I used to think that belonging and acceptance were found externally, that you are accepted and/ or belong somewhere based on the thoughts, feelings and actions of some external source (group, people, place). Now I’m starting to feel that acceptance and belonging are actually found internally, regardless of the external circumstances, that a person can … More on acceptance and belonging
Love is new for me. More specifically, real love, lived love, is new for me. I used to think that I knew love, what it meant to love another. But, at the time, I knew love in my head, a concept to toy with, like a jagged rock, wave-tumbled and smooth, an object, once found, … More the small things
What happens when an outdoor educator takes a remote tech job? Stream of consciousness… I keep trying to distract myself from answering this question. And I feel like there is something deeper there that I don’t want to look at. Just last night, over dinner, we were talking about cryptocurrency, how the world is becoming … More Hybrid Workweek
Dear Oak, the surprise I felt at the strength of your voice illuminates the extent of humanity’s self-absorption. In many ways, before meeting you, I adopted the colonial, savior mentality, in my relationship to conservation, and how best to address the environmental crisis that we face. I felt I knew, based on my eurocentric education, … More Wisdom of the Oak part II: Voice
Dear Oak, I feel, sometimes, that stillness has elusive tendencies. My mind runs a mile a minute, focussed simultaneously on the micro and macro scales of existence. I lose myself in the tension between the conceit of individualized experience, and the societal pressures which influence our lives. Though I understand the concepts of stillness, mindfulness … More Wisdom of the Oak part I: Place
Yesterday, I went with some classmates and lecturers to visit an Oak tree. We had visited this tree over a year ago, as part of our program, and since then much has changed for us, the Oak, the program, and the university. I believe we all chose to spend time with this tree for different … More A moment of stillness
As I left the Presidio Letterman YMCA, on a perfectly sunny and beautiful San Francisco Sunday, I could not contain my happiness. I grinned from ear to ear and practically skipped as I headed back to my car. My belly was full of butterflies and my heart felt lighter than it had in months. As … More How a Sexual Assault Prevention Seminar is Helping me Learn to Love Myself
Trigger warning: this essay deals with the death of a loved one At the time that I write this sentence, it has been two and a half years since my mom died of stage four breast cancer. If you had asked me two years ago whether I felt privileged as her caregiver, a wave of … More The Privilege of Death
Home Sweet Home 