Stop one

I have been in Seattle for just under a week. It has been fun but it feels like I am in a holding pattern waiting for the real adventure to start.

The drive was a long 15 hours but I made it without incident.  There was defiantly lots of singing at the top of my lungs on that one.

The highlight of my time here was the Dirty Dash. My sister came up with our costumes. It was a blast, filled with running swimming in muck and climbing slippery walls.

Dominican Republic

I have finally received a placement from the Peacecorps. I will be serving 27 months in the Dominican Republic. I was a little shock and kind of disappointed at first when I read where I was going. They have previously assigned me to Sub-Saharan Africa. So, this was a big unexpected change. I have since realized that I am glad that I get to go there. It is a beautiful tropical island with a wonderful culture and language. I am excited that I finally get to learn Spanish. The black men won't be so hard on the eyes either.

I received my placement about a month ago. Since then I have been working to secure some rugby refereeing opportunities there. I have since been told by people at the IRB (International Rugby Board) that I will be a welcomed addition and that they would love to fly me to other counties in the Caribbean to ref. I am so happy that I will have the opportunity to advance my reffing career. Refereeing at the next level is hard to get into at times. This will be the perfect opportunity. I just have to work hard and make sure I am up to the task.

I crave adventure 90% of the day

In the last 2 weeks I have watched 2 documentaries comprised of 5 discs.  These shows have reviled to me the possibility of motorcycle travel around the world.  I already love motorcycles, although I don't have one yet and I have been wanting to travel for months. These hours of virtual adventure have pushed me over the edge.  I am finding it practically impossible to sit at my desk during the day. All I want to do is take off and leave it all into the wild style. I really crave travel and new experiences.  I hope that one day I will be able to find something that will allow me to do that full time.

I do have to say that these 2 shows, Long Way Round and Long Way down, have opened my eyes to the hope and possibility of adventure in a new way.  In these shows 3 guys travel around the world on motorcycles for a total of 35,000 miles.  I think that traveling by motorcycles allows you to really become apart of the land. You can feel it, see it, breathe it much more fully.  It also draws people to you because they sense that you are more vulnerable and want to help.

Motorcycles are so freeing. The wind in my hair makes me feel like I am flying. Maybe my thirst for adventure can be quenched by a ride.

Graduation from college has come and gone, I am now sitting behind a desk everyday and wondering what to do with my life. I can't imagine spending my life staring at a screen.  I feel as though all of the years of study have lead me to a place that I don't want to be. How did I miss the fact that health educators do this? Bring on the Peace Corps and freedom from the desk.

What to do with life?

I have been trying to figure out what to do with myself after graduation. I will be graduating with a degree in public health education and 25 grand in debt. Not bad considering what it could be. It is a sizable burden however. I would like to pay off my debt as soon as possible but there are options to consider.

One option is something that I have had in mind since I was about twelve. I never really thought it would happen but I realize now that it is a possibility. The peace corps have been calling me for the past few weeks. I have looked into it a bit. I went to a recruiting meeting the other day even. There are so many positives and a few negatives of course.

The positives are this: the possibility of up to 20% of my debt being dropped, my loans will be on hold while I'm out, I would get over 7 grand upon return, I would learn a new language, there are tuition programs for masters degrees upon my return, oh ya, and I would live in a foreign country for over 2 years.

The negatives: I cannot choose where I go to, I would be alone wherever I am, I have to stay for the whole 2 years (pretty much no matter what), I do not get to choose what area i would work in really.

What would you do?

final review of class

I am writing my last review of class 3 days after it was due. That is pretty much how this class has gone for me. This also means that no one will read it (which is ok). This has been a rough class as far as dedicating enough time to get everything done in time. I did however learn a lot about tools and seeking tools in a way that makes them easier to find. Over all. good.

Mixing and Remixing

It is interesting how different a project can be in the end compared to the beginning vision. Our presentation has changed significantly over the course of the last week even. We have made many changes both sourced from us and the suggestions of others. The evolution has greatly improved how we are presenting the material.

Often times the end product is nothing like the initial idea. Evolution gives improved ideas and products.