Trips to Visit the Bestest of Friends- Ugh, I mean Trips for Work

One of the best parts of my job is that I get to work with people all over the US, Canada, Europe, Hong Kong, India, Turkey, Korea, Peru, etc. This year, it is my goal to visit as many offices as possible to get to know all of my co-workers really well and build good and lasting relationships based on mutual respect and trust.

Recently, I have been able to get out and meet with the Memphis and New York offices. I actually planned these trips because of specific work reasons, but an incredible side effect was that I got to meet up with two of my best friends in the world- Ann Taylor in NYC and Jennifer in Memphis. Please forgive me- I forgot my camera for both trips, so my pictures come solely from my blackberry. I was able to get just a couple of shots from each trip.

I have known these girls for almost exactly 11 years now.... Pretty amazing that you can meet people at 17, become friends, and stay friends through the test of time....We have been there for each other through the best of times and the worst of times.

I am truly grateful for friends like this!

I will have to come back to this blog and re-state the best memories over these past 11 years, but back to work for now. :)

Seeking Adventure

"Never forget that life can only be nobly inspired and rightly lived if you take it bravely and gallantly, as a splendid adventure in which you are setting out into an unknown country, to face many a danger, to meet many a joy, to find many a comrade, to win and lose many a battle. "
-Annie Besant

Lyrics to my favorite song of the moment

Won't you take this cup from me
Cause fear has stolen all my sleep
If tomorrow means my death
I pray you save their souls with it

Let the songs I sing bring joy to you
Let the words I say profess my love
Let the notes I choose
Be your favorite tune
Father let my heart be after you

In this hour of doubt I see
But I am is not just me
So give me strength to die myself
So love can live to tell the tale

Let the songs I sing bring joy to you
Let the words I say profess my love
Let the notes I choose
Be your favorite tune
Father let my heart be after you

Two Year Anniversary

Two years ago today, several things happened that I remember very clearly:



1. I ran in the Brookhaven Bolt 5K race in Atlanta with friends and co-workers from EI-Atlanta in efforts to raise $5,000 for the Shepherd Center Therapeutic Recreational Center for paraplegic patients.



2. I attended the wedding of my friend and former boss Damien Hagedorn and his wife Meghan Weiss with my friend Laura Selzer who was visiting from San Francisco. (this is the same friend that I would later switch jobs with in order to move to sf).

3. I went on a pub crawl in Atlanta with my kickball team and good group of friends. It was the end of the year wrap up party for the kick ball league which consists of hundreds of 20-somethings in the greater Atlanta area. We started out at this British pub and stayed there for hours. By the time that we decided to head to the next pub in the "crawl," the buses that were sponsored by the kickball league had stopped. We called for a cab, but it took way over an hour to get there, so we almost decided to go home and call it quits, but thankfully we didn't, because...

4. I met Kent.

At the second stop at a British pub in the Virginia Highlands neighborhood in Atlanta, I met my amazing boyfriend Kent, who I am so blessed to have in my life. In just two years, we have experienced many life changes together-
we fell in love
kent got out of the army, moved to California, and started law school
we went through a long distance relationship, travelling back and forth for a year between SFO and ATL
I moved to California and changed jobs, learned to camp and love the outdoors and recycle
we lost loved ones and witnessed the arrival of new ones


During this time, I have truly realized that together we can overcome anything. We have been so blessed with so many wonderful times together and have been encouraged by each others love during hard times. I could go on and on- but mostly, I just want to say that I am grateful for May 17th, 2008. What a marked day!

Favorite Quote

Be impeccable with your word. Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in direction of truth and love.
-Miguel Angel Ruiz

Here is to Health and Organization in 2010

My two New Years resolutions for 2010 are as follows:

1. Eat healthier foods (less McDonalds)

2. Be more organized at home

I now realize that these resolutions sound rather boring, but they can help to eliminate/reduce stress and fatigue out of my life. I have been challenged with stressful situations and long work hours over the past several months, and I need to find a way to keep balanced. Eating better and being more organized are two ways to help me get to that balance point.

Eating better will give me more energy and keep me feeling better and also help with my running goals! More sleep should also be at the top of the list, but I think focusing on 2 resolutions is enough.

So.... my action plan for resolution #1 involved

1. buying a book to educate me on better foods to eat

2. using that information to buy better foods at the grocery store

3. ensuring a weekly trip to the grocery to keep me out of restaurants

4. bringing my lunch to work at least 3 times a week

5. Only drinking a soda if I am craving one- dont drink one just because

I bought the book Super Foods: 14 Foods that will Change Your Life by Steven G. Pratt and Kathy Meadows while I was in the airport travelling to Atlanta en route to Panama City for Christmas. It is a good book that outlines 14 foods and their supporting foods that have the most valuable nutrients to health. Some doctors dispute the ability of certain foods to better your health, but I figure it can't hurt, and it's definitely better than the greasy pizza and hamburger alternative.

The 14 foods that this book claims to be "super" include the following:

1. blueberries

2. beans

3. soy

4. spinach

5. broccoli

6. tea (green or black)

7. oats

8. tomatoes

9. oranges

10. turkey

11. pumpkin

12. walnuts

13. salmon

14. yogurt

I truly sound like a true "Californian" now - talking about the latest books on food and health. It seems that I am enjoying the culture and embracing lifestyle changes that complement by active lifestyle. (Is this me giving my self a pat on the back)?

Either way, I have been able to incorporate some of these foods into my diet over the past few weeks, and I can notice a difference- I definitely feel more "ready to run" after eating lots of fruits and veggies through the day versus a McDonalds happy meal. :) Also, I know that these 14 foods are not the key to health and fitness. I just use the list to remind myself what foods are good to buy at the grocery store, so I buy yogurt instead of ice cream. I know that I probobly dont need a book to tell me that, but using it as a guideline helps to keep me on track and give me ideas to keep it at the front of my mind. Over a while, it will be come more natural to eat healthier, and I won't have to follow any "shopping list" that comes straight from a book.

ROLL TIDING in PASADENA

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