Wild horses and nutella s’mores
There are so many amazing memories (and photos to edit) from my trip to Assateague Island last weekend with four awesome girlfriends. Packed in a car full of sleeping bags, groceries, firewood, and fun activities, it looked like we were preparing for an apocalypse. Below is just a sneak peak of more photos to come!
We arrived at sunset with just enough light to set up our tent. 
Wild horses raided our campsite, played with our hula hoop, and left. It was magical. 
The Supermoon was also out the two nights that we were there, and we barely needed to use our lamps at night.
My good friend Marilyn is also a fire poi goddess. Click here for the video and photos of her fire poi demonstration.
The weather was a little chillier than I wanted, but the mistiness on the beach was delightful.
More photos to come so check back soon.
Assateague Island National Seashore, Maryland
Arlington Earth Week Community Fair 2012
Below are pictures from the second annual Arlington Earth Week Community Fair, sponsored by the George Mason University (Arlington Campus). The fair brought together green businesses, organizations, and student groups to further promote sustainable practices and alternative eco-friendly ways to live our lives. A main component of the fair was the “Operation Rain Barrel” silent auction and competition, which consisted of 20 beautiful rain barrels painted by students from Arlington Public Schools. The Green Patriot Award was awarded to Martin Ogle, for his contributions as the Chief Naturalist for Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority’s Potomac Overlook Regional Park. At the end of the fair, an indie rock band from Richmond, VA, Carbon Leaf, performed a great set with a killer light show. It felt good to be surrounded by people working together to make this planet a cleaner home for all.
For more information on the fair and a list of its exhibitors, please visit: http://green.gmu.edu/community/earthweek/arlingtoncommfair.html.
April 22, 2012
Make history
I can’t help but take pictures of DC buildings and monuments. There is so much symbolism behind each building and each monument.
It can represent a person, a country, a war, a victory, an organization or an idea.
With a story behind each one, they commemorate the people that made history.
Night lights
My friend has an amazing view of the White House, the Washington Monument, and the Lincoln Memorial. Check it out yourself!
Great Falls Park
I finally visited the Maryland side of Great Falls Park, and I must say, I am impressed and found it much more enjoyable than the Virginia side. There seems to be more overlooks of falls, and the trails to the overlooks are a piece of cake. The best part of the day was monkeying around and climbing on rocks, and digressing from the normal path to areas in the park that not many people venture to. Stay tuned for more pictures to come.
Great Falls Park, Maryland
(Click on the picture for the high resolution version)
Quiet mornings
Everyday, I commute to work on the metro. Each way is about 1 hour and 15 minutes door to door, so I spend a good amount of my day on the metro thinking, people watching, and sometimes, napping. On quiet morning commutes like this, I relish the peacefulness of the empty train and wonder what the day will bring.
Some suffer so much, I recall the experience sweet and sad
A portion of The Wound Dresser by Walt Whitman is engraved on the walls of the Dupont Circle Metro north entrance:
Thus in silence in dreams’ projections,
Returning, resuming, I thread my way through the hospitals;
The hurt and wounded I pacify with soothing hand,
I sit by the restless all the dark night – some are so young;
Some suffer so much – I recall the experience sweet and sad,…
Introducing: “Alleyways” Series
I’ve had this idea for a while. There’s something about alleyways that really intrigue me. Whenever I take a walk outside, I always find myself looking into alleyways, curious to find what occupies the space between the two buildings that I am walking past. There are so many practical uses of alleyways. Usually, they are alternative pathways to alternative entrances to buildings and streets. Sometimes it’s a dead end, and some alleys go for blocks and blocks. In past urban development, alleyways were used to deliver items like coal. I love street art, and discovering murals in alleyways are one my favorite pasttimes. I just never know what I will find.
Keep an eye out for other pictures for the “Alleyways” Series.
Below picture: Columbia Heights, Washington D.C.
Twisted illusions
Philadelphia’s buildings are pretty spectacular.
This is a random building that I walked past and I couldn’t resist these windows.
See if you can find the American flag in the photo!
The Capital City Showcase Pictures: Feb 2012
There’s something about a small intimate local comedy show that makes me very very happy. It combines some of my favorite things: absurdity, jokes, and local talent – proving that you don’t have to travel far for a good side stitch (from laughter, that is). Held in The DC Arts Center in the heart of Adams Morgan, The Capital City Showcase is a monthly DC comedy show that features local comedians and musicians. Below are pictures of the great local acts that performed on February 11, 2012: MoReese Licorish, Katherine Jessup, Tim Young, Kenney Speed, Gideon Grove, and Eru, with Christian Hunt as the host.
First snowfall
The weather in D.C. has been pretty unpredictable lately. Last week, Mother Nature decided it was time for our first snowfall (above photo).
Today, large gray clouds overtook the sky, rain rained, thunder rumbled, and it felt like fall. It’s strange how a change in temperature of the breeze can bring back memories of past days where the warm wind brushed through my hair, where I then also noticed what a beautiful day it was and how wonderful it felt.
Take my breath away
Taking a road trip around Utah and exploring it”s national parks was one of the best ideas I’ve ever had in my life. If you haven’t been to Utah, grab yourself some camping gear, good company, a camera, wet wipes, and a car (rental works too), and treat yourself to the sweetness, the beauty, the wonder, of nature.
Above photo is from the trail of the Devil’s Garden in Arches National Park. It is one of those trails that takes your breath away, and if you don’t watch your step, it may also take your life away. Hence, the name, Devil’s Garden.
I highly recommend it.
Spreading art, one wall at a time
“Art is the center of the real world.”
-Isaiah Zagar (Mural Artist of Philadelphia’s Magic Garden and 100 mosaic wall murals found in Philly and around the world)
Finding balance
It’s a new year, and the beginning of our planet’s next orbit around the sun obviously warrants new year’s resolutions and new blog changes (I got rid of the black background and I think I will stick with a white background). Before 2011 even ended, I, like others, already began thinking of what my 2012′s resolutions would be. I asked myself, What did I want to change about myself? What was lacking from my present life? What did I want to get rid of? As a result of spending hours thinking about how I wanted my life to change in 2012, I created a laundry list of seemingly realistic goals. I knew I was being ambitious but I was also (overly) confident that they were achieveable this year, if not next week or the next day. My confidence wore off during the first week of January as my old 2011 habits came rushing back. Within 10 days, I had managed to break all of my New Year’s resolutions. As I was breaking them one by one, I justified breaking each one but also became frustrated with myself that I was unable to stick to my goals. Through my frustration, I realized that my resolutions were simply a list of my ideal self: ideal habits, ideal hobbies, ideal behaviors. However, achieving my ideal life requires a lifelong process of lifestyle changes, and is not something that can be done in one year. So, I decided to throw out my list of resolutions and just live with one goal in mind: finding balance in all aspects of my life. To be more specific, finding balance in my work, my personal relationships, my family life, my professional development, my thoughts, my diet, and my physical exercise routines. Each component interacts with other components in my life, and maintaining harmony and balance is something that I will continue to strive for in 2012.
Above photo: Slacklining in Delores Park, San Francisco. More slacklining videos/photos to come.
Home is where you’ll find me
Oh, how I love the architecture in San Francisco…
I am slowly discovering the diversity, cultures, sights, tastes, and most importantly, the people,
that make up this amazing city that I was lucky enough to grow up in.
For the first time in a long time, I can see myself returning.
Four letter words
To Misha and Dan: It’s been amazing to see your relationship grow and develop over the last couple of years. You both have taught me the importance of patience, perseverance, and dedication when it comes to relationships. You guys make me believe that love is real, that it does exist, and that it is not just a simple four letter word. Thank you.
Occupy Movement: Baltimore
Downtown Baltimore, Maryland
