Have a Great Weekend

Robbie and I have a fun friend weekend ahead. One of Robbie's best friends, Brent (Sarah's husband) will be visiting from Chicago this weekend, my old salon (Los Gatos Nailworks) is having a client appreciation party, our roommate Kevin is playing a show on Saturday evening, and then I'll be going to my friend's baby shower (she's having twins!) on Sunday. I'll be exhausted by Sunday evening, but it'll be a jam packed weekend full of fun (who needs sleep anyway?!).

What are your plans this weekend?
(Photo: via Joanna Goddard)

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Dream Interpretations

How often do you dream? I'm not talking about becoming an astronaut or a movie star, but the kind that happens with your head firmly planted on your pillow. I don't dream as often as I used to, and to be honest, I miss it. Who knows, maybe I am having nights full of dreams and I just don't remember them. When I do remember my dreams, it's so fun to pick out certain aspects of what I remember and identify which part of my life they came from.

Last week, my roommate Sarah had a dream that she was slaying zombies who were trying to attack her. She said she was slaying them with a sword and woke up in a cold sweat, feeling anxious. Just a couple of days ago, Robbie woke up and told me he had a dream about baseball. He was trying out somewhere (similar to Spring Training) and just wasn't any good. He said he was so frustrated in his dream because he couldn't get the hang of it. He woke up with the desire to go practice playing baseball (a sport he has never really played).

I'm sure there are reasonable explanations as to why Sarah and Robbie had their dreams. Sarah was probably dreaming about zombies because she had watched two episodes of The Walking Dead before she went to bed (bad move), and Robbie was probably dreaming about baseball because the season has almost started and he has been making sure to stay up to date on player news from his favorite teams. Although those may be the logical explanations, I thought it would be fun to look up interpretations of what their dreams meant. Here is what Dream Moods says about Sarah and Robbie's dreams:

Self-Defense (a.k.a. killing zombies trying to eat you):
To dream that you are taking self defense indicates that you are on the defensive about some issue in your waking life. You feel that you are being picked on or criticized.

Sports Dream (i.e. playing baseball):
To dream that you are playing a sport signifies the learning of rules, recognition of your talents, and the achieving of your goals. It also highlights the importance of cooperation, harmony, and teamwork. Perhaps the dream is a pun on how you need to be more of a "sport". To play or watch extreme sports in your dream suggests that you may be pushing yourself too hard. You need to consider the risks involved and if it is still worth it to pursue further.

Have you ever had your dreams interpreted? Did you find it to be accurate?
(Photo: Youth Novels)

Cinequest's Picture the Possibilities

The 2012 Cinequest Film Festival kicked off last night with lots of excitement! For those who may not know, Cinequest is a twelve day film festival in San Jose, CA that blends film lovers and film creators. What many don't know is that Cinequest has also created in a non-profit organization called Picture the Possibilities. Picture The Possibilities (PTP) is a dynamic program empowering youth from around the world to create films expressing visions of a better tomorrow in order to invoke change within their communities. I was fortunate enough to speak with PTP Coordinator, Marcela Villegas Castanon for Content magazine. Here is an excerpt from my article:

Do the students/youth develop all aspects of the film? Do they write the screenplays? Do they direct the actors? Do they manage the casting?
Usually, participants turn in story ideas about a month before the program. We review and read all the stories and then we select a topic that is prevalent in all the stories. Since there are 15-20 kids, and we can’t make 15-20 films. We choose about three to four stories. Then we start constructing a script from there.

The first few days, we lecture on how to create screenplays, on filmmaking and finally on editing. So, participants get lectures on the basic fundamentals of filmmaking. Then we go over the scripts we’ve selected and start the pre-production part of the process. We get the props we’ll need, we figure out who is going to be the actors, find our locations. This all happens in one day. Then we have three to four days for filming.

So, you make three to four films in a two-week period?
Yes, we do. Plus, we do a personal profile piece on each of the participants. We basically interview them and ask them to tell us about themselves, their community, about their home life, and about what they want to share with us. They each have an opportunity to express what they want through these profiles. So, we create 15-20 profile pieces and we do the three, sometimes five film pieces in two weeks.

To read the full interview please click here 

(Photography by Ezra Gordon)

Ire-ophile

The word for people who have a "positive predisposition" for all things French are called Francophiles. These are people who love French food, French decor, the French language, etc. Here is my question... is there a similar term for individuals who have that same type of "positive predisposition" for Ireland?

I have been thinking about Ireland a lot lately. You could probably tell by this post and this post.  Maybe it's because our trip was almost a year ago, or because the landscape was incredibly beautiful, or because I miss actually having a winter. Whatever it is, it has me wanting to go back. I've been daydreaming about discovering the Irish countryside, and spontaneously making plans as we go.

Is there a certain place you daydream of? 
(Photo taken in Ireland in 2011)

Bossypants

I'm in the middle of reading Bossypants by Tina Fey and this book is absolutely hysterical. As I'm reading, I find myself laughing out loud and wanting to read paragraphs at a time to Robbie. Of course, it is not nearly as funny to him since he doesn't understand the whole context, but I can't help myself. After I'm finished I want to go on a cruise with Tina*, or maybe just hang out with her for lunch.

Have you read Bossypants? What books have made you laugh out loud while reading them?
*You'll have to read chapter ten to find out exactly why this will never happen.

Have a Fun Weekend!

Do you have anything fun planned this weekend?  Robbie and I are headed to the snow (or whatever we can find) with some friends. We're hoping to take a break from our "screens", so we'll be turning off our phones and ignoring our laptops. It'll be a quick trip, so I'm planning on relaxing the heck out of Saturday! Do you have any tips to quickly sink into relaxation?

I hope you enjoy your weekend!
(Photo taken the day we jumped out of a plane!)

Decorating with Maps

Robbie loves maps. Whenever we visit a new city, he loves to grab a map and familiarize himself with our new surroundings. I, on the other hand, have never really cared all that much about looking at a physical map. I'd rather talk to a local, get verbal directions, and then figure it out from there. Recently, Robbie and I re-organized our room and the change-up has been fun. The new set-up has me thinking that I want to hang a framed photo or photos of maps above our bed. Here are a few that have been catching my eye...

Do you decorate with maps? Any recommendations on where to look?
(Photos: map one, map two, map three. All via Pinterest)

Meeting Rick Steves - The Highlights

Although meeting Rick Steves was the highlight of my Saturday, it was not the only aspect of the day. He gave two lectures to the audience and I was able to walk on water (literally, not just metaphorically). His first lecture was based on his best selling book, "Europe Through the Back Door", which focuses on his tips for traveling on a budget. Here are the highlights from his lecture:

• Understand the mindset of where you are; research the time and context of your destination so that your sightseeing takes on a new meaning.
• Find ruined castles or other free things. 
• Find ways to really be in Europe. It is a mental game, so do what you can to psychologically be present. 
• Stroll, stroll, stroll!!! Europeans enjoy taking the time to stroll through their cities, and you should too.
• Make sure you have up to date information.
• Start mild (Ireland, England, etc.) and work your way to exotic (Rome, Greece, Turkey, etc.)
• Find ways to get away from lines. If you are waiting in lines, then you are doing it wrong. 
• Travel to the Mediterranean in April and May, and spend June and July north of the Alps. 

Rick's second lecture was based on his book, "Travel as a Political Act". The main purpose of this lecture seemed to emphasize the importance of being a conscientious traveller.

• Travel allows you to bring back empathy and truth form the rest of the world.
• The opposite of fear is understanding.
• People don't think they are better than you, they are just inspired by something different. 
• When you're told to go shopping and they'll do the thinking, red flags should be raised.
• The European Union is interested in ethnic region, not just traditional boundaries.
• Traveling allows us to gain empathy for other people's baggage, so be mindful of that baggage as you travel.
• If we are honest with ourselves, we will realize that children and familial relationships from other parts of the world are just as precious as in the United States.
• The Iranian people are good people motivated by fear and love; the same as some Americans. 

After the lectures and meet and greets, we headed over to the kids section of the expo. They had a zip line, bounce houses and bubble rollers. I decided to fork over some cash and get into a Bubble Roller. When you get in a roller, you get zipped up and vacuum sealed into a big bubble, and then can walk (or at least try to), roll, or spin on water without getting wet. I struggled to stand, but had so much fun trying. Bubble Rollers are a new idea to me and I found out that they will even come to your house for a birthday! I thought it would be great for a work event.

Do you have any travel tips you pass on to friends or family? Have you ever thought of your travels as a political act?
(Photos taken for Short Story Long)

Meeting Rick Steves!

My weekend was amazing. Not only did I enjoy an extra day off work, I also met my travel hero, Rick Steves, over the weekend. I was super excited about the whole experience, and didn't really start feeling nervous until Saturday morning. Robbie wasn't able to come with me for the first lecture, but was planning on meeting me there for the actual meet and greet. Luckily, my roommate Sarah and friend Sobrina were able to join me from the start.

Once we arrived, Sarah and I planned on heading straight to the Travel & Adventure theater to get good seats. As soon as we walked in, Sarah said, "There's Rick Steves". I freaked out! I couldn't help myself. The thought of being in the same room made it all the more real. It turns out that he was conducting an improv Q&A session before his lecture and was taking questions from the audience. There were already a ton of people there, but I was somehow able to score a seat in the second row! (Disclaimer: it was a solo seat and I totally ditched my friends for it. I realize it is horrible, but at the time I couldn't walk away. I was making eye-contact with the man for goodness sake! )

His first lecture was on traveling Europe effectively, while still on a budget. To be honest, I had actually heard a lot of his advice before from his DVD series. Since the girls and I had been separated, Sarah decided to get in the meet in greet line before his lecture actually ended. Genius! By the time he wrapped up and I made my way over, Robbie had found us and we were only ten people back. I had brought two DVDs and Sarah had a travel journal for him to sign; I was responsible for all three. I put Sarah in charge of taking pictures and Robbie was there for moral support (plus, I think he was most excited to see my reaction).

Even Robbie was thrilled for me! Haha!

a) Look at the excitement on my face and b) Check out the Tech issue of Content in his hands!

I was completely nervous as I approached his autograph table. I had an idea of what I wanted to say, but was suddenly second guessing it. Before I realized it, the time had come. I was face-to-face with the man whose television show I watch on an almost weekly basis. As he began to autograph my items, I just started to speak. I told him that I loved his shows and that he is an inspiration to me. I gave him a business card for my blog (I would LOVE it if he read it) and told him I was practicing some of the advice he offers on his website. He says (as paraphrased in my mind), "Write about what you love and make it available for free. Eventually people will pay for your writing". I concluded our meeting by gifting him with the Tech issue of Content magazine.

All in all, it was a really great day and an exciting interaction. I can't believe I met my hero and was able to give him examples of my work. Robbie and the girls were extremely supportive and helped me laugh off my nervousness after. It was such a fun afternoon!

I'll be back for part 2 tomorrow with highlights from his lecture!

What do you say when you are meeting your hero?
(All photos taken for Short Story Long)

Happy Monday!

I hope you enjoyed your weekend! Mine hasn't technically ended since President's Day is an observed holiday at my company. Score! There is something so relaxing knowing I have an additional day off at the end of the weekend. I had a very exciting Saturday (more on that soon!), but there wasn't a moment the last two days where I felt rushed or guilty for lounging around. It was very relaxing.

Do you have to work today? If not, do you have anything fun planned?
(Photo: via justlookandbeamazed)