Costa Rica: Zadie and the Frog

Tori emailed me this picture tonight.  She said she was taking a shower when Zadie came running in to show her what she had caught.  She's braver than I am!

More About My New Job

I love the diversity of scenes within the park. This is Upper Las Virgenes Canyon, which is just adjacent to the park border and is maintained by a partner agency.  Grasslands with the Santa Susana Mountains in the background.

And of course there are stunning coastline views -- this is the hills above Malibu looking at Santa Monica Bay and the Palos Verdes Peninsula in the distance (Catalina Island is just visible on the right).

When I left my job with the Peace Corps, I kind of felt like I had to go through a grieving process because I had worked for the agency either as a volunteer or a staffer for 10 of the previous 13 years and I was so deeply and personally connected to the agency.  Though I felt excited about my new position, I also felt sad that I probably wouldn't like my new job nearly as much.  If it wasn't for Peace Corps' rule about not working for the agency for more than five consecutive years, I would have happily stayed much longer.

So it is with surprise that I am now thinking I will like my new job better than my last.  It will take time, of course, to acclimate and learn the ins and outs of my new job, but I think I will get to work on more challenging issues with multiple levels of complexity.  It's invigorating to learn more about wildlife, nature, land acquisition strategies, legislative affairs, and new technologies.  

As an example, last week I spent a half-day in the field with our large carnivore expert, learning about mountain lions, tracking their movements via GPS collars, what their biggest challenges are, etc.  This particular individual has spent his entire career studying mountain lions all over the world and is the ultimate subject matter expert.  Yesterday I spent the afternoon with our planning and land use expert, touring current and prospective sites for development and getting a better understanding of the challenges related to habitat preservation in one of the most expensive real estate markets in the nation.  And I could go on!

Like all jobs, I'm sure I'll have days when I feel extremely frustrated -- and I can already see that the workload is going to be challenging -- but when that happens please refer me back to this post so that I can be reminded of how fortunate I am!

Costa Rica: Goofballs with Pipe Cleaners

Tori and her mom are both good at facilitating creativity with our kids, so apparently they took our supply of fuzzy pipe cleaners to Costa Rica with them.  A few nights ago I got a flurry of photos with the kids wearing pipe cleaners in a variety of creative ways, so here is a sampling!

Goodbye to My Very First Car

Friends decorated my truck for my 17th bithday, a year after I first brought it home.

This is the 2012 version. Tori forgot to put the emergency brake on a few years ago and  it crashed into a wall.

Although I'm embarrassed by it now, I talked my parents into buying me a car when I turned 16.  It took many, many months of persuasion but in the end I'm not sure whether they believed my argument that the old Volkswagen Rabbit was unsafe (it does seem like a death trap when I look back on it) or if I just wore them down.  Either way, the Rabbit that was good enough for my three preceding siblings was not good enough for me and I talked them into a much "safer" model (much to the irritation of my sister!).

My dad said I could use this vehicle from age 16 to 18 and it was being purchased for their convenience only (so they wouldn't have to drive me around).  They made it clear that I had no rights to ownership.

My dad pored over Auto Traders and decided he wanted to buy a small pick-up truck.  He was determined it would be a manual transmission because, for whatever reason, he didn't want any child of his to go through life not knowing how to drive a stick shift.

He found a 1992 Toyota pickup truck with 9,000 miles that was listed for $6500 (this was in 1993) and he scheduled a time to see the car.  Before we left I remember him calling to tell them he intended to buy the car and asking what their lowest price would be so he could bring the cash with him.  They told him $6000.  I still don't understand that negotiation strategy: I'm going to buy this car so tell me what your lowest price is.  Anyway, it worked for him.

I was excited about this little white pickup truck and thought it was very cool -- 100 times cooler than the Rabbit, which rattled like crazy and had many other not-so-endearing traits.  My dad paid them for the truck and he drove it home while I followed in a different car (I didn't know how to drive a stick at that point).

The next day I had a track meet about 45 minutes away and my dad made me drive the truck there, which he said was "baptism by fire."  When I was getting off the freeway I downshifted from fifth to second gear and I thought the car was going to explode.  That was the only time my dad looked really concerned.

That was the first weekend I had my truck, and it's been a great and very special car that has seen me through many adventures, accidents, and travels.  I say "my" truck because my parents are softies and they didn't really stick to their guns about the truck not belonging to me, though I didn't drive it for many years while I was in the Peace Corps and living in San Francisco.

For the past four years, Tori's brother Hank has driven the truck as part of his pay package for being our nanny.  He was always asking if he could buy it from us, and we finally gave in and sold it to him for 80 babysitting hours.  So this great truck I've had since I was 16 years old is mine no more -- he finally finished all his hours last week.

It's a bit worse for the wear (see the before and after photos above), but I do feel sad to let go of this great truck!

First Week on the Job

I just completed my first week at the National Park Service and I'm really pleased with the content of the work, the co-workers, and the overall feel of the agency.  I feel incredibly fortunate, especially during this difficult job market, to have landed this job.  I spent Friday touring the western side of the parks and off-roading through the back roads with a ranger.  Lucky me.

It's a little overwhelming to go from being an expert at my old job to a totally blank state at my new one.  But it's also exciting to think how much I will learn in the next year.  Soon I'll (hopefully) know all about the plants and wildlife in the Mediterranean ecosystem, as well as have a thorough understanding of the the policy issues that are so important to the park and its surroundings.  

I now know of a few great spots that I want to take the kids when they get back and I'm envisioning picnics with cheese and salami and lots of space for them to run around and get their wiggles out!

Missing a Very Special Co-Worker

Tori was interviewed by a student at UC Riverside soon after she became a recruiter. This is the all-time most viewed Peace Corps video on YouTube, with nearly 65,000 views to date.  It's also really funny to watch her bug out her eyes -- as noted in the comments section under the video!

So far the first three days of my new job are going well (I'll write more about that later), but there is something important missing at this new job: a very special co-worker named Tori!

Many people found it odd that Tori and I worked together, and even odder when they saw that our offices were literally right next to each other.  But we did it for more than four years and, 99.9% of the time, it was great.  I can count on one hand the number of times that I arrived at work upset with Tori and actually it was always hard to stay upset with her since we had to work together -- it's pretty hard to give your co-worker the silent treatment.

And, though our fellow co-workers can attest to the fact that we certainly had many non-work-related conversations during the course of the day (Did the social worker call?  Did you deposit that check?), I can honestly say that I think I was a better employee because of working with Tori.

You know when you're trying to navigate a complex situation at work and you talk to your spouse about it, but they really don't understand the nuances of either the work issue or the personalities you're trying to describe?  I regularly turned to Tori for advice on challenging issues and valued her as a sounding board because I knew she'd be 100% honest and she gave objective advice that I trusted.  That in and of itself is very valuable in a workplace.

Also, as our work loads ebbed and flowed, we relied on each other for help and we were both good at being each other's assistant when we were really busy.  I don't think I'll ever have another co-worker that I can just dump tasks on like that -- but of course you can do that to your spouse!  We were always willing to help each other out because we cared about each other's stress level, and on a more selfish level, we wanted the other person to come home on time and help with the kids!

There is one more thing that I will really miss about having Tori as my co-worker and it doesn't relate to making me more efficient or better at my job.  I loved working with Tori because it was  fun to see her as a talented professional who excelled in her job and was appreciated by her peers and her applicants.  Sometimes I would be so proud of a presentation she made, or something she said in a meeting, or a team-building event that she facilitated at a staff retreat.  I always felt lucky to see her in that role, rather than only getting to interact with her as a wife or mother.  And of course there were the lunch dates, which are great because you don't need a babysitter!

Tori says that now that we won't see each other all day long, we'll be more excited to see each other and that may be true.  But I will definitely miss having a great co-worker and also getting to spend the adult time together.

Then again, I know she'd be great with the National Park Service, so maybe we'll get to work together again!

Costa Rica: Fun with Buckets

 Tori and the kids (and Grandma Linda) have now been in Costa Rica for about five days and I've been able to talk with Tori almost every day.  The kids are usually asleep by the time I talk with her, so today was neat because it was the first time I was able to Skype with the kids and talk to them.  It was especially cute to see Charlie laughing and smiling at me -- I'm glad he hasn't forgotten me yet!

I know that there are definitely some struggles in adapting to their new life in Costa Rica -- sleep schedules, heat, living conditions, and lots of mosquitoes -- but the real bright spot has been the beach.  Tori says the waves are perfect and the shore is really shallow, so the kids can walk out pretty far and still be safe.  They basically try to spend all day every day at the beach and I know they've even had some fun night swims.

In addition to the beach, Linda had the idea to buy some buckets and fill them with water for Charlie to play in. Apparently that has been pure joy for Charlie and he can sit in the bucket of water and then get out and then sit back in for hours upon hours.  And, according to this picture, it looks like Skip and Zadie are taking a cue from Charlie and cooling off in buckets, too.

It makes me happy to see the kids having good, clean fun!

10 Things I Want to Do While My Family is Away

Though I will certainly miss my family over the next few months, I also know that this is an opportunity to do all of the adult stuff that I miss so much.  Basically I'm envisioning a life of arts and culture. 

Who knows what I'll actually accomplish, but here are a few of the things, in no particular order, that I'd like to tackle in my spare time (aside from learning the ropes at my new job):

1.  Read 10 books.  I'm open to suggestions, but I do know that I'd like to read "A Visit from the Goon Squad."

2.  Attend a lecture or two at the downtown library.

3.  Ride public transit on the weekends.

4.  Go on four long hikes in the National Park System.  My first one is this Saturday.

5.  Watch all of the Ken Burns' America's Best Idea series.

6.  Spend a weekend with my parents as an adult, without children!

7.  Babysit for friends or family who have done so much to help my own family.

8.  Do a service project one weekend.

9.  Go on an L.A. Conservancy Walking Tour

10.  Finally do the CicLAvia bicycle route in April (which I haven't been able to do the past few times for child-related reasons).

Filling the Void

Tori and the kids (with Grandma Linda) left yesterday morning for Costa Rica.  I'm not sure how much I've already explained about the fact that they're going to spend two months in Costa Rica and one month in Washington, but basically Tori wasn't quite ready to be a stay-at-home mom yet and thought this would be a nice way to ease into it -- on the beach in a foreign land, with her mom helping out.

Obviously this is quite a big change for our family since I won't see the kids for about seven weeks (when they spend a week in L.A., before heading up to Washington). 

Yesterday after work I felt a little bit like an amputee.  A huge part of me was suddenly removed and it was a little disorienting.  I admit that it was nice to be able to leave work whenever I felt like it, but the whole evening was eerie.  I decided to go to a movie to fill the void.

It's not like I've never been away from my family before, so I don't know why last night was so much stranger than any other time -- I suppose it's also the fact that this is such a time of tremendous change, what with the change in jobs, the lack of a home, the move to a different community, etc.  I definitely had a moment last night when I thought, who came up with the stupid plan to do all of this at the same time?  Nothing like a clean break with your home, your job, your spouse's job, your neighborhood, and your entire family!!

My co-workers have been kind enough to organize happy hours for my last few nights on the job, and I always rue the fact that I never get to go to happy hours anymore, so here's my big chance.  I'm also going on a hike with a few friends on Saturday, so I'm looking forward to that.

Just filling the void over here!

Goodbye, Crappy Duplex

Back in 2009 when we moved out of our previous place, I wrote a very nostalgic post titled "Goodbye, House."  We officially moved out of our latest home a few days ago, so it seems fitting that I should title this post "Goodbye, Crappy Duplex."

Goodbye, crappy duplex made of stucco and the color of dirt.

Goodbye, crappy duplex in a block so full of duplexes that there were about 17 humans within a 20-yard radius of our home.

Goodbye, walls so thin that we could hear our neighbor snoring.

Goodbye walls so thin that we couldn't let our kids get in bed with us in the mornings because it would wake our neighbors.

Goodbye walls so thin that we slept with earplugs every single night for 2+ years.

And most of all, goodbye to our sour-faced neighbor who is undoubtedly celebrating the departure of our raucous family!

In fairness, there were a few things that I liked about this home -- nothing to do with the home, but more to do with its location.  It was only a half a block from a great park and only three miles from our work, so that was really ideal.

Now we're staying a few days at Tori's sister's house and it's been so lovely to have the kids come in bed with us in the morning and not have to stress all day long about our screaming children.

Here's to hoping that our next home is not a duplex!

Tori's Last Day at the Peace Corps

A little over five years ago, Tori was miserably unhappy in a job where she was managing eight after-school programs.  Lots of stress and a boss who was very difficult to work for.  She was so overwhelmed at work that she didn't have time to look for another job, so I looked and found the Peace Corps recruiter vacancy.  Since I had previously held that job in San Francisco, I completed the entire application and submitted it for her.  She just had to show up to the interview, and of course she sold them from there.

For five years, Tori went around to college campuses and communities spreading the good word about Peace Corps.  She's always been known for her energetic presentations and would NEVER think to use PowerPoint!  To get a sense of what her co-workers and boss think of her, below is the email that my boss sent out to a few hundred employees within Peace Corps' department of recruitment and selection (it was jointly compiled by a few staff members).

Today TEAM LA bids farewell to Tori.

If Peace Corps opens a recruitment "hall of fame," she will be there.  If we could get her a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame, we would.  If she had a jersey number, we'd retire it.  You get the idea (though she probably won't get that last reference).  Arguably one of the best recruiters in Peace Corps' history, Tori Wilson has also become a close friend to all of us at LARO – saying farewell is not easy.

To say farewell to Tori, is to say farewell to a legend.  Five years ago, Tori brought the energy, passion, and enthusiasm she brings to all aspects of her life, to recruiting.  The greater Los Angeles area will never be the same.  Besides nominating an incredible 591 applicants, she turned UCLA into a Tier 1 powerhouse, turned Cal State Long Beach into the top CSU school in 2011, and spearheaded countless retention events, in addition to a myriad of other feats.  As evidence by almost half of her nominees coming from diverse backgrounds, it has always been her priority to see volunteers reflect the diversity of America.

Even more impressive than numbers is her character – she is all heart.  She has captured the heart & minds of thousands of prospects (and fellow staff) with her engaging and compelling presentations.  Her inquisitive spirit has always led to great questions about how we as an agency can do better.  She is naturally warm and inclusive, immediately welcoming all new staff, prospects, and applicants alike.  During her final Long Beach community information session, a former nominee of Tori’s who is now an RPCV, surprised her by presenting a gift from his country of service.  She was taken aback, as she has always been by praise received for her accomplishments.  She doesn’t understand her greatness, because it’s really effortless.  A genuine team player, she is always willing to lend a hand and is excited to collaborate with colleagues. 

And not to be forgotten, she is the master of surface-street routes – avoiding interstate traffic at all costs.

Our office will not be the same.  It will be quieter without her contagious laughter, her fantastically thunderous Patois conversations (the language she learned serving in Jamaica for three years), and her electrifying sneezes.  We’ll have one less cyclist commuter, much less hip fashion sense, and far less originality.  We’ll miss her cooking skills at the potlucks to come, dance moves, limitless number of absurd stories only a “Tori” could find herself in, and the occasional visits from her three beautiful children.  All of these contributions at LARO have happened while becoming a foster-adopt parent to two, and mother to three, co-raising a lively young family.  Service is not something Tori does, service is who she is. 

As she embarks on this “close of service” with an adventure to Costa Rica, we wish her safe travels, relaxing days on the beach, and well-behaved children (as all three will be in tow).  With her background as a PCV, Master of Recreation and Park Administration PC Fellow, program director and manager of youth programs, and now recruiter, there is no doubt she will continue to make incredible contributions (and continue spreading the word about Peace Corps).  Tori will be truly missed and we wish her the very best.  Please join us in thanking her for an extraordinary eight years with Peace Corps.