Nightly Basketball

This blog post was written in April by Levi Friedman, a member of the Tivnu 8 cohort from Seattle, WA. They enjoy drawing, cooking, and biking. Levi interned at Bicycles for Humanity PDX, Parks and Rec, and Tivnu construction.

It was a rainy afternoon. I had come home from my internship at Bikes for Humanity (B4H) and had barely taken off my shoes when Ansel asked me if I wanted to go play some basketball. Minutes later we headed out to play. This has become an almost daily ritual: after work or on the weekend we head to the park and have fun. Even on nights one of us was a bit tired or sore, we would still head to the park and just play for as long as felt good.

I really appreciate these excursions. Although I enjoy life in the bayit, it is nice to have that guaranteed pause where I can just have have a good time and be present in my body. Irving Park is our little neighborhood park, and despite the sheer number of times we have been there, somehow I am still excited to go and check in on the courts each day. The lighted and covered court is a nice touch, as especially during the winter it is excellent to escape the rain but still being outside. I love to come back to the bayit as well, take a nice shower and then not need as much movement for the rest of the evening.

While I am partial to Seattle, Portland has been such a great city to live in and explore. From the small libraries around the neighborhood, to a weekly rollerblading and lights party in the park, I am consistently surprised with the activities going on in the city. Public transit has also been a huge highlight. Portland is divided into quadrants, and from our home in Northeast I have been able – with very little effort – to do fun things all over the city. It is always exciting to find a destination, and then hop on a few buses or bikes to get there. Biking is also very doable, and having a functional bike also opens up a lot of possibilities.

Taking time outside the bayit and exploring Portland has been fantastic, and definitely helps me return grounded and ready to engage with the Tivnu programming. Having people to share these experiences with just makes them that much better, and I really appreciate my peers for all the walks, bike rides, and whatever else we end up doing together. It’s getting sunnier every day now so I only anticipate even more of the same, or just being outside in whatever shape that takes.

Thank you all for such a great time, Portland and T8!