Checking Things Off

Remember when I posted a few weeks ago with my goals for the coming year? I thought I should update you with my progress because, yes, believe it or not, I have made progress!!

I learned to paddleboard about a week ago, and it was great. I was skeptical about this "class" that CBI requires you to take. Don't you just, well, stand up and paddle? As it turns out, the class was about five minutes long and consisted mostly of "Here's where we keep the paddleboards. Here's how to carry them. Don't forget to put on the ankle leash. Get on. Stand up. Paddle."

I don't have any photos, but it was a beautiful day on the water and I loved paddling around. It was totally comfortable, and I didn't fall in. You get to sort of sneak up on ducks, and the people watching is way better than in a kayak, and you don't end up with a wet butt like you do in a kayak, and for a level of added difficulty you can switch between standing, kneeling, sitting, sunbathing, whatever. Anyway, now that I have my CBI SUP rating (I'm really racking up those ratings now! Solo, helmsman, kayak, SUP), I can take out a board whenever I want. Too bad there are so many fun water sports and so little summertime left!

Hello, world!

Guess who just upgraded to a window desk?! That's right--after two years at IEc, I now have enough seniority to be worthy of a view. And oh, how I love it!

Today was my first full day in my new cubicle. I moved most of my things Wednesday afternoon (mostly because I was tired of working and, well, impatient). My computer and phone were moved yesterday afternoon. I thought it would be weird not to walk to my old desk this morning, but it felt completely natural. It was clearly meant to be.

But the decision actually didn't come easily. My new desk is only five feet away from my old desk--that made moving simple. Sadly, my new desk is also sandwiched between two of the loudest people at IEc (this pronouncement would not be news to them--I think they were hired to be loud and assertive), and they are constantly on the phone. It's hard to think straight when both are talking at once. But my choice was either to stay sitting across from them, where I could still hear every word, with no window... or I could move between them and gain a window. I took the window.

So the volume hasn't really changed, but the lighting has. My new cube also seems bigger, but maybe that's just an illusion since it's so well lit. I've offered up my extra chair to friends who want to work on their suntans. As an added bonus, I am almost always freezing in the office, and many people complain about how hot it gets sitting by a window. (Really? I'll take it!) I figure this upgrade will mean I spend less time wishing blankets and sweatpants were work-appropriate attire.

Without further ado, this is my new home!

You may notice that my African violet (yes, the violet that traveled from a wedding in Cleveland to Florida and Georgia to Boston) is still doing well one year later. You may also notice (or not; you can barely tell in this photo) that I have a beach photo as the background on my computer screens. Then just to round out the comfortable atmosphere, I have a Japanese-style fish painting that I've had since freshman year of college, a snapshot of Colin and me in St. Louis (other photos that used to be tacked to my walls haven't been put back up yet), a Koosh ball, Buckyball magnets, and a dish of rocks that used to house the air plant that I killed. My sweaty running clothes and the gigantic pile of snacks that keeps me going every day get stuffed in my drawers to keep up appearances.

And on the other side of my cube, I have what I like to call my "reading nook." I love the appearance of books on shelves, so long ago I brought in my relevant text books/style books/reports. I've also acquired a few in my two years at IEc, so that all makes for a happy (if really uninteresting to anyone not interested in environmental economics) bookshelf. Also making an appearance in this photo is my IEc fleece. I am apparently not the only one who freezes in the office because last year the principals handed out thick blue jackets emblazoned with our logo. And since I am tiny and Lands' End doesn't make jackets in extra small, wearing my fleece is pretty much like wearing a blanket... which is not conducive to productivity, actually.

If I look a little tanner next time you see me, it's probably from all the extra sunlight in my life now. And hey, if it takes two years to get a windowed cube, how long does it take to get a corner office with a door?

Bringing Greece Home

I have a secret. I really, really enjoy reading home decor and home improvement blogs and magazines. To borrow Grandmother's description of reading cookbooks, I read them like fiction. I love imagining myself painting rooms, refinishing furniture, building things, crafting, and ultimately living in a magazine-like house. But do I do any of those things? No.

Partly, of course, because I'm a renter. And partly because I have no idea where I'll settle down geographically, but I'm 100% sure it's not this apartment in Cambridge. So when Colin decided to commit to staying in his apartment in New Haven through the end of his PhD (which is about three years away, unless I jinxed that by announcing it to the world), that felt like long enough to decorate a little. Have I mentioned that I also enjoy decorating much more when it involves other people's things...

What Colin wanted for his apartment, other than upgrading from leftover-from-college furniture, was the bright, calm feel of Greece: crisp white buildings with blue roofs against the clear blue Aegean. He thought painting a blue accent wall in his bedroom would do the trick (and by only painting one wall, he would minimize the repainting effort when he moves out). I immediately volunteered to help. Finally, I had the perfect chance to try out all the techniques I've been reading about for years!

We were both very pleased with the result. Unfortunately, my love of decor blogs has not translated into immediate talent. The next wall I paint will go smoother, I'm sure... and in the meantime, I can keep reading painting tips! Hooray! I am guessing that I will be invited back when it's time to repaint the wall white in three years, so I'll get more practice before busting out my decorating skills in a house of my own. And for now, Colin can fall asleep in his lovely handpainted oasis of Aegean blue.

In love with the bright blue! 

First stroke of blue on the white wall... no turning back now!

I used the roller while Colin edged around the ceiling and trim.

The finished product! Eventually Colin will hang art or something, too.

Lizard Catching, and a Trip Around the Island

Day 3 on Naxos was lizard catching day. Since we'd have to rent a car to drive out to Colin's field site, we turned the day into a full tour of the northern half of the island. Our first stop was Mount Zas, the highest point on the island. We spent a couple hours hiking to the top and were rewarded with views of all the surrounding islands.

Marble trail at the beginning of the hike.

Colin built this cairn on a previous trip to alert people that the trail makes a sudden left turn.

View from the climb up. So many stone walls, perfect for lizards!

Me at the summit! It was a little hazy but still pretty.

After the hike, it was time for lunch and then the main event: catching lizards! Colin has multiple study sites around the island, but we went to one right in the middle of an olive grove. The stone walls and terraces make excellent lizard habitat. So basically, you just walk along the walls, looking for lizards.

Colin's olive orchard study site. 

I was amused to learn that Colin catches his lizards with tackle-less fishing poles. First step: catch a mealworm or other tasty morsel.

Catching mealworms.

Step two: tie the mealworm to the pole with dental floss.

Colin with a now-baited lizard catching pole. 

Step three: find a lizard and dangle the baited pole in front of its face. Wriggle it tantalizingly if the lizard doesn't bite. When the lizard bites, lift the pole - with the lizard still hanging on - and drop the lizard into a nearby bucket. Yes, lizards are kind of dumb and will hang on despite being lifted clear off the ground.

My first lizard!

I somehow caught a lizard on my first try. (True talent, must be.) We didn't have a particularly successful afternoon because it was so hot that the lizards weren't active enough to come out where we could see them, but I still ended up catching three.

After lizard catching, we stopped by one of the oldest Christian churches in the Aegean, which is right up the hill from Colin's study site.

Very old church.

And then, because we were hot and sweaty from a day of hiking and catching lizards, we headed for the beach. We chose a cute little cove in Apollonas, at the very northern end of the island. It was calm enough for good swimming, but had enough rocks for good snorkeling. Both Colin and I snorkeled here. We saw tons of fun fish!

Tiny harbor and protected swimming cove at Apollonas.

Enjoying the last of the evening sun on the beach. 

After the long day of driving, we headed back to the chora for dinner and packing. Packing?! That's right--the next day we left for our island excursion to Ios and Santorini. Time flies fast when having fun!

Year Two

I'm taking a quick break from blogging about Greece to acknowledge a most impressive milestone: two years at IEc! As of Thursday.

You may remember that I posted a summary of the first year last year. Well, whoops, not much has changed. I still cook about four meals regularly, although I was better about occasionally experimenting with new recipes this year. And I found some good ones: I just never have the energy to make them. (Lately I've been eating more take-out than I should...) I have also spent less time playing with my desk toys this year, and I have yet to play ultimate frisbee, although I guess I've replaced it with my running group. I haven't used a fax machine since that one time last year, and I still get uncomfortably fidgety in my desk chair. I also still wake up early on the weekends, despite being unable to drag myself out of bed on weekdays. In sum: life is mostly the same, but I've gotten busier.

There have been happy changes over this last year, most of which you guys already know about. But I'm all for feel-good reminiscence, so here goes:

• Taking (and being given) more responsibility at work. I love mentoring people, so being a manager is awesome compared to being an analyst. Except when it's not... like when you realize that more responsibility means accepting your own mistakes and your subordinates' and sometimes your superiors', too.
• Being quietly persistent but getting what I want. Practically since joining IEc, I have been trying to shift my work to a different practice area more in line with my background and interests. For whatever reason, it wasn't happening, but I never stopped reminding people of my goal. Even when it meant working extra hours, I kept trying to insert myself in any way I could. It's still not official and probably never will be, but I'm more or less working in that practice area now, and other associates have asked me how I did it. I'm such a quiet person by nature, and years younger than almost everyone else, that sometimes it surprises me to realize that other people aren't so assertive.
• Running a 5k. I'm trying to find more work-life balance, and even though it means staying later in the evenings, I like running in the middle of the day. Unfortunately the weather has not cooperated at all this summer, so I haven't been boating much. As a result, I notice that my arms are much less toned this summer than they were last summer. But my legs are stronger! I'm hoping to run a 10k next, maybe in the fall?
• Having real "work friends." Is it horrible that it took me two years to say I actually have friends at my job? I try to say "yes" as often as possible to invitations to lunch, dinner, drinks, etc. I've gone with work friends to zumba classes in the park, Red Sox games, running on the weekends, shopping, dinner, and just lunch in the afternoons. It was a weird feeling before to realize that all my Boston friends were people I had known from college or high school, but that I had no "new" friends. It's pretty cool to have a group of work friends who I really enjoy and admire. Plus since I'm usually the baby of the group by several years, I appreciate their wisdom and feel doubly cool that they want to hang out with me, too.

And then there are, of course, plenty of things still in the maybe-good-maybe-bad-can't-tell category. Like, I just feel older. My couch rarely looks so comfortable as it does on Fridays at 6. I find myself a little envious of friends who are more settled, with houses and yards and dogs (and even for one good friend, a soon-to-be-baby!). I spend my evenings reading home decor blogs and daydreaming about the day when I have a place of my own. Sometimes I'm surprised that I'm only 26!

So, in an effort to be more patient with myself and young-at-heart, I'm setting a few goals for the next year. Let's see how many I can check off:

• Learn to stand-up paddleboard. CBI now has SUPs, so this ought to be easy. 
• Run a 10k. Yes, hello world, I have just committed to running a longer race. All in the hopes of one day achieving my life goal of a half marathon.
• Knit a shawl, preferably the one I bought yarn for four months ago and haven't started.
• Read for fun. Any suggestions? Shorter is better. My eyes droop and my brain hurts after so many hours at the computer, so beach-lit is about the extent of what I can read these days. :)