Going Somewhere.

I've been noticing a change since I bought a plane ticket to Korea (to visit this lovely lady). Im happy, smiling, in love with Korean drama and still productive (which is really quite counter-intuitive). One would say I'm a bit in love and its true. I've forgotten how fun it is to be going somewhere. I haven't really been in a while.

Part of what is motivating me to work is the need to pay back my plane ticket, but another part is that there is something to work towards. Something oh-so-worthwhile as travel is.

So that's my major inspiration for the next month :)

Gold Star to the adventurers.

Color

I've written about my affection for the color green, but the fact is, I'm inspired by all sorts of color. And new for me, this is including pastels and neutrals. I still bear an intense love of fully saturated beauties like plum, teal, and kelly green, but I also like mint and lilac. And I got an awesome new thread organizer which lets me see my colors all the more clearly.

 I particularly like this trio of spools.

I kind of wish the spools were of more uniform heights, but considering these were free and came on charming wooden spools...

Gold Star to the rainbow children.

The Traveller

I never really knew my great-grandmother. We used to go to her house and play when we were in town, but I don't even remember the Traverse City visits, and the later Florida ones were usually overshadowed by Disney or Sea World trips. But I like to think she was a kindred spirit. When she died, at the ripe old age of 96, enjoying a lobster dinner (we can't prove it was the lobster, but that would be the way to do it, so we choose to believe that was it), I didn't mourn her passing as much as the stories I would never know.

Because I do remember her house being a fascinating place. By the time she had pared down her life into a small Floridian condo, her possessions had been distilled to her most treasured relics. Elegant carved wooden giraffes with inset ivory from Africa, a fantastic parrot-mosaic table, and a snake-charmer's basket filled with toys. My brother and I always focused on the basket when we were at her house. So single-mindedly were we that she left it to us.

A few years later, I found this picture of her and my Great-Grandpa. I begged my mom to let me have it. I knew my Great-Grandma had travelled, and I still don't know the whole of where she had been. But the fact she went makes me realize that more runs in families than one thinks.

This picture sits next to my desk -- where all the magic happens when I can get the courage to get out from under the covers. Both as a reminder of my aspirations, and because you have to admire her panache with a sari :)

Gold Star to all those who share their stories before it's too late.

When the clouds touch the earth.

So, story behind my new banner -- other than I was procrastinating in a BIG way.

It is a picture I took on my 48-hour train ride from Xian to Tibet. Was it crazy long? Yup. Worth it? YES! And not only because it acclimates you slowly to the altitude, and therefore reduces altitude sickness (though one fellow traveller still got hit bad. poor chica!).

What really made it worth it was seeing the Plateau.

I love mountains anyway, (particularly snow-capped peaks and glaciers in the middle of summer!). But I've never been on one to see what they really mean. I've always just admired them from afar, not being the climbing sort.

Look a that blue!

 That pictures like this were the first impression I got of Tibet is a godsend. I can't describe how amazing the sky is so high. It's so much bluer, and every cloud is in sharp relief, not just blurs of slight shadow.

I mean, this is the highest lake in the world.
I would have missed it on a plane

And that amazement never went away. On the hills outside of Lhasa, I could see the shadows of the clouds and go "this one's a dog, and this one an umbrella, and this one an octopus on crack."


Tibet in and of itself is an inspiring place. It's ancient and mystical and beautiful in its rough edges. But seeing the clouds touch the earth is perhaps the most inspiring part of all.






Be sure to check out freetibet.org. It's terribly sad, how the Chinese occupation is slowly sapping the beautiful culture from this place. I don't want to get all dramatic and sappy, or preachy, but when you can see the Chinese military armed and ready a rooftop away from your restaurant window, something is wrong. And I've studied Native American history enough to see the parallels, and can guess where this is going.

Gold Star to all the little kids who dreamed of touching the clouds. And six to the Dalai Lama.

The BA journalist's club

So, I haven't done an inspiration post in a while, so here's another fabulous location that inspires me:

When I was in Cambodia, our little travel group was joined by an alumni who had been living in Taiwan (and had taken the same tour years before, when Cambodia was not on the list.) She had a fairly awesome writing job and a wonderful travel guide, and she came to Phnom Penh with several destinations, one of which was the FCC -- The Foreign Correspondent's Club. Now, it helped my excitement that the FCC had been mentioned in one of our readings -- disscussed later -- and I happened to be a big fan of the romance of journalists past.

And the fact was, journalists in Cambodia in the 70s were badass. A lot of them moved there after the fall of Saigon (the badass ones who couldn't stand to go home and leave the oddly beguiling romance of Indochina). And Cambodia wasn't excatly a garden of roses either, in the 70s. In fact, it too went all too heck -- in a bigger way than Vietnam, but we don't learn that because Western Powers were not involved. But where governents would not go, some really badass journalists went. And their stories are amazing, awesome journalistic tales. Old-school journalism, where the writers face danger to seek truth, and all those platitudes. And they're definitely worth checking out -- The movie The Killing Fields and the book River of Time are just two examples of these badass journalists.

And they all hung out at the FCC -- which not only has an amazing view of Phnom Penh and the Mekong (of which I do not, unfortunately, have a picture -- this was in the days of the broken camera) and classy interior -- but was once the haunt of some really brave badasses.

I didn't get any good pictures, as my camera was broken, but here's my awesome  FCC T-Shirt!

The journalists overlooking the Mekong make me make the awesome face!

Gold Star to the lovers of yellow journalism tales of bravery.

Things that inspire me...

Vietnam.

Originally the country was just a part of a package deal on my way to Thailand and China. This was what I said when people of my parents' generation asked me, "Why Vietnam?," as inevitably happened.

More specifically, it was a six-week package deal where I could earn credit for my history major in a way that would make school in the summer more than tolerable. We ended up spending 10 days in the country, and they were all amazing. It ended up having some of my favorite places, my best day ever, and a really astounding people.

Its hard to explain its allure, but its something beyond its natural beauty -- which is considerable. The country is at least half bordered by gorgeous beaches, and it features everything from romantically terraced mountains to jungles of exotic plants and delicious alien fruits :) Spectacular too, is the differences of people you can find, from those living in stilt houses to sleek women gliding down the street in silk ao dai.

But the best thing about the people is their acceptance. Most were really excited to meet an American -- granted, a huge percentage of the population is below 25 (therefore doesn't remember the war), but we are, unfortunately, part of the reason that is true. The Vietnamese were fighting for generations straight (first the French, then each other, then America), but they don't hold grudges against any of these groups. I'd read this in some of our required reading, but I was astounded to find it true.

So while the landscapes are absolutely beautiful, and the cities romantically haunting (I'll have to post about Hanoi at some point),  it's really that acceptance that I find most inspiring.

Things that inspire me...

I may move this feature to a bi-weekly one. Not that my life lacks inspiration (and I am so gifted for this), but just to mix it up a bit (especially since my creative rampage this last week means I have a lot of projects to share). What do you think?

But for now...This week's topic is Green.

Its a color, and a concept, and a lifestyle. Also, a blood type for hardcore fans (fans of what, you may ask...you'll see). And thankfully my home has lots of it to be inspired by.

 My mom painted this on our entrance door. It makes entering my house feel like stepping into a 

fairy tale :)

Drying spices in my garage (painted, you guessed it, green)

I have always loved this little willow. Like how my car photobombed this picture?

Some of the lovely foliage. I will miss this SO much in the winter. 

This is what I meant about bleeding green :) Yes, that is State duct tape. Being a Spartan is in my blood from both sides, and really strongly from my mom's, as all of her kin who has gone to college has gone to State...except me. In fact, the flag was a possession *ahem* obtained *ahem* when my Grandpa went there in the fifties. It's kind of a family relic. 

In an act of failed rebellion, I chose a school with green and white anyway :)

Gold Star to all the cool kids with failed rebellions. 

Things that inspire me...

The crazy family members.

This weekend, I was at a second wedding with my mom's family in the last couple of years, and once again got to experience the abundance of character that is my Great Aunt and Uncle's brood.

My great uncle himself fits the profile of the crazy old coot. As a general rule you don't want to leave anyone alone with him for too long or they'll get the whole life story plus some. At my cousin's wedding, I got more career advice than I could ever need. This time, it was my Dad. But at the same time, a crazy old coot is entertaining, and you learn a lot from him, whether you want to or not.

My great aunt is another character. She is known, and a bit infamous in our family, for her letters. She sends them only on the choicest of occasions, and as she says with a tiny smile, "they're a bit nutty." In celebration of a second cousin getting an apartment, she sent him a Minnie Mouse card, because, "every apartment needs a mouse." At the most recent wedding, she identified me by "I sent you the card with the shoe, when you graduated." As per my mother's instructions to cherish it always, I still have it saved.

And through my mom's stories, I could talk about the CIA cousin (though of course, we'll never know that for sure, the one who has lived everywhere, the Yooper engineer who occasionally sails into Canada without his passport..., the one who was my mom's buddy, just now un-bachelored, and their girl.

This is just a sampling of the characters available to me, who, if I ever get time to write the stories in the back of my head, will provide endless manifestations.

Gold Star to everyone who loves their crazy-wonderful family.

Things that inspire me...

My car

Perhaps an odd thing, to be inspired by a '95 Buick LeSabre, but I love it.

Mainly because I love things with unexpected character, which my Pearl possesses in abundance.

Firstly, she is a complete and total granny car, white exterior, a very thoroughly blue leather and faux-wood paneling interior, it even came with a box of Kleenex. Also, the height of nineties luxury. Not only does my car have passenger heat control and motorized seats, it has the most awesome cassette player I have ever seen. It can skip through songs and flip sides automatically. No discman I ever had could do that.

But asides from her physical character, I think my favorite thing about my car is that one day, After packing her trunk to the brim, some wire to the trailer hitch got disconnected. The result is that the back-left blinker didn't work. Instead my clock blinked. Only when I had my foot on the break. When I didn't, all was normal, as it was once my dad reconnected the wire.

Character. TBS has it right.

Gold star to anyone who drives a granny car.

Things that inspire me...

Vietnam.

Originally the country was just a part of a package deal on my way to Thailand and China. This was what I said when people of my parents' generation asked me, "Why Vietnam?," as inevitably happened.

More specifically, it was a six-week package deal where I could earn credit for my history major in a way that would make school in the summer more than tolerable. We ended up spending 10 days in the country, and they were all amazing. It ended up having some of my favorite places, my best day ever, and a really astounding people.

Its hard to explain its allure, but its something beyond its natural beauty -- which is considerable. The country is at least half bordered by gorgeous beaches, and it features everything from romantically terraced mountains to jungles of exotic plants and delicious alien fruits :) Spectacular too, is the differences of people you can find, from those living in stilt houses to sleek women gliding down the street in silk ao dai.

But the best thing about the people is their acceptance. Most were really excited to meet an American -- granted, a huge percentage of the population is below 25 (therefore doesn't remember the war), but we are, unfortunately, part of the reason that is true. The Vietnamese were fighting for generations straight (first the French, then each other, then America), but they don't hold grudges against any of these groups. I'd read this in some of our required reading, but I was astounded to find it true.

So while the landscapes are absolutely beautiful, and the cities romantically haunting (I'll have to post about Hanoi at some point),  it's really that acceptance that I find most inspiring.

Gold star to anyone who dreams of far-off places.

PS. Pictures will be added to this post soon -- I need to find their location first....