Monday, July 1, 2013
The Ultimate Adventure, Part 1: Running for Office (Written January 2013)
I adore traveling, and my life seems incomplete without it. But some adventures happen at home, too. Last year I gathered up all of my courage and so-called skills and ran in my first citywide race for San Francisco Community College Board. To say that this was an adventure is an understatement. I announced my candidacy more than a year before the election and spent the remaining time doing all of the things one is supposed to do when running for office, which is mostly politicking. And raising money. More on that later. Now, as a policy person, I am often turned off by the politics of politics. That's not to say that there weren't fun moments. In fact, much of it was a pretty good experience, such as meeting so many amazing people, from politicians to average citizens trying to get their voices heard, and learning so much about the inner workings of a higher education system I thought I understood. I am also extremely grateful for all of the people and organizations who took a chance on me—a first-time candidate—with their endorsements, and who believed in me enough to write a check, make phone calls, hold signs, and support me through the entire process, which is not unlike a very long ride on an old, rickety roller coaster. One that is mostly controlled by an Old Boys Network (although thanks to the work of too many people to list here this is improving and more women are being allowed and afforded access).
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Africa Trip
This trip was a long time coming. In 2007, Matt and I went to Belize for fabulous holiday. With the second largest barrier reef in the world, the Belize Cayes are a haven for divers and snorkelers. At the airport, we were behind a couple in line who were wearing tee shirts that said they dived with the great whites. I have always been fascinated by great whites and we struck up a conversation during which they described a month-long trip they took from Cape Town to Cairo; False Bay just south of Cape Town is the great white capital of the world. At that moment I started planning my own Cape to Cairo trip. For four years I saved both funds and vacation days in anticipation of this dream trip. With the recent uprising in North Africa, including Cairo, I revised my plan to see Southern and East Africa. Ultimately, after a travel agent snafu (never, never use 2Afrika), I scheduled a three-week trip to South Africa, Botswana, and Zimbabwe.
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