Friday round-up

By the time this post is published, I will (hopefully) be lounging on the beach in New Jersey with Cam and his family. I can't wait to actually get IN the water since the Pacific is way too cold. Enjoy some links from around the web, and I'll be back next week with pictures and stories from New Jersey and New York City. Happy Labor Day!

This unexpected duet made me smile and miss my high school choir days.

My fascination with Russia, along with the fact that I'm a sucker for dating stories, I loved this essay.

How awesome is this blog!? I especially liked the letters from Neal Cassady to Jack Kerouac, and Southpark creator Matt Stone's Favorite Memo Ever.

Have you heard? New J.D. Salinger books!

Another nod to the English major. My friend Kelly sent me this article, and I especially like this line:
"A good doctor said to me, not long ago, 'You really sort of have to like assholes and ear wax to be a good general practitioner'; you have to really like, or not mind much, intricate and dull and occasionally even dumb arguments about books to study English."

Twice this week I went to Yoga to the People -- a big, bright, clean, donation-based yoga studio in SF's Mission District -- I love that I can pay based on what I can afford, and the classes were great!

I can always get lost in Pinterest's travel section....I want to be here right now. 

A different angle to the I-hate-Miley bandwagon. 

I took the photo today while walking through my neighborhood. Later, while getting my nails done, I got to watch Amy Adams film a scene for a new Tim Burton movie...North Beach is the best. 

A reflection on teaching

My friend Madeline, one of our favorite students, and yes that's a cig hanging out of his mouth

I have tried so many times to sit down and write about my experience teaching at an underserved high school in New Orleans. I started a blog while teaching, but the day-to-day was too traumatizing for daily reflection. Now, it's unfortunately too late -- I've already forgotten so many names, quotes, instances, etc. I was so happy to stumble upon something I wrote in January, 2012 -- just a month after I left. I laughed out loud remembering some of the outrageous, funny moments, and cringed looking back on the not-so-funny. I haven't edited it much, but if you're interested, I've included the piece after the page break....

Talk to me here instead, please.

Cam sent me this comic yesterday after I gchatted him with a question and he texted me back asking me to send gchats to his other email address. I feel like this is always happening -- I send an email to a friend and get a text back, or receive an email in response to a voicemail, etc. It's wonderful being able to stay in close contact with friends and family, but the comic puts perfectly how confusing and excessive it all seems when you really think about it.

(Comic found here.)

Unemployment, Day 26

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I had quit my sales job, and that I would go more into detail later. So far, the absolute best part about quitting my job (even better than the ability to grocery shop mid-day with no crowd) has to do with identity. A small piece of my soul died every time, over the past year and a half, someone asked me what I did. Right out of college I taught English, and I was proud to tell people, and it almost always led to an interesting conversation in which I learned something of the other person's educational past. Saying I was in sales was a dead end. No one seemed impressed, and interest was feigned and polite. I write! I ran a marathon once! I've been camping in the Sahara Desert and hiked the Inca Trail! I constantly wanted and felt the need to validate the pursuits and activities I identified with outside of work.

For the first few days of my unemployment, I shuddered at the thought of anyone asking me a job-related question. "Taking some time off to maybe go to grad school and no I don't really have any idea what I want to do with that degree yet"? I joked with my mom about this answer while dreading an impending high school tailgate where the "what do you do?" question would be unavoidable. She questioned my motive, and asked me why I felt the need to explain myself to these people, or to anyone. I am so happy to be out of sales, and so happy that I get to spend my days reading, writing, studying, and enjoying San Francisco. And happy is what we're all going for, right?

I've always been one of those people who feels the need to answer questions fully and honestly, and my mom's advice caused complete reevaluation of that tactic. It's fine to answer with a smile, "I'm taking some time to figure it out." It's unnecessary to get into details, and what I've found since employing this answer is, no one really cares -- and that is more than okay.

In starting to feel less self conscious about how I would answer what I'm doing to other people, I was able to remember (with confidence) why I pursued this time off in the first place. I wasn't happy in my career path and I'm doing something about it. I don't have the answers yet, but in avoiding other people's voices constantly playing in my head, I'm able to think about the questions more clearly.

Have a productive weekend!

With Labor Day Weekend soon upon us (and thus the real beginning of summer for San Francisco, so I can't be too sad), I am hoping to get a lot done this weekend in preparation for my trip to New Jersey for the holiday. Here are some fun/interesting/inspiring links from around the web if anyone needs a break from productivity!

Women dressed as web browsers.

I've followed CNN blogger LZ Granderson for several years, and really enjoy his insightful op ed pieces. I think he hit the nail on the head with this piece on negligent parenting.

Here's what's going on in San Francisco this Labor Day Weekend.

This end-of-summer chopped salad looks delicious.

How to Say 'Cheers' in 20 Languages

Amazing part of chosen unemployment: FREEDOM. Worst: Not being able to even think about buying this, this, or these.

A month of yoga, hiking, and healthy food for $400? Sign me up.

This blog is kind of addicting.

Cam and I have been talking about going back to Barcelona next year, so the photo is a result of my daydreaming (and doesn't it look like a dream world?)!

Woody Allen movies

I just bought tickets for Cam and I to see Blue Jasmine in theaters tomorrow night. I can't wait, as we've been talking about seeing it for months, and it's certainly relevant as the main character moves from Manhattan to San Francisco.

I wrote a thesis paper on Vicky Cristina Barcelona in college, and Midnight in Paris is one of my all-time favorite movies, but until a few months ago I hadn't seen any of his older films. There's a movie store by Cam's apartment that is not only organized by genre, but there are is a section categorized by director as well. We watched Annie Hall, Hannah and Her Sisters, and Radio Days all in the same week.

I love his cleverness and wit, and in the more recent films it's almost as fun to watch the background scenery as it is to listen to the dialogue.

The whole purpose of watching a movie is to feel transported, and Allen's films unfailingly do it for me every time (okay, I was really tired when we watched Radio Days but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and hold to my generalization). The past couple of days have been stressful, including a walk home with a homeless man spitting in my face, so I can't wait to be transported again tomorrow night.

Here is a recent interview with Woody Allen and a film trilogy that also never failed to fully captivate my attention.

(Photo of Woody Allen)

Happy Anniversary, Cam and San Francisco!

A year ago today, Cam joined me in the City by the Bay. We had already been dating for several months, and known each other for several years, but I still felt incredibly nervous leaving work to meet him. I was anxious not only about seeing him for the first time in a month, but in wondering what our new life together would look like (and hoping that dating in the same city would be as magical and romantic as the scenes I had created in my mind while we Skyped from across the country).

Having him here is everything I had hoped for. I know that an "and more" would typically follow, but in reality, I had out-of-this-world expectations for us and it's actually quite shocking and amazing that they've been met.

I hoped to establish a mutual desire to build a life together in San Francisco, and to feel supported as I continued to search for a career in this city. We got drunk in Seattle about a month after he moved here and essentially named all of our future children, so it was nice to not feel delusional on the whole "mutual desire to build a life" thing. Since Cam arrived in San Francisco, he has found a wonderful and motivating job, and encouraged me to leave a job that I hated in the pursuit of a career befitting my talents and interests.

I also hoped that we would do a lot of exploring, and that we have certainly accomplished. From local trips to Marin, Berkeley, Danville, Half Moon Bay, Napa, Tomales Bay, Santa Cruz, Tahoe, Humboldt County and all over San Francisco -- to Seattle, New Orleans, Texas, Utah, New Jersey, New York, and Peru -- we have certainly covered a lot of ground together.

Cam, I'm so happy that we chose each other and San Francisco. Cheers to many more years of hiking in Marin, eating at Yellow Submarine, birthday dinners at Chez Panisse, Saturday morning trips to the Ferry Building, rowing in Stow Lake, celebrating Cinco de Mayo in Dolores Park, listening to our 3 CDs in the Jetta, kayaking in Donner Lake, booking plane tickets we probably shouldn't, and being in love in the best city in the world.

Some suggestions (from successful authors) on writer's block

This week has been incredibly busy since Cam's sister and her boyfriend are in San Francisco for the first time. Another friend of mine from Villanova flew in yesterday, so today I took our three guests to Muir Woods, The Pelican Inn for lunch, and for a quick driving tour of San Francisco. My brain is feeling a little fuzzy and not so ready to write, but I thought I'd share a couple of good links that friends have recently sent me regarding the writing process.

Writers on Writing; Easy on the Adverbs, Exclamation Points and Especially Hoopetedoodle from The New York Times

Nuts and Bolts: "Thought Verbs" An essay by Chuck Palahniuk

Also on this subject, Bird by Bird by San Francisco author Anne Lamott is an amazing book on learning to trust your instincts, being patient with yourself, and not taking yourself too seriously when it comes to writing (there are also some great general pointers and hilarious anecdotes on life). This is the first "writing process" book that made me feel inspired and motivated as opposed to "oh my god I am never going to get this right."

I have to share an excerpt because as I started writing about Bird by Bird, I remembered a scene between Anne and her son that had me cracking up while reading, not only because it was well-written and genuinely funny, but because I feel like this might be insight into my future with kids....

My son, Sam, at three and a half, had these keys to a set of plastic handcuffs, and one morning he intentionally locked himself out of the house. I was sitting on the couch reading the newspaper when I heard him stick his plastic keys into the doorknob and try to open the door. Then I heard him say, "Oh, shit." My whole face widened, like the guy in Edvard Munch's Scream. After a moment I got up and opened the front door. "Honey," I said, "what'd you just say?" "I said, 'Oh, shit,'" he said. "But, honey, that's a naughty word. Both of us have absolutely got to stop using it. Okay?" He hung his head for a moment, nodded, and said, "Okay, Mom." Then he leaned forward and said confidentially, "But I'll tell you why I said shit.'" I said Okay, and he said, "Because of the fucking keys!"

Happy Writing!

(Photo found here.)

Just for fun

In addition to studying (way less than I should be) for the GRE Literature Exam, training for a half marathon, and trying to balance friends and Cam, I've been nannying part-time for an adorable two-year-old named Hartley.

Last week I learned that Hartley had never been to the library, and I decided to take her for the first time. I didn't think much of it as we walked in -- since it's literally 5 feet away from the park and it just seemed natural to venture in after sliding and swinging all morning -- but later I was thinking about how cool it is to introduce a person to the library.

She's been asking to go everyday, and is amazed at the shelves upon shelves of books, the colored rug in the kids' area, and the little tables filled with moms and nannies reading to their little people. It's been so fun to share my love of reading with her, and to share in her excitement when we sit down at our table to read. 

Today I pulled a bunch of Dr. Seuss books, and was reminded of how fun they are, for kids and adults alike (I feel like my brain definitely got a workout trying to read all of the funny rhymes aloud). Here are some important reminders from good ol' Dr. Seuss and his crazy, colorful books...

Life lately, through iPhone photos

The past week has been such a whirlwind - quitting my job, starting my new part-time gig, visiting with family in Tahoe, and finally my first real day of unemployment. I woke up this morning feeling completely anxious and looking at the daunting task of studying for multiple tests, researching schools, and ultimately applying to graduate school (again). I know I need to break it down into manageable chunks, but so far today I've just been waiting for the anxiety to subside so that I can appreciate how lucky I am in having this time to truly (hopefully) better myself.

Since I haven't been posting much, here are some iPhone photos to show what I've been up to lately.