Yes, I'm packing up my life once again.
You can read all about my next adventure in my second blog post, just up over at the HuffPo: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alison-parks/the-new-new-place_b_6065296.html
I feel I'm getting CLOSE to settling down now. Gosh it's about time!!
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Change of Venue!
Hi folks! My first blog post about my move away from Silicon Valley is up over at the Huffington Post. Check it out if you get a chance:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alison-parks/escape-from-silicon-valle_b_5712491.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alison-parks/escape-from-silicon-valle_b_5712491.html
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
From the Server Farms to the Vineyards
It's been a while since I've written. But what a while it's been : )
Still absolutely loving the lost wax casting jewelry. And as I create, I continue to learn and develop my skills. I've recently learned to set stones within the silver and gold. The possibilities are getting way exciting!
My first jewelry site is due to go live at the end of September. Really excited about posting the visible results from the creative process. And hopefully making a little money while I'm at it.
I'm also finally focusing in on my vineyard photography. I mean it's only logical, this area boasts about 250 wineries within spitting distance. And the wine here is ultra delicious, particularly my favorite reds.
As we speak, the grapes are basking in our perfect grape growing weather — 95 in the daytime, 55 at night. And while talking to the wineries about photography, well, somehow I ended up working at one! I'm really enjoying learning about the hard work and gut instinct that goes into the winemaking process. Such a trip!
So, what a year, right?! As my daughter says, who'd have thunk it?! The yin and the yang of it all is truly mind boggling.
Still absolutely loving the lost wax casting jewelry. And as I create, I continue to learn and develop my skills. I've recently learned to set stones within the silver and gold. The possibilities are getting way exciting!
My first jewelry site is due to go live at the end of September. Really excited about posting the visible results from the creative process. And hopefully making a little money while I'm at it.
I'm also finally focusing in on my vineyard photography. I mean it's only logical, this area boasts about 250 wineries within spitting distance. And the wine here is ultra delicious, particularly my favorite reds.
As we speak, the grapes are basking in our perfect grape growing weather — 95 in the daytime, 55 at night. And while talking to the wineries about photography, well, somehow I ended up working at one! I'm really enjoying learning about the hard work and gut instinct that goes into the winemaking process. Such a trip!
So, what a year, right?! As my daughter says, who'd have thunk it?! The yin and the yang of it all is truly mind boggling.
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
The Space-Time Continuum
It is so odd. Time seems to be moving at a different pace here. Which is good, I desperately wanted a slower pace, but geez, I've been here for three weeks, and it seems like I've been here for years. It seriously does. Welcome to the Chronophage at work...
While I marvel at my local space-time continuum, I have two main focuses. Creating my lost wax casting jewelry (new obsession!) and finding some meaningful tech work. I've only applied to one company so far, but there are quite a few around that seem mighty interesting. The tech companies around here seem to operate on a more humanistic level. I rather like that. Now let's see if they'll actually hire a fifty-something renaissance girl. That remains to be seen. I'll give it a few months and if there is no traction, my little startup is back ON!
I seem to be taking a small breather from my food/vineyard photography, but it's June now, and the local vineyards are just getting interesting. I'll be back to it soon...
In the meantime, taking photos of the flora and fauna in my yard will have to do. Check out this manzanita tree shedding it's bark. Hey, I can relate : )
While I marvel at my local space-time continuum, I have two main focuses. Creating my lost wax casting jewelry (new obsession!) and finding some meaningful tech work. I've only applied to one company so far, but there are quite a few around that seem mighty interesting. The tech companies around here seem to operate on a more humanistic level. I rather like that. Now let's see if they'll actually hire a fifty-something renaissance girl. That remains to be seen. I'll give it a few months and if there is no traction, my little startup is back ON!
I seem to be taking a small breather from my food/vineyard photography, but it's June now, and the local vineyards are just getting interesting. I'll be back to it soon...
In the meantime, taking photos of the flora and fauna in my yard will have to do. Check out this manzanita tree shedding it's bark. Hey, I can relate : )
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Where I'm Supposed to Be
And breathe...
The beauty of this place is unimaginable. I have now moved into a house that sits on the top of a hill surrounded by waving fields of wild oats. There are bluebirds. There are blue bellies. There are deer, coyotes, turkeys, quail you name it. I am officially in the wild.
Two changes that are really standing out:
1) the noise. In the bay area, I had been living near the intersection of two major freeways. Up here I cannot even hear a freeway. It is so quiet, except for the birds, the horses across the street, the occasional woofy dog and the wind. Exceptionally peaceful.
2) the darkness. Ok, I too invested some time in checking out the Camelopardalids meteor shower last week. There is zero light pollution up here. Zero. To the point where if you turn off the lights before the moon rise, you cannot see your hand in front of your face. So I thought... Perfect! I'll turn out all the lights, dash outside and check out the sky. It was a little disconcerting being outside unprotected in the true darkness, and super amazing when I finally saw a huge meteor scream across the sky. But not so amazing when two minutes later a bat flew right by my head. And thus ended the meteor portion of the evening!
Can a place, can physically changing your location, fundamentally alter the way you think? I tell you, my ideas for new art are already surging up here. And my energy to get back to doing some tech is really revving as well. Between the two, I think I'm finding my balance. Feels damn good.
The beauty of this place is unimaginable. I have now moved into a house that sits on the top of a hill surrounded by waving fields of wild oats. There are bluebirds. There are blue bellies. There are deer, coyotes, turkeys, quail you name it. I am officially in the wild.
Two changes that are really standing out:
1) the noise. In the bay area, I had been living near the intersection of two major freeways. Up here I cannot even hear a freeway. It is so quiet, except for the birds, the horses across the street, the occasional woofy dog and the wind. Exceptionally peaceful.
2) the darkness. Ok, I too invested some time in checking out the Camelopardalids meteor shower last week. There is zero light pollution up here. Zero. To the point where if you turn off the lights before the moon rise, you cannot see your hand in front of your face. So I thought... Perfect! I'll turn out all the lights, dash outside and check out the sky. It was a little disconcerting being outside unprotected in the true darkness, and super amazing when I finally saw a huge meteor scream across the sky. But not so amazing when two minutes later a bat flew right by my head. And thus ended the meteor portion of the evening!
Can a place, can physically changing your location, fundamentally alter the way you think? I tell you, my ideas for new art are already surging up here. And my energy to get back to doing some tech is really revving as well. Between the two, I think I'm finding my balance. Feels damn good.
Friday, May 9, 2014
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
The Home Stretch
Houston, we are at T minus 8 days and counting!
The house is about half packed up now, thanks to the extra help from my dear daughter and her beau. We've made good progress, and if we can continue on with 3-4 boxes each day it will all be packed up when the movers come.
I confess that I am experiencing 24-hour-a-day-technicolor-daydreams about my new life now. The new house, the nearby vineyards just waiting to be photographed, the new jewelry classes, the new people I'll meet. The ocean!! So excited! I'm absolutely ready to jump into those new shoes.
The last time I moved out of the bay area, the year was 1987. Yes seriously! Early on I was married and divorced to a very kind man. Just not the right kind man. After an agreeable divorce I moved to Santa Barbara to decompress and jump start my life.
Oh, I was SO happy there! But, as they say, San Luis Obispo is the new Santa Barbara!
This time around I'm leaving behind a much more seriously toxic divorce-from-hell as it lurches madly towards the finish line. Turns out he wasn't a very nice man, after all. But I have to compartmentalize all that negative stuff. Squash it into a little tiny file and close that virtual drawer. Time to get on with my life.
Soon I'll be hundreds of miles away, with my heart full of hope and new promise. Soon I'll be running around in the field, frolicking amongst the deer, the quail and the almond trees. Just the thought of that makes me smile : )
The house is about half packed up now, thanks to the extra help from my dear daughter and her beau. We've made good progress, and if we can continue on with 3-4 boxes each day it will all be packed up when the movers come.
I confess that I am experiencing 24-hour-a-day-technicolor-daydreams about my new life now. The new house, the nearby vineyards just waiting to be photographed, the new jewelry classes, the new people I'll meet. The ocean!! So excited! I'm absolutely ready to jump into those new shoes.
The last time I moved out of the bay area, the year was 1987. Yes seriously! Early on I was married and divorced to a very kind man. Just not the right kind man. After an agreeable divorce I moved to Santa Barbara to decompress and jump start my life.
Oh, I was SO happy there! But, as they say, San Luis Obispo is the new Santa Barbara!
This time around I'm leaving behind a much more seriously toxic divorce-from-hell as it lurches madly towards the finish line. Turns out he wasn't a very nice man, after all. But I have to compartmentalize all that negative stuff. Squash it into a little tiny file and close that virtual drawer. Time to get on with my life.
Soon I'll be hundreds of miles away, with my heart full of hope and new promise. Soon I'll be running around in the field, frolicking amongst the deer, the quail and the almond trees. Just the thought of that makes me smile : )
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