Toronto

So I got to check one more city off my list: Toronto!  We decided to drive, which took about 9 hours from Virginia. Thank God for his traveling mercy! We had a great time, tried new food, and celebrated at Toronto's Caribana Festival. I loved the diverse cultures represented there. I finally got to use my passport, so that makes Toronto my first stop out of the country. I can't wait to explore the rest of the world!








"Sometimes while I ride the subway I try to look at each person and imagine what they look like to someone who is totally in love with them. I think everyone has had someone look at them that way, whether it was a lover, or a parent, or a friend, whether they know it or not. It’s a wonderful thing, to look at someone to whom I would never be attracted and think about what looking at them feels like to someone who is devouring every part of their image, who has invisible strings that are connected to this person tied to every part of their body. I think this fun pastime is a way of cultivating compassion. It feels good to think about people that way, and to use that part of my mind that I think is traditionally reserved for a tiny portion of people I’ll meet in my life to appreciate the general public. I wish I thought about people like this more often. I think it’s the opposite of what our culture teaches us to do. We prefer to pick people apart to find their flaws. Cultivating these feelings of love or appreciation for random people, and even for people I don’t like, makes me a more forgiving and appreciative person toward myself and people I love. Also, it’s just a really excellent pastime."-Dean Spade 



slave.

why does alcohol magnify the effects of everything? 
suddenly you have the courage to text everything you're feeling. 
but what happens the next day when you are bent over the toilet asking God to forgive you for last night's transgressions?
you will still feel that pit in your stomach...mourning...wishing you didn't say those words last night. 
those words never changed reality.
now you have become a slave 
to your emotions. 



take me out to the ball game.

Last Friday I attended my first Major League Baseball game with my work team, the Washington Nationals vs. the Atlanta Braves! The stadium was awesome and we had a great view from our seats. There were so many food options (of course I had to bring up food), and I enjoyed the overall baseball experience: hot dogs, beers, and home runs. Unfortunately, it started to rain but we got to see the majority of the game. Fun times with the TriTek crew!