Free

you are probably wondering what has happened to me. well, lots of great things are happening to me! but unfortunately, mu computer has not been working, so there are no pictures, and i haven't been able to update until now...since san diego i've worked on an alpaca farm in Lebanon, explored the rainforest and soaked in hot springs, ate some delicious rosemary potato pizza and went on a high desert run in Bend, hung out with Lisa's cousin an her beautiful baby in Williams, assisted slightly in the moving of a teepee village in the mountains of Ashland, and met some wonderful, genuine people all throughout Oregon. the stars and moon here are brighter than i've ever seen them, the trees are taller, forests greener and more alive, and i myself feel more alive because of it all. so far its been pretty amazing, like a dreamy fairy tale land. i haven't had much cell phone service or internet access, but i have to admit while i'm sure thats a little frustrating for everyone else, i have been secretly enjoying it. i feel disconnected from my former life, and immersed in a new adventure all my own. i have been living so presently, not worrying, moment to moment, finding exactly what i need when i need it, effortlessly, just flowing through this new experience. its quite wonderful! i have no idea where i'm going to go tomorrow or what i'm going to do or who i'm going to meet, but i know and trust that it is right on track and in alignment with exactly what i need. i really love it here, but am also open to whatever opportunities i encounter. i will work on making some pictures happen...i haven't even been taking very many, its kind of impossible to capture the beauty here. so i'm just going to keep on keeping on! wish you were here!

bree and i with our musician friend Todd Day Wait that we all went to see last night. excellent music! check him out at www.tdwpigpen.com

Inspiration

dead tree turned sculpture
a wonderful painting by Lisa in Bree's room! the middle has the tag from a Yogi tea bag that says "you are infinite"
"Ecstasy Singing"
a painting by Bree's friend
art in Luke's friend's room
the lovely but painfully cold Pacific ocean
kelp
more palm trees
workin at Haggo's Organic Tacos
Haggo himself
my friend Chef April and I
yummy organic tacos!
and a little somethin I made too!

this post turned out to be categorized as things that are inspirational that i have encountered here. art, landscape, and food and people. today my friend April asked me to come fill in at Haggo's Organic Tacos in Leucadia. its like a food truck permanently parked in a pretty little spot. it was fun and inspiring meeting and hanging out with Haggo and his new restaurant of all organic yumminess, and watching him and April cook while i cashiered. i will be there tomorrow as well come see me!
i've gone through so many emotions in the past 2 weeks, just waiting to go to Oregon. sometimes i was unsure and nervous, but now i am feeling totally inspired and excited. i am so grateful to have had so many opportunities here! i've worked at the farmers market, at Lotus Cafe, and Haggos, and reached the monetary goal i projected for amazingly. its been so fun doing a little of this and a little of that, and i feel more confident that i can make it happen in new places just as well. i can't wait to be in a new place and start a new life as a new person! yesterday a storm came in, and i watched the wind blow to the north, all the trees and flags pointing that direction, and i could feel it blowing me too. i don't know what it is, but the fact that i am being drawn towards the north is something in which i am absolutely certain. for someone so wishy washy and indecisive, it feels very good to feel certain about something...
so, here i go again. i probably won't have cell phone access for a few days while at Lisa's mom's alpaca farm in Lebanon, but hopefully internet! then i think we are going to check out Ashland, Oregon in the first week. honestly, i don't really have much of an idea about what i'm going to be doing or seeing or anything at all. i guess that's the fun in it. blank canvas, ya know?

Pesto Brown Rice Spaghetti with Lima Beans
1 cup fresh lima beans (we got some from the farmers market!)
1 red onion, chopped
5 cloves diced garlic
1 yellow and one red tomato, chopped
2-3 servings brown rice spaghetti
1 jar-ish pesto
2 tbsp olive oil
cilantro garnish

boil water and cook pasta, adding lima beans to cook the last 5 minutes. meanwhile, saute garlic in oil with onion. Once pasta is done, drain and add noodles and lima beans to the onion and garlic. Add tomatoes and pesto and cook on low until heated, about 5 minutes. serve and garnish with cilantro, and any cheese you might like. (we used some sort of spicy fire roasted mozarella from the farmers market)

Where in the World is Kristen San Diego?

sunset time!




palm trees!

Brooks and I with our new looks
Brooks (weird face), Bree, me, and Kate. girls reunited!
bonfire beach party!
Kelsey and I with organic yerba mate beer...so californian
nectarines and peaches!
Bree and I workin the farmers market

today i had to take my camera on my run, because its just so pretty! so that's what most of these pictures are....i forgot how beautiful it is here and how awesome it is to exercise on the beach! sunset time is my favorite, the lighting is just so pretty! yep, there's nothing like going for a run on the beach and living a block away. I have to admit i'm totally falling in love again with California. definitely better than Indiana.
I'm having so much fun working at the farmer's markets with Bree! playing with fruits all day and eating them, trading them for lots of delicious vegetables and hummus and stuff, and getting paid daily in CASH. so great! plus its fun to go to new towns instead of being stuck working in the same place everyday, and its also pretty funny to ride around in a big white van. its definitely hard work though, but it feels good to do work that's like extremely hard exercise. and i sure do love not having to pay for all my food...
its also really nice to be here but be out of the little bubble i was in before. i feel like i didn't even fully get to appreciate all the greatness here because my job sucked alot of the life out of me. now i feel like i'm seeing things for the first time, and noticing so many things i never saw before.
i'm still very excited about Oregon, but instead of feeling more clear and sure about things like i hoped, i continue to feel more confused by all the opportunities that are popping up here. i don't really know what to think. but if its too cold in Oregon for me to make it and things don't start working out before i run out of money, i sure am happy to know that i have a place by the beach to come back to! i feel like such a crazy person with a ridiculous life. i also feel like i probably drive people around me crazy with my indecisiveness and rash decisions. but it seems i am loved and accepted for it anyways...what more could i ask for?
so, i still mostly have no idea what i'm doing, but i do know that i'm excited about it, whatever it is. and from the pictures, my life looks pretty darn good to me!