Escape to Huntington Beach

It's a quicky post tonight...

• I'm in Huntington Beach
• For a week (:D)
• If you hold very still and don't breathe, you can hear the crash of the waves 8 blocks away
• We arrived just in time for the 2009 US Open Surf Tournament!!
• Two days of intense surfing. The final rounds were i-n-c-r-e-d-i-b-l-e
• I pushed and shoved with all the other reporters and stood 3ft away from the champion surfer of the women's division
• Another champion surfer made little, flirty jokes about my name
• Tomorrow we're going surfing
• Tomorrow I'm going to hang at the beach with my dear amiga; Juliet.
• Today I had a run-in with a very _____ policeman who was furious and rolled his snotty little eyes at me. Hmph. Don't worry, no tickets my friends. And don't worry, I still respect policemen...
• Got dazzling blue sunglasses (kinda like yours, Rex, and from the same place!)
• Got so burned my shoulders started to turn purple. Thank God for aloe.
• Watched 'The Great Debaters' last night and had a sudden, painful craving for debate
• Beginning to let go. Beginning to heal.
• Wrote some poetry. It's therapeutic; poetry.
• Learned to play smashball and spent a whole day at the beach...well...smashing balls
• Learned a new song on the guitar
• Stayed up 'till midnight playing said guitar and teaching/singing praisesongs to Blanca
• Singing hymns, in rounds, in English and Spanish, is magical.
• Discovered my overseas "siblings" ADORE blonde jokes. Needless to say, I laughed 'till I couldn't breathe tonight at their delighted howls of laughter.
• Learned the lyrics to 'Disturbia'
• Waded out into the crashing waves beneath the Huntington Beach pier and threw my worries and anger into the sea. Breathed in the fresh salt air and basked in God's grace.

That's all I have time for tonight. It's disjointed, I know, and I'm sorry. When I find a wireless hub I'll put on a couple pictures...but for now, goodnight. :)

Escape to the river

I was supposed to work tonight.

I was supposed to spend my hours from 5:00-9:00 tonight cleaning orange-juice machines, restocking frozen fruit and styrofoam cups, moping floors and getting Jamba for the next busy day.

But instead, I found a dear soul to cover my shift tonight and my 7 "siblings", dad and I headed out to the American River for a day rafting. How absolutely awesome and summerish. :D

Blanca and I dipped our toes in the freezing water while the boys and Sara did kamikaze jumps off the high clay bluffs. Splash! Sparkling beads of water flew like liquid diamonds, landing on the hot rubber raft where they evaporated instantly. The current was strong and we only had to paddle a couple times. We braved the rapids, decided we didn't experience the rush to the fullest, hauled the heavy raft out of the water and portaged back a few hundred yards so we could give those rapids a second run. Splash! Water! Shrieks! Laughter! Innocent, summer happiness.

It's amazing how glorious life can be with just a raft, good friends and God's creation. Add some irresistible water and some spunky personalities and you're set for one amazing adventure.

Yeah, I was supposed to work tonight. ::grins::

Subtle Wisdom

Quietness.




"It's like the deep breath before the plunge." -Gandalf

A piece of my worldview...

Although I sometimes worry, I hardly ever worry about getting lost. I think I can almost say I never worry about getting lost.

Driving has always thrilled me. I have always loved getting behind the wheel. The very first time I buckled into the driver's seat, turned that magic key, gently pressed the pedal, and began to drive, I remember an intense feeling of freedom. "I'm flying," I remember saying. Sure, it sounds quite cliche...but I saw a pair of wings in those four rubber wheels.

Like I said, driving has always thrilled me. Getting from one place to another has never been a chore, rather every run to the grocery store is an adventure. An exciting sally-forth into the world.

Much to the chagrin of my passengers, and often my mother, I actually enjoy getting lost. Not that I purposely take wrong turns. But when it does happen, it never bothers or stresses me out. Now, sure, if we're supposed to have been somewhere 10 minutes ago, and I have no clue where we are...yeah, that's stressful. But in general, on a day to day basis, when I take a wrong freeway exit, turn left instead of right, daydream too much and coast right by my destination - it doesn't bother me a whit.

I see it this way: you're going to get there eventually. By taking that wrong turn, nothing fatal is going to happen to you (unless a meteor crashes out of the sky or something). You're going to be able to turn around, you'll find your way back and hey! You'll probably see something new and cool while you're at it. Snazzy, isn't it?

And so, know that if you ever drive with me and I take a wrong turn...I'll probably be grinning and leaning forward in the driver's seat. Turn up the music, don the sunglasses and roll down the window. Getting lost is fun. And when you DO get where you want to go, you'll have a story to boot.

San Fransisco

The city of dreams

The city of secrets and desires

The city of beautiful mystery

After 10 days on the East Coast competing and sight-seeing, the sparkling lights of San Fransisco were a beautiful "welcome back."

And now, tomorrow morning, I'm going back. "I'm thrilled" is an understatement.

We go to pick up four new "siblings" - four eager Europeans excited about a summer spent in Sacramento. The Belgian, Ruben (16), is an old, dear, mischievous friend and arrives first. Andres (16) and Felix (13), from Gran Canaria, are newer amigos...in fact, I only met Andres once, and that was for a mere couple hours. The fourth, Blanca (23), is a Journalism major from the University of Madrid, whom I look forward to meeting on Saturday.

It's going to be wonderful. Four new friends to explore the summer with. Four new amigos to romp around San Fransisco, Sea Ranch, Old Sacramento, the Jelly Belly Factory, the American River, and the backyard with. I can't wait. I can't wait!

Tomorrow. Ruben comes tomorrow.

Don't speak...

Don’t speak.

I know just what you’re thinking.

Let happiness pervade the silence.

Happiness alone.

Don’t speak.

Perfection defines this moment.

Peaceful silence. Quiet tranquility.

Beauty.

Don’t speak.
I know just what you’re thinking.

Don’t tell me ‘cuz it hurts.

Don’t speak.

Don’t speak.
Words are painful.

Just enjoy the moment.

An empty status quo.

Don’t speak.

Listen to the wind; whispering amongst the clouds.

Count the blades of grass; softly growing.

Just listen.

Don’t speak.

Can we sit and daydream?

Let words sink back into antiquity.

Ancient stillness.

Quiet thinking...

My words feel bare and exposed.

My thoughts and emotions seem vulnerable on this screen. I don't want to write tonight. I don't want to expose my mind or feelings tonight. My words will get carried away and my sentences will betray me. Yet, I feel I must write. Words, thoughts, poetry, swirls of phrases and patterns creep out of me - especially when I'm upset and worried. I'll condem myself to insanity if I don't write, yet I condem myself to a level of regret if I do.

Today began with a wonderful lilt of warmth, song, beauty and power. It began with friends, glorious worship, laughter and love. Happiness. The warmth of a smile. The peaceful happiness eyes can share.

The day didn't end that way. But a person can choose to remember that warmth, that happiness, the quiet rhythm of joy.

I'm going to end here. Words are spinning 'round and 'round, but I'm going to stop here. There is a train honking in the distance; it's warning call ringing out through the night. The wind rustles through the glass chimes outside my bedroom window. It's peaceful. There can be peace in a storm.