Back in PDX

Ahh, a fresh Friday morning, bowl of oatmeal, and some hot tea make today the perfect morning to start my blogging escapades once more. I just arrived back in PDX after a week-long trip in Michigan with my family. The trip was all that I could have asked for. Being around the chaos of a huge family makes me absolutely positive that I want a big family someday. We had three generations of “Duke’s” staying in my grandpa’s house in Southfield, which means I woke up every morning to at least 3 people bouncing around the house. I am having trouble accurately describing how great it was to be with everyone. I’ll leave it at this: if given the choice, I would do it over again 8 times in a row. 

Ella, Abby, and I getting ready to tube

Our days were spent on the boat, tubing and skiing until our arms fell off. We got to play around on the jet ski, and relax at the sand bar as well (I know right, who wouldn’t want to go back in a second!). My only disappointment was that I did not get to experience a thunderstorm, which is usually a staple for our trips to the Midwest. 

While I was gone I celebrated quite a momentous event… I turned 21. Finally! My birthday was so much fun, my cousin Hannah and I took a drive up to Michigan State where she goes to school. We went to a bar called Rick’s and partied there all night. I had no idea people would be so willing to buy me birthday drinks. And by people, I mean guys. It was awesome until I realized just how much I drank. Overall my birthday was a success; I got to go to a bar and be with such fun people. I only wish I would have gotten to celebrate with Rei, because we are twins and that would have made my birthday perfect. By the way, only 17 more days until she is back in Portland! I am so excited to see her!

Nick and I fighting to stay on the tube

This vacation made me feel refreshed and ready to go for the rest of summer. I feel inspired to work on my vision again, and look back on my 1, 5, and 10 year goals. In 20 days I will embark on another trip to Whistler, BC. I. Am. So. Excited. San Francisco and Portland will be reunited once again for a most memorable (or lack there of) trip. As for now, I am getting back into the swing of things: working, getting ready for the fall semester, and most importantly enjoying the final half of my summer. 

Birthday Girls 

Look forward to more frequent posts! It is in my July goals and will certainly roll over into August! Love <3

Frustration

Today is June 19. Normally, this would excite me because, being the mid/end of June, the weather is beautiful and summer has set in quite nicely. However, this is not the case as I am in Portland. Thus, the name of my blog for today: frustration. Anyone who knows me could tell you that I am a summer person. I crave the sun in the dreary months of winter, and spring cannot get out of the door fast enough for summer to come. Long runs, swimsuit tans, cool drinks, warm nights, and easy living are a few of my favorite summer essentials. I repeat: this is not the case in Portland, Oregon. As I am sitting here writing, the temperature is 61 degrees and the sky is an endless blanket of clouds. I’m just going to get this out of my system… What the HELL?!

My disappointment could possibly be sprouting from my past week at home. Oh yes I’m talking about the Bay Area. I always thought that I would leave the Bay for college and never look back. Turns out I can’t wait to graduate so I can start my career and life in California. These past three years have made me realize how much I truly value the sun and open space, rolling hills, and the fast paced lifestyle of the Bay Area. Oh, and I miss being close to my family of course. I keep telling myself that I only have 2 more years here, but the days (especially these wintery faux-summer days) are hitting me hard. Is a summer season so much to ask for? I don’t think so…

Anyway, aside from my incredibly pessimistic attitude towards the Pacific Northwest right now, I wanted to mention my dad in this post because it is Father’s Day!!!! My dad has been my rock and foundation for so long and I am so grateful for him. We have the same humor and can do anything together. From screaming his head off at my soccer games to training for my half marathon with me, we are inseparable. I can’t wait for him to be back in the US so we can make fun of each other and drive my mother crazy again :) Happy Father’s Day Dad! Love you! 

Home

The title of my blog is “Home is where the heart is,” but I really haven’t given much explanation for the name I chose until now. I recently made a trip home, my first successful surprise trip! It was amazing, I loved every second of it. So, I thought for this entry I would summarize what home really means for me.

• Home is Clayton, California.
• Home is looking up and seeing the most beautiful blue sky.
• Home is eating barbequed chicken with rice. And salad with Italian dressing.
• Home is endless trails and rattlesnakes and tarantellas and squirrels and scrub jays.
• Home is el pueblo.
• Home is sitting on the couch watching trashy tv.
• Home is where I try all my baking & cooking experiments.
• Home is staying in pajamas all day.
• Home is getting up early to get a run in before the temperature reaches 90 degrees (usually by noon).
• Home is summer.
• Home is trying all the new froyo shops.
• Home is bonding time with my family.
• Home is running around the park with my crazy puppy.
• Home is a town with a grocery station, starbucks, and a gas station. And that’s pretty much it.
• Home is Mount Diablo.
• Home is seeing best friends from high school.
• Home is getting pedicures with my mom.
• Home is always listening to country  music.
• Home is my favorite place.

So maybe now you understand why I chose the name “Home is where the heart is” for my blog. I miss living in the sun and having everything be familiar, but I am at a point in my life where the future excites me and I am ready for it. For now, I treasure my time spent at home, looking forward to each trip back to the Bay. Although I just returned to Portland after spending a couple days at home, I am counting down until my next trip (24 days away!!!).

Also, I didn’t think it would be fair to give so much praise to Clayton and leave Portland completely out in the cold, so in P-town’s defense… I really do like it here. Living in the PAC NW has been quite an experience these past three years. I love Portland as a city because it is so green (environmentally and chromatically) and because it holds special memories of my college life. I also love my job here at lululemon, absolutely LOVE everyone I work with and cherish my time there. There you go Portland, you get your own mini shout out amongst this Clayton-o-philia.

Love!

Change.. gah

So I’ve kindof been avoiding blogging for a while. My first excuse was school, then finals came, and then I decided I should be spending every minute outside in the sun rather than typing out my life story. The truth is I haven’t wanted to blog because I have been trying to shut out reality. However, now that I’ve gotten over myself and my life, I am ready to write again! Furthermore, I am committing to blogging at least once a week for the summer!

Lately my birthday has been on my mind. July 15^th cannot come soon enough because I will finally be the big 2-1 (emphasis on big). If you knew me at all, you would expect me to be a little worried about this transition, as I freak out with the slightest bit of change. This may sound silly, but twenty-one years old sounds SO OLD to me. I’m not sure if I’m mentally/emotionally ready to handle the world. Thankfully, I am still in school, which definitely shelters me a LOT and I can sweep my anxiety under the rug for another year or so until I graduate. Growing up has never hit me so hard. The transition to college was simple because it was pretty much exactly the same as Carondelet, and everything else I’d like to say I have taken with confidence and an eager attitude.

These next couple years though will not have the seamless transitions that I am comfortable making. For instance, once I graduate, I will have to pay my own bills (I can only mooch off of my parents for so long), find a place to live, and find a job. AND maintain a social life! Recently, I was talking about my 1, 5, and 10 year goals at work. News flash: 10 year goals are REALLY intimidating. Especially for a person who has been resisting the urge to “grow up” for her entire life. Jeez. Nonetheless, my goal coaching session went well, thanks to the wise words of Kathryn, who guided me through a discussion about my future. Growing up still freaks me out, but I know everything will be okay because I have been surrounding myself with awesome and inspiring people.

Speaking to that, I have recently experienced a revelation that I have been putting certain people on a pedestal, making my perception of them as flawless beings who can manipulate me at the snap of a finger. Well, could manipulate me at the snap of a finger. I am proud to say that I am backing away very s-l-o-w-l-y from those people mentioned above. It’s about time that I start taking a stand for myself and not avoiding conflict like the plague. Insert Jeez #2. Anyway, now that I have a completely refreshed outlook on life and on how I perceive people, I feel great. Change is inevitable and I have to come to welcome as I would a best friend.

So I guess this entry is a little scattered, what else is new. I went from being sad about life, to being scared about turning 21, and ended with my “revelation.” Oh, and one final piece that I would like to add is… I miss Bianca and Rei! They have been my wingmen all year and I was so sad to see them leave Portland. Bianca, if you read this: I hope you’re having the best time in Espana, knock them dead! And as for Rei: she is either 1. Sleeping (most likely) 2. Eating or 3. Wearing googely goggles. Love you!

The Usual

4/15/2011

I can’t believe it’s already the middle of April! Of course, no one would know it here because I don’t think it will ever stop raining. But you know what they say, April showers bring May flowers so let’s hope we only have 15 more days of rain. (yeah right) BUT anyway, my life has been relatively normal for the past couple of weeks. My dad graced me with his presence early this week and we got to go to dinner and ice cream on Tuesday, and then to lunch on Wednesday. YUM. No calzones on this trip though :( After he left I resumed my week at school, except I didn’t go to any classes on Thursday because I was sick. This was the first time all semester that I was actually sick and had to skip classes. Luckily today I am feeling excellent and am ready for the weekend. Convenient? Yes.  Although I don’t have any set plans for the weekend, except work of course, I am excited to have a couple days to relax and sleep in. I am currently snacking on some delicious strawberry ice cream, sipping tea, making wheat berries for dinner, and listening to Lady Antebellum. Yes, this is setting me up for a perfect weekend.

Dad munching on his sushi at dinner

As many of you know, I have given up shopping for Lent, and I cannot WAIT for April 24^th. My items on hold at lululemon are looking more and more appealing as the days go by!!!!! I am also in the market for some Vibram Five Fingers shoes for running and day to day activities. At Skogg yesterday, I learned that Fit Right NW (a recreational shoe company in Portland) has the Five Fingers and I am so excited to snatch a pair. Now, I realize that my incentive for giving up shopping during Lent was to save money. And (D & T) if you have looked at my bank account lately, you’ve seen well I’m doing. That being said, I have a couple of justifications for purchasing the Five Fingers:

• 1.       Running in them will allow me more range of motion, improve my balance and agility (yeah yeah go ahead and laugh), and improve my posture.
• 2.       I will use them for kettlebells as they are flat and will get rid of the natural “sway” that running shoes have.
• 3.       They’re super weird looking, and as long as I’m living in Portland I want to embrace my weirdness.

So there you go. I am super pumped and have been researching which ones I want to buy. Now I just have to decide which color I want. I was going to wait and put them on my birthday list, but there’s no way I can wait that long. Also, I’m not like Nick, meaning I don’t get my birthday presents 3 months early. Great. Anyway, I have been working on more important things to put on my birthday list so keep your eyes peeled for a list :). Speaking of birthdays, today is official 3 month countdown until the big 2-1. YAYYYYY!

Vibram Five Fingers Bikila!!!! :)

I also learned a rather upsetting piece of news this week. Don’t freak out, it’s not serious. But I am not very happy. I learned that a lot of girls in the nursing program don Dansko Clogs. If you don’t know what these are, I am so happy for you. I wish I didn’t. HOWEVER, I might have to buy a pair before I start my clinicals. Barf. But I’m sure my mom would be so excited to buy her daughter her first pair of “cowboy boots” as I like to refer to them. UGH I AM SO MAD. If I have to buy them I’m going wild, maybe leopard print. Gross, I don’t even want to think about them anymore because I’m going to be sick.

Dansko clogs aka Cowboy Boots

Although I am having a wonderful time writing this, I have to scoot on to work now, but thank you so so so much for reading, and I look forward to writing more next week! Hugs xoxox

ps. Here are some pics from the week/weeks past that I've forgotten about. Enjoy!

Diane loving life at the Nike Clash of the Champions Tournament in Eugene.

Fed and Sharapova play Nadal and Azarenka

DELICIOUS wheat berries that I made this week. Excellent for lunches and dinners. YUM :)

Memories Shmemories

I decided the purpose of this blog is going to be a walk through time. I had a facebook conversation with Nick where we batted around different funny memories from when we were little, and I thought it would be fun to share my most fond memories of my childhood. Here we go!

1. How we used to go on so many bike rides growing up, and I would undoubtedly fall on every bike ride. I remember one time I fell on our way to Safeway (a 7 mile ride). I fell on mile 3.2, and made it all the way back to home with no band aids, bleeding from my elbow and knee. Ouch! But I was so tough.

2. I used to get so excited for the 4th of July parade every year. I thought my bike was decorated so well and I loved sitting there and watching the horses and kids go by. My least favorite part was the fire trucks because they were so loud.

3. Nick and I used to wake up at 2am on Christmas morning and sneak down to see the presents. Now, I always had to wake him up because he was so sleepy. But we would go on "missions" to the Christmas tree every half hour to see if everything changed. And if Santa had eaten our cookies, which he always did.

4. Nick went through this huge rollerblading phase and we went to countless skateparks. Most memorable by far was when Ray showed up in his kneepads at the San Ramon skatepark. I remember I thought I was really cool because I was one of the only girls there. Balla!

5. How I used to be SO scared of the dark. I slept with my lights on all the time and would not go anywhere in my house unless someone turned the lights on first. (I'm still a little scared)

6. Make me P-R-O-U-D

7. Soccer tournaments were so much fun. I loved going to Subway in between games and feeling like I was playing soccer all day. And hearing my dad go crazy on the sidelines was super funny.

8. Nick and I used to go to swim in the morning, tennis in the afternoon, and soccer at night 5 days a week. I don't know how we did that and still had time to go to the Pearsons and play in between.

9. Ski Trips!!!!!

10. Dad and I used to go grocery shopping every Sunday morning and get the best doughnuts. 

11. Costco muffins were the epitome of my childhood.

12. EYYY Pono, go big or go home.

13. In elementary school, the 4 of us, (Jon, Jess, me, Nick) got to school 9283740397 minutes early every day.

14. Dad pulled over on the freeway to wait for the rest of my class on our field trip to Point Reyes, and a cop pulled up behind him, earning him the nickname “Mr. Ticket.”

15. In Arnold how Brian, Kerry, Nick, and I would play Dead Man Rise or Sardines all night.

16. In 4^th grade at St. Francis we did the play The Wizard of Oz. I was the Coroner and held the sign upside down and then switched it really quick thinking no one would notice. NOT.

17. Nick and I, among others at the Oakhurst Junior Program, made nicknames for everyone we didn’t like including “Bacon and Eggs” and “Big Butt Boy.”

18. Nick was Jesus in the Stations of the Cross hahahaa.

19. When I was 5 years old, I broke my ski because I went off a jump and I cried about it. Little did I know that was the start of my BA career.

20. I swallowed 2 of my retainers…. Durrrr

21. When our family was in Rome Nick and I got attacked by a flock of pigeons. And Aunt Marie held our hands SO tight.

22. Anything and everything was a competition when I was little. I guess not much has changed…

Well I’ve had enough of the memories. I’m tired of thinking. This week was really draining. I procrastinated a little bit too much and Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday were spent in the library writing papers and studying the Economy. By the way, I hate it. I got to work all weekend and let me tell you, I LOVE IT. On Friday we had a donation based yoga class after hours for the Tsunami recovery in Japan.  The class was tough, especially because I went to Skogg (formerly Spinach) in the morning and then did yoga outside of lululemon for a while during my shift. On Saturday Michael Skogg from the kettlebell gym came in to do a demo and I got to swing with him for a little bit. Who knew that working could be so much fun! Today (Sunday) at work we didn’t have any demo’s or yoga practicing, but it was a great day none the less. Sunday’s are my favorite days to work because I love our Sunday Crew.  Tonight I am finishing up my Spanish homework, going to church, and then practicing piano to wrap everything up.

Sending lots of love and my best wishes to everyone! :)

Me swinging a kettlebell with Michael in store on Saturday. Dad- check out those guns

Mom- haircut! 

normalcy

Hello all,

This week has been fairly normal compared to my previous 3 weeks. I am back in my school and work routine. Although it does feel nice to have a set schedule, I am very much missing my free time and lazy days. School has been dull, and I am really over learning about history. Economics is very interesting, but I am very glad I chose to study within the sciences. Business/finance is definitely not my thing.

The weather has been getting to me lately, as I am SO ready for summer and it seems Portland is mocking my desires for hot weather. Last Friday the sun decided to show its face, so Rei and I went to the park by our house and enjoyed the nice weather for a little bit. Summer, HURRY UP! This weather has also made me miss Clayton (I know, I said it). The Bay Area has such nice weather; not to mention I miss the brown hills, open space, my trails, and seeing familiar faces. But, the Bay can expect a visit from me in May... so watch out!

Despite my melancholy about the weather and school, I have had some awesome times this week. I am house-sitting for my boss, and she has chickens and ducklings for me to look over. The ducklings are SO. CUTE. I love them, and spent a good portion of my Saturday night watching them waddle around their cage. I have come around to the chickens too, although they were not very happy to see me this morning. Probably because they knew I was having chicken soup tonight for dinner. Just kidding, although I'm sure my dad thinks that's an excellent idea. Another highpoint of my week were the great conversations I had at work. One day, our intention was: if this was your last shift, how would you spend it, and what would you do? We partied all day, sending and receiving love and it was so awesome. I also had a great conversation about separating goals from daily to-do's, and ended up feeling awesome and prepared for this upcoming week.

Some closing thoughts I have are, RAIN.... GO AWAY. School can take a chill pill too. Other than that, until next time...

Alli