The Road to the Presidents: 13 Libraries, 6 years and Endless Trivia Knowledge

If there is one thing we've learned from the massive Broadway hit Hamilton, it's that American History CAN be interesting.

However since it is practically impossible for anyone not sporting a celebrity name or direct link to the White House to get a ticket to the show for the next year, I offer up a fun alternative to Lin Manuel's raps and homage to the founding fathers.

Visiting all of the Presidential Libraries!

(No, not geeky. Fun!)

As of 2015, there are 13 official National Archive Museum/Libraries:

Photo Credit: https://www.archives.gov/presidential-libraries/

As they are all over the country, it can be a bit of a challenge to check them all off, but thankfully I have a job that involves a lot of US travel and was able to work in almost all my museum visits during my heavy travel seasons.

It may have taken 6 years, but as of this past December, I was finally able to cross off the last of the 13 National Archive museums from my bucket list.

If you're like me, and never found high school history class all that interesting, you may be wondering why in the world you'd invest in visiting the museums. Hence, I give you a top 10 list of all the reasons why you're life will be better after visiting these historical archives.

1. The first Presidential Library I went to was Ronald Reagan. And I'll be honest. I had no idea what it was. Friend D said Library. So that's what I thought it was. A room full of books.

Wrong.

Once you visit a Library for the first time, you realize that they are so much more than that. Each offers a unique perspective into the man who was president, his years before, during and after life in office and all of the accomplishments that stemmed from his presidency.

And there are very few books in sight, but there are a lot of other things. In fact, the Reagan Library has Air Force One in it. You can tour the plane get a sense of the travel world of a president (which I, as a Road Warrior, of course found interesting. And envying).

Also, Reagan wins the award for most beautiful grounds. On a hill above Simi Valley, it is absolutely stunning.

2. Each Museum is really different. Some use a lot of technology. The George H. Bush Museum and the Bill Clinton Museum had a lot of interactive exhibits, while the Eisenhower and Hoover Libraries are a little more old school---with a lot of graphics and photos. You can spend hours reading about these guys, which I found just as interesting as pushing buttons and watching videos.

3. Lyndon Johnson's museum had a life size, talking LBJ. That told jokes. Where else can you find that?!

(*Disclaimer: I went to the museum before the remodel, not sure if this treat is still there, but I sure hope it is!)

But like the LBJ museum, all of them have their little flare of fun. You not only see the president, you learn about their quirks, their interests and little known facts that are perfect for a night of Pub Trivia.

4. You can spend hours or even days in some of these museums. The George W. Bush Museum is like Republican Disneyland. If that's your thing, than I highly suggest it. You walk in and greeted with music and fanfare and a blast to your senses. It is probably most fancy of the museums and being in the heart of Dallas, it's easy to visit along with some of the JFK memorials and the 6th Floor Museum.


5. I really appreciate that all of the museums have exhibits that focus on the First Ladies.

 

Of course, being a huge Jackie O fan, I found this exhibit to be the most interesting, however learning about all of the First Ladies is a big reason to go to these museums. We rarely hear about the lives of these women behind the State Dinners and the Hospitality they give Visitors. However, each has their own story to tell. We all know about the legacies of the more recent ladies, especially Eleanor Roosevelt Jackie Kennedy and Hillary Clinton, but the others are just as important. For example, Louise Hoover spoke 5 languages and was the first woman in the United States to receive a bachelor’s degree in geology in 1898.

Who knew?

You would if you visit!

6. Each library does a very good job at explaining the history behind some of the President's most important moments and decisions of their presidency. Many of the library have "what would you do?" exhibits. Where you are given a problem or issue that happened during their years and office and are given the opportunity to look at the details and make your own judgements. You realize how difficult this job is and how many hard decisions have to be made, many times without all of the details available. I ended up leaving many of those exhibits with the thought, "I don't know what I'd do. And I sure am glad I didn't have to make that decision!"

7. The photo opportunities are fantastic. Not only do you have an amazing array of artifacts surrounding you, many of the libraries have full size replicas of the President's oval office. Like this one at the Bill Clinton museum. I'll probably never get to the actual White House Oval Office, so these replicas are pretty neat to see. Many are very similar (how much can you really do to an oddly shaped room) but you can tell each President gave their offices their own little flare.

8.  Bringing it back to Hamilton (who, yes, I know was not an actual president) but in the musical, there is a song, My Shot where the lyrics are:

"I am not throwing away my shot! I'm just like my country I'm young, scrappy and hungry."

And it really struck a cord with me. Our founding fathers and the president's that have followed really have that fire inside of them. Not everyone (let's face it, not most) are built to be the leader of the country. Visiting the museums made me realize how motivated and focused these men are. Some were raised to be in this position, but more often than not, they were people who thought they could make a difference and did something about it. I remember thinking that about Jimmy Carter and Herbert Hoover after learning more about their lives.

9. The grounds of the libraries are usually surround by more historical buildings from each families life. Since many of the museums are located in the hometowns of the Presidents, there are original homesteads or houses and a few have the grave sights of the presidents. I really enjoyed walking the grounds and seeing all these other aspects of their lives.Along with their thirst for their aspirations, it's interesting to see how many come from humble beginnings.The FDR museum even has the opportunity to visit multiple Hyde Park area houses.

10. There's a Presidential Library Passport that you can get stamped at each location. (Who doesn't love a gimmicky sense of accomplishment?) I wasn't able to get mine completely filled out because I didn't buy one until halfway through this historical adventure, but they are only $5.00 and I highly recommend it. Apparently you get a prize at the end of your journey. I'm not sure what it is, but if you find out let me know and I'm sure I'll be jealous....but we'll technically be Presidential Library Pilgrimage mates forever.

So that totally makes up for it.

I did collect magnets from each of the Museums though, so that's pretty neat to see on my fridge.



I'll admit, no longer having a museum to visit is a bit of a bummer, but fear not, very soon Chicago will be getting the Obama Library. And you can bet that I'll be there as soon as I can.

And let's be honest, probably more excited to see the Michelle exhibit than anything else.

Happy Travels, Happy Learning!

Note: Just a quick word of advice. If there is a Federal Shutdown, do not plan on visiting one of the Libraries. As I sadly found out when I tried to go to the Ford Museum in 2014. Closed. Thankfully, work brought me back the next year and I was able to actually make it inside.

Also, I very much look forward to the day that I will get to visit a Lady President Library. Perhaps:

For more information about the Libraries visit:

https://www.archives.gov/presidential-libraries/

Sunday Celebrating in the Tenderloin

When I was 16 years old (and highly involved in church life) my youth group embarked on a yearly mission trip each summer. Sometimes it was local, sometimes international, but this particular year, we were taking a road trip down to California, performing a self-written, full of Christ's love, song and dance musical along the way.

It was exciting. We wrote it, directed it and performed it ourselves (of course, with help and guidance from our trusty youth leaders). Looking back, it wasn't all that great (#shocking)----but it was something that we created together and there are a lot of memories from the entire process.

One of the biggest memories, and one that often overshadows anything else from that trip, is that we ended up missing our stop in California. Not because our drivers were bad navigators, or we somehow ended up in Mexico...but because there were politics within our church surrounding Gay Rights and who was/wasn't welcome in a UMC congregation.

You see, the one stop we were supposed to make in San Francisco was to visit Glide Memorial Methodist Church. A congregation that had a long history of promoting and supporting people from all walks of life.

Glide originally began in the late 1920's but found a "rebirth" during the 60's (who didn't in SF's 1960's?) On their website, Glide writes about its history: "As the conservative members of the original congregation left, they were replaced by San Francisco's diverse communities of hippies, addicts, gays, the poor, and the marginalized. By 1968, the energetic, jazz-filled Celebrations were packed with people from all classes, hues, and lifestyles." http://www.glide.org/story

It is now a massive staple in the SF community, not only offering Sunday celebrations, but housing, meals, counseling services, support groups and many other weekly activities.
However, back then, we were in the midst of a major change within our own church (and the world, really) regarding Gays and Lesbians in church leadership and many of the members had very strong feelings one way or the other. A lot of members began leaving the church (not because of this, but for many reasons) and I believe our leadership felt that if we were to go to this church, we would be sending some sort of message.

Now 2015 Michelle is very different from 1998(ish) Michelle, but even then, I felt deep in my heart that this whole situation was wrong. Myself and a few of the other youth approached our head pastor with our concerns and cried to him because we felt like we were being asked to turn our backs on a community that only seemed to spread love and acceptance.

I didn't make sense to us. Weren't we supposed to love and spread joy just like Jesus did? To all, regardless of who they were?

Sometimes the minds or thoughts of a child (or, in our case teens) can see so far beyond the politics, and rationalizations that adults can't seem to get past. It's that child like innocence we seem to lose somewhere along the way.

I will disclaimer, this may not be a fully accurate understanding of the situation, but it is how it was described to us and how I remember it. I don't bring all this up to shun or criticize the leadership of our church. I get it. We all evolve and change and make new realizations every day.

I bring this up to say, this Sunday, I finally made it to Glide.

When I first moved to San Francisco, I always had it in my head that I was going to visit Glide. Almost 8 years later (I really don't know what took me so long), I walked into the church doors and was overwhelmed with emotion.

This service was so much bigger than myself. I've never experienced anything like it. It was like the most Christian, un-church like service I have ever been to. I literally felt like I had just walked into the set of Rent...or Sister Act (1) for that matter. There were people of all colors, of all genders, of all backgrounds. Many were recovering addicts, some homeless, some clearly suffering from mental illness. On the other hand, there were clearly some well off people, tourists, and many Sunday regulars. A beautiful TransWoman, gave the opening prayer. A gay man "walked the runway" as he modeled Glide clothing (which you could buy from the gift shop). There was a jazz band who rocked the music the entire time.

It's one of the first times I have felt the presence of the Lord in a long, long time. This church wasn't going through the motions, it wasn't sitting still, it wasn't boring.

It was alive.

I absolutely loved the message that the Pastor gave about Muslims and the hate that many Christians are spreading. She spoke about a tweet she sent out earlier in the week---one with her picture, proclaiming #weareallmuslim. She spoke about the hate she received back, how many in the interwebs were angry and disgusted by her support. She spoke of the realization that this is what Muslims are facing on a daily basis---and they can't ever shed that.

It's funny to me, this whole hatred of Muslims in America right now. It's funny because it is so ridiculous. For a Christian to say they hate Muslim person or Refugee from the Middle East is basically saying they hate Jesus.

For wasn't it Jesus and Mary and Joseph who were refugees? Who were running away from a dictator who wanted to kill them?

So quickly we are to forget.

 See, even the memes get it.

One of the main reasons I made my way to Glide this particular Sunday was because I had signed up to Volunteer at the daily lunch center. As I said above, the church offers meals every day----this Sunday we served nearly 800 meals.

I think I had the best job. Each person arrives with a ticket that they exchange for a meal----people line up in the morning for tickets and are given a meal first come, first serve (though I believe just about everyone receives at least one meal...but many came back for seconds. And thirds. And fourths.)

I was the line greeter. I made sure everyone had a ticket and it gave me the opportunity meet every single person that came through that line. I felt so blessed being able to welcome them. To wish them a happy holidays. To hopefully, be a bit cheery.

Everyone was so kind. As it got busy and the line slowed down, we joked around. Danced. I wore a nametage, so they all knew who I was. I was told I was beautiful over and over again. I was given well wishes and thank yous and fist bumps and hugs. I could tell that the people were coming from all different walks of life. I loved every moment of it and wish I could go back everyday.

It's funny how life reminds us of how little we need to see and experience joy.

I'll have to make sure I keep that in mind as I start the new year.

Working it Out 2015

It's the end of the year! You know what that means: Year-End wrap-ups, best of lists, resolutions.

For this wrap up, I wanted to focus on some of the fitness accomplishments I made this year. I'll admit, some days are better than others when it comes to health goals, but overall, I'm pretty proud of all that I've done this year.


























As a bit of a roundup, this year I did:

4 Half Marathons, One 15K, One 12K, Three 5K's
Ran events in:
5 different Cities: San Francisco, Nashville, Boston, Anaheim, Vancouver
3 different States: California, Tennessee, Massachusetts
2 different Countries: USA and Canada

On the 2016 Running Horizon: 
January: Run the Road to Superbowl 10k
February: Bay Breeze 10k
March: NYC Half Marathon
May: Mermaid East Bay Half Marathon

Goals for 2016: 
*Work on setting a new 13.1 PR
*Continue to focus on Cross Training
*Develop better eating plan
*Join Lake Merritt Running Club for Half Prep.

When it came to 2015, I ran about 600 miles altogether (woah!). I also set up my own tiny home gym...yes in my tiny apartment. Between running days, I've been working out with Jillian Michaels and I just started the 21 day fitness challenge. I don't know how I feel about that one yet, but I do really enjoy the short workouts. They change every day, so I feel like my body is getting a much better over all work out!

The Stages of an Adele Pre-Sale Ticket Queuer

This morning, presale tickets for Adele's 2016 North American concert went on sale. At 10am sharp in the local time zone, thousand of hopefuls (like myself) crossed their fingers for some British luck.

As soon as the tour was announced, people began to freak out to get tickets. I was watching the twitter world and realized that everyone (and yes, their moms) wanted a piece of the Adele pie.

Can you blame them? Did you see the Adele special on NBC this week? Hello, Talent.

I signed up on adele.com for more info (little did I know that also included the potential for early access tickets. Bright and early, Twitter was abuzz with people who did or did not get a presale code.

Luckily, I was one who did. 

After a little bit of convo (and no hesitation on either of our parts) Friend S and I decided to get tickets to one of her Bay Area concerts, as she'll be in town for three.

Californians are SO lucky. And Spoiled. 

So this morning, I mentally prepared myself for ticket queue battle (hunger games style) and logged on. Being on the west coast, you get used to being a bit behind in the times, however, it often works in our favor. I could see, via the tweets heard round the country, how insane the queues were for people on the east. It didn't seem like that many were getting tickets, but I wasn't going to let that get me down.

(this totally reminds me of last week, when I was waiting to hear about the lottery for the NYC half) 

People suggested starting to refresh at 9:58 because tickets seemed to open up at 9:59.

So that's what I did. I clicked and I clicked until the little button said "BUY TICKETS" 

I realized that there are a number of emotions that go through one's head while waiting in an invisible line. 

A) The hope of getting tickets.

B) The dread of seeing the queue line. 

C) The sadness you feel as time passes. 

D) The surprise when you actually get through. 

E) The immense joy and satisfaction when you finally have those golden tickets in your (virtual) hands.

I was pretty lucky, I got onto the Buy Me! page in about 10 minutes. Not to long of a wait, and those suckers were mine. It was as easy as that! 

I will say this, I really appreciate how Adele's website and Song Kick did the ticket handling. I know people were a bit frustrated trying to get in and figure out the queue, however they are forcing people who bought their pre-sale tickets to pick up via will call. That's amazing. Scalpers take so much money from people who missed out on these tickets because they buy in bulk and buy out fast. It is one of the worst things about concert going and it's always unfair. So, thank you Adele and Song Kick for trying to keep that at bay and giving real Adele fans a fair chance for seats.

I have no idea if the seats are even that good, I've never been to the SAP in San Jose, but I have them and in a few months, I will be in the same room as Adele. And her voice.

Merry Christmas to me!

And FYI: This totally makes up for my bike getting stolen yesterday. (Bike? What Bike? I'm going to see Adele). 

I am so excited for July! 2016 is really shaping up to be an amazing year!! 

Winning the Lottery (Sort of).

This week, I found out I won the lottery. But instead of receiving money, I ended up spending some (scratch that: a lot).

Because this lottery was for a spot in the 2016 New York Half Marathon.

Yes, I am incredibly excited about winning a ticket to run 13.1 miles. Odd, I know. But as runners, we know, we're a glutton for punishment.

I had entered the lottery last year, but did not win. I figured, I would try it again, just to see what would happen. I tried my best not to get my hopes up, but knew that if I didn’t get in, I would inwardly be disappointed. I signed up right away when the lottery opened up on Oct. 15^th, but the drawing wasn’t until Dec. 10^th. 

It's was a long two months!

When the day finally rolled around, I was a ball of nerves.

(Clearly terrible at "not getting my hopes up") We were in CT for our annual meetings and I was trying hard not to look at my phone the entire morning. Last year, I learned that the best way to figure out if your name had been drawn was to watch your credit card account because they automatically charge your card. Email notifications aren’t sent out until late in the day, so keeping my eye on my account would be the only way to get an early update. I checked a few times during our break, but nothing. 

Around 11am, I refreshed and was greeted with this:

I WAS IN!

I couldn’t believe it. I'm so glad we were on a break, because I'm pretty sure I squeeled. Loudly. And also preceded to give each and everyone of my coworkers a high five. 

 (And Yes, it is that expensive to run).

I know they were excited for me. But not as excited as I was! I know "non-runners" would not find this news as fantastic as I did, but they pretended to share my joy. (Thanks guys!) 

I was convinced for a good couple of hours that this whole thing was wrong and I'd wake up any moment. I didn’t want to get fully excited until I received that coveted NYRR email that proclaimed I was really in. And for that the status of my account to be updated to “Accepted”

Thankfully, NYRR was pretty proactive on keeping people up to date on when emails would be sent out and when the drawing was complete. There were definitely a lot of sad people on facebook, but it also seemed like their facebook page was flooded with happy, excited folks!

I finally got this email around 7pm that night:

And then when I logged into my NYRR account, I saw this and was officially convinced that I was really in: 

NYRR put out a press release a few days ago giving a bit more information about the race and it made me even more excited to be in than I already was. They said that the race is going to have 20,000 runners in total, with 15,206 runners given entrance through the lottery. There were 36,522 applicants in total for the drawing. (Meaning that only about 42% were drawn). 

Eeeeek! The course is going to be tough with the Central Park hills, but it starts in the park, heads to Times Square and down toward the Financial District. It’s going to be an amazing, amazing day.

I only have 100 days to wait. Better start training!

Christmas in Conneticut

What a week, what a week. Every year in December, our team heads back to the head office for a fall roundup and the annual office Christmas party. Working from home has many perks, but one of the (sometimes) downsides is not having a connection to coworkers or all the fun activities that offices sometimes have. I’m always thankful that they are willing to bring us all in for the party because it gives us the chance to not only connect with one another, but have a little fun with those we don’t see often. It also makes you feel a part of the organization----which after spending months on your own, is always a good thing. 

The week started out well, I got into CT on Monday morning and rented a car to quickly drive up to Hyde Park, NY. Now, if you’ve been following the adventures of Michelle, you know my year’s long quest to visit all 13 of the Presidential Libraries in the United States. Well, as of this Monday, I can proudly (geekly) say that I have now accomplished that goal. With Franklin Roosevelt’s library as my last stop, I’d been trying to get to it for awhile, but it’s definitely not in an easy to reach location. Thankfully, this winter (at least for now) has been very mild in the Northeast, so driving wasn’t a problem. It was a beautiful drive too. I’m not quite sure what one calls this part of the state, but it was pretty much the opposite of New York City. There was space. And trees. And land. Lots of open land. I loved it. 

Oddly enough, this also happened to be the anniversary of Pearl Harbor and visiting the museum on that day gave me a better idea of FDR’s involvement in WWII and how the US was pulled into war. It also gave me a fantastic overview of Eleanor Roosevelt and her dedication to human rights. I loved learning about their relationship and how strong of a woman she was. It certainly reminded me of the Clinton marriage and it was very interesting to see all the parallels. There was a very small section on Japanese Internment (which will come up again later this week). 

After touring the library and getting my fill of Presidential goodness, I drove up the street to the Vanderbilt Mansion. It’s strange to think, that at one point, these two families were neighbors. I don’t usually enjoying touring old houses, just to randomly look at some dead person’s leftover belongings, but it was actually a good tour. The guide was funny and full of tidbits about the Vanderbilt’s and New York society. I learned quite a bit about the differences between old money (at least 4 generations of wealth) and new money (anything less than that). I’d be happy with either title, but I guess that is just me. He told a story about the Vanderbilts trying to get a foot into the old money social scene, but regardless of how much they were actually worth, we’re never fully invited in. He said that one of the first parities the Vanderbilts threw, in today’s money, would have cost over 34 million dollars. 

For one night. 

I liked seeing the house all dressed up for Christmas and it overlooked the Hudson River, so that was really neat as well. 

On Tuesday, after spending a few hours in the head office, I went down to NYC to visit with Friend A and see her new Upper Eastside apartment. So cool! I dragged her around to touristy parts of the city to soak in the Christmas decorations. We went to Rockefeller Center (I always think that tree should be bigger) and to Bryant Park, one of my favorite spots in the city. Afterwards, we went to go see the show Allegiance, which is how the history of Japanese Internment camps come back into play. I’m not going to write about the show here, but will add another post because there are a lot of thoughts I have about it. I enjoyed the show a lot, even though I was crying through most of it.

With a night of fun behind us, it was time to get down to business. We had a couple of days of meetings, that all went well. We do take a little time out for fun (of course!) with group dinners and little outings. 

On Thursday, Friends M and B and I all popped into the car and drove up to New Haven. I joked we were trying to find Rory and Logan from the Gilmore Girls, since we were all fans of the show. But instead, we went to IKEA to help Friend M buy some fixings for her new apartment. We played around in the store a bit (hello, it’s IKEA, who doesn’t do that?) and then headed off to grab dinner at a fantastic burger place. 

We did stop by the Yale campus, just to see it. We all found it funny that, even though we spend many waking moments on college campuses across the country, that even during our downtime, we spent it touring a University. It was so neat to see though. Incredibly impressive library! I could just imagine Rory spending hours there studying (LOL. I know it’s not real, but wouldn’t the world be just a little bit better if it were?) 

On Friday, it was time to party and celebrate the year. Everyone always dresses up real nice and the company puts together a really great event. We have raffles and photo booths and open bars. It’s nice to see everyone relax and have a little fun. There was even a dance floor, complete with wedding/bartmizpha band. They were actually really good!

Now, I’m headed home to rest up for the rest of the year. It is crazy to think that I don’t have another work trip for a month and a half! 

Hallelujah!

Keep Calm and Gaman: Allegiance on Broadway

I recently had the opportunity to see the musical Allegiance on Broadway. It is loosely based on the family story of George Takei (who stars in the show) and is about Japanese Internment during WWII.

I know, I know. When you think of good musical material, Internment and War are the first subjects to pop up in my head too.

Okay, maybe not, but the music brought emotion to this story in a way that spoken word wouldn't have.

The show is about a Japanese family who have been forced to leave their lives in California after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and move to an internment camp in Wyoming. These weren't just Immigrants or refugees, many were born here in the US and other than being Japanese, had no ties to Japan. They had the rights to an American passport, but were essentially treated like criminals.

Over 100,000 people forced into imprisonment. Simply because of their lineage.

Many wanted to fight for the US, many had no connections to Japan, but still they were considered dangerous to the general population. Those of German decent or Italian decent weren't treated that way, but those with "yellow" skin? Easy targets.

I wish that I could say that it is hard to believe. Fear is a dangerous emotion and it led lawmakers and politicians to lock up our own citizens. 

Sadly, to be honest, it's not surprising. And it is not too far off from what is still possible today. With the fear of terrorism, of incoming refugees, of people who don't look like the "normal" American,  or pray to the same God, I can imagine this happening again. It's sad to say, but with some of the things "wanna be" politicians are proclaiming, and the followers who seem all to quick to agree, the mob mentality still seems to be alive and growing. It's far more than scary. It's disgusting.

Which is why I think Allegiance is a must see.

It's not a perfect show, but it is a good show and it is an incredibly timely commentary on US society. I think it speaks far more about American history than it originally set out to do. With the current climate surrounding immigration reform, refugees, it is like hate and fear are making a daily appearance on the news. I wish everyone, in small towns and big cities had the opportunity to experience this story (some more than others). Like many dark spots in our history, we tend to gloss over it in school. I grew up on the West Coast, an area with a large Japanese population. Japanese Internment  was a very, very small part of our history class. Basically, a simple, "This is what happened. The end." No discussion on what was right or wrong, no humanization of it. Just a few facts and then our class moved on.

It's almost odd to say that a show about this dark part of American History is set perfectly to song and dance, but it was. One of the things that I liked about the show is that yes, the circumstances were horrible, but life went on and they did the best they could to continue living. Life doesn't stop----in any circumstance, so you have to keep going.

There is this phrase that kept coming up throughout the show, "Gaman." It is a Buddhist term, that essentially means, "to endure with optimism, patience and dignity."

Having spent as much time in Japan as I have, this sentiment and the song that went with it were incredibly beautiful (and immediately started a trail of tears that never seemed to stop). I had a fantastic opportunity to get to know many Japanese people, now my friends, who during my time there treated me with nothing but respect and love. Dignity and strength are a part of who the Japanese are and "Gaman" seemed to remind me of my time there and they people I met. They are a proud people and I couldn't help but feel the sadness that the family felt, how stripping them of their lives must have been humiliating, how their neighbors and "friends" took advantage of it.

Gaman still rings true today and, like the show, it will stick with me for awhile.

Allegiance was definitely a heavy show, but filled with talent. George Takei was a gem, incredibly adorable and filled with such heart. Lea Solanga (my Filipina sista) was out sick that night, which I was bummed by, but her understudy was fantastic. Though I would have loved to have seen Lea, it didn't really matter who told the story----as long as it got told.

One other observation, not about the show itself, but with those that saw it. I've never seen such a diverse audience, with so many of Asian decent. There were a ton of Filipinos as well (you can tell by the nose!). It was really awesome to see a group of non-white people fully represented on stage. I wish it happened more often.

I hope the show is around for a long time. The more people who see it, the more empathy there will be in the world. 

And that will never, ever be a bad thing.

Running with the Girls

This morning, I had the pleasure of volunteering with the organization, Girls on the Run: Bay Area during their fall 5k event. It's is such a cool program. Girls around the city and their schools commit to training for a 5k each semester and than all come together to run the race and support one another. The coaches harp on the girls that it is not how fast you run, it's not a race or a competition. It's that you finish and you try and you get out and get moving. It's a neat goal for the girls to have. And not an easy one.

The course was all in Golden Gate park and it was a pretty day. I got in early to help with setup and organize some of the "pacing" (cheerleading) teams. It was so much fun. I had the chance to meet a lot of young women, some fun new running buddies, cheer on the girls and wear a hot pink cape.

What more could I ask for?

A lot of the girls were very excited, a few were not. I met a young 8 year old who was just not having a good morning. She clearly did not like running, her friends had all run ahead and her mom had gotten lost in the crowd. We spent about a mile walking together as she teared up here and there (she was having a tough morning). But I didn't want to leave her alone and we stuck together until we found her mom. It was nice getting to spend that time with her and encourage her along the way. Even if she was miserable.

I would love to do another one of these events whenever they come up. Such a neat way to spend a Saturday morning.

33x33: Tidbits from another trip around the Sun

When I set out to start writing this post, I had no idea it would be as challenging as it ended up being. Today, marks my 33rd birthday, another go around the sun and another year of lessons under my belt. I thought I would mark the occasion by creating a list of little tidbits I learned this year, that have hopefully helped me evolve into a better person. Taking time to reflect is something that I really enjoy doing, but do not ever take enough time to do so.

However, easier said than done. We go through life at such a fast pace, that I really need to learn to slow it down (hmmmm, maybe that should be tidbit number 1) and take time to soak in what the universe is trying to tell me.

So without further adieu:

1. Life goes by so fast, take time to soak in what the universe is trying to tell you (That was an easy one)
2. Sometimes "I don't know" is a better answer than "Faking it till you make it"
3. Not all ladies are here to be your friends. And that's okay.
4. It's okay to spend money on things that make you happy. Unless it causes you to go homeless.
5. Don't let others steal your joy. Don't let yourself steal it either.
6. Old friends are like old cars. Dependable, but need a lot of work to keep them running.
7. Smelly shoes should be thrown away. Regardless of how much you love them.
8. You don't have to travel far to marvel at this world that surrounds us.
9. Comfort zones should be avoided at all costs.
10. There are great men in this world. Annoying ones too.
11. Dreams never really leave us. Time teaches us to know the difference between the realistic ones an the ones that should simply stay in our hearts.
12. Success is just as important as happiness.
13. Binge watching is a totally acceptable way to spend a weekend night.
14. Humans don't last forever, but the feelings that we get from people do.
15. It's okay to miss people who are no longer in your life.
16. Sometimes, you really just gotta Elsa it, and "Let it Go"
17. On the reverse, sometimes, you really just gotta Tim Gunn it, and "Make it Work"
18. Your job should not define you.
19. A little drama is not always a bad thing. How you react in those moments define who you are meant to become.
20. Your knees are important. Keep them healthy.
21. Song and Dance breaks throughout the work day are totally acceptable. And should be done.
22. Push yourself everyday. In any way possible.
23. Facebook stalking is fun, but not advisable.
24. Your body can do more than you'd ever expect it to.
25. It's okay to be happy with where you're at.
26. But always strive for more. Not because you have to, but because you deserve it.
27. If the weather is nice. Or even if it's not, take time to spend a bit of the day outdoors.
28. Pretending to be someone you're not is silly. But in the right circumstance, fun.
29. A small group of close friends is more satisfying than a large group. And just as much work.
30. Reading before bed is better than watching a screen.
31. If you run, you're a runner.
32. Whenever possible, be a nice person.
33. Turning older is a gift. Not everyone gets the chance to do so.

It's my Birthweek and I'll $pend if I want to!

Each year, my birthweek tends to fall around the same time as #cybermonday. Usually, I'm not a impulse buyer (thank goodness) unless it comes to three things:
1) Travel
2) Theater
3) Half Marathons

And boy, did this year's Cyber deals get me. Thanks to Air New Zealand having some of the cheapest fares to the South Pacific that I have ever seen this happened:

Yup, in June of next year, I'm going to finally be taking on a new Continent with a two week trip to Australia and New Zealand!

I'm so excited and can't wait to start planning! I know that I'll be doing only the North Island this go around and will stick to Sydney with maybe a day trip somewhere nearby. I don't want to overdo it and get to crazy with the itinerary, so I'll just be soaking in a small region.

Which is totally fine by me!

Running Bucket List

As I read running blogs, I've noticed that a lot of people have bucket lists of future races they would like to someday run. Many people have the goal of running a race in all 50 states (that would be amazing). I don't know if that is a goal of mine, but as I search the internet for interesting races across the country, I have come up with a list of my own.

When I first started running, I only had the goal of running a Disney Half Marathon. It seemed like the ultimate (and only) reason to run that far. As I got more and more involved in running and began to enjoy it, I found myself always wanting to do "just one more"

In the past few years, I've run 7 half marathons. The first being when I was 18 years old, in Seattle...for High School gym class credit.

2000: Seattle Half Marathon
2014: Oakland Half Marathon, Rock N Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon
2015: Country Music Nashville Half Marathon, Disneyland Half Marathon, Rock N Roll Vancouver BC Half Marathon, Golden Gate Half Marathon

Clearly, 2015 was a big year. I often find myself looking into races in cities that I would like to visit....and then plan my vacation time around them. That's what happened with Nashville. A lot of times, like BC, I literally fly in and out to make it a quick weekend trip and it works out really well.

So, here are a list of the races that I'd like to one day do....I'm going to clearly need to earn a lot more hotel and flight points!!!

1. NYC Half Marathon
2. Disney World Princess Half Marathon (or a Walt Disney World Half) (January or February)
3. Miami Half Marathon (January)
4. Rock N Roll San Diego (May)
5. Run the Bluegrass (April)
6. Bird in Hand Half (Amish Themed!! In September)
7. Boston Half Marathon (In the Fall)
8. Chicago Half Marathon
9. NYRR Brooklyn Half Marathon (May)
10. Indy 500 Mini Marathon (May)
11. Kauai Half Marathon (September)

This list just seems to keep growing and growing. I'm okay with that. It's good to have goals right?

Speaking of goals, I secretly have finishing a marathon on my list. It would have to be a pretty big race (like the NYC Marathon) to get me to actually do it....but the idea is there.

I don't know who put it in my head.

But like most things, whoops, there it is. 

Go Cougs!

This fall, I've had the opportunity to go to two football games...both here in California. This past weekend, I went down to LA to hang out with some UCLA alum friends and head to the Rose Bowl for one of the last games of the season.

It was so cool! It's crazy, because we always hear about the Rose Bowl and going to a game there was pretty neat.

I flew down in the morning and hung out with Friend L for a few hours. As we both work in Study Abroad, the news about Paris was unfolding and students and their families were in the midst of chaos. Thankfully all of our students were okay, but we did learn about one CSU: Long Beach student who was killed during the attacks. This of course, makes the job that we do difficult and important. We spent a bit of the morning dealing with the concerns and making sure all were safe.

Though we all were worried about what was happening overseas, we took a few hours to have some fun and headed to Pasadena for some tailgating and the game.

At the Rose Bowl, there is nothing around...so you literally park on a golf course and go all fancy with the food and fun. We had a great few hours, hanging out, eating hotdogs and cougar cheese and playing cornhole before the game.

Once nightfall hit, we headed into the stadium. Friend K was able to get us amazing tickets in the suite areas, so we had fantastic seats. I loved every moment. The game was intense too! It was total back and forth between the two teams. They both seemed so geared up. This was the last home game for UCLA, and that always adds a little bit of pressure. The Cougs were winning for a lot of the game, but it was close....and in the last quarter, we began to lose. I figured, well, it's about time (I try not to be a downer fan, but we're so use to losing in the 4th).

However, in the last minute, the last 30 seconds even, we got a game winning touchdown! I was SO excited. The cougar fans were going crazy, my UCLA fans were not (LOL).

It was an amazing game and a fantastic night. I can't ever remember the last time I was at a game where they actually won!

Here's to a new era Coug Fans!!