Run into the future

Well, my 2 year volunteer term ended back in August and I have moved to yet another state, which means I have a new "Mikki In" blog!!  Please feel free to read all about my Alaskan adventures at mikkiinalaska.blogspot.com.
I miss the valley and volunteer life, but trying to figure out how to live back in the "real world" or whatever...

Happy Now

Ok, I realize it has been for-ev-er (said like the kid in the Sandlot).  Sorry for this!  Life has been good out here.  While last year was spent getting used to being a volunteer and figuring out what that means, the past few months have been just enjoying what I'm doing and loving where I am.  I'm now starting to feel a shift, transitioning to exit mode, figuring out what this experience will mean to me and the community and how to move forward from it.
This year has been completely different from the craziness that was last year.  The two girls I live with are great and we're actually friends, which is a nice change.  While there have been issues this year, it hasn't been one thing after another like last year- my heart doesn't start racing when we have a meeting anymore!  I'm grateful to have Sue and Gordon continuing with me,  I enjoy them.  In addition to enjoying my housemates more this year, I have become part of a "group" of girlfriends out here that are awesome (seriously, if I were a single guy, I would totally move out here... we live in a desert of many sorts, ha!).  Needless to say, my social life is a bit more active than it was and that has been fun.
Work has been up and down.  Right now I'm in the lull that comes with every job, so I won't go into too much as it really wouldn't be an accurate picture.  However, I'm still learning new things and trying to challenge myself to do more.  I've also started preparing for someone else to take over my office.  I hope I've set up enough to make the transition smooth and they can continue what I've started.  Oh, here's a fun story:  I worked on a case last year that was pretty rare, so the CDC and state health department were involved.  Well, they just wrote about it in the CDC's weekly report!  However, they couldn't give us credit without posting our affiliations and our county is small enough that it would be an identifier for the case.  How cool would that have been to get credit in a CDC publication?!?!  At least I know it was me.
This winter has been all about the crafts!  Or, as I like to joke, I watch a lot of TV, hehe.  I have finally brought out my sewing machine and have really gone to town!  I've made a skirt and I'm finishing up my first quilt.  I'm also helping my housemates and another friend make the same skirt.  The quilt has been really neat.  I machine pieced it together from scraps I got at a Mennonite Relief Sale and random other fabric, but I'm hand quilting it.  It's quite the process, but really fun to see it come together and not look too bad (Sue says I'm doing a really good job, which is definitely something you write in diary!).  I'm excited to see what else I can make!
The weather started out colder earlier than last year, but has since warmed up.  It's actually kind of sad how warm it has been.  This will probably be one of my last "real" winters as Seattle is so mild, ha!  Unfortunately, this warm weather also made for a pretty weak snowboarding season.  I have been able to go a few times, but it just isn't the same as last year.  I miss my ski team!  However, I do just love to board and it makes me so happy that this is a part of my life again!

I do want to start this blog back up and keep you updated on finishing my time out here and get excited about the next steps!

A few photos to keep you interested...

Everyday together...

My sweet, wonderful, loving, kind, gentle, and fun puppy (mas o menos) died a few days before I left for London.  This was a very, very sad day for the Holt (and extended) family.  He was a month shy of his 16th birthday, so of course it wasn't unexpected.  He died with my mom petting him (getting pets was his goal in life) on the patio of the house on the Oregon Coast and I was on the phone.  I'm thankful that it was before I left for my trip, that I was able to be on the phone and a part of it, and that we didn't have to make a decision for him.

Here is our announcement:

He was a birthday present for me when I turned 11, but he quickly became a full fledged member of the Holt family loved by all, often acting like a little brother to her.  After I left home, he was a great companion for my empty nester parents.  Mom never really wanted a dog, but they shared a love of spending time outside dinking around so she became his favorite and he followed her everywhere!  Dad loved that we could take him on hikes- even carrying his own overnight bag!  I had the opportunity to have him with her for a summer in Chicago that she is very thankful for.

Casper really was the best dog.  He was quiet and relaxed in the home, enjoying our company.  When he was outside, he would love to run around and have fun (although he couldn't care less about a ball being thrown, which we didn't mind).  He had his quirks, but we loved him for it!  In the last couple of years, he has become a world traveler- going to Canada, Mexico, and almost all over the US.

Some favorite memories:

- Mom: "You got a dog that can't walk?!"  Casper was neutered right before we picked him up and he couldn't walk from the anesthesia, Mom was not impressed.

- Random guy on Bainbridge:"Well, hello Casper.  You always know it's spring when Casper gets his haircut."  Casper was such a good dog that he was able to run around the neighborhood and greet walkers.

- On hikes he would run ahead of us, then run back down to make sure we were still there, then run ahead again.

- I would be outside "shooting hoops" or whatever and Mom would let Casper out to be with her, but she would sometimes protest and Mom would say "Just let your little brother play with you for a bit."

- Casper will never waste an opportunity for a pet.  You could be standing there minding your own business and Casper would see your free hand and come nudge his nose under it and before you knew it, he was getting his pets!

- Mom and me: "Some people say their dogs can tell if you're not a good person, well we think if you don't like Casper, you're probably not a very good person."

- Cousin pictures around Casper with Mom's family at Christmas 2010.

We are thankful that he was a part of our family for so long and we hope he has been a blessing to you as well.

He was always Casper the friendly dog, now he can be Casper the friendly ghost!

As much as I love collages, Casper deserves his own VIDEO!  These are only the digital photos we have, none of the old film photos.

My (friend's) fancy house in London Town

Wow, what a week!!  I was sad to see the week that I thought would never end come to a close.  I like to sum up my week in England for Betsy's wedding by saying it was crazy- the majority being amazing crazy, but a few moments of crazy crazy.  I'm beyond happy that I was fortunate enough to be a part of this experience and don't regret one penny spent.  You know, money comes and goes, but friendships are forever for me.
I got to Betsy's "flat" (apartment) on Saturday afternoon, just over 24 hours after leaving my house in Alamosa.  Luckily I was able to sleep a bit on the plane as we had our first night of fun right away!  Oh man, it was so good to be back with my go-to girls for having fun in the city!  We really know how to have a good time no matter where we are or what we're doing.
We spent a lot of time with Betsy and Patrick's parents, who are all amazing people and became our parents for the week.  As for friends, it was mainly me and Cora (the maid of honor) and Patrick's 2 best friends, Andrey and Jim, for the week.  In between tourist activities, there was eating, drinking, dancing, and general merriment for all!  Destination weddings can be a little intense and crazy, but it was so great to really get to know the important people in the lives of the bride and groom.  All the wedding guests (about 25 people) spent the weekend together in a house in the countryside (you can be jealous here), we were one big happy family!  When we all said our good-byes on Sunday night, people were tearing up.  It really was a special time with only people who are important to the bride and groom (no random coworker you feel obligated to invite!).

I'm grateful to Betsy and Patrick for allowing me to crash at their place all week.  I'm grateful for their families' generosity and hospitality.  I'm grateful to my parents for helping me out.  I'm grateful for time spent getting to know friends better.  I'm grateful to know people that truly love.

Now, I have about 1,200 photos from the weekend, so I've made a few collages of various things....

I'm a tourist again!

Nights out with the girls!!

Nights in with the family!

The grounds of one of the most beautiful houses

The inside of the house

Having fun with the old house

Rehearsal Dinner

Wedding Day!!

Here are 2 special photos I want to share:

We made up a game on the Billiard table called Skuddle... um, best. game. EVER!!

Patrick's dad, Tata... maybe the best dance of my life?  Sooo fun!!

By the Way

Ahhh... it's been so long!  I'm sorry!

This week I'll be working on a few blogs, I promise!  There is a lot to share from the past month (especially the last week I spent in London) and you will be kept in the loop.

Thanks for checking in and please come back soon for some fun photos and deep thoughts!

Out on the open water

It's been one year since I've arrived in the valley.  wow.  I realized, through my great recordkeeping on my iCal, that it was almost exactly 2 years ago that I decided I need to leave Chicago.  I remember going out to brunch with a large group after church and I sat there thinking "Oh my goodness, I am bored out of my mind... if I don't leave soon, will I ever be able to??"  I can't remember what we were talking about or even where we were, but it gave me the revelation that this is not the place or life for me.

While I'm not changing the world, it's good to know that I'm doing some good for at least one community.  And, that even my free time isn't so selfish.  It's all about community.  It has been a good year, hard, but good.  The San Luis Valley really is a beautiful place (even if it doesn't look like it!) that is filled with people who are often ignored by others, but supported in this community.  I love that I already know about half the people out here and work often bumps into personal life.

Since it's the end of one year for me, that means it's the end and beginning of another term!  Ben left last week, he was a great member of the house, he will be missed!  We have two new volunteers with us now: Asha and Sarah.  Asha came in the beginning of July, she's from Indiana and went to Grinnel College in Iowa, and she's working at Tu Casa (support for women in abusive relationships).  Sarah came at the end of July, she's from Fresno, CA, and went to UC Berkley, she's working at PALS (a program for at risk youth, where Chloe worked).  I think it's going to be a good year.

That also means... a year till I try to move back to Seattle!!

Photos from the last few weeks...

Like a bee rushing to a bowl of honey

Last week was World Breastfeeding Week!  I don't know if you know, but breastfeeding support, education, and advocacy are some of my passions.  We here in the valley participated in "The Big Latch On" on Saturday Aug 6 at 10:30am, joining women around the world.  We had a decent turnout for the valley- 9 people latching on and others standing in support!  I'm part of the breastfeeding coalition that put the even together.

As someone who doesn't have kids, I'm a big fan of the surgeon general's report about how much of the discontinuation of breastfeeding is from lack of support outside the home.  While I can't relate personally to the trails and struggles (or the joys and connection), I know the benefits and have seen enough barriers to want to speak out we should tear down these walls and support women who breastfeed.  My ultimate goal is to see breastfeeding as normal.  I wrote this article for the "Valley Courier" last week and I was a little annoyed by the headline that they gave "Breastfeeding is natural," while this is true, it also puts it into the hippy category that it shouldn't be.  So, here are my thoughts that I shared with the entire valley...

Breastfeeding happens. Breastfeeding is normal. We are all part of the breastfeeding community, directly or indirectly. We all need to support each other to make breastfeeding the norm for all babies. While mom to mom and provider to mom support is so important, the support that women get outside the home and clinic can have just as much of an impact. It is not mothers alone that make breastfeeding possible, but the community (friends, family, work, neighbors) that can sustain the continuation of breastfeeding.

I’m not the typical breastfeeding advocate and that’s a good thing. I don’t have kids and I don’t even remember my experience as a breastfed baby (although I am proud that I was breastfed). However, I believe people have the right to all the information regarding health and to carry out the decisions that they make based on this information.

If we make women uncomfortable and add extra barriers to breastfeeding in public, the woman has a lower chance of continuing to feed her baby the nutrients it needs to grow and be healthy. This can look different for everyone. Just as you might need to pick up a snack when you’re unexpectedly hungry in the afternoon, a baby might need to eat randomly during the day. Every mom will have different levels of comfort with what they want to do in public, but every mom should have the opportunity to feed her child as needed.

Ultimately, it is my goal to see breastfeeding as so normal in everyday life that no one makes it a big deal when breastfeeding happens. I don’t mean to downplay the significance and beauty of breastfeeding, but I want to celebrate the normalcy of the breastfeeding mom. She’s not alone, she’s not trying something new and different, but she’s in a community that supports babies and a healthy start to life for everyone.

And, wherever you see this sign, you know that breastfeeding is supported!