Vacation #1: Barrington, Rhode Island

Our house... the Barrington Beach Mansion

 First major vacation of the year: Don's family reunion in Barrington, Rhode Island. I met his
extended family, played a ton of pool volleyball, got iced, learned how to play hearts, got a tan, and made eggplant parm for 20+ people (killah!).

Storm approaches the beach

Pool volleyball! (not my photo)

Family porching (not my photo)

Newport cliff walk

Obligatory travel selfie

Don making a sandcastle with his cousins and aunt

Newport beach

The music room... with a horribly tuned piano

It was nice to feel a part of something other than my warped (if dearly treasured) New York world! -- part of my new second family, part of the beach and salt.

There is a subtle difference between tuning out to life's problems and facing them from a different angle, I think -- I would be watching TV all day if I wanted the former. Rethinking a career and life path is a panoramic, large-scale task, and is taking quite a long time -- I've only just started feeling the afterglow of my new job outside, and now I need to assess whether or not this change is something I want to preserve. (It is.) And the next step: exactly how to do that.

NEXT!

Outdoors

One month out, I feel 100% positive about my decision to leave... the office. The office! Part of me can't even believe how long I spent indoors.

Canvassing is turning out to be far more inspiring than I thought. Some stats: I flag down about 100 people a day, have really positive, passionate conversations with 40-45 people, get 5-9 of them to donate, and receive nasty comments from around 3-5. Although being called "baby killer" several times a day does kind of bring me down, the positive things people say about Planned Parenthood are truly touching:

"I wouldn't have an education and a career right now if it weren't for Planned Parenthood..."
"Without Planned Parenthood, there would be nowhere for people in my town to go"
"You're doing an amazing job out here, keep fighting the good fight"
"I had to have an abortion when I was 17, without Planned Parenthood I wouldn't even be in New York right now"
"I laid the groundwork for Roe v. Wade when I was your age, and I am stunned about what is happening right now..." (from an older woman)

I feel like I am doing tangible, good work for something I believe in (and getting an outdoorsy health boost to boot). As someone who has recently lost healthcare coverage (albeit my choice...), I'm feeling extra-activist about Planned Parenthood - a Nuva Ring costs $100!

Malibu with the crew

Malibu

New York Philharmonic played a free concert in Prospect Park! 

Watermelon soju at Pocha32

Olga's wedding