Wonderemployment

I haven't done New Year's resolutions in a long time because like most people, I fall off the wagon within a month or two and never get back on. It seems like a yearly ritual in letting yourself down, so I just don't bother with the self-inflicted punishment anymore. My old resolutions (or at least the ones I can remember) were pretty typical: Work out more (3x/week!) Read more (2 books/month!) Be better at keeping in touch with friends Cook more  Spend less money What I've realized is that the turn of the calendar is not going to change who you fundamentally are. I don't read more because I enjoy doing other things more than I enjoy reading... yet somehow I feel this pressure to read because that is what smart people do. Exercise is good for me, but where there is no will, there is no way, and most days, you guessed it... I have no will. Putting intentional effort into self-improvement is good, but I'm pretty tired of our culture's obsessive...

It's almost Thanksgiving, and I want to focus on giving thanks for my health and safety, my family, my friends, my opportunities, and all the positive change that is taking place in the world. In order to do that, I really need to get some things off my chest. Since last night I have had a hard time thinking about much else besides what is happening in Ferguson and all over the country. I don't know why I am stunned each time these decisions come down, but I am. It saddens me so much not only to see young black men being killed without consequence, but also the level of racism and ignorance that fill my news feed and the internet at large. It is hard to even say anything about this because I know I will probably be judged and criticized as well. But it's also getting hard NOT to say anything. This affects me. It affects all of us, and if you are not sure why, please take time to ask someone and reflect on the answer. Most of us have no idea what happened during the even...

The last two weeks have been a blur of events and emotions. As I've been processing the end of my old job and the start of my new one, I've been trying to recall how I felt and dealt with other ends and beginnings, like moving out of Eugene (where I went to college), or starting my first week at NICOS. I've been drawing a complete blank. I suppose transitions are harder to remember because by nature they exist between two longer, usually more stable, periods. I can only remember the big emotions, the hard ones. I remember how soul-crushingly lonely I felt in my first few weeks in San Francisco, then DC. I remember crying at age 11 when we moved out of the only house I'd lived in my whole life. As I've said many times before, change is hard for me. But I hope that by documenting it this time, I'll have something to refer back to next time I find myself in-between. So now to rewind a bit... my last few weeks at NICOS were extremely busy. I had a lot of commun...

In my dream world, I live in an immaculate, yet cozy home filled only with carefully curated items that I love and that have meaning and purpose. Everything unsightly would live inside a charming box or be hidden away in neatly organized cabinets. Clutter would not exist. Unfortunately, my reality does not look like this at all, despite reading many issues of Real Simple magazine and ogling Container Store catalogs. We just have way too much STUFF. I don't try to collect things, but somehow our apartment feels filled to the brim. We've made some headway over the years, but not enough for me to feel truly happy with our space. Part of the problem is that for a long time I thought we would move "soon", originally because I wanted to live in the city, and more recently, because of a dramatic rent increase. But alas, I've finally accepted that we will probably be here for a while and it's time to make this apartment a real home. During my wonderemployment, ...

It's official...my wonderemployment is coming to an end! I've accepted a full-time position at the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO, pronounced app-cho) and will be starting the first week of November. I got the offer last Wednesday so I've had some time to think it over, absorb the news, and celebrate in small ways. As all of you who have read my thoughts for the past nine months know, working part time has been both a joy and a burden for me. I have loved being able to do more of the things that I genuinely enjoy, though it's been hard feeling at a standstill, not contributing financially to our household the way I feel that I should. After many months of wondering what to do, I am finally taking the long-awaited next step. I am anxious about the change (because I am always anxious about any change), but generally feeling really hopeful about this new opportunity. I am excited to be challenged in new ways, to meet new people, to k...

I was tagged by two friends to do the Facebook gratitude/thanksgiving challenge, where for seven days, you list 3 things for which you are thankful (or something like that; I've seen a few iterations floating around). For reasons I don't want to go into, I have a general policy of not participating in any social media "challenges". But I do believe in practicing, expressing, and encouraging gratitude, and the science behind gratitude is quite compelling . Over the years I have tried to develop a habit of actively focusing of gratitude and appreciation, rather than judgment and negativity. It's a muscle that I feel pretty comfortable with, so I wanted to challenge myself in a different way. Yesterday I decided to do an hourly (or in some cases, half-hourly) gratitude check. I just took a few notes in my phone throughout the day, then elaborated on them later.  Here is my log: 7:00 am: Ugh, waking up. This is the hardest time for me to feel anything but grumpy....

I got an offer today. For a full-time job. A full-time job that pays decently and has benefits (perks even!). I'm a little dizzy from excitement. I am overwhelmed thinking about how things will change though... am I ready for the end of wonderemployment?!

I am blessed with amazingly talented and generous friends. My friend (and hairstylist) Rhea is the co-owner of Le Reve Salon in Burlingame. Today her wonderful team put on an event called Cuts for Kids to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and a local non-profit called Kids & Art , which partners with artists to bring art sessions to children and their families during cancer treatment, recovery, or bereavement. As part of their fundraising efforts, Le Reve was offering $20 haircuts, which is a steal for the beautiful, high-quality work they do. When I first saw them advertise the event, I knew I had to get an appointment for G . As many teenagers do, G is always fantasizing about changing up her look with clothes, piercings, body art, and of course, hairstyles. A lot of ideas come and go, but she has been talking about a new haircut for the past six months or more. Resources are tight for her family though, so trips to the salon are understandably not a top p...

One of the most interesting parts about my job is that I get to travel to various parts of the state and meet people in settings I would not normally be in, such as high schools and detox centers. The last time I talked about a business trip was in June, when I got to go to Disneyland ! This past week, my job brought me somewhere that could not be more different: prison. My colleague and I spent almost 2 full days working with a special group of inmates at the Central California Women's Facility in Chowchilla. This was not my first time at a prison, but it was my first time at a women's facility. I am very privileged in that I do not have any personal experiences with friends or family being incarcerated. Having no firsthand knowledge, my only point of reference was Orange is the New Black (which I love!). I didn't know what to expect, but what I got was one of the most rewarding teaching experiences I have ever had. As I have talked about before, a big part of my jo...

Our first wedding anniversary is coming up, which will not just mark one year of marriage for us, but also five years of being together. When you get married, it seems everyone asks, "does it feel different?", or "has anything changed?". I find myself asking people the same things too because it's so variable for everyone. For me, marriage does feel different, in the best ways possible. It feels like... having a slumber party with your best friend every night!!! Just kidding. To me, it feels more like getting a good night's rest. No matter what the next day brings, both will only help. When we got married, I had no idea what the next year would look like, but "wonderemployment" certainly wasn't even a thought on my mind. I was expecting to continue my job until the end of 2014, at least. We are in a strange juxtaposition right now, with him working harder than ever at his job and then each day coming home to study for a professional exam, ...

Last night I attended a meeting of the Democratic County Central Committee (DCCC) in San Francisco to show my support of Stevon Cook , a friend of mine who is running for school board. I know Stevon because we were in the same City Hall Fellows cohort in 2008-2009. It's hard to believe it was so long ago! This endorsement meeting was a whole new experience for me in a lot of ways. First of all, I did not know the DCCC existed, or that it is the governing body of San Francisco's Democratic Party. I also had no idea what an endorsement meeting would be like. Turns out they are very popular events. It was standing room only last night, and it took me over half an hour to get in the door because of long lines and security. Everyone wanted to be there to support or denounce certain candidates and local propositions. The public comment process was wearisome (as they often are!), and it seemed to me that it did not make any difference in swaying the committee members since they are...

This post is almost a month overdue! In July, I had the pleasure of participating in Mama G's Burrito Project. This burrito project is a new initiative from Mama G's Thanksgiving Street Dinner , an annual event that my friend Peter created and has led for several years. In his own words: Since 2009, Mama G's Thanksgiving Street Dinner has served over 500 people a warm, nutritious, thanksgiving dinner in the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco. On the Sunday before Thanksgiving, a group of committed volunteers from throughout the City gather to support a community in need of vital services, political attention and civic care. In a political and economic climate that continues to neglect the needs of the poor and most vulnerable, Mama G's seeks to counter the status quo by taking it to the streets and bringing resources donated by members of the community directly to the community. With the success of the Thanksgiving Dinner, Peter and his co-organizers pil...

Here's the last part of my life list. ( See Part 1 , and Part 2 .) If I recall correctly, I added to this list over the course of several months, and it seems like I saved the best for last.  Things I would like to do in my lifetime (not in any order): Part 3 15. Be a mentor I was delightfully surprised to see this on the list. I didn't know that it was something I had wanted from such an early age, since I didn't have a mentor myself until college. I am glad I can say with certainty that I have accomplished this. I am a mentor to a sweet and smart young lady. G made this for me. It fills me with so much gratitude and love. 16. Hold a real koala For rationale, see item #3 from Part 1. I haven't had the opportunity to hold a koala yet, but would love to one day. I would love to go to Australia in general one day. Traveling is one of the things I get anxious about as I think about time marching forward. I worry I will never have the right combination o...