Friday, November 26, 2010

thankfulness.

It's quiet and lonely on my street this Thanksgiving week. It's amazing how much comfort a peppermint brownie and pumpkin spice latte can bring. Lots of people went home for Thanksgiving, or traveled elsewhere for loved ones, and that makes me really happy. I think everyone should be able to spend Thanksgiving with their family and friends. We all get so busy, it's a nice excuse to get everyone together for dinner, and to hang out and catch up. In fact, on Thanksgiving day, I was talking to Alex's uncle's dad, and he said we need to plan a West Coast reunion, because as silly as it sounds, there are eight of us living in the SF Bay Area now and this is the first time we've seen each other in months...all year, unless rides to/from the airport count.

Everyone who's not home for Thanksgiving however, are consumed by school work and stressed to the max...which doesn't make me as happy. But, here's where I get to brag about my friends. They are all so incredible!! Such kind, hardworking, genuine, talented, honest and loving beings. We are all sensitive, emotional and crazy in our own right... and we are all beautiful.

The closer we get to the holidays, the more people I notice around me. I know this is silly, and that I should notice people around me all the time, but I'm human, and I try my best. There's just something about the holiday season that makes me look around more. Perhaps this is why I like it so much. Tonight, I had dinner with my lovely new friend Joseph. And after dinner, we gave our leftovers to this tiny, cute, homeless lady. Our first response when she came up to us, quietly asking a question we didn't really hear, was, "Sorry, we don't have any cash." (which was true). But this adorable little lady, in the cutest voice, said, "I'm not asking for money. Do you have any food?" and I was sooo happy that we had just eaten and could say "YES!" to that question. She looked up at us with puppy dog eyes (seriously!) and said, "God bless you", and then limped away. I got such a warm feeling in my heart from this encounter. And on my walk back home, I saw a man playing Christmas songs on his steel drum... something I've always wanted to do, but I feel like every year it comes faster than I can prepare for.

I feel like I have changed so much in this year-and-a-little-bit that I've been living in San Francisco...most of it for the better. I am becoming so much more in tune with myself, and eventually that will turn into better confidence, the more I push myself. I am finally able to verbalize thoughts and ideals that are important to me. And I am learning to love myself deeper than I'm used to.

I really need to step my game up with this blogging thing, because this whole "once a month" thing just isn't working for me. Soooo, I am going to piggy back off of Roxanne's lists, (people she's thankful for and her Quirks Project, in a way) to just brag about my amazingly wonderful friends a little more. Maybe they'll read it and believe me when I say "you really, truly are a beautiful person." And maybe they won't, but their goodness is just too good not to share, ya know?

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

I'm too busy for everything.

This is what I've been up to lately.


Notice my 2 giant friends in the back.