"Man, I Haven't Written in Forever!"

Finding motivation to blog post-India has proved difficult. I don't keep a journal. I'm terrible at it; an unfortunate flaw in an aspiring anthropologist. On a recent trip to visit family and friends in Oregon, I looked through a series of journals that I filled about an eighth of each. It was difficult to read past the first sentence of most entries, they all began the same way: "Man, I haven't written in forever!" or, "I'm sorry I haven't written in so long, I'll try harder!" Sick. My collection of mostly empty lackluster journals make me out to be something comparable to a chronic New Year's resolution failure. Basically I do not want to be remembered by what I unfortunately chose to write-- or didn't. Anyway, this isn't the topic I want to write about tonight, I just want to apologize 'cause, man, I haven't written in forever!

But I do have excuses! I've been busy. And I have had a mostly interesting and somewhat fun summer. I feel like serving you an update in one of those drawn-out Christmas card style lists. Merry Christmas!

-I currently live in San Diego, CA
-Intern at a nonprofit refugee aid organization called the International Rescue Committee
-Work in Food Security and Community Health Department, spend most of my time at an urban farm where 80 refugee families have taken charge of their own food systems
-Though they have taught me everything I know about farming, I get to "help" the farmers care for, harvest, package, market, and sell produce
-Conducting research on food security, diet change, and refugee identity
-Work Monday through Friday 8 to 8
-Growing my own garden with the help of good friend Shelleybot
-I love farming and think my destined route involves the anthropology of food and nutrition
-Discovered my inner carnie while working at the San Diego County Fair selling Mexican food over July 4th weekend, plus a few other days. Nutrition, I learned, does not exist at county fairs. Deep fried butter anyone (yes, the photo is real)? How about chocolate covered bacon?
-Three Disneyland trips
-Two Huntington Beach trips. One to reunite with my long lost baby brother
-A new love for wakeboarding
-Ocean kayaking
-Went home to Oregon for a few days: hiked, ate, saw fam and friends, biked, attended a fantastic wedding and boogied into the night
-Undergoing foot reflexology: "Feet DON'T Lie." Awkward, hilarious, and not life changing (a cache of details to come. Eventually.)
-Bikram Yoga: Life changing. Seriously