The 100 Day Project

Today I’m starting the 100 day project. For me this will be “100 days of blogging”. The project is an online community of creatives wanting accountability to explore a passion by doing just a little bit every day and sharing it on social media. So I’ve chosen to write on this blog, every day for 100 days (ending July 14, just after I turn 29!).

When I started crossingoceans.org last summer, I had grandiose visions but little focus. In addition, I am a perfectionist. All this has come together as a perfect recipe for inaction. So I am choosing into this project to challenge myself to action. I will write something every day, even if it’s short, but spend no longer than 30min writing, editing, and posting. So I may release posts with typos or worse, a culturally insensitive statement. But this I will seek to remedy with an apology and correction.

Part of my stunted process has been a lack of clarity and focus as to what my blog is about and so here his my working vision (expecting that it will probably evolve): “To Celebrate the beauty in cultures as they reflect the character of God.” My goal for my audience is to invite people to treasure a pearl from another community and see the value in trying on new lenses. Though I naturally tend to see the brokenness in cultures that are oppressed or oppressors, I want to focus on themes of honor, restoration, and unity. Even when a cloud is dark, I want to focus on the silver lining of the sun peeking out from behind. I will share personal experiences, news stories, book reviews, films, and photos with my interpretation or comment. I hope you will journey with me in seeing the world through new lenses.

I currently live on the island of Oahu in Hawaii, known as “The Gathering Place”. It is a revolving door of international visitors who come for vacations, conventions, and education as well as immigrants from around the Pacific and beyond and folks like me who have relocated from the continental USA. Living in Honolulu where probably 70% of the islands population dwells, I am constantly running into cultures different from my own. As I work with a Christian campus ministry, InterVarsity, reaching out to international students, I have daily chances to try on new lenses. Even more, I have come here with the intention of listening, honoring, and learning from the hosts of the land–Native Hawaiians. All of this provides a perfect setting for cultural exploration and discovery!