Welcome to my virtual home!

my husband has challenged me with the following mission: take an informal survey to determine which is more violent: dracula or fundraising . please leave a comment with your response and in a follow up blog, i'll share why i'm taking this informal survey. i don't want to share that story just yet so as to maintain the integrity of your answers. PS: my husband's response doesn't count (but Kelly's does :) ).

Ahh, this picture was just too good not to share and the story of how John ended up with a tiger on his head is pretty good, too. This will give you a small taste of what St. Louis life is like. Random is the word that comes immediately to mind. We were sitting in a coffee house called Meshuggah with an old friend (well, a friend of a friend with whom I'd once gone on a tour of a new Mormon temple in the OC but that's an entirely separate story) and his wife and in walks a man who eventually introduced himself to our little crew as Michael Corleone. Michael's the kind of guy who wears ear buds without an iPod, the kind of guy who creates his own tunes and sings them aloud for the coffee house crowd to enjoy. Michael's also the kind of guy who wears tiger hats and likes to share his tiger hat love with others. Enter John. John's the kind of guy who graciously indulges guys like Michael. And that's how John ended up with a tiger hat on his head in Meshuggah

hats off to Harvester Christian Church for an amazing effort two camels + 800 volunteers + 40,000 home-made cookies = Journey to Bethlehem sure, it felt like i was at an amusement park with the zig-zagging lines leading us to the beginning of our journey and, yes, our friend, Ryan, wondered if the hot cocoa and cookies at the end would instill in young, impressionable minds an association between Jesus and cookies but this was still an impressive re-enactment of the Christmas story. first, we received our "traveling papers" that Roman centurions with impressive spears and helmets examined before we could pass to the next stop. my traveling paper gave me the name "Rebecca" or "Rivkah" in Hebrew. Our rather large "family" (28 kids and adults from our house church) quickly learned to say we were, "from the family of Asher" when quizzed by the imposing centurions. along the way, we met wise men with their gold, frankincense, myrrh, and

in an effort to overcome a three week long cold, i google mapped "drug store." globe drugs popped up in my neighborhood so i decided to give it a try. as i pulled up, the handwritten signs advertising cheap booze seemed a little out of place. actually, back-up. the little girl rolling on the ground in front for the store seemed a little out of place. the handwritten signs just added to the overall effect. i entered and it was like entering another world. like entering an emerging market, to be exact. globe drugs is st. louis' answer to the village shop where you can buy everything from cough suppressant to Christmas tree stands, from ground coffee to extension cords. boobs on a stick were a personal fav (that would be the top half of a woman, made of solid chocolate, on a stick -- who comes up with these things?). i've since returned twice for our every Christmas need and the diversity of patrons never ceases to amaze me. check this out for our Wednesday adv

we visited Forest Park this holiday weekend which houses the fantastic St. Louis Art Museum . we'll be back for their Monet exhibit this Friday evening. we also ventured into the alternative reality that is Vintage Vinyl -- the Lou's answer to LA's Amoeba. imagine jazz aficionados rubbing elbows with hard core punks, corduroy jackets coexisting with mohawks. we dined @ Blueberry Hill , a St. Louis institution that still hosts a monthly Chuck Berry concert. on saturday, the arch was calling our name and we made it as far as the subterranean Imax theater housed in the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial that includes the arch. the Lewis & Clark Imax film was a great intro to the other Lewis famed in these parts. for example, i didn't know that their journey lasted 28 months or that Lewis committed suicide three years later. we wrapped up saturday on a happy note by watching Florida State beat their arch rival, Florida.

Love won a small victory in my life today and I just had to share. You know those people you're convinced dislike you? No? Well, then, consider yourself blessed with some mixture of irresistible charm, confidence, and obliviousness because the rest of us struggle through these relational discomforts from time to time. This friction unnerves those of us who would otherwise be self-possessed individuals. Well, today I actually had a conversation with "that person" in my life. Heck, she even asked me to help her zip up her dress after CrossFit. I could either pretend like it was all in my head and she really hadn't been avoiding me week after week OR I could claim a victory for Love breaking through the walls we humans absurdly erect around ourselves (me included!). And thus ends my brief account of Love, oh, except for one more anecdote. John and I have embarked on adventures in cooking. We tried meat sauce with spaghetti squash last week and today I'm enjoy

Look closely at this picture and you'll recognize the (inverted) inspiration for this blog. I opened my Yogi tea sachet and read, "Live in your strength." Sometimes these little ditties attached to my tea are inspiring but today it was yet another reminder of the world's (non)wisdom. The theme of living in my weakness so that God's strength can manifest in my life has woven its way through church services, our small group, and daily readings. It's my pride (& disillusionment) that I am all-sufficient and capable of achieving any- and everything that stands in the way of God's strength. Perhaps my pride has waned today because I'm sick and amidst illness my weakness becomes oh, so apparent. A mere cold, albeit unwelcome, thankfully cracked or maybe even shattered the myth that living in my strength will lead to good, God-glorifying ends. So join me in rejoicing in our weaknesses that enable us to live in God's strength.

An entire month without a post! How could this be? I'm leaving tight editing aside in favor of getting word out there since Facebook informs me people "want st. louis updates!" But let me back up just a bit. Here were some of the ramblings I recall from the month of October . . . -just resting with Dad on our way out, less than a mile from the trail head, was such a peaceful moment. we often forget to savor these moments and was so needed less than a week from wedding day. -our wedding weekend was magical, from our pre-wedding photo session to the rehearsal dinner and then the wedding day itself. just magical. my sis, Jess, captured much of the day on her blog . -our wedding night retreat, Winvian , was amazing -- just like you'd picture such a secluded, special place. -Hawaii lived up to its reputation as a place of spectacular heights and enchanting depths. For shots from a volcano's peak to the ocean's floor, check out my picasa album . -packing up m

1. "[School Blues] (a novel) reminds readers how ignorant it is to have forgotten what it felt like to have but little knowledge." 2. A heart rending obituary of Vann Nath , witness to the Khmer Rouge's genocide.

slam poetry @ its best

I came across this quote that had to be shared: "I tell you this to break your heart, by which I mean only that it break open and never close again to the rest of the world." -Mary Oliver

Here's an email I just received for our Director of Aftercare. If you receive this same story later in a more "produced" format, consider yourself one of the insiders. "Hi, I am very happy to inform you that A. has finished her caregiver's course and yesterday it was announced that she passed the government qualifyng exams. She is now a professional caregiver and can be employed in care facilities for children, adults and elderly, as well as hspitals and schools locally and abroad. She is our first graduate into an employable profession. This is a momentuous event for us after so many hurdles with her, including her giving up several times, her suicide attempts in the beginning, her wanting to go home to work again in the bar to help her starving family, her so many disciplne issues as a result of her past life, our dramas to remold her, our constant processing with her that would last until the wee hours of the morning, etc. But now, all this is behind becaus

Found on the WSJ site . . . The best days are when I don't think about 9/11 at all. I don't remember where I was. I don't think about how my life changed, how deeply affected my wife was. It doesn't come up in conversation. Those are the good days. Of course, I feel guilty about that. We're told to "never forget," as if anyone living in New York could avoid the reminders: endless construction at Ground Zero, changes on Wall Street, armed security guards in our buildings and police in the subways. 9/11 swallows the life of anyone who was here before and after. Still, we're told that forgetting it would somehow be emotional treason to the memories of people we knew or didn't know. It's also inappropriate to feel grateful for the attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. But I am. 9/11 changed us. It made New Yorkers come together. My wife and I made a commitment to New York. Displaced from our home at Ground Zero, we bought a home in Ma

The Mud House Sydney Street Cafe Local Harvest Cafe Tower Grove Farmers Market

Here's the listing for our future home in St. Louis (& a good reason you should come visit us): Finally! You can go ahead and skip all those other obviously haunted places you were thinking about renting. This badboy is guaranteed free of any ghosts, leprechauns (too often overlooked) and infamously prank-hungry angels. Plus it has a balcony. AND a deck. You can pretty much sit outside in whatever direction you want. No directional constraints! So you're a fan of stained glass and all wood floors? Good, we have those too. Also, a fenced backyard, full basement and enough space to have a small 90's rave (please note that the lease strongly prohibits all 90's related activity). Do your clothes complain of being thrashed around in the washing machine or suffer public humiliation at the local laundromat? Well, save all your Sacagaweas and your long underwear's pride - there's a front loading high efficiency washer and dryer residing in the basement along with ot

Allow me to brag about the amazing talent of one of my bridesmaids. Check out some of Lauren's latests that she captured at my bridal shower. Mom, Lisa, et al honored me in the perfect way with this special day. Lauren's pictures capture the memories beautifully!

Dance when you’re broken open. Dance if you’ve torn the bandage off. Dance in the middle of the fighting. Dance in your blood. Dance when you’re perfectly free. ~Rumi

Real people are never fake And fake people are never real. The zoning regulations of monochrome, Split like pre Mandela apartheid. Painted with the same brush But from different pots. Some daubed with the brilliance of perfection. As for us, the bristling feel of discolouration Covered with the gloopy residue of failurehood We walk with heads drawn low by markers That signed our certificates of not being part of them, The bright toothed, the smiling brigades of togetherness. Avoidance of contact with their sneering eyes And their reflective sheen, eyeballing our exclusion. And it’s all so black and white. They stand on a different canyonside, Elevated above our levels of stature. The gulf between, a sea of air to bridge. No foothold to start a stage of grappling, The distance too impenetrable. For we are us and they are Complete And we dare not speak of drifts of consciousness, Of night time stories and wisps of fleeting thoughts, Where we find ourselves leaving these shores In boats o

"wildflowers don’t move to find the sun’s rays" ~Christian in Of Gods and Men

a couple disclaimers: 1) it's been awhile. i know and i apologize. 2) this post may be a bit "gushy." when Mom commented that i looked so adoringly at John in some photos posted on Facebook, Dad commented, "that's the way it should be." you probably know John and i are engaged unless, like Charles, you thought John had hurt his leg & i'd reached out for his hand to help him out. yes, Charles was joking. if you didn't hear the retelling of this perfect proposal, you might not realize John and i had thought of getting married atop Mt. Washington. given the logistics involved in planning a wedding atop a mountain known for the world's worst weather, we thought better of it BUT John had an idea. he emailed me that something had come up with work so he wouldn't be able to video skype the Thursday before the July 4th weekend. when i returned home from ballet class that Thursday evening, John was standing in our kitchen! Mom captured th

Love146's fearless President, Rob Morris, blogs on his birthday. Have a read.

Since becoming slightly obsessed with Crossfit, I've been initiated into a world with a new lexicon, dress code, menu, and the list goes on. When a Facebook post informed us we'd be doing "one of the girls" for our Workout of the Day (aka WOD), I knew to expect some kind of Crossfit benchmark workout that pops up every now and again to serve as a good measurement of improvement over time. Yesterday's WOD happened to be Helen . During the third 400m run, I was feeling it and tried remembering what I'd done the day before. Why were my legs feeling a little like lead? And then I remembered the girls -- the ones that we work for every single day. The Helens and Graces and Frans out there being purchased and abused every minute. And then I got mad. And then I forgot about my lead-like legs. And then I asked God, "why?" And then I teared up. And then I prayed, "Lord, I don't want to hate and yet I hate what men do to these girls. And fo

my scuba instructor, lil' john, took particular joy in informing me that i've been a diver for 9 hours now. he also taught me how "the bends" acquired its name. when one undergoes decompression sickness, bubbles may form in the joints causing skeletal pain (i.e.; pain when bending joints). lil' john also shared that the project chief engineer of the brooklyn bridge suffered the after- affects of decompression sickness for the rest of his life following construction of the bridge. r.c. sproul's lessons are always entertaining. i watched a session tonight where sproul highlighted the human tongue's propensity to inflict wounds on others. for instance, when face-to-face with constructive criticism, it's unlikely that we would say, "ahh, thanks. that's really going to help with my sanctification." why is it that when faced with a knife-wielding maniac, we'd run but when faced with a constructive criticizer who is "speaking the

"Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation. Your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are." ~John Wooden

anyone who knows my family or, more specifically, knows the individuals within my family will appreciate how this tableaux oozes satire. lisa and i were sitting on either side of the kitchen table with a dessert plate between us. forks in hand, we painstakingly shaved away at the treats, consuming, bite by tiny bite, chocolate cheesecake and key lime pie. dad came up to us and held up one of the books i'd intended to read. " Good Calories, Bad Calories ," he chided, pointing to the cover of the book. We laughed and continued shaving away.

1. Uncle Kevin's hamburger (yes, that's TOPPING the list!) 2. Memorial Day Trevor Win'E WOD with Mom and Lisa 3. Gini's beautiful bouquet straight from her garden 4. NYCB with Lauren 5. Jozeph's fried tomatoes 6. Mcgolrick Park reverie 7. Van Leeuwen's cinnamon ice cream

In the developed countries there is a poverty of intimacy, a poverty of spirit, of loneliness, of lack of love. There is no greater sickness in the world today than that one.

first off, if you like to meld music with word, play Joshua Radin's " Brand New Day " as you read. we all live in a fallen world where tragedy invades the solace and perfection we endeavor to create -- a perfection that seems so fleeting, shall never exist in this fallen world, and will forever be beyond our abilities to create. we long for that Garden of Eden experience and never quite manage to get there. but we have moments, don't we? moments when the sun is shining and yes, it IS a brand new day. i've recently taken up Crossfit with vigor and enjoy my Crossfit affiliate's daily repartees that inspire me to run faster, lift more, and complain less, pearls of wisdom often coming via our fearless leader, Lisbeth . the most recent inspiration is to eat the wolf . stop complaining, stop letting the world "eat you" and go out and hunt the wolf rather than being the boy who cried wolf. re-framing is a useful exercise, keeping in mind that this w

here @ Love146, we take care in how we communicate prostitution in our own backyards. it's a messy, awful, horrendous business and it surprises even me to read about its realities. here are a couple excerpts from a recent article about a prostitution ring in CT: " a common theme with every victim is that they came from a dysfunctional home with no positive male role model." " if you get weepy-eyed about a young girl in Cambodia, why not feel the same way about the girl trafficked from Iowa?" " His attitude was ‘I was their Jesus and their savior, their knight in shining armor. I gave them food and shelter.’ And he believes it." (comment regarding a pimp's attitude towards the girls he trafficked) " I went to a psychiatrist and told her my whole story, and she said, ‘Don’t you think you did anything wrong? I can’t help you—you have too many problems.’" (shared by a survivor) " As of 1999, johns [in Sweden] are punished by up to six

Today, I read from survivors of sexual exploitation responses to this question: " If you were face to face with God right now and He was listening to you, what would you tell or ask Him?" May their answers break your heart as they did mine...then cause you to remember that a broken heart is worth celebrating when it changes the world. ~ Broken Heart Club " God, was I a bad child and that is why this happened to me? I know I have done many wrongs against you and I did not obey your commandments, but God, I have suffered so much and I don’t know what to tell you anymore." " You know, Lord, I am happy because you chose me in this world to provide with trials, but also with hope. Lord...Lord I am both happy and sad I do not know why but I know that you know all." " God, I really want to change and I ask why is it so hard for me and why does my heart seem so callous and why do I feel so far away from you...I know it’s hard to understand my prayers to you.

Bacon, " After the Storm ," chai tea, Phil 3:13-14 , Skype date, Sai Baba , gardening, the CRY for intimacy

Thanks, Stephanie (VP of Programs @ Love146) for this reminder. "For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him." II Chronicles 16:9

Here's a thought I just read somewhere around 30,000 feet (&, no, I'm nowhere near Everest, just on a plane): "I believe that God is closer to suffering than to happiness, and that finding God in this way brings peace and repose and a strong, courageous heart." ~Bonhoeffer Other random thoughts on this flight include memories from a blissful 10-day holiday. Here are a few glimpses...huddling (cuddling) on Mt. Snow to preserve body warmth after plunging ourselves into 45 degree water...reminding ourselves how AWESOME we Tough Mudders were as our teeth chattered and our lips matched the blue war paint streaking our faces...discovering how delicious Cara Cara oranges are at the Torrance Farmers' Mkt...searching for some way to encourage a troubled woman on the streets of Pedro...discovering that there are actually "correct" answers when playing Apples to Apples AND that penguins *may* be more graceful than Grace Kelly :) ...plunging into a cold Pacific

sometimes i think blogs are merely self indulgent dribble. i mean, really, seriously, do you care what i'm going to tell you? don't answer that -- i'm actually not fishing for compliments. just reflecting on yet another social media outlet that allows us to peer into another's life without necessarily engaging in that life. ok, that rant aside, i'm playing Saturday morning catch-up which consists of: reading David Wilkerson's last blog catching up on friends' blogs. here's my pick of the morning . Greg Mortenson's Outside interview two back issues of the Economist, including Mike Campbell's obit (I have a morbid appreciation for the Economist's obits) which illustrates continued racial struggles in Zimbabwe if you click nothing else in this list, click this , a link to a summary of a new book on the reversal of globalization -- FASCINATING reading and glad to hear of someone challenging Tom Friedman. The world's NOT flat!

I took a bit of a sabbatical from blogging so here's a random list of stuff that's stuck in my head from the past couple days: " Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire." ~Bishop of London, in his sermon at the royal wedding, quoting St. Catherine of Siena whose festival day is April 29 Gaddafi's regime supposedly gave Libyan troops Viagra I really like my "gym" I really like my boyfriend , too (a lot more than my gym, actually) A royal wedding is a good reason to wear a tiara ALL DAY LONG! (Thanks to my sis for outfitting this princess.)

yet another example of why i love where i work . . . in honor of administrative professional's day (april 27), steve broke out the champagne during our weekly staff lunch and we celebrated those people in our midst who labor tirelessly to support this work.

Rob Morris , our fearless President, spoke about Love146 at Gateway Church this weekend. A couple vignettes from his trip left their impressions on me. I'll spare you my commentary. After Rob's talk, a high school junior and her parents approached Rob. The girl shared that she's been saving money for college but felt called to give all the money to Love146. Rob looked at the parents, wondering if this was for real. The mother started crying and confirmed that, yes, this was for real. The girl gave Love146 $1,600, emptying her bank account. International Justice Mission ( IJM ) tweeted Rob on his way up to the pulpit to share that IJM just raided a karaoke bar in the Philippines, rescuing 146 ( hmm , interesting number) women and girls held there. This is the kind of partnership we LOVE and the successes for which we praise God.

Friends, Romans (ok, maybe not Romans but you get the idea), Countrymen, lend me your ears (read: eyes and minds). It's springtime which means it's time to get outside and run, bike, hike, walk, climb, squeeze in a little more skiing, swim, dive, pogo stick, or pick your poison. Love146 has a unique way of focusing our post-cabin fever energy called Tread on Trafficking . You've heard me raving for about a month now about Love146 . I'm Love146's brand new VP of Communications. It's been fun, it's been tough, I've shed tears over commercial sexual exploitation and even a few tears over the challenges of my role itself. But at the end of the day, what Love146 does well is awaken the inner abolitionist in each of us. For me, the inner abolitionist woke up when I realized some of the Nepali street kids with whom I worked so many years ago were victims of sexual exploitation. I pray that dear Minu avoided that fate and survived the hardship of the stre

My dear auntie commented on the darkness of my recent posts. Fear not, life in Sarah-land is actually quite blissful. Today was a lovely example of that . . . Gasping for air and willing my body to do things it doesn't seem to want to do -- this is Crossfit and I'm thankful my mind triumphs over my body. Gratitude for a couple amazing young men that managed to renovate a forgotten garden. Glimpses of a mentor who has poured such prayer, time, love, and care into my life, who has poured forth wisdom into a vessel that doesn't always contain that wisdom but always craves more. Precious moments with a precious Love. Family who recognizes that my definition of "cooking" is directing others to cook; they love me, though they may chide me unmercifully. Philosophical discussions with friend and family on subjects as varied as reincarnation, sexual abuse at the hands of authority figures, Judaism, and lemon cake. Willing spring to come by camping out in front of the fir

The way out of being a victim is to become a perpetrator. ~Marilyn on how boys in India's masseur industry find a "way out"

1. soan papdi (but not the sugar headache that hits in 10 seconds flat) 2. red meat (I have no idea how this happened) 3. my iPhone that lets me video skype from anywhere 4. catching up on This American Life episodes on said phone 5. running (once I actually get outside, getting out there sometimes takes awhile) 6. Crossfit (yep, I'm a glutton for punishment) 7. being home 8. daffodils from Trader Joe's (part of my Sunday ritual)

Your sufferings have been the theme that has arrested and engages my heart - your sufferings no tongue can express; no language impart. ~ William Wilberforce, 1792 Motion for Abolition of Slavery

See what we are insisting upon; that the deeds of men are only discerned by the root of charity. For many things may be done that have a good appearance, and yet proceed not from the root of charity. For thorns also have flowers: some actions truly seem rough, seem savage; howbeit they are done for discipline at the bidding of charity. Once for all, then, a short precept is given thee: Love, and do what thou wilt : whether thou hold thy peace, through love hold thy peace; whether thou cry out, through love cry out; whether thou correct, through love correct; whether thou spare, through love do thou spare: let the root of love be within, of this root can nothing spring but what is good. ~ St. Augustine

Sometimes we need to be forced up against the ropes because when we're up against the ropes, we have a reason to fight. ~Andrew, Love146's Events Guy Extraordinaire from Liverpool

I'm very much in the honeymoon stage with my new job so I'll take you on the journey with me. Following is a smattering of the conversations had in and around the office this week which gives you a sense of how unique and quirky our crew is. You're doing Tough Mudder ? No way! My husband and I are doing a Mud Run; you should all join us! ~Nicole, excited to have another adventurer in-house The uterus is the center of all that is feminine. ~ Steve, explaining a women's lib series his wife is listening to Rob to Group: If you ordered Girl Scout cookies, they will be in Monday. Steve: Yes! Sarah to Steve: But Girl Scout cookies aren't vegan. Steve: Oh, bugger! I'll have to wait until my 30 day vegan cleanse is over. Steve to Group: My lunch is vegan chocolate cake. Sarah to Marilyn: What's wine doing on the table? Marilyn to Sarah: Oh, on Fridays someone usually makes a run to get wine for the office. New Haven is a key location in the abolition movement.

I began a new job yesterday at Love146 . It reminded me of so many other first days of school, of work, of ballet camp. Usually, as my family can attest, those first days were filled with tears and technicolor yawns. I remember a specific first day of ballet camp in Carlisle, PA where I was poised over a drainage grate, sick to my stomach. Thankfully, we can all laugh about that miserable moment now. Yesterday was graciously different. From the moment an elderly man yanked the front door open for me (I had already called our front desk, claiming I was locked out), I was welcomed and felt at home. We dove straight into scheduling projects on the communications calendar, reviewing the budget, and creating a media strategy. This kind of hands-on, immediately gratifying work is such an answer to prayer. And how cool to be working towards abolishing child sex slavery and exploitation? Perhaps the best part is the determination and laser focus my peers maintain on that mission. The

I blogged about this song weeks ago but decided to write about it one more time because it's such a good song and it was part of my Patagonia experience. When I hike, I find songs repeating in my head so I try to fixate on the best songs that run across my mind. This song, "Arms Wide Open," was the song that stuck in my head the most (in a good way). On a particularly steep hike up to Campamento Britanico, in the rain, with a pack that was digging into my hips, thinking about all the recent and upcoming changes in my life, the refrain "What does love look like?" echoed around my mind followed by "then I saw Him there, hanging on a tree, looking at me" and I began to cry. The love of such a God that died for me is profound. I can't accurately describe what transpired on that hike, suffice to say I encountered God and emerged changed. His command that, "You shall love me with arms wide open, a heart exposed" hit me square in the ch

Patagonia y Buenos Aires

"I do not at all understand the mystery of grace - only that it meets us where we are but does not leave us where it found us." ~Ann Lamont, Traveling Mercies , 143 Leaving Buenos Aires for Santiago, I witnessed a man in purple pants, white polo with popped collar, white boating shoes, and purple ascot. This is where fashion is created! Entering Buenos Aires after Patagonia, I am convinced I saw a car bearing the following three decals: Rumi , Tommy Hilfiger, and Nouwen . I also learned where all our American cars are imported, witnessing the roads flooded with Chevys and Fords. Driving through Buenos Aires reminded me of driving through Mumbai with the European architecture, highways high above the streets, and tall, flowering trees. In my ongoing attempt to awaken the innocent Sarah within, I reasoned that the woman at the Subte (Argentinean metro) station who stiffed me ~$25 probably thought I'd given her a 10 pesos note rather than the 100 pesos note I rea

And, Buenos Aires, here I am where blogging is a much safer option than wandering the streets. Don´t worry, I´ll wander beyond the walls of my hostel eventually but I needed to recover after 29 hours of travel from my camping site in Patagonia to my hostel in Buenos Aires. And after seven days of solo trekking, the idea of being in a mega-city, 15MM people strong, is a little overwhelming. I´ll post pictures soon but here´s a snippet to whet your appetite. After three days of rain out of a total six days, I endured my tent until noon and then made a break for it, heading up towards La Mirador Britannica in the French Valley of Torres del Paine Parque Nacional. There was a steady drizzle, nay rain, coming down and I passed some folks a little too soon to be La Mirador so I continued the steep uphill slog, slipping, sliding, and crawling my way to some unknown, unmarked top. I set my sights on a saddle at the base of the backside of Torres Grande at the top of the French Valley. I

In celebration of so many things (like a new job and turning 30 and ridiculously good looking mountains ), I'm taking off tomorrow to the southern hemisphere (surprisingly, my first time there) for 1-1/2 weeks. My plan is to enjoy the W trek in Torres del Paine National Park and snag 1-1/2 days in Buenos Aires on my way out. I'm charging my camera in preparation for some amazing photo ops. I'm psyched and maybe a little scared but this is gonna be good!