When I was in 4th grade, I went to a friend's birthday party.  She was the only person I knew who lived in an apartment building.  We swam, and played in their 'party room' and cozied into the little living room to watch a movie before crashing.  They had a balcony for fresh air, two bedrooms and a bathroom.  I realized then that they had everything they needed - and more!  I promptly went home and asked my mom and dad if we too could move into an apartment.

Even then, I was willing to give up my own bedroom, a huge yard, all of that space.  I get a kick out of being creative with small spaces.  In our apartment in San Francisco, Jared and I even kept our clothes in the kitchen cupboards (not to mention that our bed was in a closet!).  I love the challenge of maneuvering around an unknown neighborhood, discovering that a corner of a room can become an office or an art area, pairing down belongings because there's just no room for everything!  The pulse of the city, the flow, movement, choreography of busses, cars and walkers moving to the tune of honking, chatter, church bells and barking excites me.

 And Yet, today I was walking through the woods at Lincoln Park.  I sat by the Puget Sound water and listened.  I watched.  I saw sealions.  I heard the rocks tumbling in the backtracking of the waves.  Being surrounded by nature wakes something deep within me.  It is unlike the energy of the city, although life abounds all around. 

This is what I'm thinking about today…..