The best part of having a grown-up job:

Confronting mansplaining on an almost daily basis.

It's real folks. In fact, one of my supervisors actually warned me about it and said they've had to face it a lot too. Some things you say will be ignored by certain people. It's not because the things you say are wrong or unimportant, but simply because you're a girl. 

It really makes me miss school. I had lame guys in my classes too but we were essentially on equal footing. They were easier to ignore since their opinion of me didn't really matter. I CANNOT WAIT to be back in school again.

BUT there are a lot of other things I like about working too! I'm trying to be more positive/grateful, so here are my top ten things I like about my job:

1. I know I'm doing something good everyday. I'm so lucky that I can go to work and know that in some little way, I'm making a positive    contribution to the world. We do good work.

2. Our office is stellar. We truly are a team. I like pretty much everyone. A lot of my coworkers started off as VISTAs as well, so they can provide helpful advice. 

3. Lunch. It's a thing of glory. A respite from the day.

4. I've met the best people in Provo. They are the residents we serve who do more for us then we could for them. They're the volunteers who dedicate hours every week, even though they have so many other responsibilities

5. Vacation, Sick Days, and Comp time. Feel like you just can't hack it? Take a day! This privilege cannot be abused, but I've loved not being forced to slog through a day while my mind is a million miles away and your nose is like the Niagara Falls of snot. Wasn't like that at school; you HAD to be in class.

6. The office is two blocks away. I'm a walking queen.

7. Meals on Wheels. OMYGOODNESS. I can't believe I've told you about this yet. Twice a month I deliver meals, and it is the best. thing. ever. The people we deliver to are characters and they are so sweet.

8. I get to work with the best kids in the world. Oh man, they're the best. 

9. We get to go to interesting conference on community service, non-profit work, etc. Oh! And Vital Smarts trainings. I love those.

10. One of the things I love most about my work, is that it will end.  On January 25th, I will be done as a VISTA. I choose to stay and do another year with the South Franklin Community Center. Or I could find a job in Salt Lake and work for a bit. Or move to an alpaca farm. Or go live in Spain. Or go back to South America. Or just wander around for a bit.
I'm actually tempted to do another VISTA year since it feels like I'm just getting the hang of it, but part of me feels like my time in Provo is over...

yeah, time to move on.

pick pick pick pick pick it apart

Here are updates:

• I'm thinking about this school a lot. It has a "Cathedral of Learning". So that has to be good, right?
• But I also think I need to wait an extra year before I start any sort of grad school program
• Have you actually read what it says on the bottle of Bronner's soap? 

• 
  
• 
  
• That stuff makes me feel like I'm saving the world! Also, I just used their Lavender body wash and I feel SPARKLING CLEAN.
• I moved my bed and rearranged my room and it feels SO. MUCH. BETTER. It's like a revelation really.
• Never been a Joss Whedon Fan-Girl, but I just listened to this song on an old TAL podcast, and I kind of fell in love with him. I think I'm going to watch the Dr. Horrible's thing when I'm done with this post.
• The past two weeks have been busy with hikes, Finer Things Club Meetings, a first-day-of-fall dinner, lots o' movies, celebrating Yom Kippur, being sick, and reckoning with the four months I have left as a VISTA.

In other news, I rediscovered some of my brother's videos! Check a couple of 'em out. They are SPECTACULAR. He's a diva and wouldn't let me upload the best ones, so you'll just have to check them out on his youtube page.

We are so normal.

A Poem For Thursday: "Doves" - Rumi

Doves

People want you to be happy.

Don't keep serving them your pain!

If you could untie your wings

and free your soul of jealousy,

you and everyone around you

would fly up like doves.

Music for your Midweek: Rasel

I was feeling super down yesterday. Then I returned to my perfectly curated Spanish playlists on Spotify. And I felt much better. Here is one of my pop faves:

September Mix: The Best of Every Situation

I make good on my promises. As you can probably tell with my track choices, I'm sort of all over the place. And that is alright, for now.

1. Fitzpleasure - Alt-J
2. Weekends - Tiger Waves
3. Get Free (feat. Amber of Dirty Projectors) - Major Lazer
4. Shine - Collective Soul
5. Sunshine Superman - Donovan
6. Oh! Boy - Buddy Holly
7. Big Jet Plane - Angus and Julia Stone
8. Up Around The Bend - Creedence Clearwater Revival
9. Silver Tongue - Zulu Winter
10. Sleeping Ute - Grizzly Bear
11. The Warpath - Conner Youngblood
12. Interesting Times - Chester French
13. Nevermind the Typos - Sondre Lerche
14. I Walked [ft. Simone White] (Sufjan Stevens cover) - Fol Chen
15. The Base - Paul Banks
16. Brother Sparrow - Agnes Obel
17. There Goes the Fear - Doves
18. I Shall Be Released - Bob Dylan

NOTES:
1. All you need is in this song.
3. This video. Also, there was a dance party at my house last weekend. And when a remix of this song came on, I realized that whenI have to choose between music and people, I choose music.
15. Going to see Interpol was one of the worst experiences. They were lovely on stage, but their fans were beasts. Like, literally. I was very nervous the whole time.
16. I am very ready for fall.
18. I couldn't find this one online. Soooorrrryyyyy

A Poem for Thursday: "This morning wind" - Rumi

This morning wind spreads its fresh smell.

We must get up to take that in,

that wind that lets us live.

Breathe, before it's gone.

A Poem for Thursday: "Today, like every other day" - Rumi

Today, like every other day, we wake up empty

and frightened. Don't open the door to the study 

and begin reading. Take down a musical instrument.

Let the beauty we love be what we do.

There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.