Happy "Don't Fry Day"

On Monday, it was 60-some degrees. On Tuesday, I wore sandals to work, *thinking* that things would stay relatively the same, but by lunchtime, it was monsooning. By the time I left work, I was freezing, so I played the pity card and asked my boyfriend to come pick me up. This week sure doesn't feel like spring, but since I know summer is coming, I encourage you to observe national "Don't Fry Day."

The purpose of Don't Fry Day is simple: to remind folks to protect their skin when they're spending time outdoors. According to the American Cancer Society, one person dies from skin cancer every hour. Sunscreen, of course, is helping in preventing UV damage--but there's more to sun safety than just stocking up on SPF. The National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention provides the following tips:

• Do not purposefully try to burn or tan
• Seek shade when possible
• Wear sun-protective clothing (try Coolibar)
• Generously apply sunscreen
• Use extra caution near water, snow, and sand
• Get Vitamin D from a bottle, not a bed

May madness

Portland Melanoma Walk 2013

I've had a busy, busy, busy month. We had the Portland Melanoma Walk on Saturday, May 11. The event surpassed all my expectations--almost 300 attendees and we've raised $35,000 and counting. The walk has more than doubled since 2012, which I'm thrilled about. As a volunteer-run event, I think we've made amazing progress with the limited resources we have. There seems to be quite a bit of potential for continued growth, too, so all the chaos seems to have been worth it.

Renting port-o-potties: the less glamorous aspects of event planning

A day after the walk, I flew to Austin, TX for work. I wish I'd had more time to spend being a tourist! I also wish I'd had a bit more time to catch up on sleep before the trip. I was probably still a little sleep deprived from waking up at 3:30 a.m. that Saturday.

Austin, TX!

Now I'm back in Portland. Still busy, busy. Looking forward to summertime when I can zone out, curl up with a trashy beach read, and spend more time catching up with friends. August looks promising? :)

So proud of my fellow "molemates" for all the great things you're doing to support skin cancer awareness this month.

Legislators approve teen tanning bed ban in Oregon

After much back and forth, both the Oregon Senate and the House of Representatives have passed House Bill 2896, which--once signed by the governor--will ban minors under age 18 from using UV tanning devices. Oregon will be the third state (following California and Vermont) in the nation to implement such a ban.

I was thrilled to hear the news just days before the Portland Melanoma Walk. As many of you know, I traveled to our state capitol twice this spring to testify in support of the teen tanning ban.

Teenagers: Feel free to hate me. The only thing more "devastating" than being told you're not allowed to tan is to be told "you have melanoma."

Feels like summer

The view from the top of Multnomah Falls.

It was 85 degrees today. In Portland, Oregon. In May. Say what? This whole weekend was actually pretty amazing. I feel like I accomplished quite a bit, too. I got to hang out with friends I haven't seen in a while, I handed out melanoma walk flyers to tons of businesses and residents in my neighborhood, and yesterday I went on a hike at Multnomah Falls with my boyfriend. We also ventured a bit further East and did a little wine/beer tasting in Hood River. I'm sad to see the weekend end!

In case you haven't heard, tomorrow is "Melanoma Monday." If you'd like to participate in raising awareness for melanoma, please wear black on Monday, May 6. Here are a few reasons why you should:

• Melanoma is the most deadly type of skin cancer. 
• Every eight minutes, someone in the United States will be given a melanoma diagnosis and every hour someone will die from the disease.    
• Melanoma is the fastest growing cancer in the United States and worldwide. 
• Melanoma is the most common form of cancer for young adults 25-29 years old and the second most common cancer in adolescents and young adults 15-29 years old.  
• If caught in the earliest stages, melanoma is entirely treatable with a survival rate of nearly 100%. If untreated and allowed to spread, there is no known treatment or cure.

Multnomah Falls

Looking down over the top of Multnomah Falls

Competing with the Dalai Lama

There's no competition here.

Last October, when we were trying to pick a date for the 2013 Portland Melanoma Walk, I made sure that we weren't competing with the Heart Walk. That we weren't walking on Mother's Day, Cinco de Mayo, or Memorial Day. But let's be real. There's a real shortage of event-free Saturday mornings during Melanoma Awareness Month. I did the best I could, picked May 11, and hoped that nothing "big" would be scheduled in conflict with the event. Apparently, all was for naught, because now I'm competing with the Dalai Lama.

That's right. On Saturday, May 11, His Holiness will be hosting a summit on environmental issues at the Memorial Coliseum. At 9:30 a.m. The same time as the walk!

I have to admit, I'm a pretty big fan of the Dalai Lama. I read one of his books when I was an undergrad, and I really admire the way he's able to inspire so many people to "do good." I just had to laugh that--of all possible schedule conflicts--I am competing with the Dalai Lama.

In all seriousness though, I'm stoked for May 11. Earlier today I chatted with a reporter from The Oregonian, who posted a writeup about our event on OregonLive.com. It'll be appearing in print next Wednesday, May 8. My fingers and toes are crossed that everything will go smoothly next Saturday. Please forgive me for being MIA as I figure out all the last minute event details.

Portland Melanoma Walk is two weeks away!

After months of planning, it's hard to believe that the 2013 Portland Melanoma Walk is only two weeks away! If you're a regular reader, please consider making a donation on my personal fundraising page. I hope to see some of you on May 11th!

"Drink bottled water and don't burn"

The Hard Rock, Punta Cana.

Hola! I made it back from the Dominican Republic in one piece. The whole trip was surreal. We'd be planning it for almost a year, so when we finally got there, I think we were all a little like, "Is this really happening?"

Boat and swimming excursion - so fun!

Punta Cana is truly unlike any place I've ever been. Granted, I'd never been to the Caribbean, nor had I visited a Spanish-speaking country before, but STILL. The Hard Rock resort was insane, and the beach was truly the perfect backdrop to my friend Jessica's wedding ceremony.

Gorgeous location for a wedding!

I am also very proud to share that I made it through the whole week without frying myself! On our shuttle from the Punta Cana airport to the resort, our driver warned us: "Drink bottled water and don't burn." I'd already heard that the Dominican sun can be incredibly intense, so as I mentioned in my last post before I left for vacation, I was a little worried about getting a sunburn. Some helpful hints that kept me from burning:

1. Don't skimp on the sunscreen. It takes about a shot glass or 1 oz. of sunscreen to adequately protect your whole body. When I packed for the trip, I calculated how much sunscreen to bring by assuming I'd need 1 oz. for every two hours I spent in the sun.
2. Reapply, reapply, reapply. Since we spent a lot of our time in the pool, I often reapplied my sunscreen more frequently than every two hours. For example, one afternoon we swam from about noon to 4 p.m. During those four hours, I reapplied SPF 30 to my face, neck, ears, and shoulders about five or six times. Some of my friends who didn't reapply as frequently ended up with severe sunburns and blisters.
3. Seek the shade. When possible, I hung out under the shade of a beach umbrella.
4. Create your own shade. I'm notorious for burning my scalp, so I made sure to bring a hat on the trip. It ended up being a huge lifesaver! The hat not only saved me from burning, but it also kept my crazy beach hair in check.

Proof that it's possible to go on vacation without burning.

Now it's back to the real world. I'm usually such a slave to my iPhone that I didn't think I was going to be able to unplug for the whole week. But I did! Aside from a few quick Facebook posts to check in with friends and family from home, work and email were the furthest things from my mind. A much needed mental vacation. Congratulations Dustin & Jessica! Thank you for planning such an amazing destination wedding.

Have you gone on any fun trips this spring? Or do you have any vacations planned for this summer? Anyone else been to the Dominican Republic?

P.S. One more day to enter my Fitbit giveaway! Please enter and share with your friends.