Month: August 2017

My Friend Alexis

This is Alexis. Alexis and I have been best friends since 2014.

Our personalities are rather different: while I tend to be on the quieter pensive end, Alexis is vivacious with sparkling energy. We are like yin and yang, water and fire, night and day. We are photo negatives of each other, of shadow and light with her manias and my depressions. Through our differences springs a truly beautiful friendship, one where I’m proud to call her my sister from another mister.

We have some of the most intimate and explicit conversations where we are not afraid to be ourselves–it is one of those kinds of friendships. Every woman needs one.

Halfway during my trip around the world, Alexis shared that she has Stage 2 breast cancer. It was already a stressful point of the journey. Never mind what I was going through; with something like cancer, how does one go about having to suddenly face their own mortality? It absolutely blew my mind. Nonetheless, her bravery, optimism, and fighting spirit have been inspiring to witness as she goes on to kick that cancer’s ass.

When I asked her how she is able to stay optimistic through the whole process, she said, “I may not be able to change the outcome, but I can certainly change my attitude.” The fact that she is always able to hold her own well is what drew me to her in the first place. The fact that she was the one comforting me proves her compassion and strong will, an inspiring attitude anyone could learn from. Of all the people I know, she can handle cancer the best.

The good news is that the prognosis looks good. The tumor has been removed, and she will be having chemo for the next six months. We had a head shaving party, and it was so lovely seeing her surrounded by all of her closest female friends. I have never seen someone so excited to shave all of hair off because of cancer. But it was still a beautiful thing.

It could always be a lot worse. Witnessing Alexis going through all of this has been heartbreaking, but the perspective through which she chooses to see serves as a reminder that we always have a choice on our own attitudes.

Never mind how traveling the world changes someone. Even though I often think about the complexities of life and death, I have never experienced having to actually face my own mortality. It’s not my say to explain how it all works here; those things are very subjective experiences. But Alexis has shared how it has changed her.

And we are doing everything we can to be there for her during this time.

12th Vegan Birthday

Today is a very special day, because it is my 12th Vegan Birthday! That means I have been vegan for 12 years already!

It was my first day of college and I made the decision to be vegan. (I had been vegetarian for four years prior to making the switch.) I didn’t know how long being vegan would last; at first, it was just trying it out. But I kept it up because it made me feel better in many ways. It has certainly made me more conscious of the impact my decisions make. Being vegan allows me to live beyond myself. Meat consumption is one of the worst culprits for global warming, not to mention the unimaginable suffering that animals go through. As someone who is recovering from PTSD, I am very sensitive to the suffering and abuse of creatures outside myself. I’m not a saint or anything, but it blows my mind when people don’t get it. I just cannot support any of that.

Living a more compassionate lifestyle doesn’t earn anyone a gold star, by the way. My aim is to try and make the world a better place through conscious decision making. Whenever I talk about these things, it’s often met with defensiveness or attacks. I become hesitant about it, before remembering that this lifestyle isn’t all for myself.

There is also the myth that vegans don’t get enough protein. My running has been increased to the point where I have finished two full marathons and a few half marathons. Besides…Running relies more on complex carbohydrates for energy.

For those who are concerned about protein intake, there are so many ways to obtain it through a plant based diet. If, for example, you are weight training–and there are plenty of vegan athletes who do–vegan protein supplements exist. But usually an athlete can get away without them. 

Smoothies make the best and easiest meals. I’m partial to foods where you can just throw ingredients together and it always turns out delicious. Here is one I’ve been obsessed with lately. It keeps me sustained and clear-headed.

Vegan Smoothie:

  • 1 sliced banana
  • 1 kiwi fruit
  • 1/2 pear, diced
  • 1/2 sliced cucumber
  • Fist full of spinach
  • 2 scoops of Clean Lean Protein by Nuzest. (Or whatever vegan protein supplement. It’s optional.)
  • 1/2 cup soy milk or water

Blend until smooth. Easy!

When asked if I miss cheese, eggs, or other animal byproducts, I really don’t. Not only are there substitutes for those, I’ve gained so much more than what I’ve given up. And for me, that is more important. 

Happy Vegan Birthday to me!

Coming Full Spiral ‘Round the World, Part 2: Post-Travel Depression

I’ve been home for nearly three weeks now. And lately, there is this insidious feeling I’ve been drifting in and out of.

From a friend:

Re-entry shock, or reverse culture shock, can sometimes be harder than the initial culture shock of traveling. You are different, but you have returned to your previous world and life; and everything else is the same.

That’s exactly it. I’m picking up where I’ve left off… Except, I am not the same.

If you Google “Post-Travel Depression,” many results come up, a reminder that this is apparently a common thing that travelers experience when returning home. It sounds like a part of the human condition. So, at least I’m not alone there.

There is no solid time period on how long it takes to decompress from post-travel depression. I thought it would be over with by now. I’ve learned that it’s more realistic to not give a time frame when it comes to processing emotions, because those have a mind of their own.

Sure, there are forums and meet-ups with other travelers that you could join to commiserate. Most likely, setting back out into the world isn’t feasible. There are more realistic ways to cope with the travel blues. Here’s what I’ve been doing:

  1. Unpack everything and put it all away immediately. You may not feeling your best after coming back from being gone for so long, but I’ve found that less clutter means more productivity in the long run. Plus, it’s a relatively small thing to do.
  2. Exercising and eating well. This is highly obvious, no matter where in the world you are. If you took cooking classes abroad, now is a perfect time to wow your friends with your worldly culinary prowess. There’s also nothing like being buzzed on your own endorphins from exercising.
  3. Ease back into work/productivity. After you’ve tackled the little things (like #1), settling back in becomes a little more bearable. Don’t be like me and hit the ground running. Trying to take on a lot after returning sounds like a nice distraction from post-travel depression, but eventually you run out of fuel because you need to take care of yourself first.
  4. Take a mini road trip or day trip to another town or city. I don’t know about you, but I can’t just stop going to places abruptly. This provided a little break from suddenly coming back. My best friend and I did a little day trip to Portland, OR–a three hour drive from Seattle.
  5. Reflect on your travels. All those little ticket stubs and momentos can be arranged in a scrap book. It can help to write out these changes that take place within.
  6. Keep in touch with friends you met abroad… With social media available at our fingertips, it keeps getting easier to keep in touch with new friends made from all over the world. Even better, send them candy or treats from your country along with a handwritten note. They’ll love that.
  7. …While seeing all of your friends at home. Go to museums, art walks, take a hike, or even make dinner together (see #2). Your friends will be happy to see you and will want to hear all about your stories from abroad.
  8. Make future plans. It can be pretty disorienting to suddenly come back. Free falling like this is scary at times, especially when you’ve come back to your old life and you’re in between jobs. Having plans at least gives structure.

Coming home wasn’t what I had expected. I’ve experienced post-vacation sadness before, but nothing ever like this. After facing the unknowns for three months and really living life in a way I never have before, it has been hard settling back into the familiar. There is no shortcut around these emotions either.

The only way out is through.

Pacific Northwest Pie

A bountiful harvest awaits you this summer

A wild summer treat

I love summer in Seattle. A heatwave has blanketed the Pacific Northwest, the hot air lulling us into the dog days of the season. One thing I love about living here is that it’s usually mild. While I prefer cooler weather, this isn’t so bad. Drinking lots of water and staying in the shade does the trick to keep cool.

In more exciting news, today is my best friend’s 34th birthday!

There’s a bountiful harvest waiting

This morning, I gathered the ingredients to make a special birthday treat for him. Another thing I love about living in the Pacific Northwest is that there’s an abundant harvest waiting for you in the form of fresh fruit hanging from trees and vines. The fruit is so abundant that a non-profit organization called City Fruit has a program where you can register your fruit tree. So that, in order to minimize wasted food, whatever is left over from the harvest can go to the food banks around the city. I’ve never volunteered for City Fruit, but I know where all of my favorite fruit trees are in my neighborhood.

After picking blackberries, I climbed a tree and picked Italian plums. I love picking fruit straight from the source and eating it on the spot. Urban foraging is one of my favorite things; it reminds us where food actually comes from.

A group of halved and pitted plums on a wooden countertop
Irresistible plums from just blocks away

I picked a whole bunch because I make a pie crumble every year for my friend’s birthday. I call it the Pacific Northwest pie, because the filling is picked straight from the source. The pie crust is store-bought from the co-op, but if you want to make your own, there are plenty of vegan recipes for that. If you really want to be an overachiever and make the crust from wheat and oats that you’ve milled yourself, then that’s an über-Pacific Northwest pie!

You can make something this good, too

This recipe makes two pies.

Pacific Northwest Pie Recipe

Have ready:

  • 2 store bought pie crusts

Filling:

  • 4 cups of Italian plums, pitted and quartered
  • 4 cups of blackberries
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup organic sugar
  • 2 tsp lemon juice

Crumble top:

  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup organic dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup Earth Balance (or whatever vegan butter you prefer)
  • 2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Follow the instructions on how to prepare the pie crusts. They should be on the label.

For the filling, first mix the fruit together. The blackberries will most likely be crushed as they’re stirred around. Splash in the lemon juice. Then add the flour and sugar until everything is mixed well. Spoon the filling into the two pie crusts.

For the crumble topping, cream together the sugar and the Earth Balance. Add the cinnamon. Then add the flour and rolled oats until a sticky dough forms. Divide into two parts. Crumble each part onto a pie.

Bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees. The blackberries will dissolve and the plums will hold their shape.

After the pies are done baking, cool for 20 minutes. The filling gets very hot. Waiting is hard, but trust me on this one. Once it’s cool enough, enjoy the pie. It pairs well with Coconut Bliss vanilla ice cream.

Pie and ice cream go hand-in-hand

Portlandia

On Friday, my best friend Brad and I drove down to Portland for the day.

I tell people that Portland is pretty much Seattle’s more laid-back sister city. It was exciting to finally be able to show my best friend my favorite spots in this illustrious place! There was a list of places to go, and we had plans to eat our way through, meander around art galleries, and pet cats.

First, we arrived at Homegrown Smoker, which is a vegan BBQ restaurant.

Our GPS took us to a corner of Portland that I’ve never been before, and I was getting concerned because none of it looked familiar. It turns out the BBQ joint moved from being a food cart at the end of Mississippi Ave to a sit-in restaurant in the Northwest part of the city. I had the Buff Burrito and Brad had the combo plate. Homegrown Smoker does not mess around; the food was impressive, as always. Seriously, they do not mess around.

We next went to Blue Star donuts to get a couple vegan donuts to go. We were pretty full from having vegan barbeque food, but I kept telling Brad that Blue Star’s vegan donuts are just as delicious as Seattle’s counterpart, Mighty-O.

As a side note, we saw this on the wall, and I shamelessly took a photo. My friend rolled his eyes and told me to see the irony behind it. I rolled my eyes right back and bought him donuts.

From there, we went to Purringtons Cat Lounge, which is exactly what it sounds like. Admission to chill with the cats is $8 for an hour visit.

Brad and I have a tendency to meow at each other like a pair of odd best friends do, so we could not pass up a visit to Portland’s cat cafe. I swear, whenever I’m around cats, a warm tingly feeling starts in the back of my head and spreads down my spine. I can’t possibly be the only one who feels this way.

From Purringtons, we headed a little back north to the Alberta Arts District to visit Antler Gallery, an exhibition art space that features nature-themed drawings, paintings, sculptures, and jewelry. Currently artists Lisa Ericson, David Rice, and Danny Samuels are exhibiting work. Every time I’m always blown away by the skill of artists in this gallery.

I convinced Brad to drive us to the vegan mini-mall, which includes Herbivore, Food Fight Grocery, Sweet Pea Bakery, and Scapegoat Tattoo. No trip to Portland is complete without visiting those places! So, we saved the best for last. Granted, I’ve never actually stepped inside Scapegoat because I’m extremely picky about tattoos. The other three sell food, snacks, and non-edible vegan goods, such as soap, clothes, and cosmetics.

I thought of moving to Portland several times. It sure is fun to visit and I always feel right at home. But as much as Portland is amazing, it feels like Seattle has more to offer. There’s also the sense of quirkiness that Portland is known for, which I’ve been growing out of. That show Portlandia is supposed to be an exaggeration of what Portland is like. Except…a lot of it is pretty much true. From the fun personality of the city to the new hip bakery that people line up the block for, you get a glimpse into what it’s like in a way.

The day trip wasn’t even that long. We spent a little over six hours there. I have to say that six hours is nowhere nearly enough time to do all of your favorite things. I needed to decompress after traveling; stopping abruptly after going to so many places around the world can be disorienting. I was hoping that Portland could alleviate some of that.


Or maybe it’s better to dive right back into my Seattle life instead of escaping to Portland for a day. You know, pick up where things were left off. But things aren’t the same.


Till next time, Portland!