Spreading your wings in a big world is hard to do. That's why you have to just look at the grass below you and breath it in.

Days of Thanks in Sonoma

I feel so incredibly grateful for the time that I spent in this beautiful spot, with such beautiful people. It is surprising how, even in the absence of your own comfortable surroundings, you can find incredible comfort. There are so many gifts in this world if we can just pay attention-- and I think that every time we remember to say "thanks," we are planting the seed for a future gift.

Goodbye Sunday

A foggy sunset.... but some light nonetheless

Las Cositas

It really is the little things in life that are incredibly didactic. Now, I am not one to obsess over flowers, but these guys just really deserve some attention. They smell amazing, and everytime I walk into my room, I am overwhelmed by their beauty. They are just so vibrant and aware of their perfection. They are wide open and exposing every inch of themselves to the world outside. They hide nothing and they try to be nothing more than they are. I know that I have read some Eastern reading about flowers. I can't remember if was Taoist or Buddhist. I guess it really doesn't matter. All I know is that THIS is what they were talking about. We have so much to learn from flowers.

Sure, it's fall; but it's not the fall that I know. The temperature is slightly colder, and people are walking around with hats, gloves, and scarfs as if the temperature change between last week and today were more than 10 degrees. I really doubt that it is. I still wear the same attire that I wore the day I arrived here in June... and by the time I get to my work everyday, I am still sweating. My mom said that the deck was frozen over this morning--and I am still sleeping with the windows open!!


But, it's definitely dark now that the sun is setting at 5ish. No more running around or catching waves after work. It's time to put on my extra millimeters and hoodie before I jump into the chilly Pacific on the weekend mornings. It's time to nest, read, relax, and embrace the slowness that comes with indoor activity. It's time to cook, burn candles, take hot baths, and turn inwards.

So, maybe winter really is coming, but I am welcoming it. Here's one last image of the long, sunny California days of 2007. Ciao Bella!

My Best Friend

She used to beat on me when we were toddlers.... I don't really remember
Then, when we rediscovered each other after a few elementary school years apart, she made fun of my Adidas Samba Classics and told me that her Mitres were cooler. It was then that I knew I was going to like this girl.

We made it through the middle and high school years even though we stopped talking for 4 months, when I decided I didn't like her boyfriend and she decided that it was "too bad." But, boy did she scream at my temporary "best friend" that night, at the school dance, when this new "best friend" kissed the boy that I liked. (How juicy is that?)

We made it through all the Cape Cod summers, where the drama with the boys was just about all we could handle.

We made it through the gymnastic years, never failing to inspire endless laughter among the clan of dedicated gymnasts who just wanted to be the best. C'mon, Shayna wiping out on her dismount off the bars was actually hilarious-- even if it meant a little nose surgery to correct the damage.

We made it through the college years, when she and her groovy UVM friends were, let's just say.... much more groovy than my Boston College, preppy and religious friends.

We made it through the live abroad years, as she ventured to the South island of New Zealand, and I ventured to South America. We would both return to those respective places numerous times, each time trying to convince the other to sneak away into our secret worlds, where people talk funny and life is just a little more relaxed

Now, here we are-- both on the left coast, both in our mid-20s, and both just as psyched to have each other in the same time-zone. Sometimes we see each other for a mere 10 hours, in which we are sleeping for 6 of those hours. Quick, work trips between SFO and LAX means that we are constantly on the go. Life is busy. We are starting out careers. (ummm, unless that implies that we have grown up, in which case I mean, we are starting to support ourselves). That said, we still have time for beach walks, episodes of Sex in The City, and lots of laughter.

Does everyone have a best friend this awesome?

I hope so....