Report from the road

Things are well in New Orleans. Day 1 of the conference down. My poster presentation went well and I was able to have a number of interesting conversations about my work and endless opportunities for networking. I started the day listening to my teacher and mentor at BI receive a lifetime a achievement award and wrapped it up eating BBQ with some of my favorite professors and peers from NYU. Being here will end up being a really good thing… It already has.

It’s hard for me to imagine that I am just making my way to re year mark of graduating. Often while talking, I have to remind myself and humble myself to the fact that I am so young in my career. Something about my passions and my height allows me to deliver information with NIH more authority than is warranted by my short time in the world (rap in the face of folks who STARTED the field). So, while I eat humble pie before jumping into bed, I also feel, as per usual, just so blown away and fortunate that the world of work has opened to me in this way. And that I have had the capacity and commitment to walk through the doors.

thursday is the new friday, kind of.

Do I though?  It’s my Friday, kind of.  Last day of the work week, but hardly my last day of work this week.  I’m squeezing a million and one “to do’s” into the day and hosting book club tonight (yay – highlight!), and then headed to Olympia bright and early tomorrow morning (I mean, so bright and early it’s not even bright yet) to volunteer for Youth Advocacy Day with the Mockingbird Society (school-related, though I am absolutely taken with this organization), and then headed to school for a full nine-hour school day on Saturday.

Light at the end of the tunnel?  Sunday, I guess…but it just doesn’t seem like enough right now.  I’m tired thinking about it all.  And yes, this post is undoubtedly the reason I’ll stroll into the office this morning in jeans with my hair half-dry in a bun.

P.S. Where are you, Bridget?

 

What’s the dream?

I first read Alan Watt’s “The Wisdom of Insecurity” years ago. As per usual, my dad passed the book my way. And it changed me. In many ways, it was a huge door opener to me.

And I think it’s why one of my favorite questions for new people is – what’s your dream job? Along with what are you spending your time doing now.

I know we have visited this question before. You beautifully laid out your plans here. It’s been almost a year – what’s the current vision?

Checking In

I am so enjoying that you have decided to share your thoughts and mindfulness – your journey – here.  Keep the posts coming.

I am un-busy connecting with my self 20 miles outside the city, five miles from Marin, out on the Point; my very own little retreat.  Between visits with the people I love the most, I hold thoughts of those in Connecticut close to my heart.  Our friends are teachers, our friends have babies.  How far away and how very close to home this all feels.  I see Facebook post after Facebook post remembering the names of the children, of their protectors, speaking to gun control and then asking not to talk about gun control at all.  But what I connect with most was your reaction to stay quiet.  It is a horrible thing that has happened and this is not the time to pull out our soapboxes.  Sending so much love to the East Coast; what a time to doing this work that you are doing.

Inspiration, Dedication.

Really is a cycle…

INSPIRATION is all about the heart.

And it’s about growing…

I’m in a check things off the list, distracted by the sun, summer break kind of rut.  I need some inspiration.

I check in with myself and my community because it’s too easy to become jaded by the heart-wrenching stories and struggles I hear each day at work.  The pain of it all is overwhelming, and sometimes the feeling that there is simply too much to do before we can just make it go away is discouraging.

However, I have two very amazing and very special friends who bring it all very close to home.  Their pain and courage doesn’t just inspire me, it fires me up.  It makes me angry.  So while there are and will continue to be days that feel like they’ll never end, and projects that feel like they’ll never raise enough to do any good – I am committed to make their hurt go away, even if it does only happen one dollar, one checked box at a time.

Happy Hump Day!