Bi-coastal and international

Posted: March 26th, 2010 | Author: Marissa K. | Filed under: | No Comments »

I think this will go down as the busiest week of my pregnancy. Even judged on pre-pregnancy standards, this has been a damn busy week!

Last Sunday morning, Nate and I departed our house at 5:30 a.m., and he dropped me off at the airport so I could make my 7:30 flight to D.C. Nate’s a saint for getting up at 4:45 in order to drive me to SeaTac, and thankfully, the flight was uneventful. I napped until about halfway in, and then I watched Up In The Air, which I wanted to see anyway   I was in D.C. for work, where the PATH Safe Water Project (my team!) and PATH’s Diarrheal Disease Team joined nearly 30 other organizations to raise awareness around the UN World Water Day.

Nearly one billion people around the world don’t have access to clean drinking water (most water is turbid, filled with harmful or deadly pathogens and disease, and generally not safe for drinking). More than half of child deaths worldwide can be attributed to unsafe water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene. Diarrhea–the second leading cause of death in children and the most common cause of illness in the world–is directly caused by unsafe drinking water and unsanitary conditions, yet is completely preventable.

World Water Day was Monday, March 22, and the day started off with a reception at the National Geographic Museum featuring a host of speakers, including Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton, Oregon Congressman Earl Blumenauer, National Geographic Society Chairman Terry Garcia, and Librerian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. The reception represented interests from the public and private sector, multi-national companies, foundations, the inter-faith community, and so many nonprofit organizations working to reduce water issues around the globe. I was honored to be part of it!

In honor of World Water Day, the National Geographic Society is offering a free interactive download of their April magazine through April 2. Download your free copy here: http://ow.ly/1pjxK.

The next day was a day of water advocacy on the Hill. In addition to the serious stuff, I participated in the World’s Longest Toilet Queue, along with celebrities Mandy Moore and Alexandra Cousteau (Jacques Cousteau’s grandaughter). These girls know a media stunt when they see one, and they know how to play to the camera. Check out these pics… I don’t think celebrities blink!

Mandy, Alexandra, and the school kids that joined us in the queue, presented Senator John Kerry with a packet of letters that drew attention to the water issues of the world. I don’t know if Senator Kerry knew who Mandy or Alexandra were, but he loved talking to the kids. For me, the whole event was a hoot to be part of!

I got back into Seattle on Tuesday night, only to turn around, load the car and take off to Whistler. Nate and I have celebrated three of our four anniversaries in Whistler, and this year we’re joined by the Barkers. The Village is uncharacteristically quiet–something to do with the month of Olympic and Para-Olympic activity just prior to this week–and that suits us just fine! The snow and conditions are meh, but I still had the opportunity to try out my new skis, and we still skied ALL DAY yesterday. There’s so much terrain and so much elevation, it’s hard to get bored!

Today, Hizz is with the babysitter, I’m resting my legs at a coffee shop and trying to get some work done, and the rest are on the slopes for the 2nd day in a row. The sun is out in the Village, so I hope the visibility up on the mountain is better than yesterday. Most of yesterday’s afternoon skiing was extremely slow on account of only being able to see four-feet ahead. Tomorrow, I’ll be back on the slopes and I hope the spring conditions prove gorgeous and warm.

Pictures to come!

---