My Living List
(Some of the things I'm proud to have crossed off my list are marked)
-Skydive
Fish in Alaska
Live in a Monastery for a week
-Do an Olympic Triathlon
Meet the Dalai Lama
Habitat for Humanity
-Volunteer Abroad
Learn a Latin Dance
-Donate my Hair to Locks of Love
Do a Safari in Africa
Complete an Endurance Event Abroad
Skydive (again!) somewhere cool
Do a Half-Iron Man by the time I’m 25
Write a Book
Understand Meditation
Master Yoga
See all 7 Continents
Ride a camel, ostrich, elephant…
Climb a Mountain
Do the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon
Get Scuba Certified
Learn to Surf
Do the NYC Marathon and/or Angkor Wat Half-Marathon
Be Fluent in 2-3 Languages
Make a Hobby of my Art
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
If You Can Talk You Can Sing…
If You Can Walk You Can Dance.
Fall of my Junior year, I remember looking at my “To Do” List and thinking…. These are not things I actually want To Do. Even though I would eventually come to do all the things on that list, probably because I have a minor case of OCD, I started some new lists. One’s I liked to look at. I started a Short-Term Goal list. These were fun things I wanted to have accomplished within 6 months. My lists are always changing, some things are big challenges for me, some small quests, but all worth a shot. Also, I started a Long-Term Goal list, which is more or less what most call a “bucket list” or what the kids on “The Buried Life” of MTV stole from me…not really but still. Anyway, I never liked to think of things on my Long Term goal list as “things I need to do before I die” as the bucket list implies. That expression kind of gives me anxiety…the fact that the word “die” is in it and the whole thing makes me feel pressured to do all these things before time runs out. I like to call my list the Living List. Because these are things I like to do to make sure I’m living. To make sure I’m making the most of life. To remind myself to Live the Life You Love and Love the Life You Live. As my Dad gave me on a necklace. So Fall of my Junior Year I started living and risked my life going Sky Diving.
And yesterday, I cut off 10 inches of my hair (causing my legs to go numb) and donated it to Locks of Love. I’ve never had short hair and I loved my long hair. But my best friend’s (Katie and Lisa) who also have donated, motivated me to go for it and my older sister Danielle, who lost her hair to cancer when she was just 5years old, inspired me. Okay, I am also moving to El Salvador where its 95 degrees and won’t have a blow drier and no one will see me for awhile, but still. I could not imagine not having my long hair, and I reeeally could not imagine not having it when I was a little kid- Danielle didn’t let it hold her back. But maybe that’s why today her hair is down to her butt :/ Anyway, I’m so happy I have these people in my life and have this organization who helps little kids and people struggling with hair loss from cancer.
If You Can Talk You Can Sing, If You Can Walk You Can Dance. It’s an old Zimbawean Saying…aright well I first heard it in a Talib Kweli song….but to me it means You Can Do it! So make your own list to remind yourself of the things you want to do and then Just Do It. I’m starting to use too many cliché’s but it just makes sense. Make sure you’re living.
My next post will have my ever-changing & growing Living List.
Fall of my Junior year, I remember looking at my “To Do” List and thinking…. These are not things I actually want To Do. Even though I would eventually come to do all the things on that list, probably because I have a minor case of OCD, I started some new lists. One’s I liked to look at. I started a Short-Term Goal list. These were fun things I wanted to have accomplished within 6 months. My lists are always changing, some things are big challenges for me, some small quests, but all worth a shot. Also, I started a Long-Term Goal list, which is more or less what most call a “bucket list” or what the kids on “The Buried Life” of MTV stole from me…not really but still. Anyway, I never liked to think of things on my Long Term goal list as “things I need to do before I die” as the bucket list implies. That expression kind of gives me anxiety…the fact that the word “die” is in it and the whole thing makes me feel pressured to do all these things before time runs out. I like to call my list the Living List. Because these are things I like to do to make sure I’m living. To make sure I’m making the most of life. To remind myself to Live the Life You Love and Love the Life You Live. As my Dad gave me on a necklace. So Fall of my Junior Year I started living and risked my life going Sky Diving.
And yesterday, I cut off 10 inches of my hair (causing my legs to go numb) and donated it to Locks of Love. I’ve never had short hair and I loved my long hair. But my best friend’s (Katie and Lisa) who also have donated, motivated me to go for it and my older sister Danielle, who lost her hair to cancer when she was just 5years old, inspired me. Okay, I am also moving to El Salvador where its 95 degrees and won’t have a blow drier and no one will see me for awhile, but still. I could not imagine not having my long hair, and I reeeally could not imagine not having it when I was a little kid- Danielle didn’t let it hold her back. But maybe that’s why today her hair is down to her butt :/ Anyway, I’m so happy I have these people in my life and have this organization who helps little kids and people struggling with hair loss from cancer.
If You Can Talk You Can Sing, If You Can Walk You Can Dance. It’s an old Zimbawean Saying…aright well I first heard it in a Talib Kweli song….but to me it means You Can Do it! So make your own list to remind yourself of the things you want to do and then Just Do It. I’m starting to use too many cliché’s but it just makes sense. Make sure you’re living.
My next post will have my ever-changing & growing Living List.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
What to Expect
For My First 2 Months in Country...
Here is what to expect:
The first 2-3 days in El Salvador are going to be very hectic for me. It will be difficult to contact home during these few days, so please do not worry if you do not hear from me! On Friday I will move in with my host family and am unsure of the community I will be living in. For these reasons, I am still unsure of my contact with home.
However, the training center is supposed to have some internet and cell phone service. I will be at the training center 1-2 a week, which is located about 30mins from San Salvador, the capital city. The rest of the time is spent in my host family community, learning Spanish and the Salvadoran culture. Oh yea, and how to take a bucket bath...and actually get clean. Training is the first 8 weeks or so in country, M-F 8am-5pm and Sat 8-12pm. Plus some field trips. So understand, I will be busy at first!
I hope to purchase a cell phone a few weeks into training so that you guys can call/text me. I will message that info. Also, will try to get to the internet as much as possible.
Also FYI, for security reasons, I am not supposed to post specifics about my location, etc.
Please post comments on what you would like to hear about in my blog entries next week!
Here is what to expect:
The first 2-3 days in El Salvador are going to be very hectic for me. It will be difficult to contact home during these few days, so please do not worry if you do not hear from me! On Friday I will move in with my host family and am unsure of the community I will be living in. For these reasons, I am still unsure of my contact with home.
However, the training center is supposed to have some internet and cell phone service. I will be at the training center 1-2 a week, which is located about 30mins from San Salvador, the capital city. The rest of the time is spent in my host family community, learning Spanish and the Salvadoran culture. Oh yea, and how to take a bucket bath...and actually get clean. Training is the first 8 weeks or so in country, M-F 8am-5pm and Sat 8-12pm. Plus some field trips. So understand, I will be busy at first!
I hope to purchase a cell phone a few weeks into training so that you guys can call/text me. I will message that info. Also, will try to get to the internet as much as possible.
Also FYI, for security reasons, I am not supposed to post specifics about my location, etc.
Please post comments on what you would like to hear about in my blog entries next week!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Wish List
If you'd like to personally help me fight the homesickness while I'm abroad, here is a useful list!
GREAT Things to Send:
• Cards/Letters!
• Photos!
• Books
• Magazines
• Vitamins
• Batteries (AA, AAA…)
• Non-perishable American snacks
• Or contact me to see if I need any particulars
NOT Great Things to Send:
• Valuable items that may be stolen/broken in transition
• Very large packages
• Things that heat & humidity may destroy
• Perishables
• Things that I don’t like
GREAT Things to Send:
• Cards/Letters!
• Photos!
• Books
• Magazines
• Vitamins
• Batteries (AA, AAA…)
• Non-perishable American snacks
• Or contact me to see if I need any particulars
NOT Great Things to Send:
• Valuable items that may be stolen/broken in transition
• Very large packages
• Things that heat & humidity may destroy
• Perishables
• Things that I don’t like
How YOU can Help
If we all do a Little, we can do A LOT
FUNDS for the Community
Many people have expressed interest in helping me with my new project. So I will post some info on here.
If you would like to make a donation and/or potentially send items to Peace Corps and/or my country/ my project specifically, please visit this website:
http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.donors.aboutus
The Office of Private Sector Initiatives (OPSI) links private sector funds to Peace Corps activities. Agency regulations authorize only the directors to accept gifts directly, but Peace Corps has mechanisms for Volunteers and the community to access these funds. Project sponsors assure that donations go directly to accomplishing project goals. No donated funds are ever applied to administrative costs; 100% is directed to projects.
Foundations, corporations, community groups, individuals, etc. may make tax deductible contributions to the Peace Corps through OPSI directed to either a specific project or fund. Potential donors may view the list of special funds in need of funding at:
www.peacecorps.gov/contribute/index.cfm
So, once I have projects started, I can post them there if funds are needed. By contributing to the project I coordinate, friends and family can connect with my Peace Corps experience.
PACKAGES for the Community
If a US donor is willing to cover all costs associated with shipping a donation (shipping, customs clearance, storage and delivery) to the location where I serve,
you should contact OPSI at:
800.424.8580 ext. 2170 (toll-free)
202.692.2170 (phone)
They will ensure that proper procedures are followed. However, you can also submit a proposal to buy items in-country to eliminate shipping costs and to stimulate the local economy.
And if you'd like to help Meeee......
contact my sister Danielle or me and I can let you know last minute small things I need help with. really appreciate it!
FUNDS for the Community
Many people have expressed interest in helping me with my new project. So I will post some info on here.
If you would like to make a donation and/or potentially send items to Peace Corps and/or my country/ my project specifically, please visit this website:
http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.donors.aboutus
The Office of Private Sector Initiatives (OPSI) links private sector funds to Peace Corps activities. Agency regulations authorize only the directors to accept gifts directly, but Peace Corps has mechanisms for Volunteers and the community to access these funds. Project sponsors assure that donations go directly to accomplishing project goals. No donated funds are ever applied to administrative costs; 100% is directed to projects.
Foundations, corporations, community groups, individuals, etc. may make tax deductible contributions to the Peace Corps through OPSI directed to either a specific project or fund. Potential donors may view the list of special funds in need of funding at:
www.peacecorps.gov/contribute/index.cfm
So, once I have projects started, I can post them there if funds are needed. By contributing to the project I coordinate, friends and family can connect with my Peace Corps experience.
PACKAGES for the Community
If a US donor is willing to cover all costs associated with shipping a donation (shipping, customs clearance, storage and delivery) to the location where I serve,
you should contact OPSI at:
800.424.8580 ext. 2170 (toll-free)
202.692.2170 (phone)
They will ensure that proper procedures are followed. However, you can also submit a proposal to buy items in-country to eliminate shipping costs and to stimulate the local economy.
And if you'd like to help Meeee......
contact my sister Danielle or me and I can let you know last minute small things I need help with. really appreciate it!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Parting is such Sweet Sorrow
21 Days until the move!
Reading about El Salvador and my program and talking to current volunteers who are serving there has made me very excited for my upcoming journey. I've been told it is one of the best countries to do Peace Corps in. 27 months in a foreign country is definitely going to be one of the greatest experiences of my life...but also the most challenging.
As the days with my family and friends become less and less, I realize how important it is to cherish everyday with them. I find myself wishing I had joined my mom at the grocery store last week when she asked. Or went out to get my nails done with Christina more often. Hung out in the city with Danielle or played "Apples to Apples" with Amanda a few more times. I wish my Dad and Grandma could be around more so I could laugh a little bit longer with them. I'm excited I have a couple days to see my college roomates before I leave, but I wish we had more time. I wish my friends had no jobs so we could sit around all day talking and joking, and I wish little Maddie would wait for me to get back to grow! I hope everyone I have grown up with realizes how much I appreciate having them in my life and how grateful I am to have had such great experiences with them. I've been very lucky.
It's going to be hard not seeing my friends and family everyday and it's hard for me to express to everyone how much I'm going to miss them. I get sad already thinking about not being with the people I love everyday but I want everyone to know that I'll be constantly thinking about everyone. And I hope you won't forget about me down there either!
Emails, letters, packages, comments, wall posts, tweets, calls, texts...(what else is there?)... will mean the world to me. So please do. My address for the first 2 months is posted to the right of my blog and I will have internet access at some points.
And after 6 months I can have visitors! :)
Reading about El Salvador and my program and talking to current volunteers who are serving there has made me very excited for my upcoming journey. I've been told it is one of the best countries to do Peace Corps in. 27 months in a foreign country is definitely going to be one of the greatest experiences of my life...but also the most challenging.
As the days with my family and friends become less and less, I realize how important it is to cherish everyday with them. I find myself wishing I had joined my mom at the grocery store last week when she asked. Or went out to get my nails done with Christina more often. Hung out in the city with Danielle or played "Apples to Apples" with Amanda a few more times. I wish my Dad and Grandma could be around more so I could laugh a little bit longer with them. I'm excited I have a couple days to see my college roomates before I leave, but I wish we had more time. I wish my friends had no jobs so we could sit around all day talking and joking, and I wish little Maddie would wait for me to get back to grow! I hope everyone I have grown up with realizes how much I appreciate having them in my life and how grateful I am to have had such great experiences with them. I've been very lucky.
It's going to be hard not seeing my friends and family everyday and it's hard for me to express to everyone how much I'm going to miss them. I get sad already thinking about not being with the people I love everyday but I want everyone to know that I'll be constantly thinking about everyone. And I hope you won't forget about me down there either!
Emails, letters, packages, comments, wall posts, tweets, calls, texts...(what else is there?)... will mean the world to me. So please do. My address for the first 2 months is posted to the right of my blog and I will have internet access at some points.
And after 6 months I can have visitors! :)
Monday, January 4, 2010
The Famous Question
SO, Why Are You Doing This?
My decision to apply to the Peace Corps was easy. And I always kind of laugh when people ask me "Why are you joining the Peace Corps?" because the answer is simple. Because I want to do it. I don't know if people are looking for me to say "oh, my Mom made me" or "because I think it will make people like me" and I still haven't found the right answer.
I'm doing the Peace Corps because it looks like something I will like doing. Believe it or not, I try to do things I think I will enjoy. I'm trying to live a life that makes me happy.
I have learned that in making decisions, it is important to ask yourself "will this bring me happiness?" It sounds simple, but I think way too many people forget this question way too often. Also important, as the book "The Art of Happiness" points out, is to distinguish between what brings you temporary pleasure and what will ultimately make you happy. Making a difference in people's lives will make me happy.
Back to the "Why Peace Corps?" question...hopefully what people are really asking is "What Lead You to Join?"
What Lead Me to Join the Peace Corps
In Florida, everyone holds the door for you.
In New York, people are very forward and honest.
In Vietnam people will go out of their way to help you if you lose your passport.
In Bolivia strangers will make you an hour late for your appointment just talk talk to you about how you're doing.
It makes you feel good when people do nice things for you. And people all over the world have different ways of doing things. Many people have helped me in my life and I have been very lucky. I have been given a lot of opportunities that most people have not been given. I want to give back to my community. I want to help people who have been given the least of opportunities. I want to learn from a new culture. And I want to spread a better understanding of the world.
While I am always flattered and feel undeserving of the attention I sometimes receive when people hear "Peace Corps", I do hope for one thing. I hope that I inspire others. For one thing, I hope what I am doing inspires others to follow their dreams and to do what makes them happy. I think following your dream is one of the hardest things to do today. If there is something you want to do then make it happen because life is too short. Just commit to it.
I hope I also inspire others to give a little. Whether it is time or money, give to those in need. Chances are you will end up feeling like you did more for yourself than someone else. But if we all do a little, we can do a lot.
I also hope what I am doing inspires others to care about the world. Learn about other cultures and try to overcome misconceptions. I wish that one day we can all better understand each other and learn to live peacefully.
My decision to apply to the Peace Corps was easy. And I always kind of laugh when people ask me "Why are you joining the Peace Corps?" because the answer is simple. Because I want to do it. I don't know if people are looking for me to say "oh, my Mom made me" or "because I think it will make people like me" and I still haven't found the right answer.
I'm doing the Peace Corps because it looks like something I will like doing. Believe it or not, I try to do things I think I will enjoy. I'm trying to live a life that makes me happy.
I have learned that in making decisions, it is important to ask yourself "will this bring me happiness?" It sounds simple, but I think way too many people forget this question way too often. Also important, as the book "The Art of Happiness" points out, is to distinguish between what brings you temporary pleasure and what will ultimately make you happy. Making a difference in people's lives will make me happy.
Back to the "Why Peace Corps?" question...hopefully what people are really asking is "What Lead You to Join?"
What Lead Me to Join the Peace Corps
In Florida, everyone holds the door for you.
In New York, people are very forward and honest.
In Vietnam people will go out of their way to help you if you lose your passport.
In Bolivia strangers will make you an hour late for your appointment just talk talk to you about how you're doing.
It makes you feel good when people do nice things for you. And people all over the world have different ways of doing things. Many people have helped me in my life and I have been very lucky. I have been given a lot of opportunities that most people have not been given. I want to give back to my community. I want to help people who have been given the least of opportunities. I want to learn from a new culture. And I want to spread a better understanding of the world.
While I am always flattered and feel undeserving of the attention I sometimes receive when people hear "Peace Corps", I do hope for one thing. I hope that I inspire others. For one thing, I hope what I am doing inspires others to follow their dreams and to do what makes them happy. I think following your dream is one of the hardest things to do today. If there is something you want to do then make it happen because life is too short. Just commit to it.
I hope I also inspire others to give a little. Whether it is time or money, give to those in need. Chances are you will end up feeling like you did more for yourself than someone else. But if we all do a little, we can do a lot.
I also hope what I am doing inspires others to care about the world. Learn about other cultures and try to overcome misconceptions. I wish that one day we can all better understand each other and learn to live peacefully.
...and the Packing Begins
80 lbs TOTAL!
THINGS I MAY NEED...
backpackers backpack
small locks
febreeze
warm weather sleeping bag
backpacking hammock
breathable dry-fit clothes
Chacos (waterproof, hiking)
portable DVD player
comfortable/walking business sandals
flashlight
chargeable batteries
cotton dark colored fabrics and undergarments
light weight dress pants
long shorts
bandannas
work gloves
money belt
BOOKS I WANT:
El Salvador: A Country Guide -Barry, Tom
Bitter Grounds -Benitez, Sandra
From Grandmother to Granddaughter: Salvadoran Women's Stories -Gorkin, Michael...
Coffee and Power: Revolution and the Rise of Democracy in Central America -Paige, Jeffrey M.
El Salvador -Towell, Larry
All You Need is Love: The Peace Corps and the Spirit of the 1960s -Hoffman, Elizabeth Cobbs
The Bold Experiment: JFK's Peace Corps -Rice, Gerald T.
Sarge: The Life and Times of Sargent Shriver -Stossel, Scott
Margarita: A Guatemalan Peace Corps Experience -Casebolt, Marjorie DeMoss
Living Poor: A Peace Corps Chronicle -Thompsen, Moritz
THINGS I HAVE READY TO GO!
short wave radio
portable iPod speakers
digital camera
headlamp
deet
yoga mat
leatherman / pocket knife
solar charger
medical kit
THINGS I MAY NEED...
backpackers backpack
small locks
febreeze
warm weather sleeping bag
backpacking hammock
breathable dry-fit clothes
Chacos (waterproof, hiking)
portable DVD player
comfortable/walking business sandals
flashlight
chargeable batteries
cotton dark colored fabrics and undergarments
light weight dress pants
long shorts
bandannas
work gloves
money belt
BOOKS I WANT:
El Salvador: A Country Guide -Barry, Tom
Bitter Grounds -Benitez, Sandra
From Grandmother to Granddaughter: Salvadoran Women's Stories -Gorkin, Michael...
Coffee and Power: Revolution and the Rise of Democracy in Central America -Paige, Jeffrey M.
El Salvador -Towell, Larry
All You Need is Love: The Peace Corps and the Spirit of the 1960s -Hoffman, Elizabeth Cobbs
The Bold Experiment: JFK's Peace Corps -Rice, Gerald T.
Sarge: The Life and Times of Sargent Shriver -Stossel, Scott
Margarita: A Guatemalan Peace Corps Experience -Casebolt, Marjorie DeMoss
Living Poor: A Peace Corps Chronicle -Thompsen, Moritz
THINGS I HAVE READY TO GO!
short wave radio
portable iPod speakers
digital camera
headlamp
deet
yoga mat
leatherman / pocket knife
solar charger
medical kit
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