I can’t believe I’m in the last week of the Zipcar challenge already! Looking back, I see several contributing factors to my ability to go car-free. One: location, location, location! Living just 1.3 miles from work with no hills in the way makes it easy to bike or walk. Two: summer season! Doing this in the summer helps because the weather is not an obstacle and I’m not quite as busy, so I can take my time getting from one place to another. Three: incentives! Having something to work toward and the extra benefits that Zipcar has provided makes the challenge worthwhile. In summation, as with many challenges in life, the way to set yourself up for success is to: remove obstacles and add benefits.
Jump
About two weeks ago, Michelle and I went to Crater Lake in south central Oregon for some R&R. The water was bluer than any I have ever seen (bluer than Hawaii) and in many ways very magical, and also very cold. The picture on the left is one that I took of a man who decided to jump in. What’s interesting is that he was very hesitant before going in and after doing it, said that he’s not the kind of person to do something like this. What convinced him to finally jump in?
July was a strange and bittersweet month as it seemed some of life’s biggest events were ever more present. There were loved ones that passed and strange diagnosis of health issues. There were announcements of pregnancies and friends sharing that they were about to become engaged. As Michelle and I have been in transition and trying to plan our future, we realized how important and also extremely hard living in the present is. We can plan all we want, but our lives can change in an instant and things will never be the same.
It got me thinking of this man jumping in, how I remember being scared of marriage and what that would mean to risk unavoidable lost and potential hurt, all for joy and love. It brings back many memories of things that I’ve always wanted to do, but instead of doing them, I’ve let fear and excuses hold me back, convincing me otherwise. It seems that there are many things in life that involve risk. Raising a child, getting married, traveling and serving in another country, simply loving others, and i’ve seen people commit to these things, knowing, and not knowing what they are getting themselves into, but never regretting their decision for the amazing blessings that these experiences have brought.
So my questions today are simple:
What is it that you want to do with your life?
What are things that you’ve always wanted to do but fear has held you back?
When are you going to jump?
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Low Car Diet #3
I always thought that rain and snow would be the biggest weather deterrent from biking or walking to work- never did I expect to encounter 107 degree weather in Portland. Sheesh! Biking at least is a little more breezy and less effort than walking so I’ve been surviving.
In other news: I used a zipcar for the first time! Made the reservation online, got dropped off at the local Prius, swiped my card, drove downtown, hung out with a friend, got back in, stopped for free gas, parked it back where I found it, and went home. Altogether, it was a positive experience, and I was pleasantly surprised that the gas station attendant was already familiar with the zipcar gas cards!
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Low Car Diet #2
I wasn’t able to blog by Friday this week because we’ve been traveling “out of range.” I have been riding in cars quite a bit, though each time has been in a shared vehicle, so I haven’t been cheating! Last weekend, Jedd and I traveled with our housemates to Vancouver, BC by car. We thought about taking Amtrak, but paying for four train tickets would cost a lot more than the gas to carpool. I also had to pick up a student from the airport who was returning from our East Africa Immersion pilot trip, however, I used a vehicle from the Moreau Center for Service and Leadership at U.P. (which is kinda like Zipcar for University volunteers). Finally, I also got to take a long weekend to travel with my husband to Crater Lake and camp at Black Canyon. Other than that, I’ve been enjoying walking and biking to work during the week! As long as the weather holds up, I think I’ll be fine.
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Intentionally, well thought-out cities….
So Michelle and I are up in
Vancouver BC on a quick road trip (to escape the Portland heat if you can believe that) and we have loved the way the city has developed itself into a fun, artsy, and outgoing community. We started with bike riding around Stanley Park and marveled at all the people taking advantage of the multiple playing fields, beaches, rollerbladers, picnics, and the spectacular views of the surrounding mountains, bridges, and Vancouver skyline. The park sits on a point and has miles of fun things to do and see (rose garden, horse carriage rides, playgrounds, outdoor pools, and hidden ponds).
We then went to Granville Island, a re-developed area of Vancouver that is like Pike’s Market, but better (sorry Seattle). The public market has amazing food vendors and merchants (cheese, produce, chocolates, seafood, fresh pasta). Also on the island are cool shops and boutiques, restaurants, art galleries, a special kid’s section of shops, playgrounds, and a wrap around walkway. Again, we were fascinated by all the people there, the beautiful surroundings and the well designed walkways used by the residents of the area.
Finally, we stopped by “Night Market” in Richmond (an area close to Vancouver). This was an amazing event with hundred of merchants selling artistic and random goods, a main stage for performers, and tons of food vendors with lots of interesting food. Richmond is very culturally diverse and so the things you see and experience at Night Market will be fun and memorable. We knew we were in another country, but for a moment, it was hard to remember which country we were in. We were also shocked that it starts around 8pm and ends at 3am!!!! If you visit Vancouver between June and August, you have to visit this event. 
We really love cities like this, cities that feel as if a lot of planning was involved to make it fun and sustainable. It got us thinking, a lot of you have traveled around, what other cities are awesome that you think are planned out really well for residents and visitors and provide a unique experience that truly reflects the cultural identity of the city? Please give us a few suggestions of places we should go on our next trip. Thanks everyone!
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Low Car Diet
I am not one to accept a challenge if I’m not sure I can accomplish it. Not too long ago, I received an e-mail from Zipcar, issuing a challenge to go car-free for a month. I threw my name in the bucket and soon enough, I had been selected as one of 30 Portlanders to participate! We can walk, bike, bus, carpool, or zipcar but no going solo in the cruiser. Our car keys are locked up for the month, so to speak.
If you know where I work and where I lived all last year, you’d know that it took me a mere 8 minutes to wander over to the office by foot. Driving to work would have actually increased my commute time, having to first get the car from the parking garage and then maneuver around construction while stopping periodically for pedestrians. So I always walked. I got some exercise, saved money on gas, avoided stressful traffic, and kept my carbon footprint to a minimum. I could even eat lunch every day from the comfort of my own kitchen. It was unbeatable. I knew I was spoiled, and the dream commute couldn’t last forever.
Eventually it was time to move out (due to Jedd’s job transition). We were blessed to have two different couples open their homes to us over the summer while we figured out what’s next on the horizon. Though still fairly close, our new locale(s) were no longer that convenient 8-minute walk away from my office. I wanted to keep my commute car-free. And Zipcar served me the incentive on a silver platter!
I’m sure the experience will have its challenges as well as its rewards. I’ll be posting weekly about my unconventional “diet,” so I invite you to follow along as I go!
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Small things with great love
The following are some thoughts from past journal entries…
The world we live in has so many distractions. “Important” work pulls me away from deeper, truer relationships with people. Retirement funds convince me that the end goal is security. Shopping malls pretend to be a form of entertainment, a means of finding “satisfaction.” Somewhere along the way, I was seduced to strive for independence over interdependence, for safety over sacrifice.
Author Gary Haugen described his world as “a reasonably pleasant backyard patio.” That is, until “confronted with the massive, violent oppression in our world.” Life around me here in the USA seems to shroud the need for God. The culture draws me to reverse my priorities and to become accustomed to living upside-down. The more I am immersed in this culture, the harder it is to focus on what’s important and to see things for what they truly are.
~
I want to be loving but I care more about my own protection. I want to show appreciation but I keep it in for fear I might be overwhelmed with tears. I want to serve others but would rather keep my distance. I want to give up all I have but I choose to invest in myself.
~
Another piece of our American distraction is thinking that the majority of the world lives like we do. They don’t. This world is broken and torn apart. Injustice overwhelms countries like cancer and plagues lives too numerous to count. Yet I sit here warm and well-fed on a leisurely Saturday afternoon as if it were all just a made-up story and the “real” world is calm and peaceful. Having opened my eyes to the suffering, I can never truly rest peacefully, knowing I am one of the few privileged- by no accomplishment of my own.
I sometimes wonder what “God’s Kingdom come on Earth” is supposed to look like. I know our world is far from the order, unity, and love found in God’s realm. Our world is broken. Broken. Broken. Broken. Wars over pride, envy, greed- one after another. Slavery, abuse, inequality, unsanitary conditions, violence, broken homes, broken families, broken relationships, broken countries, broken leaders, broken governments, broken churches, twisted values, shallow love, depression, despair. Not a thing, person, or place is untouched by The Fall. Nothing is perfect, nothing is as it should be. It is said: the whole world groans.
But still, throughout this beat-up planet, there are sprouts of vibrant, healthy roots that battle the broken land. Agape is alive in big and small ways. In every thing, person, and place God is also flowing through their veins, persistently bringing hope, restoration, and love to every corner of the Earth. It is my faith that allows me to trust. I know who is the Victor. Though I see just the smallest fraction of the big picture, I trust that I need do no more than that which God has entrusted to me: Small things with great love.
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Learning about humanity from animation…
So I have a guilty pleasure, a tiny obsession, a blatant passion for Pixar movies.
There I said it.
I know it’s not weird to love Pixar movies. Many people enjoy their story telling, the humor, their pure entertainment value, and most of all their endearing characters. But to love Pixar movies, animated movies that feature fictional, fantasy based characters (talking fish, monsters, cartoon people, cooking rats, robots in-love) because they teach us what it means to be human? Crazy talk…
But it’s true….
I’m thankful for Pixar because they truly know how to capture emotion, telling stories about life that we can relate to through stories that take place to these crazy characters. Follow me if you will…..
– a father in search of son who wants to be free of being held down (Finding Nemo)
– a greedy monster seeks to hurt and scare people instead of thinking about a creative, innovative way to power his nation (Monsters Inc.),
– a robot that is curious to think and act for himself, to serve others, and ultimately puts himself at risk for others he loves (Wall E.),
– a rat being true to his vocational calling to be a chef and helping others to be true to themselves (ratatouille),
– a story of love, saying goodbye well, and letting go (UP). 
It’s not a magic formula or anything. Just stories that talk about real life experiences, told through a fictional, magical perspective, and maybe that’s why we can make that connection with them. No one would believe that kind of magic actually exists in real life among humans today. But it does and as cliche as it sounds, maybe we just need to believe.
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Not a shameless plug
Well maybe…
But seriously, a lot of you may or may not know Justin Klump. On Wednesday, July 8th at 7pm, Justin will be featured among rare animals like Asian elephants, pigmy warthogs, and the African rhino when he co-headlines a Zoo Tunes Concert at the Oregon Zoo. I’ve known Justin now for about 8 years, long enough to know that he shrieks at an incredible high pitch when he is scared (ask him about the winged bat incident), that he can play almost any Dave Matthew’s song (but won’t do it for a concert), that he is fiercely loyal to family and friends, that his jokes are terrible and yet fun to laugh at (him, not the jokes), and that people are drawn to him for who he is, not just because he’s a great songwriter. Of all the things I know about Justin, the most striking observation is his humility and commitment to be nothing but genuinely Justin Klump. He could have been another Jonas brother, or followed the path down formulaic music. Instead he intentionally chose to share his heart with others, stayed true to himself and not sell himself to the industry, and has found himself living his dream. Each of his songs tells a story, songs about hardships, hope, and love. The kind of real stuff that sometimes people forget about in the industry (sorry Britney Spears)
You see, when Justin get’s on that stage on Wednesday, the real story will be the one where a young man took a risk to pursue his passion, started off slow, battled against confusion and frustration, poured out his heart, shared his gifts, and in the end, singing and playing guitar on one of the biggest stages of his life to both humans and other animal species. I’m just saying that if you knew where this guy has been, know what he is about today, you would be excited for where he is going. Although he’s like a brother to me, I am also an inspired fan of Justin, for what he stands and plays for. So maybe this is just a shameless plug, but maybe this is way I can just say that I’m glad to know him and so freaking proud of him.
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Haiti Recap Video
Here’s a quick video montage I put together of our trip with Haiti Foundation of Hope in June 2009. I wanted to show everyone a little piece of each aspect of the Foundation we saw without getting too in depth or lengthy. It’s about 6 and a half minutes. Jedd graciously obliged me by doing some narrating. Enjoy!
Related posts:
The People of Haiti
The Land of Haiti
