Pieces of who we are- I

Last summer, Meghan and I went on a little road trip to visit the Northwest and decide whether Portland was going to work as our new home.  Along the way I came up with a plan to meet and interview people who we met in different places. 

In our searches for new jobs and a new way to live in an economic crisis, I wanted to see what makes people tick, and really where their passions lie. 

The plan didn't materialize quite as well as I thought it might, mainly because there just wasn't enough time to stop in little towns along the way and talk to people.  Also as an interviewer, one must develop a certain amount of trust with the interviewee, especially when discussing something as intimate and private as “passion.”

Even though it didn't work exactly as I would have hoped, I did start the project with a few friends and family members.  I plan to interview more people over the next few months and encourage my readers to explore their passions and possibly send them my way.

Here are a few responses from people I talked to:

…

Vanessa

Vanessa is a close friend that I went through the teaching credential program with.  She is an excellent high school English teacher, who has over the last four years of teaching made an incredible impact on her students but also questioned her place within the education system.

She had a difficult time thinking about what exactly it was that made her happy, but she was able to come up with some specific things that she truly enjoys.  And when she asked me the same question, I realized that it isn't easy to respond to.  Her response was in the form of a list:

Morning Espressos

Jumbles

Topography

Friendship

Farmer’s Markets

Yellow Sequined dresses

Non-Fiction

Holding my breath

NPR

Swimming

Holding Hands

Michelinis