The Ha'penny Bridge in Dublin, Ireland

Ireland Week One: I brought the sun!

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Landed in Dublin mid-morning on Sunday. I actually had great flights. The middle seat on both the flight from SF to London and London to Dublin was empty. Huzzah! I managed to nap a bit on the long flight, but the real trick to beating jet lag is to STAY HYDRATED. Every time the flight attendants come by with water, have a glass.

My sibling, Tall One, picked me up from the airport (so nice) and after dropping my super duper heavy suitcase off at the apartment, we had a lovely brunch at Angelina’s. I was skeptical about the quality of avocados being from CA and so far from where they’re grown, but I ordered an avocado toast and was most certainly not disappointed. Continue reading →

Empty chairs at an airport with a plane in the background

Let the Adventure Begin…

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My parents instilled a sense of wanderlust in me (and my sibling) at a young age. I was barely 6 months old when I traveled to a different state by plane – Hawai’i – and I was 7 by the time I traveled to Europe for the first time.

So I’m always up for a travel adventure. I enjoy skipping about different cities and countries, some times in style, sometimes not. Exploring the touristy options as well as finding fun spots off the beaten track thrills me. Recently, I kept seeing advertisements for Remote Year on Facebook and thought how cool it would be. A year might be a little much (my work does host a huge conference, after all), but the idea of spending months working remotely and staying in places long enough to feel like you lived there sounded like a dream.
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Pesto Pizza Poppers on a plate with dipping sauce

Pesto Pizza Poppers

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My work held our second annual Spring Bake-off recently. We have both sweet and savory categories. I wanted to bake something a little different rather than a traditional baked good, so I went with the savory category.

Flour, sugar, salt, olive oil, pesto. yeast, mozarrellaI remembered from last year that a lot of our savory treats were yummy, but not very filling – read with bacon jam, savory shortbread cookies, etc. I thought it would be nice to provide something a little more substantive, but I needed it to be easily transportable and enough for 15 people to try. I was inspired by pizza monkey balls. That seemed easy to make into an eat-while-standing treat.

Thus, Pesto Pizza Poppers were born. Continue reading →

Black schoolgirl with molecular structure at the desk in chemistry laboratory

#MakeWhatsNext – Misses the Mark This Year

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Three years ago, Microsoft launched a spring campaign to encourage girls to join STEM fields. Girls Do Science, the first of their ads, was inspirational. They gave girls hope – in the form of letters – that they could one day be the inventor, the maker. Year two (2016) gave them women to aspire to be. Inventors who made their mark in history.

This year, they released multiple advertisements in a row. The first two were great, again following the inspirational nature of the original campaign. The girls featured in the ad got to play with awesome technology (proving it is in fact still an advertisement for Microsoft products). They are even named inspirationally: Find the Cure and Be the Solution.
The third 2017 advertisement, however, dangerously misses the mark. Why dangerously? Because it follows the same common theme we teach girls and women (and honestly all minorities). Continue reading →

Wardrobe Switching – Saying Goodbye to More than Winter

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Okay – I’m perhaps a week late with taking on this project, but it’s that time of year again: switching my wardrobe. Goodbye warm, tranquil colors of fall and winter. Hello bright, boisterous colors of spring and summer.

I like to change my wardrobe around the first day of spring each year, although I do bow down to the weather occasionally. Last week I went to storage to grab some of my summer clothing for a work trip to Orlando – more on that in a later post – but I didn’t actually do the full change until this week. It’s somewhat like seeing old friends again. I do miss my clothing, but swapping out my clothing allows me to have even more!

As I went about repacking my colder clothing, I realized something important; this winter was a discovery of sweaters I kept just because I dreaded not having enough, not because I loved them. Continue reading →

I Voted sticker

Recovering from Election Woes

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I feel like I’ve been mourning all month. It’s hard to explain to my more conservative friends and family. If the past year and half did not convince them of Trump’s danger, then explaining my grief at his success will not.

It was important to make space for such sadness. I am lucky to work at an organization that recognized that and encouraged people to take the time they needed. I was also lucky that family respected my heartache and did not push for discussion.

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Miami skyline

Experiencing the Everglades: A short trip in Miami

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I have a new goal – hit 30 states by the time I’m 30. I’m already at 23, so it’s seems like an easy accomplish, minus the fact that I live in California where getting to new states is a bit of a commitment.

State number 23 was Florida, and boy was it fun. Miami isn’t like any other place in the U.S. I’ve seen. It’s a whole different lifestyle from dress to mindset.

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Stanford, Turner, and the Unjust Rape Sentence

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The sentencing in the Stanford rape that was announced yesterday is disgusting and a true injustice.

Why shouldn’t a man who violates another person have a “severe impact” as punishment for his wrong doing? When 12 people unanimously say you are guilty, when you believe that drinking was the problem and not your violence is the issue, when you blame someone else for you unconscionable actions, you deserve to be impacted, to face the consequences of your actions.

But, when you are a star athlete, of course, you are automatically a better person and don’t need heavy punishment. Right?

No. Being physically gifted should not entitle you to easier sentencing when you have done wrong. And yet, this is the message our society continually sends. If you have provided entertainment on a field or pool, you can get away with sexual assault. Continue reading →

Outfit of the Week 6/3/16

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So normally I wouldn’t normally wear maroon in spring, as it’s more of a fall color. But I love this suede skirt too much to not wear it. It’s got pockets and falls perfectly above the knew. I paired it with a bright white top to balance out the dark color. I also wore a maroon headband to complete the outfit. We all have those days where our hair just won’t behave. While a headband may seem childish on the surface, when it’s paired with such profession items and matches color well, it can be a great addition to an adult wardrobe. And it’s a perfect solution for messy hair days and more professional than a ponytail!