Houston Reunions and Celebrations

Congratulations to my ito Parul & Peter!!!

Branding at the Ranch

From Hanoi to the Ranch

Today I am leaving this behind:

And heading to this:

Perhaps a little bit of culture shock is in store :)

I have loved my month in Hanoi (and surrounding area) - my work here was not only professionally an amazing experience, but also highly personally rewarding.  I love the glimpse I got into life here, I love eating out of a little bowl and sitting on little stools and becoming a pro at shoveling food into my mouth with chopsticks.  I love the gentleness of the people here, their deep care and concern about myself and my collegues... I love that I am leaving this place with lifelong friends.

But I also love that when I get off the plane on the other side, I will be back at my roots - I'll get to have my arms around my grandparents in just hours - and stop and breath on the ranch for several days.  I can't wait to rise and set with the sun and help with projects around the house and corrals, catch up with cousins, and more than anything, soak in every second I get with my grandma and grandpa.

I am both leaving and landing with a full heart. :)

Staff Training in Hanoi, Vietnam

I hope they aren't hungry.

I just thought you should know that I am checking my email in front of a crocodile pit.  There are about 9 sitting on a ledge right in front of me and another 10 of them are sketchiliy staring at me with their beady eyes just barely poking out of the water.  Sometimes the 'wow I can't believe this is my job' feeling is warm and fuzzy.... and sometimes its .... wondering what in the world I got myself into.

That is all.

At the site

Today our leadership team traveled to the site where we will train our staff and welcome our kiddos.
On the other side of the bridge and under that thatched roof the team is working away, making posters, creating documents on their laptops, brainstorming ideas...

Walking across that bridge and toward our team a few minutes ago I had one of those 'i-can't-believe-this-is-really-my-job' moments...

Training starts tomorrow for the first ever camp in northern Vietnam... isn't that something?!.. send us good thoughts!

Storm

Last night we were walking to dinner, and then suddenly everyone started yelling and running for cover.  Out of nowhere, the wind started whipping around - things started falling off of rooves and balconies, little stands knocked over..... and then it was like the sky opened and a giant bucket dumped down on us... for hours.

 

Keeping with the food theme..

I find the food here so pretty. If you looked at my camera this week and had to guess what my profession is, you would probably guess professional street food eater.

I promise we've also been doing our real work (we don't eat ALL day) - but somehow, I don't have photo proof of any of that.

Here's lunch - - tofu with greens and rice noodles..chili lime sauce.. delicious.


Stopping for some dessert on the way home... fresh fruit  and red bean with coconut milk and my favorite.. sweetend condensed milk - all topped with shaved ice.

Delicious AND pretty... best case scenario.

A photo tour of what I've eaten this week in Vietnam.

I realized yesterday that 99% of the pictures I have taken since getting back to Vietnam are of the food... so that's all I have to show for my week.  The good news is that Vietnamese food is one of my favorite things on this planet.  This is all street food, by the way... and (knock on wood VERY hard )- I haven't gotten sick once!

 Bun cha - my favorite food in the world.

 Sidewalk barbeque - they bring the meat and the grill, you cook! 

 Spring rolllllls - actually they said this was some other form of Pho..

 MORE bun cha - yuuuuuum!

 Greens and some kind of mystery meat.

And my personal favorite - we went on a search for a restaurant, and a little girl said to follow us.. so we did... and we ended up in her house!  They slapped us down in the middle of their bedroom, pulled in some plastic tables, and served us a small feast.  Oh Hanoi, you warm my heart!

Next Stop: Hanoi, Vietnam!

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As this is posted, I am probably asleep thousands of feet up in the air, eating smelly airplane food, or watching a romantic comedy movie marathon on a littttllle tiny screen...

because I am back on my way to Vietnam!!!

I'll be there for about 3.5 weeks this time.  I am so excited for this one - it will be the first camp in northern Vietnam, but we are working with a very experienced, very special team.  This program is extra close to my heart, because it is the first GPI program I went to after I started working for Hole in the Wall last year. 

Status: Hoping for super quick jet lag recovery, because I am as excited as I can be for this amazing program to start!

Chicago family time

Look how cute we are!  I love those four so so so much.

 Above - a picture of us taking a picture of ourselves- I know what you're thinking.. that is higher level artwork!

Chicago+my family=perfect weekend.

Things that were fabulous:

Getting to be the one to greet my parents at the airport gate instead of the other way around- a first?!

Seeing my brother and sis's home and getting glimpse into their new life together!

Watching my brother and sis cook a great dinner - and then eating it - yumm

Late late night chats with my brother and sister in law

The Untouchables Tour - crazy corny but a fun way to see the city!

Spending hours eating at Sunda

Having my entire family, every last one of them, escort to the airport - all the way to the security gate

Snuggles and talks over meals, during walks, on the couch... just realizing we were all together in the same place.

I loved every single minute, and am already looking forward to the next time we can be together.

Positivity

Monday night lots of wonderfulness happened.

WONDERFUL THING #1:

I went out for a happy hour with some of my favorite New Haven ladies – which is always so refreshing and a huge reminder that I truly have wonderful, wonderful people here.

WONDERFUL THING #2:

Two of our friends came a little late and told us that Brett Dennen was playing at a local venue and that there were still tickets available. WHAT? I love him! Yes please!

WONDERFUL THING #3:

When we went to pay our tab at the restaurant, we discovered that someone had covered our tab – thank you mystery person!

WONDERFUL THING #4:

Then we went to park at the venue – and found a parking space DIRECTLY in front of the block where we were going – no small miracle in New Haven.

WONDERFUL THING #5:

THEN we discovered that there was an ice cream store next to the venue, and exactly enough time to order and eat one bowl of frozen yogurt with sour patch kids on top.

WONDERFUL THING #6:

And then we proceeded to have an incredible evening of listening and grooving to Brett Dennen’s set.

I don’t know if you are familiar with Brett Dennen – but he is one happy guy. Or at least his music is.

This is a picture of him:

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He is up there, bare-footed, wiggling around, and just looking at him makes me happy.

A lovely benefit is that the crowds he attracts are super positive as well – Unlike the all-too-usual elbowing-shoving-glaring concert crowd, this crowd was shockingly pleasant. I bumped into a man, and he told me I had a nice shirt. I bumped into a lady and she said “isn’t Brett Dennen just so great?!”. People were just grooving with no rhythm whatsoever, and overall.. just happy and positive.

Which brings me to the point of this.

ALL of us talked about how cool it was to listen to such positive music for an evening.

As if it is a natural wonder.

As if it is unheard of.

I am kind of in the business of positivity – that’s what I get paid to create. And even I can only think of a few musicians who truly promote positive messaging – all of the time.

So my friend and I are on a mission to create a list of musicians who make us feel good – positive good.

Do you have any suggestions for our list? I will be sure to share the results.

 

PS - Brett Dennen is a huge supporter of The Mosaic Project.. which I just heard about for the first time, but which looks AMAZING.  Check it out!

New England Bucket List: Lobster in Maine!

Yesterday I went to Maine with Rachael and Kate.

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I need to digress for just a moment and talk about these two phenomenal ladies I have in my life. Actually to digress even further - I can't mention these two without talking about Pears, the other corner of this foursome. These three ladies have been a constant in my life for the last six (whoa!) years, and I can't imagine my life without them. We all taught at YES Prep together, and it is impossible for me to think about my life in Houston without thinking of them - they were staples, both professionally and personally. They were the ones who were in the teacher's lounge with me at 6am planning our lessons and stayed until 9pm some nights grading and laughing and making gigantic plans as how to change the world. And they were the ones who showed up at my house and packed up everything I owned while I laid on the floor with my foot bleeding the day before I was leaving for Ghana / grad school.

They visited me when I first started graduate school in Denver, and then visited when I was studying in South Africa, and then we all rallied in Boston when Kate started grad school, and in New York (for New Year's Eve!) when Rachael moved out there to follow her dreams, and then back here when.. I don't even remember what we were doing. And it doesn't matter what we do - whether we are just sitting around on the floor telling stories or on some great African adventure, I love and savor every single last minute with these three. 

Without exception, every single time we see each other I leave inspired, uplifted, and excited about life. We know each other so well -we know all of each other's strengths and weaknesses, and since we've been such close friends but also worked together, we know what lights each other up and what weighs each one down. We talk about huge ideas but also crazy body issues, boys and love and loss, fears and joys and religion and plans and failures and.. you see the point.

We are all COMPLETELY different - different backgrounds, different interests, different takes on life.. But the three of them are PHENOMS at what they do - so good, talented, passionate - and so they are constantly exposing me to new things and new ways of thinking about whatever particular life-stage is happening.

I love them. My life wouldn't be the same without them.

******
So yesterday, three of the four of us (missing Pearsy the whole way!) went to Maine to eat a lobster. Its on my bucket list. And who knew.. Maine isn't even that far away! So Rach came up here, we drove to Kate in Cambridge, and before the sun even set, we were in that elusive most north-eastern state in the union!

Check it off the list!!  And don't forget the bib...

Rachael even tried lobster for the FIRST TIME! :)

Maybe her first and last... :)