Being Magellan

The last few weeks have been filled with exploration, which I simply define as experiencing something new. This could be as grand as traversing a new country or as easy as trying a hole-in-the-wall restaurant around the corner. Whatever it is, the discovery just has to be a first.

Having out of town friends visit is always a good reason for exploring. A couple weeks ago my fellow adventure seeking roommate, Chelsey, and her friend Jenny invited me to join their ice cave journey. Turns out, there is a place called Big Four Ice Caves just over an hour outside Seattle. Having been to Alaska and seen the mammothness of glaciers, I'm going to take the liberty of calling these so called "caves", mini glaciers with tunnels. In typical Seattle fashion it rained for 90% of our trip, but the discovery was so worth a few water drops. Here are a few postcards:

Some perspective... I'm standing at the mouth of
the middle cave entry (see picture above)

 

 

Another recent discovery is a new coffee shop in the heart of Pikes Place Market called Storyville Coffee. They've been around for a few years on Bainbride Island focusing on roasting delicious coffee beans, and decided to share the wealth of coffee goodness with the general public by opening a retail location. For anyone fortunate enough to have learned of their coolness in September, Storyville treated to complimentary pastries and coffee as a soft opening, word of mouth marketing strategy. It totally worked on me. Great location, awesome logo, welcoming ambiance, rich coffee, and I'd argue the best cinnamon roll I've ever had (and I've eaten my fair share of cinnamon rolls), I'd recommend visitors and locals alike check out Storyville for your next cup of java.

 

Two Years

Similar to groundhogs in February, I've decided to resurface from my unannounced blogging hibernation. The silent treatment was not for lack of noteworthy events or activities over the last several months. In fact, it's been the opposite. It would be stereotypical to say in light of a full calendar I've simply been "too busy" to blog. And actually it's not totally true. I'm blaming it on writers block for lack of a better explanation. There were a few attempts at "postcards" throughout those months, but cohesive thought seemed to have alluded me, leaving every beginning lacking a middle and end. I say this up front so you know I'm coming out of the hiatus tentatively, still feeling like thoughts are somewhat random and putting out a disclaimer that I might disappear again. Also, I've had the opportunity to talk with many of you in person since the last post, so if any of this is redundant I apologize in advance. 

Today is significant for several reasons, the least important being my two year anniversary at LivingSocial. It is however the motivation for my emerging, so here we go.  Before writing this entry I reread my post from last year. Three things are abundantly obvious: 

• I was still intoxicated by the LivingSocial cool aid
• I hadn't yet run out of 27 years worth of vitamin D stored up from the CA sun, and 
• I was using discovery and new adventures to fill the relational tank in my heart

Unfortunately a year later, these observations look much different.

Since my post about layoffs, company morale (at least in Seattle) never fully rebounded (is that even a word?). In the months that followed, many of my colleagues went elsewhere for employment opportunities which left the once socially alive office sadly dwindling. Despite being told how leadership valued their investment in the Seattle office, our doors officially closed at the end of August (as a cost savings measure). Fortunately, LS is an online company so those of us who remain became displaced remote employees instead of unemployed. If I'm honest, initially I was angry and felt like leadership lied to us (despite knowing good business requires tough decisions, I still feel this way to some extent). As time past I realized I needed to let go of what LS had been, both to me in this chapter of life and as vibrantly youthful workplace full of fun. At the end of the day, it's work and the disillusionment created by my surreal beginning has been replaced with a more balanced reality of typical business. Sad but true. I'm now doing my best to embrace the flexibly created by being remote, resulting in much more domestically productive afternoons (i.e. laundry/chores), lunch time walks around Green Lake, mid day workouts, discovery of new coffee shops, and saying yes to setting up a work station any where with Internet connection.  Fortunately this transition to working from home came during the summer when no one wants to be in an office anyway.  Summer time in Seattle is kind of like recess in elementary school.  You wait for it with great anticipation and savor every moment of being outside because you know it won't last long.  Plus Seattle recess has the added bonus of extra hours of sunshine thanks to being so far north.  We'll see how I do when constant cloud cover returns and hours of darkness seem to be never ending.  

Which brings me to comment on my second observation.  Ask anyone who lived through the 2012 summer in the Pacific Northwest and they'll tell you it was a terrible one.  Terrible basically means short.  As in maybe 2 months of sunshine.  Maybe.  Since I had 27 years of fairly constant sunshine vitamins stored up and had yet to experience a full summer here, I didn't know any different.  Then the gloom started again and by last December I began to realize how important vitamin D is to ones happiness.  The immediate aftermath of layoffs at work also occupied this season, so the combination of the two put me into a self diagnosed mini depression.  To make a long, boring and dull story of those winter months short, I didn't feel like myself most of the time.  In part due to needing the magic of vitamin D (which I now take regularly when the sun doesn't make an appearance), and in part coming to terms with what felt like the ending of my fairy-tale-smooth adventure north.  

Enter the final observation.  During that first year I unknowingly built up certain expectations in my daily routine, in exploration, and in newly forming friendships.  When the enjoyment of my routine was altered because of layoffs, the joy I felt in my day to day work life went into hiding.  It was at this point my love for adventure became even more prominent than it usually is.  I realize in hindsight that while my desire to see the world (even the uncharted territory and restaurants in my nearby surroundings) isn't negative, my need for something new was actually a coping mechanism.  As if a new experience would result in a discovery that might make everything whole again. Also, since most adventures are more fun when shared with someone, I looked to my relatively new grouping of friends to join me. In my perfect world, exploration with someone (or multiple someones) you enjoy equals meaningful conversation, deep thoughts pondered, belly aching laughter exchanged, and a place in each others on-going life story.  When my naive idealism met the reality of our imperfect world and new friends didn't become kindred spirits in my preconceived timeline, I became discouraged.  

I say all of this as justification for my writers block and as somewhat of a confession, albeit to myself.  In stark contrast to my first year, the second was severely lacking in thankfulness.  Once all the sparkles wore off and newness of the journey gave way to mundane, my mood shifted. That is not who I want to be.  I desire to be more deeply rooted in Truth so that my outlook and response doesn't alter when circumstances change.  Valley depths will inevitably vary, it's the attitude of ones heart that makes a difference in the journey.  So in light of the looming end to this Seattle "recess", having stocked up on my fair share of UV rays, and embracing the current state of remote employment as well as growing friendships, I am thankful for the tough lessons learned during year two. With refocused perspective, I gratefully step into more realistic expectations for the next 12 months, patiently waiting and attentively listening to the Lord's leading.

Tough Day

  No postcard to go with this post.  Today was a tough day.  LivingSocial laid off 400 of our 4,500 employees this morning, mostly in the U.S.  The news was leaked yesterday and I thought I was mentally prepared for whatever today might hold.  I was wrong.   Fortunately, I wasn’t a victim to the lay-offs, but so many colleagues in my office were.  Our Seattle office was already small.  We're a tight knit crew and departments work closely together in person, unlike our DC headquarter offices which are spread out all over the city.  On top of that, we’re all friends, so letting anyone go is going to hurt.  Seeing half the office go was brutal.

  When the goodbye hugs started mid morning, so did my tears.  That happened once more during the day and again when I was telling my roommate about it all at home.  I’ve cried more today than I have in a long time.  I’m so sad.  I’m grieving the loss of co-workers, the way things were, the trust I had in company leadership to some extent, the naive safety I felt in a fun place like livingsocial.  I miss it all.  In the midst of the sadness, I’m confused, frustrated, hurt, and somehow still shocked that it’s all real.  As a result of all of that, I’m struggling with being thankful to still have my job.  I know excitement and gratitude don’t always go hand in hand in life. But now I’m realizing that having one without the other is really difficult.  Since sadness has replaced my excitement currently, thankfulness is hard to come by.

November 30, 2012 – The day after layoffs is painful in a different way.  You’re still adjusting the loss of what was and the friends who were let go, as well as being left with their work.  There were moments I wanted to believe it was all a bad dream.  But the 3+ hours of video conference meetings with leadership attempting to explain why and share the vision for where we’re going snapped me back to reality pretty quickly.  The short and incredibly simplified explanation is that it had to do with long term profitability.  That meant having to make some hard decisions.  In some small way, it was comforting to hear the CEO say yesterday was hard for him too.  I guess acknowledging it was a good starting point, at least for me.  He walked through the vision for 2013 and as defeated as I felt yesterday, the vision for tomorrow is a good one if all goes according to plan.  Through the course of this week I have learned that the “if” can make all the difference. It’s the nature of business.  Even the best analysts can’t know answers to the “ifs”.

  As this ridiculously tough week comes to a close and as much as I wish things hadn’t changed, I’m thankful to have been in the office yesterday to ride the emotional roller coaster.  I definitely don’t want to do it again anytime soon, but unfortunately large scale lay offs are common in companies with a big vision for the potential to come.  I learned a lot and I’m not sure the experience would have been as impactful or real had I not been in the office to live the emotion first hand.  I’m also not sure all the lessons can be articulated into words.  They are intangibles; shifts in thinking, perspective, understanding, confidence.  I was naively innocent in terms of harsh business reality before.  I’m not now.  Emphasizing all the more, that the only sure thing is the Rock on which I stand.  My heart longs all the more to be more deeply rooted in that foundation. 

Costa Rica

   Two Christmases ago my sisters and I were graciously given frequent flier miles from our mom for a sister’s trip.  With the combination of not being able to agree on a location and Shelly getting married that summer, our trip ended up happening this year instead of last.  Better late than never!  After much research, we finally settled on Costa Rica.  About a week after that decision Lindsay informed us that she would be studying abroad in Costa Rica during the next semester (meaning, right now).  Somewhat defeating the point of traveling to a new place together, but clearly a God-ordained, open door to a place we already had travel plans, so we ran with it.

   I love international travel for numerous reasons, one of which is experiencing different cultures.  The U.S. is an amazing country and yet such a bubble.  As uncomfortable as feeling out of place can be, having that bubble popped every once in a while gives valuable perspective.  To that end, we opted to stay on a coffee plantation instead of tourist town hotel.  A local family owns the plantation and rents out the guest house to travelers.  It was perfect - complete with a full kitchen, living room, and two bedrooms for a super reasonable price.  The son of the family picked Shelly & I up at the airport (waiting patiently during the hour it took us to get through customs!), which turned out to be a huge blessing because as we quickly learned, there are no street names in CR.  So if you don’t know where you’re going, you may not get there.  The family was wonderfully generous, providing the three of us a traditional breakfast the next morning, and were significantly better than a travel book when trying to figure out the bus system.  They even showed us how to harvest coffee!

   Worth mentioning, but not elaboration are these other observations unique to CR culture:
• Bus - drives with the door open, uses foam pockets for sorting coins from riders (meaning all manual collection)
• Roads – mostly neighborhoods, not many main or big roads
• No law to wear seat belt in backseat
• Huge road gutters, kind of like mini moats
• Weather -  blue skies & hot in morning,  cloudy/ muggy/ rainy in afternoon
• Because of the weather, people wake up early
• Tons of shoe stores
• Lots of fried food
• Road biking is super popular
• All taxis are red – and only taxis are red

   We had three full days together with significant portions of that time spent on buses getting to and from various Costa Rican highlights.  If you’re looking for a quick summary of the trip it can be summed up in three words: we were together.  If you’re looking for a little more, here’s the run down:
Once Shelly and I dropped off our stuff and waited for the monsoon like rain, vibrate-your-insides thunder, and lightening that made the sky look like a continuous flow of power surges to pass, we set off to find Lindsay.  Our hour and a half journey took us to the Whitworth Costa Rica campus nestled atop an over-sized hill outside Heredia (the city).  We were able to meet some of her friends, see where they “study”, and enjoy the fact campus feels like home away from home before heading back down to her host-dad’s Soda (a.k.a. local café) for dinner.

   Our first full day we went to La Playa de Puntarenas (the beach).  Not the most glamorous or beautiful of the many beaches, but it was far less crowded and the closest to Heredia with water just as warm as all the rest.  On our way home we went through San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica.  As expected, the city was packed with people and traffic.  We walked the main tourist strip, went into quite a few shoe stores on a mission to find TOMS (but failed), and treated ourselves to caramel relleno churros as a consolation.

   Day two Lindsay’s host parents offered to be our tour guides to the Irazu Volcano.  Not only did this mean no bus was involved in the journey, but it was also an opportunity to get to know the family who adopted Lindsay for the semester.  #Win.  Since they don’t speak English and I don’t speak Spanish, direct communication between us was sparse.  However that “us” doesn’t include Shelly or Lindsay as they are both more than capable Spanish conversationalists and lucky for me, able translators.  After a couple hours we finally made it to the top of the volcano where we were greeted with low clouds, cold wind gusts, and horizontal rain.  Definitely not ideal conditions, which gave us no choice but to bundle and brave the elements.  We walked the rim, saw the beautiful teal lagoon that is the volcano mouth, took some pictures and bought post cards before heading back down.  A few “detours” and some traffic later, we made it back to San Rafel (where they live).  William and Zayra generously invited us to stay for dinner where we were treated to a traditional Costa Rican meal called Patacones.  It’s plantains cut into fifths, peeled, fried, smooshed, fried again, then topped with black bean purée and a homemade pico de gallo type salsa. Buen provecho (a.k.a. SO good)!  Despite feeling somewhat out of the loop through out the day, simply observing William and Zayra was enough to reveal their genuinely kind hearts.  What a blessing to know my sister is in good hands, well fed and more importantly well loved while she’s away.

   Day 3 we set out for the adrenaline rush of zip lining from tree to tree through a cloud forest.  Upon arrival we learned that the tourist attraction actually originates from efficiency minded scientists who were studying plant life in the top of Costa Rican trees back in the 70’s and decided it was easier to zip from one tree to the next instead of going up and down.  Then someone brilliant thought to monetize it so people like us could pay money to put on uncomfortable harnesses, wear goofy hats, and fly through the forest.  I was totally in my element and loved every second.  Since our morning started with the early canopy tour, we decided to “be locals” with the second half of the day.  We lunched at an El Salvadorian restaurant and topped it off with dessert at the ice cream shop around the corner before walking the streets.  After a few hours we hopped on a bus back to Santa Barbara and our coffee plantation abode, stopping on our way for dinner at the local fancy restaurant.
   Despite being a little short for my taste, the trip was a success.  I am fully aware how blessed I am to have sisters that aren’t just family, but my closest friends as well.  And even more so that we travel well together :)  One of my favorite quotes is “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page” (St. Augustine).  My heart is overjoyed that the pages of this trip are filled with pictures and memories with my sisters.

One Year

Today marks one year at LivingSocial.  Similar to my one month anniversary, I received a new badge – this time for one year - via email with a note basically saying ‘congratulations, thanks for contributing to the company success, we’re looking forward to more years ahead’.  Also in the email was a link to order my very own LivingSocial backpack.  They’re way better than a clip art badge, impressively fancy, and somewhat like a right of passage within the company.  Plus it’s free swag so naturally I’m pretty excited about it :)  I’m always surprised by how quickly time passes and feel incredibly blessed to still be enjoying my work, as well as the people with whom I spend 40-50 hours a week.

   Since I’m talking about work, here’s a quick update.  To better leverage internal resources, the LivingSocial Operations team did some restructuring last month.  I was asked to join the newly formed “Entertainment Team” based on my previous employment background and current performance.  My work is essentially the same except now it’s for the fun Adventure deals and newly created Live Events we run on the site, instead of regionally based dentist office or beauty salon deals.  I’m really excited about the transition into a new challenge and opportunity, which probably adds to the reason why I still enjoy the job.  Also work related yet on a completely different note, today our LivingSocial softball team brought home its first league championship (for softball, we already have one for soccer)!  Needless to say, work is going well.

   The one year marker of my move to Seattle passed while cruising home from Alaska, which gave me plenty of time for reflection.  When I think back over the last 12 months it’s difficult to be anything but thankful.  A few days ago I reread my first journal entry after relocating up north.  It ended with this thought:

The most amazing part of those words is that they’re all still true.  I feel the same overwhelming gratitude on day 366 in Seattle as I did on day 1.  While that thankfulness might not have been present everyday due to moments of feeling lonely, frustrated, disconnected, etc., the contentment that comes from a grateful heart has been the dominate theme through my year.  Despite my past 12 months of smooth sailing, not everyone around me has had the same experience.  As a result, I’m also highly aware that the tides will inevitably change at some point.  I simply hope and pray that when I do encounter rougher waters my attitude would still be one of gratitude for the abundant blessings that fill everyday. 

Alaska

Cruises spoil you for everyday life.  I don’t ever have set meal times where someone puts my napkin on my lap and brings fancy 5-course meals.  Or someone who makes my bed and leaves wash cloth animals to greet me on my return home.  Or the option of constant entertainment and/or constant relaxation, depending on what my heart desires at that specific time of day.  That’s not “real” life.  That is however, life on a cruise and I really enjoyed it.  In fact, after the first two days my sisters and I decided that cruises are like summer camps for adults.  Evidence for our conclusion includes a set schedule for the week with each new week being almost the same as the one before it, activities galore, the aforementioned assigned meal times, being encouraged (and in some cases forced) to meet new friends because you’re all living the same experience, excellent people watching, afternoon free time, staff members that are all ridiculously cheerful despite being over worked and under paid, less than comfortable beds, and an escape from real life that is in most cases overpriced.  Yet just like teenage summer camp, the cost is small compared to the benefit of the experience.
   This was my first cruise (not counting the family Caribbean cruise when I was two) and I have to admit I’m a newly converted, big fan.  With the exception of feeling overstuffed 90% of the time, I thoroughly enjoyed every element of my week at adult summer camp.  Our sea-filled adventure brought us to Alaska.  Wow it is beautiful…and large.  If you ever want to feel incredibly small, take a cruise to Alaska – it will give great perspective.  The journey brought us to three Alaskan towns – Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan – as well as Tracy Arm Fjord which looks remarkably similar to Yosemite, with the addition of massive glaciers and mysterious icebergs.  It was actually pretty amazing a huge ship could navigate such a narrow water way in the midst of so many invisible chunks of ice below the surface.  Ketchikan was easily my favorite port, such a quintessentially cute fishing town, it was hard not to like it.  Other highlights include Carlos and Paula – our waiter/ waitress duo for dinners (we liked them so much one of the days we rearranged plans in order to make our normal dinner time), walking laps around the deck while at sea, naps in the sun, learning about the engineering, navigation, and culinary operations of the ship, movies under the stars (or in our case, under the afternoon sun), and watching at least one episode of Downton Abbey season 2 all piled into Mom & Dad’s room each night.  Being together is the highlight of all the highlights.  I’m blessed and so thankful to be apart of a family that enjoys spending time together.  Getting to do that on a cruise made it all the more exciting and memorable.

Zoo

Until a few days ago I hadn't been to a legitimate zoo in quite some time.  Probably because I'm not really a zoo person.  Learning about and getting to see exotic or endangered animals semi-up close and personal is great.  That part I enjoy.  It's the other visitors and fanatical/ border line obsessed  zoo keepers/ workers that keep me away.  Zoos feel a little bit like Disneyland to me...a lot of little kids and nerdy park staff.  However, since the Woodland Park Zoo is less than 10 minutes from where I live and actually a pretty reputable tourist spot well loved by locals too, it made my Seattle-do list.  I have to admit I was pretty impressed - great park layout and attention to detail, all the animals you'd hope and expect to see at the zoo, and highly informational.  My nerdyness was brought out by the knowledgeable guide who lead us around the park so maybe I just needed to visit the right zoo to really appreciate the experience.