Things I'm Thankful For...

• My parents, who have always loved me and supported me despite all the crap I've put them through.
• My first love, Adam... I'll never forget what it felt like to be loved for who I am. I know I'll find that again someday.
• The children in my class - they are so small and vulnerable, yet they radiate joy and trust. They remind me of the things that really matter in life.
• The parents of the children in my class, for trusting me with their most important treasures every day.
• Megan O, my best friend and the sister I never had, for loving me through the ups and the downs. Here's to a bright future together, raising our kids and playing in the sunshine and making art and... well, you know.
• Nike, for respecting teachers and paying us accordingly.
• All my amazing friends, near and far... and the technology that helps us keep in touch, even in the midst of our busy lives.
• My dog Abby Lou... she's the best hiking buddy a girl could ever ask for and she's worth all the shoes she's chewed up over the years.
• My co-teachers and suitemates, who make it a joy to wake up and go to work every day.
• Portland, Oregon... finally a place that feels like home.
• Music... my lifeblood... when I can't find the words, I can always find a song to express how I feel.
• Barack Obama, who helped me rediscover the part of myself that cares about where our nation is headed.
• Landmark Education. I really wouldn't be who I am today without a three-day course called the Landmark Forum.
• Art... which comes in many forms, and hides inside all of us.
• The people who take the time to smile as they pass me on the sidewalk each day.
• Freedom and love and joy and celebrations and diversity and friends and family and heartache and trust and all the other things that make us human.
• I'm grateful for every day in this beautiful Universe!

Nike Guest Passes...

As you may know, I work for Nike... which means I get to shop at the Nike Employee Store. That's right... incredible Nike gear at incredibly cheap prices.

And because you're reading this blog, you could shop there too!

I've gotten lots of extra guest passes to the employee store for the holiday season, and I'd hate to see them go to waste. They have to be used up before the end of the year.

If you or your friends are interested in checking out the store - it's located in Beaverton, and it contains all the best Nike, Converse, Cole Haan, and Hurley gear at 50% off the retail price - just let me know. I'll need to know the date you want to do your shopping and I'll put your name on the guest list. I'll give you my employee number and directions to the store and you'll be admitted with no problems!

Easy breezy... leave a comment or e-mail me if you're interested. First come, first served!

Packing... and children... and selling out... and freedom

I've been packing my things all day. My new job at Nike has inspired me to make the big move across town to Beaverton. That's right... Beaverton. The "not-Portland" of Portland, Oregon. That little voice in my head (you know, the one that used to run my life before I got wise to it's presence) keeps whispering "You've done it Amy... you've sold your soul." After all, I'm working for a HUGE corporation and moving to Beaverton.

But here's the interesting thing: I'm really excited about the changes that are happening in my life right now.

Until this year, life always looked like a series of choices between two extremes: black or white, chocolate or vanilla, marriage or freedom, sell-out corporate job or lifetime of poverty.

Then I grew up... somehow, when I wasn't really paying attention, I grew up. And now I look at things a little differently.

You see, I used to think those choices defined who I was, so each choice was a really, really big deal.

But in the past year or so, I've found this "me" person inside... and she's there all the time... through all the choices... wherever I go. Defining her isn't so simple anymore. She exists all on her own, fully formed.

Some of the choices I make fit her like a well-worn sweater pulled out of the closet on cold winter mornings, while others are a bit scratchy and tight through the shoulders. But she's still there, intact, the whole time.

Now I have the freedom to "try on" lots of different choices and see how they feel. I don't have to worry about losing myself in the transitions... I couldn't do it if I tried... I'm in there, through thick and thin. And I don't feel any pressure to define myself "correctly." I realize now that was always for other people's benefit, anyway... and it doesn't seem too important these days.

So I spent the day packing... and the whole time I listened to the kids laughing and playing outside my apartment window. And it made me smile. Those kids, they're onto something...