the way

Right now I work with all males. Five to be exact. Most of the time I really love it except when I have conversations with them like the one I had last week that went a little something like this:


Me: (after fixing my pants/shirt/undershirt for the millionth time)Alec, don't    you hate those days where nothing fits quite right?


Alec: Long pause.... uuhh...


Me: um, do you ever have days like that?


Alec: (in his polite voice) Uuuh No. No, I don't.


Stupid boys.

targeted

if target is my mecca, i made my hajj tonight for the first time since Ghana. and let me tell you- it did not disappoint. i could only handle about fifteen minutes in there but oh baby. it was bliss. 

everything was so nice and clean and new. i couldn't help myself- i had to touch e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. everything.

i was smiling from ear to ear the whole time then had an intense harry potter conversation with the kid ringing up my purchases at the check stand and in true target fashion i spent more than i should have and walked away with a lot more than i went in for.

success.

mya

I'm a godmother!

I finally got to meet my sweet little goddaughter- Mya Elizabeth Glenn.

She was born to my best friends Liz and Duncan Glenn last Wednesday.

I am completely smitten by this little bug and I know we are going to be the best of friends.

Welcome to the pocket pack, Mya!

I can't wait for my fairy wings and wand to come!

back again

tell all your friends- I'm back again!

These past two weeks I have been trying to collect my thoughts and feelings about then and now and life in general and I can't help but feel kind of like Frodo Baggins after his big adventure through Middle Earth when he writes

“How do you pick up the threads of an old life? How do you go on, when in your heart you begin to understand there is no going back."

Ok ok, so I can't say my adventure was quite as dramatic but there is some definite truth to his words. After any kind of experience you can't just pretend like it never happened. I'm still playing the puzzle game- trying to piece together this new life of mine and figuring out how I'm going to fit Africa into the fabric of my life. To move forward- not on. America and Ghana are two completely different worlds so it has been quite a task melding the two together in my heart and brain.

 

 

I'm finding that the goals, dreams, and things that make me happy are completely different from the ones I had when I boarded that plane July 3. 

 

 

Life here is a lot less epic and I think that has been the biggest adjustment for me. 

BUT I can now proudly say that I can go a whole day without crying, even just a little, for Ghana.

This marks the beginning of a whole new chapter in my life- the graduated from college chapter. It terrifies me to think about building a career but I get more and more excited about it as the days go by- I just need to get myself a real job first.

I can't wait for all of the adventures life has in store for me- at home and abroad- so stay tuned! 

Shots- check
Passport- check
VISA- check
Plane ticket- check
Malaria pills- check
Program fees paid- check
Security debriefing- check
Hand sanitizer- check
Tevas- double check

Welp, folks, I'm ready. Ready for my first big adventure. Ready to travel into the unknown. Ready to leap thousands of miles to the continent of AFRICA. Yep, you read it right. I'm going to Africa. (eeps!)

I have to keep repeating that in my head because it hasn't quite sunk in yet. I'm going to Africa.

In a few weeks, I will be boarding a plane and I won't be coming back for three months. I will be living with the wonderful people of Cape Coast, Ghana and teaching them about nutrition to cap off my education at BYU.

My heart is in a million pieces and places right now but I really just can't wait to get over there! I have no idea what lies in store for me but I'm ready to experience all of it. I'll be posting those "french kissing life" moments on this blog but if you want all of the dirty details, you can read about them on this one.

Bon Voyage! xo

I [heart] HP

Saying that I am a Harry Potter fan is a bit of an understatement. The thing I look forward to most when summer rolls around is being able to read the series over and over and over until school starts up again. I get so caught up in my "Harry Potter world" I sometimes forget what exists in the real world and the world of Harry Potter. Here are a few stories that will leave you in no doubt that I am a little crazy about these books:

Story #1: After a long day at work, I looked out the window and thought, "I can't wait until the end of summer when I can to back to the castle." The castle meaning Hogwarts. Seriously. It took me a few seconds to realize how ridiculous that thought was. 

And they just keep getting better-

Story #2: One night I had little scratches all over my face from the carpet obtained during an intense wrestling match and thought to myself, "I wonder if I have any essence of Dittany. That will heal up these scratches in a jif."

And the grand daddy of them all- (please don't judge me, I swear I'm mostly rational)--

Story #3: One day, my dad and sister and I were talking about the famous prison, Alcatraz. I kept confusing it in my head with Azkaban- the famous wizard prison [strike 1]. We then started talking about the prison guards and how many escapes there were from Alcatraz. I thought to myself, "Well why don't we just get the dementors to guard that prison too. [strike two]... Oh wait, silly me. They're on Voldemort's side now. [strike three]."

 If you haven't read these books, hang up your pride and silly to-do list and get reading. You won't regret it.

daily thanks

I just discovered this blog and I adore it. Leah Dieterich's mother always told her to write thank you notes and this is her blog about it. I love this. I think I might start doing it too.