Disclaimer: I would say my diet is about 95% vegan. If unexpected cheese comes on a salad, I’ll scrape it off but might end up eating a few bits. I’m a cookie monster, so will often eat cookies at meetings, etc., even though I know there are likely eggs in them. In general, I find it’s hard to say I’m 100% anything in my life.

If I’ve included ingredients, it’s because I made it myself (all from memory, I might have forgot something). Much of the stuff I eat are things I make in bulk and freeze for later.

I’ve laid it all out here. No lies. (For example, you will shortly learn I like chocolate).

Sunday

• Banana muffin (bananas, whole wheat flour, unbleached flour, oil, apple sauce, turbinado sugar, molasses, baking soda, salt)
• Kirkland’s veggie burger (not vegan, contains cheese) on a store-bought white bun (at our street block party BBQ)
• San Pelligrino Limonata
• Leftover mac and “cheese” (whole wheat macaroni, potato, carrot, onion, shallots, cashews, whole wheat bread crumbs, vegan margarine, lemon juice, garlic, salt, paprika, cayenne pepper)
• Steamed broccolini with vegan margarine
• Chocolate coconut ice cream with sliced banana
• Hot chocolate (soy milk, turbinado sugar, cocoa)

Monday

• Banana muffin
• Fruit shake (strawberries, vanilla soyogurt, banana, blueberries, almond milk, cashew butter, ground flax seeds)
• Bread (whole wheat flour, unbleached flour, water, agave nectar, yeast), sunflower spread (sunflowers, roaster red peppers, potato, onion, tahini, agave nectar, flax seeds, nutritional yeast, garlic, paprika, basil, chili flakes – all in a food processor; as you can see it was a bit of an experiment), ½ avocado
• Toast with vegan margarine and my mom’s berry jam

Tuesday (busy – out most of the day)

• More fruit shake
• Veggie sandwich (wheat-free bread, avocado, red pepper, tomato cucumber) plus store-bought “veggie straws” and chocolate chip cookies (at a friend’s home)
• More veggie sandwiches, this time with cheese, plus some grazing on strawberries and cherry tomatoes (at a community event)
• Toast and sunflower spread
• Hot chocolate

Wednesday (busy – out most of the day)

• Banana muffin
• More fruit shake
• Sunflower spread sandwich
• Avocado spring rolls (at a restaurant post-board meeting)
• Two glasses of wine
• Hot chocolate

Thursday

• Toast with PB and banana
• Ginger ale
• Steamed sausage (vital wheat gluten, navy beans, soya sauce, cranberries, spices)
• Steamed broccoli
• Bowl of strawberries
• Ice cream and sliced banana
• Popcorn with melted vegan margarine, salt, and nutritional yeast
• Peppermint tea

Friday

• Banana muffin
• Toast with sunflower spread and tomatoes
• Kiwifruit
• Broccoli
• Veggie burger (black beans, rice, olives, tomato paste, basil) on toast with sliced tomato, lettuce, ketchup and Dijon mustard
• Brownie (white flour, whole wheat flour, cocoa, turbinado sugar, water, apple sauce, oil, baking powder, salt, vanilla) and icecream
• Another piece of brownie
• And another

Saturday

• Little pieces of brownie
• Crepes (white flour, chickpea flour, water, oil), strawberries, syrup
• Coleslaw (cabbage, carrots, celery, leek, rice vinegar, soy sauce, peanut butter, oil, brown sugar, garlic, ginger)
• More coleslaw
• Sushi (rice, rice vinegar, sugar, nori, wild rice tempeh, spices, bok choy, carrot, mango, Bragg’s liquid amino) – made by lovely couchsurfers from Florida
• Green tea
• Brownie and ice cream

I usually eat more beans than I did this week. And I usually eat fewer fruits and veggies.

Anything crazy weird in there? Curious about a recipe?

In my travels last year to West and Central Asia, I found that for many countries IWD ranks in the top 10 of big holidays, along with Nooruz (Persian/regional New Year) and Independence Days (from the Soviet Union).

On one of my van trips in Uzbekistan, I sat in the back row with a young man keen on practicing any and all English he knew. Here is my IWD gift from him to you (and our mothers)…

Mother, mother, mother
I love you very much.
I hope you’re very happy
On the 8th of March.

Hot and sticky in the Uzbek desert

Ships by the former Aral Sea shore

It’s that time of year again - Blog Action Day – and the theme this year is water.

I could spout about facts relating to the importance of water to sustainable development, to the environment, to health, etc. and how much is wasted. But I won’t. I prefer to model, not rant. Instead, I’m going to share a bit about my personal relationships with water, highlighting some experiences from my travels.

On my recent trip through West and Central Asia, I made a visit to Moynak, Uzbekistan, to witness one of the greatest planned ecological disasters related to water EVER. Moynak used to be a bustling town supported by a vibrant fishing industry, as it sat on the shores of the great Aral Sea. That was over 50 years ago. Now, the depleted community sits over 180km from the current shore. There are old, rusted boats, sitting in the surrounding desert. Water was diverted from major sources to irrigate huge cotton plantations. Soviet engineers expected the sea to dry up. It’s really all unbelievable. (*cough* sustainable development and environment *cough*)

Water was probably the cause of all the sicknesses that I went through the latter two months of my trip. (*cough* health *cough)

I was a huge fan of the bucket baths in much of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. Not only because they usually involved an almost sauna-like experience, with a bucket of cold water and a rusty tank of hot water sitting over a fire, all in a little wooden shed, but also because I was amazed how little water is actually required to clean one’s self. (*cough* wasting water *cough*)

And on a completely different trip, I wanted to give a shout out to the Yoga Farm, a hostel/retreat in southern Costa Rica at which I thoroughly enjoyed their compost toilets and rainwater showers.

Back in Canada I wouldn’t say I try consciously to minimize my water use, as I instead just generally try to minimize. I reduce first, then reuse and recycle.

So today, on Blog Action Day, I am consciously thinking about the ways I currently minimize my water use, and areas for improvement.

Minimizing water use

• Washing clothes and dishes only when the washers are full
• Drinking tap water (it takes a lot more water to produce bottled water, other bottled drinks, and other goods such as coffee beans)
• Keeping an old Brita jug handy (sans filter) to collect water from washing vegetables etc. to use to water my plants
• Covering the bases of my outdoor potted plants with leaves so water from rain/watering doesn’t evaporate as quickly (though I’m only guessing it does this, I don’t actually know for sure)
• Replacing my old toilet with a low water usage one (that thing is amazing!)
• Replacing my old bathroom faucet with an aerated one
• Eating fairly vegan, as beans and nuts take way less water to produce than meat and animal products
• Buying most of my clothes at consignment stores, therefore not buying new cotton products (remember the Aral Sea disaster?)

Areas for improvement

Showers. I love showers. Nice, hot showers. I think I’m pretty efficient with them in terms of length, but I don’t know if I could ever turn off the shower while I suds up. Of all the things I change, this would probably be my last. I’m allowed a modicum of gluttony, aren’t I?

Rain water collection. I’m wondering if there’s a way to tap into my condo’s gutters to help water my plants?

Wait, am I water-saving hero? Why can’t I think of more right now? Surely I’m not a saint.

Your turn

I calculated my water footprint at www.waterfootprint.org and found that I use 1217 cubic metres of water per year. I have no idea what that exactly means, but I’m open to a competition.

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What other Nonprofit Millennial Bloggers are saying on Blog Action Day

• What’s The Furthest You’ve Walked For Clean Water?
• Can We Change Our Water Behaviors?
• What’s Your Water Footprint?
• Why Water?
• Women’s Rights — What’s Water Got to Do with It?
• Blog Action Day: Chesapeake
• Blog action day: What’s your relationship with water?
  

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One of my goals is to cut down on my online life. Here’s what I’m doing.

BLOG READING

Cutting down the blogs I keep up on to:

General News
I don’t have a TV and only listen to CBC radio, so RSS news feeds are my main source. I subscribe to feeds from Vancouver Sun, CBC, Globe and Mail, and NY Times. I also get emails from the Economist and Financial Times.

Thought leaders
This doesn’t mean leaders in the “I have a bajillion followers” sense. But instead, people that write about things that I would love to discuss with them in person – usually related to community and/or education. Some of my current favourites:

• Glenn’s little ugly blog by Glenn Gaetz, who I’ve come to know in person through SFU’s Certificate in Dialogue and Civic Engagement
• Know Your Own Bone by Colleen Dilenschneider, who I’ve only met online through the Nonprofit Millennials Blogging Alliance
• Peter Levine (Director of CIRCLE), who writes largely on civic engagement, but I read him through Facebook, as this is where the comments happen on his writing (friend him, he doesn’t have a fan page).

Deep Sector News
Websites that offer important policy and research news regarding topics like civic engagement or the nonprofit sector in Canada. Some of my sources:

• CIRCLE, which produces research on youth and civic engagement
• Imagine Canada, which produces research and policy recommendations related to the charitable sector in Canada

Hard Resources
No, I don’t want to know your “Top 3 Ways For Nonprofits to Use Twitter” or “10 ways to enhance your personal brand”. However, if you have recommendations for tried, tested and true technology tools or professional development, I’d like to hear. Some examples include:

• Civic Footprint, which writes a lot about their innovative Timeraiser events and civic engagement, but is also a huge proponent of cloud computing and efficiency and productivity through technology
• Wild Apricot Blog, which writes about volunteerism and associations in general, but also a lot about web technologies

TWITTER

Sigh. I’m not sure exactly what I’m going to do about this. I’ve met great people through Twitter, and have been directed to great information. But most of it is shit, and results in a lot of switching costs (time wasted by changing objects of focus too often). Even limiting people I follow to those interested in similar topics leads to a lot of shit. And I’m guilty of producing it too.

I’m kind of a “let’s get down to the good stuff” kind of gal, and I don’t think Twitter is what I’m looking for when it comes to conversing and learning. I’ll probably stick around, but in a much more limited way. I learn more meaningful things about people and their ideas through their blogs.

FACEBOOK

Sigh to the power of infinity. It’s a personal not a professional tool for the most part, and as so many friends are on it, I think giving it up is impossible. But maybe only check it once a day? Maybe? OK. Twice. Fine, three times.

EMAIL

Delegate. Do. Delete. or Designate = Done. I like a zero inbox at work and at home. I’ll continue this.

TV

I don’t have a TV, but I still watch a lot online. This season I’m trying to stick to Mad Men and How I Met Your Mother.

What about you? Have you tried to minimize your time online?

Yeah, none of that happened.

I changed my academic and career directions after 2nd year, but a heck of a lot of different kinds of wonderful have happened since.

As my 30th approached, I wondered how I would react. Would I be sad? Would I feel old? Would I feel disappointed? Would I feel excited? Would I feel anxious?

If anything at all worries me or makes me scared, it’s how fast time passes, and how my body isn’t what it used to be. What? Hurricane Katrina was 5 years ago? What? I walk for 10km and I’m sore the next day?

But otherwise, I’m at peace. And I believe it’s because I don’t have regret.

I travelled when I wanted to, changed jobs when I wanted to. I’ve loved, been loved, and lost. I saved money, I spent money. I relaxed, I worked hard. I learned, I grew, I expanded my horizons. I’m proud of me.

One thing that I’m happiest about, is that I had a chance to really understand who I am. I’ve lived alone for most of my 20s. I’ve travelled almost exclusively alone. And it has given me time to enjoy my own company and learn what I’m passionate about, what my boundaries are, what I deserve, what my weaknesses and strengths are, and what makes me unique. I know what the life I want feels like, and I’m not settling for less.

I won’t say that my 20s were perfect. I definitely have wishes to live more healthily, or stay in better contact with friends and family. I know I’m a bit of a hermit, a mystery to many. I’m happy that way, but I know it sometimes impacts those close to me.

This post is not meant to be one where I list my accomplishments, and try to impress you with what I have done in the past decade. The important people in my life know all this.

Neither is this post meant to list all the things I plan to accomplish in the next decade. Making plans that far in advance means I might miss out on opportunities outside that narrow field of view. This doesn’t mean I don’t have goals and hope, but I’d like to keep them a bit of a mystery.

So what is my message?

As I turn 30, I’m happy. I’m at the Hyatt in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstsan*. I’ve just had my hair cut and my nails did**, and am enjoying a fairly quiet day. I’m spending it alone, but I’m not lonely.

I’m content, with no regrets. Happy Birthday to me.

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*Actually, I’m not. I’m sitting outside in the shade at a guesthouse in Karakol, Kyrgyzstan a few days earlier. I’ve got some time on my hands and I’ve been reflecting.

**Actually, I didn’t. I ended up getting my hair cut two days earlier in Bokonbaevo, and I didn’t feel like a salon today.

Image credit: Luke Redmond

I have a few strong convictions, but I don’t YELL THEM IN MY FACEBOOK STATUS or join a bajillion groups or tweet associated rants.

I try my very best to model my convictions. I’m not perfect, so sometimes I might, say, get takeout in styrofoam, but I own that.

I have a friend who models veganism by making AMAZING vegan dishes for book clubs and potlucks. Other friends model sustainability by biking everywhere, even in the rain (really, it’s not so bad, and can actually be very refreshing).

However, if you are going to rant publicly about your convictions, I feel that you better live that way publicly, and privately.

I have friends (who I love dearly, but) who were quite vocal against the Olympics publicly, but who also jumped at chances for free tickets to events. I totally respect their convictions and beliefs on this topic, as they also were respectful of my volunteering with the Games. But they didn’t model. They ranted publicly, and flip-flopped privately.

Maybe this makes me more of a pacifist than I imagine myself to be. Maybe it’s my weariness for confrontation. But I don’t think you can rant all things animal rights and then go eat a Big Mac. If you’re a staunch pro-lifer, you better be rethinking that stance if you’re helping your daughter get an abortion.

I’ve argued in the past that support of one cause doesn’t define the rest of your beliefs.

But if you do find yourself doing something that you’ve argued against in the past, you better be open minded to broadening your beliefs, and your public rants.

I go to a local salon.

It started in Vietnam. I was a few days away from heading home after a one year trip, and it was Valentine’s day. I splurged, and spent $40 on a full package at a high class salon in Hanoi. Deep conditioning, hair cut and style, bikini and arm pit wax, manicure and pedicure.

Since that first trip in 2005, I try to have a salon experience on each adventure, because I most definitely never do it in Canada.

Holguin, Cuba (February 2006)

My hair decorates the tiled floor.

I had met an artist and stayed with her family overnight with one day left in Cuba. I had asked for recommendations to get my hair cut, and she told me about a salon just around the corner from the main square.

After entering the spacious salon, I inquired as to the price. Five pesos. That was fine for me. I didn’t know if they were talking pesos convertibles (tourist money) or pesos cubanos (local money) as either price seemed ridiculous. The bill would either be $7 or 25 cents.

The hairdresser sat me down, and took great pains to pin up my hair, comb a small strip of hair from around the base of my neck, and spray it down. Snip, snip, snip. Care was taken to make that first row straight. I expected a long appointment with more of the same. Instead she let down the rest of my hair and pressed small portions against my neck with the edge of her palm. The remaining hair was chopped more than cut. But the result was reasonable considering the true price ended up being 25 cents.

Lima, Peru (October 2006)

A farewell from the ladies.

It was my last day in Peru. Earlier in my trip I had been frustrated by my hair getting matted with all my toque-wearing and lack of brushing. So I cut it off with my Swiss army knife. I was due for a more professional cut.

I was arriving into Lima early in the morning on an overnight bus, and my flight left late at night. I left my luggage at the bus station, and headed into Miraflores, a trendy area of Lima by the ocean that I hadn’t visited when I had first arrived in the country. There were many posh salons in the suburb, but I sourced a small salon in a little mall. I got a haircut and a manicure. $6.

Golfito, Costa Rica (January 2008)

Who doesn't like a nativity scene with their haircut?

It was my last day in Costa Rica. I had just spent 5 incredible days at a little yoga farm at the end of the road before Panama on the west coast and was back up in Golfito to catch a turbulent flight back to San Jose. A few hours to kill led me to pick up some jewelry, visit an internet cafe, and wander around. As I finally was making my way to the air strip, I passed a sign that gave the impression that hair cuts were available. I went down a little path and enjoyed a haircut in the front room of a small home. Roy, an American expat joined me about half way through – he had been getting his haircut from Ana for 20 years. I got some great lessons about “banana children” – American kids with parents who worked for the banana companies, years before roads were established into the area. Cost for haircut and banana children lessons: $4.

Shimla, India (April 2008)

Not dead. Just pale.

Didn’t have a chance to get to my hair cut this time, but I did get my eyebrows threaded. Amazing. ~20 cents.

Back home in Vancouver (March 2010)

Last Saturday, I went into the bathroom to have a shower. I decided to take out my scissors, and, in four large cuts, six inches of my dark blonde hair was relegated to the garbage can.

I only do low-maintenance hair. No blow dryer. No straightener. No product. Since I started my recent home renovations, I can often be found with a smattering of paint somewhere or another. I don’t have a hairstylist. I get it cut about twice a year. I have one hairstyle, and it basically is straight across along the bottom. My one luxury is a beautiful hair clip I picked up from a designed at a local farmer’s market. But overall, I really don’t care.

So, getting annoyed with the length, I chopped it. My cousin was visiting and she asked how I got it so straight across the back. I responded, “Oh. Is it?”

The glasses aren't new. They're for safety at a glass-blowing demo.

FOMO: Fear Of Missing Out

I’ll admit it, I caught it. I was spending 30+hours per week volunteering with Opening and Closing Ceremonies, plus trying to work full time, and when I wasn’t working or volunteering I was trying to get some sleep. But I felt guilty that I wasn’t trying to get into every single pavillion and celebration site there was.

I tried to let it all go. I spent one afternoon biking around the city, taking pictures that gave evidence of love of country, sport, community, family. I saw my city through the eyes of a visitor, and it was beautiful. Stunning.

I think that I have been able to rid myself of FOMO, but I’ll admit I’m going to try my hardest to hit up the zip line between the Law Courts and the Vancouver Art Gallery tomorrow, and maybe the Mint to touch the medals.

I do have a bit of FOMO as I prepare for my trip through Central Asia that’s coming up in 5 weeks. Why would I leave this city at its brightest? Miss out on the entire summer? There are so many interesting tech and social media camps happening in Vancouver in May and June, and how could I miss ANSER after having such a great time last year? What if an amazing job opportunity comes up?

*sigh*

I’ll get over this FOMO soon enough. Travelling through Central Asia for over 5 months is an amazing opportunity, and I’m not going to miss out on adventure.

Top read posts of 2009

• Extroverts vs. introverts in the workplace
• ‘Best practice’ is a lie…and boring
• Twitter: An engagement tool, not a fundraiser ticket seller
• Connection to mission: proposing a new org chart
• A Young Nonprofit Professional’s Guide to Vancouver
• Leading from the (outside): can kind-but-tough louve strengthen our organizations?
• Social movements, institutions and the Millennial generation

Posts I wish more people read, and commented on

• Social impact and mission myopia
• Volunteer intersectionality – grassroots vs. big image

Blog achievements in 2009

• Started the blog
• Wrote 28 articles (a surprising average of 1x week considering I started at the end of June)
• Article featured in Chronicle of Philanthropy’s Give and Take
• Got listed in Alltop Nonprofit
• Two articles featured by Brazen Careerist
• Got asked to join the Nonprofit Millennial Bloggers Alliance and did!
• e-met an amazing and inspirational group of people through my blog and twitter who teach and challenge me

Blog goals for 2010

• Figure out a way that suits me to keep up with my favourite blogs in a more timely manner so I  can comment and engage with others more
• Post a minimum of 2x per month
• Migrate blog to WordPress.org and include a travel/photography stream
• Meet 2 people in person that I communicate with through Twitter/blogging

Until 2010…

Image/Gift Tag Credit: Sarah Parrott

Instead, will you donate to the Take a Hike Youth at Risk Foundation? I’ll match every dollar you donate to double your impact if you donate before Dec 25. Even $5 or $10 makes a difference.

Donate here.

I’m attending a fundraising moonlight snowshoe event for an at-risk youth high school program that combines academics with adventure-based learning, counselling, and community service. Due to the success of the program, the graduation rate of Take a Hike students is higher than the provincial average.

Find out about the event here.

Your donation will help fund a 4 day winter trek for 40 students. These trips prove to be very therapeutic learning experiences for the youth.

Read about the impacts of these trips on the youth here.

“While I was at Take a Hike, I made a decision to change, and to take life seriously; I strived to become a better person. Being given this gift – to be picked up off the ground when I was at a low point in my life –it seems fitting to now be in a role in society where I can help others.”

Andrew*
2004 Take a Hike graduate and
2009 scholarship recipient to become a paramedic

*name has been changed

Thanks for your support!