Christmas

Postcard from CA - while enjoying a sun hug

I've only lived out of California for four months, but that short time has given me a new appreciation for the sun. Not just sunshine, sun hugs. Actually feeling the warmth provided by the bright light in the sky. During my trip home for Christmas, I was blessed with non stop blue skies. It was lovely.  In fact, the whole week was lovely.  And not just because of the sun. 

This was the first year of having an additional member join our five-some for family festivities. Maybe it's because he’s been in the picture a while (so we're used to him) or maybe all first Christmases are just this smooth, but having my brother in law Matt around was really fun.  At least for me.  (I hope he felt the same :))  While it did change the family dynamic a little, it was a good change.  The male ratio is improving. 

Family traditions remained the same this year; Christmas Eve at my parents house, Christmas day dinner at my aunts, and Bajarin (my mom’s side) family ladies tea.  I love the togetherness that abounds during the holidays.  I also love spending time at our family cabin in the mountains which we were able to squeeze in to the few days all of us were home.  Sleeping in, eating delicious food, hiking, reading, watching movies and great conversation filled up just about every hour of the trip.  Oh, we also put together a family puzzle.  It was a 3D puzzle of the Capital building.  So patriotic, I know.  Not a usual Pund family activity and despite my small contribution to the building project, it was exciting to celebrate the finished product. 

I’m back in Seattle now and celebrating the conclusion of an action packed year.  It was the canvas on which God painted new friendships, exciting adventures, an additional family member, heart-ache, laughter, sweet endings and new beginnings.  I know I’ve said it before, but I am blessed beyond measure.  So before the brand new canvas of twenty-twelve even makes an appearance, I choose to surrender each eventful brush-stroke of the coming year to the Master artist.  In His hands it always turns into a more beautiful picture than I could have imagined.  

Church

I grew up going to a (relatively) small community church around the corner from my house.  And I mean literally around the corner - less than five minutes door to door.  Still somehow despite the church’s close proximity to our house, we would always drive.  I haven’t put much thought into the reason behind our not-so-“green” habit, but my guess is two fold.  One because my dad liked to go to the first service at 8:30 AM and (for me) every minute of sleep is valuable, and two, because that way when one of us inevitably forgot something at home, the trip to retrieve it was much quicker.  Regardless, I’m used to my church community being apart of my living community.  So when I moved away from San Jose (for college and after) and made the choice to continue being apart of a body of believers, finding one close to “home” was near the top of my wish list.  And being the provider that He is, the Lord has given me my wish at every stop.  Seattle is no exception.

Before relocating up north a few people recommended I visit Bethany Community Church.  So when my first Sunday in town rolled around and a Google maps search of “Christian community churches” said BCC was (the closest at) .4 miles away, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to give it a shot.  I’d like to admit that whether for old time sake or out of habit or because I was lazy (or maybe all of the above), I drove the .4 miles that first Sunday.  However, I’m happy to report it’s only happened once since then and that was due to torrential downpour :)  Anyway, one visit is all it took.  I signed up for community group Bible study that day and decided Bethany was going to be my Seattle church.  (Not a common occurrence for someone as indecisive as I am).  The senior pastor, Richard Dahlstrom is an incredibly intellectual, somewhat eccentric, faithful leader, who has experienced enough life to connect with generations older than myself while still being culturally relevant in relating to college students.  His messages are filled with meaty, applicable truth that provoke thought and create conversation. 

We just finished a series called Genesis & Science.  Initially I thought it was going to be a study on creation theories, which was a topic I really enjoyed in college.  However I quickly learned his approach was a more macro perspective, not looking at how the world came to be but why.  Asking questions like what is the function of creation?  Where do we as human beings fit into it?  How do material things play a roll in our purpose or function on earth?  I highly recommend checking out the week we studied how creation is Gloriously Functional.  Or you can start from week one.  We’ve since moved on to an advent series, but Pastor Richard’s unique approach to Genesis 1:1 was a fresh take on the oldest story in The Book and has provided substantive, thought provoking perspectives as well as opportunity for daily application that begins on the short walk home.

Three Months

Seeing as how there are only 30 days in November, December 1^st marked three months since I moved to Seattle.  I can’t help but celebrate the new friendships, sister time, enjoyable work, great church community, and continued adventure.  Abundantly blessed doesn’t quite cover how I feel.  Since the last quarter of the year has been one big highlight, attempting to pick just one is relatively futile.  However, something I haven’t talked much about is fall.  The season of fall is simply splendid in Seattle.  I've had the pleasure of seeing leaves change color all over the county during these months in the past, but there is something different about Washington leaves.  After some thought I’ve decided the vibrantly bright yellows, oranges, and reds must stand out more here because of the distinct contrast against an abundance of other greenery.  There have been numerous times when I literally stopped to admire and soak in views, moments, or scenes covered in the Lord’s fingerprints.  Even if it was something as simple as the swirling of colorful leaves on the neighborhood street as a car drives by.  Seriously, I can’t get enough.  What I can get enough of is the cold.  It’s really cold here.  A damp freezer like chill is the best way to describe it.  And even when the sun does decide to make an appearance for a brief couple hours, the warmth barely cuts through the layers I’ve bundled up in to keep from freezing.  Some of you from more frigid parts of the country might be laughing right about now.  That’s fine, laugh away.  But when you’re done laughing, feel free to send me recommendations of how to stay warm :)  Despite the cold, it has been fun to experience a real fall season.  It’s taught me two things: one, don’t complain about the random 80 degree fall days in California, and two, cameras fall short of capturing the dynamic artistry of heavenly postcards.

Washington Weekends

One of the great perks in moving to Washington is living closer to my sisters.  But “closer” is the key word in that sentence because even though we now live in the same state, we don’t exactly live close enough for random, spur of the moment weekday get togethers.  Which leaves weekends and we put the ones in October to good use!

October 8th: According to Wikipedia, Mt. Si "is a remnant of an oceanic plate volcano and the rocks are highly metamorphosed" (whatever that means).  More importantly, "the 4-mile long Mount Si trail climbs a total of 3,500 feet to the summit ridge.  The summit of Mount Si can then be reached by an exposed scramble (class 3) up the summit block which is know as the "Haystack"."  Conquering this hike was on Shelly and Matt's to-do list, so I added it to mine and we set out for the day.  Starting out we all thought, how hard can it be?  If we can stand on the top of Half Dome, Mt. Si is totally doable.  We didn't account for the fact that 3,500 feet in 4 miles means straight up hill the entire time.  Needless to say, we got our butt workout for that day :)  Besides spending time together, my favorite part was rock climbing up the Haystack.  It's super steep and somewhat terrifying if you put too much though into the pain that could be caused if you slip and fall, but totally worth the extra work once at the top.  And we were blessed with a gorgeous day which made for great views from the summit!

At what we thought was the summit
looking up at the top of the Haystack

Bottom of the Haystack

View from the top looking East

October 15th-16th: Bainbridge Island is across Puget Sound from the city of Seattle and home to Shelly's in-laws.  They hosted an early Thanksgiving dinner and graciously invited me to join them in kicking off the holiday season on "the island".  Their home is gorgeous, dinner was delicious, Bainbridge is adorable, and time together was wonderful.  Matt, Shelly and I capped off the weekend by going to the Sounders v.s SJ Earthquakes soccer game.  60,000 fans packed the stadium, most of whom knew every word to every cheer and literally stood the entire 90 plus minutes.  It was quite the experience.

Bainbridge Gardens - local favorite

It looks empty, but don't be fooled...
we were two hours early

Ferry ride back to Seattle from the island

October 22nd-23rd: Sometimes I wish the folks who decided where state lines would fall had broken up the west coast into a few more states.  On the east coast you can drive for five hours and see at least three states, if not more.  In Washington, if you drive for five hours (east) you're still in the same state and likely rolling into the city of Spokane; which in my case was great because that is where Lindsay goes to schol and my intended destination.  During the quick two day trip we ran a few errands, had a water front picnic in the main park downtown, waited in a 30 minute line to get locally acclaimed pumpkin donuts at Greenbluff, went for a hike at Bowl and Pitcher, successfully made an experimental new cookie creation, watched a movie, and spent two days of thoroughly enjoying quality time and conversation.  I'm thankful to live within driving distance of weekends like this.

One of the many pictures taken during my drive

Downtown Spokane park where we had lunch

Taking a break during our hike :)

Greenbluff pumpkin donuts!

"Home"

Until I have a home of my own, I will most likely default to calling San Jose home.  However, this post is not about San Jose.  It’s about my home away from home in Washington.  Thanks to one of my incredible roommate’s generous and creative vision, the space we live in is welcoming, comfortable, and homey – for lack of a better all encompassing descriptive word.  So I’ll keep it short and sweet and let the postcards below speak a thousand plus words for me.  

Kitchen...kind of self explanatory

Living room, dinning area, fireplace :)

My room...well, part of it. Not pictured: walk in closet & bathroom

Mt. Rainier

All time favorite mountain might be a bit strong, but to say Mt. Rainier qualifies to be in my top three all time favorites is complete truth.  I'm not sure what mountains would occupy the other two spots (although Yosemite mountains are in top contention), especially since I haven't seen all the mountains in the world (yet), but I'm happy to let Rainier claim a spot on the medal podium.  Growing up my mom, dad, sisters and I came to the Seattle area numerous times to visit my dad's side of the family. During those visits, a trip to hike or swim at Rainier was almost always on the agenda.  That's where my love starts.  Mt. Rainier holds great memories.

From the 520 Bridge across Lake Washington,
pictures just don't do it justice

While I haven't made it back that way since moving to Seattle, my captivation with the mountain has a new, more "adult" perspective.  Every time rain weighs down the (minimal) smog and the curtain of fog finally dissipates, mammoth Mt. Rainier appears overlooking the city.  Majestic is the only word I can think of that comes close to describing the sight.  It sits constantly picturesque with snow capped peaks seeming to levitate on the horizon due to low laying clouds hiding its base.  I wonder sometimes if I'll ever tire of seeing it in the distance; I can't image getting to that point.  Especially because right now every time I see Mt. Rainier I feel like the double rainbow guy - completely overwhelmed with the breathtaking awesomeness that is God's handiwork.  I'm left with nothing by awe. And a thankful heart to be getting a personal postcard from heaven on a (semi) daily basis.

P.S. If you have no idea what I mean by "the double rainbow guy", YouTube it.  You'll thank me for adding a laugh to your day and letting you in on the internet secret 31 million (and growing) other people have already experienced. 

I didn't take this one.  But I wish I could say I did.

Water Wings

For the 5% of you who are still checking this, you might be wondering why it's been more than a week since my last postcard.  The answer is because I've been swimming.  Not literally of course, it's WAY to cold in the north for that.  And actually, I should say I've been attempting to swim.  That would be more accurate.  This is all in reference to work, which I hesitate to bore you with/ mention again because back to back posts about where I spend (way more than) one third of my day makes it seem like I have nothing else going on.  That is simply not at all true.  Life here has been quite full the last few weeks.  However, updating you on those activities will have to wait.  For now, let me tell you about (trying) to swim.
During LivingSocial training in D.C. I felt like we (the newbies) were given water wings and tossed into the middle of the ocean.  Semi-prepared, but keeping your head above water was a total learn by doing experience.  My first few weeks in Seattle the water wings slowly began to deflate as I was assigned a new market (or region) every week(ish).  Definitely more difficult to stay above water, but still manageable.  Over the last two weeks, all the remaining air evaporated from inside my water wings and somehow scuba-diving weights have taken there place.  So as you can imagine, I'm sinking a bit.  Which I why you haven't seen anything new from me. I'm getting well acquainted with the ocean that is work at LivingSocial.  The good news is that 1) I'm not alone in my sinking, other new people are too, 2) it's still really fun, and 3) a rescue boat in the from of this weekend is visible in the distance.  I'm really looking forward to the break and chance to catch my breath before diving back in on Monday.  My theory is the longer I tread water with weights, the better I'll become and soon enough I'll be able to add more.  Hopefully that hypothesis turns out to be true.
So since I obviously don't have a real "postcard" of me in the middle of the ocean with deflated water wings and scuba weights, this stock image will have to suffice.  I promise my next update won't be about work and will be a true postcard(s) from me.

One Month

When I logged onto my computer at work this morning, the third email down looked like this:

Not a bad way to start my day, right? :)  To say the last month of working for LivingSocial has been good would be like saying dark chocolate is just OK – both are incredibly understated.  From the supportive, 12-person production team I’m apart of, to 4 o-clock fever when a majority of the office breaks out in song to Justin Bieber's hit "Baby", to our constantly snack-stocked kitchen, and Spirit Week contests complete with prizes -- I have more than enjoyed the last month of work.  It’s such a blessing to not only have a job, but have one that (so far) I love.  So in celebration of my anniversary as a LivingSocialite (and for anyone who’s been asking), here are some pictures of where I spend a huge portion of my day.  Enjoy!

The Production corner -  I sit in the second row
(looking out toward the rest of the office)

If you did a 180 from the above picture you'd see this

Our break/ play room

Pretty self explanatory - this is the kitchen

Apple Squeeze

Last weekend I made the 50 mile trek down to Steilacoom to enjoy the annual Apple Squeeze with Shelly and Matt (my sister and brother-in-law for anyone who may not know).  When Shelly first told me about the event I though, “what in the world is an Apple Squeeze?”  So if that’s what is going through your mind as you read, allow me to ease your wonderings.  An apple squeeze is when you squeeze the juice out of apples.  I know, super creative title.  I was almost annoyed it was so self explanatory.  Anyway, here’s a little back ground…

Steilacoom is an adorable little town a few miles south of Tacoma which finds its claim to fame as the “first incorporated town in Washington”.    There is one main downtown strip complete with a regal yet dainty Town Hall, quaint two seater barber shop, drug & hardware store turned café/ coffee house (that serves Sunday afternoon tea), and community park overlooking the Sound (aka water).  For those of you who are familiar with Gilmore Girls, it’s Stars Hallow’s twin sister.  (For those of you who aren’t, you’re missing out).  Upon arrival I learned the Apple Squeeze is a much anticipated town-wide festival.  They block off main street, set up booths selling an assortment of trinkets and goodies (most of which have something to do with apples), and serve apple pie, apple fritters, and apple cider inside Town Hall.  It would have been Johnny Appleseed’s paradise.  And the main attraction is of course the actual squeezing of apples.

For $6.75 experience seekers buy a sterilized one gallon plastic container, are assigned to a station and patiently await their turn to toss whole apples into the mouth of a man powered grinder.  The apple remains then fall into a holey bucket below and once filled, the bucket slides forward and a manual crank is used to press the flatten grinds, thus squeezing all the juice out of the ground apples.  The seeds and rinds are filtered out using a simple strainer and the pure apple juice is funneled into the overpriced container.  Just to clarify, when I say “man powered” and “manual” I mean do-it-yourself, not that someone is there doing it for you.  Which I think makes it all the more fun! (See video)  Overall, the squeezing process (including the machines) is something I’d expect to see in Williamsburg because it’s all so old-school colonial.  And the apple juice...holy cow… SO delicious!  Almost too sweet to drink before diluting with a little water…almost.  Or toss in a touch of cinnamon and nutmeg while on the stove and you get an unbelievably scrumptious cider.  If you ever have the opportunity to enjoy the quaint community feel of a small town apple squeeze, I highly recommend buying more than one gallon.  Mine is almost gone :)

In case you're like me and understand better with visuals :)

Firsts

Whenever I experience new environments or big changes in life I almost always record my first impressions.  The move to Seattle is no exception.  Most of the time, my “firsts” – whether observations, experiences, thoughts, etc -  are just for me to look back on in five years and laugh at how different the outcome was from my initial feelings.  However, I also like to paint a complete picture which includes general first impressions of the area as a whole.  Besides being abundantly green, here are some of those other “brush strokes” that make up my new environment:

1) Whoever started the roadway infrastructure of this city really should have worked with someone more creative.  Every street name is a number.  OK, maybe not every street, but close to it.  I have yet to figure out any rhyme or reason to the numbering system except that when the street numbers get to big (i.e. 165^th St.), they just start over at one.  Oh, and if that wasn’t difficult enough, the brilliant mind behind street numbers also tossed in directional reference (i.e. North or South) for clarification…or confusion.  So if you’re looking for directions and accidentally forget the “NE” portion of 813 NE 80^th St., leave early because you’re going to get lost.

2) Speaking of driving, Washingtonians drive so s…l…o…w…l…y.  Seriously, it’s like they don’t actually want to get to where they’re going.  I’m sure many would say I’m just an overly aggressive CA driver who needs to relax and enjoy the ride.  To which I would respond, I’m actually an offensively defensive driver (it makes sense, just give it a second or two), constantly aware of my surrounding, and would be happy to relax once I’ve arrived at point B.  Maybe the Lord is trying to teach me patience.  I wonder if there is a short cut to learn the lesson? ;)

 3) Coffee is everywhere.  This is common knowledge, I know.  I’m not talking about just any coffee, I’m referring to drive thru (mom & pop) coffee stands/stops on the out-skirts of parking lots in the suburbs.  I still have yet to see a car actually driving through one.  I’m thinking that’s due to the “good” weather we’ve been having which likely motivates caffeine cravers alike to get out of the car and walk into a Starbucks while they can.

4) Washingtonians don’t use umbrellas.  Tourists use umbrellas.  Then they quickly learn why natives don’t bother.  The wind will ruin your rain-repellant, quick button pop up in one unseen gust.  And no, I didn’t learn this the hard way.  I learned by watching.  It was actually quite comical.  The local alternative is water proof bags and jackets, neither of which I own.  Sounds like I need to go shopping!

The 358 - one of two bus routes I can take to work

5) People who work in the city of Seattle take the bus.  That includes me.  Definitely a first.  Generally speaking, most people living in the state of CA drive to work.  It’s just easier.  In Seattle, driving in the city isn’t easy because busses on city streets are like semi trucks on I-5; they have entitlement complexes and take over.  Also, I learned an incredibly valuable lesson on my first day using public transportation: to ride busses it’s best to have the exact fare.  Actually, it’s imperative.  Otherwise you don’t ride or you over pay because “change” is a bad word and not allowed.  Luckily I was blessed with a gracious driver on day one and he let me ride for free since I hopped on with only a $20 in hand.  Rookie mistake, won’t happen again.

That’s all for now… more postcards to come soon!

Training

Two weeks is a long time to be on the go.  In fact, since I was only in Seattle for about a week and a half before leaving for DC, I kind of feel like I've been on an extended vacation since I moved.  Now that I'm back with a check list of things to do which include getting over jet lag, unpacking, at least two loads of laundry, grocery shopping, and trying to create some kind of order in my life before diving into an unknown daily routine, I'm finally starting to feel like I actually live in Washington.  Despite the length, training went well.  Seeing the "heart" of the Livingsocial machine for my first two weeks provided a really well rounded understanding of how the company works.  And if you know me, I love to know how things work.  Highlights include meeting my boss and east coast based production team, developing a better understanding of what I will be doing on a day to day basis, experiencing the trendy, fun company culture, sightseeing, spending the weekend in NY, and my free vanilla latte every morning.  I'm looking forward to taking the knowledge and skills learned and putting them to practice in the regional markets assigned to me.  I think that starts tomorrow.  In the meantime, here are a few postcards of the trip...

An everyday sight as I walked across the street from the
Livingsocial offices on my way to lunch

Pedi-cabs to transport employees from one office to another
down the road. Who knew "taxi" rides could be so fun.

DC United soccer game complements of Livingsocial

A stroll across the Brooklyn Bridge

Lunch at Grimaldi's with Galen & Carissa -
seriously spectacular pizza & friends!

North By Northwest

(Pretend this was posted on Sept. 13th. Despite being written, lack of internet access made publishing on time difficult)

Duke's Restaurant for Shelly's Birthday, Matt's treat :)

Its been just under two weeks since making my way up north by way of the northwestern coast. The goal of getting into town to celebrate Shelly's birthday was a success and such a fun way to spend my first hours in WA! After being spoiled with a few days of hanging out, playing catch at the park during sunset, enjoying local Steilacoom cuisine, and picking berries to my hearts content with Shelly and Matt, having to move into a new place was exhausting. There is still work to be done, but my roommates are great and the townhome is coming together. I'm looking forward to feeling more settled in time. For now that is all being put on hold as I spend a few weeks on the east coast for training with LivingSocial.

Hindsight into Going Green

Since rolling into the state of WA I have been mesmerized by the greenness of everything.  If my car had an autopilot button I would happily use it so I could stare out the window (instead of at the traffic which I though I’d escaped leaving CA) to watch the passing by of lush forest like, lake filled scenery decorating the side of the freeway. It’s fitting then that people refer to Seattle as the “Emerald City”.  Also fitting is that the specific area I live in is called Green Lake.  So in keeping with the theme of all things green, the title of this blog was born.  My goal is to capture postcard-esque snapshots of adventures, observations, nuances, interesting people, favorite spots and new experiences so you can enjoy the emerald colored journey with me.

In hindsight, the road that brought me to Seattle has had what I’m going to call divine bumpers.  Similar to what a rookie bowler might experience by using bumpers to keep their bowling ball in the lane, over the past year there have been divinely appointed “bumpers” keeping me on the lane to WA.  Looking back now I can totally see why some doors closed along the way leaving me feeling frustrated, stuck, and discouraged.  Now I understand the need and purpose in the waiting period I was so anxious to escape.  Now I’m thankful for time that allowed for the growth and cultivations of treasured friendships.  Now I’m realizing that letting go of what I had despite the uncertainty of what might come next was worth the risk.  And now I’m enjoying the confident excitement of knowing the Lord lead me to Seattle with a plan greater than my own.