Urban Run

I love San Francisco. The city, the parks, the museums, the ocean, the bay, and urban runs. There is something strange about running in the city, all the people walking, then you pass, get passed, or spot another runner. That’s when it stops feeling strange. I like to run by the bay. Ocean on one side and city on the other. Seeing the water puts me into the running trance, the void, the place where “right here, right now” is all you are. Yesterday’s mistakes and tomorrows worries leave you and you are free to just be.

I never had this feeling when I ran in Nebraska. Running there was as taxing on my mind as it was my body, more so really. My mind running as fast as my body, how to budget my limited income, what do I need to pack, what will I have for dinner, will I get to see him tonight, what is due for class.

I made a comment to my mum about how friendly the people in San Francisco are. She said she didn’t think I liked friendly people. When I’m shopping in a store they ask if I need help, that is friendly, and they always say thank you when you leave or check out. People say please, too. This is not common in Nebraska. But when I run in Nebraska people always want to say “Hi” or wave.

When I run I have my headphones, sunglasses, and hat on; I look like I’m on a mission. I’m running, I’m in my zone and I don’t look ready to socialize. When I run it becomes my job whether it is for 30 minutes or two hours; I’m working. My run is solitary and doesn’t involve interaction, people skills, and IS NOT a customer service orientated.

In San Francisco there are people, people everywhere. I can run without being bothered, I can stay in my zone, start my job and finish, I can meditate without being interrupted, I can biff it and no one bothers me. I love it here in my city by the bay.

Home on the Range

Project for MFA class. Done with illustrator. First time using the program.

Small Town Girl, Big City World

Never was a fan of Journey until today. I am the “Just a small town girl, living in a lonely world.” I moved to San Francisco last week, didn’t know anyone, didn’t know anything about my roommate except her name, didn’t know how I would get from the airport to my apartment, and didn’t know what I needed to do first. I did know that I was going to art school.

Now I’ve got Journey playing in my ear, I’ve found a grocery store, listen to books on my iPod when I walk around town, know how to get to my classes, to Walgreens (5 of them now), and where to buy household items. It’s only been a week but I’m starting to feel like this is home; I’m not just on vacation.

I still have to use Google maps to get around town some but now I don’t have to look too long to know where I’m headed. I’ve also found my beloved gym. I’m a manic-depressive; I’m a manic when I get to run everyday and become depressive when I go more then 3 day with out it. I have also found more then 10 sushi restaurants in a 5 square block radius from here. Off I go for sushi!

Mapping Project

When I was an IT major we would make the flow charts to help us see how our databases should be connected. In my advertising department in my undergrad we would use flow charts to brainstorm. Flow charts have become something that I use regularly when trying to create something new, trying to remember the past, or trying to decide my future.

I used colored markers and wrote it by hand because I still feel like a little kid. I can’t seem to believe that I’m 27. In an age where “40 is the new 30” it is easy for me to stay childlike.

Green is education stuff. The one spot of red represents two very important bosses who have changed my life, both named Dick, and I worked for them at the same time. Blue is important events of my life.

The pink and purple are my “past” and “present/future” respectively. Pink is things that I associate with my undergrad and purple I have tied to my legal name change, my middle name changed to Katharine. My friends have always called me Kat and I decided to make it more official. I waited until after graduation with my BS because like a graduation ceremony changing my middle name was a ceremonial right of passage for me.

Mid term project

Mid Point of Project

Passport