Colombia, Reconciliation, & Jesse & Raquel Visit

MOTHER’S DAY 2019

Mom, thanks for passing on to me your good taste!

Firing off a quick Mother’s Day greeting from a layover. We had to celebrate yesterday since I’m spending actual Mother’s Day by jetting out of the country. Somehow that feels like an oddly appropriate way to commemorate the crazy life I put my mom through by being such an adventure bird.

Grateful for such an amazing mom and for a number of other powerful women who have played a mega role in my life.

STUCK IN MIAMI

I’m supposed to be in Bogota right now (actually 48 hours ago) but as you can see, this isn’t it.

It’s been an extremely messed up travel day and I’m not really inclined to believe anything American Airlines announces at this point. We’ve been given a dozen different reasons for not being able to get a plane over the Gulf and at least half were easily avoidable.

It’s a good thing I enjoy being abroad as much as I do. Transit is the price to pay for travel.

Frustrated to have my time in Colombia cut in half, especially after getting so much good stuff arranged there prior, but sometimes you gotta compartmentalize so what’s left of an ordeal can still be a worthwhile experience.

COLOMBIA

To put it simply, Colombia is beautiful.

I had a feeling it would be a pretty country, but I underestimated just how breathtaking these mountainscapes would be in every direction. You don’t hear often enough about it’s beauty.

The Colombia of movies is a caricature of drug lords and crime, and while those play a part in some of its recent history, it’s such a one dimensional representation.

We miss out when we treat places that way. The sensationalism robs us of the better stories. The ones that make places far away feel closer to our hearts and relevant to our everyday lives.

That’s what brings me here. This week, I have the rare and special opportunity to get to know the deeper, richer story of Colombia. I can’t wait to share bits of what I find.

RECONCILIATION

“It’s going to take them a long time to forgive us for everything we have done.”

Reconciliation is an extremely difficult, beautifully redemptive, and tragically complex process. How do you sit and listen to the stories of somebody whose family you killed? How do you learn to understand what drove a sixteen year old down a dark path?

I’ve always been drawn to stories of reconciliation and healing in areas that experienced extreme conflict. Rwanda. Cambodia. South Africa. Most of it feels above my understanding, but it reminds me of an extremely important truth- that it’s possible.

When Milmer invited me to Colombia, the main draw was the chance to meet with from former FARC combatants, to hear their gut wrenching stories, and to learn about their process of healing and restoration, and the role that environmental renewal had to play.

Nothing about this is easy. Hearing their stories was difficult. Figuring out how to relay them in a sensitive, empathetic, dignified way will also be a challenge. But it’s important.

It isn’t easy, but it’s possible. Today’s horrors don’t need to be tomorrow’s realities.

GRATEFUL FOR COLOMBIA

After such an impactful week spent in Colombia, the clearest way to describe how I’m feeling is grateful. What an opportunity.

I’m grateful to Milmer, for persistently inviting me to Colombia and organizing literally everything in between my arrival and departure. Kind of an impossible opportunity to say no to.

I’m grateful to Carlos and Diana and Rafa and Rosita and Juanito and Angelita and everybody who helped facilitate such an eye opening visit.

I’m thankful to the people of Viotá- the ex combatants, the former victims, the healers: I am all too aware that the stories they shared with me weren’t easy moments to revisit.

There are still so many things to process, so many stories to share. And I look forward to sharing them. The stories about coffee and the haciendas, history and the future, birds and waterfalls, guerillas and farmers, schools and memorials. Look out for these intermingled with stories from the rest of life.

I’m just thankful. Sometimes I can’t believe I get to live this life in my body.

MILESTONES AT 28

Last week I turned 29 and this week my body is holding me accountable for all the travel and running around with an angry stomach.

Know what though? It’s all been worth it. And I have an excuse now to self medicate with pho.

If you talked to me back in December, I probably would’ve said that 28 was the hardest year of my life and that I felt stuck. The past few months though have been a totally different story. And a whirlwind.

We’ve bought a house. We’ve both taken big steps forward at work and with creative projects. I got to make meaningful connections in Haiti and Atlanta and Nashville and Vancouver, while learning how to be more present at home.

I’ve learned that the words of John Steinbeck ring true: Nothing good gets away. Things don’t always happen on my time, but showing up is what counts.

I’m thankful for every milestone for sure, but I’m also thankful for every moment in between milestones that taught me something. That’s where the growing actually happens.

JESSE & RAQUEL VISIT

I love playing host when out of town friends visit SD. It was pretty great having Jesse and Raquel over this weekend. Beignet’s face captures how she felt about it too.

Twentynine, The Creative Changemaker, & International Directors

TWENTYNINE

All I really wanted was to be around people I loved. And I got my wish. For like a whole week straight.

Really feeling the love that’s made it a beautiful 29 years. Hope to keep dishing it back out with however many I might have left.

A HUGE thanks to everyone who carved out some time to hang this weekend, out of towners especially. And to Deanna for knowing how to make a guy feel loved.

I hope each trip around the sun does for you what it does for me: reminds you that the days you get here are valuable, that every moment has its place, and that people always matter.

THIRTY SEASON

I have a very, very, very good feeling about the year ahead of me.

With my twenties winding down, I’m amazed at everything this decade has been, all the places its taken me, and the people its put in my life.

The passage of time does a pretty good job of showing us what actually matters. It separates the shiny, attention-grabbing things from the timeless things that stick with us for years.

It’s also made me want to approach the present moment prioritizing those things. To say yes to the things that I’ll still treasure five years later. Ten. Twenty.

Here’s to getting better at that year after year.

THE CREATIVE CHANGEMAKER

Nicholas Kristoff writes that toothpaste is sold with more sophistication than the life saving efforts of aid groups. And for the most part, he isn’t wrong.

If you want to make a lasting impact on the world, you can’t do it by yourself. You need to move people. You need to show them that the cause you’re all about is a matter of importance for them.

You need media assets that bring your cause to life. You need a style that tells the right people that your cause is their cause. You need to master the art of storytelling, so that the story somebody tells about themself overlaps with the change you wish to see in the world.

At first, I thought my hopes to fuse my love for making things with my passion for international development was an unusual one. But the past few weeks have introduced me to so many people who want to do the same thing.

I figure, the world would be a better place if its creatives became changemakers and it’s changemakers got creative. So I’m gonna share everything I’ve learned.

The blog is finally back. So is the newsletter. Check out my link in profile. And do let me know what topics you might want me to cover.

SHOUTOUT TO THE PRESENT

An appreciation post for the present moment.

Leaving for work a little early. Taking unpacked moving boxes to the recycle bin. Squeezing in trips to Goodwill, Lowe’s, and the storage unit on my lunch break. Making plans four weekends out, cause that’s how soon I’m free.

Life has been very, very full. And I love it. The busyness. The eventfulness. The creative grind, the new adventures, the people.

It wasn’t long ago that things felt empty. And life does have seasons like that. So here’s to trying and failing but still trying to really be here. It’s a good spot to be.

INTERNATIONAL DIRECTORS PANEL

This evening was a lot of fun.

All week, our international partners at Plant With Purpose have been in town for a strategy summit. I don’t only get to be coworkers with the people I share an office with, but also these partners representing seven countries.

I’ve gotten to visit about half of them in their countries, seeing them at work. I never fail to learn a ton from them.

The Village Church hosted a panel event to give people a chance to ask questions and to hear from the directors themselves.

I also got the treat of moderating/emceeing the event, which was interesting given the varying degrees of translation taking place. But it was fun and this week continues to be wonderfully full.

WE CAST A SHADOW

It’s been a hectic month, so I haven’t made my way through as many books lately, but here are some I’ve finished recently.

We Cast A Shadow – Real clever, sort of sci-fi, commentary on race. Had the feel of a Jordan Peele movie, including the dark humor.

To Shake the Sleeping Self – Fun, but mostly made me really miss being in Argentina.

The Power of Proximity – Awareness isn’t enough, you’ve got to move closer to suffering and share it. So thankful for Michelle Warren’s reminders.

Hope Never Dies – Quite the tonal shift but sometimes you just want a Hardy Boys style mystery novel starring Barack and Joe.

Beating Guns – A solid case for rethinking guns. I didn’t really need to be persuaded, though. Loved the gorgeous design of the pages.

BOGOTA

Airline: 
Do you have your record locator?

Me:
I as in Ice Cream
C as in Cream
L as in Leprosy
I as in I shouldn’t be the one doing this...

I should be in Bogota right now but since this is tropic travel we’re talking about, I’ll be getting in tomorrow and everything about this trip is bumped a day later.

To be completely honest, taking the day off to unwind from such a packed week wasn’t the worst thing that could’ve happened. And I made this drawing.

Even more excited for Colombia now. Will I see a toucan? I don’t really think so, but anything can happen and it’ll be quite the adventure.

Check-In Before 30, Brilliant Birthday Weekend, & A Map of Salt & Stars

Plant With Purpose Updates

Usually when things at Plant With Purpose get really, really busy, they also get really, really fun.

Right now is one of those times!

First of all, Earth Week was a hit. Our campaign raised over $65,000 which is all going to go towards environmental restoration efforts in the places where that is badly needed.

Second, our international directors are coming to San Diego. I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know our partners from Haiti, Thailand, Tanzania, and other spots, and I always learn so much from my international colleagues. I’ll be hosting a Q&A panel with them at Village Church in Rancho Santa Fe a week from Thursday.

And there’s one other big announcement that I’ll be making next month. It’s something I’ve been working on especially hard the past few weeks and I can’t wait to share. I’ll probably need help getting the word out once it’s out there. Safe to say, it’s been one of my favorite work projects, and I’ve had a lot of fun ones.

SNAPSHOT OF APRIL

This past month has been brought to you by:

🐕 Dog friendly parks in the new neighborhood
👯‍♀️ Watching an ABBA tribute band only knowing three of their songs. (Also, discovering that emoji is totally ABBA)
🍚 Obsessing over the aesthetics of a rice sack and a very busy street corner, just because you’re so visually inclined 🇪🇹 Ethiopian food
🌮 More tacos
💛 The color yellow

It’s been a really wild month but here are some of the moments in between that stitch them together.

GOING TO COLOMBIA

Announcement: there is way too much sugar in this drink! That’s not what I’m actually going to announce, but it’s true. I very rarely drink soda but I bought this one for the rad can design and to help me make my real announcement.

Real Announcement: In a couple weeks, I get to embark on my next international adventure. To Colombia!

Colombia’s been on my list for a long time! And those Insta-worthy shots of Cartagena make it look even more enticing, though that’s not where I’ll be. I’ll mostly be on the outskirts of Bogota.

I won’t be there very long, either. But I will be learning about how today’s coffee and cacao growers are using restorative farming to heal the wounds caused by yesterday’s wars. I’ll be meeting soldiers-turned-farmers and I can’t wait to hear their stories.

I’m already excited and I’m planning on capturing as many stories as possible during the short time I’m there.

PANELS & THINGS

Tonight I got to talk on a panel at UCSD, sharing about life at a nonprofit with International Studies students and answering questions.

I’ve gotten quite a few opportunities like this lately and most of the time I’m like, how did I end up here?

It seriously feels like I was so recently a student still trying to figure out how I could combine all my scattered interests to help people by working at a nonprofit. I remember going to a bunch of panels and meet and greets and lectures.

It also often feels like Iron Man 2 just came out and like all my favorite athletes aren’t actually now old retired dudes.

I have a lot of fun doing what I do day-to-day, and I do feel like I’ve picked up a few things over the years that could be helpful to share, but the main thing that feels worth sharing right now is to enjoy the ride at whatever part of it you happen to be at today.

Arriving isn’t really a thing. Enjoy where you’re at. Don’t overlook how much fun the present moment can be.

ALL THE WAY TO THE BAY

Last year, I made a list of everything I wanted to do before entering my thirties. And since I turn 2️⃣9️⃣ this weekend, it felt like a fitting time to revisit that checklist!

⚪️ I still haven’t been to all 50 states, but I did get to check off West Virginia last month. Only Wyoming and Alaska remain!

🔘 I did get to go to a music festival, hooray High Water!

⚪️ I still haven’t gotten a tattoo. I somehow managed to buy a house, which wasn’t on that list. But still no tat.

🔘 I did start boxing classes. I still don’t really know what I’m doing.

🔘 Student loans are so last year. Those are paid off!

⚪️ I listed 16 books I wanted to read. I read four of them.

⚪️ I bought plants. Most died during our move, so this item kinda got unchecked.

⚪️ I haven’t been to 45 countries, but Colombia this month will be my 44th!

⚪️ Still working on building a community around San Diego, but I think I did a much better job being present.

🔘 The last and most important item on the list was to simply be thankful. That’s a resounding CHECK!

A MAP OF SALT & STARS

The most important places on a map are the places we haven't been yet.

Can we just talk about how much I loved this novel? I think I can easily mark it as my favorite read so far this year. It was one of the most creative ways I’ve seen someone tell the story of Syria’s heartbreak in a way that still captures its beauty, traditions, and strength.

The book switches tracks between two stories. A young girl who moved back to Syria from New York after her dad died, and the hero of a story he used to tell her. In that story, a girl disguised herself to accompany a mapmaker on a journey from the Middle East across Northern Africa.

Of all the nuggets of beauty in these pages, here’s one I’m especially fond of: “Safety is not about never having bad things happen to you. It's about knowing that the bad things can't separate us from each other.”

BRILLIANT BIRTHDAY WEEKEND

Bandit is such a personality in those shades.

So my birthday just started but I’ve kind of been celebrating for a week straight thanks to a steady stream of visitors. Here’s an odd confession: I love my birthday and hate planning it.

Deep down I’m a people person and I love having the excuse to round up people and to do something fun.

But also, it feels weird to ask people to celebrate myself. And I tend to do a lot of activity planning in my daily life. And I’m at a point in life where it takes moving heaven and earth to get three people’s schedules to line up.

So the best treat for me is getting to celebrate but being totally hands off and in the dark about what’s going to happen.

Deanna has been doing a phenomenal job of pulling together a bunch of great people and planning fun stuff. And I don’t even know what she has thought up for today! She’s amazing at helping me feel appreciated.

MAY 2019

#121 A Map of Salt & Stars

01 May 2019 // San Diego, California

The most important places on a map are the places we haven't been yet.

Can we just talk about how much I loved this novel? I think I can easily mark it as my favorite read so far this year. It was one of the most creative ways I’ve seen someone tell the story of Syria’s heartbreak in a way that still captures its beauty, traditions, and strength.

The book switches tracks between two stories. A young girl who moved back to Syria from New York after her dad died, and the hero of a story he used to tell her. In that story, a girl disguised herself to accompany a mapmaker on a journey from the Middle East across Northern Africa.

Of all the nuggets of beauty in these pages, here’s one I’m especially fond of: “Safety is not about never having bad things happen to you. It's about knowing that the bad things can't separate us from each other.”

#122 Colombiana

02 May 2019 // San Diego, California

Announcement: there is way too much sugar in this drink! That’s not what I’m actually going to announce, but it’s true. I very rarely drink soda but I bought this one for the rad can design and to help me make my real announcement.

Real Announcement: In a couple weeks, I get to embark on my next international adventure. To Colombia!

Colombia’s been on my list for a long time! And those Insta-worthy shots of Cartagena make it look even more enticing, though that’s not where I’ll be. I’ll mostly be on the outskirts of Bogota.

I won’t be there very long, either. But I will be learning about how today’s coffee and cacao growers are using restorative farming to heal the wounds caused by yesterday’s wars. I’ll be meeting soldiers-turned-farmers and I can’t wait to hear their stories.

I’m already excited and I’m planning on capturing as many stories as possible during the short time I’m there.

#123 Mölkky

03 May 2019 // San Diego, California

I think this game was invented in Finland originally using discarded ale bottles as a way to cope with long winters. It translates nicely at a park on a sunny day.

#124 Cross Street Bandit

04 May 2019 // San Diego, California

Bandit is such a personality in those shades.

So my birthday just started but I’ve kind of been celebrating for a week straight thanks to a steady stream of visitors. Here’s an odd confession: I love my birthday and hate planning it.

Deep down I’m a people person and I love having the excuse to round up people and to do something fun.

But also, it feels weird to ask people to celebrate myself. And I tend to do a lot of activity planning in my daily life. And I’m at a point in life where it takes moving heaven and earth to get three people’s schedules to line up.

So the best treat for me is getting to celebrate but being totally hands off and in the dark about what’s going to happen.

Deanna has been doing a phenomenal job of pulling together a bunch of great people and planning fun stuff. And I don’t even know what she has thought up for today! She’s amazing at helping me feel appreciated.

#125 Twentynine

05 May 2019 // Escondido, California

All I really wanted was to be around people I loved. And I got my wish. For like a whole week straight.

Really feeling the love that’s made it a beautiful 29 years. Hope to keep dishing it back out with however many I might have left.

A HUGE thanks to everyone who carved out some time to hang this weekend, out of towners especially. And to Deanna for knowing how to make a guy feel loved.

I hope each trip around the sun does for you what it does for me: reminds you that the days you get here are valuable, that every moment has its place, and that people always matter.

#126 Beating Guns

06 May 2019 // San Diego, California

A solid case for rethinking guns. I didn’t really need to be persuaded, though. Loved the gorgeous design of the pages.

#127 International Directors Panel

07 May 2019 // Rancho Santa Fe, California

This evening was a lot of fun.

All week, our international partners at Plant With Purpose have been in town for a strategy summit. I don’t only get to be coworkers with the people I share an office with, but also these partners representing seven countries.

I’ve gotten to visit about half of them in their countries, seeing them at work. I never fail to learn a ton from them.

The Village Church hosted a panel event to give people a chance to ask questions and to hear from the directors themselves.

I also got the treat of moderating/emceeing the event, which was interesting given the varying degrees of translation taking place. But it was fun and this week continues to be wonderfully full.

#128 Codenames With Durbel

08 May 2019 // San Diego, California

Fun game: Codenames

Even more fun game: Trying to explain and then play Codenames in three languages

#129 The Power of Proximity

09 May 2019 // San Diego, California

Awareness isn’t enough, you’ve got to move closer to suffering and share it. So thankful for Michelle Warren’s reminders.

#130 Strategic Summit

10 May 2019 // Ramona, California

Had the rare opportunity to get all of Plant With Purpose’s international directors, USA staff, and board members together all in one spot. I love the Plant With Purpose family.

#131 To Shake The Sleeping Self

11 May 2019 // San Diego, California

Fun read, but mostly made me really miss being in Argentina.

#132 Stuck in Miami

12 May 2019 // Miami, Florida

I’m supposed to be in Bogota right now (actually 48 hours ago) but as you can see, this isn’t it.

It’s been an extremely messed up travel day and I’m not really inclined to believe anything  American Airlines announces at this point. We’ve been given a dozen different reasons for not being able to get a plane over the Gulf and at least half were easily avoidable.

It’s a good thing I enjoy being abroad as much as I do. Transit is the price to pay for travel.

Frustrated to have my time in Colombia cut in half, especially after getting so much good stuff arranged there prior, but sometimes you gotta compartmentalize so what’s left of an ordeal can still be a worthwhile experience.

#133 Salto de Tequendama

13 May 2019 // San Antonio de Tequendama, Colombia

To put it simply, Colombia is beautiful.

I had a feeling it would be a pretty country, but I underestimated just how breathtaking these mountainscapes would be in every direction. You don’t hear often enough about it’s beauty.

The Colombia of movies is a caricature of drug lords and crime, and while those play a part in some of its recent history, it’s such a one dimensional representation.

We miss out when we treat places that way. The sensationalism robs us of the better stories. The ones that make places far away feel closer to our hearts and relevant to our everyday lives.

That’s what brings me here. This week, I have the rare and special opportunity to get to know the deeper, richer story of Colombia. I can’t wait to share bits of what I find.

#134 Entrevistas

14 May 2019 // Viotá, Colombia

“It’s going to take them a long time to forgive us for everything we have done.”

Reconciliation is an extremely difficult, beautifully redemptive, and tragically complex process. How do you sit and listen to the stories of somebody whose family you killed? How do you learn to understand what drove a sixteen year old down a dark path?

I’ve always been drawn to stories of reconciliation and healing in areas that experienced extreme conflict. Rwanda. Cambodia. South Africa. Most of it feels above my understanding, but it reminds me of an extremely important truth- that it’s possible.

When Milmer invited me to Colombia, the main draw was the chance to meet with from former FARC combatants, to hear their gut wrenching stories, and to learn about their process of healing and restoration, and the role that environmental renewal had to play.

Nothing about this is easy. Hearing their stories was difficult. Figuring out how to relay them in a sensitive, empathetic, dignified way will also be a challenge. But it’s important.

It isn’t easy, but it’s possible. Today’s horrors don’t need to be tomorrow’s realities.

#135 Jesús

15 May 2019 // Viotá, Colombia

Jesús was caught by a guerilla group and forced to fight with them when he was just sixteen.

He spent two years trying to earn their trust, following orders, and paying close attention to everything so he could make his escape.

He finally got his chance.

He has now returned to his home community, where he runs a coffee plantation. A healthy environment will be key to their ability to rebuild their lives.

#136 Homecoming Kisses

16 May 2019 // San Diego, California

Here’s the moment when you know you’re back home.

#137 Jesse & Raquel in San Diego

17 May 2019 // San Diego, California

I love playing host when out of town friends visit SD. It was pretty great having Jesse and Raquel over this weekend.

#138 We’re Having a Baby

18 May 2019 // San Diego, California

We’re so happy.

#139 there there

19 May 2019 // San Diego, California

Believe ALL the hype surrounding this book. The ending was brutal but man, what a good reae.

#140 dragonfruit smoothie

20 May 2019 // San Diego, California

This was a really specific craving, but hey. I’m thankful I was able to track it down.

#141 office back room

21 May 2019 // San Diego, California

Spent so much time sequestered in this back room working on projects. Can’t wait for the results soon.

#142 birthday loot from daniel

22 May 2019 // San Diego, California

Thanks for all the birthday loot, Daniel. Can’t wait for our trip to Vegas/Denny’s.

#143 library shadows

23 May 2019 // San Diego, California

Today all the books I’ve requested became available. Like, all of them. Even the stuff I was like, 200th in life for. Took me a few trips to the car.

Hello, long weekend!

#144 afternoon walkway

24 May 2019 // San Diego, California

The timing of the long weekend this weekend probably couldn’t be better.

#145 Mom’s Birthday Brunch

25 May 2019 // San Diego, California

Happy birthday to mom, and happy discovery of Great Maple’s new location to all of us.

#146 Babú

26 May 2019 // San Diego, California

#147 Marlborough Corner

27 May 2019 // San Diego, California

Things never get too quiet on this corner.

#148 If Cats Disappeared from the World

28 May 2019 // San Diego, California

This was a clever book. A lonely dying man gets to bargain for bonus days to be added to his life for making things disappear from the world. That’s about all you need to know.

#149 Cali Burrito Sticker

29 May 2019 // San Diego, California

This water bottle is the unsung hero of my work week.

#150 Gingerbread

30 May 2019 // San Diego, California

I love Helen Oyeyemi’s writing style. Unfortunately I kept finding myself getting lost in this book, losing track of characters, and having to go back and get things straight. The concept and the plot of the novel are really intriguing, and maybe I just read it a little too brain fried after work or before bed, but I wish I could track it better.

#151 Library Roof

31 May 2019 // San Diego, California

Today’s CreativeMornings meeting was an especially fun one. Great people to run into. Super relatable speaker. Oh, and burritos. Strong start to a Friday.

Easter, Earth Day, & Saint Francis

EASTER 2019

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Think of a moment when your fear was suddenly proved unfounded and you were surprised by joy.

A moment when something you thought you lost forever was found again and you could hardly believe your eyes.

Such was Easter, and it was a beautiful one indeed. Even if our pastor told Deanna and I that our late entry and sneaking in the side looked a bit like the walk of shame.

EARTH DAY 2019

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Happy Earth Day everybody.

Climate change stopped being an issue of debate and speculation for me a while ago. These are a few incredible women in Haiti I met last summer and they’re among the people most badly affected by unpredictable weather patterns, soil degradation, drought, deforestation, hurricanes, and all those other related issues.

They’re also some of our planet’s capable defenders. By doing things like promoting the use of organic fertilizers like they’re making here to planting dozens and dozens of trees each year, they can reduce about half the amount of carbon that an American individual puts out each year.

If you want to go beyond just Earth Day sentiments and help get involved, check out Plant With Purpose’s most recent post and website. A matching campaign for Earth Week has the potential to throw the effects of climate change in reverse in a community like Fonds Verrettes!

PLANT MORE TREES

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There’s this couple, The Salgados, who live in Brazil. Twenty years ago, they returned home after a few years living in Africa to see that everything was destroyed. The forest where they used to live was completely stripped of its trees and the land was barren.

Then they got busy. They planted saplings by the hundreds, then the thousands. Over time they replenished their land with 2 Million trees.

Now? The air is cooler. Wildlife has returned. The soil is strong and rich.

I only read about the Salgados, but I’ve seen this type of change in person. In Haitian communities and in villages beneath Mt. Kilimanjaro. I’m convinced that planting trees are some of the most valuable things we can do for the future.

They heal soil. The provide shade. They reduce temperature. They grow food. They slurp up carbon. What more could you want?

If you head over to Plant With Purpose this week, you can plant two trees for a buck. That means it doesn’t take much to grow a small forest somewhere. You can plant one whenever you wanna commemorate something. You can plant one when you travel and want to offset your emissions. You can plant one just cause.

And in time you’d be amazed what that little forest could do.

LIVE OR RECORDED

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Do you prefer to go into a live show familiar with an artist’s work or latest album, or would you rather go in cold and let the live experience shape your ultimate impression of the music?

I tend to think that I’d prefer familiarity before going to a live show, cause it is pretty fun to be able to groove along. But I’ve also found myself able to appreciate some songs and albums so much more after a live show provided more life and context.

So I guess I’m split. It could turn out pretty great either way.

BETWEEN HERO MOMENTS

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Have you seen that Dwayne Wade video?

Throughout the course of his final season, the basketball player has been trading his jersey with other star players like Lebron or Steph at the end of each game. Budweiser arranged for him to do a couple of other “jersey swaps.” A pair of sneakers from a Parkland shooting victim. (Wade vocalized his support for the school last year.) A graduation cap from a student he helped get a scholarship. A jacket from his own mom.

If you haven’t seen it yet, go! Check it out.

What I loved about that video is that it’s a reminder that our legacies don’t get built during our hero moments the way we expect. We prepare for those moments like they’re the NBA Finals, thinking that if we could hit some sort of milestone of success, we’d cement our legacies.

In truth, the stuff people end up remembering about us are the little things. The way we show up for our neighbors, our family, people in need. They happen in between daily activities and massive aspirations.

THE SEUSS COLLECTION

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Quit that beefing and go do something!

The last time I was at UCSD, I got to explore their Dr. Seuss collection and see some of his rough drafts, sketches, and B-sides. I thought more than a couple of these were pretty relevant and timely.

Speaking of people who want to stop complaining about the world and actually do something to make it better, I’m going to be back on campus this week to speak at the International Studies Association’s Career Night. I did the same gig last year and had so much fun talking to students who want to work internationally, who are interested in nonprofit or NGO work, etc.

In other words, most people in the audience will be like me eight years ago! Thursday night is gonna be a fun time.

SAINT FRANCIS

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Sainthood is quite a feat, but to be the kind of Saint artists always depict with animals is truly aspirational.

Not only do I admire St. Francis’ benevolence to all loving creatures, but he also always seems to have words that are timely, needed, and challenging.

Today’s quote that resonates?

“It is no use walking anywhere to preach unless our walking is our preaching.”

It’s easier than ever to share opinions and everyone’s got something to say. Being able to articulate truth is a good thing. Being able to do so with more than your words is essential.

Leon Bridges, West Virginia, & Notre Dame

LEON BRIDGES

Do you think I’m being foolish if I don’t rush in?

I think that maybe, this Leon Bridges performance might be among my top ten live shows all time. And that that would be a fun list to try and come up with some time.

NOTRE DAME

People’s #notredamestories are incredible. The cathedral continues to be experienced in such a collective way. Even online, even when burning.

For what it’s worth, I was 20. I was learning how to embrace the parts of my faith that I knew were deeply true while trying to sort out and distance myself from certain things about religion that seemed off. Unnecessary pizzazz was a big one. I hated the feeling of walking into a church and finding that its substance couldn’t keep up with its aesthetic.

The Notre Dame challenged that in the best way. It’s impossible to walk around its gardens, through its corridors, and into its masses- translated into at least five languages for visitors, without experiencing wonder and reverence for being part of a larger, ancient tapestry of belief.

I still think there are necessary conversations about faith and humility and opulence and grandeur in a world of poverty. But spaces like these force you to be a little more nuanced. As I’ve grown to take the guard rails off things like faith and worship, I’ve learned that anything that provokes wonder ultimately pulls us closer towards God. And why shouldn’t that include some architecture, glasswork, sculpting, and historical preservation? After all, I believe even things like web design, coaching lacrosse, or repairing tires can be worship. If we believe that every act we do can be one of worship, then there just might be even more buildings in this world that make us wonder.

May the process of deconstruction, saving the sacred, and rebuilding be a part of our faith just like it’s been for centuries.

CHARLESTON, W. VA

Morning in Charleston, W. Va. It’s chilly but bright, and the city center is just starting to open up shop.

My first time in West Virginia makes for my 48th State, and possibly the one I’m least connected to. I think I know maybe five people with any ties to the state and I’ve never spent much time in places like Pittsburgh or Charlottesville that are somewhat close.

That’s always shrouded the state with a little more mystery, as I’ve been trying to visit all 50.

A lot of what I hear about West Virginia paints a picture of hard times and that’s worth exploring. But it’s also ruggedly beautiful around here and I hear very little about that. I wish I had just a little more time to do a bit of hiking, because if the views from the turnpike are any indication, there are some gorgeous ones to be found around here.

WEST VIRGINIA

My love. 💐

I take you on a bunch of adventures and some of them turn out better than others. Either way, I’m happy I get to share them with you, just like we share dreams, laughs, moments, and slices of Thai curry shrimp pizza in the middle of West Virginia. 🍕🍤🍕🍤🍕

FOUR STATES IN FOUR DAYS

Maps are consistently some of my favorite visual projects. I love how many different ways there are to show what a place looks like.

Celebrating this week’s rally of four states in four days by doing a little digital mapmaking.

Thank you, Appalachia!

STUBBORN OPTIMISM

I’m really thankful for the life I get to wake up to. There have been a lot of beautiful and exciting things present lately.

I’ll have to remind myself that it wasn’t so long ago that life felt pretty different. And I guess that’s how it goes, winters and summers trade spots over and over again. But you get to learn things while that happens.

One of the things I’ve learned is simply not to give up hope, no matter what.

I’ve always had a bias towards optimism- it’s just the way I’m built. But hope is completely different than optimism. You can be the type of person whose always ready for the worst, but as long as you refuse to believe that despair gets the last word, you know how to hope.

As a bunch of custom license plates around South Carolina reminded me this week, “While I breathe, I hope.”
Let’s do this.

FAVORITE ALBUMS 2018-19

A few favorite albums of mine that have come out in recent months:

The War and Treaty - Healing Tide
Maggie Rogers - Heard It In a Past Life
Johnnyswim - Moonlight
Leon Bridges - Good Thing
S. Carey - Hundred Acres
James Blake - Assume Form
Durand Jones & the Indication
Anderson.Paak - Oxnard
Mumford & Sons - Delta
The 1975 - A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships

Are you more of the type to seek out new artists or do you stick mostly to what you know? I used to be better at finding new music, but I’ve aged into a creature of habit. I don’t want to get stuck in my tastes though. What are some of your recent faves?

Bo, Let's Give a Damn, & the High Water Festival

WE BOUGHT A PLACE

Six weeks ago it felt like nothing was working out. We two weeks to be out of our apartment and no real options. Our earlier attempts to buy a place didn’t work out and instead we were just trying to find a place to be. Also, Deanna had a broken leg at this point so moving wasn’t looking fun.

Then we found this spot. And we liked it. And over the couple weeks everything started to click.

We moved in last week. These pictures hide all the piles of cardboard I tucked around the corner for the mini photoshoot, but here’s a little look inside.

It’s small, but it’s a space and it’ll always remind me that even when things seem at a low, you never know what surprises are around the corner.

Also, we need some plants!

TAHOE: THE PLAYLIST

This past winter was kind of a struggle, but when it came to an end, things got so bright.

I love the way music attaches itself to moments and seasons in a way that almost makes them possible to revisit.

I made a playlist of the songs that’ll remind me of the people you can enjoy a night in with when everything else feels difficult, the dreams that refuse to die, and the unbridled joy of watching my dog in the snow.

THE NEXT DOMINO

The past several weeks, I’ve been gaining more and more appreciation for simply doing the next right thing.

It’s easy for me to want to take on everything at once, or at least to say yes to anything that seemed like it had the potential to lead me to where I wanted things to go. But I was recently encouraged to think more strategically and focus on a key action that could set everything else into motion.

It’s like figuring out the right domino to flick in order to set off the raddest domino train. Maybe that means figuring out one stable source of funding to get the freedom to get more creative. Maybe it means connecting with three local networks for better collaboration opportunities. Maybe it means building an audience so your work can reach the people it’s supposed to.

So far, my year has really focused in on knocking over one of those big dominoes and as it starts to teeter and fall (dominoes don’t actually teeter unless you’re really weak) I’m getting excited by all the places where it continues to lead.

After all, who couldn’t benefit from another reminder that it’s fine not to have everything figured out but to instead take the next right step.

LET’S GIVE A DAMN

I got to spend a beautiful Monday in a park in LA on an interview with Nick Laparra. If you haven’t checked out his Let’s Give a Damn podcast, he regularly features fascinating guests, and now that includes me and Christi!

We talk about our personal origin stories and how they led us to Plant With Purpose, how faith serves as a motivating factor towards sustainability, and how we envision making the world a little bit smaller.

Check out http://lgad.co/2Gc8mRC to give our episode a listen. And consider adding his show to your podcast feed. It’s a great one.

BO

Oh, Bo. The streets of Heaven just got a lot more hair on them, but all the saints and angels know it’s worth it. I hope some of my ancestors figured out how to charge you up to sprint back and forth by scratching that one spot on your butt.

Bo, you were a good boy among good boys and I’m sad to see you go. I loved having you in lieu of a flower girl at our wedding and being your college roommate. Thanks for being such a good caretaker of my buddy Matt

I hope you loved your time on this earth. You spent your life as a helper, which is the very best way for any living creature to live. We’ll be there for Matt to make you proud.

APPA IS GOALS

Just a wholesome and sincere Appa appreciation post from me this morning, folks. Okay see you.

HIGH WATER FESTIVAL

These days, modern soul music feels like my current home base while the indie rock vibes that carried me through high school and college will always be the soundtrack to my story.

That means that the lineup for this year’s High Water Fest felt like it was chosen for me and that weekend passes were a perfect early birthday gift.

The show was a great mix of old favorites (The Head and the Heart, Dr. Dog) current playlist mainstays (The War And Treaty, Leon Bridges) and pleasant discoveries I want to listen to a lot more. (Phosphorescent, Durand Jones and the Indications)

Plus having NOLA’s Preservation Hall Jazz Band join for Rivers & Roads at the very end of the festival was the perfect way to close out the weekend.

The Citrus House, The Marlborough House, & Travel Plans Set

BAY WEEKEND REWIND

Another one of these weekends and living on a boat, plz.

LOVE LIKE THERE’S NO TOMORROW

“Commit to searching yourself and finding a new love from within. Visit a place you’ve never been before. Meet new people on purpose, not by accident. Open yourself up to the idea that we are all one and the same.”

The liner notes alone on The War and Treaty’s last album were gold; don’t even get me started on the music itself. I suppose this is fan art. Can’t wait to see them in Charleston next month.

THE CITRUS HOUSE

Adios to the Citrus House. Our time here didn’t last especially long, but man, it’ll have been pretty memorable. Maybe one day a backyard will be back in play.

Also, I am so ready to not be moving anymore. At the very least, I can’t wait to answer people’s “what did you do this weekend?” questions with something other than moving.

THE MARLBOROUGH HOUSE

Here’s a fun update: we bought a condo!!

I honestly thought owning a home in San Diego wouldn’t be feasible with the cost of living and all. But this year’s theme seems to be surprising myself. This house turned out to be the right decision at the right time.

Pics to come eventually, but if you can imagine a room filled with a bunch of snowmen made out of cardboard boxes, that’s sort of what it looks like right now. Instead, enjoy the courtyard and the handmade logo concept I made. Yeah, I’m enough of a branding nerd to give our house a logo, and it’s based on the banana leaves that peek in our windows.

TRAVEL PLANS SET

It’s no secret I love travel, and I’ve had a habit of saying yes to every good flight deal and trying to fit in as many destinations as possible on to one ticket.

These days, I’m trying to be more selective as intentional. I want to prioritize places where I have friends or at least a chance of making new ones through personal connections. I want experiences that don’t just stimulate or entertain me, but that actually teach me something. I’d still want to see how long I can keep my streak of visiting a new country each year. And any excuse to get together with people I don’t see enough of is a good one.

I figured this would be a slower year, starting the year without much on the calendar. Then, after a quiet past six months, I’ve had several opportunities come up. I feel confident about the journeys I’ve said yes to. Look out, Charleston, West Virginia, Dominican Republic, Wyoming, & Colombia!

HIGH WATER LINEUP

My birthday present came a little bit early this year. I’m thrilled and ridiculously grateful. This lineup is packed!

WHEN NOBODY/EVERYBODY WANTS TO HELP

Here’s a little observation I’ve been making about chasing after a creative goal or a big, meaningful project.

There are these seasons where it’ll feel like you’re doing the work all on your own and it’ll be isolating. It’ll feel like other people haven’t bought into your vision the way you’re invested, and that makes it hard to get the results you want. It’ll feel like you don’t have those magical connections everyone else seems to have and it’ll feel like that makes your work ten times harder.

Then there are these other seasons where it seems like helping hands pop up just about everywhere. You find opportunities to collaborate with people in totally different industries but you discover that you simply mesh. Tweets lead to coffee that lead to surprising amounts of open doors.

I’ve been back and forth between these two spaces enough to believe they’re both true in some way. You need to be invested in your vision to such a high degree because nobody will take your mission as seriously as you do. BUT your own enthusiasm can be surprisingly contagious and people will often surprise you with their willingness to help. Don’t let a few creative frustrations alter your view of people- there are a lot of helpers out there!

APRIL 2019

#91 MARLBOROUGH MOVE IN

01 April 2019 // San Diego, California

Here’s a fun update: we bought a condo!!

I honestly thought owning a home in San Diego wouldn’t be feasible with the cost of living and all. But this year’s theme seems to be surprising myself. This house turned out to be the right decision at the right time.

Pics to come eventually, but if you can imagine a room filled with a bunch of snowmen made out of cardboard boxes, that’s sort of what it looks like right now. Instead, enjoy the courtyard and the handmade logo concept I made. Yeah, I’m enough of a branding nerd to give our house a logo, and it’s based on the banana leaves that peek in our windows.

#92 NEXT STOP, COLOMBIA

02 April 2019 // San Diego, California

I figured this would be a slower year, starting the year without much on the calendar. Then, after a quiet past six months, I’ve had several opportunities come up. I feel confident about the journeys I’ve said yes to. Look out, Charleston, West Virginia, Dominican Republic, Wyoming, & Colombia!

#93 RECESS WITH GARY

03 April 2019 // San Diego, California

Gary came in to the Plant With Purpose office today to lead us all in a mandatory recess. Meant to take some pics, but I was having too much fun. Instead, here’s a snapshot of lessons we learned through play.

#94 DINNER AT RED SEA

04 April 2019 // San Diego, California

Enjoyed a dinner with the parents by introducing them to the rich, delicious world of Ethiopian cuisine.

#95 DOG PARK HUSTLE

05 April 2019 // San Diego, California

Exploring the new neighborhood in the very best way… with a dog park visit!

#96 ABBA

06 April 2019 // El Cajon, California

Because my life refuses to be predictable, this weekend took me to an ABBA tribute show.

#97 FIDEL’S LITTLE MEXICO

07 April 2019 // Solana Beach, California

Forgive me friends, the taco challenge has been suffering from a bit of neglect. Let’s try to get things back on track.

#98 LET’S GIVE A DAMN

08 April 2019 // Los Angeles, California

I got to spend a beautiful Monday in a park in LA on an interview with Nick Laparra. If you haven’t checked out his Let’s Give a Damn podcast, he regularly features fascinating guests, and now that includes me and Christi!

We talk about our personal origin stories and how they led us to Plant With Purpose, how faith serves as a motivating factor towards sustainability, and how we envision making the world a little bit smaller.

Check out http://lgad.co/2Gc8mRC to give our episode a listen. And consider adding his show to your podcast feed. It’s a great one.

#99 inside the marlborough house

09 April 2019 // San Diego, California

Six weeks ago it felt like nothing was working out. We two weeks to be out of our apartment and no real options. Our earlier attempts to buy a place didn’t work out and instead we were just trying to find a place to be. Also, Deanna had a broken leg at this point so moving wasn’t looking fun.

Then we found this spot. And we liked it. And over the couple weeks everything started to click.

We moved in last week. These pictures hide all the piles of cardboard I tucked around the corner for the mini photoshoot, but here’s a little look inside.

It’s small, but it’s a space and it’ll always remind me that even when things seem at a low, you never know what surprises are around the corner.

Also, we need some plants!

#100 more than words

10 April 2019 // San Diego, California

This book was a smooth and sincere read, and another pleasant surprise this year. While the story doesn’t have a whole lot of curveballs, it manages to make you wonder how each character will play their cards based on the decisions they’re facing. The book draws out the strength of attraction in contrast with the allure of familiarity and home, and I thought that tension was portrayed nicely.

#101 breakfast views

11 April 2019 // San Diego, California

Mmmm I like the way breakfasts look in our new place.

#102 charlotte nights

12 April 2019 // Charlotte, North Carolina

Fun night out in Charlotte and I’ve found myself in the middle of a Space Invaders game.

#103 high water festival

13 April 2019 // North Charleston, South Carolina

These days, modern soul music feels like my current home base while the indie rock vibes that carried me through high school and college will always be the soundtrack to my story.

That means that the lineup for this year’s High Water Fest felt like it was chosen for me and that weekend passes were a perfect early birthday gift.

The show was a great mix of old favorites (The Head and the Heart, Dr. Dog) current playlist mainstays (The War And Treaty, Leon Bridges) and pleasant discoveries I want to listen to a lot more. (Phosphorescent, Durand Jones and the Indications)

#104 the head and the heart

14 April 2019 // North Charleston, South Carolina

Having NOLA’s Preservation Hall Jazz Band join for Rivers & Roads at the very end of the festival was the perfect way to close out the weekend.

#105 west virginia

15 April 2019 // Charleston, West Virginia

My love. 💐

I take you on a bunch of adventures and some of them turn out better than others. Either way, I’m happy I get to share them with you, just like we share dreams, laughs, moments, and slices of Thai curry shrimp pizza in the middle of West Virginia. 🍕🍤🍕🍤🍕

#106 charleston, w. va.

16 April 2019 // Charleston, West Virginia

Morning in Charleston, W. Va. It’s chilly but bright, and the city center is just starting to open up shop.

My first time in West Virginia makes for my 48th State, and possibly the one I’m least connected to. I think I know maybe five people with any ties to the state and I’ve never spent much time in places like Pittsburgh or Charlottesville that are somewhat close.

That’s always shrouded the state with a little more mystery, as I’ve been trying to visit all 50.

A lot of what I hear about West Virginia paints a picture of hard times and that’s worth exploring. But it’s also ruggedly beautiful around here and I hear very little about that. I wish I had just a little more time to do a bit of hiking, because if the views from the turnpike are any indication, there are some gorgeous ones to be found around here.

#107 mindful silence

17 April 2019 // San Diego, California

These days, modern soul music feels like my current home base while the indie rock vibes that carried me through high school and college will always be the soundtrack to my story.

That means that the lineup for this year’s High Water Fest felt like it was chosen for me and that weekend passes were a perfect early birthday gift.

The show was a great mix of old favorites (The Head and the Heart, Dr. Dog) current playlist mainstays (The War And Treaty, Leon Bridges) and pleasant discoveries I want to listen to a lot more. (Phosphorescent, Durand Jones and the Indications)

#108 the teralta tree

18 April 2019 // San Diego, California

I’ve been loving this book.

Phileena Heurtz connects ideas from great sources like Thomas Merton and Richard Rohr to her own practices and experience to show that contemplation and activism, as contrasting as they might seem, belong together.

Looking forward to talking to her next week.

#109 frutitorta

19 April 2019 // San Diego, California

The color palates of our new neighborhood help keep things lively.

#110 mayar rice

20 April 2019 // San Diego, California

When you’re enough of a branding nut to geek out over the aesthetic of a sack of rice.

#111 Easter 2019

21 April 2019 // San Diego, California

Think of a moment when your fear was suddenly proved unfounded and you were surprised by joy.

A moment when something you thought you lost forever was found again and you could hardly believe your eyes.

Such was Easter, and it was a beautiful one indeed. Even if our pastor told Deanna and I that our late entry and sneaking in the side looked a bit like the walk of shame.

#112 Hope Never Dies

22 April 2019 // San Diego, California

This is one of the more ridiculous books I’ve read this year, but sometimes a Hardy Boys-style mystery novel starring Barack and Joe.

#113 Busted Axle

23 April 2019 // San Diego, California

Can’t believe I’ve been driving around on this messed up axle for over a month, but I’m glad the damage wasn’t more expensive.

#114 Long Sleeves

24 April 2019 // San Diego, California

A new design for Plant With Purpose! Designing merch is always fun, modeling it is okay.

#115 Loose Leaf

25 April 2019 // Oceanside, California

I love this tea spot in Oceanside.

#116 Run River North x SD

26 April 2019 // San Diego, California

Took Deanna out on a surprise date to see Run River North perform. Haven’t seen them since the night we adopted Beignet, and we saw them in a much different (read: small and packed) venue this time. But it was a fun show.

#117 Oceanside Route

27 April 2019 // Oceanside, California

Every time I come to Oceanside, I start to think that I need to spend more time up there. Maybe I’ll eventually make good on that.

#118 earth day 2019

28 April 2019 // San Diego, California

Another year, another Earth Day full of the eclectic in Balboa Park.

#119 One door north

29 April 2019 // San Diego, California

Found a new restaurant to fall in love with, just 10 minutes from where I live.

One Door North takes my love of camping and the outdoors and turns it into a culinary experience. And they do this with everything from earth inspired plates, to a s’mores set up, to the way they’ve decorated with safari tents. I love it.

#120 we cast a shadow

30 April 2019 // San Diego, California

Such a clever and provocative book. If you’re a fan of everything Jordan Peele touches these days, from the Twilight Zone to Us and Get Out, this book has a very similar aesthetic and theme, but in the form of a novel.

The protagonist has to climb his way up the corporate ladder at a firm in order to access a procedure to render his biracial son completely white. Doing so requires taking a plantation tour, participating in diversity day, and promoting community outreach activities.

It’s a book with a ton of subtext, but I admire the bold choices it takes.

San Francisco Weekend, Phillies Opening Day, & Bun While it Lasted

THIRTY, FLYING, AND CRYING

We made it everybody! Thirty, flirting, and dying.

Good birthday @dannyyumyum, may the worst case scenarios you’re always ready for never come true.

SAN FRANCISCO WEEKEND

Now that was a good weekend:

🌉 We went to San Fransokyo.
☕️ @philzcoffee
🛥 We lived on a boat.
🍣Sushi
🧔🏻We binged on pizza rolls & Kim’s Convenience.
🍦@saltandstraw
🎆We played with AR walls for the gram.

PHILLIES OPENING DAY

What an opening day. I love this lineup already.

GIVING IT ALL

We all get a limited amount of tomorrows. I don’t want to come to my last one only to realize that I could’ve given more, that my time and energy and gifts could’ve been better used, or that I spent way too much time on things that didn’t really matter.

Every so often, it’s worth it to do a check in with yourself. Ask if your current situation- your job, your community, your location, etc. creates an environment where you can fully give what you’ve been given. Sometimes you’re in unplanned situations that you have to endure for some time, but other times, you end up spending way longer in a place that holds you back just through passivity and comfort.

Keep checking in with yourself. You’ve got way too much to give!

READING FRENZY

A perk of not having internet at home over the past month? I’ve been on quite a tear when it comes to reading.

Here are some turbo-reviews:

Idaho, Emily Ruskovich

So much suspense but you never get the answer to your most burning question. ★★★

Severance, Ling Ma

The concept is intriguing but the ending is a little unsatisfying.  ★★★

The Lucky Ones, Julianne Pachico

I loved the setting of Colombia in the early 2000s, but I wish the characters didn’t seem so disposable. ★★

Sea Prayer, Khaled Hosseni

Heartbreaking and tender.  ★★★★

The Sympathizer, Viet Thanh Nguyen

I really wanted to like this more than I actually did. Reminds me of The Orphan Masters Son in that regard. ★★

The Female Persuasion, Meg Wolitzer

I liked this read much more than I anticipated. The characters were easy to root for.  ★★★★

How Neighborhoods Make Us Sick, Veronica Squires and Breanna Lathrop

Check my post from last week. ★★★★

Raise Your Voice, Kathy Khang

Good, and ironically I don’t have much more to say. ★★★

A MONTH AND SOME CHANGE

Here’s what life has looked like lately:

• Getting buried in books
• Wet dog courtesy of the ocean
• Wet dog courtesy of bathtime
• The OA’s second season being such a trip
• No at-home internet
• Bookmarking all kinds of furniture I want whenever I do get internet

This has been one of the most unanticipated, surprising, and kinda comedic seasons of my life, and I’m loving all that it brings.

BUN WHILE IT LASTED

It was bun while it lasted, but it has definitely been a season for change.

La Mesa Life, Cyclone Idai, & Daoud Nabi

DAOUD NABI

Don’t measure your life by ‘fearlessness’ but by your willingness to walk into the fear and love anyway.

–Jeremy Courtney

Daoud Nabi’s peace-filled, compassionate smile says it all.

IT’S ME

What’s going on, errybpdy? It’s been a little bit so let’s share another intro!

📿 Nonprofit marketing is my main gig. I work as a branding/creative/marketing guy for social impact organizations, chiefly, @plantwpurpose. I was led this way by a love for international travel and a love for stories that get people to care about things that matter.

🔥Lately, my life has looked like putting out a bunch of fires- which has made me put some of my bigger projects on the back burner. Having a wife with a fractured leg and needing to move twice in two months will do that to ya! Weirdly, it’s a challenge I appreciate having the chance to take on.

🗣Giving talks and leading workshops are some of my favorite things to do. In school I loved that most people hated public speaking because in group projects I could easily play the role of spokesperson. I haven’t been doing as much of this as I’d typically like, but that’s something I’m hoping to focus more on in the near future!

ANOTHER REUNION

About time to round up everybody again.

PLAYING SCARED

Bravery is playing scared.

Every now and then you meet some people who absolutely seem to embody bravery. They go into darkness and bring light. They walk into scary places resolved to do what they know they need to.

But if you take a closer look, you’ll notice something else.

They aren’t actually fearless. They’re just choosing to press on despite knowing what could go wrong.

I think we’re living in an extremely fear oriented time, and that it’ll take bravery to set some things right. I also think that on a personal level, it’s hard to live a great story without taking a brave action that goes against the odds and away from comfort. If you want an impactful life, you gotta be bold.

The good news is this: even if you don’t think of yourself as a bold person, even if you feel anxious or nervous about all kinds of things, there’s room for you to be brave too. The bravest people are also worried. They just know what they need to do anyways.

HOW NEIGHBORHOODS MAKE US SICK

The life expectancy for poorer neighborhoods in Philadelphia is twenty years shorter than it is in the city’s more affluent areas. There’s a similar trend in Atlanta, St. Louis, Chicago, and just about every major American city.

I’ve seen the strong correlation between GDP and life expectancy when looking at a chart of different countries. It shouldn’t be a big surprise when the same trend holds true for urban US neighborhoods.

Good hospitals, doctors, and insurance are important, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Access to good food, safe housing, reliable transportation, employment, and other factors all contribute to a community’s health.

I really appreciated this read. Such an important and really insightful way to connect the dots between poverty and health.

CYCLONE IDAI

People are stuck in trees after Cyclone Idai brought massive floods into Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Malawi. Many think it was the deadliest storm to ever hit the Southern Hemisphere, and the underreporting of it feels unjust.

Luis Bernardo is a 26-year-old fisherman from Mozambique who has been using his fishing boat to make rescues. A single round trip takes him six hours but so far he has saved about 20 people. (Story from @careorg)

After disasters, people like Luis get it done. That’s why I’m quite partial to orgs that are locally led. Here are a couple that work in places affected by #Idai

🇿🇼 MeDRA (medrazim.org.zw) is a locally owned organization that aims for long term sustainability. They take a spiritual approach to development.

🇲🇿 AMODEFA (amodefa.org.mz) works in Mozambique, primarily in response to HIV and sexual health.

Relief work after a disaster is important and urgent, but so is building resilience against another one. Approaches that deal with root causes are my fave.

LA MESA LIFE

La Mesa’s been an interesting spot to live, at least for the short little time we’ve been here. I do have a few favorites in the neighborhood, in case you were wondering:

🥗 Farmer’s Table is one of my favorite restaurants in San Diego, period. It isn’t cheap, but you get what you pay for since they source the best ingredients. I ordered a grilled octopus dish there last week that made me crave octopus for like a week straight afterwards.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Fourpenny House is the coolest little Scottish Alehouse in town. You’re lucky if your city has a single Scottish joint, and that makes La Mesa one of the lucky ones. Their lamb stew and fish & chips are fantastic, and I’m a huge fan of the Scottish ale they brew in house.

📚 Maxwell’s House of Books is always a good spot to go on a treasure hunt for your next read. There’s something so fun about a used bookstore.

🌮 I associate Bo + Beau with Ocean Beach and City Tacos with North Park. But they are two of my favorite San Diego restaurants and they both have locations out in La Mesa. So that’s good news!

Also, all these things are like a five minute walk from each other. So even more bonus points for that.

Die Empty, Friend to Strays, and Two Years at Plant With Purpose

DIE EMPTY

“Die empty. You can’t take your ideas with you.”

– Todd Henry

This book puts into words some things I try to live by. I don’t want to end this life having left important words unsaid, encouraging things unwritten, creative works unmade, relationships unpursued, curiosities unexplored, or adventures unlived.

THE PEOPLE MOST IN NEED OF LOVE

Sometimes the ones most in need of love will ask for it in the most difficult of ways.

I remember seeing that phrase in a special needs classroom back when I used to work for a fairly challenging school district.

Lately I’ve been having thoughts that feel parallel regarding difficult conversations. Sometimes the more difficult a conversation is to have the more important it is to have it- and to have it in a constructive way.

Like, right now it feels harder than ever to have conversations with people who don’t share our worldview on sensitive topics, and yet, this might be the sort of time where those conversations are especially important. And when you need to bring something up in a relationship of any sort, The feeling of resistance sometimes indicates how badly you need to bring it up.

Whenever something feels easy to put off or ignore because of how hard it is to do, consider that this might be the case because of how badly you need to do it.

FRIEND TO STRAYS

About a year ago @deanna.suzanna and I picked up these @frogandtoadpress badges from @powellsbooks, because strays indeed are our friends.

Then a couple weeks ago I passed by a little black lab mix while walking from a coffee shop. I didn’t think much of it at first, then I realized it was weird that the doggy was all on its own.

After temporarily naming her Ube Cake and surprising Deanna with her in the car, I then dropped her off at the humane society. She had a couple weeks to be claimed, otherwise she’d become ours.

She ended up reunited with her owners, but I figured that story had a happy ending either way. And I’m earning that badge!

TWO YEARS AT PLANT WITH PURPOSE

Well, well. This week marks two years since I joined the @plantwpurpose team and started partnering with the coolest people like Dieula.

In some ways it feels like I’ve been around much longer, with how much of a connection I’ve built to our work. In other ways it feels like I’m just getting started. I do think I’m just getting started.

I could list endless things I’ve learned over those two years but here are three quick ones that resonate a lot right now:

🌿 Remember that the world is almost entirely made up of people just wanting the best for their families and neighbors. For every act of horror in the world there are a thousand unreported acts of good.

🌿 Urgency and patience. Patience and urgency. They seem like opposites but the real difference makers know how to act with both.

🌿 Everybody can bring something to the table. Different skill sets and work styles are a strength. Build a diverse team. Don’t hold back your perspective and respect the takes of others. Captain Planet ain’t gonna show up if your powers don’t combine.

DO IT FOR GOOD

Sometimes there’s a bit of an assumption that doing something that helps humanity full-time is limited to certain careers. Being an activist, being in ministry, or working for a nonprofit. Doctors and teachers and social workers. We don’t say this assumption out loud, but it’s there in people’s reactions when I explain my career choice.

You don’t have to do any of those things to do meaningful work. You aren’t limited to those options to make a difference.

It’s not only about what you do. It’s what you do with what you do. Doing something for a profit doesn’t rid it of its purpose, (unless it’s exploitative, of course).

Whatever you do, figure out how you’ll use it for good. Superpowers don’t make people heroes, because villains can have powers too. Certain careers don’t make people helpers either. Its what you do with what’s in front of you.

PLANT WITH PURPOSE ON INSTA

Did you know that if you’re following me here you’re likely only getting half the content I post? Because every day I also add to the @plantwpurpose account and I have been having a lot of fun over there.

Take this week for example. I worked with an intern to come up with a series that looks inside what our village savings groups are like. I’ve been to several of their meetings and it’s really hard to put into words how special they are to the community, but trying to virtually recreate one sorta helps.

If you’re not following yet, go do it! As far as I know, it’s the only Instagram account that plants a tree whenever you hit follow.

WITHOUT INTERNET

Since we moved we haven’t started up internet service. I could probably just use my phone and rely on its hotspot, especially with no data limits, but the spot we’re in is in a weird black hole where connectivity just vanishes.

So I’ve been mostly using the Internet from my office or coffee shops while going analog at home.

It’s not the most convenient thing since I often find myself wanting to do quick tasks on my phone late at night or to fill gaps of time scrolling Insta. Also, all those little tasks like paying bills and booking flights kinda add up if you can’t do them on the go.

But here’s what else I’ve experienced:

🕒 Time moves a lot slower. Without a device to connect every single gap, the simple evenings spent together don’t zoom by as quickly. As someone who wants to soak up every minute of a life that moves too fast, I love that!

📝 I get creative. When my Argentine homestay didn’t have Internet I wound up practically writing a memoir. I haven’t quite done that this time around but I’ve been able to enjoy more creative energy.

📚 I read like I wish I could all the time. Six novels down in the short time since we’ve moved. Mostly good ones.

When we get more permanently settled, I’d love to find some kind of middle ground without losing those three big perks.

Mariner's Cove, La Mesa, & 1000 Refugees

MARINER’S COVE

And we’ve officially moved out of our first apartment that we lived in after moving to San Diego. To be honest, the past six months or so haven’t really been my fave and I think some change in scenery will be really, really good. But this was a great spot for us to live the past two years, and the fact that we found it so quickly was a sign that moving to town was the right call, even if it wasn’t an easy one.

Some stuff I’ll miss about this place:

• The parrots that lived in our trees. I loved watching their red heads and green bodies, even though most neighbors found them a nuisance.

• The truly diverse mix of neighbors we had. Military members, East African mothers, high schoolers on skateboards, surfers, OB hippies, retired couples, etc.

• My extremely easy commute to work and church driving along the coast.

• Being 10 min from Dog Beach. Not that we’ll be going any less. • How easy it was to pick out where we lived from an airplane window when flying out of town.

THE NEW DIGS

Here’s a little peek at our new digs and me lecturing Beignet on not getting too spoiled by the front yard.

We’re now in this little three part unit and I’m actually loving it. It feels like a little vacation site.

#lifeofbeignet

LA MESA

We are La Mesans now! At least for a moment. Here’s a quick digital drawing of a local coyote to celebrate.

Here’s our competition if we want to be the most famous La Mesans of all time:

🏈 Reggie Bush
⚾️ Aaron Boone
🏀 Bill Walton
🎤 Eddie Vedder
🗣 Dave from Megadeth/Metallica

1000 REFUGEES

Easily one of the coolest things I’ve ever done was spend four months in 2012 living in a van and touring the Midwest to raise awareness and funds to help rescue North Korean refugees.

Eight years later it’s still a cause close to my heart. I’m so thrilled to hear that @libertyinnorthkorea has now officially helped rescue 1,000 refugees- and I’m thrilled that I got to play the smallest little part in that.

WHAT JESUS NEVER SAID

“What Jesus never said: ‘Feed the hungry only if they have papers. Clothe the naked only if they’re from our country. Welcome the stranger only if there’s zero risk. Help the poor only if it’s convenient. Love your neighbor only if they look like you.’”

–Fr. James Martin, SJ

WORTHWHILE THINGS TAKE TIME

Worthwhile things take time.

Sometimes everything seems to happen all at once and other times everything feels painfully slow.

Behind every historical breakthrough are years of things moving beneath the surface. The same could be said about any personal breakthrough.

If whatever you’re doing is taking longer than expected, feel free to make adjustments and try new things. But don’t forget that sometimes there’s no substitute for patience and continuing to show up, even when progress is slower.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

One reality I find more and more important is how central of a role women play in big issues like poverty alleviation and environmental protection.

Thinking globally, much of the agricultural work and regular income generating activity being done in rural parts of Africa or Latin America is being done by women. Efforts like microfinance or sustainable agriculture are typically most effective when they have women’s concerns as a central part of their design.

My takeaway? There is no empowerment without women’s empowerment, and the women I’ve met around the world are village heroes.

#internationalwomensday

BEIGNET TURNS 4

Happy birthday to our Beignet. How are you already approximately four??

From grinning literally ear to ear for the weirdest of reasons, to being the best four legged road tripper, I’m so glad we get to have you as our doggy/doughnut. Fur real.

#lifeofbeignet

MARCH 2019

#60 Beignet’s Yard

01 March 2019 // La Mesa, California

Beignet’s getting pretty spoiled with the yard we’ve got in our temporary rental. To be fair, it’s a pretty great yard.

#61 Villainous Nephews

02 March 2019 // Bakersfield, California

We were put in charge of the nephews for the afternoon, so we turned them into Disney villains.

#62 The Pink Church

03 March 2019 // Bakersfield, California

Easily the pinkest church I have ever been to.

#63 Beignet’s New Digs

04 March 2019 // La Mesa, California

Here’s a little peek at our new digs and me lecturing Beignet on not getting too spoiled by the front yard.

We’re now in this little three part unit and I’m actually loving it. It feels like a little vacation site.

#lifeofbeignet

#64 Die Empty

05 March 2019 // La Mesa, California

“Die empty. You can’t take your ideas with you.”

– Todd Henry

This book puts into words some things I try to live by. I don’t want to end this life having left important words unsaid, encouraging things unwritten, creative works unmade, relationships unpursued, curiosities unexplored, or adventures unlived.

#65 Ash Wednesday

06 March 2019 // La Mesa, California

Taking a moment to memento mori during a week so full of changes and surprises is a little bit jarring, but perhaps all the more necessary. Thankful for Lent.

#66 Idaho + The Lucky Ones

07 March 2019 // La Mesa, California

Grabbed these two as the library was closing since I didn’t want to leave empty-handed. Both turned out to be solid choices.

#67 Michael & Jaime Visit

08 March 2019 // San Diego, California

So fun hanging out with these two at the bakery.

#68 Beignet Turns 4

09 March 2019 // La Mesa, California

Happy birthday to our Beignet. How are you already approximately four??

From grinning literally ear to ear for the weirdest of reasons, to being the best four legged road tripper, I’m so glad we get to have you as our doggy/doughnut. Fur real.

#lifeofbeignet

#69 CITRUS WALKWAY

10 March 2019 // La Mesa, California

Livin’ La Mesa loca.

#70 PAVARGA

11 March 2019 // Bonita, California

While driving Deanna to an errand, I tried looking for a simple coffee shop to get some work done. I ended up finding this spot in Bonita of all places that’s ran by a James Beard winning chef who worked for the White House kitchen of Clinton, Bush, and Obama.

I asked for their most basic coffee and got a cold brew that cost $6, but man was that cup really good. And it was sweetened with hapia which is my new favorite sweetener the few times I can manage to find it.

#71 life at the citrus house

12 March 2019 // La Mesa, California

In the end, we’ll remember this place as a spot where we didn’t live very long, but man did we have some big memories here.

#72 two years at plant with purpose

13 March 2019 // San Diego, California

Well, well. This week marks two years since I joined the Plant With Purpose team and started partnering with the coolest people like Dieula.

In some ways it feels like I’ve been around much longer, with how much of a connection I’ve built to our work. In other ways it feels like I’m just getting started. I do think I’m just getting started.

I could list endless things I’ve learned over those two years but here are three quick ones that resonate a lot right now:

🌿 Remember that the world is almost entirely made up of people just wanting the best for their families and neighbors. For every act of horror in the world there are a thousand unreported acts of good.

🌿 Urgency and patience. Patience and urgency. They seem like opposites but the real difference makers know how to act with both.

🌿 Everybody can bring something to the table. Different skill sets and work styles are a strength. Build a diverse team. Don’t hold back your perspective and respect the takes of others. Captain Planet ain’t gonna show up if your powers don’t combine.

#73 heart

14 March 2019 // San Diego, California

Today was an all time great. I’ll explain why later. And I’ll also have to replace the pic above!

#74 viva la mesa

15 March 2019 // La Mesa, California

La Mesa’s been an interesting spot to live, at least for the short little time we’ve been here. I do have a few favorites in the neighborhood, in case you were wondering:

Farmer’s Table is one of my favorite restaurants in San Diego, period. It isn’t cheap, but you get what you pay for since they source the best ingredients. I ordered a grilled octopus dish there last week that made me crave octopus for like a week straight afterwards.

Fourpenny House is the coolest little Scottish Alehouse in town. You’re lucky if your city has a single Scottish joint, and that makes La Mesa one of the lucky ones. Their lamb stew and fish & chips are fantastic, and I’m a huge fan of the Scottish ale they brew in house.

Maxwell’s House of Books is always a good spot to go on a treasure hunt for your next read. There’s something so fun about a used bookstore.

I associate Bo + Beau with Ocean Beach and City Tacos with North Park. But they are two of my favorite San Diego restaurants and they both have locations out in La Mesa. So that’s good news!

Also, all these things are like a five minute walk from each other. So even more bonus points for that.

#75 beach day for beignet

16 March 2019 // Coronado, California

Beignet spent a week depressed and slow after we moved, which is so not like her that it got scary.

But the sun was in full force this weekend and we took her to the beach. We can all safely confirm that she is back in puppy mode!

#76 catapult books

17 March 2019 // San Diego, California

While I still think San Diego really needs to step up its bookstore game, Catapult is one of the bright spots. Love coming in here to have a good look around.

#77 office globe

18 March 2019 // San Diego, California

Low key afternoons in the office make me happy.

#78 how neighborhoods make us sick

19 March 2019 // La Mesa, California

The life expectancy for poorer neighborhoods in Philadelphia is twenty years shorter than it is in the city’s more affluent areas. There’s a similar trend in Atlanta, St. Louis, Chicago, and just about every major American city.

I’ve seen the strong correlation between GDP and life expectancy when looking at a chart of different countries. It shouldn’t be a big surprise when the same trend holds true for urban US neighborhoods.

Good hospitals, doctors, and insurance are important, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Access to good food, safe housing, reliable transportation, employment, and other factors all contribute to a community’s health.

I really appreciated this read. Such an important and really insightful way to connect the dots between poverty and health.

#79 severance

20 March 2019 // La Mesa, California

This book, unfortunately, had a little bit of an unsatisfying ending. The concept was still pretty interesting, though.

#80 liberty club

21 March 2019 // San Diego, California

These days seem packed lately, but they’re also full of light.

#81 drive to the bay

22 March 2019 // Los Banos, California

On our way to the bay.

On our way to a boat on the bay.

#82 thirty, flying, & crying

23 March 2019 // San Francisco, California

We made it everybody! Thirty, flirting, and dying.

Good birthday @dannyyumyum, may the worst case scenarios you’re always ready for never come true.

#83 caytlin at philz

24 March 2019 // San Francisco, California

We need more weekends like these.

#84 soggy donut

25 March 2019 // San Diego, California

Look who got a blueberry facial today.

#85 sea prayer

26 March 2019 // La Mesa, California

Khaled Hosseni’s not-just-for-children’s book is amazing, heartbreaking and tender. 

#86 interview with geoff hsu

27 March 2019 // San Diego, California

When I met Geoff Hsu at Cultivate Gathering, I knew I had to get him to appear on a podcast episode. His ability to talk about the Theology of Work always leads to some amazing discussions.

#87 the female persuasion + the sympathizer

28 March 2019 // La Mesa, California

The Female Persuasion - I liked this read much more than I anticipated. The characters were easy to root for. (4/5)

The Sympathizer - I really wanted to like this more than I actually did. Reminds me of The Orphan Masters Son in that regard. (2/5)

#88 interview with abdul

29 March 2019 // San Diego, California

1) Make a friend from Mozambique

2) Learn a lot about the country, its beauty, the islands, and how its recovering after the cyclone over Chipotle.

3) Record a podcast together.

I don’t know what step four is, but hopefully its a visit to Mozambique.

#89 MARLBOROUGH MOVE-IN

30 March 2019 // San Diego, California

Wow. The past few months have been eventful, unpredictable, and so full of change. Today we moved into the condo we bought- our first.

#90 YELLOW SHIRTS

31 March 2019 // San Diego, California

We swear our church isn’t a cult with yellow uniforms.

Cultivate, Haiti Now, & Bryce Harper

CULTIVATE GATHERING

Lead us to the end of us versus them.

I spent the past weekend at #cultivategathering getting to hear from a wide range of folks who have been helpful voices in helping me turn my faith into action over the years... plus a few new friends.

““If the place where you’ve been placed in doesn’t prosper, you don’t prosper.””

— Leroy Barber

““The more we break bread together, the harder it is for us to see things as us versus them.””

— Jonathan Brooks

Challenged to lament over the things that harm them, since lament isn’t exactly an easy practice for me. Reenergized to keep trying to build proximity to our neighbors, especially the ones who are hurting.

HAITI NOW

Haiti is not an easy place to live. And it’s had a pretty rough 2019 thus far.

Tumultuous demonstrations have put the country on lockdown, after a few people were killed. Prices of food took a huge spike. A portion of rice for two went from 35 gourdes to 60. And that doesn’t include veggies, protein, or cooking oil. It’s common for Haitians to earn 200 gourdes a day. If you’re not one of the 40% who are underemployed/unemployed.

I’ve heard most rhythms of life have gone back to normalcy now but the underlying issues haven’t been addressed.

I’m all about stories of hope- especially from places like Haiti. But the Haitian people I met last year really helped me learn that hope isn’t about feeling good. It’s about owning the difficulty around you and persisting anyways.

What is there to do? Believe in the Haitian people, believe they deserve better, and listen to their voices.

Here’s a schoolgirl named Shara:

“I am angry because I can’t go to school. The situation in the country makes me afraid and sometimes I cry. The protests make it impossible for my mom or us to go anywhere. The situation is very bad for us. And we can’t find money.”

As a resource I highly recommend checking out Nadia Todres’ twitter account. Especially from about a week ago. The quote and info above just scratch the surface of her girl-centered portraiture and human-centered reporting.

SPILLER PARK

The design lover and baseball fan in me loves the way Spiller Park in Atlanta commits to their hardballin’ with some golden era baseball cards for their team members.

Speaking of, I’m getting restless for MLB games to start. Spring Training is nice and all, but I’m also really ready for Bryce Harper to land somewhere so I can figure out how I feel about this whole season.

you’re doing great

PSA: You’re doing a great job.

We don’t say this to each other nearly enough, and I’ve become more aware of that lately. Trying to get better at saying it too.

At any given moment, the person next to you is rising up to meet all kinds of challenges, doing difficult things for the people they love. Or hey, maybe that’s you.

It feeds back so much strength when our challenges are seen and our response is recognized. If we all knew the challenges each other were taking on, there would be much more high fiving going around.

FEBRUARY’S OVER!

February 2019 is officially over and it’s hard for me to overstate how good it feels to be DONE with that month.

Two weeks ago, we had no idea where we’d be living by today. Our lease ended yesterday, and after Plan A-F fell apart, it was crunch time to figure that out. Oh, and we’d also have to orchestrate a move with Deanna on crutches and me being the only driver for a while.

There were some other bits of chaos too, but now I can say, it was rough, we figured it out, and it’s all over. I won’t miss it that much.

bryce harper

WAIT IS OVER.

Yesterday was a long one. It was the only day of overlap between our old apartment and our new spot, meaning I had about eight hours to clean up and move.

So, in the middle of all that, imagine how much of a thrill it was to get this update on my phone.

For you baseball fans, that’s a starting lineup that now reads McCutchen, Segura, Harper, Hoskins, Realmuto, Odubel, etc. Being a Phillies fan hasn’t been the easiest thing over the past six seasons, but things are looking way up.

(Here’s hoping this patience testing but ultimately rewarding saga is a metaphor for how my life turns out after last month.)

MARINER’S COVE

And we’ve officially moved out of our first apartment that we lived in after moving to San Diego. To be honest, the past six months or so haven’t really been my fave and I think some change in scenery will be really, really good. But this was a great spot for us to live the past two years, and the fact that we found it so quickly was a sign that moving to town was the right call, even if it wasn’t an easy one.

Some stuff I’ll miss about this place:

• The parrots that lived in our trees. I loved watching their red heads and green bodies, even though most neighbors found them a nuisance.

• The truly diverse mix of neighbors we had. Military members, East African mothers, high schoolers on skateboards, surfers, OB hippies, retired couples, etc.

• My extremely easy commute to work and church driving along the coast.

• Being 10 min from Dog Beach. Not that we’ll be going any less. • How easy it was to pick out where we lived from an airplane window when flying out of town.

Scrimshaw Coffee, DIY Oscars, & Known Supply

DRAWING CONNECTIONS

One of the best podcast episodes I heard in the past month was a little back and forth conversation between @davidchang and @shadkmusic on how the food scene reflects the personality of different cities in a way that runs parallel to how hip hop evolves geographically.

I get really excited when I notice parallel lines between two things that previously seemed disconnected. Baseball and racial justice. Movies and Ignatian spirituality. Beer and linguistics.

I used to think having a mix of such different interests was a challenge, because its typically a tough sell. But then you have something like Hamilton: hip hop and Broadway and American history. An odd combination of wildly different curiosities creates some of the strongest creative DNA.

I think it’s probably because I believe deep down everything is connected and meaningful, and because I don’t mind spending large chunks of my life pulling at different threads.

THIS IS ALSO LIFE

Behold, a gallery of what life looks like these days:

Falling behind on my reading list, but liking the stuff I’ve been reading.
Trying to get work done despite having a lot less time in office than usual.
Eating copious amounts of pho.
Loving the rain in San Diego and wanting it to last.
Escape rooms, open houses, and packing, while Deanna only gets to use one leg.
Strategic planning at work, strategic planning at church, and at home too.
The Umbrella Academy on Netflix.

This month has been absurd. And I don’t think I’ll miss it that much once all the dust has settled. In spite of all that, a lot of good things have been happening that I’ll be thankful for in the long run.

plant with purpose x known supply

A heathered gray tee with a clean, unaltered @plantwpurpose logo on it seems like a simple thing to make. But you’d be surprised.

I went through several manufacturers to try and get it just right. One printed them on stiff, unappealing tees, with the ink feeling like a thick layer of paint on top. Many had trouble getting the heathered, soft look down, and that makes all the difference.

I have a few simple black-on-gray tees and the ones made from the right stuff have been wardrobe staples for close to a decade. I keep wearing them and they kind of get better with age.

Then I figured, why not reach out to somebody I really like to produce these tees? Enter @knownsupply. You may have been acquainted with with them when they were @krochetkids. They’ve gone from making beanies to trying to take anonymity out of clothing production.

Every shirt is handsigned by the woman who made it. And you can go online to look up her story. Mine was made by Rocio in Peru. 🇵🇪 Ethical manufacturing gives her an opportunity.

Want to cop a shirt? Check out the link in my bio. So glad to make a brand partnership between Plant With Purpose and Known Supply a reality.

YOUR IMPACT

Many of us live like we were just born into a time and culture and now we’ve got to play by its rules. If it’s a culture of fear we live in, well then, that’s the hand we’re dealt. If it’s a divisive and polarized time we live in, then we’ll just try to avoid the scary conversations and carry on.

Except that’s not the whole story.

Every single person is affected by their time and culture. But every single person affects their time and culture as well.

Even if you do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING except the most average, typical, predictable things that the majority of other people around you are doing, you will have contributed to the status quo. And often the status quo isn’t a great one.

Thinking about things this way reminds me that there’s really no such thing as neutral. It encourages me to challenge harmful ideas, even if that comes at a cost. It encourages me to sacrifice comforts for other people’s freedom.

If you’re silent about things that matter, then you help ensure things won’t change. If you’re inactive to the needs of others, then you keep an object at rest resting.

Don’t think that if you don’t start a revolution of some sort you won’t have an impact on the world. All of us will. The question is what kind of impact.

fight ignorance

When there are scary things happening, uncertain times, or an atmosphere of conflict, whose voices do you catch yourself listening to?

Do you listen to those in power? Good leadership matters, but many know that few things can rally votes as well as fear.

Do you listen to the headlines? Good information matters, but many know few things can grab attention as well as shock.

Or do you listen to the people who are directly affected? The ones who feel the effects of the stuff you read about. The people on the ground, on the frontlines.

When people are hurting, we have the chance to rush in and ask how we can help. And when we do this, there is far more to be gained than there is to fear.

scrimshaw coffee

While life’s been on the crazy side lately I’ve been working out of the office and away from home quite a bit. San Diego’s got a lot of cool coffee spots so I could think of a lot worse solutions.

Here are my tips to being a good coffee shop worker:

• Please buy something. As businesses, a specialty roaster is tough to run. Don’t just leech off of curated space.

• If you bring a power strip, you will be everybody’s hero.

• If you bring a friendly dog to a dog friendly joint, you will also be everybody’s hero.

• You don’t need to be a full blown coffee snob in order to appreciate the ethical and environmental concerns that go into a mug. Honestly, I can only taste the difference between brews if one is reallllly good or reallllly bad, so I let things like shade grown or single source make more decisions for me.

• Going to the same spots means recognizing more familiar faces. That may or may not make it harder to get work done eventually.

• Lots of coffee shops have cool branding and merch, but unless you work there, it is a bit like wearing a band’s swag at their show.

diy oscars

If you wanna watch a bunch of movies from last year that are, in my opinion, much better than Green Book, Vice, Bohemian Rhapsody, and A Star is Born put together, might I suggest the short list below:

🇲🇽 Roma
🙅🏿‍♂️ Black Panther
🛤 Won’t You Be My Neighbor
🀄️ Crazy Rich Asians
🕸 Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse
🏤 If Beale Street Could Talk
🌾 Happy as Lazzaro
🧗🏻‍♂️ Free Solo
🔥 Burning
👨🏽‍💻 Searching

And since I pretty regularly disagree with the Academy, I made my own awards. Best Villain and Best Trailer should definitely get awards. So should the movie that most makes me want to be a better person. I want to also make an award for the most mouthwatering scene but I’m having trouble thinking of competition for the food cart scene in Crazy Rich Asians.

Hunting for Home, Showing Some Love, & Nael

TAHOE PATCH

One man’s work is another man’s play. Pulling up an Adobe product and jamming on it for a little bit is actually how I wind down. Here’s a travel patch I made for Lake Tahoe just for fun. Would be a blast to get these made for everywhere I go.

HUNTING FOR HOME

A little update: this month is something else.

Our lease is up on the 28th and we still don’t have a real solid idea of where we’ll end up then. We’ve been shopping around for a home, but it’s looking like that whole process hit a few snags and won’t happen right away. (And it’s definitely not gonna be the house in this picture, though it would make for a great fixer.)

We also haven’t started the packing up process I’m not looking forward to. Especially because...

Deanna injured her leg and can’t put weight on it for another month or so. I’ve been driving her to and from work, sometimes taking an hour and a half each way because of the traffic in between our offices. When it comes to house and dog chores, it’s like we’re playing with ten guys on the field and the missing one is Messi.

So that’s life right now. Everything that isn’t on fire is on pause. It’s a lot, but I like to think of it like a high intensity workout for the spirit. Thankful that I have the ability to step up to help out more these days. Thankful that we can even think about housing in a city as tough to afford as San Diego. Thankful that bones heal (cause how much would it suck if they didn’t?)

All that to say, when February is over, I think I’ll treat myself to a poke bowl.

SHOW SOME LOVE

Good day to show some love.

Made this little reminder for two good reasons.

First, it’s Valentine’s Day and no matter what you’ve got going on in that department, you’re worthy of some Love.

Second, I was listening to @perspectivepodcast and @prspctv_cllctvgave us the challenge to go show some love with shoutouts to three of our favorite creatives.

Most podcasts I listen to don’t assign homework. But I like this assignment. And it’ll be tough to keep it at 3. But here we go!

1️⃣ @bradmontague - constantly making things that are so full of heart. And Brad is just as fantastic offline too.

2️⃣ I’ve been really digging @toddhenry’s Daily Creative Podcast. It’s a quick 3 minute listen full of really good insight on doing creative and meaningful work.

3️⃣ I also wanted to shoutout somebody I knew IRL who I think does work more folks should be familiar with, @garyware - his mission to remind us to play more is as fun as it sounds.

There are also so many others. I should do these lists more often. Maybe I will!

VALENTINE’S 2019

Life has been all kinds of chaos lately but tonight we had pie.

Aussie meat pie and guava hand pie and guava cider and mango sticky rice ice cream and heavy rains and roses.

Thankful that even when life is mostly chaos, I’ve got the best teammate to steady the ship with.

BEHOLD THE DREAMERS

“It's the fear that kills us. Sometimes it happens and it's not even as bad as the fear. That is what I have learned in this life. It is the fear.”

This was a good read and I needed a good novel.

Immigrant fiction isn’t new. The Joy Luck Club and How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accent have been around awhile. But the past decade has been such a boom for this subgenre. It could have its own canon.

I’d start with Americanah, We Need New Names, Everything I Never Told You, The Leavers, American Born Chinese, and this book. And probably so many more.

These more recent ones are less about feeling cut off from home and are more about being a person with two places that wear that name, each with their good and bad. That’s a fascinating reflection about how the immigrant experience keeps evolving.

NAEL

Allow me to introduce, Nael-

“Before, a lot of people here earned money by rushing sugar over the Dominican border. This was too dangerous,” he told me.

Nael decided the better way to earn a living was through farming, but it wasn’t necessarily easier. He told me he would work from 7 in the morning to 7 in the evening and earn 20 Haitian gourdes.

I had to do the conversion in my head. He was working 12 hour days for the equivalent of 34 cents.

He and his wife have eight kids. Some live over in Port Au Prince. Nael lived there too for a short while, but went back to his home village because things improved. As he learned sustainable agriculture techniques and as reforestation improved his village’s soil, he increased his earnings bit by bit.

Now he employs 14 people.

Sending love out to the people of Haiti as things have gotten intense there this month. Several people have been killed during demonstrations. It’s a complex scenario, but the Haitians who keep moving forward in spite of everything are some of the most resilient people I’ve ever met.

THE PARADOX OF DESIRE

An idea I’m recently obsessed with lately is called the paradox of desire. Esther Perel explains that the desire for intimacy is experienced when there’s a little bit of space for attraction to take hold.

“It needs a bridge to cross and someone on the other side. It needs me to want to be curious about the other person,” she puts it.

This mostly refers to sexual intimacy, but I think it also applies to the relationship we have with life.

On a day to day basis, the routines of living obscure the sense of wonder that life really is. But the moments where we get to zoom out are the best reminders. They help us realize that all the other parts, the little things, the chores and the lazy Sundays, they’re also notes in the middle part of a symphony.

This Dog Loves Snow, Best Tacos in Town, & Appertivo Hour

MEEMAW LIVES

This miracle of a little animal somehow survived the weekend.

THIS DOG LOVES SNOW

I freaking love how much this dog loves the snow. Opted to drive the distance to Tahoe instead of flying there largely so we could watch her rub her face in it while lobbing snowballs at her.

APERTIVO HOUR

These days, I eat dinner at around 6:30, but I used to eat much later than that, as a lot of Southern Europeans do. That feels more natural to me, and allows for more socializing in the early evening.

Aperitivo hour is the Italian tradition of grabbing a light drink and maybe some small bites or charcuterie in the earlier evening to bridge the gap and to socialize with people.

Apertivo refers to both the event and the drink, which can really be anything. Lighter drinks are more ideal; vermouths, spritzes, saisons, and crodino with bitters are my faves, but to me, the most important piece is the social aspect and being around good people.

ILHAN OMAR

Going from feeling helpless to feeling hopeful and empowered is one of the most important shifts a person can make.

MEANINGFUL WORK

What makes for meaningful work? I read a business article that said the three things it came down to were freedom, being challenged, and having a direct link between effort and payoff.

Those are great things, though I would have chosen three other things:

Making a sufficient living.

Making work that feels true to you.

Making a lasting impact on the world.

My upcoming project focuses on how to put these three things together and do your best work. Sign up via the link in my profile to get the heads up when it’s released.

MEANINGFUL WORK

No leg injury is gonna slow us down from living in the moment and eating some tacos.

Deanna messed her knee up rock climbing a few weeks ago, but we remain committed to figuring out who has the best tacos in town by way of a 32 seed bracket.

Check my stories for the latest matchups this weekend between a couple PB faves and a couple North Park faves. Taco Madness marches onward.

URGENCY AND PATIENCE

Live with urgency. Live with patience.

If you can figure out how to make room for these two seemingly contradictory things, you’ll do good.

Live with the awareness that life is short. Love like there’s no tomorrow. Embrace the urgency of human suffering, injustice, poverty, and environmental threats.

But be patient. Know that small steps can complete a journey. Know that lasting change doesn’t happen overnight, and that making an impact takes commitment.

Urgency and patience. Make good friends with them both.

FEBRUARY 2019

#32 Wheelin’ Thru Target

01 February 2019 // San Diego, California

We had some Target errands to run, so Deanna surprised me with how well she could Tokyo Drift around the store on one of their shopper wheelchairs. (She injured her knee rock climbing and can’t put any weight on it for several weeks.)

#33 Mentone Street

02 February 2019 // San Diego, California

Didn’t let the rain stop us for getting out to a couple open houses over the weekend.

#34 Live in the Moment

03 February 2019 // San Diego, California

No leg injury is gonna slow us down from living in the moment and eating some tacos.

Deanna messed her knee up rock climbing a few weeks ago, but we remain committed to figuring out who has the best tacos in town by way of a 32 seed bracket.

Check my stories for the latest matchups this weekend between a couple PB faves and a couple North Park faves. Taco Madness marches onward.

#35 Desk View

04 February 2019 // San Diego, California

Trying to make a messy desk brighter.

#36 Scrimshaw

05 February 2019 // San Diego, California

I’ve been at an increasing amount of offsite workspaces lately, AKA coffee shops. It’s been a good month for trying to discover a bunch of new ones. Here’s a new discovery I enjoyed: Scrimshaw Coffee.

#37 Streets of Lemon Grove

06 February 2019 // Lemon Grove, California

My temporary daily commute is a long one, but it’s kinda pretty too.

#38 Work At Brew

07 February 2019 // La Mesa, California

Back at it working at coffee shops once again. This time: Brew Coffee.

#39 Hector & Kaitlin

08 February 2019 // San Diego, California

Pho with friends, plus the spontaneous purchase of some Vampire Weekend tickets.

#40 Recycling Redemption

09 February 2019 // National City, California

Just took over an entire porch’s worth of bottles and cans to redeem for cash… basically everything Deanna and I drank over the span of a year.

The prize? $16.88

We’ve been saving this cash to treat ourselves to a nice dinner paid for by bottles since we got married. I think we’re pretty close!

#41 Beware of Dog

10 February 2019 // San Diego, California

I’m gonna be real happy when this whole housing ordeal is over with.

#42 Behold the Dreamers

11 February 2019 // San Diego, California

“It's the fear that kills us. Sometimes it happens and it's not even as bad as the fear. That is what I have learned in this life. It is the fear.”

This was a good read and I needed a good novel.

Immigrant fiction isn’t new. The Joy Luck Club and How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accent have been around awhile. But the past decade has been such a boom for this subgenre. It could have its own canon.

I’d start with Americanah, We Need New Names, Everything I Never Told You, The Leavers, American Born Chinese, and this book. And probably so many more.

These more recent ones are less about feeling cut off from home and are more about being a person with two places that wear that name, each with their good and bad. That’s a fascinating reflection about how the immigrant experience keeps evolving.

#43 Sorting Books

12 February 2019 // San Diego, California

How does one prepare to move?

If you’re me, you start by organizing all your books with some system only you understand.

#44 Show Some Love

13 February 2019 // San Diego, California

Good day to show some love.

Made this little reminder for two good reasons.

First, it’s almost Valentine’s Day and no matter what you’ve got going on in that department, you’re worthy of some Love.

Second, I was listening to @perspectivepodcast and @prspctv_cllctv gave us the challenge to go show some love with shoutouts to three of our favorite creatives.

Most podcasts I listen to don’t assign homework. But I like this assignment. And it’ll be tough to keep it at 3. But here we go!

1️⃣ @bradmontague - constantly making things that are so full of heart. And Brad is just as fantastic offline too.

2️⃣ I’ve been really digging @toddhenry’s Daily Creative Podcast. It’s a quick 3 minute listen full of really good insight on doing creative and meaningful work.

3️⃣ I also wanted to shoutout somebody I knew IRL who I think does work more folks should be familiar with, @garyware - his mission to remind us to play more is as fun as it sounds.

There are also so many others. I should do these lists more often. Maybe I will!

#45 Valentines Day 2019

14 February 2019 // San Diego, California

Life has been all kinds of chaos lately but tonight we had pie.

Aussie meat pie and guava hand pie and guava cider and mango sticky rice ice cream and heavy rains and roses.

Thankful that even when life is mostly chaos, I’ve got the best teammate to steady the ship with.

#46 Stray Dog

15 February 2019 // San Diego, California

I decided to work the last part of my day from a coffee shop. Walking back to my car, I crossed paths with this sweet girl. No owner, just a dog taking a stroll. I thought it was just a bit odd and she looked like she could use a hand, so I let her in the backseat and went to pick up Deanna.

We turned her in to the humane society. But we’ve got a finder’s hold on her. So this story has a happy ending either way. Either she’s reunited with her owners or Beignet gets a new sister.

#47 Friend to Strays

16 February 2019 // San Diego, California

Earning this badge this week. Patch by: @frogandtoadpress

#48 Red Truck on Marlborough

17 February 2019 // San Diego, California

Went to a couple of open houses in this neighborhood and man, found some at a real good price!

#49 Charcuterie 21

18 February 2019 // San Diego, California

Tried not to eat this entire spread until my parents showed up at the restaurant. Failed.

#50 Harborview

19 February 2019 // San Diego, California

Taking this in as a quiet moment that breaks up a ridiculous week.

#51 Moniker Workday

20 February 2019 // San Diego, California

Thankful to have a squad of volunteers making my work life way better this month.

#52 Ready to Move

21 February 2019 // San Diego, California

I don’t know too many fans of moving.

#53 Cultivate Gathering

22 February 2019 // San Diego, California

“If the place where you’ve been placed in doesn’t prosper, you don’t prosper.”
–@leroybarber

Challenged to lament over the things that harm them, since lament isn’t exactly an easy practice for me. Reenergized to keep trying to build proximity to our neighbors, especially the ones who are hurting.

#54 Jonathan Brooks

23 February 2019 // San Diego, California

Lead us to the end of us versus them.
I spent the past weekend at #cultivategathering getting to hear from a wide range of folks who have been helpful voices in helping me turn my faith into action over the years... plus a few new friends.

“The more we break bread together, the harder it is for us to see things as us versus them.”
–@pastahj

#55 Dog Runs

24 February 2019 // San Diego, California

A dog park on a Sunday is tough to compete with.

#56 Storage Units

25 February 2019 // San Diego, California

I used to hold it as a source of pride that I didn’t need a storage unit… if you have so much stuff that your place can’t hold it all, you probably have too much stuff!

But now, I’m moving twice in two months and this unit is saving me a whole bunch of trouble. My new point of pride is how well I Tetris’ed this whole closet.

#57 10 Years of Corbyn

26 February 2019 // San Diego, California

Got to celebrate ten years of a great coworker raising the bar at Plant With Purpose.

#58 Yay, February’s Ending!

27 February 2019 // San Diego, California

February 2019 is officially over and it’s hard for me to overstate how good it feels to be DONE with that month.

Two weeks ago, we had no idea where we’d be living by today. Our lease ended yesterday, and after Plan A-F fell apart, it was crunch time to figure that out. Oh, and we’d also have to orchestrate a move with Deanna on crutches and me being the only driver for a while.

There were some other bits of chaos too, but now I can say, it was rough, we figured it out, and it’s all over. I won’t miss it that much.

#59 Mariners Cove

28 February 2019 // San Diego, California

And we’ve officially moved out of our first apartment that we lived in after moving to San Diego. To be honest, the past six months or so haven’t really been my fave and I think some change in scenery will be really, really good. But this was a great spot for us to live the past two years, and the fact that we found it so quickly was a sign that moving to town was the right call, even if it wasn’t an easy one.

Some stuff I’ll miss about this place:

• The parrots that lived in our trees. I loved watching their red heads and green bodies, even though most neighbors found them a nuisance.

• The truly diverse mix of neighbors we had. Military members, East African mothers, high schoolers on skateboards, surfers, OB hippies, retired couples, etc.

• My extremely easy commute to work and church driving along the coast.

• Being 10 min from Dog Beach. Not that we’ll be going any less.

• How easy it was to pick out where we lived from an airplane window when flying out of town.

Tahoe, Maggie Rogers, & Female Farmer Pins

TAHOE

I love all kinds of trips. Backpacking trips. Work trips. Romantic trips. Sitting around a beach with a book kinds of trips. These days, though, my favorite kind of trip looks a lot more like getting a whole bunch of good people under one cozy roof with food, drinks, games, and stories and letting the weekend write itself.

Getting more than three people’s schedules to all line up almost always feels like some sort of wizardry, but I’m okay thinking of last weekend on those terms.

When all your really good friends live hundreds of miles apart, destination weekends really are pretty magical.

WRITING AGAIN

I'll be honest, I've had a challenging time over the past few years putting into words exactly how it is that I want to help people.

Here's what I knew: For years, I wanted a career in international development. I loved to travel and to interact across cultures, and I wanted to do something that confronted the messed-up things going on around the world I kept hearing about. I also knew I wanted a career and a life that integrated well, one that allowed me to apply creativity and storytelling. And now, that's exactly what I get to do every day.

Here's what I've discovered: I'm ready to share everything I've learned in the process of getting there. Everything that I wish I knew earlier.

I used to write a lot. About my travels, about things I learned about justice, and about how they applied to current events. Then I stopped. I ran out of things to say that felt necessary. At least for a while.

But things have shifted again. I'm writing again. And I can't wait to share.

I've been brainstorming more, writing more, and planning a whole bunch. Specifically, I've got two projects coming out later in the year that I've been planning for months. I'll be launching materials designed to help you find ways to work with purpose, to make a sustainable impact, and to travel and share stories ethically and responsibly.

I'll share some bits here on the 'gram, but not everything. I need to save room for puppy photos of Beignet and those great taquerias I keep discovering. If you share my interest in the nonprofit world, in social startups, in travel, in creative work, in advocacy, or most of all, some combination of those things, I'd love to have you sign up to get updates as soon as they roll out. Follow this link, and let's do this!

WEEKEND IN TAHOE

Still feeling pretty good with the help of last weekend.

MAGGIE ROGERS

Based on the one month sample size of January, I’m guessing 2019’s gonna be a year full of fun music. And I’m guessing Maggie Rogers is a good representation of what I’ve been into lately- uncomplicated and sincere fun. That’s kind of what I’m craving from life in general right now

BONJOUR!

Bonjour friends!

It’s been a minute, so here’s a little intro by way of a few odd things about yours truly:

🗂

At different points as a student, I wanted to be a graphic designer, a filmmaker, a speaker, a geneticist, a leader of a nonprofit, a journalist, and a constant traveler who still managed to somehow have an income. That and probably a few other things I’m forgetting.

 
I ended up being Creative Director at an international nonprofit and I end up doing a little bit of all these different activities. Except for the geneticist stuff, but 26 out of 27 ish things isn’t bad.

📰

I’ve ran a newsletter for a couple years that’s currently on a bit of a hiatus, while I revamp it int something even bigger. My aim is to help people like myself who are trying to put together a bunch of different interests into a life that also serves other people. There’s a link in my bio to sign up to get it once it goes live.

🐕

One of the traits that I most admire in other people is resilience a straight up refusal to give up. Coupled with the willingness to adapt and try other means of getting to the same goal, of course.

I try and practice that in my own life and while that usually looks like stubbornly insisting I can squeeze into an unlikely parking space than anything heroic, I try to approach everything from a resolve not to give up.

FREELY GIVE, FREELY RECEIVE

Freely give, freely receive.

Whether it comes to finances, knowledge, opportunities, connections, resources, or anything else, I feel like it’s a good idea to keep a hand open and to hold things loosely.

It’s tempting to hold on to things tightly- to be convinced in the scarcity of things and to not want to let go. It’s also sometimes hard to receive things, even good things, whenever they don’t match our expectations.

I’m trying to live more open handed. I want to be more resilient to when things don’t go exactly to plan and more open to what can happen instead. I want to be wildly generous when it comes to giving away knowledge and resources I know can help other people.

It’s not easy but I try and live my life by a rhythm of freely giving and receiving as much as possible.

FEMALE FARMER PINS

Something I’ve always wanted to make? Enamel pins! I love the way a good pin collection looks coming together and I’ve always wanted to try my hand at making one.

Last month, I started the process of revamping @plantwpurpose’s merch and had a chance to put this piece into production. 

Female farmers are the backbone of the developing world. When they rise, poverty drops like no other. Two thirds of the participants in our African programs are women, and when you invest in women, entire communities are lifted as a result.

Check out this link if you want to order one. The proceeds from each pin go towards women’s empowerment via sustainable agriculture and entrepreneurship training.