JANUARY 2015

#1 Ducks Game at the Lodge

01 January 2015 // Grants Pass, Oregon

This year has started brilliantly on two accounts. First off, the Ducks dominated their game against Florida State, which was a joy to watch. Second, because I got to enjoy watching the game and celebrating the New Year from the comfort of the Cascade Lodge above Grants Pass thanks to an invite from Cheri. Such a cozy, relaxing space and a great way to spend the beginning of what looks like a promising year.

#2 Intergalactic Snow Tubing

02 January 2015 // Diamond Lake, Oregon

In the evening, we took a drive out to Diamond Lake for “Intergalactic Snow Tubing.” The snow was pretty good, and tubing was fun. The light show was amusingly cheap, and we got s’mores and hot cocoa with the package.

#3 Llama

03 January 2015 // Grants Pass, Oregon

After returning from the lake fairly late at night, we slept in and spent the day relaxing at the Lodge. A good amount of time playing pool, chatting by the pipe-stove fireplace, and taking it easy. And we got to hang out with some of my favorite animals, llamas. This one walked right onto the mound in front of the lake to strike a pose for me unprompted. Love these guys.

#4 Brand New Space

04 January 2015 // Eugene, Oregon

Spent my first full day of the year in Eugene– a quiet Sunday, where I did a bit of work and relaxed. It was a slow year, and both the year and life in Eugene feel very open and spacious, ready to be filled with things, hopefully good things. I’m eager to get some projects off the ground, but also trying to stay grounded and present

#5 Physical Education

05 January 2015 // Eugene, Oregon

Winter quarter begins, and I’m enjoying my classes thus far, especially my fundraising for nonprofits course. Love that it meets in this quirky, lopsided building that looks like a transplant from a 1980’s high school.

#6 The Gym: Redux

06 January 2015 // Eugene, Oregon

I walked into the gym today, a familiar building, but walking in this time felt like walking through a portal. They remodeled it, and it was quite a dramatic remodel. Now we all look the part of one of the most intense athletic schools.

#7 The Fog

07 January 2015 // Eugene, Oregon

Eugene has been fog-heavy this week, doing a great San Francisco impression. We’ve had all kinds of weather this week, except for the usual rain. This fog looks pretty sweet.

#8 Swim Before Class

08 January 2015 // Eugene, Oregon

Now that the gym has been remodeled, I can do things like go swim a few laps before class and get in a good workout. Of course there are also options to bond with people in the hot tub or play pickup games of water volleyball.

#9 House Hunting with Dee

09 January 2015 // Eugene, Oregon

Deanna and I got to do something really fun today– hunt for houses. While the complex we looked at had some nice spots and a great location, it looked like none of the units they had available were within our range. Still, getting to hunt for a house and imagining our lives on the other side of June is so exciting.

#10 Fun With Fermentation

10 January 2015 // Eugene, Oregon

I took Deanna to a little event I discovered, called “Fun With Fermentation”– a fundraiser event for the Willamette Valley Food Center. There were demonstrations of rye, ale, and miso, a bier garden, and all kinds of samples to taste.

#11 Thurston Hills

11 January 2015 // Eugene, Oregon

Had an absolute blast hiking in the morning with Deanna — Finding the trailhead took a lot of work, keeping track of our turns took a lot of work, finding barely visible paths took a lot of work, and climbing up muddy slopes with a thin rope took a lot of work. This moment was reward.

#12 Consolation Pint

12 January 2015 // Eugene, Oregon

Legitimately, Ohio State played a really good game, and I knew we weren't gonna have an easy time after the way they handled Bama. Congrats to the season-long underestimated Buckeyes. We can only assume the Ducks were saving their championship title for next year when the wife and I have season tix.

#13 A Path Appears

13 January 2015 // Eugene, Oregon

First read of 2015 and I've already lost track of all the people I've recommended this to— especially people in the nonprofit industry, people who want to get in the habit of donating wisely, or socially focused leaders and entrepreneurs. Few journalists leverage their trade and craft for good at the level Nicholas Kristoff does. So many good examples of creating hope and opportunity unpacked.

#14 Save the Dates

14 January 2015 // Eugene, Oregon

Put our first batch of these in the mail today after spending the weekend writing them with Deanna Love the way they turned out. Couldn't decide on a final design, so we went with four.

#15 Student Union Seats

15 January 2015 // Eugene, Oregon

First time doing this since coming to UO’s campus– just passing time at the student union at a large window.

#16 King Estate

16 January 2015 // Eugene, Oregon

Deanna and I want to keep the habit of getting each other more experiences rather than things for Christmas. It took us a while but Christmas 2014 finally took effect with this weekend's wine tasting adventure. Such a delicious time.

#17 Jerky

17 January 2015 // Eugene, Oregon

Fun weekend project– turned my oven into a dehydrator and made my own beef jerky. Quite pleased with how this actually turned out. Homemade jerky tastes much more like meat.

#18 Two Trees at Alton

18 January 2015 // Eugene, Oregon

Went on a neat little walk around Alton Baker after church and enjoyed a sweet conversation. I really like these moments.

#19 MLK Hike to Spencer’s Butte

19 January 2015 // Eugene, Oregon

It was MLK Day. It was also unusually sunny in Eugene, so me and apparently half the town all got the same idea– to hike up to the top of Spencer’s Butte. Great day.

#20 Midweek Latte

20 January 2015 // Eugene, Oregon

Mixing up the Midweek– on a Tuesday night Deanna and I went out to Townshends to drink some tea lattes. Good stuff, but they need to hurry up and restock on their black cap latte.

#21 Mezza Luna

21 January 2015 // Eugene, Oregon

Had to run in here and grab a quick slice of pizza for some nourishment before an interview at a nonprofit across the street. Pretty good by-the-slice.

#22 Fox Hollow Road

22 January 2015 // Eugene, Oregon

The drive out to Pam’s where I’ll be house sitting this weekend. Winding road, wild turkeys and deer, and a view above the typical Eugene fog. This is gonna be good.

#23 Selah

23 January 2015 // Eugene, Oregon

Being a giant schnauzer means you can be a lady and still grow a thick, strong mustache.

#24 Jeremy & Karlye

24 January 2015 // Eugene, Oregon

So much fun getting a visit from these two in Oregon. It’s been a long time coming but I’m glad they’ve made it up here– and on a perfect weekend, too.

#25 Fox Hollow

25 January 2015 // Eugene, Oregon

One more day of housesitting for Pam, which I wouldn’t mind doing quite a bit when it means waking up to this view.

#26 Jeremy in Portland

26 January 2015 // Portland, Oregon

Ran up to Portland for overnight while Deanna was there on business to show Jeremy and Karlye around the city for a little bit.

#27 Sweet Life with Jeremy & Karlye

27 January 2015 // Eugene, Oregon

Just sent Jeremy and Karlye off on their way back to California this afternoon. Having them up for the weekend was a real treat. Old friends visiting you in a new home is the best.

#28 From Book to Life

28 January 2015 // Eugene, Oregon

Today's meeting felt too good to be true—

This book is a favorite of mine. It's a memoir of an adventurer who volunteers at an orphanage in Nepal. He soon learns that the kids were trafficked and that they aren't really orphans, and seeks to reunite them with their families.

A month ago, I did some research on the organization birthed out of the story and was pretty surprised to find them based in Eugene.

Today I met with their executive director (previously known to me as a character in a book) and we talked about collaborating on next steps for the organization since a lot of the support from the book cycle begins to fade as it ages. We'll be meeting and collaborating regularly.

Somehow one of my favorite books I read over two years ago is now morphing into actual life. What is this. Apparently books are good for you and stuff.

#29 On The Mic

29 January 2015 // Eugene, Oregon

This microphone is an indicator that good things are a brewin’ between Chris and myself.

#30 Hendricks Hangout

30 January 2015 // Eugene, Oregon

Deanna and I found a new spot and a little bit of sunlight where we could enjoy ourselves.

#31 The Pisgah Hike

31 January 2015 // Eugene, Oregon

Deanna and I found a new hiking trail and it was a great one. We hiked for probably three hours and enjoyed a nice little hangout and picnic on the summit, above the grey skies and in the sun. We’ll be back here, I’m sure.

2014

DECEMBER 2014

#335 Hosting the PNW Nomads

01 December 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Had a blast with Billy, Marissa, and Laine– PNW is a fun team! Got to enjoy hearing LiNK’s new Jangmadang presentation, and got to take them out to Killer Burgers afterwards for some peanut butter, bacon, pickle burgers.

#336 GTFF on Strike

02 December 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

My (sort of) union at my (sort of) job is (definitely) on strike… and they’re bringing some awesome picketing skills. In all seriousness, hopefully this gets worked out soon. Doesn’t seem like it would be too much to ask for the university to give some paid sick leave.

#337 Winter Shoes

03 December 2014 // Springfield, Oregon

Took this shot by accident but it turned out to be the best of the day. Stepping out onto the leaf-filled ground while heading towards Deanna’s house in the morning. One of my favorite parts of the day.

#338 Liberty Cold Brew

04 December 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

While the Nomads were in Eugene, I ended up buying some of LiNK’s Cold Brew. Merchandise has come a long way since I’ve been on tour, but in the words of Todd Barry, “After your first sip of COLD BREW coffee, it’s polite to stand up, look at the barista and go “DAMN! This brew is COLD!”

#339 Terwilliger Hot Springs

05 December 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Deanna decided that she wanted to plan one of our dates and surprise me. What does she pick? A hot springs in the middle of the Willamette National Forest during December.

#340 Springfield Christmas Parade

06 December 2014 // Springfield, Oregon

A really, really fun weekend continued! Deanna and I got to go to Downtown Springfield and watch the Christmas Parade. It was pretty fun getting to sit out with all the locals for our first Christmas in town.

#341 Sweet Write

07 December 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Spend the evening with a Maté Latte putting the finishing touches on a long writing project. It was a lovely, cozy Sunday night.

#342 Pam and Abby

08 December 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

This is our new friend Pam and her horse Abby. Pam runs a non-profit where she uses Abby to help special needs individuals and victims of sex trafficking learn important recovery skills. Deanna and I went over to Pam’s place to get a walk-through of her program and to see how we could get involved. Horses are amazing animals for therapy and learning social skills.

#343 The Suits

09 December 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Went out to town to look for my tuxedo, or whatever it is I’ll be wearing while getting married. The results were inconclusive.

#344 Cream Cheese Scone

10 December 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Did some reading and thinking about my thesis at Espresso Roma with two of my favorite snacks– a cream cheese scone and a white hot chocolate.

#345 Sunlit Walks

11 December 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Eugene had an unusual amount of blue skies and sunshine for the day, so it was impossible to not spend some of it walking around the neighborhood and enjoying the outside.

#346 Coffee & Eggs

12 December 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Slept in a little bit this morning, then spent it working on one of my favorites– big breakfast! Sausages, eggs, hash browns, and piping hot coffee.

#347 Christmas Light Drive

13 December 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Had an absolute great day with Deanna. Took a great morning walk, then enjoyed the Grinch at David Minor, then drove around at night with some Dutch Bros. to look at the Christmas lit houses.

#348 Gilead

14 December 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

I don’t know why it has taken me so long to read this book. It instantly became one of my favorites, hands down. I love reading over break.

#349 Public Market, Holiday Time

15 December 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Ran out to get a few random gift items from the market and from Provisions in the evening. Fun seeing it all decorated.

#350 Hoppyness is a Choice

16 December 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Went out to Elk Horn Brewery with Karla and Taylor, and Alli and Colin. When Deanna got around to joining us it became a triple date.

#351 Pad See Ew

17 December 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Basically spent the day taking a day long nap. But I also got to make Pad See Ew for the first time.

#352 Finale Time

18 December 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Went to sit outside by the holiday market while listening to the Serial season finale. And that’s that.

#353 Gateways Blackjack

19 December 2014 // Springfield, Oregon

Went to Deanna’s work party in the evening. In addition to the free food and drinks, there was also a mock game show and a casino set up.

#354 Let It Pour

20 December 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Deanna and I finally got around to eating at Falling Sky and we loved it. Lamb pastrami, easily one of the best sandwiches I’ve had in a super long time.

#355 Visiting California

21 December 2014 // Carlsbad, California

Flew in to San Diego nice and early– it was my first time ever visiting California. Met up with Ben in Carlsbad and ate at a neat Armenian Café. Spent some time chatting and walking on the beach afterwards. This was pretty nice after being away for some time.

#356 Pannikin

22 December 2014 // Encinitas, California

Got to spend some time with Jeremy and go on a little field trip to Encinitas. Found Pannikin– a really neat work space with several different levels.

#357 The Ward

23 December 2014 // San Diego, California

Went to Tiger Tiger to catch up with Chris, for the first time since he got married. After recommending to him pretty much everything I’ve read and watched over the past couple of months, we then came up with an idea you’ll probably be hearing more about soon.

#358 A Family Christmas Eve

24 December 2014 // San Diego, California

Got to see my family and spend a wonderful Christmas Eve with them. I’m kinda glad we’ve slowly become a Christmas Eve family over time, because that allows me to enjoy two Christmases with different sets of people.

#359 First Christmas with Dee

25 December 2014 // Bakersfield, California

After dating for three years, we are finally able to spend Christmas Day together and that makes me really happy. My favorite Christmas Gift this year was my stepdad letting me use a car to get to Bakersfield to make this thing possible. My second favorite was this sweater Deanna’s mom made me.

#360 Fly Fishing with Rich

26 December 2014 // Kernville, California

Entered the world of Deanna’s dad when I asked him to take me fly fishing. The fish were totally MIA, but I loved it! I loved being outside, and I can only imagine how fun this is when the fish actually do bite. I could get into this.

#361 Nephew Playtime

27 December 2014 // Bakersfield, California

So glad that my time in California allowed me to get sufficient time playing with the nephews. Also, we got to see Colin and Judy for a hot minute while our paths crossed in town.

#362 Philippe's Bread

28 December 2014 // Portland, Oregon

Before returning to Eugene, I spent the day wandering around Portland and exploring, discovering several fun new places in the process. Also, breathing the Oregon air again felt really good. 

#363 Back in the Neighborhood

29 December 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

After a week in California, Oregon feels a little bit empty, but not necessarily the bad sort of empty. It’s more like fertile ground where new adventures can grow. 

#364 Winter Sun

30 December 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Considering how little sun Eugene gets in the winter, having the sun light up the house like this in the morning has been a treat this week. A bit deceptive, though, as it’s actually pretty freezing.

#365 2014

31 December 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

This will be a year to remember for sure. So many adventures and new endeavors. How on earth are you supposed to top the year that you got engaged?? Oh yeah, there’s the year you get married. 

NOVEMBER 2014

#305 Ducks Gameday

01 November 2013 // Springfield, Oregon

After a pretty busy past couple of weeks, Deanna and I enjoyed treating ourselves to one of the laziest days ever, pretty much made up of Gilmore Girls, Bob’s Burgers, and napping. We managed to leave the house to get chicken wings during the Ducks game.

#306 Steak & Ale Pie

02 November 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

When the weather gets cold, the cold get steak and ale pie. And maybe an ale on the side.

#307 5 A.M.

03 November 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Love the little kickstart Daylight Savings gives. I got a neat 5 A.M. start to the day, and I love the way things feel at that hour.

#308 Rougeside Mural

04 November 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

As a testament to the good that can happen when you take things slower and take detours along the way, I caught this mural by hopping off my bike to walk some of the way home. It was right on the side of the Rogue Public House.

#309 Driver’s Side Snapshot

05 November 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

She found an opportune photographic moment. I did too. Free product placement for Bed, Bath, & Beyond.

#310 Fall Grounds

06 November 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Who doesn’t love pictures of fall leaves everywhere? Fortunately for me, I think my street takes the cake when it comes to setting the scene.

#311 Maru Bowls

07 November 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

New favorite restaurant in Eugene– Maru. Asian tapas, Japanese and Korean inspired fusion bits. Right up my alley.

#312 Fresh Carrots

08 November 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Took a trip to the Farmer’s Market. I’m trying to get in the habit of eating better things, and having some fresh ingredients to work with for sure helps. Plus, I love doing stuff locally and meeting interesting vendors.

#313 Catan is My Hood

09 November 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Played another Sunday Night game night with some of the friends we’ve made through Deanna’s job. Gotta love Catan.

#314 Late Autumn Sun

10 November 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

What I like about living somewhere with seasons, is that every now and then the weather will throw an anomaly your way and it’ll be absolutely gorgeous. And you only appreciate it as much as you do because of the seasons. Lesson: Being present makes even the unexpected beautiful.

#315 Fly With Your Own Wings

11 November 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

I wanted to get some work done someplace other than my desk at home, so I gave The Barn Light a shot. Never really hung out here in the day, usually just to kick back at night. It had a completely different feeling, but it was fun, and I got done with what I needed to do.

#316 Faith & Academia Panel

12 November 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Went to the UOGCF discussion about the intersection of faith and academic work. All speaking professors were from totally different backgrounds, which made it all the more interesting.

#317 November Reads

13 November 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Here’s what I’m reading this month. A little bit for fun, quite a bit for work. At least I do enjoy reading.

#318 The Scanner

14 November 2014 // Springfield, Oregon

Deanna and I told Target we were registering so we could have fun with the scanner, running around the store and zapping all of the things we want. Who knew it would be so tiring? You’re next, REI.

#319 Reedsport

15 November 2014 // Reedsport, Oregon

Took Deanna on a date, and by date, I mean day trip to the Coast. I wanted to pick a town that Google Maps made look fun. That ended up being Reedsport, right on the mouth of the Umpqua River. We ate at a small town café and talked to a local about jewelry, walked around these docks, and then watched the sun go down over the ocean at a lighthouse.

#320 Dinner at Dee’s

16 November 2014 // Springfield, Oregon

After a pretty tiring weekend adventure to the coast followed by a day of work, we were ready for an easygoing night. We prepared dinner at Deanna’s place and hung out on the couch, and it was a welcome, easygoing night.

#321 Seasonal Labels

17 November 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

I did some stocking up! Being at a new place means that I have a whole new slate of local brews, and all their seasonal flavors to discover. So far, Jublelale by Deschutes is the most to my liking.

#322 Cooling Campus

18 November 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Thinking about it, this week kind of marks my last truly big week of school. I’m ahead of the curve in terms of getting the last bits of my work done for the final week, and I don’t have any finals to deal with. Good news for me.

#323 Cake for Kristen

19 November 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

We had cake to celebrate Kristen finishing her dissertation. She wasn’t there, but we photographed it and ate it anyways.

#324 Sweet Life

20 November 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Went to Eugene’s premier dessert location for the first time. Their root beer meringues were amazing, and even waiting in their usually long line was a lot of fun.

#325 Composer’s Forum

21 November 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Went to a composer’s forum to support my new friend Dan, who wrote an original piece as a wedding processional. It was a good show!

#326 First Ducks Game

22 November 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Deanna and I made it to Autzen Stadium for our first Ducks game, and our only one of the season. We plan to go a lot more next year when I can get her in for free. Not a bad game for our first one… a big time blowout against Colorado.

#327 Bit of Yard Work

23 November 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Got to enjoy being outside for a little bit while helping the upstairs neighbors lay down wood chips to help get the backyard ready for a cold winter. Good break, getting to work with my hands.

#328 Mom’s in Eugene

24 November 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Another visitor! This time it’s my mom being here for Thanksgiving. Took her out to Laughing Planet right off the bat.

#329 Top Down

25 November 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Got a little too comfortable in an elevator and forgot to get out. I ended up taking it all the way up to the top. I was rewarded with a cool view of an otherwise pretty familiar route.

#330 Cranberry Sauce

26 November 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Deanna came over so we could start with a little bit of the preparation for the Thanksgiving feast. The first thing we got working on was the cranberry sauce, complete with substituting mashed cuties when we discovered we didn’t have orange juice.

#331 Eugene Friendsgiving

27 November 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

This Thanksgiving was quite a bit different from the usual, but we at least got to spend it in good company. A number of friends, plus my mom, were over for the evening and we got to enjoy food we spent all day making.

#332 Boutique Mirrors

28 November 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Deanna and I took my mom out to discover some more of Eugene. We found some fun stores around the 5th street market and used them more as photoshoot backdrops than anything else.

#333 Townshend’s With Mom

29 November 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Took my mom out to get some tea over at Townshend’s. I discovered the black cap latte, which essentially was a mushroom latte. It was delicious.

#330 Mom's First Time in Oregon

29 November 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

A pretty good weekend visit, I'd say.

OCTOBER 2014

#274 Dee in the Morning

01 October 2014 // Springfield, Oregon

Deanna’s unusual work schedule means that sometimes we have to see each other at the beginning of our days instead of at the end of them. Sometimes that turns out even better. I had a really sweet morning getting breakfast at Dee’s.

#275 Yamada Language Center

02 October 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

And just like that, I’m gonna be learning Hindi and Urdu! UO has an awesome self-study language program that I can take for free, and I plan to take full advantage of it. At first I was hoping to learn some obscure languages, but after Zulu and Nepalese turned out to be too tricky to orchestrate, I settled for Hindi and Urdu. Apparently most people in Nepal can communicate in Hindi.

#276 Ninkasi Total Dominion IPA

03 October 2014 // Springfield, Oregon

Deanna and I decided to try Ninkasi’s signature product. Turns out we don’t like it as much as we like their Oatis, but it was still decent- a good IPA to pair with food. Speaking of food, Deanna made some awesome bratwurst and potatoes to go with this, and I brought the sauerkraut.

#277 Level Up

04 October 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

For a Saturday evening date, I ended up taking Deanna to a bar-cade. We ordered some drinks, and then tried our hand at some air hockey, pinball, Mario, Donkey Kong, Star Trek shooter games, Doodle Jump, Guitar Hero, Dig Dug, arcade basketball, Marvel vs. Capcom and a handful of others. Deanna sure plays a mean pinball.

#278 W. 5th Avenue

05 October 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

The Sunday afternoon was a quiet one, and I got to spend a good amount of time doing some work but also enjoying a short walk down my street. I’m still adjusting to moving my rest day to better fit Deanna’s schedule, but there can still be rest on work days. I’m cool with that.

#279 International Studies

06 October 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

If it wasn’t official before, it is now– my face is behind a glass display board! I like how quickly it took for my grad program to have a pretty personal feel. I’m convinced this was a big step in the right direction.

#280 The Graduate Awards Reception

07 October 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

I got an invite that U.O. was having for recipients of Graduate Awards. I didn’t know if I should go or not, but the prospect of free food was the deciding factor, and it turned out to pay off. I got to also meet a bunch of the other recipients, many of whom were Fulbright scholars.

#281 Eugene Library

08 October 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

I love the feel and the energy of this place, particularly the somewhat-indoor mega foyer in front that houses a coffee and baked goods stand and a used book nook. This is one of the neatest public libraries I’ve seen, hands down.

#282 Birthday Bee

09 October 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

We got to celebrate Deanna’s first birthday in Oregon! And by we, I mean the two of us and also her parents who were in town for the weekend. We went out for dinner and then went out to try our hand at a trivia night.

#283 The Arners at U.O.

10 October 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Deanna’s parents were in town for the weekend, so we planned a slew of activities for them. We took them on a walk around campus for a little tour, and decided that Hayward Field was one of the things that was worth showing off.

#284 Talking Fishing

11 October 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

My future father-in-law will talk to anyone and everyone about fishing, including this guy we ran into while taking a walk around Alton-Baker.

#285 Trader Joe’s

12 October 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Grocery store outings are one of my favorite Sunday rituals. That’s been the case from Santa Barbara to Bakersfield to Eugene. Something about the relaxed mood on a Sunday afternoon and the anticipation of all the fun things I’ll get to eat in the coming week.

#286 RIP MacBook Air

13 October 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

2012-2014. This was a disappointingly short life span from this computer, but then again, this thing has been on more plane rides and road trips across states and countries that I’m sure it’s taken on an unusual amount of wear and tear. The saddest part, though, will be having to restart a sticker collection.

#287 The Oregon Rain is Here

14 October 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

The legendary Oregon rain which we’ve always heard about has yet to live up to its reputation. Today was a start, though, and possibly a late start to what is supposed to be rainy season. It’s pretty beautiful, actually, and I hope we get some more after I pick up some better rain gear.

#288 UO Street Fair

15 October 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

A bunch of food carts and market vendors appeared in front of my department building for a street fair as part of UO’s Homecoming Week. Wouldn’t mind if a few of them became a permanent fixture. There was some good food.

#289 Deanna Makes Dinner

16 October 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Today was a big day of change for Deanna, as she moved from the classic red flip phone she’s had since 2006 on to a used iPhone. We marked the event with a dinner at her place while I showed her how to do fun iPhone things.

#290 Oregon Wine Lab

17 October 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Took Deanna out on a date to a really fun wine bar. It’s a good change of pace from all the breweries we’ve been frequenting since we’ve moved up to Oregon. Plus, there was a keyboard player doing funk covers of some of our favorites, and a pretty yummy Italian food truck right outside. Fun venue.

#291 Bose Farms Pumpkin Patch

18 October 2014 // Albany, Oregon

We went with some of our new friends on an outing to Albany to visit the pumpkin patch and find our way through a corn maze. Since we found all six scarecrows, we’re now entered in a raffle to possibly win half a hog. It seemed like the perfect pumpkin patch kind of weekend, though for Deanna, every weekend is a pumpkin weekend.

#292 Serbian Orthodox Church

19 October 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Went for a walk around the neighborhood in the evening. Passed by the Serbian Orthodox Church, again. This is a great building. Surprisingly small, and nestled in between a fro-yo place and some food trucks, but still fantastically ornate.

#293 Facetime Time

20 October 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

What’s great about Deanna finally upgrading her phone? More FaceTime time. Had a good evening catching up with Caytlin and April in Sacramento.

#294 Night Housing

21 October 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Went to a community dinner hosted by people from a church I’ve been attending lately. Lots of soup and homemade bread. A home cooked meal is always good.

#295 UOGCF

22 October 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

The UO Grad Student Christian Fellowship has been a big blessing and a help in allowing me to adjust to Oregon well. Love seeing these guys on Wednesday nights.

#296 Zulu Frames

23 October 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Finally bought some proper frames so I could start decorating my walls. First things up were these pictures- possibly two of my favorite photos to have ever taken.

#297 Ben Visits Eugene

24 October 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Ben came to town and we had a lot of fun. Among the first things we did was a little walk around Spencer’s Butte. Having visitors is our favorite.

#298 Ben at Voodoo

25 October 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Made sure to give Ben the proper experience of going to Voodoo Doughnuts while he was up in Oregon. Another fun day of Farmers Markets and exploring the town.

#299 The Happiness of Pursuit

26 October 2014 // Portland, Oregon

Book signings can be a blast! I’ve had going to one on my list of 1001 Day Adventures for a while, and I finally got to go to one when Chris Guillebeau held one in Powell’s. Chris is one of my favorite bloggers. He’s gone to every country in the world and writes about pursuing improbable quests. Looking forward to reading The Happiness of Pursuit.

#300 Columbia Employee Store

27 October 2014 // Portland, Oregon

I was graciously comped with some guest passes to a couple employee stores in Portland where everything is massively discounted. I was most excited about getting to stock up on a bunch of rain and winter gear at the Columbia Store while in Portland.

#301 Pennants and Walls

28 October 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

I Love it when walls tell a story. That probably explains why sometimes when I just want to unwind, I start messing around with my walls, hanging stuff up in different places.

#302 Downtown Bike Lanes

29 October 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

I have a really fun daily commute, right through downtown Eugene, end-to-end, pretty much. I love how well designed this city is for bike commutes.

#303 Platypus Water

30 October 2013 // Eugene, Oregon

This was quite a valuable purchase, and by valuable I mean pretty cheap but I sure get a lot of use out of this flexible water bottle. I decided I need to stay better hydrated, and having to lug around the weight of a water bottle would’ve been the one big thing holding me back.

#304 Becky & Eric in Eugene

31 October 2013 // Eugene, Oregon

Have Deanna and I mentioned that we Love visitors? It’s true. After coming up to Oregon to do our engagement photo shoot at Alton Baker Park, Becky & Eric played a game of pool with us, among other games at one of our bar-cades. These two are one of our favorite couples.

SEPTEMBER 2014

#244 Julian’s in L.A.

01 September 2014 // Harbor City, California

So glad I got to see Julian, in person for the first time since tour almost two years ago! Also glad that I got to run into him in L.A., where he’ll be doing some amazing things as an intern with LiNK. Good, albeit too short catch up session back at the intern house.

#245 A Year of Luke

02 September 2014 // Bakersfield, California

After getting lunch at Luigi’s with the Peelers, we got to celebrate a year of Lukington being alive at his place. It was a pretty great birthday party for his first one ever.

#246 Vampire Penguin

03 September 2014 // Sacramento, California

Caytlin introduced Deanna and I to this shaved snow place that basically served pabingsu all dressed up with different toppings. I went for a green tea shaved snow with jackfruit and condensed milk. All this was after a big bowl of awesome ramen.

#247 Oregon Welcomes Us

04 September 2014 // Ashland, Oregon

This is the big day. Deanna and I crossed the state line to move up to Oregon indefinitely. Even up until now, the feeling is still sinking in. Definitely one of the biggest changes we made this year, but not quite the biggest.

#248 Our First Visitors

05 September 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Within less than 24 hours of being up in Eugene, we got our first visitors– Cheri and Sal Lopez came through, and we got to introduce them, as well as ourselves, to the Hop Valley Brewing Company.

#249 Our First Gameday

06 September 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Getting assimilated to our new environment happened pretty easily thanks to Ducks Football. We joined the crowd at 6th Street Grill and watched Oregon defeat Michigan State for our first ever game day as residents of Eugene.

#250 Sleeping Bella

07 September 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Bella is my roommate’s cat. I’ve never been a particularly big cat guy, but I like Bella enough so that she might be my favorite cat. She’s social enough and pretty low maintenance as look as she has a spot to sleep or a window to stare out of.

#251 Brie Pre-pear-ed

08 September 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Dee and I went downtown to explore some of the restaurants in the area. After a stop at Voodoo Donuts, we went to Off The Waffle for the first time. This was the menu item that called out to both of us. Brie and pear on a waffle- good combo of sweet and savory.

#252 The Public House

09 September 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

We needed to get some wedding work done (when don’t we?) so Deanna and I brought our laptops to the Oakshire Public House. Pretty fun environment for getting some work done in an atmosphere that’s still social and at the end of the day is still a bar that serves great local beer.

#253 Home Alone the Game

10 September 2014 // Springfield, Oregon

If you couldn’t tell, Deanna and I have been getting a little too wild lately. After watchingThe Giver, we went to her place and played Home Alone on Super Nintendo. Legends never die, my friends.

#254 UO School of Business

11 September 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Deanna and I figured it was about time we got a good look around campus, so we went on a walk around its lawns and surrounding area. The business school was one of the most interesting buildings and since school isn’t starting yet, it was nice and empty for us to go and explore.

#255 Afternoon Tea & Cheese

12 September 2014 // Springfield, Oregon

Spent a simple and enjoyable afternoon at Deanna’s place. Life has been moving pretty fast since we’ve gotten to Oregon, so it was great to be able to take the time to help us unwind and enjoy our new surroundings.

#256 PDX Friends

13 September 2014 // Portland, Oregon

Took a day trip to Portland. It’s crazy that we now live so close that a casual day trip is very much possible. We spent some time at the Saturday Market and met up with Menekse at Powell’s. In the evening, we had dinner with her, and Kathleen joined us for some Salt & Straw.

#257 Boyhood at Bijou

14 September 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Went with Deanna to discover the Bijou– an excellent local theatre that’s a great spot for indie features, old classics, and lesser known goodies. We watched Boyhood, which we’ve been waiting all summer to see. We absolutely loved it. Richard Linklater is probably our most honest filmmaker today, and this was no exception. One of the best films I’ve seen in a long, ing time.

#258 Desk at the Window

15 September 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Got a few bits and pieces for a desk last week while I was in Portland, and it was a pleasant surprise to find that the tabletop got fits perfectly in the ledge space by my corner windows. I only needed one table leg and that was enough to make a simple desk that’s wonderfully functional.

#259 Maurie Jacobs

16 September 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Deanna and I were set to go on a date to explore the Waterways of the Willamette, but unfortunately, the leader of the expedition had to cancel at the last minute. Instead, we decided to walk the water trail on our own, which led us through some of Eugene’s wonderful city parks nearby my house.

#260 Prefontaine Trail

17 September 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Deanna and I went on a very simple but very fun date that included going on a walk through Alton Baker Park, right on Pre’s trail. Afterwards, we got to discover Cush Café and enjoy their biscuits and gravy, then go and dominate a trivia night with people we had just met.

#261 Hanging Postcards

18 September 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Old postcards are some of my favorite things to collect, perhaps those with a vintage look (the tackier the better) and those that have been sent to me by actual friends. Picked up this hanging mobile to display them best.

#262 Vanilla Jill’s Open Mic

19 September 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Took Deanna on a date for the third night this week. This adventure involved seeing Chef at our dollar theatre and then enjoying an Open Mic Night at Vanilla Jill’s, featuring the colorful personalities of the Whiteaker Neighborhood. Also, I got to try heirloom tomato ice cream which was surprisingly tasty.

#263 Split Dragonfruit

20 September 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Spent a lazy Saturday around town with Deanna before going over to Jacob’s to watch the Ducks game. On impulse, we bought a dragon fruit. It was expensive but delicious!

#264 Whittaker Happenings

21 September 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

I live in a very active part of town, which all kinds of events going on all the time. Most of them are as informal as it gets, but that’s how Whitaker rolls. This is what the outside of my neighborhood expensive-organic-grocery-store looks like.

#265 PDX Evening

22 September 2014 // Portland, Oregon

After meeting with my advisor, I drove up to Portland to join Deanna there as she was getting her work orientation. I got there by night, and it was quite pretty while the sun was going down and everything.

#266 Water Avenue Coffee

23 September 2014 // Portland, Oregon

While Deanna was at her work orientation, I set off on a mission to discover a coffee shop around Portland that I hadn’t been to before. Enter Water Avenue. It has a funky little space and one of the most distinct espresso’s I’ve been able to try, but I liked it a lot.

#267 Duck Squad

24 September 2014 // Salem, Oregon

On my drive back to Eugene, I wanted to discover somewhere new. Enter a pit stop in Salem at Wirth Lake. While the lake was scenic, the more interesting thing was the mixed mass of ducks that had congregated by the parking lot.

#268 Graduate Orientation

25 September 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

I spent most of the day meeting people from my program and sitting in meetings to get used to the graduate system at the University of Oregon. So far, the program seems like a really good fit and I’m a fan of it’s choose-your-own-adventure mentality. Looking forward to seeing where this leads.

#269 Bright Day on Campus

26 September 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Spent the early part of my day on campus to meet with my adviser, run a couple errands, and then to just get to know the area a little bit better. It was an especially nice day out, and I can appreciate the beauty of the area.

#270 The First Eugene Hike

27 September 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Deanna and I took the hard way to get up to Spencer’s Butte. We did it quickly, but it was a pretty decent challenge! It was misty as we hiked up and reached the summit, which made the hike all the more gorgeous in my opinion, then when we got to the top, it cleared up, we got a great view of the city below, and we found a geocache. Good journey!

#271 International Studies Graduate Social

28 September 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Had a social BBQ with my cohort, the cohort of second years, and the International Studies faculty at Wayne Morse Farms. It was a good day out for a BBQ, and a good chance to meet everybody and to get to know them a little bit better.

#272 Stare

29 September 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

This is Bella. All she needs is a window and she’s pretty much set for life. Although it was a pretty and rainy day, so I don’t blame her.

#273 First Day of Grad School

30 September 2014 // Eugene, Oregon

Had my first day of classes as a grad student. It felt kind of funny being back on a college campus as a student. Even though it was grad school, it still felt like I was pulling a 21 Jump Street sort of move. Good first day, though!

AUGUST 2014

#213 Luke’s Noodles

01 August 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Went to Andy & Shelly’s for some homemade pasta and an evening with their family. Luke was quite entertaining, especially as he’s starting to walk a little better and is eating more foods, like really long noodles.

#214 Ally’s Farm

02 August 2014 // Fresno, California

On our drive north, we got to stop at Ally’s family’s farm in Fresno and had lunch with Deanna’s old sophomore year roommate. We were treated to some amazing sandwiches and chips and sent off with a big bag of almonds. We arrived in Sacramento by nightfall and it was a great day on the road.

#215 The Fuzz

03 August 2014 // Reno, Nevada

I wanted to make sure I would fit in at one of the ultimate outdoor supply shops, Cabela’s, so I decided to model in the aisles. This sheet of camouflage fuzz is sure to be all the rage come fall season.

#216 Greetings From Boise

04 August 2014 // Boise, Idaho

Boise is a very, very underrated city, and has neat places like Rediscovered Books and the Boise Fry Company. At the bookshop I found these hand drawn vintage postcards. Love the look of old travel posters and postcards.

#217 Hauser Lake

05 August 2014 // Helena, Montana

We wanted to go swim in a lake while we were in Montana so we drove around until we found this site just north of Helena. It was peaceful and pretty, but we definitely weren’t alone. Had the company of beavers.

#218 National Bison Reserve

06 August 2014 // Saint Igantius, Montana

At the top of my list of things to do in Montana was going bison viewing. The National Bison Reserve was the best place possible. The bison hung out right outside our windows in groups, it was basically drive-thru bison hanging for a twenty mile circuit in scenic Montana hills

#219 Glacier National Park

07 August 2014 // Glacier National Park, Montana

Finally got to visit one of the places in the United States that’s been calling my name the longest. It was absolutely gorgeous and we went at the perfect time of year. The mountains were a very true purple and the glacier streams a bright blue.

#220 The Very Best Campsite

08 August 2014 // Glacier National Park, Montana

We couldn’t have asked for a better campsite inside the park. At the Fish Creek campground, they gave us a spot right on Lake McDonald, set apart and secluded which gave us a lot of fun to fish and have fun.

#221 Golden Hills

09 August 2014 // Toyiabe National Forest, Nevada

Took a day full of driving through middle of nowhere places in Idaho, Oregon, and Nevada. The drive was pretty beautiful most of the way, surrounded by isolated golden hills.

#222 Lengthwise Brewing

10 August 2014 // Bakersfield, California

With Deanna’s cousins Jon and Caity in town, we decided to go out for a drink at Bakersfield’s Lengthwise Brewery. The two of them are on a brewery tour of Southern California. I went with a Kern River Porter for the day, and I stand by my decision.

#223 Messed Up Brake

11 August 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Deanna’s dad helped me take the wheels off my car to address a concerning issue- the sudden disappearance of a brake pad and the nastiest grinding sound whenever using my brakes. Problem was solved, but the brake shoe and rotor that needed to be replaced weren’t pretty.

#224 Hot Cookin’

12 August 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Never had I ever had Hamburger Helper. Deanna decided to remedy that by cooking up some of the lasagna variety.

#225 The Family Wall

13 August 2014 // Bakersfield, California

With Deanna and I both off of work for most of this summer, I’ve been spending a lot more time at her place, mostly doing small errands and planning things. It’s definitely become a second home to me while in Bakersfield and I totally appreciate the warm welcome I’ve gotten.

#226 The Cultural Experience

14 August 2014 // Bakersfield, California

It only recently occurred to me that I had never participated in the American Cultural Experience of baking something, running out of an ingredient, and going to your neighbors to “borrow an egg.” Deanna finally helped me remedy that. We didn’t borrow an egg, but we did go to get some baking powder to make pancakes.

#227 Return to State Street

15 August 2014 // Santa Barbara, California

We arrived back in Santa Barbara for the weekend! We went out with Bre for some sushi in the evening. It was tough treating this like a normal day knowing what was to come up later in the weekend.

#228 The Decoy Date

16 August 2014 // Santa Barbara, California

Just the night before I proposed to Deanna, I took her on a date to the French Restaurant where we had our first date, and to the Santa Barbara Mission where we hung out just beforehand. It would’ve been a great time to propose, but I held out knowing what was coming the next day. Also, I knew she was suspicious about us being in Santa Barbara, so I had to throw her off for Sunday somehow.

#229 Will You Marry Me?

17 August 2014 // Goleta, California

This was absolutely the most beautiful, happy day of my life. After two years of adventures, dating, and learning how to grow in Love and grace, I asked Deanna if she would be my wife. I did so by going back to the site where it all began, the Goleta Pier, and turning a small piece of it into a restaurant staffed by some of our most dear friends and family members. As Gabe’s song puts it, both the future and the view look so good.

#230 Grandma Sees The Ring

18 August 2014 // Bakersfield, California

After an unforgettable weekend in Santa Barbara, we went back to Bakersfield to tell some very important people the good news. Deanna’s grandma is a jewelry aficionado, especially when it comes to diamonds. It was definitely a thrill to watch her eyes light up at the one I got for Deanna.

#231 Centennial Girls

19 August 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Deanna and I got off to an early start with planning the wedding, at least the guest list and venue. We took time off to continue celebrating, though, and we did so at Panera with friends of ours Deanna has known for many years. Aubrey also gave me the photos she took from the Sunday before, and they were amazing.

#232 Sammy’s Neighborhood

20 August 2014 // Bakersfield, California

All the zipping around California and my many adventures of the second half of this amazing summer wouldn’t be possible without the kindness of my friend Sammy who’s been letting me crash at his place until it’s time for me to move out.

#233 Best Binder

21 August 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Joanna Payne helped get our engagement started off well with this very practical engagement binder– no doubt I’m going to be seeing a lot of this guy over the next several months, but Joanna is awesome at what she does, which is planning and organizing the most memorable events.

#234 Fútbol Simoncello

22 August 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Had the joy of going out to see my soon-to-be-nephew’s first AYSO soccer game. It was a surprisingly pleasant day to be outside in Bakersfield, at least in the evening, and it was a blast to watch him work the field.

#235 Cousins in Vegas

23 August 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Got to join my cousins in Las Vegas for a cousin-only-family-reunion and a night on the strip. Pretty fun times and Vanessa was able to fly out from Illinois to join the rest of us West Coasters.

#236 Vanessa and Dee in Las Vegas

24 August 2014 // Las Vegas, Nevada

Vanessa stuck around Las Vegas an extra day, so Dee and I spent an extra night over there to keep her company. A couple of trips out to the strip were taken, along with some quality time in the pool and the discovery of an Asian inspired night market.

#237 Hofbrauhaus Las Vegas

25 August 2014 // Las Vegas, Nevada

My second Hofbrauhaus experience. There were quite a few obvious differences between the Munich experience and the Vegas version, but jumbo pretzels are good no matter where you have them. Not to mention, it’s been over a year since I’ve had a proper radler, so that was long overdue.

#238 Vietnamese Pho

26 August 2014 // Bakersfield, California

A quick observation– one of my most frequently taken pictures is that of a bowl of pho. Ben got back into town from Houston, so he and I got to catch up over some Vietnamese food and have a pretty fun night all things considered.

#239 Old Cameras

27 August 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Deanna and I wanted to take a break from all the wedding planning stuff and enjoy going out for some creative inspiration, so we went out to the Mill Creek Antique Mall, where we found quite the fun collection of old vintage cameras. Might be buying more than one of these in the near future.

#240 L.A. Grand Central Market

28 August 2014 // Los Angeles, California

Deanna and I spent our day in L.A. catching up with Jonathan, Bree, and Sherri. It was a very fun and very social day. JFlo took us out to the L.A. Grand Central Market for the first time where I got the largest burrito of my life. Had fun seeing this side of Los Angeles.

#241 Carson Summer

29 August 2014 // Carson, California

Spent the day at my Auntie Ella and Auntie Fely’s place. Put in a few hours of completely clearing out my car so that I could repopulate it with my belongings to move to Oregon. I’ve spent quite a good amount of time over here this summer and it has been worth every visit.

#242 Legos by Joseph Kim

30 August 2014 // Long Beach, California

I finally got to meet Joseph– a friendly face to the LiNK family and speaker of one of my favorite TED Talks. Everybody raves about how friendly and awesome this guy is, and he truly lives up to it! I got to meet him as he was building his ever Lego set. Here’s hoping we get to meet again! It was a good day overall for reuniting with members of the LiNK Family.

#243 Sharon’s in L.A.

31 August 2014 // Norwalk, California

So glad I got to see Sharon, in person for the first time since tour almost two years ago! Also glad that I got to run into her in L.A., where she’ll be doing some amazing things with a dance ministry. Good catch up session at a fun coffee shop + bookstore in Norwalk.

JULY 2014

#182 Tropical Drinks

01 July 2014 // Iloilo City, Philippines

We’re on a tropical island, so we might as well enjoy some drinks in the pool. To be honest, these drinks weren’t exactly the best, but they were fun to sip on while having a day to chat and relax in the water.

#183 Lola’s 96th

02 July 2014 // Iloilo City, Philippines

My grandma turns 96 this summer. She’s well past the age where people start saying ‘wow!’ when they hear it. For a 96 year old, she’s still got a lot of energy and a great smile, and she isn’t too old to hide most of her birthday cake and tell everybody that it’s gone. She really liked that cake.

#184 Carabao

03 July 2014 // Tigbauan, Philippines

This was my mom’s high school mascot! Not really, but the carabao is the only animal I ever hear her talk about from her childhood in the Philippines. They’re great far animals, big, slow, and hungry.

#185 I Am Iloilo

04 July 2014 // Iloilo City, Philippines

My cousins Jun and Starry took Dee and I out for a nice evening walk along the Iloilo River Esplanade. It was fun getting to learn more about the city and to spend time with cousins I don’t see very often. On a side note, I hope to break this streak of being out of the USA on the Fourth of July next year!

#186 Mampukal Falls

05 July 2014 // Bacolod, Philippines

This was one of the most fun days of our time in the Philippines. Bacolod was beautiful, and we did a hike up to seven waterfalls (although we only saw four.) There were bats we could watch, sulfur pools we could dip in, and cliffs we could dive off. We did all of the above.

#187 Philippine Fishing Boats

06 July 2014 // Iloilo, Philippines

Lamar and Auntie Florenda took us to some more scenic spots around Iloilo since the weather was too stormy for actual beach activities. We did get to go walking on the Iloilo coast across from Guimaras, though. That made for a nice walk. Afterwards, we were treated to a highly unusual zoo tour.

#188 Rainy Season in Iloilo

07 July 2014 // Iloilo, Philippines

It looks like we left Iloilo just in time. On our last day and on the day we left, storms were hitting the island pretty hard, flooding some parts. Luckily no flights were cancelled and we were all able to make it to Manila on time for our connecting flight.

#189 Tokyo Arrival

08 July 2014 // Tokyo, Japan

After spending the night in Manila, followed by a day in transit, we were excited to finally arrive at the Narita airport. We met up with Jeremy and Karlye from the US, as well as our Japanese friend Riho who we hadn’t seen in about a year.

#190 Shibuya Crossing

09 July 2014 // Tokyo, Japan

Spent the day with our two Japanese friends, Riho and Chika, being shown around to Harajuku, Shibuya, and other parts of Tokyo. After the two of them had to leave, we went back with Jeremy and Karlye to Shibuya Crossing, the world’s busiest intersection. We found a Starbucks in a tower that offered a seating area with a view of the whole scene. It was a rainy night, so the umbrellas added to the vibe.

#191 Tokyo Skyline

10 July 2014 // Tokyo, Japan

The Asahi Building, the Skytree, and other decorative skyscrapers decorated the Tokyo skyline, which we got a great view of while walking towards the Skytree. Taking this walk with Deanna was my favorite part of the day. When we got to the Skytree, the former tallest building in the world, we found that we couldn’t go up due to a typhoon. We got conveyor belt sushi afterwards, though, so it was all good.

#192 Journey to Taipei

11 July 2014 // Shanghai, China

After the stay in Japan, it took another day of travel to get me to my next destination, and my final country of my Asia 2014 Tour, Taiwan. Flying through China was an experience, and unfortunately, the sudden thickness of smog when landing in Shanghai wasn’t the best first impression. I do still think it’d be culturally significant to see someday– but even it’s airport was intimidating. Perhaps another part of the country would be more appealing.

#193 Haji Haji Square

12 July 2014 // Taipei, Taiwan

On my first day in Taiwan, I had planned to venture, walk, and explore. Unfortunately, the crazy humidity made that very difficult to accomplish. I still managed to enjoy myself at a public market, though. Taiwan is the public market capital of the world, in my opinion. Just outside the hostel where I’m staying sits a delicious night market.

#194 Pavilion of Dreams

13 July 2014 // Taipei, Taiwan

Did some more exploring of the Datong neighborhood of Taiwan, and discovered beautiful parks that only led towards more beautiful parks. It was amazing. When it comes to the planning out of public spaces, I don’t think anyone does it quite as artfully as Taipei.

#195 Taipei 101

14 July 2014 // Taipei, Taiwan

Spent some of my day going up Taiwan’s tallest skyscraper, and what I think is the fifth largest in the world, or something like that. Unlike the other skyscrapers, which compete mostly for height, I think this one is the coolest because of it’s design. It was inspired by the visual of a bamboo stick, and every New Years, the ridges launch the most incredible fireworks display.

#196 Yangmingshan National Park

15 July 2014 // Taipei, Taiwan

Went on one of the most difficult hikes I’ve ever been on. The challenge this hike wasn’t so much the distance or the altitude. The heat, humidity, and never ending staircase is what made this one a tough one. Close to the top, we found a park with a gorgeous lookout over the mountain, across Northern Taiwan.

#197 Shinlin Night Market

16 July 2014 // Taipei, Taiwan

My flight back to the US was cancelled, but the bright side to that means I got another day to spend at the Shinlin Night Market. Spent the evening walking around enjoying one last taste of some of my favorite Taiwanese foods.

#198 Baoan Temple

17 July 2014 // Taipei, Taiwan

I left Taiwan, fortunately later in the day, which gave me the morning to take it easy at the hostel and enjoy the surroundings for one more moment. Went on a short walk to the Baoan temple early in the morning. Of all the places to have come to explore on my own, Taipei was a good choice.

#199 Laundry Day

18 July 2014 // Carson, California

Got back to the US, unpacked, and took things really easy at my Auntie Ella and Auntie Fely’s place. It’s an easy place to do so. That also included a lot of laundry, which after five and a half weeks on the road was very welcome.

#200 Nathalie Has Returned

19 July 2014 // Culver City, California

Technically, I’m the one who returned more recently, but I got to hang out with Nathalie for the first time in a year… and for the first time since she’s moved back from Morocco. We just wanted a simple café in Culver City, and it took us forever to find this Starbucks. But, it was a fun time.

#201 Tahoe Condo

20 July 2014 // Lake Tahoe, California

It took a seven hour drive, but I made it up to Lake Tahoe to spend a few days with Deanna and her family on vacation. I’ve been teased before about taking a vacation right after a vacation, but it’s kind of true. The drive up was actually pretty nice, free of traffic, occasionally scenic, and I got to catch up with a few friends.

#202 Lake Tahoe

21 July 2014 // Lake Tahoe, California

The lake is absolutely gorgeous. It’s one of those dream California destinations that I would always hear about from the experiences with others without going myself, but now I can attest that it does indeed live up to the hype. The clarity of the water, the gorgeous surrounding pines, the mountains and lumps, and the interesting clouds. It’s all great.

#203 Luke at the Lake

22 July 2014 // Lake Tahoe, California

For Shelly’s birthday, we celebrated at King’s Beach on the lake. It was a beautiful day out, and we had a lot of fun with Luke and Simon playing around in the sand. Also, Luke’s hat is pretty awesome. Go North-Face-for-kids.

#204 Old Town Sac

23 July 2014 // Sacramento, California

On the drive back down from Lake Tahoe, we stopped for lunch in Sacramento. We also decided to have a little look around and took a walk through Old Town Sacramento. Didn’t stay too long but it was a good way to mix up the drive.

#205 Bakersfield Records

24 July 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Spent my morning in Bakersfield after the drive down. Deanna and I had breakfast, and then discovered the new location of an old Bakersfield favorite, “World Records.” The music shop sold vinyl and CD’s, but more significantly, they were raising money to fund the development of the rest of their space, meant to be turned into a concert venue and café. Afterwards, we went to hang out with her grandma, who treated us with a great conversation.

#206 Good Weather

25 July 2014 // Carson, California

I had a bunch of work to get done, but thankfully, my aunts’ wifi reaches out into the backyard, where I could continue to work while enjoying a good day’s awesome weather. This has been a fun place to set up camp for a while.

#207 Torrance Farmers Market

26 July 2014 // Torrance, California

Auntie Ella and Auntie Fely took me on an outing to the Torrance Farmer’s Market in the morning. Samples galore, just about everywhere. It’s been a long time since I’d been to this particular farmers market, and it brought back some good memories of my LiNK days and getting lunch here.

#208 Warwick’s

27 July 2014 // La Jolla, California

Took a visit to La Jolla to have a walk around and spent some time in one of their best stores, Warwick’s, the independent bookstore and gift shop. I spent a little while browsing through several titles and also had the chance to look at different knick knacks they had on display. Good day for exploring!

#209 Hess Brewing Co.

28 July 2014 // San Diego, California

As a belated birthday treat, I took Alex out to Hess Brewing Co. in North Park. This place has some pretty good beer and a great indoor seating area for hanging out. We got a sampler flight so we could discover his taste in beer, and the early verdict is that the pale stuff is better.

#210 Gauchito Grill

29 July 2014 // San Marcos, California

Got to have a blast catching up with Ivy over some Argentine food. We talked World Cup, family happenings, and recent travels. Most excitingly, I got to find out right away that she had gotten an internship that’ll take her to Hawaii towards the end of the year.

#211 Capetown Deli

30 July 2014 // San Diego, California

I miss South Africa a good amount, and it’s expensive to go back. While I hope to eventually, I find myself going back to San Diego more frequently, and thankfully, I now know of a pretty good South African restaurant off Miramar Rd. Got lunch with my mom and had some pap and wors for old times sake. She got a biltong salad, and that was amazing.

#212 Guest Rooming

31 July 2014 // Carson, California

Took another pit stop at Auntie Ella and Auntie Fely’s place in Carson, where their guest room is becoming a more and more familiar abode. It’s quite comfy and stays at their place are always great, so there’s no complaint.

JUNE 2014

#152 Hidden Cash

01 June 2014 // Bakersfield, California

The mysterious @HiddenCash paid Bakersfield a visit. Local news caught wind of it, and since there usually isn’t anything this eventful going on around town, people flocked to Centennial Park. Three envelopes were found and I have a feeling that the other two were found “quietly.” (No horseshoe pit was left unearthed.) It was fun getting to see people from around town getting out of the house and into the park for a change.

#153 Frugatti Friends

02 June 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Got to hang out with Jasmine, Meaghan, Chris, Aubrey, and Dee at Frugatti’s in the evening, which led to an Instagram War and a walk around the park. ’Twas a good gathering of people, which worked out quite nicely since half no longer live in Bako, or are on their way out.

#154 Mentoring Sammy

03 June 2014 // Bakersfield, California

I had my last session of mentoring Sammy for the year. I’m going to miss this opportunity, but I’m glad I’ve made the most of it. Just by showing up and honestly often not knowing what I was doing, I got to observe Sammy grow a lot more confident and at ease. I definitely think anyone who has an opportunity to mentor should really look into it.

#155 I.V. Deli Mart

04 June 2014 // Isla Vista, California

I took a fairly spontaneous, low key 24 hour trip into Isla Vista, my first time since the tragedy last month. This was such a familiar spot during my two years here that it was kind of intense to see something like this set out in front. Still, I also got to see all kinds of reminders about how powerful of a community this is.

#156 Ocean Breaks

05 June 2014 // Isla Vista, California

During college, I was spoiled and got to start most mornings by walking along the bluffs and watching waves crash. I thought I would relive some of that while visiting I.V. I don’t know how long I spent out here because I lost track of time, but it was a wonderful way to do so.

#157 MSW Party

06 June 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Deanna’s MSW program threw an end-of-the-year party that I was able to also attend. They had some amazing taco trucks and a DJ present, and I also got to meet a lot of the people in Deanna’s social work program that she keeps talking about. Four more days until she graduates!

#158 Deanna’s Grad Party

07 June 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Deanna threw a great graduation party at her place to celebrate. Yes, she had a party the day before, too, but that one was for her program and this one was for her friends and family. We enjoyed a good gathering of people whose company we Love and had some fun times in the pool, eating, talking, and of course, playing the legendary Ungame. (Therapy the board game.)

#159 Two Year Anniversary

08 June 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Deanna and I celebrated two years of being together with a night out that ended with drinks at the Padre. It’s been a crazy, crazy two years, and we’ve probably seen a decade’s worth of moves, changes, and major life events, but there’s no one I would’ve rather shared that wild ride with than Deanna. It’s been such an eventful time in our lives that I was thankful for the chance to go on a sweet, slow date where we got to enjoy life with each others company.

#160 Wool Growers

09 June 2014 // Bakersfield, California

The wonderful Peelers treated Deanna and I out for an awesome Basque lunch at this Bakersfield staple. My pickled tongue sandwich was amazing, and I enjoyed talking to the Peelers about Oregon, helping others, and other adventures.

#161 Deanna’s Graduation

10 June 2014 // Bakersfield, California

I got to watch Deanna walk across the stage and graduate with her Masters’ Degree in Social Work. I am so thankful to get to see her chasing her dream of helping others, and accomplishing big things along that path. She’s got everything it takes to be an amazing social worker, and she will for sure contribute something amazing to the world of helping others.

#162 930 Olive Drive

11 June 2014 // Bakersfield, California

I moved out of my apartment in Bakersfield. While I never got extremely attached to this physical space, it was still my resting grounds during a little season of my life focused on rest, presence, and simplicity. Looking back on the way I was able to make Bakersfield my home over the past year was quite reassuring. I’m thankful for all the ways I’ve grown in the process.

#163 Los Angeles to Seoul

12 June 2014 // San Francisco, California

My date of departure has arrived. I’m kicking off a month long adventure in Asia with a week in South Korea that I have been looking forward to very much. I’m looking forward to spending time with my friend Jihyun, and to exploring this culture that has become so familiar to me over the past couple of years. Excited for the adventures that lay ahead.

#164 Myeongdong

13 June 2014 // Seoul, South Korea

My date of departure has arrived. I’m kicking off a month long adventure in Asia with a week in South Korea that I have been looking forward to very much. I’m looking forward to spending time with my friend Jihyun, and to exploring this culture that has become so familiar to me over the past couple of years. Excited for the adventures that lay ahead.

#165 Seoul

14 June 2014 // Seoul, South Korea

I got to enjoy this lovely view of the city from Yeouido Park, at a farewell picnic for some folks from Jihyun’s church. The day was quite full, including reuniting with my friend Jinhee, exploring Hongdae, eating Korean street foods, visiting the free market, and then going out for karaoke. Man, this has been a great visit so far.

#166 Gangnam

15 June 2014 // Seoul, South Korea

After a morning of exploring Seoul some more, seeing a sewage treatment facility that had been remade into an awesome recreational park, and then going to church with Jihyun and listening to his stand-up (I missed that so much,) I got the chance to explore and eat dinner and shop around this little place called Gangnam. Another awesome day in Korea!

#167 Namsan Tower

16 June 2014 // Seoul, South Korea

It was another awesome day in Seoul, so much so that it was a really difficult day to choose just one picture. I got to meet up with Michelle in Sinchon and get kalbi with her and her friends. We then went to a dog café where we got to combine two of my favorite activities- drinking coffee and hanging out with dogs. In the evening, Jihyun and I went on a gorgeous urban hike up to Namsan Tower where we played hackey sack, met inspiring LiNK supporters, and had a really, really, really good time.

#168 Deoksugung Guard

17 June 2014 // Seoul, South Korea

After shopping in an open air market in the morning, Jihyun and I were able to happen upon Deoksugung Palace at just the right time- during a changing of the guard ceremony. It was a fun spectacle and a blast to watch. Afterwards, we made our way to the local baseball stadium for a thrilling evening– one of the most dramatic baseball games I’ve ever seen between the two Seoul based teams of the Korean Baseball Organization.

#169 World Cup 2014

18 June 2014 // Seoul, South Korea

I absolutely love the World Cup, and I love the fact that for the past two tournaments, I’ve been able to watch the matches from abroad. This year, I had the privilege of watching South Korea’s Red Devils take on Russia from Seoul square. There was a massive crowd, many of whom had been there since the morning. The game was fun and just the start to a long day that involved me being interviewed by British journalists, running into a Korean superstar, going on a mad scramble for Jihyun’s wallet at a palace, and taking naps at one of Korea’s most historical sites. It was a blast.

#170 DMZ

19 June 2014 // Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea

This was an incredible and surreal experience. I had the opportunity to visit the DMZ between North and South Korea and peer into the country I’ve worked and hoped to see free some day. Though that day hasn’t come yet, I still believe that I’ll see it. This is the most guarded border in the world, the front lines of a war that is still technically going on, an interesting ecological site, and a really tense atmosphere. What an experience.

#171 Itaewon

20 June 2014 // Seoul, South Korea

For one last meal with Jihyun, we went to get Korean all-you-can-eat barbecue and we definitely made the most of that meal. Multiple cuts of different meats, sides, rice punch, coffee and dessert. Afterwards, I walked back to his place through Itaewon before heading to the airport. It was a really, really good week in South Korea. No doubt!

#172 Philippine Family

21 June 2014 // Quezon City, Philippines

I made it to the Philippines and got to spend the day with some family I hadn’t seen in a very long time– my cousins Myrna and Marissa, their dad, and Ate Myrna’s husband (not pictured) and son. It was a nice arrival into the Philippines and I look forward to the rest of this Tour de Asia.

#173 Fresh Buko

21 June 2014 // Manila, Philippines

Manila means that Deanna and I are reunited for this adventure, and she’ll be joining me for the next couple weeks. It also means that we can enjoy all the mango and fresh coconut juice that we can handle!

#174 On To Bangkok!

22 June 2014 // Manila, Philippines

Dee and I spent most of the day at the Manila airport, but we made the most of our time by setting up camp at a coffee shop inside and planning out things for our next stop– Bangkok!

#175 The Grand Palace

23 June 2014 // Bangkok, Thailand

We arrived in Bangkok late at night, but after we woke up, we got to exploring Thailand’s Grand Palace. This place was ornate, with so many different sections to discover. It was definitely a photogenic location. Towards the end, I had to start rushing through this place in order to make my flight to Mae Sot on time. That made it feel all the more like an Indiana Jones adventure.

#176 Karen Refugee Class

24 June 2014 // Mae Sot, Thailand

The big reason I came to Thailand was to visit a Karen refugee camp on the border of Thailand and Myanmar. It was an incredible learning experience, and I got to meet so many Karen people who told me about their culture and their history. Part of this visit involved teaching an Intro to Sociology class, and we also decided to teach them a little song to go along with the lesson.

#177 Wat Mahathat

25 June 2014 // Ayutthaya, Thailand

Took a short jaunt in to the former capital of Thailand to visit the ruins of an old temple that had been ransacked by Burmese invasions back in the day. Many of the Buddhas were missing heads, but it was also the site of the famous Buddha’s head emerging in the middle of tree roots. It was a labyrinth to be explored for hours.

#178 Wat Arun

26 June 2014 // Bangkok, Thailand

For our last full day in Thailand, Auntie Leah took us around to different sites and locations. One of the main sights we visited was Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn. We got to climb to the very top, but that involved a straight trek up one of the steepest staircases I’ve ever encountered. Made for a nice little adrenaline rush.

#179 Manila

27 June 2014 // Manila, Philippines

We made our way back to the Philippines, to visit Iloilo, my mom’s hometown. It was basically a full day of travel, planes, and airports. I grabbed this shot flying into Manila, which made for one of the more epic looking plane landings I’ve had a chance to experience.

#180 Meeting Lola

29 June 2014 // Iloilo City, Philippines

One of the big reasons I went to the Philippines (and probably the big reason the whole Asia trip came together in the first place) was so that I could see my grandma for the first time in five years and introduce her to Deanna. She experiences a bit of dementia, but was super excited to see us when we came in. She was so full of energy she gave us four tours of her house and even made Deanna try out her wheelchair.

#181 Big Family

30 June 2014 // Iloilo City, Philippines

My Uncle Mars turned 80 years old, and while a lot of visitors were in the Philippines, he decided to throw a party. This probably doesn’t even account for 15% of my family on my mom’s side, which is all the more humongous that a lot of the cousins are married and have their own children. Most of the people in this bunch were the ones that live in the Philippines. Being part of a huge family is a lot of fun, though.

MAY 2014

#121 Reading Room

01 May 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Deanna and I were on campus at CSUB, and while Deanna had to go and take care of some errands, I discovered the reading room at the Stiern library was a wonderfully open, clean, and silent places to truly read… living up to its ambience. I didn’t exactly read here, though. Instead I cranked out a blog post on orphan care. Afterwards, we went over to Ben’s for a dinner made out of hors d’ouerves and other random items.

#122 Yosemite Bound

02 May 2014 // Fresno, California

Meg, Annie, Deanna, and Ben met up at my place and we ended up driving together towards Yosemite to celebrate mine and Meaghan’s birthday weekend. It took us some time to get there thanks to a detour through Merced, and longer pitstops than we anticipated. We did swing by an El Torito for an early birthday dinner, which was a pretty fun time.

#123 Camping Out

03 May 2014 // Stanislaus National Forest, California

I absolutely dig sleeping outdoors, in tents. While Yosemite was already full, we found a great campsite just outside in the Stanislaus forest. We were also lucky and snagged the last available spot just in time. Camping, having s’mores for breakfast, and spending time with some great friends I don’t get to see often enough was the perfect way to spend a birthday weekend.

#124 Yosemite

04 May 2014 // Yosemite National Park, California

I was blown away by the splendor of Yosemite. Going camping for my birthday weekend was clearly a great choice, and I enjoyed every minute spent in the beautiful outdoors with some amazing friends. A lot to be thankful for and  little to complain about on a weekend like this one.

#125 The 24th Birthday

05 May 2014 // Bakersfield, California

My 24th birthday might have been my favorite. I had an absolutely amazing day, beginning with Deanna and I watching the sunrise together and exchanging a sweet moment out on the bluffs and culminating with a great dinner with friends at Buffalo Wild Wings. This week, the Love of friends would prove to be extra important to me, and I felt a generous helping of it on my birthday.

#126 In Memory of the Heartland Nomads

06 May 2014 // Bakersfield, California

I was absolutely shocked and devastated to hear the news that LiNK’s Heartland Nomad team had been killed in a tragic car accident. I had never met Karolina, Shane, or Calvin, but I definitely felt close and connected and deeply affected by the news being a part of the LiNK family, and having had that same route and driven that same van only a year and a half prior. My heart immediately went out to their families and my LiNK family.

#127 Heaviness/Lightness

07 May 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Still shaken by the news of the Heartland Nomads, I went through today with a heavy heart. Still, it wasn’t without hope. Having a class to teach and students to help were a big grace in helping me get through the day. This picture, of the window shutters as they are typically half opened behind my teacher’s desk kind of captured my emotions. Feeling the weight and heaviness of the dark day, but believing in and catching glimpses of light, joy, and friendship beyond the immediate circumstances.

#128 The Olive Drive Complex

08 May 2014 // Bakersfield, California

It’s definitely been a tough week to make it through, full of sadness but also Love. It’s been kind of hard to stay focused and do everyday things fully present (and that’s important to me) but I know it’s important to allow myself to process things the way I need to process them. Sometimes, being present means being present to what’s going on inside. There will come a time when things get easier. It doesn’t come overnight, but it comes.

#129 In Class Birthday Party

09 May 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Since both of my aides were absent on Monday, we celebrated my birthday in class later in the week. We had a pizza party and watched Wreck-It Ralph later on in the day. First, though, the class wrapped me up in green construction paper. These guys aren’t to be trusted. (Actually, it’s my aides. Watch out for ‘em!)

#130 The Heartland Memorial

10 May 2014 // Torrance, California

I took the trip to Torrance to pay my respects to Shane, Karolina, and Calvin of the Heartland team during their memorial service at the LiNK office. While L.A. traffic kept me from making it to the memorial service on time, I was able to see and hug a lot of familiar faces from my LiNK family, and that was so good and so necessary. I realize that part of honoring the three lives of the nomads is by taking the time to be present with those I hold dear and to live my life to the fullest.

#131 Lunch at Jollibee

11 May 2014 // Carson, California

After spending the night and the morning with my Auntie Ella and Auntie Fely, Deanna and I went out to Jollibee, the Filipino exported fast food chain. It was Dee’s first Jollibee, my first halo-halo drink in a very long time, and our warm up for our trip to the Philippines this summer

#132 Monopoly Electronic Banking

12 May 2014 // Bakersfield, California

I Love it when my students ask me to play with them during their free time. Of course, they often choose Monopoly which we never get to finish in the short windows that they get for free time, but I think they’re mostly into it because they like playing with the electronic credit card pieces. This class assignment has been one of the best things to happen to me at my job.

#133 The Tiger’s Wife

13 May 2014 // Bakersfield, California

This has been one of the best books I’ve read in a really long time. It’s been one of the first fiction pieces to actually go beyond my expectations in a while, and I Love the way this story is masterfully told. Consider this a very solid recommendation for Tea Obehrt.

#134 Beautiful Eulogy

14 May 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Thanks to the tip off from Andrew Quan, I was treated to a more exciting weeknight than I usually get around Bakersfield. Shows I’d be interested in hardly ever come to Bakersfield,  so they weren’t even on my radar, but Beautiful Eulogy & Co. put on a fun and exciting free show in town tonight.

#135 The Kress Building

15 May 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Ben and I went downtown to look at antique furniture shops to get some ideas for projects we’d like to do. While we found the treasure trove of stores, they unfortunately close really, really early, so we didn’t quite get to look inside any of them. Instead we went to a pupuseria and enjoyed some Salvadorian food and NBA playoffs.

#136 BHS Day

16 May 2014 // Bakersfield, California

My students were treated to a fun festival at Bakersfield High School on a field trip today. What I didn’t realize, was that BHS students would chaperone each of my students one on one, so all of us teachers could just hang out under gazebo tents for the day and relax. I think my students enjoyed it too.

#137 Breakfast with Luke

17 May 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Got breakfast at the Knotty Pine with Deanna’s family this morning, and I got to sit next to Luke. He kept trying to get some of my catfish, but I ended up getting a few photos with this guy, so I probably got the best spot.

#138 Swimming Pools & Otter Pops

18 May 2014 // Bakersfield, California

With temperatures making a habit out of triple digits, my summer has practically begun. Forget that I have eight days of class left, the swimming pool and otter pop combination marks the start of Summer 2014, and it’s gonna be a good one.

#139 Salty’s

19 May 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Aiming to live fully after the tumultuous start to this month, I said no to a boring, typical night at home by asking Tim if he wanted to get some BBQ. His wife is out of town for a while and I hadn’t eaten Salty’s actually AT Salty’s. We had a great conversation about worship, belief, and mysticism.

#140 99¢ Outlet Plus

20 May 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Again saying ‘no’ to boring days, I went on an impromptu photo shoot of some of the food & liquor stores nearby the school where they teach. I’m in a gritty part of town and the storefronts, like their surroundings, all tell interesting stories but don’t get the deserved attention.

#141 Biking Bakersfield

21 May 2014 // Bakersfield, California

I got to wake Vlad out of his year long slumber while going on a ride with D.J. down Bakersfield’s bike path. Bako isn’t a very bike friendly city, but there are some neat surprises that sit along its bike path. It was a great reminder of the fact that I need to explore more often.

#142 National Parks Summer

22 May 2014 // Bakersfield, California

I don’t often make spontaneous purchases, but when I do, it looks like this. These books are gonna serve as a neat source of inspiration as I plan out Summer 2014, and its many adventures. I’m hoping that a few National Parks are in order.

#143 Roasting Marshmallows

23 May 2014 // Bonita, California

I joined Ivy and JB for camping out in Bonita. Our goal was to watch the meteor shower, but unfortunately, it was too cloudy. Still, a night spent outdoors is a good night, and we got a pretty sweet fire going for our s’mores and sausages.

#144 Sleeping In Tents

24 May 2014 // Bonita, California

Sleeping outside in tents is definitely my favorite. It was great to wake up in one and take a little walk around Bonita Canyon with a bow and arrow by my side. I also enjoyed the rest of the day spent in San Diego catching up with family and friends there.

#145 May Peace Prevail

25 May 2014 // San Diego, California

I attempted to attend a Quaker church service today because I’ve always been fascinated with the practice of extended, communal silence. As it turns out, I walked into the wrong building and sat in on a service of the Church of the Brethren. (Brethren and Quakers, along with Mennonites are grouped as the three peace denominations of Christianity.) The people here were friendly and the discussions were interesting. Definitely different from what I’m used to, but a good experience.

#146 Aroma Café

26 May 2014 // La Jolla, California

Took my mom out on a birthday brunch at Aroma with the Orlinas before heading back up to Bakersfield. Afterwards we spent some time wandering around La Jolla as well. Wish I had more time so I could’ve finally checked out Warwick’s as well, but it was still a good and very packed day. Met with Chris in the morning and had an amazing conversation, and did the same with Steven on the drive up. Made it back to Bakersfield in time to have burgers with Deanna’s family.

#147 GauchoStrong

27 May 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Saddened to hear about the events in Isla Vista last weekend. IV is still the place that feels the most like home, despite all the places I’ve been or lived the past couple of years. I have no doubt that the key to its healing and will be the thing that makes it Isla Vista in the first place– an amazing sense of community. It’ll always remind me of The Love Dungeon and all the other ways I discovered community and built meaningful relationships in that square mile.

#148 Apartment 38

28 May 2014 // Bakersfield, California

I only have a handful of days left living at this apartment. It’s been a quiet place for sure, one that’s given me more space, both physically and mentally, than I’ve experienced in a long time. It was a cozy place to stay, but I’m looking forward to what lies ahead. Spent a good portion of the day trying to pack up my room and consolidate my belongings.

#149 Last Day of School

29 May 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Today was the last day of school (for the students, at least.) I’m really gonna miss Angel, Phillip, Damoreya, Ramiro, and Joseph. I’m thankful that a random two day assignment at Emerson turned into a two month stay and that this class was so wonderful. For our last day, we watched movies, ate Subway, and played kickball with the class next door.

#150 Martin’s Meat Market & Deli

30 May 2014 // Bakersfield, California

After I went in to Emerson to pack up the classroom and wrap up official business, I was free to go wander around downtown for a little bit. Dee introduced me to Martin’s Meat Market and Deli– a definite hole-in-the-wall with good deep pit sandwiches. Gotta love where they cook this stuff, though. On a grill on wheels parked street side out front.

#151 Chopping Celery

31 May 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Deanna made some tuna melts for us on a relaxing Saturday spent at home. I helped out by dicing up some celery to put into this thing. I also purchased a few guide books for this summer’s adventures and did some work on planning the upcoming month.

FAVORITE CHARITIES

I work in the nonprofit sector and while I believe any individual or company can find ways to do good, there's a part of me that gets excited when I discover a new charity organization that does important work in an innovative way. I've had the pleasure of working with several great organizations, many of which make this list. That work has also put me in contact with many others who represent great groups.

For me to feel good about suggesting an organization, I look for a few things. I want them to be financially transparent and responsible (which doesn't always mean being stingy!) I make sure they operate on a message of hope rather than guilt, pity, or fear. I look to see if they empower those they serve so in the long run, they aren't dependent on more services. And also, I like to look for people who have a really proven solution to critical problems. Here are a few that I think fit that description–

PLANT WITH PURPOSE

Why I love them: Full disclosure... I work for them! But even if I didn't, I would still love their approach. Plant With Purpose works in rural areas, with important but often forgotten populations that make up 85% of those living in poverty. Their work is holistic in every sense- it looks at the root causes of sustained poverty: economic, environmental, and spiritual and does work that radically changes lives. I'm a big believer in world-change not being an overnight fix, but a long-term commitment.

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5CEES

Why I love them: I know and love the kids they serve personally. Christ Church Christian Care Center is a care center for orphans and vulnerable children in an extremely violent part of Johannesburg. I spent a good portion of 2013 living in the center with the kids as a volunteer and it wildly shaped my worldview. I love having an outlet for giving and service that wouldn't be recognized too widely, but that represents a connection and a long term commitment to the kids.

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PRE-EMPTIVE LOVE COALITION

Why I love them: The Middle East- Iraq and Syria in particular, seem to be a constant source of bad news. In the middle of all that darkness and chaos, these guys shine pretty brightly. At the start, they practiced love across enemy lines through providing life-saving surgeries for kids. As the needs and conflict intensified, they've adapted their mission to take on an approach that goes into the scary places under a commitment to love anyways.

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WORLD RELIEF

Why I love them: They do a lot of important work, in many different forms, all over the place. Often I gravitate towards smaller, specialty nonprofits that take on specifically defined missions, but there is also a definite need for large actors that have it together. World Relief intervenes in places affected by war, disease, famine, or disaster, and they also do some very important advocacy. I admire their approach to acting "politically" but non-partisan, and what it accomplishes.

INTL RESCUE COMMITTEE

Why I love them: Refugee resettlement has become such a significant issue to me, and I think I've found it to be a great way to act on a global worldview in a local setting while providing critically needed help to some people who have been through some horrors. The International Rescue Committee is one of the most comprehensive resettlement agencies and services out there and is one of the easiest to get connected with to begin helping.

LIBERTY IN NORTH KOREA

Why I love them: Full disclosure... I used to intern with them and still consider myself a part of the LiNK family. Speaking of which, I love LiNK because they are all about people. They've taken an issue known for nuclear weapons and caricatured dictators and they've returned the spotlight to the North Korean people in need. No easy task! The work they've done in rescuing and resettling refugees is inspiring, and the change in conversation they're creating is important.

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WISH OF A LIFETIME

Why I love them: Wish of a Lifetime helps senior citizens accomplish lifelong dreams they've held. Sometimes it's something like throwing out a pitch at a ballgame. Other times it's reuniting with a long lost sibling. I love this work because loving and serving others doesn't always require solving a major crisis of the world. It's important to remember that loving people can be extremely simple but profoundly beautiful, and efficiency isn't always the most important thing.

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100 CAMERAS

Why I love them: First of all, photography and using images to tell stories has played such a massive role in my own personal growth and spiritual development, that I'd love for others to experience the same thing. Also, while many organizations "tell the stories" of the less privileged, 100 Cameras literally puts the storytelling devices into their hands. It's worth noting that similar organizations that I also admire include Picture Change and I Was Shot in Joburg.

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TO WRITE LOVE ON HER ARMS

Why I love them: These guys have totally helped reshape the conversation surrounding mental health in a positive direction over the past decade, and continue to do so. I have some friends who've worked with them, and even more who have been impacted by their widespread reminders that seeking help is a good thing. I think it's easy to underestimate how important the work of changing cultural perceptions surrounding a topic like mental health truly is.

MORE ORGANIZATIONS WORTH CHECKING OUT

100 Cameras
5Cees
Because of Hope
Better Angels
Border Angels
Catholic Relief Services
Charity:Water
Cure Violence
Dollar for Portland
 

Exile International
Food for the Hungry
The Freedom Story
Good Neighbor Gardens
HopeMob
I Was Shot in Joburg
International Justice Mission
International Rescue Committee
Liberty in North Korea

Preemptive Love Coalition
Restavek Freedom
The Supply
These Numbers Have Faces
To Write Love on Her Arms
The Voices Project
Wish of a Lifetime
Womenstrong
World Relief
World Vision

Love146
Mercy Corps
Mobility International
More Than Me
Names For Change
Next Generation Nepal
Not For Sale
Picture Change
Plant With Purpose
 

APRIL 2014

#91 Panorama Park

01 April 2014 // Bakersfield, California

The glowing clouds and rainy weather made Panorama Park quite lovely in the afternoon in between a mentoring session and work. This is probably one of my favorite spots in Bakersfield. The competition is fairly low for that title, but still, it’s a nice place with a sweet view. Love the look of the tall grass being combed by the wind.

#92 Toy Story Clouds

02 April 2014 // Bakersfield, California

The clouds on my way home from work were in perfect Toy Story formation, so I knew I had to capture them. Got a great shot by pulling over at San Lauren Park, and that created a great opportunity to just cloud watch and take it all in. It’s nice to have a much lighter week this week compared to the one before.

#93 The Ceviche

03 April 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Discovered a surprisingly unlikely Peruvian place in Bakersfield and instantly fell for it. The restaurant was really small and in the middle of a seedy neighborhood, right next to nothing. Despite being super easy to pass by, I found it on my maps app and checked it out with Ben. The food was amazing, although the ceviche was incredibly hot, even by my standards. Definitely getting the mild next time, but there will definitely be a next time.

#94 Doughnut Date

04 April 2014 // Bakersfield, California

After a long week and looking at a used car, I took Deanna out on a fairly spontaneous date for dessert and tea. We got to try some of the doughnuts and cronuts at Sugar Twist, which were great in my book, and then we went to a tea lounge called Tea Bar. Great tea, but the crowd was surprisingly young and obnoxious. We still had a great conversation and it was a fun evening.

#95 Six Hours of Risk

05 April 2014 // Bakersfield, California

With Deanna out of town for the weekend, I joined Sammy, D.J., and Ben for a guys’ night. A bit of hot tubbing and watching the Angels game, followed by pizza. Then came watching The Godfather and most of The Godfather part two all while playing a game of Risk that never ended. The theme of the evening was “Things that last forever.”

#96 Sunday at the Park

06 April 2014 // Bakersfield, California

With Deanna out of town, the Sunday felt a little bit different going to church and spending my day off by myself. I took advantage of the opportunity to do laundry, and afterwards, did some reading in the park. I finished Into The Mud, and afterwards, spent some time praying and deliberating my choice of graduate school. A few weeks ago, it seemed like Denver was such a sure thing. Now, I find myself surprised to be considering declining their offer in favor of Oregon. Decision day comes close, but I felt at peace about the process. Afterwards, I returned home to have dinner and watch Born Into Brothels.

#97 World Market

07 April 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Deanna came back into town, and she brought along Matt! The three of us got some Panda Express, and before going to the hospital to visit her grandma, we killed some time by meandering around the World Market. We had some good conversations, and I found an awesome circular bookshelf I liked, for one day, when perhaps that is something I need.

#98 Sequoia Jr. High Choir

08 April 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Tuesday is usually my busy day. I mentor a kid after work, and then I meet up with a group of guys for a small Bible study sort-of-thing. The kid I mentor told me he had a choir performance that night, and I told him I would Love to go, but I usually met up with the guys on Tuesday night. He told me to maybe invite them, and I wasn’t gonna say no to that, so I did, and Ben and Sammy ended up going with me in lieu of our usual meeting. It was a short performance, but a decent way to unwind.

#99 Mi Peru

09 April 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Mi Peru has been one of my favorite restaurant discoveries in Bakersfield. The place has surprisingly authentic Peruvian food for a pretty good price. I’ve had their ceviche twice and it is awesome. (Get it mild, though, unless you have a beastly tolerance for spicy. Even I found it pretty intense.) This place is in a really small building in the most unlikely location for such a restaurant, next to nothing on the rough side of town. I guess that’s how you know it’s good.

#100 The Wall of Fun

10 April 2014 // Bakersfield, California

I spent most of the afternoon working on posts and other tasks in my room, so it wasn’t the most exciting afternoon- mostly busy work. Still, it was purposeful, as I’m closer to being finished with my book’s first draft and booked with my flights for the summer. The fun wall gives me fun stuff to stare at, including tributes to Argentina, LiNK, The Love Dungeon, Turkey, and UCSB. Had to capture it with my last day in Bakersfield creeping up closer.

#101 Rafer Johnson Special Olympics

11 April 2014 // Bakersfield, California

The class I’ve been teaching got invited to participate in a district-wide Special Olympics. I got to see a lot of the other special education classes I’ve taught for, and the event they put on was really awesome. It was great being around special ed kids and people who really care about them. My guys were pretty stoked on their five ribbons for the different events. I’m really thankful for this job. It’s taught me some very important things in life.

#102 Bakersfield Roller Girls

12 April 2014 // Bakersfield, California

I got to get one other item crossed off my 1,001 Day List when Deanna and I finally got a chance to see a roller derby match. Deanna has a few friends on the Bakersfield RollerGirls, and it was a pretty fun, spirited event. One of my favorite parts of Roller Derby are the pun-tastic nicknames each player gets, and I spent a lot of the match deciding that I would want a tea-themed Roller Derby squad. Team Mean Tea, featuring skaters like African Rooi-bruise, or Mo’wreckin’ Mint.

#103 New Car Adventures

13 April 2014 // Bakersfield, California

The saga of trying to replace Deanna’s Subaru came to a pleasant ending when we were able to buy a friend’s Volvo from him before he moved out of the country. Used it to get around over the weekend, to the roller derby game and to church, and so far, it’s been a good car. I went over to Deanna’s for dinner to have some of her mom’s shrimp stew. Pleasant Sunday to help kick off Spring Break the right way.

#104 Visiting Dee at Home

14 April 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Went over to Deanna’s house in the evening. It was her grandma’s birthday so the game plan was to go get her some pastries at Sugar Twist and take it over to her place at Glenwood. She got tired pretty early though, so we had to change up our plans and just enjoy the donuts we got back at Deanna’s place.

#105 Talk Time

15 April 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Got to go to talk time for the first time in a very long while and meet some new international students on the Cal State Bakersfield campus. I had a good conversation about the Darien Gap (the most dangerous spot in the Americas) with a couple of brothers from Colombia. I like that even in Bakersfield, I can find ways to get in touch with the nations of the world.

#106 Spring Break is for Readers

16 April 2014 // Bakersfield, California

I enjoyed a very productive day as both a reader and a writer. The book I’ve been working on all year is now one chapter away from first draft completion. At the same time I started reading Aleph by one of my favorite writers, Paolo Coelho. It’s his most recent piece, and one of his most intriguing. A very successful day spent in.

#107 Decision Made

17 April 2014 // Bakersfield, California

The long decision making process over where to attend graduate school has finally come to an end, as I decided the financial offer from University of Oregon was too good to pass up. Plus I get to move to my favorite part of the country, the Pacific Northwest, be a part of a Pac12 school (go Ducks), and work under an advisor who seems to have the exact area of expertise I want to work on. Looking forward to the fall.

#108 Cal State Campus

18 April 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Spent some time today on the campus of CSUB with Deanna. It has a much different feel from most of the college campuses I’m used to, but it seems to fit in well around Bakersfield. In the evening, we finally got to see Frozen, which was better than I expected, and spend some quality time talking together. A great Friday night.

#109 Snow Shack

19 April 2014 // Bakersfield, California

First time getting to taste an “integral part of Deanna’s high school experience,” the Snow Shack. Apparently it’s the big sign in Bakersfield that summer has arrived. In my book, Bakersfield probably wouldn’t mind if summer took its sweet time to arrive, but I’m glad that one of the perks it brings along is the Snow Shack. We also spent the evening hanging out with family and with our friends Javier and Christina.

#110 Disc Golf Date

20 April 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Deanna and I enjoyed an amazing Easter. After a sunrise service, and a more traditional service, we spent the rest of our afternoon on a much anticipated date. We discovered a new sushi restaurant, played disc golf, watched Captain America, and got some appetizers. Probably one of the best Easters I’ve been able to experience in a long time.

#111 First Draft Done

21 April 2014 // Bakersfield, California

I’ve been working on my first draft of a book for nearly a year, (not in a very timely manner due to hard drive failure) but now I can thankfully and finally say, I’m done with it! With the first draft at least. I like to think of it as having written a very bad book. (I dig the mantra that no good books are ever written, only rewritten.) Lots of revising lays ahead, but for the time being, it’s worth celebrating.

#112 Bakersfield College

22 April 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Spent the afternoon mentoring just outside of the Bakersfield College campus. Had some time, but not a lot, to go wander for a little bit. I was really hoping that during my time in Bakersfield I would get the chance to take fun adult classes at the community college, but unfortunately, BC offers little in terms of that.

#113 Emerson Middle School

23 April 2014 // Bakersfield, California

It’s official: I will be working as an autism class teacher at Emerson Middle School for the rest of the school year. I’m really liking the class I’ve been assigned, and the kids in there are a lot of fun. I especially enjoy being in a school that most people had dubbed as the “worst school in the city.” That may or may not be true, but all of its issues create a very interesting setting for me to learn about people.

#114 Domino Chains

24 April 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Making Domino lines is my students’ favorite thing to do. That and coming up with the best misheard lyrics to songs. The class I teach is very laid back and during recess, it’s always interesting to see what they come up with to play.

#115 Himalayan Food

25 April 2014 // Ventura, California

En route to Santa Barbara, Deanna and I stopped for dinner in Ventura and enjoyed an amazing meal at a Indian-Nepali-Tibetian restaurant called Himalaya. I couldn’t recommend this place more. Their menu was good, they had plenty of great veggie options, and the presentation was a lot of fun. Deanna and I got to take our shoes off and sit on the floor for this one.

#116 Inspiration Point

26 April 2014 // Santa Barbara, California

Deanna and I were able to enjoy a wonderful hike in the afternoon with our friends Bryce, Travis, and Corinne, while we were in Santa Barbara. Earlier in the day, we spent some time with Gabe geocaching, so we got a good day full of the outdoors. In the evening, we also got to try an awesome Brazilian restaurant where I discovered what might be my new favorite thing- cashew juice.

#117 Saloon BBQ Co.

27 April 2014 // Ventura, California

Deanna and I left Santa Barbara early to spend some time hanging out in our neighbor city to the south that we ignored too much while we were in college. Downtown Ventura had a lot of hidden treasures, including a used bookstore where I had a field day rifling through vintage maps that they had on sale. We got lunch at Saloon BBQ before heading back to Bakersfield- but not without a pit stop in LA to help her dad buy a new car.

#118 Birthday Countdown

28 April 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Deanna is very sweet to me and has been leaving me these countdown packets on my windshield to discover before I head out for work in the mornings. Each one contains folded up stars with written “happy thoughts,” a hallmark in our relationship that dates back to when I first went on tour with LiNK.

#119 Interesting Fruits

29 April 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Sammy, D.J., and I got together for dinner and we had an incredible feast. I’m still not eating land meat, so Sammy prepared an amazing stuffed salmon and cooked it just the way I like it- fairly undercooked and full of flavor. I brought over spanakopita and grilled zucchini and D.J. fried his own steak. Sammy also picked up interesting fruits native to Southeast Asia, but we never got around to trying them.

#120 The Padre

30 April 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Deanna’s parents treated us out to an incredible dinner at one of the nicest places to eat in all of Bakersfield- the Belvedere room at the Padre hotel. I ordered a round of scallops, we shared a bottle of white cabernet, and I got some amazing salted caramel cheesecake for dessert. We also had a hilariously unexpected encounter with Aunt Sue while we were there.

MARCH 2014

#60 Meeting Bob

01 March 2014 // Point Loma, California

A big thank you to Mr. Bob Goff for the powerful talk, and a powerful hug to go along with it. Definitely one of the most interesting and inspiring people I’ve had the opportunity to meet. Rather than talking about living a worthwhile life, Bob just shows people what that looks like.

#61 Back to Bakersfield

02 March 2014 // Bakersfield, California

I got back to Bakersfield on Sunday evening after my third consecutive weekend out of town. While I like my weekend adventures in other parts, I’m thinking it’ll be a nice change of pace to be able to get back to some of my old usual routines now that they’re all done. Some quality naps are in order!

#62 Modules

03 March 2014 // Bakersfield, California

With a binder full of worksheets from the Storyline Conference, Dee and I went over some of the modules together as a bonding exercise and as a way to connect more with each others’ stories. It was really neat, and I was largely happy with seeing how the trajectory of life has gone so far!

#63 CalWest in Bakersfield

04 March 2014 // Bakersfield, California

I finally got to fulfill my LiNK alumni duties and host an event and a team of nomads! Unfortunately all I could muster was a small house show, but it was great getting to meet the new CalWest team and show them a little bit around Bakersfield. Once I’m finally more connected within a city, I’m looking forward to the screenings to come.

#64 Korean Figurines

05 March 2014 // Bakersfield, California

I got a package at the post office. I went to pick it up to find that it came from Korea. Curious. I also noticed it had “figurines” as one of the only English words I could read written on the outside. Hmm… I thought, maybe “figurines” was just the best thing to write on there to make sure the package was well handled. Well… turns out, they were really figurines! My man Jihyun was awesome and thoughtful and sent over some figurines that reminded him of me and Dee… a Korean nurse from back in the day, and a child who wet the bed and must now ask for salt as a punishment. Thank you, Jihyun!

#65 Club Odyssey

06 March 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Behind these doors are where Deanna and I go Latin dancing on Thursday nights. Tonight we arrived a little bit early for the lesson, which was helpful because we learned how to dance the cumbia- a fun and simple one for those of us who like to spin each other.

#66 A Walk in the Neighborhood

07 March 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Deanna and I got to go on a nice little walk in the afternoon, while the clouds were in “Toy Story” form. We got ready for the big weekend full of visiting family and helping her grandma move into a new apartment. This week was a big one for us as we started to put together some travel plans.

#67 Basque at Benji’s

08 March 2014 // Bakersfield, California

I finally got to try some of the famous Basque food that Bakersfield is known for. Ate tonight at Benji’s with Deanna’s family, and the meal was amazing. Lots of lamb, pickled tongue, fries, green beans, and some real good cabbage soup. Plus chilled red boxed wine. I got the Baked Alaskan for dessert, which consisted of taking a thing of pound cake, covering it with ice cream, and then meringue, then lighting some brandy on fire and pouring that over the top.

#68 Streets of Bakersfield

09 March 2014 // Bakersfield, California

A simple scene from a simple Sunday around Bakersfield. There’s something about the flatness and vastness of the street designs, coupled with the way industrial power structures simply jut out obtrusively that captures the environment of Bakersfield. The anomaly from this day was the much bluer sky. Mostly I associate Bakersfield with a glaring light blue and excessive sun. But it’s a welcome change.

#69 Airport Donut Coffee Sandwich

10 March 2014 // Bakersfield, California

This odd sandwich place sits right in between my house and the freeway, meaning I pass by it every single day, and I almost associate it as the gateway to my house. I’ve always found their sign interesting, almost as if somebody just threw a bunch of words on a board, or if we’re supposed to be playing the “which one does not belong” game. I live pretty close to Oildale, a place where I am definitely an outlier, so I feel a special connection to this sign.

#70 Newsstand/Periodicals

11 March 2014 // Bakersfield, California

I got off work fairly early, and since I worked pretty close to a Barnes & Noble, I got to use the extra time to do one of my favorite things hands down… bookstore lurk. This week has mostly been a mad mission to regain a lot of the energy I’ve spent by three weekends in a row gone out of town, to be followed soon by two more.

#71 Power Towers

12 March 2014 // Bakersfield, California

The oil towers are my choice for the symbol of Bakersfield. We drove past a few ones as the sky was displaying an incredible sunset on the way to visit Deanna’s nephews. It’s odd to think that my time in Bakersfield is coming to an end in just two and a half months. It’s been an unusual living situation, but it’s definitely been a great experience for me on a number of levels.

#72 La Cabaña

13 March 2014 // Bakersfield, California

This huge sign that looms off of Golden State Avenue is the one spot that I must pass on the way to and from work every single day. It’s kind of turned into my welcome home at the end of a day of work, and because of its size and location, and the lack of other distinctives, it’s also a bit of an iconic spot around Bakersfield. If there’s one thing I do enjoy about the Bakersfield aesthetic, it’s the presence of large, old-style signage.

#73 To The Rockies

14 March 2014 // Upland, California

Drove out to Upland in the evening to get ready for my weekend trip to Denver with Deanna. While we won’t get to visit Rocky Mountain National Park on this visit, we’re hoping to at least get a good look at some of the outdoor scene. We’re looking at the potential of Denver to be our next home. I’ve got good expectations for this city.

#74 REI

15 March 2014 // Denver, Colorado

Loved our first day in Denver– overcast skies and a visit to a cozy little café. One of my favorite spots we visited was the flagship store of REI, located right outside Mile High Field. The three-level retail store also boasted a large indoor rock climbing wall so you could test out their stuff, and what was probably the coolest Starbucks I’ve seen on the inside. So far, so good with Denver.

#75 The Mile High City

16 March 2014 // Denver, Colorado

Spent the day exploring mostly downtown Denver, LoDo, and the CBD. I like this city, a lot, particularly how each location kind of feels like its own place but remains fairly accessible to all the other parts around town. Some highlights included a fantastic lunch and bloody marys at a place called The Corner Office and watching all of the dogs at one of the parks in LoDo.

#76 University of Denver

17 March 2014 // Denver, Colorado

Took some time in the morning to explore the campus of what might be my next school– the University of Denver. Ever since discovering the International Human Rights program there I’ve been impressed and I liked the cozy, classic feeling to the smaller campus than what I’m used to. If for some reason I’m not at DU in the fall, it won’t be due to anything lacking in the school itself. That’s for sure.

#77 Roxborough State Park

18 March 2014 // Littleton, Colorado

On our last day in Denver, we wanted to get a taste for the surrounding nature and mountainous landscapes. While we were a bit too short on time to fit in Rocky Mountain National Park, we did get to pay Roxborough State Park a visit, and that was gorgeous. The weather could have been better, and we were only able to do a short hike (we got just a little bit of snowfall) but it was still very pretty, and reminded me somewhat of Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs- one of the prettiest places I’ve been in the U.S.

#78 Butterball

19 March 2014 // Upland, California

Since our flight back from Denver didn’t arrive until quite late, we spent the night at the Dorners’ in Upland, which allowed us to hang out with their animals and take our time getting back to Bakersfield. The big twist of the week came as we were driving home. As much as I enjoyed Denver, I got an email saying that the University of Oregon had doubled my scholarship, basically making it a full ride. Things get interesting just as decision day gets near.

#79 The Photo Wall

20 March 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Ever since I finally got a place of my own after a year of purely nomadic living, I looked forward to being able to put up some of my prints on the wall. Surprisingly it’s taken me this long to actually complete the wall and get a good square block of photos going. This is also one of the easier items on my 1001 Day List, making it even more of a surprise that it took me so long.

#80 Bryce and the Wine

21 March 2014 // Santa Barbara, California

After a longer drive than normal, Deanna and I were able to make it into Santa Barbara for another one of our weekend visits. I stayed with Bryce and we got to stay up a bit later talking and catching up. I’m so glad this guy is back in the country for this year, and that our conversations are just like they were when we used to live together.

#81 Bryce and the Pizza

22 March 2014 // Goleta, California

This visit to SB was far more laid back than our usual and that was a good thing. The evening in particular was a lot of fun. Deanna, Bryce and I got together with Natalie, Cori, and Leanna to make a pizza. We also had a good discussion about foster care and adoption, followed by playing a round of Settlers of Catan while watching Tangled. Oh, not to mention the dance party to the Hipster Youth playlist we found on Spotify.

#82 A Butterfly Walk

23 March 2014 // Goleta, California

On a lazy Sunday around Santa Barbara, Deanna and I decided to indulge our movie watching habits by going to see Muppets Most Wanted at the drive-in. Before our movie started, though, we decided to go on a walk around the Goleta Butterfly Preserves. Unfortunately, it wasn’t butterfly season, so the amount of those we saw was zero. However, we were still treated to a very pretty walk.

#83 Whale Watching in Santa Barbara

24 March 2014 // Santa Barbara, California

One of those awesome things we had all the opportunities in the world to do, yet never did, was go whale watching while we were living in Santa Barbara. Making up for lost time, Deanna and I made reservations to go and took along Sean Chiu. It took us a while to get to some whales, and when we did, my pictures weren’t that great. But we had fun, so we win.

#84 Ice Cream Night

25 March 2014 // Bakersfield, California

After missing out for a week or two on our small group, I got to catch up a bit with Sammy and D.J. at Dewar’s and indulge in some ice cream. It’s been a pretty hectic month, so it was pretty nice that on my craziest day (Tuesday) I was able to have a day that went at a slower pace than the norm. It was a welcome slowness.

#85 The Painted Whale

26 March 2014 // Bakersfield, California

After a day of working, I didn’t want to do much after coming home except for take a nap. It was a much needed nap, too. I also decided to attack some of the health issues I’ve had head-on by finally paying the doctor a visit. The stress of a wild month might’ve started to catch up with me a bit more, but it feels good to be at a point where that looks like it’s turning around.

#86 The Noodle Bar

27 March 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Ben and a few other people from our church small group all got dinner at the Noodle Bar downtown, a restaurant I passed by a few times but ignored on account of it “looking expensive.” Thankfully, I was invited so I got a taste and found out that it was both reasonably priced and delicious. Definitely a great restaurant discovery, accompanied by some good company.

#87 Paid in Magic

28 March 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Ever since tour, Menekse has been in debt to me and I told her I would only accept payment in the form of homemade Pop-Tarts and Magic The Gathering cards. When I first saw the thick, white envelope in my mailbox, my initial reaction was ‘Oh God, a Pop-Tart.’

#88 Daniel + CC

29 March 2014 // Tulare, California

Deanna and I drove up to Tulare to see two of the people we miss the most- Daniel and Caytlin. It was great talking to everyone and swapping life stories. Even though we don’t get to catch up all that frequently, it’s pretty great that whenever we do, there are both traces of familiarity and the excitement of new stories.

#89 Dee + Luke

30 March 2014 // Bakersfield, California

After a very close call on the freeway the night before (resulting in a totaled car), Deanna and I are very thankful to be alive. We spent the day taking care of a lot of insurance busy work and stuff, but we were reminded of what we have to live for as well. Like Luke. What a fun kiddo.

#90 Decision Time

31 March 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Decision day on where to go to grad school is getting closer, and these schools aren’t making it easy. You have my dream city, my dream program, and my dream financial situation all coming from different angles. This should be an interesting week ahead, but as far as difficult decisions go, this is one of the best ones to have.

FEBRUARY 2014

#32 Sequoia in Winter

01 February 2014 // Sequoia National Park, California

Earlier this week, Deanna and I decided on a whim to visit Sequoia National Park… like, the actual park and not just the forest. We also invited Ben to come along. In the back of my mind I anticipated it to be a little cold, but there turned out to be a lot more powdery snow and mist around the sequoias. We braved it anyways and visited the General Sherman tree. I really enjoy long drives and adventures in nature, so this was an excellent day trip.

#33 The Underwhelming Super Bowl

02 February 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Since I’d spent most of the recent Super Bowls outside of the country, I was looking forward to the American tradition of an invigorating Super Bowl party. Unfortunately, the lopsided Seahawks victory made the whole game fairly lethargic, but it was still a lovely, restful Sunday with friends, so no complaints there. Beforehand, I got to indulge my tastes for spoken word and to play around on the ukulele– two things I really enjoy that I haven’t gotten to give much attention to recently.

#34 Bakersfield After The Rain

03 February 2014 // Bakersfield, California

This isn’t most people’s idea of a clear sky, but the air quality in Bakersfield had been absolutely horrible for about the past month or so. A little bit of rain did wonders in terms of clearing it up. On my way home from work, I decided it would be worth it to go out to Panorama Park and just enjoy the fresh air for a bit, at least while it lasts.

#35 Ben’s Teriyaki

04 February 2014 // Bakersfield, California

My first truly busy day in a long time. After I spent some time mentoring, I went over to Ben’s house, where four of us met up to hear each others stories and have dinner. It was the start of a small group we’re hoping to hold every week, which is something I could definitely appreciate right now. Ben also prepared the dinner, which was some really good teriyaki.

#36 Home at the Crossroads

05 February 2014 // Bakersfield, California

At first I took this shot because I liked the hinted X formed by the sidewalk right in front of my apartment, then I realized how indicative of the season of life that I’m in– a quiet, simple season in Bakersfield, but one that sits in between an incredible time in Santa Barbara and around the world and whatever lies ahead for me this year after Bakersfield. In the present, there’s simply a lot of peace and a chance to reaffirm my identity apart from the things I do and the places I go.

#37 Letter of Acceptance

06 February 2014 // Bakersfield, California

While I was subbing at Hort, I got an email on my phone that I wasn’t expecting… at least for a few months. I found out I got into the University of Denver’s Josef Korbel Institute of International Studies– my dream school and one I wasn’t sure I would even make it into, let alone with a $24K scholarship. Later when I got home, I also found I was accepted by the University of Oregon, who also offered me money in the form of a Graduate Teaching Fellowship. Tough decisions lay ahead, especially if I should get into Portland State. In the meantime, however, its time to just celebrate admission.

#38 Bakersfield First Friday

07 February 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Finally got a chance to see First Friday in Downtown Bakersfield, the monthly event where artists and vendors sell their crafts on the streets. It was a fun evening, and we got to get drinks with our friends Stephanie and Darrell, exchanging conversations about travels and social work and nonprofits. It was my first “night on the town” in a long time, and I was refreshed to once again be able to feel a city’s energy.

#39 Garages

08 February 2014 // Bakersfield, California

A simple Saturday as part of a long weekend was spent relaxing with Deanna, not doing anything that took up a whole lot of energy. It was a good recharge, since life had been getting more eventful lately, and a good part of a longer weekend. The sky over Bakersfield had also been a lot more beautiful than it typically is, so we made sure to take the time to appreciate that.

#40 Songwriting Sunday

09 February 2014 // Bakersfield, California

There was a time when I used to write songs every single day… it was a great exercise and something I haven’t really done a whole lot of since that time. I decided to try and reenter the practice by spending my Sunday afternoon with a pen, paper, and ukulele (and pomegranate.) It is a lot harder to get into “the zone” without the regular practice I used to have, but at the same time, it was also fun to get to try and pick up this practice once again.

#41 Day Off at Dagny’s

10 February 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Having back-to-back long weekends is a really big treat. I had the opportunity to explore around town a little bit, and considering there isn’t a whole lot to Bakersfield, that quickly took me back to one of my favorite coffee spots- Dagny’s, where I ordered a coffee and got some writing done. Simple day, no complaints.

#42 Front Yard Grass

11 February 2014 // Bakersfield, California

I’m now mentoring a kid… he’s a great kid and for our session this time, we built some rapport by playing a few games of Trouble out on his front lawn. Lucky for me he’s a board game fan. It’s a new experience for me, and I don’t always know what I’m doing, but I really enjoy spending time with him and being around his life. So far, it’s been a good start.

#43 Saigon Pho

12 February 2014 // Bakersfield, California

After work, Deanna asked if I would like to get pho. My answer is a pretty predictable one. We had a good weeknight out. Being in a happy relationship means having her know exactly how I like my pho– small size, with all of the funky meat products present in the soup.

#44 Chuy’s

13 February 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Chuy’s is good for a well-priced happy hour, and so Deanna and I met with Stephanie and Drew for a double date out to the restaurant on a Thursday night. Lots of eating out this week for me, but I can’t complain. Food is awesome. So is hanging out and meeting new people.

#45 Moonrise Valentine’s

14 February 2014 // Bakersfield, California

For Valentine’s Day, Deanna and I went on a little picnic at Riverlakes, a manmade, river-lake combo body of water. The picnic was nice, getting here before the sun set and staying all the way until the moon had risen upwards in the sky. It was a pretty spectacular item in the backdrop to be able to watch.

#46 Holly’s Tour

15 February 2014 // Goleta, California

For this trip to Santa Barbara, Miranda organized a quadruple date of doing a costal fund walk around the Devreaux slough. Holly, our tour guide, taught us quite a bit about Santa Barbara’s native plants. I didn’t realize I would be so interested in the information. It’s great being back in Santa Barbara, as usual. We also came to see Holly and Derek one more time before they moved away to Dallas.

#47 Santa Barbara Scenes

16 February 2014 // Santa Barbara, California

In the middle of a busy Santa Barbara visit, Deanna and I found ourselves able to climb up to the top of the courthouse and take in the view. I miss living in a place with the character of Santa Barbara, and feeling connected to the soul of a city. I suppose that time is coming soon, and it’s something to look forward to. In the meantime, I’m thankful I’ve maintained my ties to Santa Barbara and that we get to go back quite often.

#48 Guthrie’s Alley

17 February 2014 // Bakersfield, California

One of the more interesting nooks around town is Guthrie’s Alley, a colorful corner of Downtown, which offers a few good photo ops. I spent most of my day off in Dagny’s once again, working on some photo editing and writing projects. A refreshing day off indeed.

#49 Olive & Airport

18 February 2014 // Bakersfield, California

One of my most familiar sights, this intersection is the gateway in between home and work. It’s usually a chaotic crossroads, but it’s a portal to adventures these days. One thing I’m trying not to take for granted is the groove I’ve been in with some of the smaller details of my life in Bakersfield.

#50 Behind The Beautiful Forevers

19 February 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Finished Katharine Boo’s book, which had a bit of a clunky flow, but overall offered a really good look into some real life stories from Mumbai’s airport slums. The book read a lot like fiction, but it covered real, gritty stories. I got to spend a lot of the evening reading, turning my room into a mini-sanctuary.

#51 BCSD

20 February 2014 // Bakersfield, California

I’ve been enjoying the perks of my job lately, namely it’s laid-backness at times. Today I was surprised to find that it was a late start day, not to mention that I had a pre-K class that got out around noon. In what was probably the easiest day of my year working so far, I got to enjoy a lot of peaceful moments that were very much needed in the week to come.

#52 Chris & Katie Are Engaged

21 February 2014 // Goleta, California

My dear friend Chris proposed to his girl Katie, making him the second of my housemates to cross the line. It’s crazy and fun to see how we’ve been growing up. Fortunately, I was able to make it to their engagement party by swinging by Santa Barbara for a couple of hours before picking up Matt to head for the Justice Conference in LA.

#53 Bernice King

22 February 2014 // Los Angeles, California

MLK’s daughter gave an amazing talk, drawing from her father’s legacy. She was one of several amazing speakers at the 2014 Justice Conference in L.A., which was a sweet event. Matt and I befriended a couple of coffee dealers seeking to revive the coffee industry of Haiti. The conference was definitely an inspiring weekend and I’m glad we went.

#54 The Arts District

23 February 2014 // Los Angeles, California

One of my favorite parts of L.A., and probably my favorite in terms of places to eat, is the Arts District. Matt and I came by on Sunday to grab lunch with Susie. Turns out everybody and their mother was out in the Arts District on this particular Sunday. We went to get lunch at Wurstküche, and happened to run into a video shoot of a Mini Cooper commercial right in front of the restaurant. It was a good time catching up, and Wurstküche is definitely one of my favorite restaurants. (As is the Pie Hole, which is actually photographed.)

#55 Honey Bunches

24 February 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Matt came to spend a few days with me in Bakersfield. We spent Monday night stocking up on groceries for the week– unfortunately for Matt, I have work this week, leaving him to fend for himself during the day. Then again, with all that we’re doing on the weekends surrounding this week, having a few days to chill around the house might not be such a terrible thing.

#56 Elementary Reading Selection

25 February 2014 // Bakersfield, California

The titles of kids’ books always amuse me, but even more so with elementary level books from the 90’s. It’s partly because they’re so cheesy it’s hard not to get a kick out of their titles, but also in part because I grew up with similar books, and tacky as they were, triggered my interest in reading for good. Anyways, this was my source of entertainment for another day of subbing.

#57 An Evening At Moo

26 February 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Deanna, Matt, and I got to join Deanna’s old friend David at my favorite Bakersfield eatery, Moo Creamery. Good as usual, and their pickled tongue burrito hit it out of the park. Afterwards we went back to my place for some Settlers of Catan. To my surprise, and Deanna’s surprise, she actually kind of enjoyed the game after expecting to hate it. Sometimes, things work out amazingly in the end.

#58 Pho 22

27 February 2014 // Northridge, California

On our way to San Diego via L.A., Matt and I found a pho restaurant to get dinner. It had been a little while since my last pho run, and since I’ve been nursing a sore throat the past week, I figured the cure I needed was to have some hot soup and load it up with as much sriracha as anyone could handle. I’m still a bit sick, but I’d like to credit the pho with a significant percentage of my improvement, at least.

#59 Storyline Conference

28 February 2014 // Point Loma, California

I’ve been to a few good conferences, but I will say that the Storyline Conference was probably the most well executed of them all. It made a big crowd feel intimate, and rather than hosting an explosion of speakers painting big picture ideals, it paired the hype of a rally with some very practical elements to help attendees live better stories. Not to mention there wasn’t a bad speaker in the bunch. Hats off in particular to Jon Acuff, for making me laugh the hardest.

JANUARY 2014

#1 Game Night at IKEA

01 January 2014 // Carson, California

A quieter life isn’t always a boring one. Last year was so full of adventures that it was often a challenge to take it all in. 2014 begins with no set travel plans, and a plan to move somewhere I don’t know yet.
But I kind of like it this way. Adventures aren’t necessarily about exotic locations or grand accomplishments, but they have more to do with a spirit of wonder.
So, on the first night of the year, I invited Chi and Andrew to join Deanna and I for a simple game night… In an IKEA display living room.

#2 We Bought a Zoo

02 January 2014 // Rancho Cucamonga, California

Deanna and I made it to Upland from Carson after a doctors visit and meandering around Burbank. It’s always an eventful time around her Aunt Sue and Uncle Mike’s family, and that was especially true this week.
First of all, it was Uncle Mike’s birthday, so we celebrated at Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlor with an order of “The Zoo,” a bowl of ice cream so heavy it needs to be brought out on a gurney.

#3 Congrats, Colin and Judy

03 January 2014 // Upland, California

Life has had echoes of transition all around lately. Not many have happened to me, but at the same time I feel like I’m surrounded by so many changes in other people’s lives that I realize I’m moving on to another stage.
Sometimes those echoes are very happy events, like this morning, when Deanna’s cousin Colin proposed to Judy.

#4 The Majestic Oak

04 January 2014 // Rancho Buena Vista, California

In the morning we visited the arboretum, a park in Rancho Buena Vista with trees and flora from all over California. My personal favorite was the majestic oak. One consistently beautiful sight anywhere in the world is the look of light leaking through openings in trees to illuminate the fog.

#5 Geocaching at Night

05 January 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Deanna and I went geocaching for the first time after we arrived back in Bakersfield. It was night, but there was a park right by her house that had one, so we went and found this cache hidden. I think this is the start of a new hobby for us, something to add to the repertoire of things we do for fun together. It’s pretty neat that, despite living in a place where every inch of geographical space seems to be overly managed or controlled, there can still be room for hidden treasures and a community activity that transcends all of that and reintroduces adventure and exploration. I think we’ll have some fun with this.

#6 Rhythm

06 January 2014 // Bakersfield, California

This shot is actually a reflection off my car window while doing errands, and not a double or triple exposure. I went back to work today, and afterwards, ran a bunch of errands. I still had time to admire the clouds around the setting sun, though. Break was nice, as I’m a fan of breaking up a monotonous life. I do think we need some rhythm to life, though, and so it also feels good to be back in the swing of things. I’m happy to have a life that I don’t have much of a desire to escape from.

#7 Writing at Covenant

07 January 2014 // Oildale, California

In college, I would write up my papers on a laptop, then email it to my school account to print. Unfortunately, when a grad school application asked for a ten page writing sample, mine were nowhere to be found. I sold my main laptop from college to help pay for my trip to Africa. I donated my backup computer to the center in Africa where I worked. And the email address? Well, UCSB lets school email accounts self destruct seven months after graduation. So, I had no choice but to write out the best academic paper I could. I’m determined! Lets see how this goes.

#8 YouTube Videos With Dee

08 January 2014 // Bakersfield, California

After making a pasta together, Deanna and I just hung out for the rest of the night doing nothing too extreme– we just watched YouTube videos and read Buzzfeed articles. These are such simple, mundane nights, but I consider them to be one of the highlights of my week because of their simplicity.

#9 Working Days

09 January 2014 // Bakersfield, California

I’m still thankful to have this job that I’ve been enjoying very much. I know one day, I’ll probably look back at that one random year I spent as a substitute teacher as such an anomaly, so different from the career I hope have built. But I’ll remember the parts I enjoyed, helping the kids, and developing my own skills. In the meantime, I’ll just take in being in the middle of it. I liked the way the school’s field looked through the grates of a classroom window.

#10 Tapang

10 January 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Finished my first painting of the year. Tapang is a Filipino word that means something along the lines of “strength,” or “valor.” I pieced together some of my favorite parts of Filipino imagery and symbolism to craft something reminiscent of the Philippine Spirit– enduring yet vibrant, sunny, strong in community. This piece is one I’ll be contributing to my friend Frisca’s art auction coming soon to benefit victims of Typhoon Haiyan.

#11 Airplanes and Stomp Rockets

11 January 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Aunt Val brings some of the best toys for Simon whenever she comes to visit. We spent the noontime playing in Deanna’s front yard with foam airplanes and his new stomp rocket. One of the coolest parts of having spent this year in Bakersfield has been seeing this kid grow up. It’s been a pretty big year for him.

#12 Luke’s Christening

12 January 2014 // Bakersfield, California

A lot of Deanna’s family came into town for Luke’s baptism today. It’s been fun getting to know her family a lot better lately. Luke’s been a blast to be around, since he is the happiest baby ever and finds everything funny.

#13 The Pack

13 January 2014 // Bakersfield, California

On a typical day, here’s what comes with me in my backpack– my laptop in case I get the chance to get some work done, my external hard drive, the current book I’m reading, my journal, my glasses, a few pens, antacids (since I have the worst digestion ever) and my passport… just in case. Not pictured is my camera, which often also comes along.

#14 Dorothy Donnahue Hall

14 January 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Deanna and I suspected that Cal State Bakersfield would hold a lot of geocaching spots, and we were somewhat correct. After Deanna had gotten out of class, I showed up to help her hunt for some around campus and we found a couple. Our interest in geocaching is kind of sudden, but I’ve got to admit, I love the feeling of being able to go on a treasure hunt anywhere and at anytime.

#15 Preemptive Love

15 January 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Over the past few days I’ve been reading the backstory behind how Jeremy Courtney founded a group to provide life-saving heart surgeries to children in Iraq. I go crazy for any story of a person who chases a compelling calling, and I find these sorts of books encouraging as I get further with pursuing my own. I also love the idea of showing Love first, asking questions later.

#16 Brazilian Movie Night

16 January 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Had the chance to watch City of God with Ben. Even though I haven’t seen this movie in years, it’s one of my favorites. It took us a long time to figure out how to set up the movie, but when we did, this movie held up to be just as good as when I first saw it. I also noticed more of how beautifully it’s shot. It’s warm sixties and seventies film qualities were amazing, and way ahead of when the trend would take off about ten years later.

#17 Something’s Fishy with Holly and Derek

17 January 2014 // Santa Barbara, California

Getting to visit Santa Barbara is always a treat. So is Something’s Fishy. So is being able to spend time with Holly and Derek whenever we visit. It’s been encouraging to keep up with them after they’ve gotten married and to bounce around plans and ideas.

#18 Winchester Bridge

18 January 2014 // Goleta, California

Deanna and I spent a very restful and relaxing day in Santa Barbara. Between seeing old friends, swapping stories, and catching up with life updates, we also got in a lot of geocaching. We had six successful finds today. Unfortunately this location was not one of our successful finds, but it was the most gorgeous location where we looked.

#19 Santa Barbara Skies

19 January 2014 // Santa Barbara, California

Return trips to Santa Barbara are always great, but the golden sunset this time around was especially epic and made this visit extra nostalgic. Still, it’s not a sad sense of loss, but more of an awareness that times have changed and an overwhelming gratitude for having gotten to spend four amazing years here. It’s good to see that my old ventures, Hope Community Church, UCSB, and other things are still going strong, with a whole new cast of characters.

#20 R.I.P. Russo’s

20 January 2014 // Bakersfield, California

It continues to be sad when independent bookstores are shutting their doors down all over the country, and Bakersfield just lost one of it’s best institutions when Russo’s shut its doors this week. When Borders went out of business, I went a little overboard buying a bunch of discounted books, to the point where I only finished the last of them about a week ago. Russo’s spared me, since by the time I was able to get to their clearance books, any title I would have been remotely interested in was already snatched up.

#21 Wild Salmon Jerky

21 January 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Deanna grabbed a pack of these as an impulse buy when we were in Santa Barbara and Trader Joe’s salmon jerky turned out to be surprisingly amazing. They’re glazed in a maple marinade, so they’ve got a really good sweet/salty blend going on. Plus, it tastes quite a bit like smoked salmon which is one of my favorite meals hands down. When going grocery shopping this week, I decided to pick up a pack for myself.

#22 Grey Shoes

22 January 2014 // Bakersfield, California

I don’t know if it’s because I do a lot of walking (I really don’t feel like I do), but for whatever reason, I always seem to wear down shoes way too fast. I’ve started breaking in this new pair this week, and I already had to do a repair to one of the sides. Here’s hoping that these have a pretty decent lifespan. It’s hard to keep up.

#23 Breakfast Foods and Burma

23 January 2014 // Bakersfield, California

I wanted to do some more research on Burma, a place where I may potentially try to visit later in the year. I found the documentary Road of Resistance on YouTube which was a really good learning tool and a really well made movie, albeit very sad and rather graphic at some points. I’d still recommend watching it. It may be difficult to stomach, but it’s a reality to a lot of people. As I watched and ate my breakfast for dinner, I kept wondering what opportunities there may be in store for me to work with Burmese refugees.

#24 Lil’ Luke

24 January 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Luke is one of the most fun kids to play with and has one of the most enjoyable laughs and smiles. I spent my Friday night playing with him and his brother Simon. Simon and I role played with his toy car and track set, and our scenario ended with the imaginary town deciding to outlaw trash cans and simply pile up their garbage. It’s fun being close to these kids while I get to live in Bakersfield.

#25 Lengthwise Pub

25 January 2014 // Bakersfield, California

One of my favorite things about Deanna is that I can, and do, talk to her for hours without it getting old. We went out to Lengthwise tonight and had a really good conversation that hit on all sorts of things. We also got to play around with my new fisheye lens, although Lengthwise was dark and chaotic. I tried an IPA named after Deanna’s high school. My high school definitely does not have a beer named after it, so I thought that was interesting. The verdict? I’m not a very big IPA fan to begin with, but this one was pretty good. We also had a big bowl of very spicy fries.

#26 Some Good Halo-Halo

26 January 2014 // Bakersfield, California

The second piece in my Paintings for the Philippines set… I would have also auctioned off at THOR to help Typhoon Victims, except I just wasn’t able to finish it in time. I turned out to like the way it looks. Halo-halo is a favorite Filipino treat. The name literally translates to “mix-mix” and the image of a halo-halo serves as a vivid representation of what community can be. Each member retains his or her identity, but contributes a new texture or flavor for a rich community. The flavor of the Philippines is exemplified in its diversity… thousands of languages and islands, each with its own culture.

#27 Mentoring Time

27 January 2014 // Bakersfield, California

After months of trying to get matched to mentor somebody around town, I was finally paired up with somebody, and he was way different from what I was expecting. Without wanting to give too much away, I’ll simply say that he was an interesting kid who could definitely use a positive male role model in his life. To think about the fact that I’m supposed to be that guy can be a bit intimidating sometimes. Thankfully, one of the things God has been really teaching me lately that faithfulness is the road that leads to big things.

#28 Mentor Appreciation Night

28 January 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Since, I suppose I’m officially a mentor now, I was able to go to a Mentor Appreciation Night put on by Garden Pathways, the organization through which I was paired up with the kid I mentor. I’m a strong believer in the idea of serving through presence and of the importance of mentors and positive role models in kids’ lives.

#29 Nomadic Spirit

29 January 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Lately, I’ve been remembering that this time last year, I was in South Africa, learning how slowly time can pass at times, especially when you’re out of your element. This is kind of important, because these days, I’ve been feeling like life has been quiet- really, really quiet. I have few activities beyond work and writing, and no big adventures on the immediate horizon to anticipate. It’s been kind of a test of my own self-identity. It’s also, however, been an incredible season of being able to root my identity in God’s Love, and the fact that, although Bakersfield might still be just a temporary home in spite of my longing for roots that last, in a spiritual sense I’ll always be nomadic. The journey continues with recognizing each day with a pilgrim’s mentality, giving thanks, and remembering that God journey’s with me, making any place I go paradise.

#30 Coffee on the Couch

30 January 2014 // Bakersfield, California

It finally rained in Bakersfield, which not only clears the air of the horrible stuff that’s really accumulated, but it gave me a chance to take it easy under a blanket, make myself some coffee, and enjoy a book. While I really value my practice of taking an unplugged Sabbath every Sunday to refocus, I’m also finding that it’s important to keep up that restful spirit throughout the week.

#31 Lassen’s Drink Browsing

31 January 2014 // Bakersfield, California

Deanna and I showed up way too early for Captain Phillips (or as we’ve gotten in the habit of saying, Captain Phillip Phillips) and rather than drive all over the place, we decided to kill some time by lurking around Lassen’s to find some neat drinks. We ended up not getting anything, but we did have a good conversation in the car while waiting. I really liked Captain Phillips. I really appreciate that they didn’t go for a formulaic action flick plot, but they actually understood nuances, like how there are reasons why an ordinary Somali fisherman would resort to piracy and terrorism for a living, or how you can’t go through an ordeal like that without experiencing some PTSD.

2013

DECEMBER 2013

#335 Temple in Chino

01 December 2013 // Chino, California

Came across this surprising temple on the drive back to Bakersfield… had to stop for the photo op.

#336 Contraband

02 December 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Some of the items confiscated from one day of working at a middle school– hey, these kids stick with the classics. That pen is a prank shocking pen.

#337 The Pinhole Camera

03 December 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Deanna and I made some pinhole cameras out of matchboxes and film rolls for our trip up to Utah. Can’t wait to see how they’ve turned out

#338 Icicles

04 December 2013 // Browse, Utah

Utah in the winter is cold and beautiful. We came across these gorgeous icicles after getting gas in Browse. We drove all day from Bakersfield and through Vegas. I can spend all day in a car with Deanna over and over.

#339 Mountains Beyond BYU

05 December 2013 // Provo, Utah

Okay, I think BYU might have one of the prettiest campuses ever. Deanna and I went with Eliza to a human rights class on campus.

#340 A Calvin and Hobbes Snow Day

06 December 2013 // Provo, Utah

The snow in Provo was so powdery, it was perfect for playing. My red scarf, red sled, and Deanna’s tiger hat added to the experience of feeling like those classic wintertime Calvin and Hobbes scenes.

#341 Salt Lake Friends

07 December 2013 // Salt Lake City, Utah

Went up with some of Deanna’s high school friends to Salt Lake City for the day. Outside the temple, the snow started falling like crazy.

#342 Zion National Park in the Winter

08 December 2013 // Zion National Park, Utah

Accomplished one of my longtime goals of visiting Zion. It wasn’t the explosion of color I expected due to the snow, but it was still magnificent. This was the kind of place where I could’ve just stayed for a very, very long time.

#343 Christmas Chains

09 December 2013 // Bakersfield, California

I was happy to see that the Christmas tradition of countdown chains were still alive and well in this classroom where I subbed. I also got to spend some of the day watching stop motion Christmas movies with the kids, so that was an especially festive assignment.

#344 St. John’s Christmas Pageant

10 December 2013 // Bakersfield, California

We went to St. John’s to watch Simon’s Christmas pageant. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the best view of Simon, but we were still entertained.

#345 Homemade Christmas Card Night

11 December 2013 // Bakersfield, California

My activity of the night was to make some crafty Christmas cards with Deanna to send out. Mission seemed like a success.

#346 Fish Tacos & Settlers Night

12 December 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Thursday night at Ben and Sammy’s was the best. Restaurant quality fish tacos plus winning Settlers for the first time made for a successful guys night.

#347 The Orphan Master’s Son

13 December 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Has anybody read this? Cause I want to discuss! I personally had mixed feelings. I thought Adam Johnson’s storytelling was incredibly clever and his writing was sharp and fun to read. As a portrayal of North Korea, it was seemingly accurate, but I thought it missed the opportunity to humanize its people the way a novel could have.

#348 The Stephens Family Portrait

14 December 2013 // Bakersfield, California

I got the chance to take the Stephens family pictures before a day full of fun with visitors. This was a really fun shoot.

#349 Peacock

15 December 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Went back to Hart Park with Meaghan, Deanna, and Raquel to go visit the peacocks again. (We avoided the cat face)

#350 Bad Air and Errands

16 December 2013 // Bakersfield, California

The air was so bad today the American Lung Association dubbed it a red flag day. But I was too distracted by errand running.

#351 Deanna, c. 1995

17 December 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Got to help Deanna and family put the lights up on the tree. Their ornaments are great.

#352 Mini House Party

18 December 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Hung out with Deanna’s social work friends. Played that dance game on XBox and finally watched The Heat.

#353 Vintage Baseball Card Shop

19 December 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Right across from the school where I work is this old school style baseball card shop. They’ve got some goodies there. I spent some time basking in the nostalgia… they even had those old Starting Lineup figures… if that means anything to anybody.

#354 Downtown Art Co-Op

20 December 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Got off work early, so took a walk to explore downtown. Found this little art gallery that is run as a co-op. Had a nice talk with one of the artists.

#355 Henley’s Photo Lab

21 December 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Deanna and I went to Henley’s to develop film from the matchbox pinhole cameras we made. Some of them turned out pretty interesting.

#356 His Story

22 December 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Went to The Bridge for a pretty great Christmas service… a good reminder of the journey we’re on

#357 Luke Does the Knotty Pine

23 December 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Went out for breakfast with Deanna, her mom, and the Stephens. A good way to end my year in Bakersfield.

#358 It’s a Giant Pancake, Sonny Van!

24 December 2013 // San Diego, California

Reunited with Sonny in North Park and met his brother. First time eating at the Hash House… I think I get what this place is all about.

#359 Christmas Presents

25 December 2013 // San Diego, California

Seeing some cousins I don’t get to see often enough was a highlight from this year’s Christmas.

#360 Reuniting with Tommy

26 December 2013 // San Diego, California

It’s been far too long since I last got to see Tommy, but thankfully we were able to rectify that for my last night in San Diego. Surprise high school reunions included.

#361 Disneyland, CA

27 December 2013 // Carson, California

Deanna and I treated each other out to Disney as our Christmas presents to each other. First time going there since I was five!

#362 The Pie Hole

28 December 2013 // Los Angeles, California

Took Deanna out on a little date around L.A.’s Arts District. This is one of my favorite little eateries around there.

#363 Good Conversations at Portfolio

29 December 2013 // Long Beach, California

Spent a surprisingly long time at Portfolio, enjoying a really engaging conversation with this group of LiNKers.

#364 Uncle Visit

30 December 2013 // Carson, California

Got to spend some time with my uncle Eulogio, looking over old pictures during his visit to California this winter.

#365 The Madness of 2013

31 December 2013 // Carson, California

This year taught me a lot about presence, rest, and stillness… which was a bit ironic considering I spent 2013 all over the place: 16 countries in total, here are a few of the represented highlights.

NOVEMBER 2013

#305 Return of the Mac

01 November 2013 // Bakersfield, California

After a frustrating three weeks of waiting for this repair to be finished, I finally got my computer back. Now it’s time to catch up on writing, grad school, Skype dates, and a whole bunch of other things.

#306 Just Like The Country

02 November 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Went out with Deanna’s family to Marie Callendars, where the window panes in our own little room looked just like the country… almost.

#307 A Stroll After Church

03 November 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Had a fantastic Sunday with Deanna after church, consisting of California Pizza Kitchen, walking in the park, a movie, and salsa lessons.

#308 Water Towers and Telephone Lines

04 November 2013 // Bakersfield, California

My usual drive home takes me from somewhere new in Central Bakersfield. Typical street corners look something like this.

#309 The Olive Drive Railroad

05 November 2013 // Bakersfield, California

The drive from my place to Deanna’s is about ten minutes. Unless this damn train shows up.

#310 Kindergarten Free Play

06 November 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Subbed for a kindergarten class today… surprisingly more subdued than they usually are.

#311 Thursday Night Dancing

07 November 2013 // Bakersfield, California

One of my favorite parts of the week has become dancing on Thursday nights at Club Odyssey. Loving the Latin dance community there.

#312 Tea Tasting Teavana

08 November 2013 // Bakersfield, California

After upgrading my phone, I decided to test it’s camera prowess while we were nabbing samples at Teavana.

#313 Hiking at Frazier Park

09 November 2013 // Frazier Park, California

Got in a quality hike with Ben and Allison out in Frazier Park, one of the better kept secrets of Kern County.

#314 Bagels & Blenderz

10 November 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Stopped by for a breakfast burrito after church. Great place.

#315 Newborn Nephew

11 November 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Went over to Andy and Shelly’s for a chili dinner and got to spend some time with the young ones.

#316 Long Term Gig

12 November 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Started my long term assignment in a special ed classroom at Sierra. Liking it so far, which is good since it’ll last through December.

#317 Public Library

13 November 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Had to run an errand in the Old Town part of Bakersfield, which doesn’t have a whole lot of activity going on these days. It does have a very classic library.

#318 Oregon Street Fall

14 November 2013 // Bakersfield, California

There aren’t too many places in Southern California that get a proper fall, and that’s a shame. But– I did find one street that was in style, and it was awesome.

#319 Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs

15 November 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Got to spend the night with Simon and Luke, watching Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs. Before we watched the movie, though, we would have to read the book.

#320 Rosemary’s Creamery

16 November 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Deanna and I wrapped up a successful date night with some good sundae and sherbert.

#321 Seoul Korean BBQ

17 November 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Went to get some Korean food with Deanna and our friend Connie to hear about her adventures in Nigeria.

#322 Pho with Ben

18 November 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Got to swap more stories with Ben over a couple bowls of pho.

#323 Target Night

19 November 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Deanna got out of class early. Not that early, so everything in Bakersfield was closed, except for Target. We went to visit her grandma, then we went to Target to have an ugliest outfit contest.

#324 Luking is Looking

20 November 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Got to hang out with Luke and Simon at dinner tonight.

#325 Andrew Bird at UCSB

21 November 2013 // Santa Barbara, California

Got Deanna tickets to see Andrew Bird for her birthday. The first conversation either of us recall was about his music.

#326 The Santa Barbara Courthouse

22 November 2013 // Santa Barbara, California

After exploring Montecito Beach with Bre, we went to go have some fun downtown, going by the courthouse first.

#327 Lizard’s Mouth Pizza Party

23 November 2013 // Santa Barbara, California

Finally accomplished one of my longtime goals of throwing a pizza party at Lizard’s Mouth, out when the stars were bright.

#328 Gabe’s Rejection Therapy

24 November 2013 // Goleta, California

Mission successful: This guy would not let Gabe walk his two pugs around the Camino Real Marketplace.

#329 Chuy’s Happy Hour

25 November 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Ben and I discovered a very happy hour indeed. From dollar tacos to to five buck sliders, our mission to discover something awesome about Bakersfield’s food options was a successful one.

#330 Love for Thanksgiving

26 November 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Spent my evening at the Bridge, helping them prepare a couple thousand turkeys. Love it when people make helping people into a party.

#331 San Diego at Night

27 November 2013 // San Diego, California

Drove into San Diego in the day, and in the evening went out on a photoshoot with Jeremy. Don’t have a tripod, but I was able to turn some walls into makeshift tools for some night photography.

#332 Mauling the Bird

28 November 2013 // San Diego, California

Had a pretty awesome Thanksgiving with my parents and the Orlinas. We go all hands in.

#333 Korean Food with Chris

29 November 2013 // San Diego, California

Had a wonderful catch up session with Chris. Also, discovered an awesome Korean restaurant- piles and piles of food for only eight bucks during the lunch hour.

#334 Randy

30 November 2013 // San Diego, California

Had a good time in South Park getting caught up on Randy’s stories from Texas and what’s been going on around San Diego since I’ve left.

OCTOBER 2013

#274 This time Kindergarteners

01 October 2013 // Bakersfield, California

After subbing for a 7th grade class on my first day of work, my second took me to a kindergarten classroom. There’s a surprising amount in common.

#275 Barley Tea

02 October 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Always have a fresh batch of this in the fridge, and I go through it pretty quickly.

#276 The Perfect 6-year-old Adventure

03 October 2013 // Bakersfield, California

I had a fantastic night’s adventure that would’ve been out of this world to a six year old. I put on my baseball cap, got some coins out of a jar, walked to Rite-Aid, and got a six pack of Reese’s for 99 cents.

#277 Postseason Prosecco

04 October 2013 // Bakersfield, California

While waiting for Deanna to get home, her dad and I watched the Dodgers’ game, and soon enough, Prosecco was served.

#278 Pappadew

05 October 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Deanna and I went out for an unexpectedly expensive lunch out at the Macaroni Grill. But these were delicious, as was the rest of the meal, so it was okay.

#279 Simon the Eagle

06 October 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Glad to see Simon’s parents are raising him the right way.

#280 These Reminded Me of Daniel Santos So I Bought Them

07 October 2013 // Bakersfield, California

That says it all

#281 Fun Sub Games

08 October 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Wanted to see if the kids could guess my team. Not even one correct guess. Gotta love the random ways to fill odd gaps of time.

#282 Apple Galette

09 October 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Simon had never had apple galette before. Neither had I until Dee’s birthday.

#283 Post Office Trip

10 October 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Took a run to the post office after work to drop off some grad school stuff.

#284 Chili Tasting

11 October 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Stocked up on chili before going out line dancing in a barn. Fun night outing.

#285 The Forest of Nisene Marks

12 October 2013 // Santa Cruz, California

Dee and I wanted to do some hiking. Original plans were for Big Basin, but after realizing how awesome it was, we decided to save it for another time when we could properly camp.

#286 Tailgating the Niners Game

13 October 2013 // San Francisco, California

Had an awesome time catching up with a bunch of guys I don’t see enough these days. Thanks to Ryan for throwing this thing together.

#287 A Seuss Collection

14 October 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Thought this first grade class I subbed in had a pretty well decorated room. I’m a fan.

#288 31 TED Talks in 31 Days

15 October 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Took on the challenge of watching a TED talk every day of October. I ended up watching some really, really good ones.

#289 Musical Assembly

16 October 2013 // Bakersfield, California

A good portion of my subbing job today was taking the kids to see the musical assembly, where the drama classes performed a tribute to the Oscars. Fun on the job.

#290 Surprising Dee at School

17 October 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Swung by CSUB after work to give Deanna a quesadilla and coffee during her busy day.

#291 Domo Dee

18 October 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Went with Dee after work to go try on some Halloween costumes… but we’ve already got our own idea.

#292 Pumpkin Picking

19 October 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Deanna took me on a surprise outing– a trip to the pumpkin patch to get pumpkins and have fun with animals and corn.

#293 Dayai and Dee

20 October 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Got to exchange stories with Dayai over lunch. Talked about Dublin, London, and North Korea.

#294 Mango Nectar

21 October 2013 // Bakersfield, California

This just might be my favorite liquid in the world.

#295 Coffee with Ben

22 October 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Got to grab some coffee with Ben after work. Here’s hoping that Big Sur trip works out sometime soon!

#296 Trouty

23 October 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Playing around at Dee’s after work. Usual weekday fare.

#297 Best Buy Run

24 October 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Took a late night trip to Best Buy to return the computer I’d been using for the weeks while mine was in repair.

#298 Friday Night In

25 October 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Spent it cooking and watching movies with Dee. Finally got to see Brave!

#299 Pumpkins Carved

26 October 2013 // Bakersfield, California

We did it! Definitely felt like Halloween around town tonight.

#300 Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

27 October 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Our pumpkins were filled to the brim with seeds, meaning after they were carved, we had another snack-making project.

#301 Hannaly’s Parakeet

28 October 2013 // Bakersfield, California

After our meeting was cancelled tonight, I spent the evening playing with Hannaly’s baby animals- namely, the bird and the turtle.

#302 The Pufferfish

29 October 2013 // Bakersfield, California

The guy I subbed for is really into taxidermy and skeletons. Made for an interesting classroom.

#303 Cookies and Tea

30 October 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Decided to treat myself to the classic relaxing afternoon.

#304 A Lobster and a Chef

31 October 2013 // Bakersfield, California

This was a great Halloween. Thanks to 3-year-old Simon for picking out our costumes.

SEPTEMBER 2013

#244 I Love Portland

01 September 2013 // Portland, Oregon

One of my favorite cities in the world. Maybe I’ll live here someday.

#245 Seattle Day Trip

02 September 2013 // Seattle, Washington

Took the trip up with Matt to Seattle for the day– roamed around Pike Place, circled the perimeter of Bumbershoot, and got in some good tea at the UW area.

#246 Jade and Justin on the Grilled Cheese Bus

03 September 2013 // Portland, Oregon

An old school bus converted into a grilled cheese restaurant. Another reason I love Portland.

#247 Multnomah Falls

04 September 2013 // Multnomah Falls, Oregon

One awesome, beautiful waterfall. Oh, and while Matt and I were here, we witnessed a proposal. That was pretty cool.

#248 2Eggz

05 September 2013 // Sacramento, California

Got breakfast with April and Matt while passing through Sacramento. Ordered one egg sunny side up and one poached. How very accommodating of Black Bear Diner to not only accept my complicated request, but I also got an extra poached egg.

#249 First Night Set Up

06 September 2013 // Bakersfield, California

First night spent in Bakersfield as a resident… also the first night in over a year that I’ve had my own place.

#250 New Friend Chamodh

07 September 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Grabbing some Dewar’s with my new friend Chamodh from Sri Lanka.

#251 Sunday Girl

08 September 2013 // Bakersfield, California

I love Sundays, and I love how after church is a perfect window of quality time to spend with Dee

#252 Dia De Los Errands

09 September 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Moving in means a lot of random things you need to buy that you don’t typically pick up on a weekly grocery run. At least now I’m finally living somewhere with a Target

#253 Catching Up With Meaghan

10 September 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Got to spend some time with Meaghan hanging out at Dagny’s and getting caught up on life these days.

#254 I’m A Fan

11 September 2013 // Bakersfield, California

An essential player when it comes to life in Bakersfield.

#255 Pieology with Sam and Dee

12 September 2013 // Northridge, California

Visited Sam and Matt while in L.A., and got some good pizza while we were at it.

#256 These RMs

13 September 2013 // Torrance, California

Took a pit stop at the LiNK office to drop off some doughnuts with the Fall 2013 Nomads… just before they launch for their Bridge to North Korea tour.

#257 View from the Crabcatcher

14 September 2013 // La Jolla, California

Got a really nice meal at this La Jolla restaurant, all thanks to Groupon.

#258 The Crab Hut

15 September 2013 // San Diego, California

Got a chance to catch up with the Orlinas in San Diego over some good shellfish.

#259 Stone + Cloth

16 September 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Finally! I’ve wanted a Stone + Cloth backpack for a really long time.

#260 Bellissima

17 September 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Ran some errands to get paperwork processed in order for me to begin work as a substitute teacher soon.

#261 Covenant Coffee Afternoon

18 September 2013 // Oildale, California

Spent time in one of my new favorite Bakersfield coffee stops- Covenant Coffee. Good coffee, and a solid mission, too.

#262 Peanut Park

19 September 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Deanna had a little time before class so we went to Peanut Park to continue our game of P-I-G with a pinecone and basketball hoop in disrepair.

#263 International Student Welcome

20 September 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Had a good evening with my new friends from all over the world at the International Student Welcome dinner. The international student hangouts continue!

#264 A Picnic in the Park

21 September 2013 // Sequoia National Forest, California

Had an awesome picnic in the park planned for a date with Deanna. Then a dust storm came through town, so we took it to Sequoia National Forest. How’s that for adaptable?

#265 Snaggletoothed Fluff

22 September 2013 // Bakersfield, California

One of my favorite parts of our small group– the cats that come in and out of the room are too hard to take seriously.

#266 Late in the Kitchen

23 September 2013 // Bakersfield, California

One of my favorite parts of having my own place again is having a workspace to cook up some meals. Been a while since I’ve been able to get experimental.

#267 The Rental Jetta

24 September 2013 // Bakersfield, California

While my car was undergoing some very minor repairs, I got to drive around in a Jetta, pretending I’m from Oregon.

#268 Los Angeles

25 September 2013 // Los Angeles, California

Spent a pretty spectacular day in L.A. with Deanna, getting Thai food and getting to explore the Griffith Observatory.

#269 Red in the Room

26 September 2013 // Bakersfield, California

In order to keep the room cool, I use a red blanket as a makeshift temperature curtain. The red glow, though, is a little counterproductive. Gives you an idea of how hot the room can get!

#270 Zack’s Improv Show

27 September 2013 // Bakersfield, California

Deanna and I got to spend an evening seeing our friend Zack perform some improv with his team downtown.

#271 State Street Visit

28 September 2013 // Santa Barbara, California

On a day trip to Santa Barbara with international students, Deanna and I spent some good time up and down State Street, exploring salt caves, and visiting old friends

#272 Back for the Lemon Festival

29 September 2013 // Goleta, California

Deanna and my visit coincided with an old favorite event– the Depressing Lemon Festival featuring surprisingly potent lemon beer.

#273 Subbing

30 September 2013 // Bakersfield, California

After weeks and weeks of paperwork and physicals, I finally began my job as a substitute teacher.