So, I'm going to pay off my credit card by the end of the year so that I can begin working on building a savings to travel with again. But, before I travel, I really want to spend at least a month (preferably more) in New Orleans doing volunteer clean-up. I've already found some organizations I want to work with while I'm there. One is the Animal rescue, another is a women's shelter, another is gutting houses, and another is a fledgling student co-op. I've been wanting to go down there for a long time now, pretty much ever since Katrina, but time and financial resources haven't yet allowed for it. And come next spring/summer, I do believe that it will all finally line up for me.
After a couple months in NOLA, I'd like to finally move to Portland. I definitely want to start a co-op there, and study glass and fire dancing while I'm at it. And somewhere in between all of that I HAVE TO GO BACK TO NEPAL. I have a really intense urge to go trekking in the Himalayas again. This time I want to do the entire Annapurna Circuit. It takes a good 21 days. I can't wait. Afterwards, I want to mosy on down to India and spend 3 weeks backpacking around the country. Ideally, I will fly into China, overland it west to Tibet, then come into Nepal from the north, then south to India. Then, maybe I'll fly home. Or maybe I'll stay there. Who knows. Eventually I will come to Portland, I swear! It just seems that there is so much to do first. It feels like Portland is a place I want to settle down in, if I am ever able to actually settle down. Or maybe I just have a different way of settling. Hmm. There's just too much stuff that I want to and need to do in this life. I feel like I don't have enough time for any of it! And I'm constantly trying to figure out how to implement it all. In what order is it most efficient, time and money-wise? Can I start a co-op and then just leave it to teach english in the Marshall Islands for a year? Or should I do that first? It's so hard to choose! Although it's not really choosing, it's just putting it in order of importance. And the problem is, I don't know yet what is more important to me. I have this huge list of things I want to do, maybe I should write some out.
Teach English in the Marshall Islands
Teach English in China
Open a guesthouse in Bali
Start a co-op in Portland
Study glass in Seattle
Study fire arts in Portland/San Francisco
Acquire multiple Masters degrees
Backpack Asia-again
Backpack Latin America, every country, all in one trip
Do a round the world trip, hitting at least 3 continents in one
Fly one way somewhere and work my way across the world
Become an established freelance travel writer
Publish multiple books
Start a fire troupe
WWOOF it across New Zealand and Australia
Couch-surf on every continent
Did I mention visit every country in the world?
Sky dive into Burning Man
So many more....but I'm growing more tired by the minute, and I have to open the coffee place in...7 hours...g'nite.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
No wrong path
Well! I am feeling a million and one times better than my last (long) blog. If you remember, I was feeling a bit down, unmotivated, and bored with everything. If I learned anything from that time, it was that I have to keep busy in order to feel accomplished and happy. I have to have things to do that make me feel like I am contributing to not only my own personal growth, but to the larger community as well. I have found that the more involved I get, such as within Qumbya co-ops, the better I feel. I took the webmaster position on the Board of Directors at Qumbya, and have since been getting more and more involved with the organization. I am attending NASCO institute next month, as an active member as well as the Annual Meeting Rep, and I will also be attending the NASCO Board meeting. I'm drafting a letter to the community about Qumbya, doing lots of website and listhost stuff, and organizing a Bollywood Music Video Film Festival. Co-op life is awesome. I am definitely starting a house in Portland once I (finally) get there. I've already started talking to our NASCO rep about what kind of resources are available to me to do this. And there are many! I'm super excited about that, and what I'm going to learn at Institute that is going to help me in that endeavor as well.
In other news, I finally got a job! Well, I got 2! Not to mention my transcribing gig (which I think may be causing me to go a bit crazy). I'm working at a coffee shop downtown, right on Michigan Ave (The Magnificent Mile) across from Millennium Park, and also at this super nice Asian restaurant 4 blocks from my house. I had tried really hard to get out of restaurants without succumbing to a 9-5 office job, and it just wasn't meant to be. I think that I would be entirely too bored, and probably way depressed if I worked in an office 5 days a week! At least in restaurants, things are always changing, busy, and crazy. And the place I'm serving at in my neighborhood is a brand spanking new restaurant, so there's plenty of stuff to be done and it's always changing. I've been working 60 hour weeks on top of my regular house duties and board duties, and LOVING IT.
Another thing that has really helped me get out of this funk I'd been in was an amazing 2 hour conversation I had with Alex last night. It really opened my eyes to a lot of things, and reminded me of things that I once knew very strongly, and kind of let myself forget. I was able to remember who I am spiritually, and what I have to give others. It made me remember that life will always work itself out, that you are taken down certain paths for a reason, and that there is a higher purpose to everything. For example: I returned from Asia last year broke (in debt actually) and unsure of what my next move was to be. I only knew I wanted to take it really easy for a while. So when I went to the Greenroom to get Karen a b-day present, I wasn't excepting to walk out with a job. But I did! And I began working at a super chill job while (still) trying to figure out my next move. It was while I was hanging out there reading the Stranger that I saw the ad for the Academy for Alternative Journalism fellowship. Immediately intrigued, I applied, not really thinking I would get it. While waiting for word back from them, I began working at the funeral home, where I got a free apartment in exchange for working a couple nights a week. With this new sweet set up, I decided I would stick around for 2 years and save the money I would normally spend on rent and at the end of two years, take my savings and travel for a year (or more). Now, I had originally vowed to never return to this place I grew up in, to move on to bigger and better things. With this job, however, it seemed I had forgotten this vow. But then....I won the fellowship! And that meant spending the summer in Chicago. Guess staying at the funeral home for two years was out. And so, I began working on finding a summer sublet to live at in Chicago. I ended up finding a housing cooperative. I had always wanted to live in some kind of intentional community, so this was perfect. I applied, went through phone interviews, and was accepted. I came to Chicago, did the fellowship (which taught me so much, not the least of it being that I am an artist, not a journalist), and fell in love with the co-op life and community, and decided that if I didn't win a previously applied for scholarship at Pratt Fine Arts in Seattle, that I would come back to Chicago after the summer was over. Consequently, I did not win the scholarship. So, I came home, packed my shit, went to Burning Man, then drove back to Chicago. Since I've been back, I've been building practical co-op experience for starting my own co-op, realized how amazing the northwest really is, and how much I like being involved in a community. So, to make a (very) long story short, if I had never gone to Asia and spent my life savings, I probably wouldn't have wandered into the Greenroom that day and gotten a job, I would have never seen the ad for the fellowship, which means I never would have come to Chicago, never lived in a co-op, never realized how much the northwest is like home, never planned to start my own co-op, and probably never (or at least for a while) realized how important it is being involved in not only your immediate community, but the larger community as well. All of these things have had HUGE parts in shaping the person that I have grown into over the past year, and each and every thing, however trivial at the time, has contributed to discovering the next curve in my path. I can put a higher sense of trust into the universe now, because I know that it will never steer me wrong. As long as I continue to follow my instincts and to strive for personal growth and involvement with the world around me, I know that everything will turn out for the best, and exactly the way it was meant to. There is no wrong path, because whatever path you are on is exactly where you're supposed to be.
In other news, I finally got a job! Well, I got 2! Not to mention my transcribing gig (which I think may be causing me to go a bit crazy). I'm working at a coffee shop downtown, right on Michigan Ave (The Magnificent Mile) across from Millennium Park, and also at this super nice Asian restaurant 4 blocks from my house. I had tried really hard to get out of restaurants without succumbing to a 9-5 office job, and it just wasn't meant to be. I think that I would be entirely too bored, and probably way depressed if I worked in an office 5 days a week! At least in restaurants, things are always changing, busy, and crazy. And the place I'm serving at in my neighborhood is a brand spanking new restaurant, so there's plenty of stuff to be done and it's always changing. I've been working 60 hour weeks on top of my regular house duties and board duties, and LOVING IT.
Another thing that has really helped me get out of this funk I'd been in was an amazing 2 hour conversation I had with Alex last night. It really opened my eyes to a lot of things, and reminded me of things that I once knew very strongly, and kind of let myself forget. I was able to remember who I am spiritually, and what I have to give others. It made me remember that life will always work itself out, that you are taken down certain paths for a reason, and that there is a higher purpose to everything. For example: I returned from Asia last year broke (in debt actually) and unsure of what my next move was to be. I only knew I wanted to take it really easy for a while. So when I went to the Greenroom to get Karen a b-day present, I wasn't excepting to walk out with a job. But I did! And I began working at a super chill job while (still) trying to figure out my next move. It was while I was hanging out there reading the Stranger that I saw the ad for the Academy for Alternative Journalism fellowship. Immediately intrigued, I applied, not really thinking I would get it. While waiting for word back from them, I began working at the funeral home, where I got a free apartment in exchange for working a couple nights a week. With this new sweet set up, I decided I would stick around for 2 years and save the money I would normally spend on rent and at the end of two years, take my savings and travel for a year (or more). Now, I had originally vowed to never return to this place I grew up in, to move on to bigger and better things. With this job, however, it seemed I had forgotten this vow. But then....I won the fellowship! And that meant spending the summer in Chicago. Guess staying at the funeral home for two years was out. And so, I began working on finding a summer sublet to live at in Chicago. I ended up finding a housing cooperative. I had always wanted to live in some kind of intentional community, so this was perfect. I applied, went through phone interviews, and was accepted. I came to Chicago, did the fellowship (which taught me so much, not the least of it being that I am an artist, not a journalist), and fell in love with the co-op life and community, and decided that if I didn't win a previously applied for scholarship at Pratt Fine Arts in Seattle, that I would come back to Chicago after the summer was over. Consequently, I did not win the scholarship. So, I came home, packed my shit, went to Burning Man, then drove back to Chicago. Since I've been back, I've been building practical co-op experience for starting my own co-op, realized how amazing the northwest really is, and how much I like being involved in a community. So, to make a (very) long story short, if I had never gone to Asia and spent my life savings, I probably wouldn't have wandered into the Greenroom that day and gotten a job, I would have never seen the ad for the fellowship, which means I never would have come to Chicago, never lived in a co-op, never realized how much the northwest is like home, never planned to start my own co-op, and probably never (or at least for a while) realized how important it is being involved in not only your immediate community, but the larger community as well. All of these things have had HUGE parts in shaping the person that I have grown into over the past year, and each and every thing, however trivial at the time, has contributed to discovering the next curve in my path. I can put a higher sense of trust into the universe now, because I know that it will never steer me wrong. As long as I continue to follow my instincts and to strive for personal growth and involvement with the world around me, I know that everything will turn out for the best, and exactly the way it was meant to. There is no wrong path, because whatever path you are on is exactly where you're supposed to be.
Monday, October 8, 2007
I love the internet.
Oh the wonderful things we find on the web. Go here: http://www.shutdowntv.com/ for a fun dorky show that for some reason I can't stop watching.
And, just because you're so good, here's a special treat for you!
Cyanide & Happiness @ Explosm.net
And, just because you're so good, here's a special treat for you!
Cyanide & Happiness @ Explosm.net
Friday, October 5, 2007
middle of the night ramblings...
Lately, life just seems so...boring. nothing really to look forward to, nothing (really) to do all day, no money to do anything with, and i'm very quickly running out of oxygen to blow glass with, and i can't, i repeat, can't put more on my credit card. although i probably will. I'm just lucky i live at haymarket, where without the constant amusement i glean from my fellow housemates i would most assuredly go completely and utterly insane. what would i do without in-home beer brewing, evolution and speak easy parties, costume kickball, apple picking and oktoberfest beer tasting? what would i do for dinner if i didn't get a home-cooked vegetarian meal every night? i'd probably forget (or not be able to afford) to eat.
had (another) nanny job interview today. this couple seemed very nice, they both work at the unversity of chicago, kids are so allergic to nuts that i can't consume them on days i care for the kids. the pay is well, and everything is within walking distance in my neighborhood. so far so good. now let's hope this family calls me back...
I think i spend more time planning life than actually living it. (but when i do live, it, boy do i!) that being said, i have a new 5 year plan. and-gasp!-it actually involves something resembling a career path. something that i have obsessively avoided since, well, forever.
i have been wanting to get a masters of fine arts in creative writing from vermont college since my senior year of undergrad. i think it's finally time. got the fellowship under my belt, some more crazy life experiences to write about, and i finally get independent financial aid status, which hopefully means more money for me (yay!). Since i've wanted that for a while, i'm applying to start summer term of '08. oh, and by the way, vermont college is a low-residency school, where i have to complete 5 ten day residencies over the course of 2 years (there is one summer and one winter session a year) in order to obtain my MFA. and i can live anywhere in the entire world. so....i think i'm moving to portland. i love portland. i've always loved portland. well, except for that time that when i was 14 and ran away to portland and, well, let's just say that was a bad situation all around.
since my dark and confused teenage years i've had many a good experience in portland. very eclectic, community-minded, and very socially and environmentally conscious. and well, it's close to friends and family. which i think this year in chicago is going to prove how important those things may really be to me.
so...portland. save money, finish my masters degree, join an artists co-op and learn from as many glass artists as possible (btw, there is like, no glass community in chicago. it's all concentrated on the west coast.) travel a bit, then, go back to school. no, not for a phd, but, yes, another masters degree.
Another school i've been very interested in for a time now is CIIS. The California Institute of Integral Studies. they are a school "that strives to embody spirit, intellect, and wisdom in service to individuals, communities and the Earth." (taken from their website) anyway, they have this MA in Expressive Arts Therapy, one of 3 programs in the US that does it, and as soon as i read it i thought, "this is perfect for me."
when i originally started college, i wanted to major in psychology. then it was sociology. (when i was younger, it was anthropology, go figure, i guess i'm really into social sciences). then, at the university when i discovered a growing interest in the greater world around me, i switched to global studies. my degree hasn't really gotten me much except a monthly student loan payment. i know that i need another. so why not 2? (for a grand total of 4 completely unrelated degrees)
the degree takes 3 years, so i can do that in san francisco, then head back to portland, where they have a really wonderful cooperative practice space for community-minded professionals, and an expressive arts therapist would fit in nicely with their community. and, when i return to portland, i would like to start a co-op.
there are a couple existing co-op's in portland already, but i think that i would like to form another. i am attending nasco institute this fall, and would like to continue to attend, learn about organizing co-ops and living in them from now until my projected Return To Portland date, summer of 2013.
yeah, yeah, i know. i think WAY too much.
;)
had (another) nanny job interview today. this couple seemed very nice, they both work at the unversity of chicago, kids are so allergic to nuts that i can't consume them on days i care for the kids. the pay is well, and everything is within walking distance in my neighborhood. so far so good. now let's hope this family calls me back...
I think i spend more time planning life than actually living it. (but when i do live, it, boy do i!) that being said, i have a new 5 year plan. and-gasp!-it actually involves something resembling a career path. something that i have obsessively avoided since, well, forever.
i have been wanting to get a masters of fine arts in creative writing from vermont college since my senior year of undergrad. i think it's finally time. got the fellowship under my belt, some more crazy life experiences to write about, and i finally get independent financial aid status, which hopefully means more money for me (yay!). Since i've wanted that for a while, i'm applying to start summer term of '08. oh, and by the way, vermont college is a low-residency school, where i have to complete 5 ten day residencies over the course of 2 years (there is one summer and one winter session a year) in order to obtain my MFA. and i can live anywhere in the entire world. so....i think i'm moving to portland. i love portland. i've always loved portland. well, except for that time that when i was 14 and ran away to portland and, well, let's just say that was a bad situation all around.
since my dark and confused teenage years i've had many a good experience in portland. very eclectic, community-minded, and very socially and environmentally conscious. and well, it's close to friends and family. which i think this year in chicago is going to prove how important those things may really be to me.
so...portland. save money, finish my masters degree, join an artists co-op and learn from as many glass artists as possible (btw, there is like, no glass community in chicago. it's all concentrated on the west coast.) travel a bit, then, go back to school. no, not for a phd, but, yes, another masters degree.
Another school i've been very interested in for a time now is CIIS. The California Institute of Integral Studies. they are a school "that strives to embody spirit, intellect, and wisdom in service to individuals, communities and the Earth." (taken from their website) anyway, they have this MA in Expressive Arts Therapy, one of 3 programs in the US that does it, and as soon as i read it i thought, "this is perfect for me."
when i originally started college, i wanted to major in psychology. then it was sociology. (when i was younger, it was anthropology, go figure, i guess i'm really into social sciences). then, at the university when i discovered a growing interest in the greater world around me, i switched to global studies. my degree hasn't really gotten me much except a monthly student loan payment. i know that i need another. so why not 2? (for a grand total of 4 completely unrelated degrees)
the degree takes 3 years, so i can do that in san francisco, then head back to portland, where they have a really wonderful cooperative practice space for community-minded professionals, and an expressive arts therapist would fit in nicely with their community. and, when i return to portland, i would like to start a co-op.
there are a couple existing co-op's in portland already, but i think that i would like to form another. i am attending nasco institute this fall, and would like to continue to attend, learn about organizing co-ops and living in them from now until my projected Return To Portland date, summer of 2013.
yeah, yeah, i know. i think WAY too much.
;)
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