August firsts

We just got back from our Cancun vacation just a few days ago. It's an absolutely beautiful place, and there is so much to do there. It was a memorable trip for me because it was the first time I...

• went parasailing.
• touched (and kissed) a dolphin.
• saw and played on a white sand beach.
• went in a submarine.
• saw stingrays and sea turtles.
• went to Mexico.
• heard a Michael Jackson song (yes, shame on me).
• tasted saltwater.
• set foot in the ocean.
• went to a restaurant where there were no prices on the menu.
• stayed at an all-inclusive hotel (which explains the previous statement).
• drank a Shirley Temple (and lots of them, might I add).
• sat under a beach umbrella.
• held a baby sea turtle (and released it into the ocean).
• swam with a life jacket on.
• went to a water theme park outside the U.S.
• tried a habanero pepper salsa (bad decision).
• and rode the Mexican public bus.

 Did you travel anywhere this summer? How was it?

Happy Birthday!

Happy sixteenth birthday to my amazing sister! She is the funniest, sweetest, and most talented person I know, and I hope her sixteenth year (and every year to come) is incredible for her.

In this moment

A suitcase is
a temporary beginning.
I listen to you fold
your clothes in,
stacking piles of armor.

TEDxRedmond 2011 Trailer!

I'm so excited to share this with you! As you may or may not know, I'm helping organize a youth event called TEDxRedmond. This will be our second year, and last year's event was incredibly successful -- we had over 700 people in attendance.

We've been working hard to get the word out for this year's event on September 10th. This year's theme, coined by Priya, is "The Spark in All of Us"! The event is organized entirely by youth and targeted towards youth, but adults are still welcome.

We just finished the promotional trailer for TEDxRedmond 2011, and I personally think it looks amazing! Of course, I'm a little biased, but I think you'll really enjoy it. It's only a minute long, so it won't take too long to watch...

so sit back and enjoy!