Standing Up For Justice

Today I was going to give you my 2020 Dad & Grad Wish List, because I don't want them to get lost in the shuffle of these crazy times, but then crazier times came and I decided instead you will get that post on Saturday, because today I need to talk to you about the most important things in life: human equality. 

art by @makedaisychains

I travel to get a better understanding of the world, to meet new people, to experience new cultures, to try new food. I love learning new things and seeing people different from me. I grew up in Tucson, Arizona, with a wide range of friends from all backgrounds, and parents who were accepting of everyone, even though (or perhaps because) they had both been discriminated against themselves. My mother moved from Germany when she was 5 and didn't know any English. She had to learn at home and at school, with her mother who also didn't know any English. The teachers discriminated against her, because though she was white, she was not American.

My father was half Japanese and could pass for anything but white or black. He was in the Air Force and we moved around quite a bit when I was small. We lived in places like Virginia and Mississippi, where people wouldn't serve him, because he was not white. 

I know what racism looks like. I've seen it and I've felt it. I've even fought it within my own family. That said, in all the ways that people see me, I'm a white woman. I have privilege. I never really understood that until I graduated from school and moved somewhere less diverse. I've seen white women use their privilege to put others down, have them arrested, have them beaten, have them murdered. I know what it's like to be a white woman, and though I've never used my color to do this, I know I have this ability. 

I will never know what it's like to be a Black American. I'm not even treated as an Asian American, but that doesn't mean I can't try to understand and learn and be an ally. I've learned this week how to be a better advocate for someone being harassed, unfairly, by the police or just another entitled citizen. I've learned how I need to think before I call the police if my situation is ever with a POC, especially a BIPOC. We shouldn't have to police the police, but apparently, this is what the world has come to, and it's either that or we let racism win. 

I'm tired of trying to explain to privileged white people why them saying All Lives Matter is derogatory, especially at a time like this. They want to think that everyone is equal, but the fact is, they aren't, and they have never been. It's hard to see that when racism doesn't affect you, which is another privilege in itself. I posted on my Facebook page saying I would stick up for Black Americans, and fight for their rights with my voice on every platform I have. You know what happened? A white person called me a racist, saying that white privilege was a fantasy that only morons believed. This is how a whole group of privileged white people think. They think that the Black Lives Matter movement is a way to shame all white people.

I also came across a white man who said "Black Lives Matter is exclusive. It means MY life doesn't matter." Um, does it? This man has never been oppressed and thinks everything should be about him. He can't conceive of the fact that not everyone has the same opportunities or good fortune or carefree life he's had. He doesn't have to fear everyday because of the color of his skin.

Before I go on, yes, there are good people of all races and bad people of all races, but until we stop defining any of that by the color of our skin, we fight for justice and equality. Yes, there are good cops, but there are also very bad cops, and as someone pointed out there are three different kids of cops: those who are bad, those who are good, but don't speak up when their own have done wrong, which also makes them bad, or those that have spoken up and fought for what's right and are no longer cops. I don't know if I believe that, but watching so many police forces across this nation roll into cities filled with peaceful protesters and start macing them, releasing tear gas, hitting people in the face with rubber bullets, running them down with patrol cars, and other atrocities, it's hard to really deny they have a point. 

I'm sorry if you then are focused on the rioting and the looting, but rioting occurs after people are denied a place to voice their opinion, and looting is something else altogether that has nothing to do with the protesting, but that's what the government wants you to see. They run the media out before they can see them abusing peaceful protesters with no provocation. They are trying to keep helpers from helping and showing others what's really happening. Our own president said he was against using force on people, then threatened to send in the National Guard to shoot protesters who are just trying to be heard, and then told officers to pepper spray those same protesters (and people of the church) so he could go stand in front of said church for a photo op with a bible. This is not how a president should behave, especially in the time of crisis.

I've included several of my favorite ways to respond to people who need guidance right now. Feel free to copy and paste them for your social media posts/comments. If you don't agree with this post, that's fine. I'm clearly not going to say anything you haven't already been told and still disagree with, but I won't let you use my platforms to say hateful, racist things either. I believe Black lives matter. I believe in equality for all. I will fight for justice. I will say their names. I will be an ally. I will listen. I will share. I will not be silent. 

If you would like some resources for books to read, here is a great list. I also just ordered The Assassination of Fred Hampton: How the FBI and the Chicago Police Murdered a Black Panther by Jeffery Haas. 

If you would like a list of places you can donate to, here is a long list to choose from.

If you are overwhelmed, but still want to help, you can work on self-care and also support these Black businesses.

If you want to know the truth about rioting and how the small businesses feel, please read this article.

If you want to know how the police and National Guard are treating medical workers in Minneapolis (and I'm sure elsewhere), please read this and also this. These are not isolated incidents.
If you need a place to understand what's happening, So Let's Talk About ___. is a great place to start.

If you want to follow and support Black travel bloggers, here are a few of my favorites on Instagram:

• Emi Eats
• One Brown Girl's World
• Nikki Houston
• Nicky's Savory Travels
• Vernette
• Annita Thomas
• Ami
• Shanice Frankson
• Search #blacktravelfeed for more amazing travelers

Pride Month has started, so as a quick note, if you want to follow awesome LGBT+ travel accounts, here are some of those, too:

• Disney Queers
• Troy Petenbrink
• Vanderlust Boys
• David Perry
• Danielle & Anna
• Search #gaytravel or #queertravel for more 

If you made it this far, thanks for reading. Please take care of yourselves and one another. Please fight for what is right. Please have an open mind when people tell you to listen. Travel is for everyone. This blog is for everyone. I believe in inclusivity, equality, and justice. Be good to each other and stay safe. Do not be silent. 

Also, don't forget to vote. Because we need protests, loud voices, and new government officials that listen to change things. Change doesn't come from just complaining to others about it. If you aren't lucky enough to live in a vote by mail state like Oregon, think about those that have less access to polling stations and are also being robbed of their chance to vote, because voter suppression is real, especially in poor, black communities. If you know anyone who you can help getting to the polls, please do, in any way, whether that means you volunteer to drive them, spring for an Uber, or coordinate a group to go together. We need to work together to change this broken country/system.

If you have feelings you want to talk about, stories you'd like to share, words of encouragement, or resources you think others can benefit from, I would love to see them in the comments. 

Why I'm Eating After 7PM

This post is brought to you by our sponsor, “Always Eat After 7 PM”. The opinions expressed below are my own.

So, if you read my last “After 7PM” post, you know that I’ve started a new diet journey, though I don’t like to think of it as a diet, because I can eat goods I like and not want to kill myself in the process. Always Eat After 7 PM: The Revolutionary Rule-Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks—While Burning Fat Overnight by Joel Marion shows how you don’t have to starve to get fit or healthy. “Fact is, most diets are extremely narrow with regard to food choices and  variety, and many even limit entire macronutrients altogether over the course of the entire pro-gram (think low-carb and low-fat diets).”

Nobody wants to eat “diet” food. It sucks. I like to travel, I like to eat good food, and I even like to make good food choices, but not if the results make me unhappy and like I’m missing out on everything out there that I could be eating.

I love this excerpt from the book, because it definitely speaks to me: “You will eat large, delicious meals. You will enjoy foods you love. You will not feel deprived. You will enjoy meals and snacks at night. And you will lose weight quickly and safely in the process.”

I still want to look good in a bathing suit and I want to have the stamina to keep up with the things I want to do in life and on vacation. On my last big trip I walked over 60 miles in the course of two weeks, much of which was uphill, and I walked a marathon over a four-day visit to Disneyland and Universal Studios. I didn’t complain, but I was tired. I’m not in the best shape, so I could definitely stand to be healthier and shed a few pounds, which is what I’m aiming to get from Eat After 7PM.

Joel created this diet for me and others like me. Let’s see why this diet works and why it works for everyone. Here’s what Joel Marion had to say about his background and motivation to help others get healthier and lose weight:

Q: What inspired you to write the book?

A: After authoring 6 best-selling books it was glaringly obvious there were 2 huge misconceptions about dieting that needed to be exposed. The first is that you can't eat late at night or before bed, which science now shows is NOT true. And second, you can't eat large portions that satisfy your natural instinct. This book solves both these problems by providing an evidence-based, enjoyable approach to dieting that can be used by any person to quickly achieve their weight loss goals.

Q: What was the most surprising discovery when you were researching scientific data for the diet?

A: That almost everything my college education and certifications taught me was NOT grounded in published scientific research.

Q: How difficult is the Always Eat After 7 PM plan to follow?

A: It's not. And that's exactly why I wrote the book. While any diet is never truly easy, it can be more enjoyable and much easier to adhere to when you understand how Always Eat After 7pm works because it caters to our body’s natural instincts.

Because this diet works for everyone, I’m excited to see where it takes me and how it can change my eating habits, and, by extension, my daily life and energy levels.

Always Eat After 7 PM: The Revolutionary Rule-Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks—While Burning Fat Overnight by Joel Marion is now available to purchase. Learn more about the book and how to purchase here.

This post is brought to you by our sponsor, “Always Eat After 7 PM”. The opinions expressed above are my own.

My Alternative to Portland Rose Festival

This year has been weird, but we're finding cool things where we can, and that means we'll be doing a lot of local tourism that's also responsible. The Portland Rose Festival would be happening right about now and The Grand Floral Parade is one of the biggest draws to Downtown Portland. We've been spending some weekends driving around to the Parading In Place homes, but the other part of this festival is the floats made of flowers. 

These floats are amazing and covered in flowers, and even though I'm not usually into flowers, I'm always awed by the amount of work these participants put in. I used to have a job that shared a parking lot with the warehouses where these floats were created, so every once in a while we were allowed to come check it out or we saw floats coming and going. I have noticed some great gardens in my own neighborhood, so I took a walk the other day to capture some of my favorite blooms. 

 

Because I suffer from allergies, it's hard for me to get too excited by most flowers, but I can't deny how beautiful Spring is and how talented my neighbors are. Since I also won't be able to enjoy the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival or the Dahlia Festival, I found this to be the next best thing. Here are just a few of the awesome gardens near me:

I want to thank those in my neighborhood that help beautify it. I also want to show you that just because so much stuff is cancelled or postponed, doesn't mean we only get to sit in our homes and binge Netflix and eat chips. Our cities in Oregon are "opening" in June, but we'll still be trying to be careful about our activities. Much of our summer will be enjoying outdoor spaces, including patio dining, food trucks, Portland parks, and street art.  You can do the same wherever you live. While I'll be writing about some of it, make sure to follow me on Instagram to see more pics. 

You can also see more of my favorite gardens from my travels:

• Longwood Gardens
• Bellagio Conservatory
• Ethel M Cactus Garden
• San Diego Botanic Garden
• Kew Gardens
• United States Botanic Garden

What will you be doing in your city this summer?