Today

So, today began the life of the Cork Tube (ah, don’t you just relish random first lines like that?). It all started with the blatant eyesore that literally tore through my room (okay, okay, my shelf). Let’s explain. So, because I have the pleasure of living on a storage shelf below the basement, there are all sorts of bonus features that other rooms don’t get. For example, I have a floor that slants and is covered by an unattached layer of carpet that moves at its pleasure. Peeking out from the top, I see the haphazardly strewn cement that, I’m sure, never thought it would be the floor of a human habitation (It reminds me of the foam at the crest of a wave…). Furthermore, I have the great thrill of living in a space that is the pathway of a certain large pipe on its way to the septic tank. In fact, even now I hear my roommate relieving himself over my head… It was already covered in insulation, wire, and duct tape, but I had to put it to better use. I had an idea, researched the price, saved up, and only now has my plan been realized. What once was a dusty reminder of what we all take great measures to avoid has now become an ever-present beacon of inspiration in my daily life. After finding an art supply store off the beaten road that sells cork in rolls, I made the effort to save and trek out and get it. I bought 30 inch x 48 inch square of pure cork and wrapped it around the pipe. So now, before me, I see a canvas upon which I hope to fill with my best moments. I feel it’s a mix between Steph’s Inspiration Board, and my own Magnet Pipe (you see, I already have plenty of metal pipes running in and out of my room, but they emit a sense of raw, artistic vintage that I thrive off of. I’ve already begun filling them with magnets that make me laugh). Perhaps the first pin I put on my Cork Tube embodies best what I hope to accomplish with it. It’s the yellow pin found in my Grandma’s basement that says only “Make Good Things Happen.” This, along with my other life theme of “Love This Moment” has helped me make the most of my time, look for the good and positive everywhere, and to incite others to do the same.



So, now, I want to fill the unique space with moments that remind me why I live: Rebecca’s Film Festival-themed birthday party where she rented a theater complete with a red carpet, had us all dress up, passed out Junior Mints and popcorn and had us watch each other’s films; Sitting at the Karaoke Bar on New Years Eve after singing “I Got You Babe” with an amazingly talented Cher; A coaster from the Salsa Club where Lisa and I went dancing (and convinced ourselves that we showed up all those people who knew what they were doing); My favorite photo of all of my siblings, the people who believe in me more than I ever will; A movie ticket from the show that made me laugh till I was crying, another from the show that made me want to be a better person; The plane ticket from when I sat next to Asha, the sweet Indian lady; The idea for my next art project.

I think everyone should have their own form of an Inspiration Board. It can be anything from anyone, whenever you want (playbills, photos, thank you notes, a shoelace with sentimental value), as long as it inspires. Inspire comes from the Old French ‘inspirare’ meaning, “breathe or blow into.” It can breathe life into you, or encouragement, hope, creativity, peace, or just a memory that warms you with joy. Surrounding yourself with this will help you be better and give you reason to seize each day and find the flavor and meaning in life’s little moments.

If you're going to San-Fran-cisco....

Then, feel free to come stay with me! That is, as soon as I find myself a place to live...

Well, I'm back by popular demand. Okay, not that popular, but just let me flatter myself. So, I'm just sitting here in a sofa on a balcony overlooking San Francisco and, yes, the ocean. I'm typing with my right hand while sipping from my wine glass in the left. Orange juice. (But, who can deny that everything tastes better from a wine glass?) The sun pours into the valley enough to let you see the exquisite palm trees with crystal-clear perfection, and yet, a crisp wind blows in from the west, reminding you why you're in paradise. Ah, yes, he lives the dream.

Okay, I'm not trying to make the rest of you want to kill yourselves, I just have to find some way to lure all those people I care about back east (weird to think you live "back east," isn't it?) to come visit me. And as I sat down and took this in (do you ever have one of those "That Thing You Do" moments where Lenny says "How did we get here?!"), I thought "Wow, this has to be shared." I was taken back to the years in Peru when I wrote in my Journal (yes, capitalized) daily and the constant monologue in my head became a palpable train of thoughts. I considered pulling out a notebook and doing the same thing, but I knew it'd only be a matter of time before I lost it. Plus, I'm definitely not committing to a daily journal ever again. At least, not at this point (man, I sure buckle easily, don't I?). So, I thought I'd just pull out my MacBook (Soap Box alert: Best thing I've ever done. Buy a Mac, it'll change your life) and put it in a Word document. It was then and only then that I realized that is what my crazy blogging sister(s) have been talking about. An online Journal. So, that was what brought me to you today.

But honestly, this place is beautiful and I'm really loving it so far. As of right now, I'm staying with some great guys who live about 20 minutes outside of the city. I'm going to look for a house later today. The houses are amazing! They are so unique and colorful and have flat roofs (can you say Chim-chim-eree?). There are Victorian-style houses with crazy windows and archways or Mexican houses with those red roofs. I also love how all the houses are so close together, it makes for a nice, communal bonding of sorts. Or people are simply greedy and want to make the most money they can on each lot. Hmmm... optimist me says 'I'll go with A). Unity and Love.

And did I tell you how I watched the sun set over the Pacific last night? Okay, so I know you're not supposed to look directly at the sun, but this was a special occasion of sorts (as is tonight, and tomorrow... ) Ah, I wish I could show you. Oh, wait..


Hallelujah! Okay, did I not tell you the Mac would make all your wildest dreams come true?

Welp, I better get back on that job hunt, or else this will be one short-lived city-boy adventure.
Choose to Inspire yourself. Loves.

The Latest

So, you wouldn't guess that the latest noteworthy event in my life stemmed from late night shenanigans on driveways of crushes in Jr. High.  This weekend I participated in the annual Chalk Art Festival at Gateway in downtown SLC. I have a friend from school who does it every year and she talked a couple of us into joining her this year. So, we did a scene from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and it was a big hit with the kids. I loved everyone's reaction, whether it was "whoooooooa." or humming the theme song or speaking with a Sean Connery accent. We joked about throwing in C3P0 and the exploding Death Star at the bottom just to confuse people.

 Apparently, it was also a contest (news to me!), so I liked pretending like we were hardcore chalk artists bent on winning. I can't tell you how many people I committed to sabotaging the best ones. Could you imagine? One of my friends walks by this amazing mermaid drawing and --oops- drops his water bottle in the middle of it? Heads would roll.

My favorite thing, though (besides sitting on my legs for so long that they became numb for the next two days and I couldn't stop tripping over myself as I walked; or currently having no fingerprint because I spent my days rubbing cement with my bare hands), was just creating art in public. As conceited as it may sound, I really loved the feeling of being recognized as an artist by those around us. It's like a mixture of the fine arts and the performing arts, creating it right there in front of their eyes. All in all, I think being validated by others in what you love to do is one of the best feelings you can have. 

It's just too bad all those hours and hours will be washed away next time it rains....  haha

Check out my Slide Show!

Well, I breathed a sigh of relief today when I received word that I'm accepted to the Art Institute of Salt Lake. 

It's not often you go to class and take a midterm only to come home and open the letter that says you're accepted to your school. 

They probably don't know how literally we take the words "your admission is effective immediately". Really? Immediately? How about so immediate that it begins six weeks ago? 

Just trying to stay ahead of the game!

So, in an attempt to document important experiences in my life (and to temporarily quench the never ending blog thirst my sister seems to posses), I write this.

Last weekend, one of my good friends from my mission, Dave Adamusko, came to visit Utah from his home in Philadelphia. He stayed with us for a few days and fell in love with my family (Not to say it takes days, most are charmed in the first hour..). Since my parents taught me to always be a good host, I felt obligated to show him the sights and help him explore Salt Lake in all its majesty.

He wanted to attend the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Broadcast (or MoTab, the gang name. They're trying to promote themselves to a wider, more diverse audience.) on Sunday morning, so we headed down. We got there in mid-song and listened to the announcer and followed along on the program only to realize the show was almost over. Then, just after saying "Thank you for joining us this morning and we look forward to seeing you next week..." he started over and we clued in: They do an entire run-through just before the actual broadcast. Talk about efficiency. Anyway, Dave really loved it. He said it's one thing to hear a CD or see them on a movie, but the live performance was unreal and powerful. He was notably moved. 

Afterwards, we decided to go to Sacrament Meeting at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. I had never actually attended a meeting there, but I've heard that the downtown wards meet there. Okay. So, have you ever been in this building? I had, but the Sacrament Meeting room is phenomenal. It was so big and so beautiful. The vaulted ceilings, the ornate carpentry, the lights hanging down and the organ pipes display  behind the stand. It felt like we stepped into a movie from the late 1800s. (I probably relate things to movies a little too much. Shall we just say an actual building from the 1800s? Like a 19th century ball or something.) Well, Dave and I were sitting there trying to take it all in (we spoke of how our Peruvian converts would be blown away if they could see this room), when one brother asks if we would pass the Sacrament (Where is my card that says I'm a "member in good standing with the Church"? Did I forget it again?). So, we did. I was very impressed to see on the bench these laminated cards telling each one exactly what he was to do and where to go. I read the back of mine (#1), and it said "a General Authority or member of the Stake Presidency always presides, if present." 'Wow,' I thought 'that must not be too rare an occurrence if they put it on the card..' So, we're studying away (don't want to mess up in another ward...they may never invite you back), when all of the sudden we see the Elders behind us stand as the whole room does. We jolted out of our seats (peer pressure at its finest) and turn to our right to see Pres. Hinckley walk in the door. It was surreal, an amazing moment for both of us, but especially Dave, who'd never seen the Prophet in person before. He leaned over to me "Well, as if I wasn't already nervous enough before...". I was impressed to see Pres. Hinckley sit on the front row next to the door with his guard. Almost like it just shows how humble this incredible man is, not one to want the attention or to ever remotely draw it to himself. He sure can handle the spotlight (not to mention the weight of the world), but his nature is so sweet and sincere and humble. Well, it was my privilege to pass the sacrament that day to the Presiding Officer of the entire Church, a man who I love and respect. Our dear Prophet. 

The actual meeting was very edifying and I was dually impressed to see how normal it felt. The Bishop was high-spirited and funny, the talks were directed to the entire ward, the callings proposed, musical numbers, it all seemed so natural. It reminded me of my feeling when I first entered the Lima Peru Temple. I had been in the country just a few days and despite my excitement and optimism, I knew nothing about the language, culture, etc. I remember entering the temple and sensing this warm peace. It was a very familiar feeling. I said to myself "the Church is one and it is the same across the world." I loved the reiteration of that in Pres. Hinckley's ward. 

 

After that was over, I took Dave to tour the Conference Center. He was ecstatic. It's so great that there are volunteer missionaries ready and willing to show anyone about this great building and share the gospel and their testimonies. I'd been in the Conference Center before, but I don't know that I'd taken a formal tour. I learned a lot of new things and saw some beautiful artwork I had no idea was there. I felt like the New Yorker who hasn't been to the Statue of Liberty. But, of course, I'm from Salt Lake and actually have been to Lady Liberty...but not Lake Powell.

 

Dave described it as "the best Sunday ever!" I assured him that all Sundays in Utah weren't at that caliber (you just hit a good one!) and thanked him for being there, because otherwise I wouldn't have done/seen any of it. Isn't it interesting how people can change your life for the better in quiet, uncelebrated moments?

 Actually, that was a pretty celebrated moment once we got to the car. 

Yippee!

I get home in 7 days! Happy Thanksgiving!!