Day 86: Time to say goodbye

Charlie wrote his name on the hummus container because, according to him, I am “a pig” who ate all of “his hummus”

Cousin brunch at my Aunt Terri’s house! My cousin Frida just arrived from Denmark and I wanted to see her before I left. I stayed with Frida and her family in Skorping for a week two summers ago–it was lovely to see her and catch up. My other cousin, Cristiana, is starting to look at colleges and had a lot of questions about Yale, which she loved (of course).

Frida ❤

I learned how to do a fishtail braid!

What my suitcases looked like when I left the house on Tuesday morning… It was all supposed to go in one bag… oops

The last Minnesota lunch: corn on the cob and a BLT

Stopped by my cousin Ann’s house to say goodbye to sweet little Aiden, who then forced my to watch several episodes of Tom and Jerry with him.

The perfect summer day

Annie’s backyard. We had a busy afternoon of doctors appointments and a busy night of packing, but it was perfect late afternoon, relaxing in her backyard.

August 12, 2014: 280 days of East Coast cold and rain

Day 85: Chasing the Sunset

I spent the day saying goodbye to my favorite munchkins.  Going to miss these kids like crazy. Especially all their adorable selfies…

Models

Zac was upset because I painted the girls’ nails but wouldn’t do his. His dad made me promise that he would not be subjected to any sparkly nail polish of any color.

The sunset on my way across town. I decided (or so suggested the closed exit ramp) that I skip by my house and chase the clouds into St. Paul.

St. Paul in the setting sun

The Cathedral during sunset. One of my favorite buildings in St. Paul, the Cathedral is now a Catholic pilgrimage site and the site of all confirmations in the city.

Something else I will miss desperately… Not looking forward to going back to the world of Starbucks.

August 11, 2014: 281 cups of coffee to be consumed (and then some)

Day 80: Gray is actually the new black

Today has been a BUSY day, replete with prisons, feta cheese, and dinner with the fam.

After visiting four different men’s prisons, today I was finally able to visit MCF-Shakopee, Minnesota’s only female prison.  My experience there, like the campus itself, was EXTREMELY different than the men’s prisons.  My tour guide was the woman in charge of transitions (the department responsible for easing each offenders’ transition back into society) and she was FABULOUS.  In fact, each staff member I came in contact with was interested, happy to speak with me, and seemed to have a friendly relationship with the other staff members.  The staff at Shakopee was actually much friendlier (with me) than the staff at the men’s prisons and seemed to have a more community feel amongst themselves.  It was a happier place in general–it almost felt like a small college campus, made up of an outdoor quad, activity buildings, and living quarters.  There is no fence around the compound (although that will be changing in the next five years), and the women enjoy significantly less supervision than the men’s prisons.  The women are not also not divided according to the level of their crimes, but are housed according to last name, regardless of their crime.

As it turns out that the majority of accidents/incidents/violence in the Shakopee prison are relationship related.  This, in addition to the lax security and the community feel, is surprisingly similar to the show Orange is the New Black.  So in short, it appears that gray (the color of their shirts in Shakopee), is actually the new black.

After my prison visit, I swung by the historic Fort Snelling for the annual veterans event.  They have volunteers from around the state provide free legal service, homeless shelter information, healthcare services, and donated army goods.  One of the coolest parts of the event is that they had a judge available that had special permission from the MN Supreme Court to have jurisdiction over the entire state, which means that veterans could have small cases settled on the spot.  It was a really awesome event, albeit a sad one.  A majority of the veterans who attended the event (over a thousand in all) live in poverty, are homeless, or are suffering from illness. And those are just the veterans who were able to make the event–meaning that they heard about it, found the fare to make it out there and live in the Cities, or can drive, and have the mental stability to get there, etc.–which means that there are thousands of others who aren’t getting the help they need around the state.

My homemade salad for lunch, complete with chicken, feta, and crasians…be impressed

 

Happy 70th birthday, Aunt Edie!
My Aunt Edie passed away seven years ago from breast cancer and today we celebrated her 70th birthday at her favorite restaurant, Boca Chica in West St. Paul.  It was a wonderful time to spend with my aunts, celebrating an amazing woman.

August 6, 2014: 286–about the number of beds originally built in the Shakopee prison, which now holds over 600 women

Day 79: Going to Miss this City

A gorgeous view of my bike path through Minneapolis, just because it’s beautiful ❤

August 5, 2014: 287 days to travel across the cities of the East Coast

Day 78: Had a Bad Day? I Have the Cure

Start with dessert for breakfast.  Meghan and I went out to brunch at Black Coffee and Waffle Bar in Northeast Minneapolis.  First it was craft coffee, then cronuts, and the newest foodie craze: specialty waffles.  Our first excursion into the waffle world was at the “best place in Minneapolis,” according to Yelp, which only serves five types of sweet waffles, one savory, and lots and lots of coffee. Below is my incredible breakfast, complete with fruit, granola, almond butter, and whipped cream.

Meghan took a slightly more chocolate approach and went with the s’more waffle.  Both waffles were INCREDIBLE–the foundation itself was crisp and delicious, the fruit fresh, and the toppings sweet.  I highly recommend the craft waffle and all specialty restaurants.

Key to happiness, step #2: coffee.  Lots and lots of coffee.  Personally, I prefer some espresso, iced, with something sweet, but all forms of cold press can also hit the spot.

Black Coffee and Waffle Bar. So hipster.

The greatest antidote to a rough day?  Community special needs events.  There is nothing sweeter, more wholesome, or generally more human than watching my little brother and his friends play kickball.  Every kick, every pitch, every out is more exciting.  Everything is an accomplishment, while very little seems to truly disappoint or upset the group.  It is not even a group, so much as a family.  Many of the kids go to school together and have been since kindergarten.  This also means that many of the parents know each other and are often great friends. I’ve seen many of these parents act as the greatest support systems during rough times over the years. Its a family of understanding, of support, and ultimately, of fun.

Charlie kicking the ball!

So handsome.

Charlie and his friend Karl.  Karl got his first home run of the year today, the last game of the season. Even though he was tagged out at first base, then again running to third, both teams cheered him on to home base and he celebrated harder than anyone.  Really the best cure for any ailment.

August 4, 2014: 288 and more moments of fun with Charlie and his buddies to come

Day 77: How to Know Your Best Friend Gets You

Today Annie and I did what we have been doing for the last seven years of our friendship: absolutely nothing. We laid around, ate pizza rolls (basically the only way we know how to feed ourselves when her mother goes out of town and the groceries run out), and watched movies.  It was amazing.  We have the best time doing what we do best, or in this case, doing nothing.

Annie gave me my birthday gift early woo! She even purposely wrapped it in feather paper and a bow, knowing I would appreciate the adorable whimsy.

The amazing present: Annie played Settlers of Catan for the first time this past summer in Amsterdam and claimed that she IMMEDIATELY thought of me and had the game shipped home. We haven’t yet played but are plotting the perfect opportunity, which is a little more difficult considering we need at least three players…

These look disgusting in retrospect.

August 3, 2014: 289 more opportunities to do us and do nothing

Day 76: “‘Classic.’ A book which people praise but don’t read.”

So said Mark Twain. Many of us can relate–myself included. The classics are the books we always meant to read, they’re sitting on our bookshelves, awaiting our attention, yet often neglected for the shinier, the more fun. Today, I have decided to change that.  My incredible supervisor at CCJ, Emily Baxter, was astounded to learn that I had never read Salinger.  She returned from a trip with a copy of Salinger’s Nine Stories, which is an undeniable American classic and one of her personal favorites.  This gift has inspired me to begin a quest (lifelong, I’m sure) to actually read all the classics, rather than just talk about them.

The first few on my list are:
1. Salinger, Nine Stories and The Catcher and the Rye
2. Camus, The Stranger
3. Chopin, The Awakening
4. Tolkien, The Hobbit
5. Faulkner, any and all

I would appreciate any suggestions of favorite classic books!

August 2, 2014: 290 days of reading, very few of them fun, I’m sure

Day 83: The Great American Roadtrip

One full car, two tired kids, two old ladies, and we’re off! Today marks the beginning of our trip to bring Teddy’s stuff to his new school in Indiana!

Char is WAY more excited than he should be

It didn’t last long…

Our beautiful view all through Wisconsin… and then Illinois… and then Indiana…  It turns out that the great American countryside is made up mostly of corn.

This is what I’m-so-hungry-I’ll-eat-anything looks like

August 8, 2014: 284 days until I never return to school again…

Day 82: Last Day at CCJ

Today was my last day working at the Council on Crime and Justice. As always, leaving is bittersweet.  I am privileged to have had an incredible summer working with a powerful organization and even more amazing colleagues.  I have been introduced to the realities of the criminal justice system and the communities it impacts, which differs significantly from the black and white portrayals of my studies.  I have been inducted into the world of public service with compassion and dedication, which has been displayed by every professional I have come in contact with.  This summer has taught me that I also want to dedicate my life to public service (hopefully with a law degree, maybe in policy).  It is not an easy path–only at small non-profits do you see employees staying until midnight and working on weekends, simply because of their dedication and passion (they’re definitely not doing it for the money).

So, I want to say thank you to the Council on Crime and Justice –for all the amazing work that each person does and for the organization’s commitment to the community.  Moreover, thank you for giving me an amazing summer, full of learning experiences and hilarity (I see you, Josh).  I also want to thank the Yale Alumni Community Service Fellowship for making this summer possible!

Now on to visit my suitemates in California and then back to school for senior year woo!

Goodbye gifts from my coworkers. The Minnesota cat pack is that I can “educate” all the East Coast people about our amazing state…

Last day biking/walking by the Gold Medal Park in downtown Minneapolis! I’m going to miss this area 😦

Jamie got her wisdom teeth out and made the mistake of sending me this photo… Lucky for me, I have no wisdom teeth coming in, which also means I’m more evolutionarily advanced.

Movie night with Annie G! Pretty sure I fell asleep soon after this photo…

August 7, 2014: 285 more days to figure out a life plan

Day 81: My girlies

Jamie got her wisdom teeth out and made the mistake of sending me this photo… Lucky for me, I have no wisdom teeth coming in, which also means I’m more evolutionarily advanced.

Movie night with Annie G! Pretty sure I fell asleep soon after this photo…

August 7, 2014: 285 more days and nights to spend with my ladies