I’ve traveled to 10 countries in the last 11 months. Now that I think about it, It’s actually 11 countries in 11 months if you count the United States — that has a nice ring to it!

As I’ve been traveling and meeting locals or meeting up with local friends, I’ve started asking people if there is a word or phrase in their local language that describes their culture.

I haven’t written a blog post in over 7 months. This outlet that I’ve found so helpful for processing my experiences and sharing my insights stopped suddenly because I questioned myself, my intentions, my abilities.

Never have two small words encapsulated the feeling of a culture as concisely and accurately as Pura Vida does Costa Rica and the super friendly Costa Ricans (Ticos).

"Pura vida" translates to "pure life." It is used as "hello", "goodbye", "thank you", "how are you?", "I'm great", or "no worries." The magic of Pura Vida isn't just how the phrase is used though, it's the relaxed way of life that it captures.

I grew up going to the beach most days during the idyllic Carlsbad summer. I remember one summer I was working at a coffee shop, so my work day started at 5am and ended at 2pm when I would go straight to the beach at Maple Street. I didn't even need to check with friends to see if anyone would be there because someone was always there.

I quit my job, stored my few worldly possessions, sold my car, and bought a plane ticket. So, that's what I've been up to. And after a month of traveling around Argentina from Bariloche in Patagonia to Buenos Aires to Mendoza to Iguazu Falls, I'm still decompressing.

I often write about the Presidio because its winding trails, arresting views, and quiet vastness are full of inspiration and perspective. I came across this freshly carved tree stump the other day while out for a quick hike and dopamine shot of nature. It reminded me of a line from a novel where the main character recalled her mother's advice that when you can't figure out how to get around something you just have to go through it.

I joined thousands of protesters yesterday afternoon in San Francisco's Civic Center Plaza for the March For Our Lives rally. March For Our Lives is a grassroots political movement led by Parkland students demanding stricter gun control legislation be brought before Congress immediately.

I've never had a dog and have to admit that I don't fully understanding the relationship with "man's best friend", but I do have a few furry, four-legged friends who are teaching me how special dogs are. There's Baxter, pictured above, who has slowly won me over with that cute mug. Then there's Diesel who once sneezed on my face at point-blank range. I once almost ended up locked in rambunctious pups Hollan and Rowan's crate rather than the other way around. They all consistently jumped on me, licked me, snuggled up to me, and gave me their doggy love - regardless of whether or not I wanted it!

I was sitting in the warm, winter sun at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market yesterday, enjoying delicious chilaquiles from one of the many gourmet food stands and catching up with a good friend, when the clock tower set against the FiDi skyline caught my attention.

My favorite time with my nieces and nephew is first thing in the morning when we're still in our pajamas, reading books, playing on the floor, chatting. I'm sipping hot coffee, they're sipping cold milk. I call it pajama time, and it's sacred time.

Throughout the week, I had a couple fleeting ideas for this week's blog post but nothing stuck. Sunday morning inevitably ushered itself in despite my lack of inspiration, so I sat down with a cup of coffee and opened my journal. I flipped through it, reading bits and pieces of old entries and feeling memories like they were yesterday. I turned to the next blank page, took a sip of coffee and settled in.

I found out this week that a girl I went to school with from first grade through high school is homeless in Carlsbad where we grew up. My Mom learned this sad fact from another old childhood friend's Mom who volunteers at a homeless shelter where the girl goes regularly for meals.

I consider the Presidio my backyard, my playground, my church on Sunday morning runs. It's an oasis of looming trees, fragrant dirt, green plants, blooming flowers, ocean views, fresh air, and the occasional curious coyote - dropped right into the crowded, noisy, fantastic city of San Francisco.

I grew up seeing this bright yellow caution sign depicting an immigrant family running for their lives along the 5 Freeway in San Diego. I have a vague memory of asking my parents why people would be on the freeway, but mostly it's just one of those threads in the fabric of your childhood that you don't realize until later was really weird.

Happy new year! While reflecting on what a pivotal year 2017 was for me, I realized that writing and sharing my experiences on this blog was an integral and powerful facet of that personal journey.

There are currently 60,000 refugees stranded in Greece. They are supposed to either be granted asylum in other European countries or sent back to Turkey, but the process is moving glacially slow. There are residents in Ritsona refugee camp, where I was volunteering, who have been there for nearly 2 years.

I love this photo of me sitting with a woman named Negar. Negar came to the Female Friendly Space with her two adorable, young sons most days. She spent time with me discussing why she and her husband decided to leave Iran, describing the journey that brought them to Ritsona refugee camp, lamenting the challenges she endures every day in camp, and sharing her hopes and dreams for the future.

“Landing team to office” read the WhatsApp message that dinged on my phone at 9:21pm. The designated 3-person landing team now had 5 minutes to get their gear together and run to the Lighthouse Relief office. They jump in the car and roar off to meet the arriving boat like a cartoon where the car turns a corner on two wheels and disappears in a puff of smoke.

New post coming soon on my amazing experience volunteering with Lighthouse Relief's emergency response team on Lesvos last week. In the meantime, I published my second blog post for Lighthouse today. Please read it at the link below if you'd like to learn more about what the women of Ritsona are up to in the Female Friendly Space.

The Daily Rhythm of Our Female Friendly Space