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Today's Featured Biography

Marianne Hale

I have no idea where to begin! To make a long story short and fill-in the blanks when we see each other, here goes...

After leaving Lansing at 18 and never really coming back, I spent off & on 7 years in Kalamazoo, attending WMU and living in Spain 2 different times.

Upon graduating and having an itch for adventure and travel, I moved to California and taught as a Resource Specialist for 5 years. In that time, I was in a long term relationship, played a lot of softball and drinking games and spent most weekends exploring the amazing state of California (of which I had said I would never move to)!

A break-up led me to put all of my possesions in storage and travel the country for 2 1/2 months by myself. Through a little bit of soul-searching, I moved to Seattle, spending time with one of my best girls, Erin. I did an Americorp year which led me to working with youth coming out of the foster care system through a YMCA program. It was amazing. I loved Seattle and to this day know that I will be spending much time there in the future. Alas, another love took me back to California and I moved again.

That love didn't last, but getting me back to California did and I think that was the point. My next career was starting a San Francisco edition of a regional, yoga magazine and do everything from sales, to distribution, to writing. That ran it's course and I am now a Development Associate and event planner with a social profit organization called The Pachamama Alliance (www.pachamama.org). Our organization, the people and mission are incredible. Everyday I go to work supported by a mission that is bringing about an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling, socially just presence on the planet for all beings!

I am currently living in Oakland, CA, and work right across the bay in San Francisco, getting the best of both worlds out there. Heat, nature, diversity and a little bit slower pace in Oakland. High energy, cosmopolitan living, world class everything in San Francisco. Not to mention the other things I love: great food, wine, art, music and anything in nature.

Other things I am up to: I just completed my first 100 mi. bike ride around Lake Tahoe in support of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. I am an artist / photograper and have had my 6th show this year. (No website yet though)! I am also involved in a course called the Wisdom Course, in which I am creating an autobiography of my life and creating possibilities and my future everyday. Life is good!

I look forward to hearing about all of the things that you all are up to and connecting! Blessings!

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