Reading 2013

Well, if you're interested in the past, here are lists from 2011 and 2012.

The List:

1	Return of the King - JRR Tolkien*
2	The Fault in Our Stars - John Green
3	Great House - Nicole Krauss
4	Five Dysfunctions of a Team - Patrick Lencioni  (nf)
5	The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
6	Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn
7	Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald*
8	Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins*
9	Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins*
10	Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card
11	Ender's Shadow - Orson Scott Card
12	London War Notes - Mollie Panter-Downes  (nf)
13	Speaker for the Dead -Orson Scott Card
14	Shadow of the Hegemon - Orson Scott Card
15	Shadow Puppets -Orson Scott Card
16	Name of the Wind - Patrick Rothfuss
17	The Wise Man's Fear - Patrick Rothfuss
18	A body in the Library - Agatha Christie
19	Stardust - Neil Gaiman
20	Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - JK Rowling
21	Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - JK Rowling
22	Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - JK Rowling
23	Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire -JK Rowling
24	Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - JK Rowling
25	Lady in Waiting - Jackie Kendall  (nf)
26	The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
27	Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince - JK Rowling
28	Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - JK Rowling

   29 The Crowd, the Critic, and the Muse - Michael Gungor  (nf)

* indicates a re-read
(nf) indicates non-fiction

General trends:


// I read longer, though fewer books.  I set a goal of 40 books in 2013.  Don't think I'd conjectured the average length of each books would be 435 pages.  You can see below for one of my spiffy graphs.  This shows trends in average number of pages per book and per month over the last 3 years:

// I loooove sci-fi and fantasy [obvi].  I started 2013 by finishing off my re-visit to Middle Earth and another quick trip to District 12, but this only set the stage for journeys into the Enderverse, the Four Corners, Gaiman's Fairyland, and the wizarding world of Harry Potter.  I fully recognize I'm a late (very late) comer to Harry Potter, so I won't even bother "recommending" it, Neil Gaiman speaks for himself, but, a few words on the other two series.

I wrote a formal review of Ender's Game as part of my 31 days project, but here and here are thoughts I shared while reading the 1st book.  I can't recommend Ender's Game highly enough, but I'd also suggest it's parallel novel Ender's Shadow and direct sequel Speaker for the Dead (an anecdote of which I shared here).  I've forayed further into Shadow series, which is a fascinating political and psychological saga.  I'm hoping to finish the Ender Quartet, which I hear is highly philosophical.  Card's fiction is a thought-provoking delight.

As for the Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss, I did my best to give it a proper review here.  Name of the Wind, Rothfuss's incredible novel debut gripped me from it's earliest pages and once he sets up the frame narrative - there's no going back.  Both it and its sequel, Wise Man's Fear, are innovative fantasy while maintaining some of the familiar qualities I love most about series like Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter (though intended for a more mature audience than either of those series).  I finished these two in August and yet still find myself wondering about the characters as if they were lost friends.  I eagerly await the 3rd and final installment!

All that said, I have enjoyed indulging more in my love for sci-fi, fantasy, and the wonderful spots where they blend.  It's saddening that these are so often relegated to niche literature in academia... but that's a thought for another post.  I have loved these literary journeys and I'm looking forward to a few more in 2014.

// I only just realized looking back at this list that I didn't read a single pre-1900's book this year.  Gatsby, published in 1925, is the earliest novel on the list.

My teenage self would be appalled.  My 23 year old self is rather thrilled.

// Another theme that emerged in my reading habits was learning more about WWII.  Not facts.  Stories.  It was the focus of London War Notes and The Book Thief, but it crept up in plenty of other books too.  London War Notes (passage here) was a heart-breaking and beautiful bi-weekly column written for the New Yorker by an American living in London throughout the war.  Interestingly, The Book Thief, though fictional, was a harrowing tale of "the other side" - how many Germans experienced the war.  As a side note, I think it would be very interesting to read The Book Thief in conjunction with The History of Love.  But these contrasting perspectives make it obvious how unnecessary and tragic the war was - not for one side or the other, but for humanity. 


As for 2014, I'm excited to announce that I'll be taking part of Jon Acuff's "Empty Shelf Project."  I've already cleared the decks and have some books in the wings - so look forward to filling it up! 

I thoroughly enjoyed my literary wanderings in 2013.  More than finding new friends, I found new parts of myself.  These stories lent me courage where I was running low, joy in some dark moments, and love - so much love - for other people.  I couldn't really ask for much more.

Have you read any of these?  What were some of the trends or highlights for your reading in 2013?

HOLD ONTO HOPE.

Advent is a time of waiting in the darkness, of preparing quietly and prayerfully in the tension of what is hoped for and what may be. Oftentimes, we don't even know what we are really hoping and waiting for, and even if we do, we are unsure as to whether it will come to be. For most of 2013, we lived in a consistent season of Advent, all of which was preparing for an even brighter celebration at the very end of the year.

- Via Relevant's "13 Lessons I Learned in 2013"

We have come through the darkest.  We nurtured our internal light throughout Advent.  Epiphany is upon us and it can only get lighter from here.

Cheers to 2014!

2013: Opportunities

At the beginning of 2013,  the Lord spoke to me about how this year meant "opportunity."  And He was so right!

"Opportunity," however, is not all a rosy.  It involves a lot of variables.  There are risks to be taken.  There are often multiple opportunities vying for priority, and adulthood means having to pick a card and hope you picked right.  Opportunity is about risk with the chance of reward.

But when looking up "opportunity" in the dictionary, the word I found over and over was "favorable."  Opportunity is "a favorable, appropriate, or advantageous combination of circumstances; a chance or prospect."  Like a mountain concealed by clouds, I believe favor is still there, guiding me.  Even in silence.  Even in pain.  

This year I've learned that opportunity can come in all shapes and sizes.  In 2013, it looked like...

...going red.
...going short.
...less money in my savings account than I'd like.
...filling up journals and blog drafts faster than I could possibly process experiences.
...#refusetobeacog, etc. Generally raging against the machine, in search of something deeper.
...being moved to tears by a simple song lyric.
...belting out said song lyrics in a park with tens of thousands of others, led by Mumford & Co.
...sitting on the kitchen floor sobbing my guts out because of narrative and because, no matter how made up it is, it's true.
...having wonderful adventures with visiting friends.
...just doing "it."
...riotous run-ins with bus admirers.
...accepting titles I had always been afraid of [see, "writer"].
...writing in rounds.writing for release.
...opening up to someone, but him them pursuing someone else.
...fireworks.
...meeting artists I'd been inspired by.
...cubicle parties and embracing dress-up more than ever before!
...facing people I've been afraid of fears.
...a lot of Baggins vs. Took inner wrestling.
...having my own bathroom for the first time in my life.
...walking through vineyards, through the streets of Nob Hill, and through countless bookshops.
...finding myself in one of those bookshops with news that blindsided me, rendering me unable to even buy a book - all of them hurt somehow.
...picnics by the lake with good friends.
...moving out with my best friend.
...bearing friends' dreams and burdens and hopes and joys. 
...waiting on the Lord
...new revelations on stewardship - body, soul, and spirit.
...road trips for record books. 
...a lot of Doctor Who.  all. the. feels!
...flexing the forgiveness muscle.
...flexing the humility-and-asking-forgiveness muscle.
...challenging myself to go beyond what I thought myself capable of.
...a lot of "self-induced" late nights.
...inconveniences.  "An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered..."
...meeting lots of new fantastic(al) characters.
...learning that the Lord is the only one I can implicitly and whole-heartedly trust.

 
It's been one blaze of a year - peaks and valleys and everything in between.  But, as Sheldon Vanauken said, "If there were a choice – and he suspected there was – a choice between, on the one hand, the heights and the depths and, on the other hand, some sort of safe, cautious middle way, he, for one, here and now, chose the heights and the depths."  

Here are to all the opportunities you & I have had this year, and here's to all the ones coming in 2014!

First Lines - 2013

My friend Simon has a tradition of doing a "First Lines" post to capture the year.  In his words, "It's very simply - you copy across the first line of each month's first blog post, and a link to that post, as an intriguing overview of the year..."  Sounds fun.  Here I go:

January - "This year is a sealed envelope / With apprehensive hope / We brace for anything / I swear, I understand that nothing changes that / The past will be the past / But the future is brighter than any flashback."

February - Since I woke up this morning I've been inexplicably excited.

March - This weekend I had one of those great "Wow!  Not everyone thinks everyone thinks the same way I do (thank God!)" moments.

April - This weekend was glorious! Glorious!!

May - Seriously... this book is wrecking me!

June - Ours is NOT a blind faith.

July - I know I've just written about it, but I'm seeing this everywhere - aren't you?  It's a happenin' summer - and it's just begun!

August - August means ... Moving into my own place and starting a new season.

September - "Don't be afraid to change. You may lose something good, but you'll gain something better."

October - Currently listening to... a lot of Lorde.

November - So... the National Theatre of Great Britain celebrated their landmark 50th Anniversary tonight, bringing over 100 performers together for a live evening comprised of some of their most famous productions.

December - Some nights, you just have to stay up late watching Jennifer Lawrence interviews and appreciating all that is quirky and authentic.

Reading: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

"We only live once... Or do we?"  

 - Walter Mitty

Before the film comes out at Christmas, take time to read the original short story by James Thurber (1947).

*By the way, trailers like this one make me think we really need a "Best Trailer" award at some award show or another.

Moments

Sunsets and lightning strikes,
Honey-dewed bits of time.
Friends on holiday
take advantage
of summer air, lake,
and verdes--together,
like a free orchestra
for the eyes.
The wonder-seeker
on a student's budget needs
only enough to purchase berries,
baguettes and cheese
to create delight by dusk.
Pedantic conversations
well into the night
leave my soul feeling full.
Poets, political theorists,
pinners and playful children -
I get to count them all as friends.
Reluctant to bid goodbye
to sunny, adventurous days,
no pillow-time till 1 AM.
Or later still.
The mind races, weaving
memories from experiences.
These are moments.
Composed of more than minutes.
Pauses, glances round the table,
cloud watching, walks,
giggles and sighs--
if only we could bottle up
the sensation of summer
to crack open on a grey day
or frigid night.
I cannot say I have regrets.
"What is a weekend?"
But a chance to
sieze those summery days
and make the moments
belong to us.




[pc: Becca]

Fireworks: Purple

Oh, hello!

So I had a lovely little adventure the other weekend:  I journeyed to Napa for my cousin's wedding.  And - oh. my. word! - it was so beautiful! 

You might have read about my preparation for the trip here, but that was a bit sardonic.  Now I'll tell you the fun bits of the actual destination. :)

So, we stayed the weekend at Mont La Salle - mission and vineyard.  It was built in the 1930's and there are still "brother's" (basically monks) in residence.  Everything there was so lush and peaceful! 



[Entrance to Mont la Salle]



[Main courtyard - set up here for the reception]

[Beautiful statue of Mary in one of the gardens, the bell-tower (which they did ring for the wedding), and the chapel itself]



[The called my bedroom the "closet room" - but it was actually quite darling!  And looked out over the courtyard and bell-tower]



Saturday was the wedding itself and, as I've said before, I loooove dressing up.  I had decided to go vintage for the occasion and even bought a tilt hat!

 



[A shot of the updo.  I hadn't dne this one before... but I'm pretty sure I could duplicate and perfect it for future events :]





[The finished product]



[My mom and I waiting for the wedding to start]

[Mom + Dad - he picked his tie to match her outfit.  They're cute like that!]

[My cousin Karen and her husband Hunter - lovely couple!]

[The reception... under twinkling lights]

[Dance floor]



[Sparklers to end the night]

It was a fabulous weekend to spend with family and celebrate marriage.  In the words of Captain Jack:  "Weddings!  I love weddings!!"  Seriously, though, it's a joy to be a part of covenant-making and new names.  The celebration reminded me what a significance God places on covenant.  It's a thing almost too beautiful and powerful to handle.  But how worth it to walk through life rooted so deeply in covenant with other people.  That is worth celebrating!

Hello!  So, many have asked about the move... and I'm happy to say that overall it went really well!  It was way less stressful than expected.  Thanks to my dad and our little cross-over suv, all of my stuff was in our place by 10:30 and once my mom got off work, she had things mostly put away by 2:00.  Our great room / living area is quite functional and looks even better than I had expected.

I thought I'd share a few of my favorite details:

1 / We have a working record player.  It was Bek's grandmother's and it came with quite the collection, plus, for some odd reason, we each had a record or two.  We've been there less than 48 hours and have used it at least 5 times [pictured here with the My Fair Lady album].  I'm hoping to get some great use out of that and can't wait to scour thriftshops and record stores to add to our collection.  (I'm really hoping to score a copy of "Buffalo Gal" ;)
2 / Goodbye double-stacked!  I brought - no joke - a dozen boxes of books over to my new place.  Some were small (like amazon package size), but that was only so I could actually lift them.  I'm going to have 2 small bookshelves in my room also - pending this weekend's IKEA trip - but decided to utilize the living room shelves for my "literary" books - classic novels, poetry, and plays.  They're currently sorted by date and author, with special groupings by publisher.  While unloading, I confirmed that I had three copies of The Merchant of Venice - not including the Complete Works.  I know: nerdometer readings high.  But I can explain: I bought a cute paperback in high school, a Norton for school (which I used for 2 different classes), and then in England, I couldn't help picking up a copy published in 1899.  Ok... I'm going on far too long about the bookshelves.
3 / My china finally has a cupboard!  So, a few years back, my [paternal] grandmother gave me her china.  It is gorgeous!  Very classic design with silver rims.  Honestly, if I had my choice of any china set, this would probably be it.  Unfortunately, it's been stowed away in our garage, used only for 2 or 3 special occasions.  But finally, the china has been emancipated.  My mother was gracious enough to give me this buffet (which was originally was her mother's).  I love both how it looks and it's generational importance.  [So come over and let's have dinner on the china!]
4 / Might be hard to tell, but I got new sheets and duvet cover.  I've wanted a white duvet cover for quite a while and finally was able to make it happen.  While at it, I decided to get patterned sheets to off-set the white.  They're grey with little white chevrons.
5 / Another dream of mine,  I've wanted to incorporate one of my favorite color combos (grey, white, and yellow) and with my own bathroom (also a first), I can finally make that happen.  Looking forward to expanding that theme, but towels from Target will do for now.

One final shot: one of my favorite corners of our place.  Seriously, come over.  We'll set the china, throw on a record, and have a grand time!

Every time I've left home for an extended trip or somewhere far away,  I break down just before leaving.  Whether packing up the vans for tour or at the counter for British Airlines, I've had some pretty teary moments.  I can't explain all the reasons why.  Probably some fears mixed in there.  But I just get overwhelmed with the sense that no matter how good the adventure, I'd rather just stay at home.  Even before my summer in England, right before entering the security lines, I wanted to go home.  I wanted to forget about the whole scheme. 

It's the Baggins and the Took parts of me fighting.  And right before blast off, everything Baggins starts shouting "Stay at home and stay comfortable!"

Eventually the Took side wins out... but I'm having a very Baggins morning so far.

It's so strange preparing to move.

I should preface this by saying I have never moved before.  Ever.  I've lived in the same house my whole life.  And, though as I child I kind of resented that,  I'm really grateful for it now.

I'm a terribly sentimental person, and there is just something about being familiar with a place.  Knowing each of it's corners and creaks.  Being able to feel you're way in the dark.  But to be at home means more than being familiar with a place.  It's the difference between knowing about something and knowing it's meaning.  Home means all the trite things about comfort and security.  Those things are all true, but there is something deeper still.  Home means something you can taste but not name.

Despite being sure that you're taking the right step, it's strange to think of leaving that.

To come "home" only as a guest.

To forever try to re-create that flavor.

August means...

... Moving into my own place and starting a new season.

... Celebrating 1 year at my job.

... Finally getting to Shakespeare in the Park this Summer.

... Family Camp [aka - 5 days of Christmas!]

... Last "hurrah's" before friends and family head back to school.

... Multiple film clubs.

... Taking advantage of summer nights by the lake :)

... Celebrating family birthdays.

... An excursion to Boston to see Kristina - complete with a trip to Fenway and a day at Cape Cod!



August means splendid things.  Have a fantastic August!




[via]

Fireworks - White

Pretty much since the album came out,  Mumford & Son's "I Will Wait" has been the theme song of my season.  Parts of the late fall and winter were extremely difficult - like being caught in a tight space - and my anthem became "I will wait..." [I think I gave that away here and here and even here].  The words spoke hope to me, that someday I would "know my ground."

Well, part of that process has been the desire and the need to discover and create my own place.  I can't quite explain the feeling.  Not just a sense of "it would be great if _______ [I had my own room, more bookshelves, etc.],"  but an urge that this year I must discover who Christ is through me - and that it would require a wider space to cultivate and become.

There's been a process.  There's been a search.  Waiting has become a disposition in the last 8 months - quite a difference between a temporary hold and a distant call. I had been in that tight space, knowing there was a wide open one waiting for me, like I had been waiting for it.

Then, just before Memorial Day Weekend, word came that just that place may exsist.  In between the chorus and the bridge at Mumford Live that weekend, my good friend Cami leaned forward and said, "I think this is the closing of a chapter..."  It was true (for both of us). 


[I will wait...]

 And thus began the summer of becoming. The summer of fireworks [I do apologize for the cryptic posts... but I couldn't talk about this yet].


Now, after hearing and waiting and becoming - it's here and it's real.

This weekend, my best friend and I are moving to a lovely little space near the lake.  She's been in a similar process, and, honestly, this place is more than we could have hoped for.  It's a new beginning.  A white canvas, if you will.


[This isn't a firework (duh), it's just a sparkler... but it's white - and I took the picture :]

 

I can't wait to share more with you (yes, there will be pictures).  But I'm grateful I could finally tell you about this particularyly bold and shimmering firework.

Samara's travel musings

Traveling this weekend. This usually causes all sorts of interesting ponderings on my part. (My iPhone tells me that "ponderings" isn't a word. iPhone? Haven't you realized I'm a writer by now? That means I get to make words up!)

Enjoy some of my disjointed travel musings: 

So we should start with packing. 

I suck at it. I really should just make a couple of standard lists - overnight, 2 nights, and that real vacation I take every few years - but where would the fun be in actually planning ahead? So yah, packing normally goes something like: 

[Get home from work]

Samara, you were supposed to do your laundry! Get the laundry started before you do anything else. 

But... I'm sleepy. 5:30 is a great time for a nap, no? 

Do not even think about taking a nap. Off your bed! Off--

Zzzzz...

Ugh. 

[an hour later]

I have to do laundry!

Yes I told you that. 

Ooh... Facebook? 

No!

Facebooook :)

Not the phone--ah! I give up on you. 

[almost another hour later] 

Samara!! Laundry. Dinner. Packing!

No. 

Yes! [schitzo stare-down]  ...Fine! If you do all the things on the list before bed-time, you can read your book :) [self-bribing...works 87% of the time]

Ok. Deal. 

[Then begins the distracted, mad scramble to "pack ALL the things!"]

What's the point, I'm going to forget something anyway? 

More packing. Less complaining. 

[Trying to run through my routine with myself] 

Ok, next : figure out how to pack face wash so the TSA doesn't condemn you to soap & water. 

Oh. [Heads to the bathroom] I need to grab that sweater too [about-face, back to the bedroom. Throws sweater on pile in suitcase] Ok. Where was I? 

And so it goes. ALL night. 

Last night I kicked into high-power, sheer-panic mode earlier than expected, so I was actually able to do some semblance of a mani-pedi at 11. Then I read my book [yay! Bribery]. I read till midnight - waiting for my nails to dry. When I woke up, they were smudged. :/ I'll never be good enough. 

So anyway... that's what packing fun looks like. 

When traveling, I feel like I'm playing a game with myself. It's called "You can't really be elegant when you travel, but have fun trying." I mean, every choice & movement comes down to: Elegant or Practical? It's like playing chicken with your own dignity. 

Flying is by far the highest stakes game. It goes like this - Oh you wanted to look cute? Well, the plane is going to either be stifling or frigid. And those darling shoes? You're gonna have to take them off while everyone in line behind you is waiting -and they're all watching you, dearie. So it's a good thing that while you were scrambling around to pack all the things you need minus all the things we won't let you take you had time to paint your toes. Once you're done half-undressing (and if you don't get hauled aside to be frisked by Helga) have fun shoving all your things back into that cute purse before everyone behind you - same group who saw that lovely self-pedicure - get grumpy. Now you get to wait for 3 hours. But don't worry, we have exorbitantly extorted food stuffs for your purchase. You get sick on planes? Oh that's too bad. Well, water bottles only cost $4. 

And I could go on. Lets just say - we don't all get to look like Victoria Beckham when we waltz out of the airport. 

Today's journey had the bonus component of taking a bus to the airport. That was a first. And let me tell you a little secret about me & buses. I have, on my own, mastered 4 separate metro transit systems - and one of them was in French. But to this day, I still get anxious about taking a new bus route in my home city. I mean, I research it before, try & leave plenty of time to catch the bus, and then play it as cool as possible. I'm pretty sure I fail miserably at this. For starters, I get butterflies & an elevated heart-rate. I find a place to sit or stand so I can see the bus coming. I check the sign multiple times. I'm all jumpy when anything resembling a bus (semi, ambulance, blasted greyhounds) passes. All the while I'm trying to be all nonchalant about it, but I know the truth: I look like a totally pathetic newbie. I can hear the thoughts of the route's veterans going something along the lines of "Chill out, crazy girl!" But no, there is no chilling out over the paranoia of missing your bus. So then, the bus is like 2 minutes late and by that time I'm having a full-on panic attack. I'm just certain I missed the bus. It must have come like, 22 minutes ahead of schedule. And, yes, I have an app that tells me the bus's progress - but those have been wrong before, you know? So then I'm pretty much on par with the quail from Bambi. Usually its about this point I'm thinking to myself, "Ok if I take this other bus, transfer 3 times & walk a mile, then---" annnnnd my bus rolls up. 

So yah, totally chill. 

Pretty much, when I say I love "traveling," I usually mean "being someplace unfamiliar" - not the actual process of motion sickness in a plane or sleeping  awkwardly on a train. 

Though, they do make for great stories :)

Fireworks: Remember to breathe before the Finale

The one thing about fireworks is that they can be scary and overwhelming.  I knew that when I saw all these "fireworks" just up ahead.  But now they seem to be exploding in every corner of the sky.

I was venting to my dear friend earlier today:

I guess I just always knew that I would hit the "I'm in the middle of a bunch of fireworks going and it's absolutely craaazy!!!" 

She responded with the sweetest encouragement:

In the midst, yes, it sucks and we feel pathetic, and we really would like the show to be over already... but it will be ok, and we'll think, that was the best part of the show, when all the fireworks go off at once. 



[I'm definitely experiencing that "wild" bit]



Oh heavens... it's true! It seems like chaos in the moment, but the finale is the most beautiful and thrilling part.

So today I'm pausing for my breath before the finale.

Nostalgic for Now

The Summer of Becoming... it means abundant weekends and long to-do lists and beautiful memories and tired eyes and sunkissed skin.  Weather-wise, we're having one of those summers in Seattle we only get once every 5 years or so.  It's the summer of #latergram - live through the moment rather than the memory.  I can't tell you how many friends' blogs I follow who just returned from a month-long, unplanned hiatus.  It's a seasoon of both the beautiful and the sublime.


[We are in the good old days, y'all.]


I love Kati's exposition of just one weekend can look like!  This weekend was magic!  I'll have some "professional" photos to post later.  But I thought I'd share some now:



[Rugged floral... styled by Cami]





[View of Mt. Rainier from our ferry]





[I love being on the water!]



[This poster in a bookshop brought me right back to childhood]



[bicycle hunt]





[Boats on Bainbridge!]





[How darling is this little Church?  I totally wanted to sneak up to the steeple!]





[We got to share 30 hours and multiple adventures this weekend... we both agreed it wasn't enough]





[And I got to see this lovely gal and former roommate.  We were wearing matching sweaters + sunnies. Ha!]



Such a fun weekend!

This isn't to say everything's perfect. No, there's time when I think my room, my schedule and my soul are all too crammed. There are times when I feel impatient or like I'm going crazy. My morning alarm reminds me "You can sleep when you're dead." But... even with all the crazy - I'm so aware what this summer embodies. If you find yourself enjoying sunsets or you're busy chasing dreams, if (like me) you're trying to strike the balance between amazing fun with friends and the desire to go on a reading binge, if you are "too hot," "too busy," or "too tired" - remember that this season is unique. For many I've talked too, it's a season like we've never had and probably never will have again. It's one of intense growth and, quite literally, enough memories to last a lifetime.

Our lives are enviable - let's be "nostalgic" for the now.

Light 'em up

7.4.11

Under my covers before the sky lit up, dreaming of the journey I would take the next day. A day of goodbyes & tears, but also of intense anticipation. 

7.4.12

Driving along the 522 headed back towards Seattle, witnessing bombastic celebrations to my right & my left. Just graduating. The pink tinged sky & fireworks pointed towards an encouraging unknown. 

7.14.13

Watching 180* of fireworks reflect off Lake Wahington. They might as well be reflecting off my soul. The fireworks have led me somewhere very different than I had imagined two years ago. But still, they point towards shimmering future. 

Fireworks - Silver

Say hello to Zinedine:

Zinedine has been my very faithful macbook.

He turned six years old today.

A little background:

Six years ago, I had just graduated high school and was at a national speech competition in Chicago. When I made it to the finals, I asked my dad if he would make a deal with me: if I placed in the top 3 at nationals, he would help [I said the word help!] me buy my first laptop, a little macbook.  He agreed.

I placed 2nd.

He straight out bought me the macbook as a combo high school graduation + congratulations present.

The intro to my speech centered on Zinedine Zidane's World Cup head-butt.  The point was that lack of character in split-second moment of decision caused Mr. Gold Cleats to end his career in red-carded infamy and halted France's momentum, leading to their defeat in the shoot out.

Point of the speech: make good choices.

Point of the story: I named my laptop Zinedine.

You've all heard macs rule...and they do.

They're not without they're issues - I am on my third hard-drive, but the mac-built machine is still kicking.

And last November, I accidentally spilled a full glass of water on the little guy.  I mean I picked it up, turned it over and water streamed out from beneath the keys.  "I finally killed it," I thought :(  But thanks to google and my observations at the genius bar, I knew to take out the battery, pull out the hard-drive and let it air dry for a week.  I did it - and it worked!! Zinedine resurrected!

Call me sentimental, but... I've spent so many late nights hovering over those keys.

I mean, to think of myself unwrapping my shiny, new gift at 17 is to imagine a completely different person.

Each crack and smudge and intermittent key is a story.

And a laptop making it 6 years is like hitting 250,000 miles on your car or 120 "laptop years."

Okay...too sentimental, Samara.

The point of the post is another "new" for 2013.

Meet my new MacBook Air:

She doesn't have a name yet.

Yes, it's a lady this time.  [It's too tiny to be anything but skinny-jean clad hipster dude...]

No name yet... I've only had her since Saturday.  But we're already quite happy together :)

Yes, the Airs are as itty as they look on the commercials.

I can't wait to get an awesome case for it. 

E.g... Kate Spade, Michael Kors "envelope," and the Cole Haan satchel. [Someday I'll have an awesome satchel!]

All that to say...

I'm so grateful for my trusty macbook and all the papers and fun times it got me through.

And I'm super excited to have a new little friend.

We shall have some grand adventures of our own now.