tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28960125043267808382024-03-13T06:12:30.976-04:00danielle abroadA New Yorker in SF by way of Paris and LA. Daniellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05360887955097185637noreply@blogger.comBlogger1239125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896012504326780838.post-8907046495788530332020-06-06T00:02:00.006-04:002021-09-01T16:30:00.625-04:00one voice in the revolution<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What happens when you've grown up in the company of individuals who freely exchanged racist jokes without any recognition that you might be personally hurt, fundamentally offended by their "humor" at the expense of "people like you"? What does it mean to have been taught to check <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CBHjMjzAkZ2/" target="_blank"><span id="goog_61464287"></span>Hispanic/Latinx<span id="goog_61464288"></span></a> on every form you've ever filled out but to have never had to worry about racial profiling?</div><br />
<b>What is the role of someone now who is very privileged but also not of utmost <i>whitecismale</i> privilege?</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ecMkqsKgPSk/XsGt3jrUFwI/AAAAAAAAfqE/OXvSClgiqI8WxF1SiGNUn4_r9hsU4txswCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_3649.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ecMkqsKgPSk/XsGt3jrUFwI/AAAAAAAAfqE/OXvSClgiqI8WxF1SiGNUn4_r9hsU4txswCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_3649.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>I've spent a lifetime coming to terms with the nuances of my identity and my belonging; embracing "who I am" to myself and to the world (thus I will never change <a href="https://www.salon.com/2015/07/06/women_dont_have_maiden_names_a_modest_proposal_to_ditch_the_descriptor_for_good_partner/" target="_blank">my last name</a>, but that's a story for another day). And somewhere around thirty, a sweet, knowing acceptance seeped in. Hallelujah! Yet the hard work very much continues. Because I was born into an obscenely unjust world, with racist systems and dark histories and normalized oppression.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s3dJbIsYBNw/XsGt4l9wlRI/AAAAAAAAfqY/sh7j0ubeDpoTUOE4EYfMG_1NX7u8F8ngACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_3670.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s3dJbIsYBNw/XsGt4l9wlRI/AAAAAAAAfqY/sh7j0ubeDpoTUOE4EYfMG_1NX7u8F8ngACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_3670.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>We all were.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gQPF4HFsLwU/XsGt3oGOEyI/AAAAAAAAfqM/nnuS9lO_wIYX9NQfz3TwK-Rs1dPMx3RrACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_3639.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="464" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gQPF4HFsLwU/XsGt3oGOEyI/AAAAAAAAfqM/nnuS9lO_wIYX9NQfz3TwK-Rs1dPMx3RrACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_3639.jpeg" width="310" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uopEpNXgb1g/XsGt6BX2vhI/AAAAAAAAfqk/yOapTK0mc2crKS5IQtXdcakRRzcDSwB0ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_3698.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="464" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uopEpNXgb1g/XsGt6BX2vhI/AAAAAAAAfqk/yOapTK0mc2crKS5IQtXdcakRRzcDSwB0ACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_3698.jpeg" width="310" /></a></div><span style="text-align: start;">I cannot speak to </span><a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/06/damage-white-onlookers-inflict/612583/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share" style="text-align: start;" target="_blank">what it feels to be white</a><span style="text-align: start;"> right now because I am not <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/who-are-you-calling-latinx" target="_blank">U.S.-white</a>; though I have regularly been mistaken for being so, and have definitely benefitted from those assumptions (see: white privilege). </span><a href="https://medium.com/equality-includes-you/what-white-people-can-do-for-racial-justice-f2d18b0e0234" style="text-align: start;" target="_blank">Nonetheless</a><span style="text-align: start;">, those of us who are not-Black need to take on the </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CA8zJQWDYWx/" style="text-align: start;" target="_blank">uncomfortable tasks</a><span style="text-align: start;"> in this moment of deep pain, </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/thisisyolandarenteria/" style="text-align: start;" target="_blank">trauma</a><span style="text-align: start;">, and loss that's been compounded by centuries of more of the same.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m2ywFAOp8dY/XsGt6d_-OpI/AAAAAAAAfqs/i988DHTKb2AhzhjjBbIWh_IPYtjMmtGZgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_3710.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m2ywFAOp8dY/XsGt6d_-OpI/AAAAAAAAfqs/i988DHTKb2AhzhjjBbIWh_IPYtjMmtGZgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_3710.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="text-align: start;">We must use </span><a href="https://medium.com/@dviyer/my-role-in-a-social-change-ecosystem-a-mid-year-check-in-1d852589cdb1" style="text-align: start;" target="_blank">our collective power</a><span style="text-align: start;"> to <a href="http://bit.ly/ANTIRACISMRESOURCES" target="_blank">transform this broken world</a> of ours. </span><b>Tu lucha es mi lucha.</b> Below, a few actionable ideas from the U.S. I welcome your ideas, too.<br />
<ul><li><b>Protest this weekend</b>! If you're able-bodied, <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/06/05/870306050/coronavirus-faqs-how-to-stay-safe-while-protesting-when-to-go-out-after-recovery" target="_blank">and are able to safely assemble where you are</a>, please get out there, <a href="https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/protesters-rights/" target="_blank">know your rights</a>, and march/rally/kneel/lie down/cheer <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_FE78X-qdY" target="_blank">in solidarity</a>. Search a local blog or news site to find a protest near you.</li>
<ul><li><a href="https://issuu.com/nlc.sf.2014/docs/beyondthestreets_final" target="_blank">Can't protest? 26 Ways to Struggle Beyond the Streets</a>.</li>
</ul><li><b><a href="https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/user/agg/blindspot/indexrk.htm" target="_blank">Acknowledge your racist biases</a>, </b>and then, <b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/thegreatunlearn/" target="_blank">unlearn</a></b> them. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CA6fXfXpouR/" target="_blank">It's on <b>you</b> to do so</a>.</li>
<ul><li>A fellow <a href="https://forge.medium.com/dont-be-an-ally-be-an-accomplice-437869756ab5" target="_blank">accomplice</a> (met on the yoga retreat pictured above) invited me to join a book group. <i><a href="https://www.ibramxkendi.com/how-to-be-an-antiracist-1" target="_blank">How to Be an Anti-Racist</a> </i>is up first<i>. </i>Want more? <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/29/books/review/antiracist-reading-list-ibram-x-kendi.html" target="_blank">Some recommendations by <i>HTRAAR</i> author and scholar</a>, Ibram X. Kendi.</li>
<li>Watch (<a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2016/11/metamorphosis-fall-election-hudson-valley-new-york.html" target="_blank">or re-watch</a>) <a href="http://www.avaduvernay.com/#/13th/" target="_blank">Ava Duvernay's 13th </a>and <a href="https://time.com/5847912/movies-to-watch-about-racism-protests/" target="_blank">so many other films</a> that tell untold Black stories and provide a broader context to the rage we should all feel.</li>
<li>Listen to Black voices generously ushering us forward. Some of my favorites as of late: <a href="https://www.sceneonradio.org/seeing-white/" target="_blank">Scene on Radio's <i>Seeing White</i></a><i>, </i><a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2013/04/05/176351804/about-us" target="_blank">NPR's <i>Code Switch</i></a><i>,</i> <a href="https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/come-through?fbclid=IwAR0i87TCv832YhAe8CZil_nOqJZV2Ttgx7arlMh1BIB004LwPDCAjrK_8y0" target="_blank">WNYC's <i>Come Through with Rebecca Carroll</i></a>, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/higher-learning-with-van-lathan-and-rachel-lindsay/id1515152489" target="_blank">The Ringer's <i>Higher Learning with Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay</i></a>, and <a href="http://laylafsaad.com/good-ancestor-podcast" target="_blank"><i>Good Ancestor Podcast </i>with Layla Saad</a>.</li>
</ul><li><b>Have tough conversations. </b><a href="https://www.embracerace.org/resources/teaching-and-talking-to-kids" target="_blank">A resource for speaking with elders</a>. <a href="https://www.embracerace.org/resources/teaching-and-talking-to-kids" target="_blank">A resource for speaking with kids</a>;<a href="http://www.raceconscious.org/" target="_blank"> and another, for kids, because futures depend on their understanding</a>. <a href="https://hbr.org/podcast/2020/06/discomfort-anxiety-and-grief-confronting-racism-with-colleagues" target="_blank">A resource for speaking with colleagues</a>. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CBBTQ7kgT1S/?igshid=1dlrusojysiwu" target="_blank">A resource for "casual" racism</a>. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yrg7vV4a5o" target="_blank">And a starting point-resource for all those least willing to engage</a>.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.thecut.com/2020/06/how-to-donate-effectively-to-fight-police-brutality.html" target="_blank">Donate effectively</a></b>. <a href="https://readingmytealeaves.com/2020/06/black-lives-matter-mutual-aid-funds.html" target="_blank">Some places doing good work</a>, and <a href="https://brokeassstuart.com/2020/06/01/where-to-donate-to-help-bail-out-protestors/?goal=0_69268eb282-be2305722d-52864877&mc_cid=be2305722d&mc_eid=327e72e61b" target="_blank">some more,</a> <a href="https://secure.actblue.com/donate/sd016-sdblm-sf" target="_blank">on behalf of Black Americans</a>. Supporting <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CA8RRWsphDq/?igshid=c1tg0nn02ots" target="_blank">mental healthcare is beyond essential</a>; and <a href="https://donate.splcaction.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=1549" target="_blank">the Southern Poverty Law Center</a> is always a good idea.</li>
<ul><li>Also, pay special attention to support Black <a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/where-to-donate-black-lives-matter-1879701" target="_blank">artists</a> and <a href="https://blackswho.design/" target="_blank">creatives</a> and <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-L-mx-aAJrVljcvGcyTUx90evWZWhKjPN1XfPitVqqU/mobilebasic" target="_blank">farmers</a> and <a href="https://sf.eater.com/2020/6/4/21280530/black-owned-restaurants-san-francisco-oakland-east-bay" target="_blank">restaurants</a> and <a href="https://www.designsponge.com/2019/02/black-history-month-50-artists-makers-and-brands-to-support-always.html" target="_blank">makers</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CA64OIaBBne/?igshid=1cp5v8sy80h6s" target="_blank">small business-owners</a>. As we know, <a href="https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2020-06-05/coronavirus-kills-black-people-at-twice-the-rate-as-white-people-heres-what-we-can-do-about-it" target="_blank">BIPOC communities have been disproportionally impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic</a>, well before this most recent assortment of murders.</li>
</ul><li><b><a href="https://iamavoter.com/" target="_blank">Vote</a></b>. <a href="https://www.racialequitytools.org/plan/issues/voting" target="_blank">Vote</a>. Vote for local officials <a href="https://www.obama.org/mayor-pledge/" target="_blank">that promote racial justice</a> and <a href="https://fairfight.com/" target="_blank">ensure <b>all</b> citizens are registered to do so</a>.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CA-4UhVpX5v/?igshid=1t926utrl7tqh" target="_blank">Rest</a> and <a href="https://medium.com/@daisyverao/dear-allies-you-will-be-tired-but-you-must-persist-250fd40ce0e6" target="_blank">restore</a>. </b>We are, culturally, in the eye of the tornado. Our lives have slowed down to the point that society's most horrific ills can no longer be ignored by those of us not directly experiencing them. This perfect storm has seemed to have activated more people than ever before to bring transformational change to life. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CBGfCUmgfc5/" target="_blank">Take care of yourself</a>, still. He couldn't breathe. <a href="https://onbeing.org/programs/resmaa-menakem-notice-the-rage-notice-the-silence/" target="_blank">You can</a>. Find a restorative practice so you're best able to "<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CA-uJWSANZ6/" target="_blank">keep your foot on the gas</a>." (For me, that’s been yoga with aforementioned retreat <a href="http://www.nicolecroninyoga.com/" target="_blank">instructor</a>). <b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CA96umlBu1x/" target="_blank">We're in this for the long haul</a>.</b> Sending love.</li>
</ul>danielle abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03852597933426408787noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896012504326780838.post-52153853190816409102020-04-20T00:37:00.002-04:002020-04-28T18:52:09.799-04:00norfolk, nashville, and nowRemember traveling? [Hold tight, I share in mixed feelings]. I hopped on many a plane last year; <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2019/02/the-other-side-of-the-border-wall-mexico-jalisco-guadalajara-quitupan.html" target="_blank">nearly</a> all, domestic flights. Let's start with Virginia, a double-dip destination thanks to two important occasions. First, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BwxxgYrFUHM/" target="_blank">a <b>most</b> beautiful wedding</a>; second, a critical election. Although "<a href="https://philforvirginia.com/about/" target="_blank">my candidate</a>" didn't win, it was amazing to have helped flip Virginia <b>blue</b> as as a <a href="https://sisterdistrict.com/" target="_blank">Sister District volunteer.</a><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZEQNt7nAMdU/Xo-HdXMGTBI/AAAAAAAAfjE/XWCXQz7T800AIgl2BhbPaRtCudqUBk_cQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/DSC_9127.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1072" height="464" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZEQNt7nAMdU/Xo-HdXMGTBI/AAAAAAAAfjE/XWCXQz7T800AIgl2BhbPaRtCudqUBk_cQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/DSC_9127.jpg" width="310" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zprDXNWI65Q/Xo-HekDiUQI/AAAAAAAAfjU/4Knh2WaDGtYSkjCwY35uXQxKcPuc0Sp8wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/DSC_9163.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1072" height="464" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zprDXNWI65Q/Xo-HekDiUQI/AAAAAAAAfjU/4Knh2WaDGtYSkjCwY35uXQxKcPuc0Sp8wCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/DSC_9163.jpg" width="310" /></a></div>
Moving on to in between, when I flew to Nashville, Tennessee. My mom had proposed the idea. My sister expressed enthused interest. W<span style="text-align: center;">e saw live jazz at </span><a href="https://www.rudysjazzroom.com/" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank">Rudy's Jazz Room</a><span style="text-align: center;"> (times two); wandered through the farmer's market; dined at </span><a href="https://monellstn.com/nashville/" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank">Monell's</a><span style="text-align: center;"> and </span><a href="https://husknashville.com/" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank">Husk</a><span style="text-align: center;"> (where they personalized our menu with birthday wishes), ventured to the </span><a href="https://www.opry.com/" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank">Grand Ole Opry</a><span style="text-align: center;"> and, obviously, down Broadway; tasted good beer at </span><a href="https://beardedirisbrewing.com/" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank">Bearded Iris Brewing</a><span style="text-align: center;"> and fine wines at </span><a href="http://www.arringtonvineyards.com/" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank">Arrington Vineyards</a>. <span style="text-align: center;">All together, it made for a happy, draining, sometimes stressful 31st.</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RO8vGpMPwPQ/Xo-IZhyPHKI/AAAAAAAAfkE/FY5EHDXgIFIV046Ge_cgRVl1a3LxHSHxwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/DSC_9093.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="428" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RO8vGpMPwPQ/Xo-IZhyPHKI/AAAAAAAAfkE/FY5EHDXgIFIV046Ge_cgRVl1a3LxHSHxwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/DSC_9093.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
These trips were riddled with sunshine and privilege, good fortune and social proximity. While in Nashville, he texted to see how the holiday weekend was going and ask if I'd like to go out again. We've spent countless weekends (and more) together since then. I'm so grateful <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B7o_1ZRpmXr/" target="_blank">for him</a> in this life, during this pandemic, and my gosh what I wouldn't do to be with more family <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B2NqlAtJcC2/" target="_blank">and friends</a> right now.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WmpxtHxg0vs/Xo-Hfg5DUOI/AAAAAAAAfjg/7lCM0eGq0T0aFJRazM6dz_mSQZ9MJHcIQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/DSC_9203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="428" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WmpxtHxg0vs/Xo-Hfg5DUOI/AAAAAAAAfjg/7lCM0eGq0T0aFJRazM6dz_mSQZ9MJHcIQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/DSC_9203.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
These <a href="https://twitter.com/chrissyteigen/status/1251333176762368000" target="_blank">times <i style="font-weight: bold;">are</i> unprecedented</a>. This virus <b>is</b> affecting<b> all</b> of us, <a href="https://hbr.org/2020/03/that-discomfort-youre-feeling-is-grief" target="_blank">in a multitude of ways</a>. And yet, <b>also</b>, <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/06/underlying-conditions/610261/" target="_blank">inequities have never been more prevalent</a>. Those who can be home, should be. Those who can be generous, <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/how-to-help-others-in-the-covid-19-crisis" target="_blank">should be</a>. There are <b>so</b> many freaking unknowns...<br />
I hope with all my being that we heal and <a href="https://medium.com/m/global-identity?redirectUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fforge.medium.com%2Fprepare-for-the-ultimate-gaslighting-6a8ce3f0a0e0" target="_blank">hold onto–learn from–what has come to light.</a> Please take care. Please love well.danielle abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03852597933426408787noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896012504326780838.post-16682330215030431532019-05-18T21:35:00.002-04:002021-03-18T18:29:56.308-04:00mine, too"Is this your first pregnancy?" she asked. The question hit me like a ton of bricks. A "yes", deep shame-ridden breaths. <b>My first</b>.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IwHVFEHsRmA/XN-hF1tE3yI/AAAAAAAAe3s/nkmNDtMtUm0dyrN26hd9L9oYizHfzaJzACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3262.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0.5em; margin-right: 0.5em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="413" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IwHVFEHsRmA/XN-hF1tE3yI/AAAAAAAAe3s/nkmNDtMtUm0dyrN26hd9L9oYizHfzaJzACLcBGAs/s640/IMG_3262.jpg" width="310" /></a><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8L8LRoOmHBc/XOCxPx8G3ZI/AAAAAAAAe58/TMEFaKcgMtE8FvPNIeHGwGjNmXtSVt-7gCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3279.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0.5em; margin-right: 0.5em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="413" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8L8LRoOmHBc/XOCxPx8G3ZI/AAAAAAAAe58/TMEFaKcgMtE8FvPNIeHGwGjNmXtSVt-7gCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_3279.jpg" width="310" /></a></div>
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A decade prior, I'd learned that my aunt couldn't have children. It was "a hormone problem". She just "stopped having her period." For as little as I understood, I harbored a growing fear that the same would happen to me. But it didn't. Apparently, I'm <i>extremely </i>fertile... so much so, that sperm successfully reached one of my eggs while I actively, carefuly, on the pill.<br />
<br />
Go figure.<br />
<br />
I sat in a small waiting room before the procedure. Other women, most of whom appeared to be younger than my 26 years, lined the walls on either side. They were watching <i>Keeping Up with the Kardashians</i> while IVs dripped into their veins. They'd be sedated during. I'd had the same option but had told the <a href="https://www.plannedparenthood.org/" target="_blank">Planned Parenthood</a> staff I'd rather not. I wanted to know what was happening while it was happening. I wanted to <i>have to</i> embrace <b>my choice</b>. I wanted to confront the full spectrum of its consequences. I felt connected yet apart from these women I otherwise knew nothing about. I thought of myself as simultaneously more mature, and more cowardly.<br />
<br />
There were many opportunities to be grateful, also. I was living in a city that offered with reproductive healthcare facilities, a state that didn't require an explanation for why carrying to term was not an option for me. I hadn't confronted biased counseling nor mandatory delays. I hadn't been forced to see an ultrasound. In the parking lot, I'd only crossed paths with one meek protester.<br />
<br />
What I was was cold, at least in the operating room. The lights were awfully bright. The doctor introduced herself, let me know what to expect when, and left it to the nurse provide comfort during. As the cramps escalated, tears streamed down my face. It was the oddest sensation. I didn't feel an ounce of sadness. Instead, it was as if my body was physically responding to what it anatomically understood to be loss. I was in awe, and completely hysterical by the time the procedure was over. "It's okay, honey", the nurse told me, handing over a box of tissues. It was. I was. From the bottom of my heart, I knew this to be true.<br />
<br />
Before I was allowed to drive, she had me sit down, drink some juice, eat a few crackers. Rest. <b>My</b> <b>body</b> had been through a lot.<br />
<br />
I picked up fancy cupcakes on my way home and ate one while the heating blanket warmed up. The days of discomfort were cut short by the overwhelming relief and self-empowerment. <a href="https://theslot.jezebel.com/motherhood-in-alabama-by-the-numbers-1834783134" target="_blank">Motherhood cannot, should not be taken lightly</a>. Even still, months passed before anyone else knew–he made me feel special and completely unworthy; he paid me back the almost-$500; he gave me bruises, twice.<br />
<br />
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The story of my abortion is not traumatic (even if the relationship it was borne from turned out to be). <a href="https://www.aclu.org/other/abortion-attempts-ban-abortion" target="_blank">It's one of the most important decisions I've ever made for <b>my life</b></a>. All deserve that same autonomy.<br />
<br />
Consider this: <a href="https://www.guttmacher.org/united-states/abortion" target="_blank">One in four U.S. women will have an abortion by 45</a>. Outlawing abortions, past and present, have made the procedure <a href="http://time.com/5589993/alabama-abortion-law-history/" target="_blank">less safe; life-threatening even</a>. Worldwide, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7971545" target="_blank">the only strategies proven to reduce the number of abortions</a> are comprehensive sex ed and widespread access to contraception. <a href="https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/access-to-free-birth-control-reduces-abortion-rates/" target="_blank">Research supports this data</a>. There's no viable alternative to <a href="https://www.sistersong.net/reproductive-justice" target="_blank">reproductive justice</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.thecut.com/2019/05/how-to-help-alabama-6-week-abortion-ban-georgia.html" target="_blank">So, what now</a>...danielle abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03852597933426408787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896012504326780838.post-5884529263750253972019-03-17T14:18:00.001-04:002019-03-18T22:47:57.350-04:00hygge in luxembourgWe met at a bar.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JOIdVReOCV0/XBCqdGEN5rI/AAAAAAAAelM/QsZG_JrgZjUlgRYs4C_KGiL0rSnKrkmsgCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_6213.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="428" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JOIdVReOCV0/XBCqdGEN5rI/AAAAAAAAelM/QsZG_JrgZjUlgRYs4C_KGiL0rSnKrkmsgCLcBGAs/s640/DSC_6213.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
How quaint, <i>n'est pas ?</i> He was speaking Spanish and had ordered pisco sours. I was intrigued. <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/search?q=pisco+sour" target="_blank">Pisco sours</a> were <b>not</b> on the menu nor, in my opinion, are they well-known in the States. I was tipsy enough to <strike>rudely</strike> interrupt them, ask where he was from. <i><a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/03/11/702179263/this-is-going-to-end-ugly-venezuela-s-power-outages-drag-on" target="_blank">Venezuela</a>. </i>Thus the accent I could not place. I must've followed with an explanation of my familiarity with the cocktail<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">–</span>northern Chile,<i> </i>study abroad, <i>menu del dias</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">–</span>and somehow got to Paris and how he'd recently moved from there, and Madrid, but mostly Cyprus.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TuL6hy-PE_A/XBCqdKl8HOI/AAAAAAAAelI/yyapiYcAgIQYCGuDAjdAHMDGy8phtoWJgCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_6205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="428" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TuL6hy-PE_A/XBCqdKl8HOI/AAAAAAAAelI/yyapiYcAgIQYCGuDAjdAHMDGy8phtoWJgCLcBGAs/s640/DSC_6205.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
He went back to reunite with the birthday party, and I turned back towards the friends I'd come with. This was our second stop after a company Christmas party. We were decked out accordingly. I felt warm, fuzzy, gleefully at ease with how life in SF had evolved. To my right was a Russian friend I'd met in Luxembourg, once. She'd moved back to the Bay not long before I moved up. We've gotten close since. Another friend had joined us, originally from China, with her German boyfriend. Amazing people I only knew by chance.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-INERfrGy-0s/XBCqeTBpkzI/AAAAAAAAelQ/kP1miqLzkO84q_okzcOOsF2L1kpUV2txQCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_6223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="428" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-INERfrGy-0s/XBCqeTBpkzI/AAAAAAAAelQ/kP1miqLzkO84q_okzcOOsF2L1kpUV2txQCLcBGAs/s640/DSC_6223.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
This was an important realization. <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2018/08/kalimera-this-is-thirty-30-sifnos-greece.html" target="_blank">Having relocated so regularly</a> as I have, I've often felt lonely; unknown, and too much so.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EmVqEO3d80Q/XBCqfsHkQgI/AAAAAAAAelU/go91zem3kIQDHO8iEfE6b_jkFc0Edwg5QCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_6230.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="428" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EmVqEO3d80Q/XBCqfsHkQgI/AAAAAAAAelU/go91zem3kIQDHO8iEfE6b_jkFc0Edwg5QCLcBGAs/s640/DSC_6230.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<a href="https://qz.com/1570179/how-to-make-friends-build-a-community-and-create-the-life-you-want/" target="_blank">It's made the serendipitous <b>who</b> matter more</a>. For example: a French girl that cautiously entered an exchange program and ended up in my small hometown at the same time my parents agreed to host an international student, and clicked with myself and my family so completely so that we'd remain close close enough to then <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2009/03/frenchie_27.html">visit in Strasbourg</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BA_XAIbuc3x/">Los Angeles</a>, Luxembourg (see above, below).<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ii2wWdiz3Hc/XBCqgk3jHSI/AAAAAAAAelc/1ELYMd5Du1E4JtJQXeNRMEMsCjc_QVe6ACLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_6246.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="428" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ii2wWdiz3Hc/XBCqgk3jHSI/AAAAAAAAelc/1ELYMd5Du1E4JtJQXeNRMEMsCjc_QVe6ACLcBGAs/s640/DSC_6246.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
She's the reason I've studied French, <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2012/07/new-york-vs-paris.html" target="_blank">why moving to Paris for grad school felt accessible</a>, <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2012/09/a-birthday-in-fontainebleau.html" target="_blank">how I somehow had <b>family </b>nearby there</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z8WsLwS4iGw/XBCqgu5JcOI/AAAAAAAAelY/g6u6EPSbQSYWoMHJwZL44ZRoyNlkCS9JACLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_6240.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="428" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z8WsLwS4iGw/XBCqgu5JcOI/AAAAAAAAelY/g6u6EPSbQSYWoMHJwZL44ZRoyNlkCS9JACLcBGAs/s640/DSC_6240.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
"Life is about the journey, not the destination" is one of many platitudes I'd prefer to live without, but, as each year passes, my outcome-driven soul is finding it to be mostly true. The experiences <b>have been</b><i> </i>enriching. But more importantly, my life has been made so full by the amazing souls I've met, stayed in touch with, had the immense pleasure of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BjMFSQll_pV/" target="_blank">reuniting with whenever possible</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-na05E6pSF7o/XBCqhGTZBXI/AAAAAAAAelg/UHTgqCBOMF800U1UtwxASli2K4zBNckMQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_2610.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-na05E6pSF7o/XBCqhGTZBXI/AAAAAAAAelg/UHTgqCBOMF800U1UtwxASli2K4zBNckMQCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_2610.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Then there are those passing connections, in which you're reminded how small and peculiar the world is (case in point: <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2013/02/peering-in-valentines-day-perspective.html" target="_blank">he'd worked with this guy</a>) but also how magically vast. Our conversations were deep and inquisitive; his perspective, completely unique from my own. We discussed the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela and racial inequity in the United States and the tensions between immigration and integration in France. <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2012/06/best-of-colombia.html" target="_blank">He also introduced me to Colombian music</a>. We danced. We laughed, a lot.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BKjbVaPDq6b/" target="_blank">It all matters.</a>danielle abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03852597933426408787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896012504326780838.post-43992349026867453912019-02-15T23:51:00.000-05:002019-05-19T23:54:31.518-04:00the other side of the border"You should write this down," he said, "your thoughts, your observations, this seems like the kind of thing you'll want to be able to remember."<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IVobedyplwc/XGeV9b-joGI/AAAAAAAAers/pYi09uwoiLs0JGj-55keK-3gcaQEp78dgCLcBGAs/s1600/Ranchero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IVobedyplwc/XGeV9b-joGI/AAAAAAAAers/pYi09uwoiLs0JGj-55keK-3gcaQEp78dgCLcBGAs/s640/Ranchero.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Last week, I came back to San Francisco from... San Francisco. I'd spent six days in my dad's Mexican hometown. <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2014/01/le-mexique.html" target="_blank">It was not, as so many assumed, "fun"</a>. But it wasn't not fun. Instead, as another friend told me after listening to my recap, "it sounded so beautiful, and so special that you can connect with that side of you, and it's so close generationally, still." Yes, exactly. It felt like that.<br />
<br />
My brother and sister hadn't been there in ~22 years. They hadn't known what to expect. They haven't pursued post-grad studies and application of Spanish in my same way. I might assume then that the experience we shared might be more poignant to them. For all intensive purposes, they saw and heard, for the "first time", the world my dad was born into. They had more questions. While he re-embraced his original norms, they observed (more often than not) with reverent curiosity. I imagine there was distinct magic to it. <br />
<br />
Even still, I'd consider myself distinctly privileged to have some familiarity, recalling <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2014/02/pueblitos.html" target="_blank">my last visit</a> and remnants of <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2014/01/le-mexique.html" target="_blank">the nearly annual childhood trips</a>. <i>El rancho</i> always feels far "from home", but it's not quite as foreign to my heart. I was able to recognize their experiences and that of my father, and dare I presume, appreciate both.<br />
<br />
What was new, this time around, was my full-circle understanding of the following truths:<br />
<ul><li>My dad grew up rich; if we consider rich surrounded by extended family, nourishing locally-sourced food, clean and clear skies, respect for hard work matched with active leisure (read: soccer) and <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2014/02/mi-casa-es-su-casa.html" target="_blank">convivial rest</a>.</li>
<li>My dad accepted the fact that he loved his home but wouldn't find the opportunities for financial success that he desired.</li>
<li>So my dad left; he haphazardly entered the cruel American grind with a weak grasp of English and the kindness of a few friends/family who'd arrived before him, and he figured that sh** out. I imagine some days, and weeks, and months were harder than others--they had to have been--but he did it. He worked multiple jobs and went to school at night and fell in love with mother and started a family and <a href="https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/immigrants-play-an-outsize-role-in-small-business.html" target="_blank">then his own business</a>. He achieved the American dream. He said so out loud last week, while visiting his parents (who live on the same property where he and his eight siblings were born, by the way, but now with two new houses and a multitude of modern amenities) with his three college-educated children, two of whom also have master's degrees. What's even more amazing, if such a concept is at all possible, is how he built this life with as much generosity of spirit and faith in humanity as he continues to possess. My mom sometimes call it naïveté. My father is certainly a flawed man, as any one of us are, but my gosh how I aspire to embody and pass on such wholeness.</li>
</ul>danielle abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03852597933426408787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896012504326780838.post-55354883020605267692018-11-04T20:04:00.000-05:002019-01-18T13:43:50.787-05:00autumn in portlandFew of us enjoy discomfort. We're stressed after a long day, pour a glass of wine. The news horrifies us, pay less attention. Our head aches, pop a pill. A conversation gets too intimate, we end it and figure out a way to avoid the topic, maybe even the person, thereafter. I'm neither assigning judgment nor claiming I've ever responded differently. Instead, I'm questioning how much of our lives are spent shifting around that which would really challenge us. Growth, as far as I understand it anyway, is uncomfortable.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iDBEAlhTWjk/W9-Iogi6j0I/AAAAAAAAeg4/yoPpbuKXORc0Xv3BMVuHP3XSUqhhDH3WQCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_8382.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="428" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iDBEAlhTWjk/W9-Iogi6j0I/AAAAAAAAeg4/yoPpbuKXORc0Xv3BMVuHP3XSUqhhDH3WQCLcBGAs/s640/DSC_8382.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Mind you, this is coming from the woman who has always opted for the "comfort" of new and anonymous in an unfamiliar city.</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YdHpqxa7juY/W9-Io6XEpWI/AAAAAAAAehA/yNpdsAAnaYY205DySN-Lr-akmY-8MnM7wCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_8398.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="428" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YdHpqxa7juY/W9-Io6XEpWI/AAAAAAAAehA/yNpdsAAnaYY205DySN-Lr-akmY-8MnM7wCLcBGAs/s640/DSC_8398.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
It's only natural that our first instinct is to protect ourselves. Survival and such, you know. But a year into life in San Francisco, I fear that many of my fellow inhabitants are confusing self-care with safeguarded withdrawal. The epicenter of American tech and innovation and we've yet to "solve" <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90258063/san-franciscos-billionaires-have-transformed-a-local-political-fight-into-a-battle-for-techs-soul" target="_blank">the homelessness issue</a>; a multi-faceted problem, to be fair, but still. Why and how?<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gPA-zj2fq3M/W9-IpgHjrEI/AAAAAAAAehE/Q6uvPWzCUMgewxSOBFneoT3iRzE2UENaQCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_8433.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="428" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gPA-zj2fq3M/W9-IpgHjrEI/AAAAAAAAehE/Q6uvPWzCUMgewxSOBFneoT3iRzE2UENaQCLcBGAs/s640/DSC_8433.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Then again, I'm not sure I have it in me to address the loud silence from some when it comes to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BosO6h7H4FW/" target="_blank">our latest Supreme Court appointee</a> because <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2018/07/close-to-home-family-separation-reunification-at-the-border.html" target="_blank">my job</a> requires me to breathe in the space of heartless rhetoric and immigration policy. It's all together awful. Important, too. <br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wAjVhtYuMxc/W9-IqsTpKWI/AAAAAAAAehI/eCK2CF2608oYA3RJQzG8Pm_7ZFh5XjNDACLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_8469.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="428" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wAjVhtYuMxc/W9-IqsTpKWI/AAAAAAAAehI/eCK2CF2608oYA3RJQzG8Pm_7ZFh5XjNDACLcBGAs/s640/DSC_8469.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
And this is before considering <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/10/31/magazine/yemen-war-saudi-arabia.html?smid=tw-nytmag&smtyp=cur" target="_blank">what's taking place beyond the U.S. borders</a>.<br />
<br />
The horrors of our current reality can be paralyzing. Let's choose action anyway, still. We may not be able to <b>do</b> everything, but we can do something; like vote by Tuesday, November 6th, for example. (<a href="https://votesaveamerica.com/ballot" target="_blank">Please confirm the precise when and where for you</a>). As for my addressing more personal discomfort–confronting relational discord, letting go of love, establishing new memories in special places such as Portland, I'm working on it... aren't we all? Here's to hoping the growth reveals itself soon.danielle abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03852597933426408787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896012504326780838.post-25790656573824848132018-08-30T01:19:00.000-04:002020-04-19T19:46:27.621-04:00kalimera, thirties<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Of the few Greek words I adopted over the five day-stay, <i>kalimera</i> was likely the first. Locals exchanged good mornings at all opportunities; on the island of Sifnos especially. And being tourists didn't exempt us. We were welcomed into the singsong-y custom. How could we resist! Why would we want to. </div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S3quJ8QM2jQ/W3OoQoMs3FI/AAAAAAAAeX4/tkCEesaDwrQKnmDWE88GRV0Ts9-A2kLpQCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_8697.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="428" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S3quJ8QM2jQ/W3OoQoMs3FI/AAAAAAAAeX4/tkCEesaDwrQKnmDWE88GRV0Ts9-A2kLpQCLcBGAs/s640/DSC_8697.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Earlier this summer (Labor Day, what?!), <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BlJNOg9Aqng/?taken-by=danielleabroad_" target="_blank">I declared that Greek island life beats most other scenarios</a>. It does. Thanks to jet lag, we awoke each morning around 7am. We made coffee and had a light breakfast of toasted bread with local jam and the best Greek yogurt I have ever had. Perched above the ocean, we leisurely read books and caught up on the news. We hiked to beaches, rode our Vespa across the island's winding roads, ate our weight in Greek salad and Sifnian cheeses and seemingly <a href="http://www.natgeotraveller.co.uk/destinations/europe/greece/sifnos-food-scene/" target="_blank">all the local specialties</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BzpmouoefO0/W3OoQmwDBZI/AAAAAAAAeYA/vUcLC0-48ykdr3-YdG4ZS_186QFfYZ_JACLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_8733.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0.5em; margin-right: 0.5em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1072" height="413" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BzpmouoefO0/W3OoQmwDBZI/AAAAAAAAeYA/vUcLC0-48ykdr3-YdG4ZS_186QFfYZ_JACLcBGAs/s640/DSC_8733.jpg" width="310" /></a><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-to3Zl-OhBiQ/W3OoRxbPBgI/AAAAAAAAeYE/L2DeU-oOdiAuRlOj86IQGNwG8YKxxXXGACLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_8740.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0.5em; margin-right: 0.5em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1072" height="413" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-to3Zl-OhBiQ/W3OoRxbPBgI/AAAAAAAAeYE/L2DeU-oOdiAuRlOj86IQGNwG8YKxxXXGACLcBGAs/s640/DSC_8740.jpg" width="310" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Bhbhfn16xQg/W3OoTACTFrI/AAAAAAAAeYQ/_wYxVGnMT1UUsDQOoaODKgScDHenVexngCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_8791.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="428" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Bhbhfn16xQg/W3OoTACTFrI/AAAAAAAAeYQ/_wYxVGnMT1UUsDQOoaODKgScDHenVexngCLcBGAs/s640/DSC_8791.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dCXebJWPIQw/W3OoTiWQMaI/AAAAAAAAeYU/R8vje6oH_E0hpvXNXQobuDXyP73kNzp_gCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_8800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0.5em; margin-right: 0.5em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1072" height="413" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dCXebJWPIQw/W3OoTiWQMaI/AAAAAAAAeYU/R8vje6oH_E0hpvXNXQobuDXyP73kNzp_gCLcBGAs/s640/DSC_8800.jpg" width="310" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qJQcmwe0TfI/W3OoSp4RNPI/AAAAAAAAeYI/rnExaTH1cpscTA_Gq3tbSDcRzAkLTVHmwCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_8751.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0.5em; margin-right: 0.5em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1072" height="413" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qJQcmwe0TfI/W3OoSp4RNPI/AAAAAAAAeYI/rnExaTH1cpscTA_Gq3tbSDcRzAkLTVHmwCLcBGAs/s640/DSC_8751.jpg" width="310" /></a></div>
On my 30th birthday, I set out on my own. I descended the stairs to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BjWYoqHFnDg/?taken-by=danielleabroad_" target="_blank">the Church of the Seven Martyrs</a> and prayed to a God who hasn't heard from me in quite some time. The church bells, tied up so as not to ring in the voracious winds, chimed steadily, three times.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zKdVp0fEHEs/W3OoVajraaI/AAAAAAAAeYo/TGb6z1vtSrw8jLXiLuD_-ZuP_IlWNhWOwCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_8870.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="428" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zKdVp0fEHEs/W3OoVajraaI/AAAAAAAAeYo/TGb6z1vtSrw8jLXiLuD_-ZuP_IlWNhWOwCLcBGAs/s640/DSC_8870.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
It was all so perfect and special, and aside from those solo moments above, shared with one person with whom I no longer speak.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6I_-wLp7Oik/W3OoU_V2iyI/AAAAAAAAeYk/CXxNXCRsEdkhV_pXoiP6FUa87Mj6MNZtgCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_8861.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1072" height="957" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6I_-wLp7Oik/W3OoU_V2iyI/AAAAAAAAeYk/CXxNXCRsEdkhV_pXoiP6FUa87Mj6MNZtgCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_8861.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I neither dreaded nor was I thrilled about turning 30. It just felt fitting, in that ordinary no-frills "ah but of course" kind of way. All those little changes and shifts I'd made consciously (and not) in accepting who I was and what I wanted and how I needed, without apology... 30 suddenly made sense; a milestone of adulthood in and of itself <a href="https://www.bustle.com/p/marriage-motherhood-are-no-longer-the-milestones-of-adulthood-now-what-9219944?platform=hootsuite" target="_blank">as opposed to the reasons I'd been told.</a></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-01G1kyOyjQw/W3OoVn8wmwI/AAAAAAAAeYs/nCtRsrDArKU941ix5pzTsmIkIMojhvs2QCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_8884.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="428" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-01G1kyOyjQw/W3OoVn8wmwI/AAAAAAAAeYs/nCtRsrDArKU941ix5pzTsmIkIMojhvs2QCLcBGAs/s640/DSC_8884.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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A lot can happen in three decades lived: Multiple degrees and passport stamps. Stints/lifetimes in cities like New York and Paris and Los Angeles. Collections of passion-fueled and need-based jobs. Romantic love found and lost and sought after, juxtaposed with the evolution of familial bonds (once humanness is fully seen, to the extent that it can be). <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2012/10/friends-that-stick.html" target="_blank">Friends that stick</a>. Real life evidence that another good morning can be found in each ebb and flow, as perhaps the only thing that's truly "meant to be", for every one of us. </div>
danielle abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03852597933426408787noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896012504326780838.post-2147071438050073912018-07-23T14:12:00.001-04:002019-01-18T12:52:00.123-05:00close to homeI grew up around kids. My mom watched all ages: 3 months, 10 years. My brother, sister, and I learned how to change a diaper, make a bottle, keep an eye on and entertain. We helped, though not always happily. We often didn't have access to our bedrooms until so-and-so got up from his or her nap. So, we'd keep an ear out for crying. We came to understand what it stood for--whining, frustration, discomfort.<br />
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<a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/6/18/17476460/family-separation-immigration-trump-audio-listen" target="_blank">The cries I heard on this recording were different.</a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_yQpEyxCbFA/W1YY4RCxkaI/AAAAAAAAeUs/q00BEtzmKmkCz1eirf1Mzip2evpdxtOVACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_yQpEyxCbFA/W1YY4RCxkaI/AAAAAAAAeUs/q00BEtzmKmkCz1eirf1Mzip2evpdxtOVACLcBGAs/s640/IMG_3201.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>At this point, I expect you're well aware of the crisis taking place at the U.S.-Mexico border. <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/06/27/immigrant-children-family-separation-border-timeline/734014002/" target="_blank">You know that last month</a>: 2,000+ children were taken from their parents, that every person to cross the border without legal documentation was <a href="http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/07/463-migrant-parents-may-have-been-deported-without-kids.html" target="_blank">prosecuted as a criminal</a>, that AG Jeff Sessions <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=jeff+sessions+defends+bible+colbert&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b-1" target="_blank">tried to use the Bible</a> to defend the zero-tolerance policy, and that President Trump signed an executive order to discontinue family separation, an act that was put in place with his blessing. <a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-family-reunited-judge-20180720-story.html" target="_blank">Hopefully they'll make their deadline</a>? And still, one can only imagine the pain and suffering that continues through <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/family-reunification-videos-699565/" target="_blank">trauma</a>.<br />
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Decades after my grandfather ventured to Central California with the <a href="http://braceroarchive.org/about" target="_blank">Bracero Program</a>, my dad crossed that same border for that same economic opportunity. He stayed longer though. He sent money home, supported siblings as they, too, came over. Years later, once my dad had met my mom, after my siblings and I came to be, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BPvDGVBh0Cv/?taken-by=danielleabroad_" target="_blank">my dad became an American citizen</a>. <br />
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It's no wonder this feels personal, and yet... nobody risks their own life, let alone that of their child, unless they <i>have</i> to; unless doing so feels like <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2018/06/29/why-are-so-many-children-coming-to-the-u-s-from-central-america-in-the-first-place/?utm_term=.31f11e9a08c5" target="_blank">the only viable option for safety</a>. If they make it, their family might come to know the opportunity that comes after. Maybe.<br />
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Who do we think we are to dehumanize fellow human beings by labeling them illegal? <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/23/opinion/sunday/the-littlest-don-quixotes-versus-the-world.html" target="_blank">A descriptor of an action, by the way</a>, not an existence. <a href="http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/07/undocumented-new-yorkers-living-in-fear-ice-deportation.html" target="_blank">Do we not share the same value</a>, the same entitlement to <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/44537372" target="_blank">human rights</a>? Dignity, let alone <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/separated-parents-unknowingly-gave-up-reunification-rights-lawyers-say" target="_blank">decency</a>? This administration appears not to think so. <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/02/22/588097749/america-no-longer-a-nation-of-immigrants-uscis-says" target="_blank">How quickly we forget our origins</a>.<br />
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I am the child of an immigrant. My father achieved "the American Dream." This has afforded me the privilege to move across borders and oceans without any apprehension a.k.a. the entire premise of this silly blog. The magnitude of these truths are enough to paralyze me with guilt sometimes. <a href="https://mailchi.mp/iibayarea/iibas-immigrant-voices-newsletter-july-2018" target="_blank">I'm trying my best to do more</a>. I hope you are, <a href="https://www.bustle.com/p/how-to-call-congress-about-family-separation-trumps-other-immigration-policies-9439985" target="_blank">too</a>.<br />
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P.S. <a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/23/barbara-l-italien-fox-and-friends-735963" target="_blank">For some levity whilst giving a damn</a>.danielle abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03852597933426408787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896012504326780838.post-47579119418776057532018-04-24T01:16:00.001-04:002018-04-29T04:04:13.360-04:00baja at 29Nearly one year ago, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BUseEKZhESQ/?taken-by=danielleabroad_" target="_blank">on my golden birthday</a>, I woke up to the Pacific Ocean. I was taken aback by how familiar that body of water has become. My 19-year-old self would've been astounded to know I'd been in Los Angeles for nearly three years at that point. An hour or so later, we drove to the border. I was unreasonably hungry (because we never do grow out of some ways of being) and nervous–what with my last name and the current President. The passport exchange was somehow more painless than <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/search/label/Canada" target="_blank">previous drives from Canada</a>; we found roadside churros also. Back in California, I turned my cell on to a cascade of happy 29th wishes via texts and voicemails. After a refreshing three day weekend in Mexico, I truly was. Happy, that is.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FbPZmSDIqPY/WpM_r2SZSYI/AAAAAAAAeCw/U2aHKsDfbCoY7N-r-YlMA7iwGi-95vuMgCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_6783.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FbPZmSDIqPY/WpM_r2SZSYI/AAAAAAAAeCw/U2aHKsDfbCoY7N-r-YlMA7iwGi-95vuMgCPcBGAYYCw/s640/IMG_6783.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5V1HMGtIWAQ/WpM_pL3hzvI/AAAAAAAAeCo/178ZOx3yio0lFYh0CUI9UMVxBpXMXJJewCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_6707.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 0.5em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="465" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5V1HMGtIWAQ/WpM_pL3hzvI/AAAAAAAAeCo/178ZOx3yio0lFYh0CUI9UMVxBpXMXJJewCPcBGAYYCw/s640/IMG_6707.jpg" width="310" /></a><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/OpvUFcnaCTo/WpM_itH1lRI/AAAAAAAAeC0/NxTtI13z9Zo8FyjUlzyVMJvmfKFHLRQhACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/DSC_7705.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0.5em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1072" height="465" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OpvUFcnaCTo/WpM_itH1lRI/AAAAAAAAeC0/NxTtI13z9Zo8FyjUlzyVMJvmfKFHLRQhACPcBGAYYCw/s640/DSC_7705.jpg" width="310" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dSJ5_ZjWYoU/WpM_p0i7sMI/AAAAAAAAeCs/u4peihczY7Y3Kb5ASudH_FDmsAiC2oOZgCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_6756.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dSJ5_ZjWYoU/WpM_p0i7sMI/AAAAAAAAeCs/u4peihczY7Y3Kb5ASudH_FDmsAiC2oOZgCPcBGAYYCw/s640/IMG_6756.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Happiness hasn't been something that's come easily in my twenties. I'm too learnedly cautious, or, as some may say, cynical. Whereas I desire an incredible amount from the world, I expect very little. I think that's why I've ended up inhabiting four cities in the past ten years. Submitting to one place requires a a reckoning with <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2011/06/settled-enough.html" target="_blank">mundanity</a> I've been far too intimidated to take on. And there's pressure in the <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2018/03/the-significance-of-that-south-texas.html" target="_blank">choosing</a>. And that's before considering the people that will matter there, <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_on_vulnerability" target="_blank">the vulnerable investment</a> true bonds require...</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jdPVtJ9RKJo/WpM_kVx0ORI/AAAAAAAAeCw/tUrKd9fXnCghKyIAQmLzQ-zPSvhfLOLGACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/DSC_7770.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0.5em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1072" height="957" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jdPVtJ9RKJo/WpM_kVx0ORI/AAAAAAAAeCw/tUrKd9fXnCghKyIAQmLzQ-zPSvhfLOLGACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/DSC_7770.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Wl2Nc0bijC4/WpM_lgK9DsI/AAAAAAAAeCs/T2JuGD5dGcQAfBkFdbYqn-GoYwEL8MS4gCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/DSC_7773.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0.5em; margin-right: 0.5em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="208" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Wl2Nc0bijC4/WpM_lgK9DsI/AAAAAAAAeCs/T2JuGD5dGcQAfBkFdbYqn-GoYwEL8MS4gCPcBGAYYCw/s640/DSC_7773.jpg" width="310" /></a><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jqhfr3GKcw0/WpM_l_5KdsI/AAAAAAAAeCw/6ULLtIH6LZMJ_dSmzSYuT-Ge3W2TgMWfQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/DSC_7775.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0.5em; margin-right: 0.5em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="208" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jqhfr3GKcw0/WpM_l_5KdsI/AAAAAAAAeCw/6ULLtIH6LZMJ_dSmzSYuT-Ge3W2TgMWfQCPcBGAYYCw/s640/DSC_7775.jpg" width="310" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ja6-YW4ba_M/WpM_qdmR1rI/AAAAAAAAeCw/hTPGOaAnZ2Q-F3t8iqf4m2xtYwTEhyiCgCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_6759.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ja6-YW4ba_M/WpM_qdmR1rI/AAAAAAAAeCw/hTPGOaAnZ2Q-F3t8iqf4m2xtYwTEhyiCgCPcBGAYYCw/s640/IMG_6759.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Clearly I'm still fearful. But I've also been ruminating over something my mom once said, about how 34 was her favorite because it was the age she fully embraced <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2014/05/it-is-unbelievable-how-enough-you-are.html" target="_blank">who she was</a> and felt wholly satisfied with life she was <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2016/03/what-it-adds-up-to-why-travel-matters.html" target="_blank">creat<b>ing</b></a>. Even then I found the concept so beautiful. Now, I dually appreciate the courage that made it true. Living that sentiment might be what I'm most looking forward to. (For the record, I also intend to refute the claim that time's running out to <a href="https://www.cntraveler.com/galleries/2014-11-26/30-places-to-visit-before-you-turn-30" target="_blank">visit these destinations</a>. Are you kidding me.)</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SyXJHniD8w8/WpM_njbIyiI/AAAAAAAAeC0/8ntCqQdax8YLhSbxcpe__M7636GuG6j5QCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/DSC_7812.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="429" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SyXJHniD8w8/WpM_njbIyiI/AAAAAAAAeC0/8ntCqQdax8YLhSbxcpe__M7636GuG6j5QCPcBGAYYCw/s640/DSC_7812.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TEfoK3hEnpQ/WpM_qmYJJmI/AAAAAAAAeCo/jRLxcK0TYAQuZaQDZlVs5Hfi-DqMx6PzwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_6737.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TEfoK3hEnpQ/WpM_qmYJJmI/AAAAAAAAeCo/jRLxcK0TYAQuZaQDZlVs5Hfi-DqMx6PzwCPcBGAYYCw/s640/IMG_6737.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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When he'd asked what I wanted to do for my birthday, I thought back to <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2016/06/birthday-hike-death-valley.html" target="_blank">my 28th</a>. I fondly remembered that <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2014/02/the-birthplace-of-tequila-guadalajara.html" target="_blank">Mexico has a wine country</a>. We stayed by the water and <a href="http://lajamexico.com/" target="_blank">dined in courses</a> <a href="http://www.corazondetierra.com/" target="_blank">amongst the vines</a> and made time for <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g150774-d2557553-Reviews-All_the_Pretty_Horses_of_Baja_Rescue_and_Rides-Rosarito_Baja_California.html" target="_blank">horseback riding</a>, and ocean-front reading, and margaritas after a farm animal meet n' greet. We tasted a delectable array of smoky, sophisticated wines. It was such a privilege to satisfy so luxuriously; magical even. Here's to accepting more of that into<a href="https://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/133.html" target="_blank"> this wild and precious life</a>. Next month: 30, (Paris, Greece!).danielle abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03852597933426408787noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896012504326780838.post-67224538752429586242018-03-10T16:02:00.002-05:002020-06-07T20:16:22.117-04:00the significance of that weekend in texasSix months ago, I took my last <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BAYhQdvucxs/?taken-by=danielleabroad_" target="_blank">501 work trip</a> to Corpus Christi (and later, Austin). I spent the first humid morning exploring by foot. I realized I recognized the small Texan city from having passed through more than ten years prior, on <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2011/01/money-talks.html" target="_blank">a spring break trip</a> that most definitely reflected my age at that time (17). So much had changed since. I imagine I would've had the same enthusiasm to stop by Selena's memorial though. I was transported to singing along to her cassette tape in my dad's car, my mom explaining to me, months later, why he'd come home from work so upset. I recalled how special it'd been when we to dinner and to see <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120094/" target="_blank">Jennifer Lopez's debut</a>.<br />
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I'd flown to Corpus Christi to supervise an event a new colleague was running. All went well. The following morning, we drove to Austin. I strolled from my Airbnb to another Austin-based colleague's home. We ended up on Rainey Street, others met us, and before long we were on a day-drinking adventure. I admired the easy, laid back approach to strong cocktails and good conversation, local beer and live music. <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2011/06/just-visiting.html" target="_blank">It'd been awhile</a>. I felt fortunate. I thought back to <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/search/label/Road%20Trip%20USA" target="_blank">my road trip</a>, when I'd just barely driven through.<br />
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On that last day in Texas, I traversed the entire city, UT Austin and the original Whole Foods included. I paused only for a Skype interview with <a href="https://iibayarea.org/executive-director/" target="_blank">an Executive Director</a>, that has become my boss. Then I called my mom to join in my inspired excitement. What an opportunity! One that's moved me from Los Angeles to San Francisco, the California town I've seemingly always hoped to <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2013/11/how-to-belong.html" target="_blank">belong to</a>.<br />
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So here I am, approaching 30, writing from the first city I've deliberately chosen as my own. It's amazing to reflect on just how much has been <b>lived</b> in t<a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2008/10/que-tal.html" target="_blank">he past decade+</a>. Most worthwhile experiences have been documented on this blog; others, reserved for conversations with my closest confidantes, <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2017/02/wilde-zwijnen-amsterdam.html" target="_blank">many of whom are still scattered around the world</a>. And all the while an SF routine is in the making. Starting a new job, establishing new relationships, and creating a whole new branch of life is no less challenging <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2014/07/under-wing-at-home-in-los-angeles.html" target="_blank">simply because it's been done before</a>. Thanks for bearing with me as I've come to acknowledge such wisdom. We'll be traveling again soon.danielle abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03852597933426408787noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896012504326780838.post-5449930197074150282017-11-16T23:30:00.000-05:002018-01-17T14:55:41.197-05:00brussels with my brotherFor the first time <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2011/11/daily-gratitude.html" target="_blank">since 2011</a>, I'll be home for Thanksgiving. Dare I say I'm nervous? I'd considered a staycation in L.A., serving turkey to the homeless... but then my grandmother was diagnosed. And so I decided to be in New York with her (though, uncomfortably, I keep forgetting <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2017/06/mr-mcalpin.html" target="_blank">my grandpa won't be there</a>, too). We'll drive down to my aunt's apartment on the Upper West Side and enjoy that grand home-cooked meal I've missed. We'll be all together again, maybe. I'm really hoping my brother will be able to make it as well.<br />
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You may recall that he and I spent the holiday together last year. He was finishing up his master's at University of Amsterdam and wouldn't be able to make it home; I had far too many vacation days to use before I lost them. It was quite the adventure. I flew into Paris (<a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2017/01/the-unresolved-parisienne-paris-france-europe.html" target="_blank">where I crossed paths with my sister),</a> then Amsterdam, and then, Brussels. <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2013/11/beauty-of-brussels-not-boring.html" target="_blank">I wanted to go somewhere <b>he</b> hadn't yet been</a>.<br />
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We explored some, he caught up on sleep, and I indulged in more contemporary art. Brussels is delightfully walkable and was dressed up <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2013/11/listing-la-grande-place.html" target="_blank">in all its spirited glory.</a> As for Thanksgiving, we were lucky to have found a traditional feast hosted by <a href="http://www.americanclubbrussels.org/" style="text-align: start;" target="_blank">The American Club of Brussels</a>. I can't express how stimulating it was to be surrounded by such <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2013/11/obrigado-french-thanksgiving-hannukah-gratitude.html" target="_blank">diversity of people, experiences, and ideas</a>, again.<br />
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My heart was so full of gratitude as my favorite American <i>fête</i> came to a close then. And really, despite my stress and anxiety, that feeling is not far out of reach now: in early December, I'll move to San Francisco (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BRUJHt1hw0t/?taken-by=danielleabroad_" target="_blank">!</a>) and join the team at the <a href="https://www.iibayarea.org/" target="_blank">International Institute of the Bay Area</a>, backed by the support of more L.A.-based friends I ever imagined possible and that of my quirky family; what's more: I'm financially-able to spend time with both before <i>and</i> after the transition (Christmas). Wishing the same good fortune to you and yours ♥danielle abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03852597933426408787noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896012504326780838.post-45539139851883320492017-08-22T15:40:00.001-04:002017-08-24T13:16:07.461-04:00about charlottesvilleI remember how it felt, at the age of 9, to learn racism still existed—to "realize" that to be <i>Mexican</i> meant something, <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2016/10/sunday-in-california-half-moon-bay.html" target="_blank">and it wasn't good</a>, not here. I was stunned, shaken into a shame that took years to release; and from which many <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2009/12/acceptable.html" target="_blank">an admissions essay</a> was inspired.<br />
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Since then I've become more critical of <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2013/10/start-with-why-masters-thesis-immigration-integration-diversity-international-global-city-ethnic-food-new-york-london-paris.html" target="_blank">my privilege that existed throughout</a> <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2017/01/friday-in-seattle-blending-in-and-speaking-up.html" target="_blank">and the guilt that followed</a>. I may have grown up in a bigoted country (<a href="https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/8/14/16143582/charlottesville-prejudice-psychology" target="_blank">albeit quietly</a>), but I wouldn't argue individually-targeted oppression. I've been very fortunate; my parents' hard work and sacrifice literally paid off. And all the while, systemic inequalities continue to persist. To have felt ostracized and to have unabashedly been marginalized is an entire spectrum of nuanced experience. Valid, real, true. <a href="https://www.splcenter.org/hate-map" target="_blank">Bless this fractured America of ours.</a><br />
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Neither hate nor violence is new to this world, and yet... the events that took place in Charlottesville were viscerally sickening; as is the <a href="https://www.vox.com/world/2017/8/14/16143634/trump-charlottesville-white-supremacy-terrorism-islamism" target="_blank">lack of poignant and morally sound leadership</a>. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/global-opinions/wp/2017/08/21/after-barcelona-a-new-message-for-the-terrorists-and-politicians-who-exploit-fear/?utm_term=.a2ab3538deed" target="_blank">Hearing about Barcelona</a> and <a href="http://detroit.movie/" target="_blank">seeing Detroit this past weekend</a> (<a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/business/metropolis/2017/08/tom_sugrue_on_what_the_movie_detroit_gets_right_and_wrong.html" target="_blank">however imperfect a film</a>) further emphasized my disillusionment. I can't imagine a more necessary time to be reading Rebecca's Solnit's <i>Hope in the Dark: Untold Histories, Wild Possibilities. </i>Nor to stumble across a horoscope such as <a href="https://www.thecut.com/author/Claire%20Comstock-Gay/" target="_blank">this one</a>: "It’s easy to take on the imagined weight of this whole world, more and more, until you can hardly stand underneath it. Don’t imagine away your own power, this week. Don’t imagine away <b>the strength you have to keep moving</b>, <b>to keep living</b>, <b>to make the changes on the ground that matter.</b>" What does that look like you, too, might have asked yourself. It's not too late:<br />
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Get informed about <a href="https://news.vice.com/story/vice-news-tonight-full-episode-charlottesville-race-and-terror" target="_blank">what exactly happened in Charlottesville</a>. <a href="https://longreads.com/2017/08/14/how-we-got-to-here-a-charlottesville-reading-list/" target="_blank">Understand the why</a>. Sit with your discomfort while doing so.<br />
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<a href="https://medium.com/@SaraJBenincasa/what-to-do-about-charlottesville-dfc7d6636d56" target="_blank">Make a donation to organizations that are making a difference now</a>. Regularly fight passivity <a href="https://www.splcenter.org/20170814/ten-ways-fight-hate-community-response-guide" target="_blank">as well as hate</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://act.indivisibleguide.com/event/stand-in-solidarity-with-charlottesville/" target="_blank">Show up</a>, because... yes, <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/08/21/is-there-any-point-to-protesting" target="_blank">there are still points to protesting</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/01/us/news-media-social-media-information-overload.html?mcubz=0&_r=0" target="_blank">Do not stop paying attention</a>, please.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>These days, it’s especially important to have a great source of news and push yourself outside your bubble. Two podcasts we highly recommend: <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #e13d3d; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Code Switch</a>, an eye-opening weekly NPR podcast hosted by journalists of color who address the trickiest questions about race in America. And <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/podcasts/the-daily" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #e13d3d; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">The Daily</a>, a 20-minute weekday podcast from The New York Times. (Yesterday’s episode included first-hand footage from a correspondent in Charlottesville; and today’s episode detailed a city councilor’s experience during the fight over the Robert E. Lee monument, and the chain of events that led to this weekend’s violence.)</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><a href="http://www.npr.org/podcasts/510317/its-been-a-minute-with-sam-sanders" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #e13d3d; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">It’s Been a Minute</a> is another podcast to add to your playlist. Host Sam Sanders took on the topic of “Charlottesville and White People” in his <a href="http://one.npr.org/?sharedMediaId=543545843:543555197" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #e13d3d; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">latest episode</a>. For his part, Sanders sees the hashtag #ThisIsNotUs, which went viral in the aftermath of Charlottesville, as unhelpful. “Even if we don’t think we’re part of the problem, we’re part of the system that has a problem,” he says. “That means that every day we have to ask ourselves what we’re doing to make things better or worse. And a hashtag like #ThisIsNotUs… that’s just a cop-out.</i> -<a href="https://cupofjo.com/2017/08/charlottesville-how-to-help/#more-141566" target="_blank">Cup of Jo</a></blockquote>
<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/12/are-jews-white/509453/" target="_blank">No matter your defined race at this moment in time</a>, recognize <a href="https://www.opendemocracy.net/transformation/jennifer-lentfer/wrestling-with-my-white-fragility" target="_blank">white privilege</a>. <a href="http://soaw.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=482" target="_blank">white supremacy</a>, <a href="http://www.teenvogue.com/story/white-male-terrorists-are-an-issue-we-should-discuss" target="_blank">white male terrorism</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://www.readingmytealeaves.com/2017/08/baby-proof-bedtime-stories-about-race-social-justice.html" target="_blank">Positively influence the next generation</a>—whether or not you're <a href="http://facingtoday.facinghistory.org/how-to-foster-humanity-as-teachers-in-the-wake-of-charlottesville" target="_blank">a parent</a> or <a href="http://facingtoday.facinghistory.org/how-to-foster-humanity-as-teachers-in-the-wake-of-charlottesville" target="_blank">an educator</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://www.dosomething.org/us/campaigns/coping-discrimination" target="_blank">Take better care of yourself and those you care about</a> (as an ally, <a href="https://sojo.net/articles/our-white-friends-desiring-be-allies?utm_content=buffer041eb&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer" target="_blank">if applicable</a>).danielle abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03852597933426408787noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896012504326780838.post-68414822214601697652017-08-04T23:49:00.000-04:002019-05-19T23:58:21.290-04:00one long weekend in kauaiRecently, in a one-on-one meeting with a new team member (p.s. I've been promoted to management! woot!), I was asked why I'd virtually stopped blogging. I don't really know, I replied; alluding to the hardships of the past three years and how I must've simply become less comfortable baring all as I've matured. It was only later I realized that that wasn't entirely true. I stopped because I was told to. And in doing so, I got out of the habit of sharing and connecting here with those near and far, known and not.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-H4QxPB-KMGY/WWJwnDiJcGI/AAAAAAAAdpU/DZH1Gu2G8MIn5LPakUHgdKRunmcKwsiKwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5284.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-H4QxPB-KMGY/WWJwnDiJcGI/AAAAAAAAdpU/DZH1Gu2G8MIn5LPakUHgdKRunmcKwsiKwCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_5284.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>The truth saddened me. One day, I do want to share those darker days publicly (<a href="https://theestablishment.co/resilience-alone-wont-get-us-through-we-ll-need-to-open-up-to-each-other-78f0da35275?gi=f2ff40b4e80d" target="_blank">the world could use a helluva lot more vulnerability</a>), but until I'm ready, I frankly miss not regularly acknowledging how freaking satisfying everyday life can most of the time be and how worthwhile it is to challenge oneself to seek new interactions and experiences. <i>danielle abroad</i> should accept nothing less, right?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rQP6AXLoLHg/WWJwo-7YjnI/AAAAAAAAdpk/tESc2kE5YtM-JkaJhYj8HPDYvHnHAvmwACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5304.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rQP6AXLoLHg/WWJwo-7YjnI/AAAAAAAAdpk/tESc2kE5YtM-JkaJhYj8HPDYvHnHAvmwACLcBGAs/s640/IMG_5304.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>So we'll start by wrapping up that <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2017/04/mahalo-hawaii-waikiki-honolulu-oahu.html" target="_blank">solo work/pleasure trip to Hawai'i</a> earlier this year. I flew to Kauai' on Saturday morning and spent four full days reading, relaxing and being rejuvenated by the natural beauty that permeates throughout the island and its residents. It felt similar to <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2016/06/birthday-hike-death-valley.html" target="_blank">my time in Death Valley</a> yet I was an entirely different place personally: a lot more in love and a lot less ill at ease.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9ysan3Nqo9s/WWJwnjRVVjI/AAAAAAAAdpc/KPIMYpjAoGQiEQ1QZQ70KGOg5fvfIdDCwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5295.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9ysan3Nqo9s/WWJwnjRVVjI/AAAAAAAAdpc/KPIMYpjAoGQiEQ1QZQ70KGOg5fvfIdDCwCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_5295.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vtv-IhRpHw0/WWJwmmygDjI/AAAAAAAAdpQ/-kSPBAljL-sMLCxEpSPn1GUaycQFbEEFwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5275.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vtv-IhRpHw0/WWJwmmygDjI/AAAAAAAAdpQ/-kSPBAljL-sMLCxEpSPn1GUaycQFbEEFwCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_5275.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d6LlmEK2MAQ/WWJweA_h1JI/AAAAAAAAdoA/YKJY-P-QWig9afRtI68Nmsz9LHitS6tbACLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_6880.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="428" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d6LlmEK2MAQ/WWJweA_h1JI/AAAAAAAAdoA/YKJY-P-QWig9afRtI68Nmsz9LHitS6tbACLcBGAs/s640/DSC_6880.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bHuAMPMv67E/WWJwdgQz6CI/AAAAAAAAdn4/8Ayunah_1aYU8emzmYJkfIhNa8Vx1ptowCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_6907.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="428" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bHuAMPMv67E/WWJwdgQz6CI/AAAAAAAAdn4/8Ayunah_1aYU8emzmYJkfIhNa8Vx1ptowCLcBGAs/s640/DSC_6907.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b3gwq3pqgjU/WWJwfVu36wI/AAAAAAAAdoE/4hWyCP--TuYTJ7suHqKjZtTlMQh3z4lFQCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_6919.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="428" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b3gwq3pqgjU/WWJwfVu36wI/AAAAAAAAdoE/4hWyCP--TuYTJ7suHqKjZtTlMQh3z4lFQCLcBGAs/s640/DSC_6919.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gdjf_4JhQsM/WWJwfuhWoRI/AAAAAAAAdoM/IpLVBXBXrao9wuGBDFH6-mBwzq9_HtsawCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_6923.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1072" height="425" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gdjf_4JhQsM/WWJwfuhWoRI/AAAAAAAAdoM/IpLVBXBXrao9wuGBDFH6-mBwzq9_HtsawCLcBGAs/s640/DSC_6923.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZseDxuYkxfk/WWJzdI47oMI/AAAAAAAAdqo/0sEfv-Ywr6MHWLbWsWiRW4CqxVDUHOg5QCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5335.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="425" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZseDxuYkxfk/WWJzdI47oMI/AAAAAAAAdqo/0sEfv-Ywr6MHWLbWsWiRW4CqxVDUHOg5QCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_5335.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The first night at an early dinner, I was given an orchid for my hair and a table overlooking the garden. I ate quietly in gratitude, in awe of my surroundings as well as how much life I've lived since <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2010/09/sweeter-than-savannah-ga.html" target="_blank">that first time I dined so well solo</a>. I fell asleep shortly thereafter.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sLObcXNDYPk/WWJwg4JbvxI/AAAAAAAAdoY/FNdDjOxZR8gKm1Yp9k2o7P5_Egynf7uWQCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_6935.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="428" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sLObcXNDYPk/WWJwg4JbvxI/AAAAAAAAdoY/FNdDjOxZR8gKm1Yp9k2o7P5_Egynf7uWQCLcBGAs/s640/DSC_6935.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZxSLsGR2Po8/WWJwpLah2DI/AAAAAAAAdps/zAKxcM1ErMEgMuawQhUMOYamyfjxRsL6wCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5342.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZxSLsGR2Po8/WWJwpLah2DI/AAAAAAAAdps/zAKxcM1ErMEgMuawQhUMOYamyfjxRsL6wCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_5342.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qu0A_EXlrok/WWJ4RaZC2NI/AAAAAAAAdq0/2eyVxDVw0P42yYzfVaTvdR5TQj1gAV4NgCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_6980.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="428" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qu0A_EXlrok/WWJ4RaZC2NI/AAAAAAAAdq0/2eyVxDVw0P42yYzfVaTvdR5TQj1gAV4NgCLcBGAs/s640/DSC_6980.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>I awoke to a cacophony of birds at 4am (way to go, time difference) and held myself over with papaya from the backyard before I ventured to nearest coffee shop for caffeine relief and heartier fare. I found a beach on the northeast side of the island, and went.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AgFmzeOoL-A/WWJ4RfUo9nI/AAAAAAAAdq4/ay1TM0464R0T6i07ssFWQV_LBEIqJjfVACLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_7015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="428" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AgFmzeOoL-A/WWJ4RfUo9nI/AAAAAAAAdq4/ay1TM0464R0T6i07ssFWQV_LBEIqJjfVACLcBGAs/s640/DSC_7015.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-u3Qlf_s62FQ/WWJwqaoIHRI/AAAAAAAAdqs/4vuhBsRcOCo54a7m4v3rlF1FbtoJZsewgCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_5367.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-u3Qlf_s62FQ/WWJwqaoIHRI/AAAAAAAAdqs/4vuhBsRcOCo54a7m4v3rlF1FbtoJZsewgCEwYBhgL/s640/IMG_5367.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zbdjljUZDvo/WWJwrX14xOI/AAAAAAAAdqI/qe6UIDk0Fs4YRroPpVPmy1A7Z9OgAWi1gCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5414.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zbdjljUZDvo/WWJwrX14xOI/AAAAAAAAdqI/qe6UIDk0Fs4YRroPpVPmy1A7Z9OgAWi1gCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_5414.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PsUR31sMlkk/WWJ45yeyxhI/AAAAAAAAdq8/S2Oj4vBgRqMeq0omh2VfX411mWzEeBG_gCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5428.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PsUR31sMlkk/WWJ45yeyxhI/AAAAAAAAdq8/S2Oj4vBgRqMeq0omh2VfX411mWzEeBG_gCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_5428.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That day, I also had shaved ice for the first time, and enjoyed a spur-of-the-moment beachfront massage, and met the loveliest clients for a training in their kids' school library. I also finished my second book, <a href="http://www.talkstorybookstore.com/" target="_blank">three of four of which I'd purchased the day prior</a>. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CVyQ3H5efa8/WWJwjhbgn2I/AAAAAAAAdo0/y1Qc-LQ-CmUE0_apVzMgLrVVK6MtebPCACLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_7061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="428" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CVyQ3H5efa8/WWJwjhbgn2I/AAAAAAAAdo0/y1Qc-LQ-CmUE0_apVzMgLrVVK6MtebPCACLcBGAs/s640/DSC_7061.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lPT6cCbnmpA/WWJwrTjMt_I/AAAAAAAAdqE/QSamtpS2XsMbC5Wpk3pN_5B0Ts_RLFoUACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lPT6cCbnmpA/WWJwrTjMt_I/AAAAAAAAdqE/QSamtpS2XsMbC5Wpk3pN_5B0Ts_RLFoUACLcBGAs/s640/IMG_5451.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9ASO5PkxVvw/WWJwlE9gIQI/AAAAAAAAdpE/2V5-iCrae1AnItusiHQCzkC6Q7t2Z4rbACLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_7106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="428" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9ASO5PkxVvw/WWJwlE9gIQI/AAAAAAAAdpE/2V5-iCrae1AnItusiHQCzkC6Q7t2Z4rbACLcBGAs/s640/DSC_7106.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ARX5cxT7mqM/WWJwknCgdLI/AAAAAAAAdpA/54Jl1K_lnEsWlrqCeT-bweKcgdTOFzMQwCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_7105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="428" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ARX5cxT7mqM/WWJwknCgdLI/AAAAAAAAdpA/54Jl1K_lnEsWlrqCeT-bweKcgdTOFzMQwCLcBGAs/s640/DSC_7105.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DQ5IG9xRXTg/WWJws34V0oI/AAAAAAAAdqU/0b_KdEFQ6ukFgEy8Da6-5KAi5kdHDzgmACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5470.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DQ5IG9xRXTg/WWJws34V0oI/AAAAAAAAdqU/0b_KdEFQ6ukFgEy8Da6-5KAi5kdHDzgmACLcBGAs/s640/IMG_5470.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>I opted for even more indulgence the following day with a cinnamon roll for breakfast and fresh poke on the beach, and hikes past cows and waterfalls and friendly tourists. Later, I also had my first Mai Tai as the sun set over the Pacific Ocean... and all the while I lounged on an island in the middle of it! A perspective that clearly continues to amaze me. I told my sweet boyfriend so.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9yjin1Dw_08/WWJwsnpjrnI/AAAAAAAAdqM/5c3H-H8Lfvs4k2e3n4SNWaZhxlHFdaBywCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5467.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="425" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9yjin1Dw_08/WWJwsnpjrnI/AAAAAAAAdqM/5c3H-H8Lfvs4k2e3n4SNWaZhxlHFdaBywCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_5467.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3291dUEaPyc/WWJwj66sjaI/AAAAAAAAdo4/5u2jP5f505I7-C5eXNarUvJK69F6wLF8wCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_7089.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1072" height="425" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3291dUEaPyc/WWJwj66sjaI/AAAAAAAAdo4/5u2jP5f505I7-C5eXNarUvJK69F6wLF8wCLcBGAs/s640/DSC_7089.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-suyrbx1ad1Y/WWJwuPTgdVI/AAAAAAAAdqc/rsBwqx2vKug84yvMHPCKUL_S-gf_Yb6HwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5492.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-suyrbx1ad1Y/WWJwuPTgdVI/AAAAAAAAdqc/rsBwqx2vKug84yvMHPCKUL_S-gf_Yb6HwCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_5492.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0z95sU2XfGg/WWJ8z6YqRLI/AAAAAAAAdrI/uA8hEQm0LvActl27Y2UGd_4ziCUn7Z_aACLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_7130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="428" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0z95sU2XfGg/WWJ8z6YqRLI/AAAAAAAAdrI/uA8hEQm0LvActl27Y2UGd_4ziCUn7Z_aACLcBGAs/s640/DSC_7130.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>And then, it was time to return to the mainland. It was April 4th, eight weeks to my 29th birthday. I'd checked all the HI boxes I hadn't realized I'd invented: visit beaches on every side Kaui'i; <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/3101590-danielle-e-alvarez?shelf=read&utf8=%E2%9C%93" target="_blank">read all four female-authored books</a>; eat my weight in local produce and fish; send a postcard to the man who helped me trust myself again, and another to my ever-supportive family; be grateful.danielle abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03852597933426408787noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896012504326780838.post-53790069056414015112017-06-10T14:27:00.001-04:002017-07-11T20:47:25.547-04:00dear mr. mcalpin What's the difference between an Irish wedding and an Irish funeral?<br />
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-<i>the last joke my grandfather told my mom</i><br />
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One less drunk.</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hLuSrgls4FA/WTw3TaTUOqI/AAAAAAAAdmY/NlpRN_0bclMYPzqtLzfwwxtB-FeAdut6gCLcB/s1600/WM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hLuSrgls4FA/WTw3TaTUOqI/AAAAAAAAdmY/NlpRN_0bclMYPzqtLzfwwxtB-FeAdut6gCLcB/s640/WM.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
It's hard to say that I was *close* to my grandfather. When I was little I spent a lot of time at his and my grandmother's house, the one my mother had grown up in, but he was usually in his room watching television, eating Fig Newtons. He wasn't one to play with the kids in the same way my grandma would. But he was there, always, whether it be at home or a school play or on a family vacation.<br />
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One time we'd gone to Fire Island with my aunt Linda and uncle Jean-Jacques. I'd been basking in the glory of having introduced myself to a group of older kids on a peddle boat. They were nice, cool, fun. But then I got bit by a crab. I stumbled out of the water, fighting back tears, and was relieved when I saw Grandpa in the distance. I waved to him for help. He waved hello and then laid back to sunbathe. My grandmother wasn't thrilled with that response when she found me crying. He hadn't realized, of course.<br />
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He was the one that took me and grandmother to church <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2013/11/keeping-faith.html?m=0" target="_blank">all those times</a>. I could often convince him to take us to the diner after, or if I'd spent the rest of the morning and afternoon with them, out for ice cream. On that note, summer Fridays were a surefire way to get a trip to Carvel because they had the vintage car show in the parking lot, which my grandfather loved.<br />
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While he still had his boat in the Long Island Sound, he'd pick me up early morning (I'd better have been ready!), grab deli sandwiches and sodas, and take me out fishing. My grandmother only occasionally joined. It was the kind of quiet activity you might picture a grandfather doing with his grandson, but I was the eldest and my brother was too young. It only made me feel more special.<br />
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I brought him straws whenever I could. He collected and chewed them, a habit he'd picked up after he insisted they stop smoking before my birth. Occasionally, I'd go see what he was tinkering with in the garage. That garage filled with tools and duct tape and a single poster of <a href="http://100photos.time.com/photos/lunch-atop-a-skyscraper" target="_blank">Lunch Atop a Skyscraper.</a> If my grandfather was in a good mood, he'd entertain my questions about why they were up there and if he knew them and what it was like to grow up in New York City. He'd been born there in 1928.<br />
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During the wintertime, he and my grandmother would escape to Florida. I remember how exciting a day it was when they came back; especially when my sister was a baby and we weren't sure if she'd remember them. She always did.<br />
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Years later, when my aunt MaryAnn was in labor with my first cousin, he took me down to the cafeteria for a snack. We'd been at the hospital for hours. I was 13 years old. I asked him what could be taking so long. Without flinching, he replied that my petite aunt's hips needed to widen so she could push the baby out. It was a lite-medical explanation, for sure, but looking back I admire him for being so candid. I had friends at the time who'd be embarrassed to ask their moms such things, let alone their grandfathers.<br />
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My grandfather loved old music. He'd listen at home and in the car and even sing out loud sometimes. His lyrical memory was entertaining (even if his voice wasn't). He had an impressively dry sense of humor, and no matter how much he would repeat a joke, the seriousness of delivery managed to keep it funny. <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2014/06/the-kingdom-of-alba.html" target="_blank">He wore suspenders</a>. He carried a camera, and a hankerchief, everywhere.<br />
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He softened with age. I recall calling him to wish him a happy 84th birthday—my uncle Walter had reminded me. He'd had a very good day and, when I mentioned I was strolling through Chelsea to meet a friend, he started talking about how different his childhood neighborhood had become. I remember being so touched by our collective family memory. He closed by telling me how proud he was of me and thanking me for calling. I'd made my grandfather's day.<br />
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He moved in with my parents while I was abroad in grad school. Though a lot to handle, it was a cherished opportunity for my mom to get to know her father in a different capacity than she ever had before. I, too, learned unexpected snippets on visits. And my gosh was he was funny! One time, I was critiquing my mom's new haircut: "It makes your head look like Frankenstein's", I said (neither tactful nor kind). "What can I say, I have a square head. Look where I came from," she retorted, pointing at my grandfather. He'd been sitting on the couch, assumedly not paying attention to our superfluous conversation... and yet at that moment he slowly stood up, put his arms straight out in front of him, and groaned, just like Frankenstein. My mom and I broke out into laughter.<br />
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Last fall, I visited him at a veteran rehab facility in Upstate New York. Though his memory was foggy, he was still sharp—telling jokes and stories, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BLWJyKhBlrU/?taken-by=danielleabroad_" target="_blank">taking photos</a>, commenting on the black and white film they were screening. I'm eternally grateful for all that time.<br />
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My grandpa was hardly perfect, but he adored my grandmother, helped my parents purchase their first house, and, if the number of men and women from AA who attended his wake is any indication, touched more lives than we'll ever know. He passed away at home at the age of 89 on May 30th after an especially tough few weeks in Hospice. <a href="http://beecherflooksfh.com/book-of-memories/2947326/McAlpin-Walter/obituary.php" target="_blank">May he rest in peace</a>.danielle abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03852597933426408787noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896012504326780838.post-91251028260185383052017-04-25T00:31:00.001-04:002017-04-27T00:48:36.788-04:00thursday in honoluluRecently, <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/20/politics/kfile-sessions-psychoanalyze/" target="_blank">AG Sessions declared his amazement that a judge "on an island in the Pacific" could block Trump's immigration order</a>. He was referring to U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson, a federal judge hailing from the <b>state</b> of Hawai`i, who indefinitely extended the court order against <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/06/us/politics/travel-ban-muslim-trump.html?_r=0" target="_blank">that revised travel ban</a> on Wednesday, March 29th.—the day before I flew to Honolulu for the very first time.<br />
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Being able to go to Hawai`i for work was a treat (those flights are expensive!), but I didn't expect to love the Pacific isles annexed by the U.S. in 1959. I've seen too many cheesy movies and shows; and I'm hardly the ideal candidate for personifying that "<i>Aloha</i> spirit".<br />
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But... then I touched down into retro-humidity and glanced out at the cloud-topped mountains and gasped in gleeful relief. The real Hawaii! I was *faraway* yet still within the bounds of my home country, and it was unlike any place I'd ever known or been.<br />
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My heart was content even after the costly stay in Waikiki. And my fascination that bilingual meant English and Japanese (versus Spanish) was exceptionally humbling. <a href="http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/03/12/business/japanese-tourists-longing-hawaii-still-worth-banking/#.WP7LURiZM6g" target="_blank">1.5 million Japanese people vacationed in Hawaii in 2015</a>; duh—the proximity, the history, the cultural exchange for which I am so clearly uninformed about. I learned, too, that peaceful <i>politesse</i> is expected and that the well-publicized pride for Hawaiian culture is beautifully sincere. When I flew from O`ahu to Kaua`i with <a href="https://www.instagram.com/danielleabroad_/" target="_blank">three leis graciously bestowed upon me by my client</a> (after we raised a great thousands for programs for girls that encourage courage, confidence, and character), I cannot even tell you how eager I was to discover more.</div>
danielle abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03852597933426408787noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896012504326780838.post-63719439525186348692017-03-26T21:37:00.001-04:002019-05-19T23:58:30.626-04:00a lady of leisure in amsterdamThere's a particular relief in (and pride to) the ease I feel in a city like Amsterdam. "<a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2014/02/the-birthplace-of-tequila-guadalajara.html" target="_blank">Oh, how cosmopolitan you are</a>," I tease myself. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DVx7kDbUsHg/WMYcoRZd3WI/AAAAAAAAdb4/AJ4H4TUCmeEvdOzlMJJZdh4Z8MqCi8yrgCLcB/s1600/DSC_5898.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DVx7kDbUsHg/WMYcoRZd3WI/AAAAAAAAdb4/AJ4H4TUCmeEvdOzlMJJZdh4Z8MqCi8yrgCLcB/s640/DSC_5898.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Yet the pride is sincere. I spent so much of my early twenties searching for <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2013/11/how-to-belong.html" target="_blank">a sense of belonging to a place</a> after having lost that in a person. <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2012/07/how-to-make-it-in-new-york.html" target="_blank">I struggled to define myself while blending in</a>, to simultaneously indulge my intellectual as well as my immature cravings.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0r6-1oWg9TY/WMYctQ8q1aI/AAAAAAAAdcw/Cp5k7ZEIbkECaQZBNQ47vwMo8k6Q1ZYkQCLcB/s1600/IMG_2302.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0r6-1oWg9TY/WMYctQ8q1aI/AAAAAAAAdcw/Cp5k7ZEIbkECaQZBNQ47vwMo8k6Q1ZYkQCLcB/s640/IMG_2302.jpg" width="192" /></a><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0YECeUkzZSY/WMYcoV49IhI/AAAAAAAAdbw/2fb9_2wRCJko_BYohzuCqzC6fu-vPNoKQCLcB/s1600/DSC_5886.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0YECeUkzZSY/WMYcoV49IhI/AAAAAAAAdbw/2fb9_2wRCJko_BYohzuCqzC6fu-vPNoKQCLcB/s640/DSC_5886.jpg" width="430" /></a></div>And in doing so, I learned how to be comfortable be in unfamiliar settings. What made Paris special had little to do with the fact that Paris is <b>Paris</b> but that I chose it and made it home (as opposed to having <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2011/06/settled-enough.html" target="_blank">accepted convenient opportunities</a>). I imagine Amsterdam holds a similar significance for my brother—who's now taking a Spanish course in Spain and will have to repatriate soon enough.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zSokdwkP4u4/WMYcqP2TrDI/AAAAAAAAdcE/BO5tOjVZSUAe-fVCcu7KenZPLmz--Ow2gCLcB/s1600/DSC_5932.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zSokdwkP4u4/WMYcqP2TrDI/AAAAAAAAdcE/BO5tOjVZSUAe-fVCcu7KenZPLmz--Ow2gCLcB/s640/DSC_5932.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Los Angeles and I, on the other hand, have a slightly different relationship. I came back to the U.S. because I <i>could </i>as much I felt I should—how irresponsible it'd be <b>not</b> to accept a serendipitous job offer. I chose a career, perhaps, but I did not choose this city.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N2A2VFCEegM/WMYcp9mu53I/AAAAAAAAdcA/w4Chfxv-jLERJlyZLrwPaOJZ2ypy111NACLcB/s1600/DSC_5940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N2A2VFCEegM/WMYcp9mu53I/AAAAAAAAdcA/w4Chfxv-jLERJlyZLrwPaOJZ2ypy111NACLcB/s640/DSC_5940.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2016/04/welcome-to-sunny-los-angeles-nice-weather.html" target="_blank">Has it grown on me? Most definitely</a>, though I continue to say I won't stay. I'll admit (as I roll my eyes at myself) that this fact pioneers my insistence of returning to Europe at least once a year. I need the reminder of that aforementioned feeling; to hold onto it.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LlhruJmE3N0/WMYcpjE-buI/AAAAAAAAdb8/vtRQgCtvZYYrkJHJbeLmXZb52ckleii0gCLcB/s1600/DSC_5942.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LlhruJmE3N0/WMYcpjE-buI/AAAAAAAAdb8/vtRQgCtvZYYrkJHJbeLmXZb52ckleii0gCLcB/s640/DSC_5942.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>My days in Amsterdam last fall were spent as a "a lady of leisure". I walked miles through its narrow streets and ruffled through more shops than I had in all 10 months prior and stopped into museums deemed as having the <i>most</i> intriguing exhibitions. It was so wildly unlike my reality. And each evening, I met up with a beloved "local" at a traditional beer bar or modern food hall. Too good, almost.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c4VYqIYDr_E/WMYcqdIUFSI/AAAAAAAAdcI/xYc5VC5u0AQxZLNbOuyNJe_PDa2cKw53wCLcB/s1600/DSC_5956.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c4VYqIYDr_E/WMYcqdIUFSI/AAAAAAAAdcI/xYc5VC5u0AQxZLNbOuyNJe_PDa2cKw53wCLcB/s640/DSC_5956.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FsRTk-wtLkY/WMYcqvO_RyI/AAAAAAAAdcM/s-xgUPe57OMiJkmmMUjtbtCjpW0LNjVnQCLcB/s1600/DSC_5963.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FsRTk-wtLkY/WMYcqvO_RyI/AAAAAAAAdcM/s-xgUPe57OMiJkmmMUjtbtCjpW0LNjVnQCLcB/s640/DSC_5963.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BYI_HQmhv4U/WMYct4PoVlI/AAAAAAAAdc4/PV3CfbHV6SUrp3plA4JXYgPyaJOG3kNZwCLcB/s1600/IMG_2470.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BYI_HQmhv4U/WMYct4PoVlI/AAAAAAAAdc4/PV3CfbHV6SUrp3plA4JXYgPyaJOG3kNZwCLcB/s640/IMG_2470.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>The fall before then, I'd chosen to make as many active life choices as possible—I moved across L.A. to a walkable neighborhood feel; I took the time to enjoy the friendships I'd found; I stringently applied for new jobs, a.k.a. only those that 100% excited me. Although I was barely getting by financially, I became happier, firmly self-assured, and eventually, I joined a company that fit the bill.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u4R9Y2htag4/WMYcojKFz_I/AAAAAAAAdb0/1TpEaDv6O2Ybgiy-9bu90AYE-5ajWUc_gCLcB/s1600/DSC_5920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u4R9Y2htag4/WMYcojKFz_I/AAAAAAAAdb0/1TpEaDv6O2Ybgiy-9bu90AYE-5ajWUc_gCLcB/s640/DSC_5920.jpg" width="430" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-06pn8z18pq0/WMYcuN59HPI/AAAAAAAAdc8/lwxokL3x8uwIkMQexSavUEY7UdJdWFgfQCLcB/s1600/IMG_2501.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-06pn8z18pq0/WMYcuN59HPI/AAAAAAAAdc8/lwxokL3x8uwIkMQexSavUEY7UdJdWFgfQCLcB/s640/IMG_2501.jpg" width="192" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uIAtF41eZy0/WMYcsYhQ8hI/AAAAAAAAdcg/9UwhPPszgyYckdelhxrO3_csteGf9MA8QCLcB/s1600/DSC_6013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uIAtF41eZy0/WMYcsYhQ8hI/AAAAAAAAdcg/9UwhPPszgyYckdelhxrO3_csteGf9MA8QCLcB/s640/DSC_6013.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YiaulXIEFKU/WMYctB8Zb9I/AAAAAAAAdco/CCK9d3aEwq4USazIdDVPVX86krdVC1s7QCLcB/s1600/DSC_6017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YiaulXIEFKU/WMYctB8Zb9I/AAAAAAAAdco/CCK9d3aEwq4USazIdDVPVX86krdVC1s7QCLcB/s640/DSC_6017.jpg" width="315" /></a><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q49f_mpiN-Y/WMYct7B343I/AAAAAAAAdc0/POvj5GyWClgR0_LWnq5jgTpttvwRoAK8ACLcB/s1600/IMG_2507.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q49f_mpiN-Y/WMYct7B343I/AAAAAAAAdc0/POvj5GyWClgR0_LWnq5jgTpttvwRoAK8ACLcB/s640/IMG_2507.jpg" width="315" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ntn32PdIYns/WMYctAEA-TI/AAAAAAAAdcs/BUx4H0cTGiw94tCvi0K994fMSz_dwALXgCLcB/s1600/IMG_2366.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ntn32PdIYns/WMYctAEA-TI/AAAAAAAAdcs/BUx4H0cTGiw94tCvi0K994fMSz_dwALXgCLcB/s640/IMG_2366.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="text-align: left;">It was hard to wrap my head around how fortunate I'd gotten—and yet it shouldn't have been. I've worked hard to earn my life here. I have all I need inside me to move forward. And however prideful, </span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/24/magazine/why-is-it-so-difficult-for-syrian-refugees-to-get-into-the-us.html?action=click&contentCollection=World&module=RelatedCoverage&region=Marginalia&pgtype=article" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">I will never once worry I won't be able to relocate when needed.</a>danielle abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03852597933426408787noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896012504326780838.post-47246086673008364512017-02-23T00:41:00.000-05:002017-02-25T13:35:43.903-05:00wilde zwijnen<a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/search/label/The%20Netherlands?updated-max=2015-09-24T15:38:00-04:00&max-results=20&start=3&by-date=false" target="_blank">After my 2009 pre-orientation visit</a>, I didn't expect to return to Amsterdam. Of course I'd enjoyed the charming city, and I'd been introduced to Indonesian cuisine there— as well as polarizing populism: we studied the tensions following <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/02/arts/provocateurs-death-haunts-the-dutch-.html?_r=0" target="_blank">Theo Van Gogh's murder</a> by Mohammed Bouyeri, a Dutch<i>,</i> Moroccan, <i>and</i> Muslim man—but I wasn't exactly hooked. Then, Lorelei was hired to work in the Hague and Jorgie was accepted to a Master's program at the University of Amsterdam. Last November 19th, I returned to the Dutch capital for the third time (<a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2017/01/the-unresolved-parisienne-paris-france-europe.html" target="_blank">via a train from Paris</a>) to reunite with my brother and best friends. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/rasketbasket/" target="_blank">Rachael had flown in from London</a>.<br />
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From <i>Centraal Station</i>, Rachael, Lorelei, and I ventured to <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2015/09/happy-hours-in-east-amsterdam-brouwerij-roest-walters.html" target="_blank">Brouwerij't</a> for a beer before our dinner reservations at Wilde Zwijnen, where we then opted for the chef's tasting menu and sparkling <i>apéritifs</i>. By the time Jorgie came to meet us, we were a few glasses of wine in, giddy in our catch-up. We'd already fully debriefed on the then-recent election results. For a night, all felt right in the world.</div>
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And it really was, because there's something to be said about being thoroughly cozy and well-nourished, surrounded by those with whom you can freely express ridicule of impending <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/21/us/politics/dhs-immigration-trump.html" target="_blank"><span id="goog_1328441814"></span>new rules<span id="goog_1328441815"></span></a> and <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/feb/21/the-latest-kremlin-holds-off-commenting-on-mcmaste/" target="_blank">the elimination of others</a> while also admitting cynicism towards infinite Bey-worship... we're all equally human, no? (I suppose the question itself suggests some of us <i>do</i> "<a href="https://www.reactletter.com/" target="_blank">opt for enlightenment</a>".)</div>
danielle abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03852597933426408787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896012504326780838.post-45571122799929781002017-01-29T21:47:00.000-05:002017-02-06T12:43:36.077-05:00friday in seattleI used to pride myself on being able to blend in well. I'm pretty intuitive and can navigate <b>new </b>with an innate sense of cautious yet curious direction. I've been mistaken as French/Dutch/Italian/Turkish in the corresponding country that I entered seamlessly with my American passport. What I haven't regularly recognized, is that this natural skill is actually a privilege I happened to be born with. Perhaps I learned to understand its utility while socializing with "<a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2009/12/one-of-these-things-is-not-like-other_11.html" target="_blank">white</a>" kids on the playground or taking summer leadership courses with those who <i>hadn't</i> gotten full scholarships to do so, but I played no part in acquiring my light-to-medium skin or soft brown hair or relatively slender figure; I did not choose to be born into a religion that doesn't inform my daily wear; I had no control over the fact that my parents' cells combined, aligned, and duplicated "normally" nor that I ended up having crushes on boys, not girls. <a href="https://medium.com/bigger-picture/about-your-poem-1f26a7585a6f#.fexdbtszg" target="_blank">Besides the fact that I'm clearly a woman</a>, I'm conveniently able to hide most markers of identity (difference) that some might consider <i>less than</i>.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oW22mK2SpxY/WI6YpS-lSGI/AAAAAAAAdZ8/X3XqSQikFzAJCuYCWHRfjnjko-1pClM1gCLcB/s1600/IMG_2001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oW22mK2SpxY/WI6YpS-lSGI/AAAAAAAAdZ8/X3XqSQikFzAJCuYCWHRfjnjko-1pClM1gCLcB/s640/IMG_2001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zC39Ps27ohY/WI6YqalWjnI/AAAAAAAAdaE/okGImzYS8RUIF2pnLWdYbe6TT0owmt14ACLcB/s1600/IMG_2009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zC39Ps27ohY/WI6YqalWjnI/AAAAAAAAdaE/okGImzYS8RUIF2pnLWdYbe6TT0owmt14ACLcB/s640/IMG_2009.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
The morning after the 2016 election, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BMmZeGUhYNM/?taken-by=danielleabroad_" target="_blank">I flew up to Seattle for work</a>. Two days following, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BPnEEqYh-Z2/?taken-by=lesliehbrand" target="_blank">Leslie joined</a>. We walked through Olympic Sculpture Park to the Elliot Bay Trail. We—<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BPvDGVBh0Cv/?taken-by=danielleabroad_" target="_blank">the daughter of a Mexican immigrant</a>, the grandchild of Jewish refugees—were perfectly safe and thoroughly devastated. Nearly every signature coming out of the White House this past week has validated our response then.<br />
<br />
Yesterday, the ACLU won a case to issue "<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/28/federal-judge-stays-deportations-trump-muslim-executive-order" target="_blank">an emergency stay</a>", halting deportations under <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/29/us/trump-refugee-ban-muslim-executive-order.html" target="_blank">the President's executive order to ban entry to the U.S. from seven predominately-Muslim countries</a>. The simplified rationale: sending <a href="http://www.unhcr.org/en-us/news/latest/2016/12/584036047/qa-1951-refugee-convention-relevant-today-time.html" target="_blank">these immigrants</a> back could cause them "irreparable harm". Although hope is not lost, there are still so many reasons to be horrified. Screw blending in.<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.nextprotest.com/" target="_blank">Exercise your right to protest</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://wewelcomerefugees.com/solidarity/" target="_blank">Confirm your solidarity with refugees</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://action.aclu.org/donate-aclu?ms=web_horiz_nav_hp" target="_blank">Pledge once, twice, monthly to the ACLU</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.trueislam.com/home/" target="_blank">Learn more about Islam, and declare yourself a Muslim ally.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://laist.com/2017/01/28/farsi_and_arabic.php" target="_blank">Volunteer your multilingual skills to those defending immigrant rights at airports now</a>.</li>
<li><i>Also...</i><a href="https://medium.com/stanford-alumni/youre-the-fact-checker-now-60103eaeaf3a#.fszgd220c" target="_blank">become a better news-reader</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://standwithstandingrock.net/take-action/" target="_blank">Write a letter to the Army Corps by February 20th as they prepare an Environmental Impact Statement against #DAPL</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.callmycongress.com/" target="_blank">Call your local Congress(wo)man at 202-224-3121</a> to urge <a href="https://www.bustle.com/p/what-is-hr-7-the-anti-abortion-bill-would-be-particularly-bad-for-millennials-32667" target="_blank">a NO vote on HR7</a>, <a href="https://lowey.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/lowey-trump-reinstatement-global-gag-rule-we-can-t-put-america-first" target="_blank">support for the Global HER Act</a>, and <a href="http://www.vox.com/2016/12/27/14028424/powerful-jobs-people-trump-administration#Defense" target="_blank">opposition against President Trump's most controversial cabinet nominees</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.icij.org/" target="_blank">Support the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://reactletter.com/" target="_blank">Remain informed and continue to take action</a>.</li>
</ul>
danielle abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03852597933426408787noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896012504326780838.post-30829915185402610662017-01-12T23:54:00.000-05:002017-01-30T00:00:23.288-05:00the unresolved parisienne<i>There's so much to be said about this country, and this world right now... I fear words fall short. My hodge-podge of sentiments—anxiety, concern, exhilaration—is too intimidating to capture. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/danielleabroad_/" target="_blank">Instagram feels more appropriate in its visual short form</a>. As such, please excuse the self-declared banality of my reflection below. It errs on the personal side of <a href="https://twitter.com/hhavrilesky" target="_blank">Heather Havrilesky's</a> words (via <a href="http://nymag.com/tags/ask-polly/" target="_blank">Ask Polly</a>): "If you can’t own the life you have right now, ask yourself what needs to change to make you feel like more of <a href="https://www.reactletter.com/" target="_blank"><b>a conquistador.</b></a>"</i><br />
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On November 17th, 2016, I landed in Paris. It was dark and chilly as I commuted from CDG to an Airbnb <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2014/06/an-ode-to-mon-quartier-batignolles.html" target="_blank">a mere three blocks from where I'd once lived</a>. The route itself was jarring in its familiarity. I affectionately recognized the corner brasserie, and neo-bistro, and all the other shops and bars (save for a few that were <i>obviously</i> new). I WhatsApp-ed <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2015/09/tour-de-den-haag-the-hague-holland-the-netherlands.html" target="_blank">Lorelei</a>, "I don't know how you do this regularly. I want to relive every moment of life here, on repeat times a million, plus more memories." And then, after settling into my Airbnb, I texted Ben, "the apartment has high ceilings and antique furniture and my host is an older impatient woman who offered me fruit upon arrival, so I basically feel like France welcomed me back with open arms." I wasn't kidding. It felt painfully good to be back, <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2015/10/then-paris-of-course-rosa-bonheur-mary-celeste-glass-grand-pigalle-hotel.html" target="_blank">again</a>.</div>
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The following morning, I woke up relatively early. I Facebooked Deanna to make plans: <i>petit-déj</i> at a café across from a metro stop on his line so she wouldn't get lost, we'd figure out the next steps from there, Rémi would meet up with us after class. Some context: my sister is (quite ironically!) dating a French guy she met over the summer in New York; she has visited him (and Paris) twice since.<br />
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We wandered through the Latin Quarter across the Seine and into the Marais, stopping into <a href="http://us.maje.com/" target="_blank">clothing stores we couldn't afford</a>, <a href="https://eng.si.se/about-si/si-paris/" target="_blank">a free exhibition at the Swedish Institute</a>, and a worth-every-penny visit to <a href="http://www.museepicassoparis.fr/" target="_blank">the recently-renovated <i>Musée Picaso</i></a>. Then we lunched with Rémi at <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2014/05/nanashi-paris.html" target="_blank">our beloved Nanashi</a> before dragging him <a href="https://www.merci-merci.com/" target="_blank">into Merci</a>—at which he was the only consumer. They (being too cute) caught the bus home at Bastille while I returned to the 17th to freshen up. Later, I ventured outside the city to <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2012/06/rose-in-montreal.html" target="_blank">join Mia</a> at a <a href="http://www.salifkeita.net/en/" target="_blank">Salif Keita</a> concert.<br />
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Those first 36 hours were too easy, too normal... it was hard to believe I'd ever voluntarily left! And then, before traveling to Amsterdam, I brunched <a href="http://lou-in-paris.com/">with Lou</a> at <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2013/05/british-rose-bakery-paris.html">Rose Café</a>. In her thoughtful way, she reminded me of my critiques: <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2013/10/french-nostalgia-pride-chateau-vaux-le-vicomte.html" target="_blank">the cultural superiority</a>, <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2012/09/cant-believe-its-not-butter.html" target="_blank">the unyielding otherness</a>, the callous social capital bred from famous <i>haute-couture </i>fashion houses and the like. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BLcNSpghje8/?taken-by=danielleabroad_" target="_blank">Paris, too, has an ego</a>.<br />
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A week later, I saw Lou once more whilst <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2012/09/home-in-melun.html" target="_blank">staying in Melun with<i> ma famille française</i></a>. I also arranged plans <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2013/01/never-have-i-ever.html" target="_blank">with Melissa</a>, <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2013/12/about-authenticity-happyolks.html" target="_blank">and Rithy</a>, <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2009/04/end-of-era_28.html" target="_blank">and Julia</a>, and <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2013/05/tasting-jura-part-1.html" target="_blank">my AUP professors</a> on campus. We spoke about <a href="https://medium.com/obama-white-house/thank-you-9d7cc16c6755#.xe1serbyq" target="_blank">politics and ideals</a>, life and love, ambition and responsibility. I was so perfectly inspired. I found myself overcome by immense gratitude as opposed to tragic-nostalgia. Every moment was to be savored, so I did exactly that. And I was actually ready to fly back to Los Angeles when the time came—even with its infuriating civic passivity, <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2015/11/je-prefere-paris-new-york-los-angeles-belonging-identity.html" target="_blank">empty "nice days"</a>, select inhabitants trying so goddamn hard to be seen as cool, laid back, and creative in unacknowledged privilege. As my sister reminded me today (from Paris, I might add!): <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZdiXvDU4P0" target="_blank">But don't you know that only fools are satisfied?</a></i>danielle abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03852597933426408787noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896012504326780838.post-12815197809978323762016-12-28T22:40:00.001-05:002016-12-30T23:09:32.347-05:00winter in vermontYears ago, my sister posted <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/summeranne/every-year-of-your-20s-ranked-from-worst-to-best?utm_term=.shlGKDEaw#.no9y7MEQV" target="_blank">this Buzzfeed article</a> to my Facebook wall. She read it out loud to my mom this past Christmas Eve; at which time I confirmed that their explanation of 28 may actually be true: <i>Whew—28 is the best year of your twenties. Not because of the spectacular partying (see: 22) or because you’ll magically have everything figured out (see: never), but because 28 is the year when you’re finally able to accept that no one actually “feels” like a grown-up and it’s OK that you don’t either.</i> This is also the year I've been able to appreciate the past decade of experiences (see: blog archives), and marvel at how each one will always be mine.<br />
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And let's not forget that time's not up yet! Yesterday, for instance, I went skiing for the first time <b>ever</b>. How can that be, you winter sports enthusiasts may ask? Well, my parents sought sun-and-sand vacations, and I don't find laborious hobby-prep all that appealing (—I have been snowboarding thrice). But, Deanna fell in love with skiing last winter and my aunt (who made the introductions) gifted her last-minute lift vouchers to <a href="http://hermitageclub.com/" target="_blank">a private mountain</a> with a December 31st expiration date. Enter, a two-day sister-ski trip to Vermont...<br />
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Although we both signed up for lessons upon arriving, my day one was pitiful. I just wouldn't recommend learning to ski at 28 (versus, say, 8)—skis are awkward, slopes are steep, and adults are inherently too aware of risk. My saving grace was Nancy's patient humor and good balance (<i>namaste</i>). Dare I say day two was better though! Nancy coached me once more and I managed to link wedge turns, etc. and it was <b>fun</b>. My sister was so proud, ha. We're that much closer to fulfilling her ski-chalet-NYE dream.<br />
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Hopefully I can hit the slopes in 2017. For now, I'm grateful for our charming one-on-one time: in addition to skiing, we <a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/cask-and-kiln-kitchen-wilmington" target="_blank">dined and heart-to-hearted at Cask & Kiln</a>, <a href="http://www.shearerhillfarm.com/" target="_blank">bnb-ed at Shearer Hill Farm</a>, and road tripped <a href="http://www.esmbennington.com/" target="_blank">with ESM sandwiches</a>. Learning and cherishing, best.danielle abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03852597933426408787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896012504326780838.post-16736194594242784782016-11-17T11:32:00.000-05:002019-08-08T15:41:42.567-04:00trying to harvest"But that's just the thing," I told him, "you don't exist in a vacuum." And from the bottom of my heart I hope the sentiment resonated.<br />
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You may have heard "people come into your life for a reason"? Well, I'd argue that's too romantic a notion. Perhaps we're simply fortunate to be able to connect at all; to cross paths in this life and in this universe; to grow through our encounters with others; to know that we can learn from each other, and in the space between two flawed human beings, we can even find support, understanding, hope, maybe love. It's a powerful privilege and responsibility, which makes disregard so hurtful.<br />
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My roommate hosted a viewing party for <a href="http://fortune.com/2016/10/06/13th-netflix-documentary-ava-duvernay/">13th</a>—a chillingly powerful documentary by Ava DuVernay—a few weeks ago. The premise was based at the cross-section of slavery, our criminal justice system, and the evolving yet all the while inaccurate and negative characterization of African Americans... mostly by white men in power, and then reiterated by everyone else. Much of the film is disturbing in its familiar truth; and it is <b>so</b> well done. I highly recommend you seek out 13th on Netflix if you haven't already.<br />
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As you may be able to infer, I was heartbroken by the presidential election results. All those hateful comments and policies had been embraced, or worse yet, overlooked; and so much of who I am and what I believe in felt under attack. How, after all this time and progress, did we still live in a world of bigotry, racism, sexism, and bullying? And yet we do. Inequality and resentment are rampant. It's probably awfully appealing to find comfort in prejudice. There's just something about having someone else, the Other to blame.<br />
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So, what now? Dave Chapelle encouraged us to give him a chance, John Oliver reminded us that accepting our democratic process should not equate to normalizing his behavior, but what I find to be the most encouraging advice is to counteract with <i>more</i> not <i>less</i> support for each another—listen; stay engaged; give more kindness, empathy, time/money to places like <a href="https://www.plannedparenthood.org/" target="_blank">Planned Parenthood</a>, the <a href="https://www.reproductiverights.org/?_ga=1.149873718.1642174131.1479398258" target="_blank">Center for Reproductive Rights</a> and the <a href="https://iwhc.org/articles/statement-election-donald-trump-us-president/" target="_blank">International Women's Health Coalition</a>; the <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/" target="_blank">NRDC</a>; the <a href="https://irap.urbanjustice.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=13" target="_blank">International Refugee Assistance Project</a> and <a href="https://www.rescue.org/topic/refuge-america" target="_blank">IRC</a>; the <a href="http://www.naacp.org/" target="_blank">NAACP</a>, <a href="https://www.splcenter.org/" target="_blank">Southern Poverty Law Center</a>, and <a href="https://www.aclu.org/" target="_blank">ACLU</a>; <a href="https://www.aclu.org/" target="_blank">The Trevor Project</a>; <a href="http://www.maldef.org/" target="_blank">MALDEF</a> and <a href="https://www.afsc.org/imm-rights?gclid=CJjW2bKXsNACFYiT7Qod5rAFLQ" target="_blank">American Friends Service Committee</a>; the <a href="http://www.adl.org/" target="_blank">Anti-Defamation League</a>, <a href="https://www.facinghistory.org/" target="_blank">Facing History and Ourselves</a>. (More to add? Please comments below.)<br />
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It has been a lovely fall season (in New York especially—see above!), and Thanksgiving is coming up quickly, and I'm blogging from Europe where I'll soon be visiting my brother and reconnecting with friends. Let us please take stock of our blessings <b>now</b> and exercise our individual agency to promote good in this world through thought and spoken word and movement. It is as much our privilege as it is our responsibility. As far as I can tell, we need each other more than ever before.</div>
danielle abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03852597933426408787noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896012504326780838.post-23067973525549802222016-10-30T19:20:00.000-04:002019-02-11T16:34:45.436-05:00sunday in california"At first sight, the visitor is surprised not only by the purity of the sky and the ugliness of the dispersed and ostentatious buildings, but also by the city's vaguely Mexican atmosphere, which cannot be captured in words or concepts." <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/search/label/Los%20Angeles%20%28CA%29" target="_blank">That's Los Angeles for ya</a>.<br />
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Mind you, these photos are from Northern California, Half Moon Bay, to be exact--because I thought it to be simultaneously romantic and incredibly creepy (<a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2014/11/la-dia-de-los-muertos.html" target="_blank">Happy Halloween?</a>), what with the pervasive fog and agricultural sprawl and imperious cliffs... but I digress.<br />
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I'm writing from Sacramento (<a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2014/12/northern-californias-fall.html" target="_blank">where I first delighted in California's fall</a>) and reflecting on my annual visit home (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BLRjI7QhGbt/?taken-by=danielleabroad_" target="_blank">to see autumn in all its glory</a>) and contemplating the frequent "so how's L.A.?"-s I received there. I wish I could tell you (them) I love L.A. <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2015/11/je-prefere-paris-new-york-los-angeles-belonging-identity.html" target="_blank">Not quite</a>.<br />
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But when my Aunt MaryAnn pressed the explanation further, and I mentioned that its the city's very Mexican-ness (as Octavio Paz described above) that makes me love being there, I realized <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2009/12/acceptable.html" style="text-align: start;" target="_blank">the extent to which that's true</a>. From there we went on to <strike style="text-align: start;">finish two bottles of wine and</strike> discuss the disgusting comments Donald Trump has made and inspired towards Mexicans. Apparentlys she's reminded her sons (my cousins) that he might as well be speaking about me, my father, my siblings. <a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/features/donald-mexicans-are-rapists-trump-goes-to-mexico-w437379" style="text-align: start;" target="_blank">A fact that has not been lost on me</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/rubbing_off/" target="_blank">I'm sure I noticed difference as a child</a>, but I didn't understand it; not like I was made to learn later. How could I have possibly known that <a href="http://www.vox.com/the-big-idea/2016/10/18/13309732/trump-black-space-white-sociology-segregation?utm_campaign=vox&utm_content=chorus&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter" target="_blank">inner city-dwellers are black</a>, and <a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/80091741" target="_blank">black men are to be feared</a>, and <a href="http://www.globalresearch.ca/non-muslims-carried-out-more-than-90-of-all-terrorist-attacks-in-america/5333619" target="_blank">Muslims are natural terrorists</a>, and <a href="http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/10/undercover-border-militia-immigration-bauer" target="_blank">Mexicans are to be hunted</a>?!<br />
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I ask the facetious question above in agitation to emphasize that what we desperately need, here and now, throughout this country, (Universe), is neither political correctness nor meek tolerance but the <b>acknowledgement of our shared humanity</b>. <a href="https://www.usa.gov/election-day" target="_blank">And a vote</a>.<br />
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When I then told my aunt how it felt to grow up monolingual in <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2013/02/un-dia-en-roma.html" target="_blank">our Italian-American town</a> where Central American landscapers were "Mexican" and when Latina meant gold jewelry and outspoken sex appeal, she was surprised. She hadn't realized. <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2013/10/start-with-why-masters-thesis-immigration-integration-diversity-international-global-city-ethnic-food-new-york-london-paris.html" target="_blank">She couldn't relate</a>.<br />
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And of course this would be news. Although I expect each one of us feels the pressure of a world that dictates "what we are" and "what we are not", the sentiment is obviously felt on an individual basis. It can just as likely incite ambition <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/10/31/hillary-clinton-and-the-populist-revolt" target="_blank">as it can resentment</a>; and understandably so. We are at the same time such resilient and fragile beings. And nearly every morning, when, from <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2015/12/on-my-way-home-paris-london-los-angeles-new-york.html" target="_blank">my L.A. home</a>, I overhear my neighbor speaking Spanish in <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BE7JBaHuc3j/?taken-by=danielleabroad_" target="_blank">a familiar accent</a>, I'm put at ease.<br />
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I'm reminded why immigration policy as well as higher education and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BE7JBaHuc3j/?taken-by=danielleabroad_" target="_blank">reproductive rights</a> are so important to me. We are the products of our experiences, our experiences matter, and so are the issues we're unequivocally drawn to as a result. <a href="https://www.usa.gov/election-day" target="_blank">November 8th, save the date</a>.danielle abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03852597933426408787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896012504326780838.post-56021697035235880922016-09-19T17:42:00.000-04:002016-09-20T12:26:57.388-04:00beautiful british columbiaI'd heard Vancouver is beautiful. I was also told it's expensive, with one of the best qualities of living; that <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/02/02/athleisure-class">many of its residents are active</a>; that it's home to an outstanding number of cultures, ethnicities, and languages, as well as <a href="http://www.citylab.com/housing/2012/11/growing-urban-class-divide-vancouver-edition/3302/" target="_blank">a visible socioeconomic divide</a>. But, having only ever been to <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2012/06/rose-in-montreal.html">Montreal</a> and <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2010/05/senior-week-day-5.html">Toronto</a>, I still wasn't quite sure what to expect from Canada's westernmost seaport city.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iccbnITRwjU/V-A6BmM0_kI/AAAAAAAAdNY/muWspRgxYV80DAT0IpE33XayuYTIKQTPgCLcB/s1600/DSC_5599.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iccbnITRwjU/V-A6BmM0_kI/AAAAAAAAdNY/muWspRgxYV80DAT0IpE33XayuYTIKQTPgCLcB/s640/DSC_5599.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>So let me tell you, it <i>is</i> <b>beautiful</b>—and not just because the clouds hang artfully across the not-so-distant mountains and the air is deliciously fresh and the trees are just beginning to change and the water shines clear and bright in the sun; though I did get exceptionally lucky with the weather. My personal experience in Vancouver was made beautiful by the warmth and generosity of the community I'd flown there to work with; a religious organization that raised ~250k to provide care and opportunity for <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/notes/all/2015/08/the-global-refugee-crisis/402718/" target="_blank">thousands of people they'll likely never meet who've been placed under inconceivable circumstances</a>. A definitive hell yes for humanity.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Gjq0vk2spx8/V-A57we01KI/AAAAAAAAdME/qMEYs5uBb2Mw7yfRZY8pBDD-BiDv4B9tgCLcB/s1600/DSC_5449.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Gjq0vk2spx8/V-A57we01KI/AAAAAAAAdME/qMEYs5uBb2Mw7yfRZY8pBDD-BiDv4B9tgCLcB/s640/DSC_5449.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>And if the festival weren't awe-inspiring enough, I also received a great deal of kindness; like the woman who treated me to <a href="http://www.lacasagelato.com/">gelato</a> after she overheard the cashier apologizing that they didn't accept US debit; or the elderly couple with whom I exchanged stories, who remarked at my "beautiful Spanish last name"; or the bartender who made me feel at ease in her <a href="http://www.corduroyrestaurant.com/" target="_blank">Saturday local bar scene</a>; or the airbnb host who gave me <a href="http://www.granvilleislandferries.bc.ca/find_us.htm" target="_blank">ferry tickets</a> to explore the city by waterway; or the <a href="http://mamietaylors.ca/">places</a> and friends <a href="http://www.battleofthebites.com/" target="_blank">the darling Gillian</a> directed me to.<br />
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text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oL5n__7xheQ/V-A6SoSAoEI/AAAAAAAAdOQ/iLlgcRy_oO88OsFgiCMcWIvoVTdF4owpgCLcB/s1600/DSC_5661.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oL5n__7xheQ/V-A6SoSAoEI/AAAAAAAAdOQ/iLlgcRy_oO88OsFgiCMcWIvoVTdF4owpgCLcB/s640/DSC_5661.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7_Uudk_UGNg/V-A6EJ47xBI/AAAAAAAAdOA/iSflNJYhA_MGbNnwnR3dFcpZc5RP8W6vgCLcB/s1600/DSC_5653.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7_Uudk_UGNg/V-A6EJ47xBI/AAAAAAAAdOA/iSflNJYhA_MGbNnwnR3dFcpZc5RP8W6vgCLcB/s640/DSC_5653.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GNxRAawePkM/V-A6E9UNEdI/AAAAAAAAdOI/8LPH21vyL70zEIrcy-eLoPKtSXT7ZqN5QCLcB/s1600/DSC_5670.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GNxRAawePkM/V-A6E9UNEdI/AAAAAAAAdOI/8LPH21vyL70zEIrcy-eLoPKtSXT7ZqN5QCLcB/s640/DSC_5670.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I enjoyed my time in Vancouver immensely. There's an incomparable sincerity and calmness to the beauty I came to know there; one that isn't acknowledged enough in the daily grind of our stresses and responsibilities. It feels silly—naive even—to say that I crave <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2016/08/gritty-truths-charleston-south-carolina.html">this kind of evidence</a>, proof that there's goodness in people and strength in our connection to one another and considerable potential in the impact we can have on the world; and yet, to be perfectly honest, I still do. Forever grateful for this past weekend.</div>danielle abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03852597933426408787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896012504326780838.post-1953128666237240222016-09-04T19:52:00.000-04:002016-09-07T00:59:37.824-04:00sunday in temeculaI've lived in the state of California for more than two years. <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2014/06/california-here-i-come.html" target="_blank"><b>Two</b>. <b>Years</b>. +</a> How did this happen? Why?! The simple answer, of course, is that I took a serendipitous job opportunity and refused to let it be a mistake. The reality is infinitely more complicated than that.<br />
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Nevertheless I've come to fully appreciate this place founded by pioneers and dreamers and those who couldn't quite fit into the communities they were born to. L.A. itself is a haphazard assortment of creative ideals. <a href="http://www.danielle-abroad.com/2016/05/a-weekend-in-sf.html" target="_blank">SF is SF</a>. And I might finally be thriving.<br />
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I ventured to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BIxm97QDMm0/?taken-by=danielleabroad_" target="_blank">La Jolla</a> for work in early August—an appropriate memory to recall on a Labor Day weekend, no? I was instantly and unexpectedly charmed by San Diego's wild beauty and laid back reclusion. The event itself ran smoothly. And the day following, driving back with a colleague, I noticed signs for Temecula; a city I recognized from my recreational study of California wine regions. I suggested a tasting. We lounged for hours at <a href="http://www.mountpalomarwinery.com/" target="_blank">Mount Palomar Winery</a>. I was so pleased with <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BI0y5qODIyE/?taken-by=danielleabroad_" target="_blank">my spontaneity</a> and the Golden State.<br />
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If life in Los Angeles, CA seems painfully far from the people and things that matter most to me... it is, somewhat. And yet there are phone calls, and plane travel, and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BJDaIedDM5I/?taken-by=danielleabroad_" target="_blank">weekend visits,</a> and afternoons (like this one) that bring every place I've ever loved within reach.danielle abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03852597933426408787noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2896012504326780838.post-23283702366028130332016-08-19T20:22:00.000-04:002016-09-06T14:38:39.151-04:00gritty truthsI'm half-way through <i>All the Light We Cannot See—</i>a dazzling piece of historical fiction by Anthony Doerr; set in WWII-Europe with two protagonists, a blind French girl and an orphaned German boy. I haven't yet gotten to the part at which their stories converge.<br />
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As I was reading the other night, I was struck by the tragic familiarity of fear, hate, blame, and cruelty; politicians positing themselves as saviors; thoughtless rhetoric that dehumanizes others based on country of origin, race (our faultiest invention), and religion.<br />
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I went to Charleston for the first time this past June. It was humid, teeming with other bachelorette parties, and awfully charming. Over shrimp and grits, (grits, by the way, originating from way the Muskogee tribe's preparation of "Indian corn"), our food tour guide deemed Charleston one of the few colonial cities in which all religious groups were able to freely practice; an impressive privilege, indeed! but all the while legal servitude was booming. 60,000 black slaves outnumbered white colonists in the early 18th century.<br />
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It's so necessary (and uncomfortable) to confront our reprehensible histories—how we could possibly reconcile, what we <i>should</i> have learned, where we still need healing—and that's all before considering our current realities. There's so much, and at times, so little. <br />
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And then there are moments, moments that make me remember; like those at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BIfsAlaDRK0/?taken-by=danielleabroad_" target="_blank">Courtney and Dani's wedding</a>. I was so deeply touched by the fortitude of (as J.R. Moehringer writes in his praise of <i>All the Light We Cannot See</i>) "the countless facets of the human heart." There is also love. Hope. We continue.danielle abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03852597933426408787noreply@blogger.com0