I've Moved!

Martinez, California

So I moved. :D I actually moved about two months ago. I’ve been slackin’ with my blog so sorry for the late post.  And to top it off, I don’t have pictures to show for it yet.(Sorry!) I will soon. Sooo, wanna know what my favorite part of the house is? MY NEW SHOWER CURTAIN!!! Courtesy of Sister Ogden who was looking for someone who needed a shower curtain and it was my pleasure to be that person. Well its never been used but sitting around for about a year I think. ITS OF A WORLD MAP!!! My kind of shower curtain! I smile every time I see it. You know how some people just turn on their favorite movie or their favorite song to go to their happy place? Well, although movies and songs help me get to my happy place, I also go to a map. I know weird, right? But its true. I dream about all the places I want to go and a map helps me do that. 

Oh! So in other news I have made an IMPORTANT decision. I decided to go the Master’s route. I’m looking at grad programs in the Bay Area for Counseling Psychology. So far my favorites are Cal State East Bay and San Fransisco State. I taking my time to really check out all the programs and making sure it will be a good fit. Who knows, I might end up somewhere outside of the Bay…. Maybe.

Right now I’m temping at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in the Admin department. Working in a hospital actually helped me  decide to go the Master’s route. I really like the nurturing feel that hospitals give and I want to develop my skills in it in the psychology department. I’m told that if they decide to hire me somewhere, not only will I get benefits (I want that sooo bad!) but they can pay for my schooling too since I’m getting a degree in a health related field. When I heard that, the first thing that came out of my mouth was, “how can I get in on that!” That is definitely something worthy of further investigation…

Girls Camp, Temp Work, Temple, Relief Society

Richmond, Oakland, and Rucker Lake, California

Well, its been a couple of months since I’ve posted anything. It feels like things have been a bit routine and boring. However, at the same time it feels so busy and exciting! Meh, I guess maybe to me. 

In a nutshell, Since my basic guide training, I went to Girls Camp as a leader, had a couple of temp positions, started serving in the Oakland Temple and putting activities together for Relief Society. That is pretty much about it. But for those who want a little more, below is my more in depth thoughts on each event. :-) Enjoy!

It was great to walk down memory lane at Girls Camp. Especially since this time, my little sister was there. It was a lot more exciting packing for camp with someone than just doing it yourself. However, being a leader is HARD WORK…. especially if you got left in the dark beforehand. I went up as the dirty duty Assistant and I nor the leader knew what we were doing except for a few ideas. Needless to say, it was quite the challenge.  I learned that thinking of solutions and staying calm work a lot better than getting mad and pointing fingers.

Being a Temp is soooo….. temporary. (Clever, I know) Its cool in the ways that I get to meet lots of people, get to rub shoulders with pretty successful people, and get to go to many different locations, (I love that!). But I always feel unsettled knowing how temporary each position is when I think of my bills.  Thankfully, Nelson Staffng, the temp agency I work for, is keeping me pretty busy with jobs. Although, I feel at ease when there is consistency. So my plan is to go back to school. I want to become a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist. I really enjoyed my time learning the subject (I took a few classes in my major by choice though I didn’t need to) and volunteering in it. I feel like this is where I should take my career instead of Education. However, it means getting another bachelor and not necessarily going to grad school. I'm not sure if that’s a step forward or just a step sideways. Huh…. Lots to think about in this one...

Speaking of Consistency, I absolutely LOVE serving in the temple. It is a Rock Solid place. There is just no place better I’d rather spend my free time. I get to be there once a week. I gotta tell ya, I’ve gone in to work my shift a couple times just struggling through my day and I go in and begin serving and all the worries shouting around in my head just quiet down. They don’t necessarily go away but I begin to see things in a much bigger perspective. I am so happy there. I feel as though I am complete. My favorite part is running into friends that I haven’t seen in a while there. What a great place to run into each other! 

Relief Society has kept me pretty busy. I’ve had this calling (RS 2^nd Counselor in this branch, who is over activities of the RS) for about a year now and I just NOW feel like I’m understand all that it entails. I’ve always felt unsettled about how I was doing my calling. I felt like I could do more but didn’t know how. Well, after a lot of prayers and counsel in the presidency, I feel more sure in what I’m supposed to do for this calling. I have great plans for the activities (of which I have began).

Well that's about it for now. Till next time!

PGO Guide Training

Coloma, California

Wow! what an intense week! And totally worth it!  I was so tired by the end of the loooonnnng rafting week I think I slept for 2 days straight when I got home. (Seriously, they were a blur!) I thought about how I can share all of my 10 days worth of experience and quite frankly, the entry would probably never get posted. There is so much to share and just so little time as I begrudgingly found out. So, a glimpse of my training seems very appropriate.

Well, here it is folks, a glimpse of my PGO white water rafting  basic training....

This is my most memorable run and my biggest highlight (out of the many) of my whole experience. I had to put all the pictures the photographer captured in (you'll see why...) Just posting a few pictures here and there didn't seem to do the experience justice. This is my run on a rapid called Hospital Bar in the Gorge run of the South Fork of the American River. :-D If you scroll quickly through the pictures, I won't be offended, I understand. This is mainly for my purposes.

Here I am guiding this boat at the beginning of this rapid calling a, "FORWARD!"

Here is Dustin, sitting next to me,  leaning over to tell me that I just took the very conservative route, meaning I pretty much missed the rapid. (whoops!)

I still wanted to try and get in it though...

And everyone was still smiling.

Until now. I'm not sure what Danny, a fellow guide-ling, was thinking in this moment but I'm pretty sure he saw what was coming....

Notice how my mom and Jake are leaning in together? Yeah. I'm pretty sure they were bracing for impact. Meanwhile Jeremy seems to be having a grand 'ole time...

This rock, my friends, is called Catcher's Mitt. And it caught a hold of my boat pretty good. Catcher's Mitt is known to catch many a-boat for those who take it conservative (whether intentional or not). If you notice Dustin's (back left of boat) hand gesture he is calling the command, "HIGH-SIDE!" We call a High-side to keep the boat from flipping. That means everyone goes to the "High" side of the Boat.

And here I am copying Dustin's command. You learn from the master right?

My family are just enjoying the experience.

Especially Sam. I am so glad they were enjoying themselves.

Here is Dustin coaching me on what possible ways we can get off Catcher's Mitt and which ways to try first. I'm smiling here cause I have no clue! It was one of those moments where you could just laugh or cry. I chose to laugh. Whatever humor there is in the situation helped me to move into problem-solving mode. Crying would just cause me to shut-down and ball up.

So, under the coaching of Dustin, I try a turn (as pictured above). That didn't work. (meanwhile everyone was laughing and cracking jokes.) Then I tried moving people to the back to get the weight off the rock. As I had people doing that, our gracious photographer who took these pictures said, "May I offer a suggestion?" Dustin, "Yeah." Photographer, "Don't move to the back. Stay up front." So we all begin to move to the front of the boat.....

After getting up there,  Dustin says, "Its like taking a family photo!" (and here it is in the above picture.) :-) There couldn't have been a more odd yet perfect moment while perched on a rock in Class III waters. That's what I call enjoying the moment no matter what the situation is.

Now it was time to get off Catcher's Mitt.

"Back to positions!.... if you can."

Notice Danny on the right side of the picture. Yeah, he's half in and half out of the boat and asking for help.

I kept calling out, "Somebody help Danny!" and then decided I should help Danny too cause I thought we were in the clear... Ha! Little did I know....

BAM!!! The boat flips on its side.

All I was thinking at this point was Self Preservation. Earlier in the week we practiced flip drills in an Eddy (slower/still water). I knew I had a hard time pulling myself into the boat so if this boat completely flipped over, I wanted to make sure I was at least in a good spot to find something to grab to climb on top of the bottom.

I didn't know Dustin held on to that rock. I'm pretty sure that what kept us from completely flipping.

And there goes the majority of my crew. This is what we address in our safety talk "what to do in the event when you are no longer a paddler and now a swimmer...."

Check out Jeremy (white T-shirt). I love his expression! I enlarged the picture so you can see it a little better.

And we land "Butter-Side up." Phew!

Most of my crew got to have an "Out-of-Boat-Experience." (Thankfully it wasn't all of my crew.)

Honestly, I think we all did great. Both the swimmers and the rescuers.

Poor Danny had just got into the boat (as shown in the previous pictures) and was now knocked back out. AND he had to pull himself in 'cause I was rescuing my mom first (which, by the way, was awesomely cool to do!). Sorry, Danny! I knew you could do it! :-D

They say that there are two types of guides, those who have flipped their boats and those who will. I have the privilege of having my first "half" flip documented. This day was the most memorable for me because I learned to laugh when things don't go as planned. Laughter diminished my fear. Fear had always (and still does a little to be honest) froze me in place and I wouldn't do anything when things get choppy. Dustin taught me that day to just do something in these moments. If I make a mistake, I can learn from it. Its not the end of the world. I have had a lot of cleaner runs (beautiful even) than this one. But this is the one that makes me smile the most. Its the one I learned the most on. And it was the most requested to see.

A New Quote I Love

Richmond, California
 
I found this quote while on a friend's page. I just love it.

“Have you ever been in love? Horrible isn't it? It makes you so vulnerable. It opens your chest and it opens up your heart and it means that someone can get inside you and mess you up. You build up all these defenses, you build up a whole suit of armor, so that nothing can hurt you, then one stupid person, no different from any other stupid person, wanders into your stupid life...You give them a piece of you. They didn't ask for it. They did something dumb one day, like kiss you or smile at you, and then your life isn't your own anymore. Love takes hostages. It gets inside you. It eats you out and leaves you crying in the darkness, so simple a phrase like 'maybe we should be just friends' turns into a glass splinter working its way into your heart. It hurts. Not just in the imagination. Not just in the mind. It's a soul-hurt, a real gets-inside-you-and-rips-you-apart pain. I hate love.” - Neil Gaiman

Yes, I have felt much like Mr. Gaiman here. However, because of this, I have gotten to know myself more. Like, getting to know how strong I really am. Even strong enough to let myself "fall in-love" again. .. when I'm ready. :-)

Massage and PGO Guide Training Begins

Richmond, California

Got a massage for the first time last week. First time I've ever paid for one from a professional. They offer them for a $1/minute and I had to take advantage. I could spend at least $10 right? I asked Galina, the massage therapist, if she would focus on my shoulders and neck because thats where I tend to get knots. By the end of the ten minutes, I felt loose and tingly in that area. My favorite part was when she pulled on my arms and shook them. That felt goood. Galina said I have a lot of tension in my shoulders and neck. That didn't surprise me. I think they may be what triggers  my migraines. You know whats weird, earlier today, I felt stressed and sleepy over small things that seemed to have piled up. After the massage, I felt pretty relaxed and less grumpy. I must hold the stress in my body. Especially the shoulders and neck. I'd like to find out what a full body massage will be like. Its around $100 for a full hour full body.... hmmm.... I'll have to look into it and research it...
 
On another note, I started my Guide Training with Project GO. So far, its been awesome! The story to come after I complete training.

No Internship

Richmond, California

As a follow up to the blog before last. I, unfortunately, did not get the internship I wanted in San Louis Obispo. My rejection letter took longer than I expected to come. It was a very nice rejection letter. They told me it was a tough choice to make and had to go with another candidate that was a little more qualified. Aww...thats sweet but....ouch. Well, I'd rather be let down gently than bluntly or not at all (which I've had before). Anywho, I was disappointed (more than I thought I'd be actually) but happy and grateful that it faded fast. I am a firm believer in God and that he has a plan for each of us. His plans are usually better than mine. I usually end up pretty sad and miserable when I try to force my way. But when I follow His plan, His way and in His timing, things always seem to work out. Even when I don't get it at first. I try to think of one of my favorite hymns during these confusing times, Lead Kindly Light,  Hymn # 97 in the LDS hymn book. "Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see the distant scene--one step enough for me."

Blog Makeover and Bollywood night: Bride and Prejudice

Richmond, California

So cool thing happened when I logged in today. NEW BACKGROUNDS!!! :-D YAY!!! There was this little tab that came up with all these options of backgounds. I was so excited. I've been wanting to "makeover" my blog for a while but didn't know how. If anyone has tips for me for customizing blogs, they would be GREATLY appreciated. :)

I watched the funniest movie I have seen as of late. Every Friday night is movie night for the Richmond 3rd Singles ward. Tonight was Bollywood night hosted by the Botts. They made an Indian dish (sooo delicious!!!) while we watched Bride and Prejudice. Yes, thats right, folks, an adaptaion of Jane Austin's novel Pride and Prejudice. It directed by the same director who did Bend It Like Beckham. What made it so funny was these random songs in at random moments in the movie. It just made me  like it so much more! It made me laugh! I don't mean that in a rude sense because I think it was meant to be real funny. It worked. I love the dances in there too. It was so funny, just about everyone in the room were bouncing their shoulders like they were in the movie. I think its going to be a trend in the Ward for a while. I know I'll be doing it. (For those who don't know me that well, I love to move, especially dancing.)

I also love this movie for two other reasons:

1.  It brought back some fond childhood memories of going over to one of my best friend's house growing up, Sandeep (Sanny) and learning about her culture. We have been friends since Kindergarten. Man, I miss her. I haven't seen her since we graduated high-school in 2003. She left to study medicine in India and I left for school in Idaho. 
2. It is so fitting for a singles ward. I like to categorize people who attend a singles ward are typically in two stages in their life: either preparing for a mission for the church or trying to find that true love you hope to spend the rest of eternity with. Sometimes, you are just tired of playing the game of love and its nice to have something nice to help you laugh about it.  Like this movie. :-)

WARNING: There is a scene with a guy wearing a thong. Its fairly brief and can easily skip by pressing the fast forward button for about two seconds. For those who don't like to see that stuff, you can do that if you still want to see the movie.

Utah, Internship Finalist, and Brother Comming Home

Utah; San Louis Obispo, California; Richmond, California

Its getting up to a month since my last post. I have so much I want to share. I have taken a couple adventures lately and its a little hard to compact them into one post. But here it goes....


I went to Utah a couple weeks ago. A friend invited me to go canyoneering and I was very tempted. After looking at my budget and schedule, I saw that it was possible and I thought, "why not?" I also have quite a few friends to chill with while the frineds comming from Idaho to do canyoneering were traveling. I got to meet one of my friend's girlfriend and I'm now wondering why it took us so long to meet. She is so easy to be around and get to know. I hope I get to run into them more.... maybe at their wedding, hmmm, hmmm, hmmm.... Another friend of mine I reconnected with is a mission companion, Sister Myers. She was leaving for London that week. Talk about great timing!! We reminisced about the mission and how/where we are today. Through her I got to reconnect with a family I found and taught who she later baptized. I hadn't seen nor talked to them since I left the mission. Thats about 3 years ago. Myers and I both seemed to need this suprise visit. It kind of help refocus the direction of our lives.


Strangely, and honestly, I had a much better time spending time with the friends in UT more than the ones who invited me. The canyoneer-ers were mostly couples and it was a guy who invited me. It wasn't until I was in the car that I bagan to feel pretty awkward.... Everyone was pretty much paired off and I felt like the 5th or 7th wheel or something to people I didn't know that well. This was also a bit of wake-up call to me. A couple years ago, I felt like I fit in with this group. Now, I've moved back home and getting into California life and they too have moved in a different direction. I guess I wanted to go back to the college days. You know, rewind. But, alas, my present is in California and who knows whats in my future!

That being said, I came home from Utah to find out I'm a finalist for an internship I want in San Louis Obispo, CA, at an Outdoor school. Wow! really? what an honor and a bit of an ego boost. So, the following weekend after driving 12 hours from Utah, I took another 8 hours driving to and from SLO for a site visit and an in-person interview. Needless to say, I'm a little bit sick of driving and am anxious to hear if I got the internship or not at the end of this week.


In other news, my baby bro, Jacob, is back! Ye-yah!!! He was in Hawaii studying Marine Biology. He's now decided he wants to go into architecture and CA has better schools for that. So we get to keep him. :D Right now, my assignment with a temp agency is at Alta bates Herrick Campus in downtown Berkeley. Its about 5 blocks from the BART (Bay Area Rapid Tranist), a train like the subway, station so I can walk. My car will just sit around, so i gave my car to Jake as long has he can drop me off and pick me up from the BART station. I think it works out pretty good. I don't have to drive, I get to actually interact with people other than in traffic, and I get to bond a bit with jake. and Jake gets to have a car to do what he needs and wants to do. He seems happy and that makes me happy.

Project GO

Coloma, CA

I went white water rafting! Exciting! I applied to do white water guide training with a non-profit organization Called Project Great Outdoors (aka Project Go, aka PGO) this year. They work with under-served youth and take them down the river all the while facilitating the experience. Of course, I was very attracted to this venue and wanted to learn their methods.

Orignially, I had been accepted to do Spring Training (I know, snow melt, its cold) but it got canceled due to lack of participants. It just wouldn’t work budget-wise. So I’m doing Summer guide training instead and got invited to the rusty-guide training in honor of canceled spring guide training. Let me just say, Wow! What an experience! I tore off the corner of my thumbnail. Totally worth it!

The first day, felt like a crash course of instructions (rightfully so since this was for rusty guides) The trainers and the rusty guides were so patient with us “green guidelings.” Kurt, who I was with the first day, seemed like a river sage. (He is also the main guy in charge at PGO.) I learned so much by just watching and listening to him. What struck me pretty profound was his ability to keep his composure. Toward the end of our river run another boat got wrapped on a rock and he calmly directs us to the eddy and cooly says, “This is just stressing me a little and I want to make sure they are ok.” What? He’s stressed? If he didn’t say so, I wouldn’t have guessed. That was a good lesson to me in how to conduct yourself when situations get a little harry. Its something I plan on practicing more. After getting some “stick-time” (being the guide of the raft), I learned just how hard it can be to keep your composure.

The second day I got to learn under the hand of Dustin, one of the trainers for guide training. This is where I got to take everything I learned the day before from Kurt and got it fine-tuned by Dustin. He helped me get through some rapids by calling out commands for me while I focused on trying to keep the “magic” angle of the boat. That helped a lot since both of those were still really new to me. I got a lot of helpful technical tips that allowed me to be more powerful when maneuvering the boat. It was real exciting when I felt the boat move by one stroke alone. It felt more natural and I began to really like that guide seat and less intimidated by it. :-D Watch out Summer Training! Here I come!
My new friend and fellow guideling, Sara.
The river where we took out at Camp Lotus.
The boats drying before being rolled up.
The best part after a full day of rafting, laying out to deflate the boat.

The Bridge

Richmond, California

My oh my its been a while since I have posted something. Lots of changes happened and I fell out of routine in my blogging. But now I’m back and ready to share! This will hopefully bridge what has gone on since the last time I wrote.

I ended up moving back home to Richmond in the San Francisco Bay Area. Not exactly where I wanted to end up but now am feelin’ like home is a great place to be right now. Its where I grew up so I get combine little Melissa, daughter of Carl and Jeanette, with the independent, young adult, college Melissa. Its quite the experience! Reconnecting childhood relationships, establishing new ones, and becoming a leader in my home town is all very humbling. Sometimes I wonder if I’m truly ready for it. But whether or not, here it is. And it’s a good experience.

Since walking in the Summer Commencement at BYUI, I have completed an internship for a River Rafting supply store. I have learned that this is NOT the line of work I want to be in. Too much business and money management for me. My heart ended up not being in it even though I tried to make it. I really want to work with people, not their money. Well unfortunately, and fortunately, we terminated my contract early. I am, however, grateful to have done this short stint of my first job after graduation for three reasons: one, because I needed some kind of internship to fully complete my Rec Management degree; two, it was in the next city over; and three, I discovered one more way “how not to make a light bulb.” (Thomas Edison) Now, I’m job networking and taking my time to really find a job or internship that I’m really passionate about. I’m currently applying for internships in outdoor schools in central California. We’ll see how it goes.

Well, that’s about it for now. More to come later. Till then, stay true to yourselves!

Melissa