Recently, I wrote about my love of running and being active, and shared some of my positive running experiences. There is another aspect of running, and perhaps generally being a woman, that I did not share at that time and would like to talk about briefly here. It is not so positive. That is catcalling (and worse things), cars, and men. Or, more to the point: men shouting from cars. The summer is particularly plagued by this disgusting, entitled behavior.

Even if you don't run, perhaps you can relate -- really, the issue at hand in this case is not so much running, as what one frequently encounters as a woman who happens to be running. If you can't relate, it is probably good information for you to know. I bring it up spurred by a string of recent and particularly frustrating incidents.

This summer has gone by far too fast. As some of you know, I spent the past
months at home with my family--in particular hoping to spend time with my little
brother, Paul. It has been so great to see him everyday! This was the first summer since since highschool that I lived at home for the summer. Other than that, I have
also been working on a new illustration project (which I'm very excited about)
and preparing for a year in Japan.

Regarding Japan, there are a few updates. At the beginning of the summer, I did not know where I would live. I am very grateful to Hokkaido University, however, for finding me a home. I will be living in the Hokudai International House Kita 8. I have no idea what exactly the rooms are like, but if I don't like it I'm sure I could look for an apartment elsewhere after a few months. Generally, I'm just happy to have a bed to sleep in! It will be a surprise for when I arrive, I suppose. Speaking of arriving, I will fly from MPLS to Chicago, then a direct flight from Chicago to Tokyo on September 17. That's only 10 days away! The first 2 and a half days are an orientation for the Fulbright in Tokyo. Then I fly (or take the train? I can't decide) to Sapporo, where Hokkaido University is located. I sure am nervous! Its really started to hit me recently that I won't be able to play catch with my little brother or give my family members a hug for a whole year. . . I think that will be very difficult for me. But I know that I will grow from the experience of living in another country, and I am so grateful for this chance.

Well, other than preparing for Japan, I was also fortunate to take a road trip with my Dad, brother and sister. We drove from Minneapolis to San Francisco! The main goal was to see the Red Woods. We left on Sat, Aug 18th and then flew home to MPLS from San Francisco on Fri. Aug 24th. It was so amazing to see the land as we drove. The first leg was MPLS to Bozeman MT (so we drove up to Fargo, then across North Dakota). The next leg was from Bozeman MT to Glacier National Park. Glacier was my favorite. Up until this road trip, I had never seen a mountain before. Goodness, I did not want to leave them! Unfortunately, we only had time to spend a few hours there. One of my highlights was running up a mile at the top of the mountain road in Glacier while cars passed me and thought I was crazy! Next we drove from Glacier to Portland, OR. From Portland, we drove to Crater Lake (a lake formed in a volcanic crater). Then we drove to Crescent City, CA. We arrived in the evening, and drove on highway 101 which goes through Redwood stands. They are simply spectacular. We spend that Wednesday amongst the Redwoods then on Thursday drove to San Francisco--we took the back roads and part of the coast, and goodness it took forever. When we drove into San Francisco on Thursday evening, a huge fog had rolled in. I have never seen fog from the ocean like that! Unfortunately, it meant that we couldn't actually see the city or the Golden Gate Bridge. The next day, we flew home. It was a wonderful, wonderful trip, and the first road trip that I have ever taken.