Sunset Hike

We had made it to the trail just as the sun was peaking over the horizon. Slowly slipping behind the ocean as if he was trying to get one last look at the world he spent the last 10 hours looking over. As we walked down the trail and as I conversed with my friend I was repeatedly drawn to the sunset. And after snapping numerous pictures of it, I couldn't help but constantly change my gaze from the trail that was in front of me to the colorful painting in the sky. I couldn't help wondering where these colors came from, what determined their design. And without the urge to really understand why I just gazed in admiration. And even as darkness began to blanket the trees and the ground around us, their was still a layer of pink in the sky that seemed to not want to let go.

Life Lesson: Pushin and Fallin:

I am into Pole Fitness, frankly because it's a way for me to build strength with out going to the gym. Of course there are strengthening exercises I can do at home but I'm not always committed to them. I like creating movement and art and I guess that how I came to pole. My life is always teaching me things, and last night pole taught me something. I learned this move that I really didn't think I could do, and after a few horrible attempts I had two thoughts in my head. One , "let me just come back to this another time." The other, " wouldn't it be really cool if I actually got it?" I went with the second thought and continued on trying the move. With this move I literally start with one leg wrapped around the pole, one leg on the ground and my body hanging side ways off the pole almost parallel to the floor. To execute this move I literally have to let myself just fall. I have to trust my body, trust the strength in my arms and legs and just go for it. When I did all this I was able to complete the move. Lesson: Self doubt is inevitable but it can be overcome by the simple if thoughts of what if, and maybe i can. Put in your head the possibility of something happening vs. the impossibility. And just go for it. If you fall you fall, you'll get back up, bruised and beat but stronger.

Time travel

Everything has life to it, even if it isn't living. In an effort to support my friend and expand my curiosity I went on a tour of Broadway st in Downtown Los Angeles. I've lived 30 minutes away from L.A. most of my life,been to different events hosted in the city, and overall I've neighbored this city for most of my life, been in and out of it's streets, and I have yet to understand the essence of the city. Behind the busy street flooded with jewelry stores, dress stores and various random commodities,are these silent but historic buildings. Inside the buildings are time machines, pockets of history that take you back in time and hold the memory of what the city once was. On the tour we visited around eight different historic theaters. Walking by and inside these very historic buildings I would think to myself how driving through these streets I may not have even glanced at these storybook structures that simultaneous hold the memory of what once was and gives birth to new life. Many of the theaters have been renovated to new business, apartments, and more. Some stand untouched waiting for their rebirth. My two favorite places were the Los Angeles theater and the Bradbury Building. In the Los Angeles Theater I was amazed at how much it was in it's original form. I imagined myself walking in as one of the theaters guest when it was up running. In today's day and age going to the movies is an ordinary weekend event. Years ago going to the movies was an extravagant event requiring the finest clothes, and often took up the entire night. The Bradbury building to me held so much beauty, walking into the natural light gleaming down from the skyline on to the elegantly carved wood that created the walls, staircase and general structure of the building. There is still life in things that stand still, that are old and fade into the background as eyes glaze over them not recognizing their beauty. These buildings hold life because they hold history, and remind us what the city once was and what it might be again. Take the time to find and appreciate the beauty that you may over look. Whether it is in the people or places around you. For more on L.A. tours check out And special thanks to Jeremy for a great tour.

Day in the Life: Small steps big changes

So you may be wondering why I photographed four bottles of beer, an empty jelly jar on top of a bag. Well, I used the reusable bag to carry the beer in after I bought them. No I'm not an alcoholic, but I do appreciate good beer. And am reusing the jar instead of using a plastic sandwich bag. I'm starting to make small changes in my life to go green. After speaking with a very passionate marine biologist, Danni Washington and over hearing several green conversations from my co workers I've decided to make some changes in my life. In an effort to save the beautiful creatures of our ocean, and save the earth in general, I am desperately trying to reduce the number of plastic bags I use and reuse my glass jars. After listening to Washington speak I can't help but think that their is a completely different world under the sea, and besides that the ocean vital role in our life. Thinking that somewhere down the line we could destroy a beautiful place. I can't imagine life without the beauty and life of the ocean. I remember when I was little I went snorkeling in Mexico, and I remember being amazed, excited, nervous but intrigued by what I saw. I haven't been snorkeling since and whether I ever go again I always want to the chance to be able to. I am only one person who is probably making the smallest inkling of change, but at least I know no ocean animal will die as result of my laziness and maybe I can inspire others to do the same. What is your small step? Ps. Danni Washington and all the amazing things she has done and is currently doing : http://danniwashington.com/about-me

Define

How old are you? For the past two years I've tried to deter myself my answering that question. When I started working with a non profit, the person I worked with was around my age and also went to great lengths not to reveal her age. I was always aware of age discrimination or just the general judgements that comes from revealing one's age but I never chose to keep my age hidden until I thought it might cause a problem I was out to dinner the other night for a co workers 30th birthday and at the end of the night we all went around and said our ages.I don't know what possessed me to reveal my age, perhaps reluctant to giving into peer pressure but when I did lift of the veil shocks and awes came from everyone at the table. I discovered I was the youngest at the table, perhaps the youngest at the my job. The next day at work , I wasn't treated any differently or anything like that but I kept thinking about my age. There are times when age, gender, culture etc does come into play with different situations but I wonder if we will ever be able to just see eachother for who we really are, and not be concerned with things such as age, or any other physical attributes.

Try Something New Sundays: Source Cafe

The blog series is back.For those of you who have read my other "Try Something New" posts, I have decided to get back to them. Although I don't know if they will be every Sunday but I will strive for that. With Southern California's Summer in October bringing us 90 degree weather I was in search for a cafe close to the beach and that's when I found The Source Cafe. I am sort of a cafe junkie, so when I walk into a cafe I have to feel welcomed by the atmosphere and the decor. The place was small but still roomy. They have a patio area with outdoor tables and chairs. When you first walk in you'll see multiple places for sitting including a long wooden table and against the wall there are pillows and seats next to chairs and tables. The prices were a little bit higher than most of the cafe's I've been to but, you are paying for quality food, healthy food, and uniqueness. This is definitely the place for anyone that is vegan, vegetarian, health conscious, and gluten free. I purchased a juice called the Revival which contains red apple, fennel, ginger( which I opt out of) and lemon. It had a very strong taste of fennel, which was a new flavor my taste buds had to become accustomed to. This drink cost $9, which is the price range of most of their juices. I also purchased a Smoked Trout Toast which is served on toasted baguettes and came with tomato and vegan garlic ailoi. Very tasty but very salty. This place was definitely a new experience for my taste buds but at least I was consuming nutrition along with an array of different flavors.

Twins

This past week felt like my life was one gigantic F5 tornado. Work was a challenge. For the first time ever we welcomed twins into our program and I am their primary teacher. Which means I do all the communication to the parents and I am the one that makes the connection with the children so they feel safe in their new school. Now let me tell you transitioning one family is hard enough. Not only do you have connect with the child on an emotional level, but you haven to connect with the parents on an emotional, and intellectual level as well. You have to build trust with both the parents and the children. So transitioning two children at the same time I literally wanted to split myself in half. It was a rough week that got tougher as the days passed. But somehow and the end everything worked out. I think we all need to remember that that usually happens at the end. And it would have been nice if I could have just came home and relaxed but I started this new things where I bring work home. Mentally that is, I promise I'm not kidnapping children. So with work dwelling on my mind, and the emotional baggage I was dealing with from the weekend, and trying to balance my life outside of work, I'm surprised I didn't pick of smoking. But I'm a firm believer that life is tough because it wants to teach you something. Because let's face it, most of us learn best when we learn the hard way. So what I learned from this hard week is that I need to trust myself more, even when I'm wrong and make mistakes, trust that I'll get it right the next time. Also that every moment, whether it's uncomfortable, joyous, challenging or anything else you can always learn something from it. There were many instances that after a particular moment all I wanted to do was complain. And I did for a little bit, but I would as myself, what can I take from this? What is the lesson to be learned here? Well here is to a better week, because life you have taught me a enough for one week. Let's see if I can put these lessons into practice.

Giving Back: Vision Boards

If you think your life is hard, there is probably someone out there who has it worse. Looking back on my life and growing up, I definitely had my struggles but I know that my life has been easy in comparison to others. I do have to say one of the toughest parts of my life was going through my teenage wears. Not only do you go through bodily changes they can help you blend in or make you stand out, you struggle with identity, wanting to test boundaries, making and losing friends. I couldn't image dealing with all that and not living in a consistent home or experiencing abuse or trauma. I think that's one of the reasons why I volunteered at the Heartfelt event at the Maryvale, residential facilely for girls ages 6-17, was because I was blessed to grow up in a sheltered and loving environment and not everyone else was. What was nice about this event is that we got to pass out items that the girls needed such as school supplies while helping them with a project that allowed them to dream and connect with themselves and one another. We created vision boards that the girls could put on the front cover of their notebooks,acting as a constant reminder through out the year of their goals and dreams. The visions boards were a great project not only because of their purpose but it allowed the volunteers to connect with the girls, a middle ground of conversation . We helped them look for certain pictures and stickers to put on their boards and by doing so learned about their interests, their passions, hopes, and dreams. After the vision boards the girls and the volunteers had lunch together while listening to live music. During this time two very impactful things happened to me. One, the volunteers were flooded with thank yous from the girls. The girls were so grateful for our presence. They appreciated someone being there and treating them well. And isn't that what we all want, to be treated well and loved. The second thing that happened was I ran into a girl sitting by herself. She was upset over a confrontation she had earlier and found a quiet stop to be by herself. I sat down next to her and listened to her vent. I admired her for finding her space to calm down, and although I couldn't solve her problem she was grateful to have someone listen to listen to her, simply listen. If you read all this I challenge you to do at least one of two things. One give someone your time. Whether it is someone you know or a stranger spending time with someone can make a difference in their life. Second, take the time to simply listen to someone. If you know someone is frustrated or going through a hard time reach out to them and simply tell them you are hear to listen. You never know what kind of seed your kindness will plant, and how much that seed will go.

Metamorphus

Metamorphosis- The eyes of a child gazes at the world in amazement. Not fully understanding their surrounds but taking in everything that is observed. The eyes of an adult does not gaze but watches, observes, analyzes and sometimes looks over. When we grow older our brains learn to critically think, a crucial skill nonetheless, but it is as if our brains were told that you can't believe in both logic and magic. I was reminded of this youthful amazement when a parent brought in some caterpillars to our class. When we presented the caterpillars and talked about the process with the children, and had them share their ideas, they were so excited about it that caterpillars and butterflies became the center of the world. I would often check on the caterpillars to see how the were doing. To see if they had started webbing so that we can move them to their nest. I looked at them merely as an observer not as an admirer. They were hairy and weird looking to me. After a few days I caught myself. I was treating these creatures, who in their first state weren't the most attractive things , like a daily task. I've talked about the process, spent most of my day reading books about these creatures but never stopped to really think how this process is truly unique, amazing and really unexplainable. How one creature can start off in one form and completely change it's genetic makeup. As we grow older and the responsibilities pile on everything because a job, or a task to complete. And half the time the most enjoyment we get is from consuming the contents of a bottle or from escaping on a vacation to a foreign place. Us adults need to remember to pause and realize the beauty, the wonder and the mystery around us and appreciate it. While our brain holds countless information, mostly of all the things we need to take care, it also holds our memories. I want my memories to be of something beautiful, remember the smell of a flower,or the smiles of my friends and families. Things will always need to get done, and eventually we will get them done, but if we don't appreciate the little things I feel like we are all caterpillars stuck in our cocoons. Stuck inside of chrysalis of routine, tasks, and order. Never letting ourselves become as beautiful as we can be, never turning into that butterfly and soaring through life. The irony of this story is that when we got the caterpillars we accidentally almost killed them. We put the container that they were inside in a glass jar that sealed tight. We thought an extra layer around their original jar would keep them safe in case one of our children decided to pick up the jar, or if it got knocked over. Didn't take into account that by locking the jar we were cutting off their oxygen flow. Luckily we reopened the jar just in time, right before the passed out forever. Taking this experience a step further, if you don't see the beauty and the wonder in a caterpillar turning into a butterfly take the time to find the beauty and wonder in your life. Whether its someone always remembering your birthday, receiving or giving a handmade gift. Look through the eyes of a child and see if you are amazed.

Weekend in Review: Food

After a week of carefully counting calories I had a pretty guiltiness carb filled weekend. Hopefully it didn't completely cancel out my hard work during the week. My conscience might not have been happy but my taste buds sure were. My carb rebellion started Friday night. A friend and I went to LACMA for the live jazz. Unfortunately we missed the live jazz, so that review won't be until later. Fortunately in the pavilion they had this outdoor bar/ restaurant called Stark bar. I had already ate before I came so I was in the mood for a nice drink to wash everything down. My friend and I ended up having a little beer tasting. I started with a Hefe. A very light beer, which most Hefe's are. Easy to drink down but not full of flavor or body. I tried the Rasputin beer that my friend ordered and I immediately quenched my cheeks as soon as the beer hit my tongue. A dark beer with a very bitter taste, so if you are a fan of IPA's or Guinness you'll like Rasputin. Next I tried the Downtown Brown, which is an Ale, and had a slightly less bitter taste, and a little easier to drink. Saturday I committed double sins. I first attempted to eat at Simmzy's in Manhattan Beach. A very small, cozy and very popular place located right off the strand. So popular that we waited 45 minutes for two people to be seated. However, after the 45 minutes we decided to head elsewhere and came to and was sat very quickly at Brewco the Manhattan Beach Brewery. There I had a turkey burger and my ultimate guilty pleasure, french fries. My friend had a veggie burger which she devoured in an instant. I also had the Acai Berry beer. Not to sweet despite the berries mixed it. The nice little perk to it was that it is organic and locally brewed. For dinner I ended up at another highly populated place. This place actually had some media coverage in the L.A. Times but luckily I didn't have to wait no more then 10 minutes to order my food. Chego, is definitely the spot for foodies, or anyone that wants to try something they have never had before. I had the Sour Cream Hen House which included: marinated grilled chicken rice bowl w/ fried egg, Chinese broccoli, sour cream sambal, Thai basil, toasted sesame and red jalapeno. I opt out of the Jalapeno. It had a slightly spicy taste, but the basil definitely made the bowl sweeter. Sunday, while passing through one of my favorite cities, I had to stop by the Greenhouse Cafe in Long Beach for the Green House Panini which is packed with locally and organically grown ingredients. Needless to say, soups and salads for the rest of the week.