he killed two of them and badly injured the third. That makes me angry on a number of levels. The Portland MAX consistently brought me joy, and it’s strange to think of something so awful happening on board. Even worse is that I’d like to be the type of person who stands up for others, and it’s terrible knowing this is sometimes the result.

In the Philippines last night, a gunman shot and killed at least 36 people in a Manila Casino. That’s another incident that hits pretty close to home.

There were also recent attacks in Manchester, Baghdad, and Kabul– places a little less close to me, but incidents that were just as tragic.

The last words of one of the Portland victims were “tell everyone on this train I love them.” In a moment so full of hate, ugliness, tragedy, and death, came a string of words so beautiful that we all need to hear. Aren’t we all just passengers towards our own mortality needing a reminder that we are loved?

#154 Carlsbad Coast

03 June 2017 // Carlsbad, California

Enjoying just a little bit of calm before the storm of travel that takes over the rest of this month.

One of my favorite cities in the country (Chicago) and somewhere I’ve never been before (Tanzania)– what a great combo. I’m thankful that my life right now gives me both a home base and a good amount of opportunities to travel. I’m my best self when I get home and away in the right balance.

Lately I’ve been doing so much flashing back to some of the first international trips I took. I can just as strongly remember how fresh and new places like Australia or Turkey felt to me. It wasn’t just the place, but also that constant process of discovery and strong feeling of independence that made those trips so full of life.

You can’t quite recreate that magic, and you can never really take the same trip twice. That said, I’m feeling nice and ready to see somewhere new for the first time and to once again lose myself while exploring. That exhilaration never gets old.

#155 Point Loma Steeple

04 June 2017 // San Diego, California

Defying tradition sort of comes natural to me. I’ve always been drawn to the unconventional. I’m not offended by fusion food. I like music that doesn’t have a genre. I am much more interested about hearing how somebody has created their own career path doing something way out there than someone who excelled and accumulated wealth the tried and true way.

It’s kind of funny that when it comes to my faith, I go in the opposite direction. Maybe it’s cause growth often looks like going against your natural urges. 

When it comes to worship, I’ve come to appreciate church calendars, common prayers, and liturgies that go much further back than I do. It’s the awareness I often need that this whole thing is not about me. That’s not to say that one style of practice is better than another, but this is where my growth has been for the past five or so years.

Sure, there’s a level of taking personal ownership and application of your faith, but I also really need the reminder that God’s narrative doesn’t have me at the center of it. I have a little bit of time left on earth, during which, I need to be a good steward of his story and word for those who come after me.

#156 Deanna Starts Work

05 June 2017 // San Diego, California

Proud of Deanna, happy for Deanna. Today she started her new job with the Community Research Foundation in San Diego, doing pretty similar work to what she did in Eugene, only now with transition age youth.

You don’t need to know Deanna as well as I do to know that she’s gonna totally rock this new job. And by rock it, I mean she’ll be changing and probably even saving more lives than anyone will realize, because that’s what she does.

#157 Turkey Ciabatta Sandwich

06 June 2017 // San Diego, California

Mission 22: Keep it simple, but make a really good sandwich.

The Results: Start with ciabatta bread- and it doesn’t take much to take it off from there. A bit of japanese mayo and pesto, some lettuce, sliced turkey breast, tomato and muenster. It took only a quick couple minutes to put together and it totally satisfied.

#158 Universal Harvester

07 June 2017 // San Diego, California

“Not everybody wants to get out and see the world. Nothing wrong with that. Sometimes you just want to figure out how to fit yourself into the world you already know.” 

–John Darnielle

Book No. 20 of 2017

It shouldn’t be the biggest surprise but John Darnielle’s novel actually has a lot of the same vibe as a Mountain Goats song. I do think he is one of the most crafty songwriters, and so when his novels started getting heavy acclaim, I decided I needed to pick up one of them.

Overall, I liked it. This book had a really fascinating premise of VHS Tapes accidentally being partially written over with cryptic and creepy pieces of footage. This random mystery works its way into the lives of the video store employees and other related characters who are all missing something in their life.

As bold as that premise is, this is also a really subtle book, and it gives you a pretty long leash to make inferences about the direction the story takes. I’m glad I read it.

⭐️ ⭐️⭐️

#159 Anniversary 5

08 June 2017 // San Diego, California

Well— today took me pretty much everywhere, from the office to an amazing dinner at Bo + Beaux to a serene gondola ride in East Asia via virtual reality to where I am now, which is on board my flight to Chicago.

As exciting as all that is, it's all overshadowed by a certain milestone: Deanna and I have been dating for five years.

Of course we've since upgraded our status to married, but I never want to stop celebrating this anniversary as well. It profoundly made my life better and it's been growing me and inspiring me ever since.

Happy five years, hun. Thanks for filling them up with so many happy thoughts and moments.

#160 The Justice Conference: Day One

09 June 2017 // South Barrington, Illinois

Day One of the Justice Conference in the books.

I've mostly been posted up at the Plant With Purpose table, saying hi to people, and only got the chance to see bits and pieces of the speakers, and this.

Mariela Shaker is a fantastic violinist from Aleppo, who has survived unthinkable things. Knowing that added more music to the music, and her song was what resonated most in a room full of words. Hearing her play was incredible.

#161 The Justice Conference: Day Two

10 June 2017 // South Barrington, Illinois

“When we seek to love our neighbors, we cannot separate it from the systems in which they reside.”

“Our idolization of comfort and security will stop us from entering into other communities unlike our own.”

–Jenny Yang

The second day of the Justice Conference totally rocked. There were a lot of people who were only able to make one day of the conference, and we got to see a lot of new faces at the Plant With Purpose table and start some great conversations about environmental justice.

I also had a chance to run in to hear some speakers for a bit, and I think I did so at just the right time.

I caught the trifecta of Jeremy Courtney, Sandra Van Opstal, and Jenny Yang. Each of them had such compelling, challenging talks, and powerful reminders about standing alongside the marginalized.

Interestingly, in a conference of speakers two of the most powerful moments of the conference happened without many words. There was Mariela Shaker’s moving violin performance the previous day. Then there was Ann Voskamp literally giving up her seat at a panel citing "too much talking from people of privilege."

#162 Chicago Heat

11 June 2017 // Chicago, Illinois

Yeahhh- I’m not really one for these really hot days. My last day in Chicago kind of disagreed. I had to cope by trying to spend the night one foot away from a fan and by chasing down an order of Italian beef. The latter didn’t do much to help with the heat, but I love these sandwiches.

Despite being temperature challenged, I’m loving the summertime overall. My bigger travels have already happened, I think, but late nights with sours, taking advantage of the ocean next door, cookout recipes, road trip playlists, weekend camping trips, and early evening hangouts are still on deck. I’m loving this.

#163 Planes in Phoenix

12 June 2017 // Phoenix, Arizona

Another day, another layover. And apparently I’m crossing paths with John McCain at the Phoenix airport too. Ha.

It’s no secret I love to travel. And no matter how physically tiring a trip might be, I usually come back emotionally recharged and happy to take on my ordinary life again all the more thankful for it.

I’m thankful that I get to have a life where home-and-away can be in pretty good balance. I get to go to some interesting places and meet incredible people, to collect stories I’ll tell for forever, and to scratch the itch for adventure. Then I get to come back home to a life I love surrounded by people I’m thankful I always get to return to. I used to wonder if I’d ever hit a point where I’d have to compromise my need for a home base or my need for a long leash. I don’t take it for granted that not everybody has that, and I’m so grateful that I do.

#164 The Classy Skies

13 June 2017 // San Diego, California

Pretty much halfway through the year.

At the beginning of 2017, it was pretty tough to set goals or make plans. I was a free agent- looking for work and expecting to move cities, except I didn’t even know what city to really anticipate planning my life around.

I basically started with one goal– find a job. I wasn’t even necessarily thinking along the lines of a dream job- just something to help pay the bills, that could hold things together while I started to work on chasing a dream.

That goal was accomplished, and then some. Months later, I’d be standing on Mt. Kilimanjaro at a job that could not be a better fit for my skills, my interests, and what I want to do long term. I also wound up in San Diego, which has been a good fit as a new-but-old home.

I’m thankful- and we’ve still got half a year left- and as my goal for the remainder of the year, I’m ready to push even harder into making this place home. It’s been a long time since I’ve lived in a place without also knowing the day I’d move out, and I’m ready to make this place more of a home than I’ve ever had.

#165 Bicol Express

14 June 2017 // San Diego, California

Mission 24: Bicol Express is a coconut pork dish from the region of Bicol, and it’s got one of my favorite names for a Filipino dish–probably because it sounds more like a hipster café that serves the dish than the food itself. Yasmin Newman had a pretty simple looking recipe for it, so I decided to give it a shot.

The Results: I like what came out- I had to be really careful with these chili peppers since they were strong, but I like the way they went with the pork and the coconut. I’ll likely give this another shot in the near future- using pork shoulder rather than pork belly to cut out some of the fat.

#166 The Enneagram Advantage

15 June 2017 // San Diego, California

“Most of us wouldn’t ordinarily think of going to work every day as a spiritual exercise, yet our patters are constantly triggered by the job and the people around us. Once you know your type, you may become increasingly aware of times when your habit engages.”

–Helen Palmer

Book No. 21 of 2017

I greet most personality tests and profiles with a fair amount of skepticism, and the same was initially true with the enneagram, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say that it’s been one of the most helpful tools for allowing me to better understand my strengths and weaknesses and all that.

I’m pretty much the epitome of a type seven, and one thing stood out in this book that I hadn’t really heard from other enneagram resources before– to me, things change very quickly. You blink and suddenly everything’s different. Perceiving everything as fleeting guides me to make most decisions from a 30,000 foot view, wanting to squeeze in as much significant experiences as possible, wanting to have everything in order so I can take a deeper breath and take in a moment slower.

Thanks for the self-discovery, Helen Palmer.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#167 IAD Layover

16 June 2017 // Washington, District of Columbia

I was pretty thrilled to see that my D.C. layover was a full 15 hours- 8pm until 11am the next day.

That's not a sleep-in-the-airport kinda layover. It's the get-out, take-a-shower, sleep-properly, get-stuff-at-Target-you-forgot kind.

Huge thanks to Evan and Jesse for letting me crash a night. Deanna and I will have to visit you two soon and stay longer than a handful of hours.

#168 Addis Layover

14 June 2017 // Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Made it to some African soil. Yes! Fourth trip to Africa over the past five years, and I'm pretty happy with that rate.

Flying into the Addis Ababa airport made me pretty interested in going to see Ethiopia someday. The surprisingly familiar looking cityscape, the dusty haze over the city, the really good coffee. But that's another adventure for some other time- not this one.

Instead, it was a good chance to people-watch all the teams of volunteers and missionaries on their layovers in all their matching shirts- "Love Alive Malawi" or "Tanzania 2017." Between that and long, multi-part customs lines, African airports and Disneyland have way more in common than you'd expect.

#169 Tanzania Arrived

15 June 2017 // Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

After I landed at the Kilimanjaro Intl Airport, I hopped in the van waiting for me and set out for the hour and a half drive to our lodge.

I wish I could say I was amazed by the sights along the way. The scenes. The nature. The people. I wasn't. I mean, I'm sure they were lovely, but I knocked out within minutes of hopping in the van.

By the time I got to the lodge, I was pretty out of it, but the staff immediately greeted me with a hot towel and cherry juice.

For some reason I'd been telling myself that my arrival time was in the evening, like 7. I actually was way off and got in around noon. That left more time in the day to slog through before sleep, but I got to spend it hanging out with Corbyn and Katrina before the rest of the team got here.

#170 Kilimanjaro Day Hike

16 June 2017 // Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

One big bucket list item for me has been climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. I got to partially cross it off with a day hike.

The mountain was beautiful- for several parts of the hike, it reminded me of Oregon with its lush soil and rich greens. Then the landscape would change drastically. Yosemite-like meadows with tall grass and open patches. Then monkeys. Red dirt.

I’d love to come back someday and do the whole mountain. This and/or Fuji are climbs I’d love to have accomplished someday. But they’re super expensive and take a good amount of time, so I’m happy with a partially crossed off bucket list item for the time being.

#171 A Very Warm Welcome

17 June 2017 // Moshi-Marungi, Tanzania

We were driving from the Tanzania office to the Farmer Field School, where for the first time, I would get to meet and see our participants in the setting where they learn farming skills.

I was mid-conversation and just stopped. I literally said wow. On both sides of the minibus were farmers, mostly women, in bright orange shirts waving leaf fronds in the air, shouting and yodeling and singing loudly.

We turned and drove up the road they were flanking, they followed behind and continued to serenade us loudly, returning our smiles and increasing in energy.

The bus stopped and dropped us off at the middle of a party. It wasn't long before we went from buckled up to holding hands with them in a dance circle and trying to pick up on the Swalhili tunes.

The warmth of the welcome only grew when I learned that they skipped a Market Day to be with us- that's where they sell their goods to bring in an income and a much harder sacrifice than just a little PTO. But I would never know if I wasn't told.

I don't think I've ever been welcomed anywhere this enthusiastically.

#172 Homestay

18 June 2017 // Rombo, Tanzania

A real big thank you to this family for hosting us for a night. Christina, Cornelius, Cornelius Jr, Eve, Precious, and Mary- this was a home stay I won't forget! You all have such generous hearts.

Also, thanks for letting us help with dinner. Definitely a new experience.

#173 Tanzanian Karibu

19 June 2017 // Siha, Tanzania

Andddd it happened again. We drove into the community of Rombo and were greeted with another wave of shouts and cheers and singing in one joyful, unified voice. I’d never experienced any greeting like it, except the day before.

There are no words, really, to describe what it feels like when you are welcomed and received and celebrated like this. At least not in English.

Karibu is one of the first words a visitor will learn, and it’s Swahili for welcome. But it means so much more than that. It’s reflected in the attitudes and warmth and hospitality of the locals towards a total newcomer. It means welcome, but it also says something more along the lines of– HEY! We are thrilled out of our minds that you’re here!

My new goal is to be a karibu sort of person to people I’m around. If I can make them feel half as happy as this village made me feel, then yeah, life would be amazing.

#174 Lionness

20 June 2017 // Ngorongoro, Tanzania

I feel like we beat the odds on this safari and scored some unusually up-close lion encounters. So very Planet Earth.

First, there was the one resting right by the side of the road after a kill. She decided to recoup right in the shade of our jeep, while we stared 100 meters away to see if she would notice the gazelle about to cross her path.

Then, there were the two lions we got to watch… mate. I don’t know what the likelihood was of us running into that when we entered the park, but I imagine it was pretty narrow.

#175 A Parting Shot

21 June 2017 // Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

Our whole trip we struggled to get a good view of Mt. Kilimanjaro. I mean, we spent a whole day on the mountain, but it was a total forest-for-the-trees situation. When we were far enough away to see it, it was usually obscured by thick clouds.

I wanted to get a proper shot before I left, so I had to make do with my limited resources– a Kilimanjaro Lager beer can.

Now I’m writing these words from the airplane (probably posting after I’ve already touched down).

So much happened this week in Tanzania. More photos and stories remain. It feels like I spent two months here. It feels like I spent two days here. It was that kind of trip. I am so thankful for my job and where I get to work and the people I get to work with. Here’s what has me inspired to go back.

Knowing that what I do at my day job has such a profound impact for so many people will give me even more motivation to show up to work excited.

Having seen my Tanzanian friends be so industrious and creative inspires me to try to make the most of what I have, and to work to be fruitful and to have more to give.

The warm welcome I’ve received inspires me to be the kind of person who always lets people know I’m happy they’re around.

#176 The Aunts Who Feed

25 June 2017 // Carson, California

One of the biggest motivating factors for moving back to SoCal was to be closer to my aunts again.

We finally got to pay them a visit right after I got back from Tanzania, and it was just like old times. AKA lots of good food.

#177 The Packing District

26 June 2017 // Anaheim, California

As one part of our week of anniversary celebrating, we went to the Anaheim Packing District to find good things to eat. Sawleaf FTW.

Then, to celebrate Harry Potter’s 20th anniversary, we contemplated going to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter but balked at the price. Instead, we found a Hogwarts themed escape room and killed it.

#178 Two Year Anniversary

27 June 2017 // San Diego, California

I made it home in time to celebrate TWO YEARS of us being married!

Year two was a crazy one, but I'll be surprised if I'm not ultimately able to say that about all the years of our marriage. Finishing grad school, moving, both of us starting new jobs, it's been a lot of change. Mostly good changes but still big changes.

What doesn't change? We have so much fun together. And we eat good food.

Thank you for being the one who I get to live this life with, Deanna - we're still learning a lot too, but I'm glad we get to do that together.

#179 Homesick for Another World

28 June 2017 // San Diego, California

“You could hear your own heart beating if you listened. I loved it, or at least I thought I ought to love it - I've never been very clear on that distinction.”

–Ottessa Moshfegh

Book No. 22 of 2017

I don’t read a whole lot of short story collections, but I’d heard good things about Homesick for Another World, and from what I’ve heard about Moshfegh, she seemed like the sort of writer I might get into.

The way the stories were written were very good. Unfortunately, the stories themselves for the most part didn’t quite capture my interest. A few too many of them were extremely similar, and while disgust is meant to be a major emotional theme, there either wasn’t much beyond that or it was a bit too obscured.

⭐️⭐️

#180 The Best We Could Do

29 June 2017 // San Diego, California

“How much of ME is my own, and how much is stamped into my blood and bone, predestined? I used to imagine that history had infused my parents’ lives with the dust of a cataclysmic explosion. That it had seeped through their skin and become part of their blood. That being my father’s child, I, too, was a product of war… and being my mother’s child could never measure up to her. But maybe being their child simply means that I will always feel the weight of their past. Nothing that happened makes me special. But my life is a gift that is too great-a debt I can never repay.”

–Thi Bui

Book No. 23 of 2017

A reading goal of mine this year was to pick up more graphic novels. Thi Bui’s illustrated memoir helps show how wide-ranging that medium is.

Her story, really her family’s story of coming to the U.S. was both epic, but extremely relatable. Her immigrant upbringing was even set in San Diego, making it very easy to identify with. It wasn’t embellished, simply really well told, on the cusp of her own children being born.  

⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️

#181 The Next Worship

30 June 2017 // San Diego, California

“Worship should be expressive and formative. The aim of corporate worship is not individual expression but communal formation of faith. We should practice authenticity and desire transformative worship experiences. Worship should stretch us to rehearse truths while our feelings catch up with us.”

–Sandra Maria Van Opstal

Book No. 24 of 2017

I picked up this book at The Justice Conference after hearing Van Opstal speak- actually she was probably my favorite speaker. While this book primarily focuses on corporate musical worship, something that I don’t interact with a whole lot beyond as a participant, I still found this book to be extremely helpful.

Van Opstal really does a good job refuting ethnocentrism- no matter what your background or worship style, it’s an ethnic style. There is no “normal” and we need to always check our assumptions about how everyone is “different” in relation to us. PB&J is ethnic food, after all.

For anyone involved in church worship or leadership, I would heavily recommend this as a resource full of ideas on how to help a church grow in the area of diversity. It’s not just a good thing to have, it’s impossible to be a church that reflects a God of all cultures without it.

⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️

MARCH 2017

#60 GCF

01 March 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

When it’s all said and done, the thing I’ll be missing most about Oregon are the people. More than the hard-to-believe campsites, the friendlier cost of living, and the short list of restaurants I look forward to getting a taste of next time I’m back, it’ll be the people.

All that other stuff was waiting for us the moment we arrived in Eugene, but the community we had there, that took some time and effort to cultivate.

Our church felt like a family from very early on.

Many of our GCF friends were walking through some very similar challenges at just the same time.

UO introduced me to quite a few new personalities.

I am happy that it seems like many of the friends we made all seem to be entering new seasons of life, about to start on new adventures or to enter the next stage of an ongoing journey. I’m glad that for a good window of time, we got to get there together.

#61 Valley River

02 March 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

Today I decided to go on a walk and to not stop until I felt like it. The path by the river goes on forever and allowed me to do just that.

I kept thinking about how over the past few years I would compare my life to the one I lived in my early twenties where travel, idealism, and adventure were abundant. The past couple years have been quieter ones and I often wondered if I got "off track" somewhere along the way. Life got too quiet... and I have a hard time with that. (7 trait, def.)

Then... in seemingly an instant, life became full again. I found my way back to being a dreamer, chasing opportunities I can hardly believe are open to me.

But I think I can appreciate this so much more having gone through a much quieter season. I can embrace adventure with a better appreciation for the simple things. I can be an idealist conscious of the hard work it takes to make ideals reality. That wasn't the case four years ago.

God keeps on reminding me that he isn't one to waste time.

#62 David Minor Theatre

03 March 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

I'm gonna miss Eugene's quirky theatres.

As our last date night I'm Eugene- at least for a while, we kept it simple with a movie night and mango hefeweizens and some fantastic beasts.

#63 Joy Friends’ Housewarming

04 March 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

We started announcing that we were officially moving out at our friends’ housewarming party and it’s been an emotional freefall ever since.

I’m feeling so thankful for the people we’ve been able to get to know over the past couple years here in Eugene. Our friends at Joy Church were a big part of helping us develop and further our sense of community, and there are so many faces that we’ll be missing.

#64 Joy Church Eugene

05 March 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

A year ago, Deanna and I had yet to find a church in Eugene where we really felt like we belonged. We knew we’d know it when we found it, but also, we had already lived there for a long time to no avail.

A week later, we walked into Joy Church– a small startup group of families and people meeting at a community center by our house. We quickly gathered that they were a new church. Really new. Like, that was only their second or third week of existence. People seemed surprised that we found them, but we knew we found something special.

Between their belief that “every city needs more joy” (really, I was feeling that way about Eugene right around then) and the warmth of community we got when we went out to Killer Burgers right after the service with a bunch of people we just met, we knew that the church was the right fit.

In the past year, they quickly outgrew the community center. Outgrew the first movie theatre cinema, and are quickly about to outgrow the largest theatre in the movieplex. Also, we grew closer to a lot of the families and friends we got to know through this church.

Today they celebrated their first birthday, and it saddens me that it coincides with my first day since moving out of Eugene. But I’m so, so happy for them. And so thankful for the work Jake and Bethany and the staff and volunteers put in to making it a strong community. And so glad our stories got to overlap for a year.

I only wish I had found them a lot earlier while living in Eugene, but I guess we pretty much found them as soon as we possibly could have. Happy birthday, Joy! I hope to be able to keep visiting lots.

#65 We’re Moving

06 March 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

This change is gonna be so bittersweet.

I took a job offer, a really sweet one, that will start on Monday in San Diego. I drive down next weekend.

I'm going to miss Oregon. A lot. That much is clear. Long before we even started dating, Deanna and I would just talk about how much we liked the Northwest and how we'd probably end up there someday.

And we did. We moved up the week after we got engaged. We've gotten married, finished grad school, switched jobs, made friends, and adopted a dog while living in Eugene. It's a place where we made so many memories and saying my farewells the past few days has been a hard order.

It's a good thing I really like the job I'll be starting soon. And I think I'll like living in San Diego as an adult much more than I did growing up there. I'm sure we'll make it feel like home soon enough. In the meantime this week doesn't feel real.

#66 PDX Farewell Dinner

07 March 2017 // Portland, Oregon

Had to take a daytrip to Portland before leaving Oregon so I could have a farewell with these faces. One of the big things I’ll miss will be being so close to some of our Portland friends– but more reasons to keep visiting.

Thanks Jesse and Raquel for getting married so soon. This farewell dinner was a bit more like “see ya in a month."

#67 Eugene

08 March 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

It all kind of happened so fast. One day, I get a phone call and the offer for a job in San Diego. I always knew I was going to accept, but I called back a few days later to make things official. I got excited. A new city. A new job. A great job. There was so much to look forward to. Then it started to sink in– Leaving Eugene behind is going to be difficult.

In spite of that, I’m glad that it’ll be hard to leave. That wouldn’t have always been the case. As a smaller city, one with stretches of grey days that would seem to never end, it often tested my patience. I usually wanted more activity, more community, more things to do.

I eventually found those things, but only after it had taught me how to appreciate what was in front of me, how to balance ambition and appreciation. The ironic thing is, that makes it much harder to leave. But that’s a good thing. Goodbyes should be hard. It means you’re leaving behind something good.

#68 Birthday Beignet

09 March 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

Our girl turned two today! (Or sometime roughly around today, but we celebrate her birthday on her adoption day.) She wasn’t so fond of the party hat but I told her it would just be for Insta.

Two is fourteen in dog years, so I guess we now have both a two year old and a teenager at home, in the same fur. 😳

Right when I was in the thick of grad school, Deanna was sure my life would be better with a fur creature in the house. And she was right! Beignet has made some otherwise ordinary nights hilarious with her antics, her silent screaming outside the door when she begs to get into bed with us, her musical outbursts when she thinks we’re about to drive towards the dog park, and her fondness for road trips to Bend.

She’s also been quite a handful at times. We adopted a really high energy dog, and there was that time when she treated herself to an entire package of extremely nutrient-rich maize meal from Africa. But she’s a sweet one and having her in the family definitely adds to our lives.

Happy birthday, Beignet. You’re our girl.

#69 Eugene Farewell Party

10 March 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

Our friend Jordan threw us a nice send off at his ranch on my last night in town.

I’m gonna miss this group of people right here. GCF was a good community to have at a time when a good community was hard to find. It seems like a lot of us will be starting new adventures soon, but I’m glad we all did the Eugene thing together.

Also, most of my farewell events revolved around Code Names and I’m totally cool with that.

#70 Southbound

11 March 2017 // Sunnyvale, California

The long drive between Eugene and San Diego is made much better with this in the middle.

Happy birthday, Daniel

#71 San Luis

12 March 2017 // Los Baños, California

"The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation, his love and his religion.

He hardly knows which is which.

He simply pursues his vision for excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide if he is working or playing.

To him he's always doing both."

–James Michener

Found this idyllic reservoir <30 minutes outside of Gilroy. I knew I had to pull over and go have fun and be thankful.

#72 Day One on the Job

13 March 2017 // San Diego, California

My first day at the new job went splendidly.

Friendly coworkers, a pretty exciting mission, and a Mexican potluck as a welcome. That’s a sign of a pretty good fit.

I’m really looking forward to getting settled in at Plant With Purpose. Plus, I have a medicine ball instead of a desk chair. Here’s hoping it does what it’s supposed to for my abs!

#73 Parental Crashing

14 March 2017 // San Diego, California

Thanks to my parents for letting me crash with them until my new apartment was ready to go.

I couldn’t stay too long because it started to feel way too much like 2004, but it was a huge help when work started a week before my lease.

#74 The Righteous Mind

15 March 2017 // San Diego, California

“If you really want to change someone’s mind on a moral or political matter, you’ll need to see things from that person’s angle as well as your own. And if you truly do see it the other person’s way– deeply and intuitively– you might even find your own mind opening in response. Empathy is an antidote to righteousness, although it’s very difficult to empathize over a moral divide."

–Jonathan Haidt

Book No. 10 of 2017

This is a book I’m very glad I read. Haidt seeks to explore while people are so often divided into liberal and conservative camps, both fueled by a belief that they’re doing the right thing.

That’s something that had interested me too, and although I don’t share every worldview with Haidt, I found his insight into moral palates one of the most satisfying theories about what defines a person’s political orientation. The short version is that there are five “flavors” of morality– care, justice, loyalty, authority, and purity. While liberals will have strong tastes for the first two, conservative tastes would be more distributed across all five.

The long version is worth reading, and I found it to be a rare thing claiming to be a helpful “explanation of the other side” that actually lived up to the claim.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#75 Luna Ave.

16 March 2017 // San Diego, California

“I’m never gonna wait
that extra twenty minutes
to text you back
and I’m never gonna play
hard to get
when I know your life has been hard enough already.
When we all know everyone’s life
has been hard enough already
it’s hard to watch
the game we make of love,
like everyone’s playing checkers
with their scars,
saying checkmate
whenever they get out
without a broken heart.
Just to be clear
I don’t want to get out
without a broken heart.
I intend to leave this life
so shattered
there’s gonna have to be
a thousand separate heavens
for all my flying parts."

–Andrea Gibson

#76 First Week Down

17 March 2017 // San Diego, California

Cheers to a really good week.

After my first week of my new job, I couldn't feel more thankful. I love it. It's exactly the sort of role I dreamt about having years ago- and now it's a reality.

Also, the USA just won the World Baseball Classic and I'm getting close to the end of reading Pachinko. So many good things.

#77 Moving In

18 March 2017 // San Diego, California

I officially got the keys to the new place on Friday and got to start moving in. It made for a fun weekend of IKEA trips, furniture assembly, and picking out a houseplant. And... no more driving around with all our stuff in the car!

Good to be home.

#78 IKEAing

19 March 2017 // San Diego, California

New apartment means a visit to a certain Swedish Meatball restaurant that also lets you try out their mattresses.

#79 Loving This Job

20 March 2017 // San Diego, California

Going to work feels a lot like I’m playing. I have a lot of fun with what I get to do, and I know that’s a privilege for sure. I get to flex creative muscles, work with great people, entertain my international tastes, and do something that I believe helps people.

Case in point– the other day I got to spend about an hour and a half brainstorming ideas for a children’s book. It was a lot like that scene in Elf, minus the angry Peter Dinklage.

#80 The New Jim Crowe

21 March 2017 // San Diego, California

“Racial caste systems do not require racial hostility or overt bigotry to thrive. They need only racial indifference, as Martin Luther King Jr. warned more than forty-five years ago."

–Michelle Alexander

Book No. 11 of 2017

Wow. This book was a challenging and important read for me. It came recommended by numerous people whose intelligence and experience with matters of inequality I respect, so I knew I had to take to reading it sooner, rather than later.

The writing in this book was plain, but in a powerful way. By laying out the statistics and historical episodes that people of color in the United States have faced over the last century I began to deeply appreciate the drastic way the Civil Rights Movement shifted public perception to make overt bigotry unacceptable. At the same time, it helped me understand the new challenges this creates.

Whenever there’s a big step made towards equality, like abolition or the Civil Rights Movement, the old inequality usually finds a new way to express itself. After slavery, bigotry took the form of Jim Crow laws. Alexander convincingly makes the case that after Jim Crow, mass incarceration became the new vehicle for racial inequality- a tougher one to fight because of its lack of an explicit label.

This book was written at the beginning of Obama’s presidency, but in many ways it’s even more relevant with age. I don't know if this would be effective in swaying somebody committed to the idea that the world is post-racial, but I found the information and facts in the book to be extremely important to deal with.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#81 Looking to Run

22 March 2017 // San Diego, California

Finally hitting a groove here in San Diego means that it’s time to start running again. Or to at least find the right trail.

Started down this one this morning for just a couple miles. I think I’m onto something.

#82 In Search of a Good Morning

23 March 2017 // San Diego, California

Still on the hunt for my morning spot- the place I get to when I’m up early enough to watch the sunrise and watch the waves crash. It’s a spiritual experience.

Started today by testing out this bench. I think even the search for the right spot will be good.

#83 Meeting Downtown

24 March 2017 // San Diego, California

Got to spend my afternoon in a meeting downtown in one of the sweetest East Village offices. Good midday visit.

You and I are off to a good re-start, San Diego. Way to be.

#84 Chris Coffee Dates

25 March 2017 // San Diego, California

From public speaking to college housing to podcasting, Chris Ward is one of my all time best collaborators.

Now that we're living in the same city for the first time in a long time, I can't wait to see what happens next.

#85 Ducks In

26 March 2017 // San Diego, California

Final Fo' Baby!

This Duck just migrated south. Still a Duck.

#86 Crossing Paths

27 March 2017 // San Diego, California

“Life is eternal. We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share. This is a precious moment."

–Paolo Coelho

#87 The Bluest Eye

28 March 2017 // San Diego, California

“Beauty was not simply something to behold; it was something one could do."

–Toni Morrison

Book No. 12 of 2017

This was an important read that feels like one I should’ve gotten to long ago. I didn’t until now, but I’m glad I finally made up for a little lost time. At first I wasn’t sure how strongly I’d be able to connect with a book that seemed to be about body identity, but hey, I found a few entry points.

It doesn’t feel right to say that I loved it. So much of The Bluest Eye was written for the sake of intentional discomfort– something designed to provoke a little more self awareness in its reader, but in a less nihilistic way than Lolita infamously sought out to do.

It is fair to say that Toni Morrison is a gifted writer I look forward to reading more of. Her writing style is fluid, and this book still manages to be sharply provocative in 2017… all the more so when you consider when it was written. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#88 Sunset Resolution

29 March 2017 // San Diego, California

You know how there are tons of people who live close to some major attraction who never seem to take advantage of it? All the people in Anaheim who never go to Disneyland. All the people in Chicago who can’t remember the last time they just took a walk up the Magnificent Mile. The people in NOLA who know Bourbon St. is for the tourists.

I’ve been guilty of this myself. I went to college for four years right on the ocean. I never learned how to surf and didn’t make a habit of going to the ocean regularly until towards the very end. I grew up in San Diego and still have zero memories of that world famous zoo.

Well now, I live in one of the best places to watch the sun turn everything a blazing orange, and I’m feeling pretty committed to seeing it in person as often as possible. And if I miss one, I’d better have a much more legit excuse than whatever Netflix original.

#89 Moving Phases

30 March 2017 // San Diego, California

3/13 - Get to San Diego; start work
3/17 - Move into our apartment
3/31 - Go back to Oregon; get the dog; drive down the moving truck
4/7 - Back to Oregon again for a wedding; Deanna begins her drive down to SD
4/16 - Being able to eat meat and try a lot of the good looking restaurants in my new neighborhood.

What a month! Needless to say I'm looking forward to getting on to Phase 3 and taking another step towards a normal-ish life.

#90 Moving to Move

31 March 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

Not gonna lie, yesterday was pretty much no fun. Fifteen hours of loading up everything we own into this truck, trying to keep the dog from freaking out too much, and juggling a carpet cleaner, emergency trips to Lowe's to do wall repair, and donating half our things- with more donations yet to come.

This more than makes up for my extended absence from any sort of gym.

In honor of #LiNKWeek I am now going to drive this massive, fully packed vehicle across state lines.

FEBRUARY 2017

#32 Designing Your Life

01 February 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

“Living coherently doesn’t mean everything is in perfect order all the time. It means you are living in alignment with your values and have not sacrificed your integrity along the way."

–Bill Burnett & Dave Evans

Book No. 04 of 2017

This book was one of those business-oriented self-help titles that seemed to make some pretty grand promises on its book jacket. Naturally, I was skeptical. But it did offer some big picture ideas regarding “designing” a life that worked well for you in was including and beyond your career. Being on the job hunt and having the cleanest slate ever, I figured it would be a good time to check it out.

A lot of the ideas in the book were seemingly random. There’s a chapter in there about job interviewing and networking. One about brainstorming and mind mapping. One about evaluating your life. In one way, it made sense, but it also felt like a random assortment of exercises and ideas. Thankfully, the exercises and ideas were helpful and so they had a bit of value.

I’m thankful I read this book. I went through and did some of the exercises, so I think I got my money’s worth out of this one.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

#33 Sinigang

02 February 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

Mission 04: Make a version of this Filipino sour pork soup on par with the stuff you had growing up.

The Results: I mostly used Yasmin Newman’s recipe, with a few modifications. I always thought it was vinegar that gave the soup its sour taste, but it turns out… it’s tamarind! I had a good amount of seared pork belly, some bok choy, and eggplant in here. Sinigang isn’t one of my favorite Filipino foods, even when it’s good, but I thought my version turned out alright alright.

Also, I gotta get some more photogenic bowls.

#34 Pandemic

03 February 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

Some of my favorite nights with Deanna these days is clearing the table off after dinner and playing Pandemic. We badly needed a board game we could indulge in whenever it was just the two of us. Pandemic was the perfect choice.

It took us a little while to engineer the gameplay to just the right level of difficulty, but I think we’ve got it. Great game. My one big complaint is that three of the six pawns are different shades of green.

#35 Alpaca Farm

04 February 2017 // Creswell, Oregon

The other week I took Deanna on a nice little date to an alpaca farm not far behind our house. I know you're all thinking it. Wow! This is something right out of The Bachelor!

Nothing but the best for my sweet girl. And the best means alpacas because they are the best of the best. You may be familiar with their work from the sweaters I've worn to many a Christmas party.

Alpacas. You guys are my favorite camelids and camelids are my favorite livestock. You keep doing you.

#36 Super Bowl LI

05 February 2017 // Springfield, Oregon

Give it up for the real Super Bowl MVP– teamwork. As in New Belgium teaming up with Ben & Jerry’s.

Thanks to Tai for hosting!

#37 The Circle

06 February 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

"Most people would trade everything they know, everyone they know- they'd trade it all to know they've been seen, and acknowledged, that they might even be remembered. We all know the world is too big for us to be significant. So all we have is the hope of being seen, or heard, even for a moment."

–Dave Eggers

Book No. 05 of 2017

I'll give Dave Eggers credit for something, he knows how to think up a book premise so interesting-sounding that I find it hard not to read. Does he always deliver? That's a different question.

The concept of a Brave New World style dystopia that emerges from some Google-Facebookish mega network sounds intriguing. And it had the chance to make some interesting points.

Unfortunately there were a few things I felt fell flat with the book. First, I don't think Eggers added anything new or substantial to the conversation that hasn't already been said in most anti-social media rants, he just lets those play out to their logical extremes.

Also, most characters lacked a believable or interesting motivation and came across as flat. I've seen the film trailers for the adaptation and I think it has the potential to be better than the book. If anyone can rescue flat characters, I'll take my chances with Emma Watson and Tom Hanks.

⭐️⭐️

#38 Smith Family Bookstore

07 February 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

I suspected that being done with grad school would result in me reading a whole lot more. That ended up being the case. At this rate, I’ll have read a book a week throughout this year. And I’ve already come upon some good ones.

Here are some of the things that have helped me read more–

1) Using travel time well. I finished Trevor Noah’s memoir and The Righteous Mind both on extended airplane trips and with airplane time. There’s something about sitting inside a flying iron capsule that lets me enter a deeper focus I can't in “ordinary life.”

2) Designate time. I’ve been better at reading before going to sleep, mostly because it helps my mind transition and my eyes get ready to shut. But consistency is probably the big reason I’ve done so much reading this year.

3) Read with purpose. I used to force myself to read some books so that impulse purchases from four years prior wouldn’t go to waste. I cut out the impulse purchases, and as a result, the feelings of obligation also went away. Instead I look to mix up my genres, read what I’m passionate about at the moment, follow friends’ recommendations, and things that pertain to my life at the time.

#39 Here I Am

08 February 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

"There’s a Hasidic proverb: ‘While we pursue happiness, we flee from contentment.'"

–Jonathan Safran Foer

Book No. 06 of 2017

I picked up Here I Am both excitedly and nervously... excited because Foer's other two novels are a couple of my all-time faves, nervous because it's been over a decade since his last and what if the magic wears off?

JSF really doubles down on his style in this book, for better or worse. There's one moment when, in order to show a character's discontentedness, he lists her architectural likes... for a whole page in parallel sentences. A little excessive there, and without a character like Oscar in Extremely Loud, it felt more out of place.

But! There are these moments where Foer rears his brilliance at showing a character's complicated interior life through amazing narration... as he does when the character Jacob realizes the scarcity of moments that make him feel alive.

Compared to his well-received other novels, this book takes similarly great creative risks but lacks a loveable central character like Oscar or Alexander. Jacob is an overly familiar mopey 40-something divorcee and Sam is a more cynical twist on Oscar. While the first half of the book is extremely domestic, it does take a more captivating and creative turn when geopolitical drama surrounding Israel is introduced.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

#40 The Waiting

09 February 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

Man, 2017 thus far has been kind of a patience tester. And I normally think of myself as a patient person. Flight delay? NBD I got a good book. But I've found that once I've gotta wait more than 24 hours with a little uncertainty in the mix, then the challenge begins.

It's tough to remember so I gotta remind myself- life wouldn't be the same without a little uncertainty, a little suspense, and a little I-wonder-what's-going-to-happen next. It's only in some messed up Black Mirror world where we know how everything turns out in the end, and even the most miraculous life events are greeted with a shrug.

#41 Lardon Rolls

10 February 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

Mission 05: So there’s this place in Portland– Philippe’s Bread. Maybe I’m (for obvious reasons) biased, but I love their stuff. One of my favorite items is their lardon rolls, which are perfectly fluffy and carry just the right hint of bacon all the way through. My goal was to try and make some on par with that.

The Results: So I didn’t quite do that. Not that mine were terrible, but there’s a reason why Philippe’s Bread is one of the top bakeries in town. I thought mine were alright, but I wish I could’ve figured out how to get the hint of bacon to resonate throughout the whole roll. We did make some of these into buns for breakfast sliders, though, and that was just great.

#42 Early Valentine’s Day

11 February 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

Happy Valentines Day!!!

Before I had Deanna in my life, a good Valentines Day would be a rare thing. I thought I just had the worst luck ever when it came to February 14. Maybe I was being overdramatic, but also, I might’ve been right! I’m married to the best girl ever, and yet, being able to properly celebrate the day continues to elude me.

Last year it was being sick. This year I’m in California for some interviews. Maybe I’ll get a rad job and that’ll allow me to afford some pretty sleek dates.

Thankfully, we preemptively celebrated over the weekend. We went to go see A Dog’s Purpose (Giant Beignetface, as I call it) and then had dinner at Membrillo Latin Kitchen and oh my goodness, you guys, I had one of the best dishes I’ve ever tasted there. Seared scallops with black garlic and squid ink chimichurri… yes please!

#43 OMW San Diego

12 February 2017 // San Francisco, California

Good things have been happening lately!

First of all, I just learned that pandas and sea cows are no longer considered endangered due to population increases. This is actually somewhat old news, but it’s news to me. Hooray for them! Especially the sea cow. The best New Years’ Resolution I ever made was in 2014, when I decided to start calling manatees by their proper name.

On a more personal level, I’m en route to San Diego for an interview! I’m feeling cautiously optimistic, but this is the first time I’ve been flown somewhere to interview and that’s an exciting feeling.

And finally, last week I finished Gene Luen Yang’s graphic novel series, Boxers and Saints. Long story short, I loved it! I thought the story was so well told, and I don’t normally read graphic novels. I’d be totally down to explore some more, if I can find others of this caliber.

#44 Interviewed

13 February 2017 // San Diego, California

The reason I’m spending a week in San Diego this month: I got an interview with an organization I'm a pretty big fan of.

Every day leading up to it was building excitement and tension. If I get the job, I figured, I would be doing exactly what I'd hope to be doing with my career– as opposed to taking a job just cause it'll feed the family. Plus, if I spent years doing something I was less in love with, I'd be putting myself in line to keep doing that in the future. But I need to nail the interview to even have an option!

Normally I would tell nobody until it was a done deal and I was hired, because that's how I like to roll. But I guess I really wanted the job because I told some people who I wanted prayers from. And I think that paid off. I think they liked me at the interview.

#45 Chris at Bankers

14 February 2017 // San Diego, California

Photography tip: hang out with your friends and get wrapped up in a conversation that goes for so long that the sun goes down and the commemorative photo must be taken using a way-too-bright phone flash and salvaged on Photoshop.

Wait, that’s not a very good photography tip… but it’s a great tip for fun!

#46 Holy Parking

15 February 2017 // San Diego, California

We’re parked!

Remember where you parked.

That should be pretty easy.

Maybe you should drop a pin?

Nah, trust me I’ll remember.

Okay, but just to be safe–

No, man. This is a parking space you won’t forget.

#47 Ballast Blast

16 February 2017 // San Diego, California

The past week in San Diego has been fantastic! And of course Ballast Point with cousins was a necessary part of the week.

A couple other good things–

One of my first favorite albums of 2017 has reared its head. If you like Jack Garratt or James Vincent McMorrow, might I suggest Sampha's newest album? I've been digging it.

Also, I've been learning some fun stuff about Mike Illitch, the Little Caesars CEO who also owned the Detroit Red Wings and Tigers. A lot of the athletes he employed are coming out and saying great things about the guy, who happened to quietly pay Rosa Parks' rent for years until she died. I love it when people do secretly incredible things.

#48 Julian’s Classy Office

17 February 2017 // San Diego, California

Ok so Julian gets the prize for coolest workspace I've visited. I mean, his desk is right over the ballpark and a dozen steps to a beer and kombucha tap.

Thanks for showing me around! Hope we get to have some more meet ups soon.

#49 Baked Bear

18 February 2017 // San Diego, California

I do love some cousin time.

So far this year has gone by at both lightning speed and at a snail's pace. It's been a couple months of hurry-up-and-wait and hoping and dreaming about opportunities that are so close but yet to come.

I have so many ideas I'm looking forward to implement. For now, I've got a couple days more to sit back and trim the excesses from my life to make sure I have ample room for what I want front and center.

#50 Chris at Legacy

19 February 2017 // La Mesa, California

Went to church on Sunday and– oh hey, I know that guy!

For real, though, I'm very proud of Chris and happy to see him in a role he's very much made to thrive in. Plus he spoke on Purim and the book of Esther which is one of my faves and one I've been into a lot recently.

#51 SD to EUG

20 February 2017 // San Diego, California

Spent a whole lot of time yesterday in airports because of crazy weather and flight delays. Thankfully I got to charm my way to some food vouchers! My visit the past week to San Diego was great! Honestly, it was one of the best times I’ve had in a city where I’ve spent a lot of time.

I loved seeing a whole bunch of family and old friends, many of whom have just moved in the area pretty recently. And I got to make some new friends I meshed with just about right away.

I was super happy to see how green it was. All that rain really paid off. I don’t know if I’ve ever appreciated it’s flora so much.

And I love how much new stuff has popped up since I last frequented its neighborhoods. New restaurants, book stores, community groups, and of course, microbreweries.

Here’s hoping and praying that I’m back again in the city very, very soon.

#52 Boxers (& Saints)

21 February 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

“What is China but a people and their stories?"

–Gene Luen Yang

Book No. 07 of 2017

I don’t think I’ve given graphic novels their proper credit or attention in the past, so I sought to rectify that this year. I heard good things about Gene Luen Yang’s Boxers & Saints series, so I decided to start with that and I am so glad I did.

The complementary stories show two different sides of the Boxer Rebellion in China a century-ish ago, where peasants and countrymen in China rose up against the urban elites and the foreign missionaries and Chinese converts to Christianity who were bullying them. Except among those converts were people who Chinese traditions had oppressed.

This story itself does a great job of reminding us that in every conflict there are two sides, each with deeply personal motivations. It’s well told, visually, and the story got compelling right away. The elements of magical realism and heroic iconography were also awesome. The first of the two books focuses on the Boxers’ side of the story, and how one village boy turned his love of opera into his motivation to be his people’s defender. I ranked Boxers above it’s Saints counterpart, only because the story is longer and in the case of this series, that is a good thing.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#53 (Boxers &) Saints

22 February 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

“The world will never be exactly as we want it, Vibiana. But regardless of how imperfect things may seem, God’s will can still be found."

–Gene Luen Yang

Book No. 08 of 2017

The sister piece to Boxers– this book focuses more on the perspective of the Chinese converts to Christianity during the Boxer Rebellion, those deemed “foreign devils” by revolting peasants.

Of course, this book/series does a fantastic job of using a simple story to show how things are more complex than that. While many of the missionaries and their governing allies are undeniable bullies, other Chinese villagers have found acceptance among them while their societal traditions have once bullied them. The characters are so well developed, noble and flawed.

I wish that Saints was equal in length to Boxers, as it left me wanting more- but in a good way. The final scenes, in which the two stories are tied together, happen so beautifully and richly that you’re reminded of how people’s differences are equally capable of producing beauty and brutality.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#54 Matcha Shortbread Cookies

23 February 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

Mission 06: I’m not a big sweets guy, but one of the huge exceptions would be shortbread cookies. I think it’s because they’re buttery and give you a bit of that sweet and salty magic. What could make it better? Maybe a little bit of bitter? I wanted to try and add some matcha to make it even better.

The Results: I’m happy! Matcha is one of my favorite flavors, and you really don’t want to do a whole lot to take away from its depth. I ended up using large flake sea salt instead of regular salt in the dough and it turned out to be an improvement– when eating the cookies you’ll get more scattered sharp notes of the crystals and that is one of the things that actually compliments matcha pretty well.

#55 Red Pepper Linguine

24 February 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

Mission 07: I’ve been working on trying to get some better veg-friendly meals going. Homemade pasta seemed like a good bet- and red pepper linguine seemed to be enough of a complex flavor so I wouldn’t really miss the meat.

The Results: In terms of flavor- I’m happy. The red pepper taste was alive and well, and complemented by a modified marinara sauce, sea salt, and crimini mushroom to add a few extra notes. Unfortunately the texture was a bit off. Our kitchen/apartment is a little too small so we don’t exactly have a great space to spread out pasta noodles to dehydrate overnight, so I just had to face the fact that it would get a bit on the mushy side.

#56 Silvan Ridge

25 February 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

This weekend was an oasis of sunlight in the middle of a month of monotonous winter days. It was too good that we had to get out and had fun.

After getting the dog tired out at the dog park, we headed to the outskirts to do some wine tasting.

It was our first time at Sylvan Ridge… a simpler vineyard compared to the others we’ve tried in the valley, but their complementary tasting had some good malbec as a part of the flight.

#57 Hired

26 February 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

I have degrees in International Studies and Nonprofit Management. I also have a knack for telling stories, communicating, and marketing. A job that contained all these elements would be the perfect fit for me. After finishing grad school, though, I figured I would take one that contained two of the three, or maybe even just one. I’d eventually get to that perfect fit, but I expected to have to work for a little bit in a less-fit role to support the family for the time being.

Then, I checked the website of a nonprofit organization I’d been following for years. Plant With Purpose. I discovered them through my friends Chi, Jihyun, and Youngjin three years ago and kept them on my radar. It turned out they were looking for someone to do their marketing. They do amazing work at reversing deforestation and reducing poverty… and way more people should know about the great stuff that they do.

I sent a resume. They sent emails. I sent emails. They asked me to come to San Diego. I came, ate the best burrito I had in years, and also interviewed. And then I went back to Oregon. They called me and sent emails. I sent emails. And after all that, it became official. I was hired.

And… I found this old newsletter that Jihyun gave me when he told me about them for the first time. Now I’ll be helping to put stuff like this together!

#58 The Seven Story Mountain

27 February 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

“It is only the infinite mercy and love of God that has prevented us from tearing ourselves to pieces and destroying His entire creation long ago. People seem to think that it is in some way a proof that no merciful God exists if we have so many wars. On the contrary, consider how in spite of centuries of sin and greed and lust and cruelty and hatred and avarice and oppression and injustice, spawned and bred by the free wills of men, the human race can still recover, each time, and can still produce men and women who overcome evil with good, hatred with love, greed with charity, lust and cruelty with sanctity. How could all this be possible without the merciful love of God, pouring out his grace upon us?"

–Thomas Merton

Book No. 09 of 2017

I have wanted to read some Thomas Merton for a long, long time. The consensus was that The Seven Storey Mountain and his conversion story would be the right place to start, so I found a sweet eighties copy at a used bookstore and dove right in.

This book and Merton’s thoughts and stories are all pretty meaty and substantive. This memoir starts off a bit slow but then really ramps up a bit before the middle. It’s not the sort of book you can quickly blitz through, but it’s also not the sort of book you’d want to. While this book in particular is about Merton’s gradual embrace of the monastic life, it is scattered with the sorts of thoughts and quotes I came to expect from snippets others have shared.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#59 Dutch Bros.

28 February 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

One of the worst parts about San Diego? The Dutch Brothers aren’t the same. Literally. I did a search for Dutch Brothers here and apparently all they do is repair cell phone screens.

Here’s one thing I’ll be missing from the PNW for sure.

JANUARY 2017

#1 Welcome to 2017

01 January 2017 // Manhattan, New York

This young year is off to a really, really good start.

I can’t recall the last time I started a year with so much mystery surrounding my life… so much wondering what’s going to happen next. It’s refreshing since last year felt fully planned out from the very beginning. Right now, all I know is to anticipate a handful of big changes… and that’s as specific as I can get!

This year, I hope to live with openness. Open hands, doors, minds, openness for new things and holding on to old things loosely. Not knowing what comes next can be scary, but I’m finding that I really, really like it. Life feels less like a conveyor belt when you’re forced to take things just one day at a time.

#2 Drive to DC

02 January 2017 // Washington, D.C.

Spent the second day of the year driving through several East Coast states and the giant Burger King freeway exit that is New Jersey.

We did it to get to Washington, D.C. to hang out with Deanna’s cousins for a few hours and even though we weren’t able to hang out for very long, it was well worth it.

I’m not always madly in love with Washington D.C., which is kind of a shame because in my field that’s where almost all the jobs are. But it does have its sweet spots.

#3 The Daily Show

03 January 2017 // Manhattan, New York

Now this was fun… Deanna and I took a chance on standing in line for a few hours in the rain and we earned ourselves seats inside a live taping of The Daily Show.

Honestly, I’m pretty partial to Trevor Noah, and I have no doubts that a lot of that fondness is because of my broader love for South Africa. He won me over just after he came to the U.S. with his knack for accents in his half-hour Laugh Factory Special. I know his reception as Stewart’s successor has been mixed, but I appreciate his perspective as a relative outsider. Especially as one who was brought up in the collapse of apartheid.

Anyways, if you watch his episode with Michael Che from a few weeks ago and overhear somebody with a weird laugh that sounds like morse code for ‘IAIAIAIA,’ I did that for you to have an easier time recognizing me.

#4 Manhattan

04 January 2017 // Manhattan, New York

People. Adventure. Generosity. These are the three big components of the life I’ve been trying to build.

You can live well in nearly any scenario as long as you have the right people around you. There are times where I miss the closeness of sharing dilapidated houses with almost a dozen friends, right next door to a dozen other friends who were doing the same thing. I don’t think community needs to look like that exactly, but I do long for more game nights, dinner parties, and heartfelt conversations.

Pursuits are important, too, and I often struggle to put into words why ambition and adventure matter to me. Think of any life you admire, and most likely, there’s been some pursuit behind that admiration. When I shared this idea with a friend who understood what I was talking about, it felt so validating.

The best pursuits, of course, are the ones that help and create opportunity for other people, and there’s so many different ways for that to look. Being a listener. Being a fundraiser. Climbing a corporate ladder but with the goal of changing its culture and giving away your earnings. The more I hear about my older family members’ spirit of generosity, the more resolved I feel to have that be a part of my own raison d’etre.

People. A pursuit. An opportunity to help others. These are pretty much the three things I want to have in my life at all times, and the three things I’ll be taking heavily into consideration as this year likely brings about a new job, a new city, and a whole lot of change.

#5 Fly Newark

05 January 2017 // Newark, New Jersey

One of my favorite feelings is when you’re on the plane en route to whatever next adventure. I put a lot of thought into setting the mood just right. Some playlists that can flow right into my ears those moments before takeoff, a book I look forward to making a lot of progress on, and- if I’m flying out of PDX, a massive banh mi sandwich, because that’s the only airport where I can get that many calories for just a bit over five bucks.

I have only the vaguest sense of what life might look like by December, but I know there are adventures to be had. And I’m glad I’ve got a few miles saved up to make them happen.

#6 Eugene Snow

06 January 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

We kept comparing the weather on our trip to the weather in Oregon. We were going to Chicago and New York, after all, so we expected COLD.

Almost every day of the trip, Oregon was colder than wherever we were. Chicago was at 20º below the week before we left, and it rose to 40º while we were there. New York only made me put on a single leather jacket. I kept thinking that “wow, bet this is going to be the warmest day of the trip” and it just kept getting warmer.

Now, I’ve come home to snow everywhere. And apparently NYC is getting it too. Weather be weird man.

#7 Beignet Reunification

07 January 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

The surprise on her face when we got back from our trip and she realized we weren’t dead. Plus, there was snow all over, so it was a great day for Beignet.

Also, she had a stomach ache again… separation anxiety.

#8 Portrait of Beignet as a Young Pup

08 January 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

Beignet is so spoiled.

In college, the first one to pass out is the one who gets drawn all over. Instead, Beignet gets painted in watercolor.

#9 Late Start

09 January 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

Came back home from New York with sleep I wanted to catch up on, a stack of books I was lost in, and snow all over the place.

Plus Deanna was off. It was the perfect recipe for a few nap filled days.

Now, two weeks into it, it feels like the year is actually starting. Finally sitting down to handle to logistics of things like time and money makes it feel all the more real.

And actually, I like having these things to chip away at. We’re officially in the part of my year where I have no idea what happens next.

Side note: I’ve been drinking so much water. It wasn’t even a resolution, I just wanted to wash out a very mild cold, but I’m feeling very proud of myself for it.

#10 Playlist Making

10 January 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

Any other obsessive playlist makers out there? I spent the better part of the day sorting out my favorite songs from the past several years into several different playlists.

One set of songs for the morning, one for the gym, some for dinner parties and road trips and everything else you could do.

The perks of being between jobs. Every single thing in my life gets organized.

#11 Commonwealth

11 January 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

“It was about the inestimable burden of their lives: the work, the houses, the friendships, the marriages, the children, as if all the things they’d wanted and worked for had cemented the impossibility of any sort of happiness.”

–Ann Patchett

It’s gonna be a good year for reading, I can tell.

Ann Patchett’s latest was a good one, though she’s been such a reliable author I’d be surprised if it wasn’t.

This novel chases two sets of half-siblings back and forth between the moment their family branched to their own fallout as adults.

I do often get bored with novels that are about discontented domestic 40-somethings moping about their existence and there are times when Commonwealth bordered on that. But the true-feeling characters and creative approach to storytelling kept the whole thing afloat.

#12 Brail’s

12 January 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

It’s a bit late, I know, but it’s here! What is it? It’s my list of favorites from the year of 2016– movies, books, albums, TV shows, podcasts, speeches, sports things, all mashed up into one list. By popular demand!

Okay, no one was actually demanding this out of me, but I love making lists, and it was a fun use of a snow day when I got trapped in the house with no power or wi-fi.

2016 was actually a pretty good year if you’re a lover of linguistics-focused science fiction, socially woke bunnies, and dudes that can sing a cool falsetto.

#13 The Kitchen Wall

13 January 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

I don’t know when it’ll happen exactly, or where it’ll be, but I’m really looking forward to knowing where we’ll be living next. It’s been a really long time since I’ve been able to live somewhere without seeing an end to it not so far off and there have been quite a few things that I’d love to finally be able to do with a more permanent home base.

1) Being able to start building up a community around a regular ritual is something I’ve been hoping to do for a while. A dinner party, game night, movie night, anything like that. I’d love to be able to gather people together.

2) I’d also like to start mentoring somebody- and to be mentored. It’s hard to get that going when you might just leave soon enough. To get the most out of these ties, it takes a long-term investment of time. Soon enough!

3) I have two ideas for side projects I’d love to have- one nonprofit and one business service. Again, it’s tough to start these things in a place if you’re planning to uproot. I’ve been working on these ideas as much as possible and I feel like I’ve gotten as far as I can so far without a permanent base.

#14 Deserved Donut

14 January 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

In an age of misinformation, chaos, a refusal to accept the facts, and blatant deceit– don’t ever forget what’s true.

You deserve a donut.

#15 Born a Crime

15 January 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

“In any society built on institutionalized racism, race mixing doesn’t merely challenge the system as unjust, it reveals the system as unsustainable and incoherent. Race mixing proves that races can mix, and in a lot of cases want to mix. Because a mixed person embodies that rebuke to the logic of the system, race mixing becomes a crime worse than treason.”

–Trevor Noah

I was probably in the minority when I found out Trevor Noah would be the successor to Jon Stewart. I had kept tabs on Noah’s standup and mostly liked his multicultural stuff. When he was named to the Daily Show gig, I figured it would be a nice change to get the perspective of an outsider to the U.S. who is also wildly familiar with things like apartheid and racial tension. As it turns out, that hunch ended up coming true.

Noah’s autobiography was even better than I expected it to be. It’s deeply personal and also features some brilliant essays and commentary on growing up in the time of apartheid and throughout it’s collapse. It examines the poverty he grew up in, his relationship with his comically religious mom, and the last chapter of this book… it was completely unexpected and something else. I enjoyed it totally.

#16 Pisgah on MLK

16 January 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

Nine times out of ten, you’ll notice that whenever something controversial happens that divides people in sides, I default to reminding everyone to try and get along. To avoid trying to take sides, and to find some sort of common goal. Most of the time, I like this approach and I like that I have some sort of built-in avoidance for wanting to take sides.

That said, this isn’t always the right approach.

In an instance where people are being oppressed, when one set of ideas contributes to people being harmed, being put at risk, being separated from family, being vulnerable to hate crimes, being talked about as if they were not entitled to the same treatment as any other human, or being excluded, it is impossible not to choose sides.

To choose to do nothing, to say nothing, or to act like it isn’t happening contributes to the status quo. It allows the oppression to last a little longer, for that many more lives to be ruined. There is no real neutrality in oppression. Yeah, speaking up may result in a few difficult conversations, but there is no improvement without sacrifice.

I think there are ways to do this that are respectful of people while still challenging harmful ideas. And it’s difficult to get it exactly right. But one sure-fire way to not get it right is to let my non-confrontational nature to be an excuse for not showing my Muslim friends, my black friends, my LGBT friends, and all others in my life that I care.

#17 Morning Mugs

17 January 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

I believe that most people want what’s best for their families, their neighbors, their communities, and each other. I believe that in divisive times, attacking each other only makes the division worse. I believe that we must not lose sight of kindness and civility.

But also…

I believe to do nothing during times of oppression is to contribute to it. I believe there are times that we’re called to speak truth against hate, that history is full of examples of the beautiful things that happen when people are bold in standing up for right and the awful things that happen when people ignore problems.

How do both these beliefs coexist these days?

Love people. Evaluate and critique and investigate ideas. Love people. Know that most of the time, our ideas require nuance, but there still is truth. Love people. Attack ideas that do harm to people. Love people. Even the ones who hold espouse those ideas. Love people, and remember that hate harms both its target and the one who hates. Love people to bring freedom to both.

#18 Tsunami Books

18 January 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

As of the end of January, I’ve completely finished four books and have three others that I’m within pages of finishing. As I’ve suspected, the end of grad school is leading to what will probably be my most well-read year so far.

Here are a few hopes for what I’d like to read this year.

1) Some graphic novels. I’ve never been a big graphic novel guy but there have been enough I’ve heard good things about. I’ve already got Boxers & Saints on its way and I’m hoping to read John Lewis’ graphic memoirs soon.

2) Some of the books on racial justice that have been on my radar forever. The New Jim Crow, Between the World and Me, and Just Mercy. I want to be better educated on some of the things many of my friends have to deal with that I’m unfortunately not aware of like I should be. And for that matter, Hillbilly Elegy and The Righteous Mind have come highly recommended as titles to understand differences in political thought from a sociological standpoint.

3) Thomas Merton. I think this is the year I finally read The Seven Storey Mountain, instead of just taking screenshots of quotes from it.

#19 Thai Tea Donuts

19 January 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

The mission: Try to create homemade donuts that remind me of the taste of creamy thai iced tea.

The results: Yes! So the texture wasn’t quite what I was hoping for. I ended up unwittingly creating some old-fashioned donuts with a crispy exterior and a crumbly inside, when I was going for a little bit more of a puffy brioche dough. When it comes to the icing, though, I think I nailed that thai iced tea taste.

#20 What To Do Now

20 January 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

I can’t recall a time in my life that’s been as filled with tension, anger, and outrage as the past several weeks. Political drama trickles down and it’s made so many people quite unpleasant. A lot of the anger has been righteous anger- there really is a lot to be upset about. It often feels like that part of the movie where one thing after another has gone wrong, and it seems like the heroes are screwed.

But this is no movie. What do you do when this is the world around you? Can it still be one tension building scene in a great movie?

It’s a season like this one that makes me look all the more forward to having a job with an organization doing work that makes life better for people and to know where my long term home will be so I can begin pouring heavy into that community. I want to channel all of that uncertainty into action- even if it’s just trying to make sure I can do for 20 people what I wish I could do for the world.

In the meantime, it’s a bit of a waiting game. It hasn’t been a passive waiting game, though. I’ve been discovering in random moments a strange sense of calm that doesn’t make much sense.

I think it’s faith. It’s faith that the next chapter will begin exactly when it’s supposed to. It’s a faith that it’s coming, that I’ll have a role to play in taking care of other people, and that I’ll be ready and willing.

#21 Women’s March of Eugene

21 January 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

I’m the product of being Loved well and having strong, positive, encouraging influences in my life, and when I think of who those faces actually are, they are overwhelmingly female! Like… by a long shot!

There’s Deanna, who has to fight every day to have some of the things most of us take for granted, but she doesn’t just settle there. She gives hers to lift kids out of some really dark places.

There’s my mom, who managed to totally put everything she had into raising me after losing my dad and her dad almost within a year of each other without ever using that as an excuse for giving me anything less than the best she could.

Then there are my Aunts, Ella and Fely. Auntie Ella hopped on a plane in the fifties to be one of the first in the family to move to the US and practice medicine. She then basically turned into Mother Teresa, using most of her earnings to support the rest of her siblings and donating her skills on medical missions. These two helped me get a car and a college education and are the most generous people you could ever meet.

Oh, and my Lola, who passed last year. She had the original heart for orphans, the love of hooking people up with a good meal, and the willingness to cross borders for loved ones.

If you think people who treat women like objects are fit to lead, you need to change that. If your vision for the future, the country, the planet, or the Kingdom of Heaven in any way inhibits women from full and equal opportunity, I want nothing to do with it because it’ll always be weaker than it could be with women empowered.

#22 Eugene Canal

22 January 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

Most of the time it doesn't feel real, but it's sometimes sinking in that I don't likely have much time left in Eugene. For the most part, the time feels right, but moving on is always a tough task!

That said, it's time to do that thing I do best and make some lists.

There are lists to be made about the future, the logistics of actually moving. What to keep, what to leave.

More so, there are lists about the present. Things we absolutely need to savor while we're still here. Favorite restaurants. Hiking trails. Dog parks. Friends to see.

All that will ultimately translate into a list representative of the last two years, the dates we went on, the people we met. What we'll remember about this city.

It's a good thing I really like lists.

#23 Jesus, My Father, The CIA, and Me

23 January 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

“Love always stoops."

–Ian Morgan Cron

Book No. 03 of 2017

This book has been sitting on my to-read list for years. I remember when I first heard about Ian Morgan Cron– people had largely good things to say about his spiritual memoir, and since that’s the genre I write, I went in expecting big things.

At first, I thought the book was missing something… maybe direction. I couldn’t see a central story or pursuit that strung together its different memories and recollections. I guess I have this weakness when I write, so it stood out to me.

Then I realized I was looking at the book wrong. It was a portrait of a long life and a spiritual formation, and when I started reading some of the middle chapters, where some of the roughest points of Ian’s life began to enter something resembling redemption, it took a turn for the beautiful. I began to appreciate the beauty of staring at life with a big picture lens.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#24 Country Bread

24 January 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

Mission 01: Bake a simple but satisfying country bread loaf.

The Results: I think I nailed this one. I'd been on a cold streak of not getting my bread to rise the way I want, but I finally got this right. It's a late start to this year's set of cooking project but I've played catch up before.

#25 Dangerous Things

25 January 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

It’s a wild thing to be going from one week to the next not knowing if by the weekend life will drastically change for me and my family, or if it’ll be another passage into more waiting and wondering.

It’s gotten me to pray a whole lot more. That’s for sure. And while some people pray with beads, I use my dog’s leash and have the best moments when I get walking.

The past few weeks have been full of small urges, no doubt, as a result. I’ll find myself surprised by what I suddenly feel like I’m supposed to do. Message a friend. Send this email. Call a certain person. Head up to Portland. Even clean the house. I’d be lying if I said it all tied together in a super obvious way, but I also know that there will be more to this story before it’s all over. For now, I’m loving the pursuit.

#26 City of Gold Cocktail

26 January 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

Mission 03: Make a cocktail that reminds me of the City of Johannesburg worthy of the name City of Gold. Do it to commemorate my return this time last year.

The results: Unfortunately I had to choose between working with Amarula Cream or ginger beer- the two drinks that remind me most of South Africa. They don't mix well due to curdling reasons.

I went with the ginger beer and added some lime. Then cognac- which seemed fittingly cosmopolitan but with an edge. I guess that's almost a Moscow Mule. If I had the means, some rooibos bitters would've been the perfect accent. Then I garnished with a maraschino cherry, lime slice, and candied ginger.

I thought it was pretty yummy. Surprisingly smooth.

#27 Job Hunt Grind

27 January 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

The people who say looking for a job can be a full time job in and of itself are right. I've been at it pretty diligently this month and I feel good going into February.

The biggest challenge of looking for a job, in my opinion, is that suddenly life becomes all about what you don't have. You know, the lack of job. And that's especially true in my scenario where I'm probably gonna relocate. Cause then it gets harder to find non-work things to get involved with since you can't make a long commitment.

But I totally dislike the idea of defining life by what you don't have. I have a lot of great people in my life, an adventurous spirit, and a few secret projects up my sleeve I haven't announced yet. I decided earlier this week that I would try to be the 'Best Unemployed Person' out there. How you even define that, I'm not sure, and the competition's steep with Barack Obama and Chase Utley also on the job market.

I figured one way to start would be to not use up all my time tweaking my resume, but to also use portions of the day to do things I don't get to really do when working. I gave the house a good cleaning to make Deanna happy. I sent a letter getting in touch with South Africa. I've also made it my most well read year so far- January and I've read five and a half books. If these are the cards I'm dealt, I'll wanna be sure to play all of them.

#28 Vino & Vango

28 January 2017 // Springfield, Oregon

Deanna really wanted to do those wine and painting classes for a long time. Here's proof that not everything on our adventures list was totally my idea.

A good date night has the other person in mind, though, so we went out this weekend. I think I scored some husband points. Not just for being one of two guys in a class of thirty women, but also for resisting the urge to paint my tango dancers in the shape of Coneheads.

#29 Hardesty Mountain

29 January 2017 // Dexter, Oregon

Good people can have bad ideas.

'I know good people who voted for both candidates.' 'I know good people who support Proposal X and good people who oppose it.' I've said these things in the past and still believe them to be true.

But good people can also support ideas that harm other people. After all, every year there's a philosophy professor somewhere asking his students how millions of -good German citizens- once allowed Hitler's rise.

When you find a person you want to believe the best about, who supports ideas that harm other people, remember these things:

1) Remember that they weren't created for bad ideas but for good actions. Consider the potential that they could bring if their talents and personalities were used for good. It'll help you to speak in love.

2) Remember that a bad idea also harms the one who holds it. You have nothing to gain from hatred or from fear. When you free someone from hatred or narrow-mindedness, you free both them and the people they harm. It'll help you to speak the truth.

Speaking the truth in love can be one of the hardest but most necessary things.

#30 Yearbook 2016

30 January 2017 // Eugene, Oregon

Instagram is like my journal. And I curate my Facebook albums. And my 365 project goes back seven years on Flickr. But what'll this mean to me in 30 years?

Some people have shoeboxes of photos in attics that get taken out on holidays, or maybe only once every couple years. But looking them over can be kind of magical, and scrolling through my 2011 archives on social media just isn't the same, IMO.

Last year I turned my 365 project, plus other favorite photos into a yearbook. (I used Artifact Uprising - a bit pricier but great quality). Deanna and I spent tonight flipping pages and being thankful. Lots of Beignet, weekend trips, and food pics.

Here's hoping to do this every year- and when the finances allow it, I'd also love to work my way backwards to 2010.

#31 Microprotesting

31 January 2017 // Portland, Oregon

Thankful for Jesse and his activist spirit. Our two man protest last week at PDX may have been very, very, very small, but it was mighty-ish.

Also, I am proud to say it was a peaceful protest. Not one arrest was made.

DECEMBER 2016

#336 Grad School: One Week

01 December 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Just a little over a week left to go… you can put up with almost anything for a week! Though this week is going to really put that idea to the test.

Two major projects are running full throttle right now. Simultaneously, I have twenty pages of research to write and one exam to get ready for, all within the next nine days.

Grad school really wants to make sure that I don’t miss it too much, I guess.

#337 Grad Finale

02 December 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Grad school: where if you keep responding to enough emails, eventually somebody gives you a degree. This time next week, I’ll be looking at an empty inbox.

In the meantime, I get to enjoy a weekend with my favorites. We were gonna go visit Santa at PetSmart, but then somebody found a very muddy dog park, and you can’t show up to Santa lookin’ like that.

#338 Amazon View

03 December 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

“I find students today much smarter and more competent than in my time, I also find them far more pessimistic. Occassionally they ask in dismay: Where is the U.S. going? Where is the world going? Or: Where are the new entrepreneurs? Or: Are we doomed as a society to a worse future for our children?

I tell them about the devastated Japan I saw in 1962. I tell them about the rubble and ruins that somehow gave birth to wise men… I tell them about the untapped resources, natural and human, that the world has at its disposal, the abundant ways and means to solve its many crises. All we have to do, I tell the sthudents, is work and study, study and work, hard as we can.

Put another way: we must all be professors of the jungle.”

–Phil Knight

#339 Welcome Mathis

04 December 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Got to meet my friends’ baby for the first time. His snores were adorable.

Welcome to the world, Mathis. I hope you like it.

#340 Grad School: Final Week

05 December 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Eugene’s looking a little Scandinavian today. A couple more tomorrows and we’re done.

One essay, the last two finals I plan to ever take, and grading exams for fifty students.

Alright, let’s do this.

#341 Whole Foods Eugene

06 December 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Whole Foods is a dangerous place when your food budget gets tight. Especially that hot food bar. But here’s a game you can play next time you’re in.

Challenge a friend to get as close to one pound of food without measuring as possible. If you go over, you lose. Closest one to one pound flat wins and the loser pays for the meal.

This is on the opposite end of the spectrum from the Costco challenge.

#342 DWNTWN EUG

07 December 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

If finishing my Masters programs this week wasn’t tiring enough, we just saw three straight nights of Christmas parties. They were a blast, and they saved us a ton on groceries, but man, I am gonna go into my first week of post-student life ready for a bit of hibernation.

Here are some things making me happy this week.

Okay, so the obvious. Grad school done. Yay!

I also saw Arrival over the weekend and it was an amazing, clever, meaningful film. It’s a puzzle film in a lot of ways but it also had tons of heart and hope. It’s a great work of art.

And Deanna and I also picked up our first Christmas tree. I love living where these grow without effort.

#343 Grad School: Done!

08 December 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

I just took a two hour final. It’s rainy. Miserably cold and most people get to stay home today because of the snow. Not me.

But that doesn’t matter.

Because.

I
Am
Done
With
Grad School.

(Assuming I didn’t overconfidently just bomb that exam. But ya know.)

PTL.

#344 Christmas Party-thon

09 December 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Tonight we’re going to our third Christmas party in as many days.

Mid December. What it do.

#345 Christmas Tree Farm

10 December 2016 // Veneta, Oregon

Did you grow up in a real tree or fake tree fam? I was raised with a plastic thing that hid in our garage for eleven months.

I always looked forward to the future when our Christmas tree would be a real one that I went to the woods to chop down. Didn’t quite chop this one down myself, but it is an actual tree, so that’ll be a good place to start. .

This Doug is totally dead on one side, so we had that face the wall and saved ourselves at least 40 bucks.

“The Christmas tree…where did that tradition come from? It sounds like the behavior of a drunk man. I can picture it now: ‘honey, why is there a…pine tree in our living room?’ ‘I like it…tomorrow…we’re gonna…we’re gonna decorate it…for Jesus…’”

–Jim Gaffigan

#346 Christmas Deck’d

11 December 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Oh bargain tree, oh bargain tree.

Your diseases saved us money.

It’s our first Christmas tree since getting married, and now our house is now all properly decked out for Christmas. I like this look. Even our Baymax and Ron Swanson prints look so festive.

#347 Norwegian Potato Porridge

12 December 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

When I was planning out what meals to make over the course of the year, I mostly thought about seasons and what sort of foods go well as the weather changes. For the most part I did a good job. Then I realize I’ve gone really heavy into Scandinavian type foods the past few weeks. I must’ve gotten the severity of Oregon’s winters mixed up with Norway.

While I’m glad we don’t have as much winter harshness as the Nordic states, I’ll gladly welcome in some of their cuisine, as I did with this potato porridge. Came out a bit on the thick side, but when it’s chilly out, nobody complains.

I did do something right by adding bacon. Sometimes a starchy potato based meal just asks to be matched with a salty pork of some kind.

#348 Going Somewhere

13 December 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

“That morning, we might have learned a boring lesson about foresight and preparation. We did not learn such a lesson. We did not learn so much anything, actually. But we did remember, both of us having long ago imagined the best thing about growing up would be getting to eat candy whenever we wanted. And now, we agreed, we’d been so, so right.”

–Brian Benson

Picked up this book at the PDX Powell’s while I was going somewhere. (Little Rock, I think) I will read most any given book about people challenging themselves to some sort of unconventional journey. Biking the perimeter of Africa. Walking the Appalachian Trail. In this case, biking from Wisconsin to Oregon.

As you might imagine, the Northern Plains offer large stretches of nothing, and this book was pretty tightly focused on the two characters’ journey. Minimal flashbacks, spiritual themes, or side encounters with characters possessing crazy life stories. In most cases I’d like more of those.

To Benson’s credit, his writing is skilled enough to still keep me engaged and empathetic throughout the story. The agonizing Montana winds felt very real, as did the evolution his romantic relationship took on the road.

#349 Attack of the Frost Giants

14 December 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

They say that many Native American tribes have hundreds of words for different kinds of snow. And I understand why. Not all snow is the same. There is the nice powdery, fluffy kind that is on the ground in Portland right now, and there is this ice-everywhere attrocity that we’ve got in Eugene.

All through the night branches kept cracking and crashing down. A tree completely toppled onto the parking spot next to mine. Beignet wouldn’t stop barking with all the other dogs in the neighborhood.

The power went out, and the Wi-fi was out for the next fifteen hours. The lights shut off just as a character in the book I’m reading died.

When I woke up this morning I went on a little walk to see how bad it was and whose cars were spared. That Civic was completely landed on. A tree landed perpendicularly across six parking spots that I usually take. It looked like some ice apocalypse.

It was also a little pretty. But not too pretty.

#350 Loving

15 December 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Thanks to all the ice and snow, Deanna and I got to enjoy a day at home and at the movies. Loving definitely makes my short list for favorite movies from this year.

Speaking of, here’s that list.

Arrival – It’s the linguistics-nerd, sci-fi puzzle film we never knew we needed. It’s Spielberg’s whimsy, Christopher Nolan’s inventiveness, and Terrence Malick’s visuals all tied into one story.

Loving – How perfect is it that the couple whose case ended up setting the Supreme Court’s ultimate ruling in favor of interracial marriage had the last name Loving? Obvious answer, it’s too, too perfect.

Zootopia – A second animated feature… but some of my favorite movies in recent years have been Disney/Pixar movies, so maybe that shouldn’t be so surprising. Those were some socially-conscious cartoon rabbits.

#351 5th Street Christmas

16 December 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

I’ve been paying more attention to the difference between Christmas music and Advent music lately. The latter focuses on waiting and a somber sort of hope. It’s why when I’ve heard sugary versions of Holly Jolly and Sleigh Ride (or Twisted Sister’s 12 Days) a few too many times, O Come, O Come Emmanuel really hits the spot.

That song, like many African American Gospel songs or East Asian and African standards, uses the pentatonic scale- one that creates a feeling of tension, unrest, and having not arrived. It’s like melodies speak on behalf of cultures or something.

Advent will never make complete sense to someone who hasn’t seen oppression or injustice in some way. The oppressed were its original audience.

The Book of Common Prayer led me to reading the well known “to us a child is born, to us a son is given” part of Scripture. “And the government will be on his shoulders.” What stood out to me, though, was the part that came right before.

“You have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire.”

That is most definitely music our world really needs to hear this year.

#352 Hamilton-ish

17 December 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

This weekend, we treated ourselves to a showing of Hamilton! But since we’re really on a budget, it was a high school performance of Hamilton. And since the school didn’t quite have the rights to Hamilton, it was actually about 70% of the musical plus random other songs from Waitress, Rent, and Chicago.

About a year ago I fell in love with this musical. I wasn’t expecting everyone else to fall in love similarly, otherwise we would’ve been set to see it in Chicago or New York. But thankfully it’s massive success means that high schools are giving it a go. NPR Pop Culture Happy Hour mused that there would be some pretty awful high school performances of the show. This wasn’t one of them. The kids were pretty good. Of course, Oregon doesn’t have the diversity of Hamilton, but the show was a great time.

#353 Kahlua

18 December 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Celebratory mood, anyone?

My second-to-last cooking challenge item for the year was none other than a batch of homemade kahlua. It turns out that this treat is way easier to make than it appears- just don’t skimp on the vodka because that’ll do most of the work.

I’m really glad I made this batch. Not just cause it was fun, but also cause I drink kahlua so rarely that the amount I made could stretch five years.

#354 Rack of Lamb & Garlic Mashed Potatoes

19 December 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

At the very end of 2015, I decided that my cooking skills could use some improvement. I liked to cook, and to eat of course, but there was so much I hadn’t made before. I wanted to know the exact impact an adjusted ratio would have on bread, what one more minute at whatever temperature would do to meat, and all that.

After Christmas I made a list of 52 different things to cook over the next year. Most were chosen so I could learn specific skills. I picked some just cause of the time of the year, or cause I really wanted to try making them.

Last week, I got to end the year off with a bang, making a rack of lamb using Julia Child’s marinade and topping it off with a wine reduction. I was thrilled when I cut into the center to find the exact shade of pinkish-red I wanted.

Here’s to challenging yourself and getting it done. Now to figure out something for 2017 in these next few days.

#355 Christmas Carons

20 December 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Hey family, spoiler alert. Stop reading here and erase the image you just saw from your mind.

(Psh, I know some of ya didn’t 😏)

Man… I keep posting about my low budget lifestyle lately, but that is our truth. When your family is large on both sides but your Christmas budget is small… homemade gifts are a lifesaver.

Thankfully I taught myself how to make macarons earlier this year. They go for about $1.50 a piece at our patisserie, so a single 5 piece box would be worth $7.50. If I was more motivated, this could turn quite a profit. The knowledge paid off this Christmas though. Less than $50 for ingredients gives me gifts for 25ish people… and even more if I didn’t screw up a batch or two.

This was also my first time making macaron flavors other than dulce de leche and chocolate. I improvised and experimented with coffee ganache, red wine and chocolate, and mango… and I surprised myself with how well they turned out.

#356 Chicagobound

21 December 2016 // Portland, Oregon

Yesterday was quite the day of transit for us.

We got up before five so we could drop Beignet off at the sitter. Then we took off to Portland early enough for some errands. We got to get lunch with @jessedmorris and @sunshinebucket at this adorable place, Mothers, in downtown Portland. Then it was off to PDX.

I tried to stay knocked out for as much of the first flight as possible to SFO so I could stay up for the second flight and get some writing done. We arrived in Chicago at 1:30 for a very chatty Uber driver to take us to our hotel.

At around 2:30 AM, we arrived, but realized we’d only had one meal all day. I ran out onto Michigan Ave. in hunt of a grocery store open 24 hours. Half an hour later we were splitting a 3 AM hoagie surprised that it was just that morning we dropped off Beignet.

#357 White City

22 December 2016 // Chicago, Illinois

Some of my favorite times are when it’s the two of us, doing some exploring. Sometimes it’s a new city. Sometimes it’s a familiar place. Sometimes it’s somewhere that’s familiar to one of us, new to the other one, and every landmark is also a personal landmark full of stories from before we knew each other. Some of these landmarks are buildings and statues, and others are sandwich shops and relatives houses.

Then we love meeting up with friends wherever we go. We’re cursed to always be far away from the majority of our friends, but blessed to be near a few friends wherever we wind up.

In other words, the past few weeks have been amazing.

#358 University of Chicago

23 December 2016 // Chicago, Illinois

In high school, I always thought I would end up in Chicago. I was in constant contact with Northwestern and University of Chicago and took a trip out my sophomore year to visit both those schools. I even had this elaborate fantasy image of leaving some cool Chicago coffee shop and looking back to see all my cool Chicago friends in the window.

Then when senior year came around, I just didn’t apply. For whatever reason. It’s like I forgot the school existed during the six months that mattered.

But, I ended up going to school in Santa Barbara and having the time of my life over there. And I even made some cool friends in coffee shops, including my wife.

We wandered around the University of Chicago’s Hogwarts-esque campus for a while, amused at the idea of how it was like staring into an alternate reality of the past.

#359 Christmas Eve 16

24 December 2016 // Moline, Illinois

Took it nice and slow this morning getting out of Aurora. Loaded up the car and set off for an extremely easy two hour drive.

Got to the Quad Cities early enough to hang out and eat the whole rest of the day.

Also, Codewords is a real fun game. Would recommend.

#360 Christmas 16

25 December 2016 // Moline, Illinois

Another Christmas in the bags, and a good one at that. I haven't had one in the Midwest since, I dunno, the early nineties.

For once, we actually got our number one pick at the White Elephant and held onto it up until the end.

You should know that the Oregon Trail card game is a good one, even though snakes will probably kill you just before the end.

#361 Baella

26 December 2016 // Moline, Illinois

Got to see this kiddo for her first Christmas ever.

#362 Chicago: A Novel

27 December 2016 // Chicago, Illinois

"A roaring city, gunfire and applause and thunder. Gleaming but made of bone and stone. Bitter cold and melting hot and clotheslines hung... an American city, with all the violence and humor and grace and greed of this particular powerful adolescent country.

Perhaps THE American city— no other city in the nation is as big and central and grown up from the very soil.... it is itself, all brawn and greed and song, brilliant and venal, almost a small nation, sprawling and vulgar and fowl and beautiful, cold and cruel."

–Brian Doyle

One last read to close out the year, set appropriately in Chicago itself.

This novel was simple and sweet, more of a love letter to the city than anything else. At times it was hard for me to get the groove, as the thrust of the plot was kept pretty subtle.

Instead, this is more about the unnamed character's coming of age in the city, the people he meets, and the way he stretches his independence to discover more and more. And while I never experienced such a thing in Chicago, specifically, I do know what that's like.

This book is quirky and romantic and fun, and made for a great travel companion.

#363 Flatiron Fun

28 December 2016 // Manhattan, New York

I’ve always thought that living fully, humoring your curiosity, saying yes to adventure, and taking along a sense of joy weren’t just good ways to have fun, but that there was something spiritual to the process of coming fully alive.

Enthusiasm has a fun meaning. ‘En’– that means within, and ‘Theos’– that’s God. God Within equals enthusiasm.

I love that, and I know I’m biased because I’m quite an enthusiast. (If you’re an Enneagram nerd, I’m very much a 7.) I have an appetite and energy for life that I need to channel well, but that I don’t want to suppress, because I love loving stuff.

Go where the Love is, and you won’t be lost.

#364 Connecticutted

29 December 2016 // Washington Depot, Connecticut

Two of the states that I hadn’t been to yet were Connecticut and Rhode Island. They’re so small and tucked away behind some much larger cities and frequent destinations, that I never took I-95 East of New York.

I wanted that to be something I did on this trip to put me closer to my fifty states goal, so we did just that, stopping by some Connecticut small towns en route to dinner in Providence. We found some lovely spots and good bites.

Also– Dakotas, Wyoming, West Virginia, Delaware, and Alaska… I’m coming for ya.

#365 Brooklyn Bridge

30 December 2016 // Brooklyn, New York

“It seems that the more places I see and experience, the bigger I realize the world to be. The more I become aware of, the more I realize how relatively little I know of it, how many places I have yet to get, how much more there is to learn. Maybe that’s enlightenment enough - to know that there is no final resting place of the mind, no moment of smug clarity. Perhaps wisdom, at least for me, means realizing how small I am, and unwise, and far I have to go."

–Anthony Bourdain

#366 New Year, New York

31 December 2016 // Manhattan, New York

The past is weird. I mean, does it really exist ? It feels like it exists, but where is it ? And if it did exists, but doesn’t now, then where did it go ?

–Ruth Ozeki

Welcome to the future everybody! So far, it's a pretty good time. 👌🏽👌🏽👌🏽

NOVEMBER 2016

#306 Grad School: Five Weeks

01 November 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

During my undergraduate college days, I signed up for the most eccentric classes I could. Middle Eastern Cooking. Japanese Horror Movies. Leadership and Team Building. Thanks to that I got a bunch of pretty neat experiences and learned some fun things.

Grad school makes it harder to go off the beaten path, but not impossible, and during my two years going for a Masters’ I’ve still wound up studying and gaining some knowledge in some things I never would’ve expected.

When I started, I was surprised to find I’d have to learn another language. I speak about five to some degree, but because I haven’t learned many of them in a classroom setting, I don’t have them on my transcripts. So, on a whim, I signed up to learn Hindi/Urdu. I can’t say I speak very good Hindi, or much at all, but I learned a bit about how to read the script and can utter some really basic phrases.

I’ve also learned a ton about local governance, especially when it comes to public finance and budgets. That’s thanks to my nonprofit classes being taught closely alongside public management classes. If it sounds dry, it kind of is, but I actually feel like I understand local government and things like tax considerations way better. I can also empathize with different opinions way better, and that’s always a good thing.

Also, by teaching a course on Africa twice, I’ve gotten quite familiar with some of the topics we’ve covered. One of these includes life in Mali. As a country, it doesn’t get many visitors, and I don’t envision myself being able to make it there any time soon. Glad I could learn a little bit through the process of teaching.

#307 Cubs Win

02 November 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

So… that… just… happened. Not only did the Cubs break their 108 year old curse, but they also put on the most dramatic game I’ve seen. And I watch a lot of baseball.

I guess this means the apocalypse starts tomorrow, but that game was so much fun, it’ll have been worth it.

Deanna and I don’t have live TV so we went to go and watch at a nearby sports bar, and my what a great decision. I got to befriend several old-guy-pub-dwellers, one of whom called David Ross’ home run a second before it happened. (Not to be outdone, I called the camera panning to Bill Murray a second before that happened). The girls next to me had the best Jason Kipnis specific trash talk. And they’re right… he probably does smell like Axe body spray! We all came as strangers, and left as friends who all never got around to exchanging names.

The Phillies will always be my team, but like any good racism-hating, loveable-loser-lovin’ American, I wanted this year to be the Cubs’ year. (Especially since the Phils’ had a sliver of a percent chance of being any decent). Baseball will feel kinda weird without a mindblowingly win-deprived team, but I’m sure the Cubs fans don’t mind.

#308 Gorgonzola Ravioli

03 November 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Never has developing a recipe given me as much of a difficult time as this ravioli. What you’re looking at is my third attempt.

This item of my cooking challenge was scheduled for last week when all the ravioli burst while boiling and I settled for frying up an odd mix of squash and cheese and noodles. Then earlier today, the filling soaked through the noodle sheets making them too sticky to shape.

I had to restart a third time and was pretty late to an afternoon class, but finally, I got something I could be pleased with. And Deanna was really pleased and said it was one of her favorites from this year’s challenge.

Sometimes I can get pretty stubborn about working on something until it comes out right. But I did learn a valuable lesson: use flour liberally.

#309 Oakshire

04 November 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Let’s talk about something a little more pleasant for most people- beer!

I’m in a MBA class on startup planning (Random, I know. Long story.) Our project right now revolves around beer deliveries and we need to do a little market research.

I’m hoping to conduct some interviews so if you’re a beer consumer- I’d love to hit you up with a few questions! No need to be the biggest hop head, but if you are, great! Message or comment or something and I’ll get in touch.

Also, I’m pretty sure Oakshire is taking over as my favorite brewer in town. We’ve got a lot of good ones but their seasonal stuff gets so creative!

#310 McKenzie Beer Festival

05 November 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

I had a chance to go to the McKenzie Craft Beer and Cider Festival. If you saw my post about my startup project… market research! And that meant I got to do a lot of tasting.

After a pretty fun night, here were my favorite three beers/ciders.

Old Craig Ale by Ordnance Brewing –  This beer definitely had an old vintage- tobacco-and-leather sort of quality, but in a good way! (I guess those typically don’t sound like good beverage flavors) Lots of spices and brown sugar left this tasting a lot like winter candy.

Nut Crusher Peanut Butter Porter by Wild Ride Brewing – If you like the taste of roast peanuts or peanut butter, this would be a great beer. They come on STRONG. But in a good way. And the brewery rep gave me a little garnish of a Reese’s cup to go with it.

Doc Fields Banana Mango Cider – I was suspicious over this this cider, I thought it might be a little too much like a fermented Jamba Juice. Turns out it was a pretty good cider and I’d love another taste.

#311 Finnish Salmon Pie

06 November 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

One of my big dreams is to regularly have dinners where people from totally different backgrounds can get together. I want a big table, good conversations, and of course the food needs to be up for the occasion.

Here’s one thing I’ll have to bring to the table- a new puff pastry technique. Most recipes call for folding butter into the dough over and over. A freezer and cheese grater can end up saving so much time.

I put the new puff pastry to the test and looked to Finland for some inspiration. This pie was filled with chunks of cooked salmon, capers, onion, and sauce. It may be one of my favorites from this past year.

#312 Grad School: Four Weeks

07 November 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Another week in the bags and another step closer to the finish line. Just some paperwork and a couple assignments left to go. Then what? We’ll find out soon.

No surprise, this has been a terse week around campus. Some are quick to say that today’s student lives in a cocoon of hyper sensitivity- and at times I get why people would think that. But lots of students feel unsafe- and for good reason. We’ve had random people and even a professor (?!) around in blackface. Ugh! That’s really not okay.

I’m often impatient with the end of grad school but this week I’ll thankful for my role as a TA that has allowed me to speak and share some things I’ve seen and experienced that I find helpful in an unpredictable and tense world. And I love reminding anyone that a lot of times the best thing they can do is focus on what changes there are to be made right in front of them, and to give it everything.

#313 Election 2016

08 November 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

I screwed up my mail-in ballot… I left every single chad hanging (and it was a bubble sheet)! So I swung by the community center to set things right.

If you ask me, a lot of these decisions felt pretty obvious to me. But not everyone else feels the same way, so that’s why we have elections.

Voting is important. It’s very important. It’s one of those things that you totally take for granted if you’ve never experienced what happens in places without free and fair elections. It’s also a privilege that was hard earned.

So yeah, hooray for voting. I’m glad I cast my ballot today. It’s a big decision!

That said, it’s also one of millions of decisions you’ll make that shape the world we live in.

All of the people who have influenced me the most didn’t do it with their voting record. Who is in need of care and attention today that you have a chance to help? Who needs a well timed word of encouragement? Which friend is fundraising for something noble that you should perhaps pay attention to? Some of those decisions will have a much bigger impact than anything you or I bubbled in today, and I think these things are worthy of at least as much deliberation and energy.

#314 It’s Quiet Uptown

09 November 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Perhaps the reason why the election results were so surprising to a lot of people was that we forgot how much of a bubble most of us live in. No matter what results you were hoping for, roughly half the country feels differently.

The type of setting we grow up in, the sort of people we’re around, and all that have a huge impact on what lens through which we see the world. That’s not to say I don’t believe there’s usually a better choice and a worse choice at the end of the day. But it’s another thing to turn my conviction into an assumption that the country falls neatly into two halves of good guys and bad guys.

See, some of the best people I’ve ever met voted for things and people that make absolutely no sense to me. People who taught me everything I know about generosity voted for things I think contribute to inequality. People who taught me how to respect other people voted for candidates with a reputation for crudeness. And if you know enough people, you’ll know someone that this applies to. If not? Well, then that bubble is probably in effect.

One of the best interactions I’ve seen on Facebook was just that. Dad voted red. Daughter voted blue. Daughter was sad, and Dad acknowledged that this was okay. They grew up seeing different things in different times in different places– it was simple, but beautiful.

You don’t have to agree with everything I believe in. I don’t agree with all of your opinions. I’ll probably disagree with a few of them strongly. But I won’t assume the worst of you. I won’t defriend you. We’ll still have a lot to learn from each other.

It’s eerily quiet outside my window. I’m in a young urban area in a very blue state, so of course there’s an atmosphere of disappointment. But it’s also a gorgeous, crisp sunny day in November… and we don’t get too many of those. Disappointing day? Beautiful day? Perhaps both? There’s more than one way to see things and blessed are the eyes that can find both.

#315 Chestnut Bisque

10 November 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Man, chestnuts are the worst! They taste great and can lend themselves to all sorts of recipes in a way that no other nut can. But they are an absolute pain to get out of their shells to work with. Almost at the end of my yearlong cooking challenge and I managed to score my first injury by scoring a fingertip.

Because of that, I will think long and hard about working with chestnuts in the future, but I will say that they made for a pretty unique bisque.

The flavor of this soup was spot on. Rich and creamy and earthy like a good nut-based soup should be. The texture wasn’t as excellent, with the results coming out a little chunkier than I would’ve liked. Still, it made for a good enough and hard earned winter meal.

#316 Anacortes Ferry

11 November 2016 // Anacortes, Washington

Seemed like a good weekend for some perspective on how meager human accomplishments look next to creation, so I hopped on a ferry headed for one place I’ve always wanted to go.

Orcas Island is just a little off the Puget Sound, accessible only by ferry or personal jet, and boasts all of the natural beauty you might expect from a northwestern island. It’s got a pretty tight community of island dwellers too.

Looking forward to getting cozy on this floating patch of dirt that whales seem to love. I feel like I’ll have a good understanding of why after this weekend.

#317 Orcas Island

12 November 2016 // Orcas Island, Washington

“And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should… with all its sham, drudgergy and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.”

–Max Ehrmann, Disiderata

There’s a lot of stuff to be upset about, and I recognize how legitimate those things are. But I think the sort of rebellion we need is a counterintuitive one. In a contentious, divided world, joy and peace are rebellious. Beauty is subversive when put up next to brutality. I think it’s a better time than ever to be anchored in a joy that can’t be taken, a community of infectious acceptance, and a stubborn memory of the people we were meant to be.

These are crazy days, my friends. But they’re still extremely beautiful ones. To paraphrase Calvin and Hobbes, if we got out to look at the stars more often, we wouldn’t argue about half the stuff that we get worked up over.

#318 Outlook Inn

13 November 2016 // Orcas Island, Washington

While spending the weekend at Orcas, we got in a night at this sweet little inn. It felt like we weren’t in the inn itself for very long but that’s cause we got some real good sleep that night we were there.

The room itself was only a small part of what I really liked about this place. They had a fenced lawn across the street with such an excellent view of the islands.

And their restaurant. Awesome French onion soup and blue marlin carpaccio. Best of all they have some shared tables where they’ll sit you down at a table alongside strangers, and you’ll be able to leave with new friends- or at least some memorable encounters. We enjoyed the company of a couple older seniors out on a date. They shared stories of his late wife and her ex-husband. At times sad but also moving to see two hopeful people not willing to throw in the towel just yet.

#319 The Holy or The Broken

24 November 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

“I say all the perfect and broken hallelujahs have an equal value. It’s a desire to affirm my faith in life, not in some formal religious way, but with enthusiasm, with emotion.”

–Leonard Cohen

Big thanks to my friend Hamaila for gifting me this book after hearing I was fascinated by Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History podcast episode on the rise of ‘Hallelujah.’ That song has a story unlike any other modern anthem. I don’t read much music writing, but Alan Light kept its exploration fascinating.

And speaking of unlikely works of art, Leonard Cohen was such an artistic anomaly. I love that a huge part of his story was how late into his career he was when he hit his stride. Sad that we lost him next week.

Oh and for the record, Hallelujah isn’t even my favorite Leonard song. Dance Me To The End Of Love will always hold that honor.

#320 Pancit Molo

25 November 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

When we went to the Philippines a couple years ago, there was one dish that Deanna especially fell in love with– pancit molo.

It’s a regional favorite where my family’s from, and it’s a pretty simple wonton soup in a pork or chicken broth with basic sauteed vegetables. And if you do it just right, it’s one amazing piece of Filipino comfort food.

I timed this particular item of my cooking challenge just right for the winter months. Not too shabby for my first time taking a stab at this dish and I know where to go from here for even better results.

#321 Grad School: Three Weeks

26 November 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

The thing I’m looking forward to the most about being done with my program isn’t the absence of school, it’ll be the opportunity to build something.

The ability to commit to something for a long time without my schedule changing itself every few months is something that’s eluded me the past few years. Now I’m looking forward to dinners that become traditions, becoming a part of things around whatever community we end up in, and forming some more bonds.

Now seems like a good and important time to be building community up and getting connected. I’m ready to dig in.

#322 Blood, Bones, and Butter

27 November 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

“It’s promising and seductive, that huge Italian family, sitting around the dinner table, surrounded by olive trees. But it’s not my family and I am not their family, and no amount of birthing sons, and cooking dinner and raking leaves or planting the gardens or paying for the plane tickets is going to change that. If I don’t come back in eleven months, I will not be missed, and no one will write me or call me to acknowledge my absence. Which is not an accusation, just a small truth about clan and bloodline.”

–Gabrielle Hamilton

After so many of my favorite food podcasts mentioned this book as one of their favorite books on the subject, I was convinced to give it a try.

This book isn’t just about food, but about a career in food, dining, and the paths life takes you down, sometimes without exactly intending to. I read a lot of books by people who were driven by a very concrete goal so it was refreshing to hear from someone who took a more common path- a mix of following passions, doing one thing until it leads somewhere else, and unlikely encounters.

Plus there are moments where she describes her grad school experience and it sounds so similar to my own. Started out as a perfect fit that was slowly outgrew, leading her to discovering other passions.

#323 Making Kahlua

28 November 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Weekend at home project- making some Kahlua.

Looks okay so far, so now we wait a few weeks for our results.

#324 Foodspotting No. 1 & 39 – Adobo & Lumpia

29 November 2016 // Springfield, Oregon

Holla at ya 🇵🇭. Food week continues with some more Foodspotting.

Adobo and lumpia were two of the easiest items in the Foodspotting Field Guide to find. Well, especially if you’re me. I wasn’t sure if making my own adobo earlier this year would count so I decided it wouldn’t so we’d have an excuse to visit Maynila for dinner.

#325 Tillamook Mac & Cheese

20 November 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

So this is the thing with mac and cheese- I’ve had some really fancy mac and cheese from so many different high end places, and yet it never quite lives up to the gooey, salty, creamy goodness of that instant boxed stuff I used to eat after school.

Let’s face it, I love any melts cheesy product, and sometimes the fake stuff is just better.

But I believe real cheese can still make for a good mac and cheese and so I went with packs of Tillamook being added to a bechamel like sauce to get it all creamy and such. Turned out pretty good, but that might also be because I added a whole head of garlic.

#326 Grad School: Two Weeks

21 November 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

So close to the end! And to make things even better, this week barely counts since I’ll be in California staring Tuesday night.

So that’s one thing making me happy. What else?

That Ducks win versus Utah was so, so satisfying. Nobody saw it coming, even after it already came. Our season has been a ship that has been long sunk, but getting the win against a pretty good Utah team was just perfect. Our loss to them last year, in my mind, was the start of dark days for Ducks fans.

Oh, and a couple of my good friends gave birth to their son tonight. Welcome to the world, Mathis! See you when I get back.

#327 Gateway to Cali

22 November 2016 // Medford, Oregon

Passing through the In N Out in Medford means one surefire thing… we’re going to (or coming from) Cali.

Thankful that this pit stop is right off the freeway.

#328 Road to Thanksgiving

23 November 2016 // Kettleman City, California

We can act like we didn’t spend most of the drive taking selfies with Beignet. Or we can own it.

Thankful this one is a road tripper.

#329 Thanksgiving 16

24 November 2016 // Bakersfield, California

Hope your day was as fun and tasty as ours.

Here’s to a much needed weekend of hanging out with family and not doing much else. The next two weeks are gonna be such a power sprint that some time off like this is exactly the right thing.

#330 Noriega’s

25 November 2016 // Bakersfield, California

There’s a first time for everything.

This is my first time eating at a restaurant with both a B safety rating and a James Beard award.

#331 California 99

26 November 2016 // Delhi, California

“The future is built with the present moment and how we take care of it. If you are fearful, the future will be fearful. If you are uncooperative, the future will be divisive. This is very important.

The future is not something that will come to us; the future is built by us, by how we speak and what we do in the present moment.

Community practice is crucial at this time. It’s crucial not to be alone in front of the computer, reading media. That makes the world dark for you. Find flesh. There are still wonderful things happening.”

–Phap Dung

#332 Passing Shasta

27 November 2016 // Lake Shasta, California

“Scratch the surface of any cynic, and you will find a wounded idealist underneath. Because of previous pain or disappointment, cynics make their conclusions about life before the questions have even been asked. This means that beyond just seeing what is wrong with the world, cynics lack the courage to do something about it. The dynamic beneath cynicism is a fear of accepting responsibility.”

–John Ortberg

Be responsible to your convictions. They won’t always win debates. They won’t always pay the bills. They won’t always prevail in times of conflict. But if they’re convictions worth keeping, make sure they don’t lose you. Hope is a conviction. Joy is a conviction. Don’t give them up.

#333 Shoe Dog

28 November 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

“I thought if that phrase, it’s just business. It’s never just business. It never will be. If it becomes just business, that will mean that business is very bad.”

–Phil Knight

Thanks to the UO business school, I got a signed copy of Shoe Dog. I was told to study up on it, so I took to reading and found I enjoyed this book a whole heck of a lot more than I expected to.

This book had a lot of heart, and that’s something I really wasn’t expecting. After all, Nike is pretty much your archetype of a mega-corporation and I didn’t know a whole lot about Phil Knight other than the fact that his name is all over Eugene.

Hearing the stories of their early years, testing out models on the UO track team, having to take on legal challenges from the US government and Japan, and figuring out how to build a team that works kept this on the side of being a good story.

In the end it’s a book about following a Crazy Idea- watch it reveal itself as a calling and pursuing it through disappointment and fatigue.

#334 Office Hours

29 November 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

This week has been utterly ridiculous- in the past 48 hours I’ve had to present the City of Albany with a proposed budget, pitch a startup business idea, and knock out a 15 page paper.

Thankfully, I get a weekend to turn things down a notch before one last week of this finish line sprint. My first true day out of grad school is gonna be such a napfest.

#335 Bolognese

30 November 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Important beliefs I have about bolognese:

• It should be creamy. Use milk.

• It seems intuitive to add red wine, but go with white.

• Grating your carrots makes for a better texture than dicing.

• A little bit of ground sausage and diced bacon goes a long way.

Seems like an oddly late point in the year to have bolognese be an item on my cooking challenge. I’ve already made lasagna with bolognese as part of the challenge, and I’ve made bolognese a lot in general this year. Oh well. It’s been my busiest stretch of grad school, so it doesn’t hurt to have something I can prep from muscle memory.

OCTOBER 2016

#275 tIhde the Knot

01 October 2016 // Marble Falls, Texas

Congrats to Meghan & Brendan! Deanna and I had such a blast celebrating in Marble Falls- that was definitely a unique wedding experience.

Between your wedding and ours, every time we’ve seen you two together it’s been a really, really fun day.

#276 Rad Mother Clucker

02 October 2016 // Austin, Texas

Doughnut lovers, I’m having cravings. What are your picks for best doughnut shops in the country? I’ll give you my top three.

Pip’s Original Doughnuts (Portland) – Going the route of keeping it simple but executing well. I’m a fan.

Gourdough’s (Austin) – Going the opposite direction with Big. Fat. Donuts. piled high with everything from fried chicken cuts to jalapeño jelly. I’m a fan as well and make it a point to come by whenever I’m in Austin.

Blue Star Doughnuts (Portland) – French brioche dough makes all of their doughnuts good to the breadcrumb. They won me over by tossing a vile of rum on to a caramel brulêe doughnut.

Yup, Portland takes two of three. Although I say this not having tried Daily Dozen in Seattle, which I’ve heard such good things about.

#277 Your Money Or Your Life

03 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

“Who you are is far greater than what you do for money, and your true work is far greater than your paid employment. Our focus on money and materialism may have robbed us of the pride we can and should feel in who we are as people and the many ways we contribute to the well being of others.”

-Vicki Robin

A bit of a break from what I usually read, a book about money use turns out to be far more practical, far less romantic, and just as purposeful as anything else I’ve read this year.

I didn’t follow all nine steps for financial independence to the tee. At least I haven’t yet, and while that must make Vicki Robin shake her head, I did start to do a few things. Measuring my income and expenditures in life energy, not just dollars. Figuring out what a “just right” level of income looks like for my family so I know when doing more work stops being worth it. Keeping track of all spending.

Perhaps I’ll take on the rest of the exercises when I have time. Or whenever I have graph paper handy, which is like never.

#278 Grad School: Nine Weeks

04 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Today I submitted my forms to graduate and be done with everything in nine weeks.

While my motivation going into this quarter is mostly propelled by the finish line I’m looking at, I’ve found a helpful way to think about work that provides an extra boost.

Imagine, for a second, what the best possible outcome could be of you showing up and doing your job well? A lot of people can easily drum up the worst case scenario, but what’s the best case scenario. My wife’s a therapist, so in her field it looks like saving a life, preventing suicide, and breaking up abusive cycles in a family. That’s a pretty serious contribution to the world. Do you accept a so-so job because of the healthy pay? Maybe the money you donate to charities, treat friends with, or support your family with are also in the life-saving business. Are you a barista? Maybe your pleasantness and warmth have actually made somebody’s day or turned it around… I can credit a phone rep for Virgin Airlines doing that for me once.

As a teacher of African studies, hmm… who knows? Maybe I strike the curiosity of a kid who one day discovers an efficient way to get antiretrovirals or malaria meds to the people who need them most.

Are these pretty out there possibilities? Yup. Unlikely? Probably. But here’s the crazy thing… if these things end up happening, a lot of times we’ll have had no idea. So we might as well act as if they just might, and by doing so, we’ll really increase our odds of doing meaningful work.

#279 Sunlit Halls

05 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Here’s a fun fact- some studies show that businesses that use totally made up words or names are often more successful than those that use descriptive, already existing words. Airbnb? Much better than ShareYourHouse. Instagram? Beats out Mobile PicShare. Ghostbusters? Better than its Chinese translation, Super Power Dare Die Team.

Here’s the part of that I find interesting… there’s a good part of us that can so easily be convinced we’re looking at something new just by the way it’s presented. Both traditional media and social media have gotten really, really skilled at that. The way to keep you glued is to run up storylines that seem like they’ve never happened before.

Corrupt politicians? That’s actually about as old of a news story as we have. Leaders with dictatorial tendencies? They go pretty far back throughout history. People unable to live peacefully with each other because of race, gender, or a bunch of other qualities? Yeah, unfortunately, that dynamic is much older than we are.

What to make of this? I’m all for staying informed, but also remember, there’s nothing really new under the sun and there’s a good and bad side to that. Unfortunately, progress happens very, very slowly, and many of the world’s big issues will probably outlive us. But the good news is that the world is crazy resilient. There’s still a lot of good that persists along with the bad.

At the end of the day, don’t just respond to the big bold headlines. Listen to what your life has taught you, to the lessons learned from the dirt underneath your fingernails. Don’t let panic take control of your creativity, it was meant to add good into the world, starting with what’s in front of you.

#280 13th to Campus

06 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

There are so many things in life that don’t work out, even though they made total sense on paper. I’ve seen couples break up that seemed like a great fit to me. I’ve had friends not get jobs that they seemed made for. I’ve known people who have started projects that for some reason never got the attention they were worthy of.

What’s the deal? I wish I knew. Unfortunately life is full of these little injustices that don’t seem to have a good explanation.

It’s good to know that this happens, and it happens quite a bit. It’s good to be prepared for this. Hard work is indispensable, but sometimes, it’s not enough. You can make all necessary efforts, all the right choices, and it still doesn’t work out.

It’s probably a healthy thing for everyone to experience this at least once in their lifetime. So many people in rough situations are there through no fault of their own. It’s important to have empathy for that. Not blame, and not a rescuer mentality. Just a deep sense of understanding and compassion.

#281 Chicken Katsu

07 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Katsuuuuuuu!

Chicken katsu is pretty much my go to dish at any Hawaiian restaurant. I’ll venture into other dishes but I always come back home. My lightly fried, breaded, crispy home.

I made some the other night and that was surprisingly simple and easy- with a big lightly fried, breaded, crispy payoff.

#282 Our Guests

08 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Hosting visitors is one of mine and Deanna’s favorite things to do.

Over the weekend we got to have Bre and Raquel and Jesse over for soul food, Ticket to Ride, and more food. Loved it.

We’ve now passed the amount of out-of-town friends we hoped to be able to host in Eugene for our marriage goals, but we have no plans of stopping! We love having people over.

#283 Deanna’s 27

09 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Happy, happy birthday to my sweet and beautiful Deanna! It’s been a good day of church, eating, friends, and hygge.

Life with you is so sweet, simple, fun, and I couldn’t be more thankful for it. I love getting to spend every day with you, taking Beignet out on little weekend adventures, watching our shows, trying to squeeze out every last minute of conversation before we go to sleep, cherishing the friendships we’ve managed to build around town, and dreaming of all kinds of things we hope to do together.

It’s a great life and I love that I get to share it with you.

#284 Current

10 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Wind and rain have this river feeling pretty good about itself.

Here are a few things making me happy this week.

So first, there was the bit of good news we got last week that I mentioned in my last post.

I’m also really loving Johnnyswim’s Georgica Pond album. So much soul and so many songs off the new album sounded great live.

And before the show, I finally got to eat at Tasty and Sons, which was on my places to eat in Portland list for a good while. Get the Asian Bloody Mary.

#285 Lasagna

11 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Lasagna is a birthday tradition in Deanna’s family, and that’s a tradition that I wouldn’t wanna mess with.

I didn’t get to make her some on her actual birthday but that’s cause we kept eating all day. So, Tuesday night, I got busy.

Lasagna is a tricky dish once you’ve been to Bologna. You realize how different the American interpretation of it is, but figuring out how they get their ragú that savory and creamy is a puzzle in and of itself.

My go to methods? A slow cooker. Add some milk. And white wine to break everything down. Sometimes a red wine gets too fruity. Toss in a bit of pancetta fat. And grate or process the veggies. That way you get a smoother filling.

Oh and homemade noodles. Those are a must.

#286 Grad School: Eight Weeks

12 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Know what’s a really, really good feeling? It’s when you don’t know exactly why something happened or didn’t happen to you but still feel really, really at peace with it.

I got hit by that while driving through Texas Hill Country a week or so ago. Suddenly convinced that the end of this year would make for a very important time for me to be learning things.

Last summer, I came pretty close to getting a job that looked like such a right fit on paper. I would’ve loved the work I’d be doing. I would’ve accepted without hesitation.

I realize now that if I did that, there would be no way I’d be able to tie up all the loose ends of my Masters programs like I thought. There’s a bit too much left to do, and I would’ve likely had to pay to do that too if I wasn’t teaching at the same time. I also did some math and figured out the “just right” amount of income for Deanna and I. This would’ve been a bit too far below, and sometimes I tend to underrate income for more idealistic trade offs.

Some stretches of life can feel so slow, with a purpose that’s hazier than mid October mornings. Surrendering what you don’t have control over frees you to unleash your best stuff.

#287 UO East Campus

13 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

With the end of grad school approaching, I often think of all the reasons why I’m looking forward to being done- and there are plenty. Being more financially able to support a family is a big one. So is the urge to contribute towards helping other people.

For the sake of getting the most out of the remaining weeks, though, here are a few things I know I’ll miss once it’s all done.

I’ll miss having so much control over my schedule. If I need to run an errand in the middle of the day, or run home to take care of something, I can do that really easily. It’s rare to find a job with as many moveable parts as mine right now.

I’ll miss the way I’ve acquired a deep and unexpected knowledge on so many random things on the way to getting degrees. World Heritage Sites in Mali. The Public Budgeting process in Oregon versus California. Andrew Carnegie’s writings. One day, when I’m on Who Wants To Be a Millionaire, at least a couple of my life flashbacks will have to be to grad school.

I’ll miss the student ticket rates for Ducks games… granted the Ducks aren’t making me miss that so much right now, but one day I will.

#288 Family Selfy

14 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Not gonna name any names, but one member of this family makes taking selfies a lot more difficult.

We’re thrilled, though!

Deanna went to see a doctor for a checkup. When she got really sick last February, her breathing scores dropped from a typical range in the mid-high 70s down to 22. We had a doctor tell us that a lot of people don’t get back to their old numbers after a drop that drastic.

Well since then, I knew she was doing better since we’ve visited lots of places, snorkeled in Hawaii, and ran a half marathon. But how much better?

When she went to get tested at her doctors, I walked Beignet around while praying for a good number. We got it… 80! This sort of comeback is really, really rare.

I’m a believer in never taking what you have for granted, in realizing there are things so much bigger than the usual things we freak out about on a daily basis, and in God working an old school miracle every now and again.

#289 Johnnyswim in PDX

15 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Deanna and I absolutely love Johnnyswim. We got engaged to our friends playing a cover of Paris in June and left our wedding reception to the tune of Diamonds.

We were absolutely not going to miss our shot to see them play in Portland.

Man this was an amazing show. So much charisma and stage chemistry- I’m loving the sound of the new album already.

#290 Rains Come

16 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Ah the rain has returned in full force after taking a little summer break. My opinion will probably change when February rolls around but right now I love this so much.

Also glad we were able to make it to and from Portland twice while having to basically drive through a lake with all the flooding. On Friday night we ended up backing up on a one way road just to get out from all the water.

#291 Street Life Under a Roof

17 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

“For as with Point Place, it is possible for youth to come together to create culturally expressive forms of social life not only for the privileged few, but for anyone who is looking for shelter and, along with it a sense of belonging under a shared roof.”

-Emily Margaretten

Frequently asked question… do books that I have to read for work or school count towards my personal reading goals? I say that they do if I like the book enough.

This was an assigned book for the class I’m teaching, and I’ll get to do two lectures on South Africa and street life next week which should be fun. Reading this ethnography of a researcher who lived in a youth shelter totally took me back to Jozi, even though it’s set in Durban.

#292 City Human Rights Commission

18 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Last night, I got to attend our local human rights commission meeting. I didn’t even know we had one but here’s what I saw.

A representative from the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs shared a nasty courtroom experience directed at her while trying to speak on behalf of land belonging to her tribe. Everybody listened empathically.

A member of the ACLU talked about methods of police surveillance that may raise some privacy concerns and a rep from the police department acknowledged the concerns and mentioned some potential benefits of the technology in stopping child predators or kidnappings.

I know a lot of people are so over political discourse, and I get why. But I was also encouraged by what I saw. Local governance offers so many opportunities for regular people to be a part of the process that not many people take. And in a local setting, you can oftentimes have a huge influence.

When you get tired of being a political spectator, maybe try participating every now and then.

#293 Grad School: Seven Weeks

19 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

On paper, this was supposed to be a really challenging Fall for me. I had to request special permission from the University to take twenty credits (twelve is my normal) all while keeping up my freelance projects, my job hunt, and several weekends of travel for family reasons. Plus it’s also the time of year when the sun disappears and everything drops fifty degrees and it’s way harder to feel motivated for anything.

The funny thing is that we’re close to halfway through this quarter and I am loving it. So far it’s all gone by smoothly and I’m surprised often at how efficiently I’ve been able to get things done.

Here are a few things that have been real helpful this term.

Going one day at a time. It’s easy to rush it when you’re close to the finish line, but just making sure each day’s challenges are given appropriate attention.

Before most items on my to do list I ask myself who do I really have a chance to serve with this task. The answer isn’t always obvious but it makes otherwise unmotivating tasks much more fulfilling.

So far I haven’t worked a Sunday, I’ve mostly been able to slow down my Saturdays, and often finish everything by 5 or 6 pm. All that time to enjoy life and not just work through it has finally become a good habit after years of working on it.

#294 College Hill

20 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

This summer, I came really, really close to getting what I thought could have been my dream job. I would’ve worked as a director with a really cool organization doing international work, it would’ve been work I’d enjoy doing every day, and it would’ve been in a city where I used to live that I miss a lot.

Part of me was surprised I didn’t get it because it seemed like such a great fit on paper, but another part of me just had a feeling that it wouldn’t work out. And while there was a bit of disappointment, there have been so many times this past fall where I’m glad it didn’t go through. If I got it, Deanna and I would be back living in California right now, and almost on a daily basis, I’ve been thinking, I’m glad I’m still here.

So in honor of understanding and appreciating things better in retrospect, here are a few reasons why I’m glad I’m still here.

Fall in the PNW is gorgeous. The first weather cycle, with the unending rain and grey skies can be a bit overwhelming. The next time around? I’ve fallen in love with it. Grey skies, bright orange leaves, and hygge weather… I’ve been liking this so much. I’ve also grown to appreciate having different seasons, and I’m thankful for this one.

Moving a couple weeks ago would’ve been a huge hassle, logistically. Not just with getting all our stuff and dog to California. We would’ve had to find a place to live. I would’ve had to figure out how to finish grad school remotely- which I now realize wouldn’t be easy at all while working full time. And there are some financial reasons too.

Ultimately, we really aren’t ready to leave where we are right now. Maybe we will be. Maybe soon. But I think we needed this last round to take it all in and to enjoy this stuff.

#295 One In N Out

21 October 2016 // Medford, Oregon

Living in a state with one In N Out > Living in a stat with zero In N Out.

Also, order #32’s number was just called and a family of six stood up and started clapping. Heartwarming moment of the day. There truly is good in thew world.

#296 Congrats Justin & CC!

22 October 2016 // San Francisco, California

This weekend was about as good as it gets.

Deanna and I went down to San Francisco to help our friend Justin propose to his now fiancé, Caytlin. There were tears and corgis and food trucks and beaches involved, and we got to see a bunch of our good friends again.

Congrats Justin and Caytlin- we are so, so happy for you two and we’re looking forward to you two being married!

#297 Friend Brunch

23 October 2016 // Sacramento, California

I hang out with a good looking bunch.

And we eat brunch.

#298 Grad School: Six Weeks

24 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

It’s crazy to think about how close life is to radically changing all over again. I’m both looking forward to it and ready for things in my life to last a little longer.

When I started grad school, I had a whole lot of energy to get things off the ground. I wanted to launch projects, new organizations, groups of people and have them all spring into action. I was ready to hit the ground running. The past few years before that had been so dynamic and full of big changes it seemed like there was only one direction to go.

It turns out that most of the things I attempted to start didn’t work out. There were a lot of false starts and midway through it started to feel like I’d been spending my year doing nothing. Life went from this dynamic journey to being surprisingly still.

I had a friend talk to me about how sometimes we hit these seasons in life where God just wants us to chill for a bit, without much going on. That gets really challenging for my personality and my inclination to want to go everywhere and do everything. But these stretches, slow and frustrating as they might be can be really important and underrated.

Some recipes have steps where dough needs to rise for hours, or flavors need to meld for a day, just so it can come out right. Some pieces of pottery need to chill for a week so they don’t shatter when used. Some songs need to rest after a big note before going on to the next movement so the listener can take it all in.

I don’t think God’s one to waste time. And when we can trust that there’s a point to these.

#299 Boeuf Borgignon

25 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Now that we’ve hit that fall-winter part of my cooking challenge, I’ve been having lots of fun with these heavier, heartier meals- this week’s being no exception.

I gave making bouef borgignon a shot, or as Julia Child calls it, bouef b£•∞¶£on. Speaking of Julia, I essentially used her recipe, but without a dutch oven, I had to adapt and improvise to work with our slow cooker.

I got to come home to a great meal and a great smelling house. Not much I would’ve changed about how it turned out, except that I wish I made even more.

#300 The Birth of Korean Cool

26 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

“So how does Korea manage the work ethic and maniacal drive to be number one? The underlying national psychology that motivates the country is not a salutary one. I remain convinced that ‘han’, that culturally specific, millennia-old rage against fate, is a huge motivating force in Koreans’ stamina and persistence.”

-Euny Hong

This was a fun little read about why Koreans are so darn cool. And it was very clearly written in late 2012 when Psy was at optimum Gangnam style.

Actually I learned quite a bit about how the ROK government has invested in its own entertainment industry in such a methodical way to get Halyu to take over the world.

#301 Week of Lectures

27 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Throwing back to my days as a substitute teacher by being a guest lecturer.

It’s so much easier when you have the chance to lecture about something that you could talk about forever and ever. In this case, street life in South Africa, concepts of masculinity, ghost stories, and township life. And a whole bunch of personal anecdotes from my own experiences.

#302 Great Fall

28 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Duuuuude the days have been stunning lately.

A couple weeks ago in Portland, Johnnyswim shared the inspiration for their song Drunks. Apparently there’s this bar in Nashville where all the hardcore soccer fans go. And during a match, things can get pretty nasty. One side yelling up a storm at the other. But there are these Irish folk songs that kick in after the game, and once they start, everyone sings. No matter who you were cheering for a minute ago.

Living in the USA right now feels like the country needs an Irish drinking song. This isn’t the first time of wild contentiousness, nor will it be the last, but a good time out would do wonders.

I used to think having the right facts could solve a lot of our problems. But if I doubted it before, this year has confirmed that people will gravitate towards “facts” that confirm what they already think is true and find ways to dismiss anything else. The right facts won’t change the world.

There’s something about beauty, though, that can still stop people in a single moment. For a new parent holding a tiny life in a maternity ward, the election is so far on the back burner it’s just white noise. For someone in the middle of this year’s most gorgeous weekend, next week need not come.

Our hearts were made to worship, and wonder still gets us where information fails us. Small fragments of starlight that can spell out true north.

#303 Mazed

29 October 2016 // Junction City, Oregon

This weekend was a great one for corn mazes and mud.

#304 The Pint Pot

30 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Gray mornings call for a classic Irish Pub. Thank goodness for The Pint Pot. An Irish coffee and a full Irish breakfast are exactly in order.

Here are a couple other things making me pretty happy this week.

I discovered that Terrence Malick’s film To The Wonder was streaming for free on Prime, and I loved it even though it wasn’t the most accessible of movies. In typical Malick fashion, it was full of amazing visuals, cryptic layers of meaning hiding beneath simple-but-poetic dialogue, and Javier Bardem being a priest. The film itself was so beautifully shot, despite being set in mostly sterile, suburban environments… but I kinda think that was supposed to be the point.

And on the other end of the spectrum, there’s that YouTube video of a dog’s favorite Gumby chew toy being brought to life by it’s owner in a Gumby costume. I’ve lost track of the amount of times I’ve watched it, I love it so.

And then there’s freaking baseball. What a game.

#305 Chill Halloween

31 October 2016 // Eugene, Oregon

Happy Halloween my friends. We had a laid back dinner with friends kinda night, but I had some good reads to help me keep the day all spooky and such.

Also, we had zero trick or treaters! What’s going on, modern day children? I even heard some kids trick or treat at the door right across from us, never to come by.

Now I’m stuck with the dangerous prospect of endless fun size candies around the house.