Elbow Space and the MUNI 30

One of the things I love about living in San Francisco city is that you can get just about anywhere by MUNI bus, Bart, bike, or on foot. I love not having a car or driving! I love that SF promotes an active lifestyle. Anyway, my day always starts with a bus ride to work into the city from the Marina.

Lately I have been experimenting with taking different bus routes to work. It's mainly because I dread going through Chinatown on Stockton Street. There are about 4 stops and at every stop MASSIVE amounts of people get on the bus. The whole bus is jammed packed! People are sitting and standing crushed up against each other. There's really no elbow space. What's annoying is that some people won't even move to let you off the bus for fear of losing their place where they are standing. I usually try and sit near the exit so I can squeeze by. Now, I'm not complaining because each day is an adventure in SF. It's just taking me awhile to get use to the crowds of people.

A couple of websites I have found extremely handy are the www.nextbus.com website and www.transit.511.org website. The next bus website on my phone tells me when the next bus is coming to my stop so I don't have to stand around and wait for it. Whoever created that website is in my mind, a genuis! I usually run out the door when I know the bus is coming within minutes. The transit.511 website can tell you how to get to anywhere in the city by route of bus, bart, or walking. So far I'm loving it here!

So I'm back from the blogging graveyard. Expect to hear more about my life in the Bay=P

Three Words

Get Over It.

And then move on with your life. Thats all I would like to say for today. lol

Catch 30

I had a blast celebrating my 30th birthday this past weekend! My weekend couldn't have started off any better than teeing off a charity golf tournament with my friend, Jessica. I've missed playing golf. I'm bringing my golf clubs back with me to Saipan since I will be staying another year. Plus my short game needs some serious work.
30 Flirty and Fabulous as my friends would say! I am at a very happy place in my life right now. In fact, I feel like I am on cloud nine. I feel blessed because I have so many wonderful people in my life here at home and in Saipan. So many people have made my day special with phone calls, emails, and cards.

My cousin, Janice, brought me my favorite cup cakes from a bakery called Sprinkles. in Newport Beach. My sweet friend, Angie, made me breakfast in bed. My best friend since the second grade, Rae, came out to La Jolla to have dinner with us even though alot of things are going on with her dad right now. And my cousin, Joy, made me laugh so hard that I cried! It was just perfect night.
I have to admit that I am not much of a partyer. Any normal person would have probably celebrated their birthday at a club or a bar. I'm pretty low key and more of a homebody. All I really wanted to do was get dressed and have dinner at a really nice restaurant with some of my closest friends. We had dinner at a Hawaiian Fusion restaurant called Roy's in La Jolla. Ever heard of it? I loved it and thought the food was amazing.

Remember how I said I'd do things differently in my 20's? Well I change my mind. If I didn't make those mistakes than I probably wouldn't be where I am at today and I wouldn't be who I am. What I learned from my 20's is to lighten up and not take life so seriously. Also I have learned to keep loving extravagantly like God calls us to. Thanks everyone for your bday wishes=)

Prelude To A New Chapter

And it begins . . . the count down to my 30th birthday. Tonight I had dinner with some friends in Mission Viejo that I use to work with. I was expecting a reunion dinner but instead it turned into a reunion/birthday dinner for me. Wow. Cake and presents were in front of me and it hits me that I will be turning 30 next week. The waitress snaps a picture of me blowing out my candles while my friends are loudly singing happy birthday to me in the background. In the meantime I phase out for a second and I am thinking what the heck! Usually I'll cringe at turning 30, but lately its been not a big deal. Ready or not here it comes.

Life didn't turn out exactly what I pictured it to be. But so what! I'll just say that sometimes with a great loss comes progression. I had expectations, but now I know better. No expectations No disappointments. So just living life one moment at a time. Life has become more than I have ever imagined it to be.

This weekend is going to be crazy celebrating my birthday and I am excited to embrace a new chapter in my life. Plans? Still working out the kinks and will finalize everything for this weekend. There is one thing that I wanted to do before I turned 30. Its something that I have always wanted to do and even though no one wants to do it with me . . . i'll do it anyway. I'll post pics later.

Time is flying by really fast and I am enjoying my visit with all of my friends and family. Still a couple of more people that I want to see before I Ieave next week for Colorado to visit my best friend, Mel. Then its off to Saipan.

A friend asks me, " would you have done anything different in your 20's?" I reply with a "YES" More about that later.

Thoughts on Running

I started running as a reaction to the road. Before I moved to Saipan, I use to commute 65 miles one way to work everyday. Traffic and long commutes to work became a daily routine. Actually, it is a way of life out here in Southern California. I was so busy working that I had put on 10 pounds over a year without noticing. I was just too tired to exercise after work. One day, I looked at myself in the mirror. I wasn’t fat but I wasn’t healthy either. That’s the day I bought my first pair of running shoes, and I haven’t quit running since.

I started running 20 miles a week and I lost the weight fast. I feel so much sharper now. I consider myself a beginner, but I like that. I enjoy it more when I feel like I’m learning a lot. My shoes are the one of two things I’ll take everywhere with me. The other is my ipod.

I went running with the Sacros at Mile Square Park in Orange County. Michael and I sprinted towards the end and I almost won. We ran a good four miles tonight. While I was running I thought about my morning run in Saipan. There is a trail on Beach Road that I run every other morning. I get up just before sunrise, drive down to Beach Rd and start running.

Running has been a safe haven for me. It’s my time to reflect. It's quite addicting actually. Early morning it’s quiet, the water is like glass, and as the sun comes up her coral rays scatter across the ocean. I look around and think, what a luxury.

Sometimes I hate getting up at 6 am for a run after being up so late. But I tell myself I can go back to bed as soon as I’m done. Usually, I’m dumb enough to believe it.

Note to self: LIVE your life.

Dag Nab it! The big 3-0 is approaching around the corner. I came across this poem at lunch yesterday while eating at Remington Cafe in Garapan entitled: On The Road. It "woke" me up again and reminded me to take more risks in life.

On The Road

Aren't you bored standing on the sidelines
Watching others run really hard
Cheering them on
And exchanging opinions?
Worrying if you'll be able to finish the race
Standing at the start line with uncertainties

Its time to get up there on the road
And start running
Its ok even if its slowly
And if it gets tiring, then walking is ok
Coming in last place is ok, with each step the scenery will change
Even if you run in place
The soles of your shoes are bound to wear out.

I think its easy to get caught up in the rat race and than lose your passion for life. Anyway, it made things more clearer for me! Just thoughts about living life to its fullest . . . =)

The Cherry Blossoms (Sakura)

On of the most memorable moments of my life was my trip to Washington, DC and NY last March with my friend Nikki. I was going through a break up and I just needed some time to travel. We planned our trip hoping that we would make it to the Cherry Blossom Festival in DC. I'm alittle obssessed with the Cherry Blossoms=) They're one of my most favorite flowers. I was alittle worried that we'd miss it because the blooming can be unpredictable because of the weather. But we actually came just in time to see them in full bloom along the Potomac River. Let me tell you that it was an amazing sight! At first sight, the intensity is surprising. Standing in the midst of the blossoms falling everywhere is similiar to standing in falling snow.
The Cherry Blossom season is over too soon, but I think that is what makes it so special. Everyone stops to enjoy it because the blooms may be gone tomorrow. In Japan the Cherry Blossom (sakura) is a metaphor for life. A brief, brilliant blooming followed by the inevitable fall. The Westerners think about death and rebirth in the fall. The Japanese think about it in April. But instead of thinking about it, the Japanese celebrate with these festivals.


I missed my chance to go this year, but my friend Atsuko went back home to Japan last weekend and took these beautiful pictures. Maybe next year I can see them.

On Procrastination

A couple of hundred years ago Benjamin Franklin shared with the world the secret of his success. He said, “Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today.” This is the man who discovered electricity for goodness sake . . . you think more of us would listen to what he had to say. I have to admit that procrastination is a weakness of mine. I don’t know why I put things off. It could be fear of failing, fear of rejection, fear of making the wrong decision, or it could just be sheer laziness. I’ve heard all the Chinese proverbs and sayings . . . He who hesitates is lost. Wasted times. Carpe Diem. You’d think I’d take these sayings to heart. But still sometimes things are left unsaid and undone. I just have to keep remembering that tomorrow may never come and the window of opportunity to take care of things may be lost . . .

Soundtracks to LIFE

Because I am bored and high on coffee. . . You set your ipod to shuffle and fill in the songs in order of the following questions. And there is to be no cheating, although we will both wish I had by the end of this.

Waking Up: Woo Hoo . . .The 5.6.7.8’S
First Day at School: World In My Eyes . . . Depeche Mode
Falling In Love: Stronger . . . Britney Spears
Fight Song: Yes, I believe . . . Point of Grace
Breaking Up: Whereever You Will Go . . . The Calling
Prom: Dansez-Vous . . . Pink Martini
Breakdown: Say Somethin’ . . . Mariah Carey
Ballroom Blitz: The First Cut Is The Deepest . . . Sheryl Crow
Wedding: Ultra Violet (Light My Way) . . . U2
Birth of Child: Cousin Mary John . . . John Coltrane
Final Battle: Beautiful Stranger . . . Madonna
Death Scene: Clocks . . . Coldplay
Funeral Song: Wake Me Up When September Ends . . . Green Day
Credit: I Have Always Loved you . . . Enrique

Okay, a little embarrassed about Enrique . . . You can file this entry under WTF, TMI, or both

A Year In A Nutshell

January-I woke up and realized it was time to move on. I’m on my own for the first time in awhile. I visited my best friend, Mel, in Colorado for a week. We went snowboarding at Brekenridge Mountain that weekend. I love the feeling and sound of carving down the slopes. It was new beginning for me.

February-I was offered a full time position in Mission Veijo, CA at a periodontal and implant dental office. I moved away from my hometown to South Orange County on my own. I shopped a lot. I spent a lot of time in Laguna Beach watching sunsets and lounging at the local coffee shops.

March-I took a trip with my girlfriend, Nikki, to DC and NY. We made it to DC in time to see the Cherry Blossom Festival near the Jefferson Memorial. It was beautiful. In Manhatten I felt alive. I saw where the World Trade Center once stood and it reminded me again how precious life is.

April-I joined a women’s bible study group and transferred my membership to Garden Grove SDA Church. I started praying more and going to church more consistently. I finally let it go and let God . . .

May-Eeeek! I turned 29 and celebrated my birthday with family and close friends in OC.

June- My love for volleyball was rekindled and I started playing at the volleyball clubs.

July- I was busy planning Jen and Janssen’s wedding. I spent a lot of time with the Sacros.

August- Janssen and Jen tied the knot. I felt restless and was itchin’ to travel. I went on a trip to Toronto, Canada with my friend, Maria. I started to realize I wanted and needed change. I inquired about doing dental mission work abroad possibly in Guam, Philippines, or Thailand. I posted my place and car for sale on craigslist.com before i even knew where I was going . . .everything was sold in less than two weeks.

Sept- After only being in South Orange County for seven months, I packed again and left my worries, dreams, and disappointments behind for a small island called Saipan. God opened doors for me and everything fell into place.

Oct—I opened up myself to things I wouldn't ordinarily do. I picked up scuba diving as a hobby. I sing out loud. I stay up late. I stopped waiting for things to happen. Stu is lost and I realize its really all gone.

Nov-I was appointed to lead out in Women’s ministry for 2006-2007 church calender year. God is teaching me how to be a leader.

Dec- Im spending the holidays in the tropics and enjoying every minute of it.

So some things didn't work out like I had hoped but I know that its probably for the best.. . . Overall 2006 was probably the best year I have had in a long time. Definitely a year of personal and spiritual growth. I've learned that no matter where you find yourself today, you always have the opportunity to grow in some small way. No matter how small these changes are they will add up overtime to create massive life long growth. Things are more clearer than ever. I'm ready for 2007! Bring it.

Easy Come, Easy Go

I love to give injections=)

The weeks are coming and going out here in Saipan. Island life is suppose to be slow but i feel like life is rushing by. The difference that I am feeling from here and in the states is that I feel like my life here is more meaningful, more satisfying. It has been a stressful and hard week for me at work. The patients out here are hard! At the end of each day I am exhausted. Thank goodness it is Sabbath.

Something that made me smile this week was receiving christmas cards and care packages from friends and family back home. My operatory is decked with cards and pictures of loved ones. These small tokens have made spending the holidays away from family more bearable. So thank you for your thoughts and well wishes during this Holiday Season.