Peace Corps Response – Georgia
After completing a Master’s of Science in Peace Operations, I decided to return to Georgia for a three-month assignment with Peace Corps Response. My assignment is to take an environment protection curriculum and make it more accessible through technology. My personal goals include seeing all the places I wanted to see but couldn’t before, visiting all the places that were important to me before, and finally having closure to my Peace Corps service.
Nato in America
FLEX, or Future Leaders Exchange Program, is a Department of State funded program that allows high school students from former Soviet countries to study in the U.S. for one year. Mom and Dad wanted to host a girl from a village in Georgia, and we were lucky enough to host Nato. Although registered as a junior at Chantilly High School in Fairfax County, Virginia, Nato spent her last year of school in America, traveling the east coast and enjoying what American teenagers enjoy.
Costa Rica
I went to Costa Rica for 8 days and 7 nights. I spent 1 night in San Jose, 2 nights in Arenal, 2 nights in Monteverde, and 2 nights in Guancaste (by Playa Panama). I traveled with a classmate, and we rented a car for the whole trip. Highlights included zip-lining through the clouds at Monteverde Cloud Forest and chartering a private boat with a crew of 2 in Guancaste (in the Pacific Ocean). The food was amazing! I ate seafood every night. We stopped along the road a couple of times for fresh coconut water and papayas. The typical breakfast is rice and beans with cheese and eggs (yum!). Plus, we had amazing ice…
Religion
Herndon Festival
6-2-12: Today, Mum and I worked the Epiphany booth at the Herndon Festival for a couple of hours. It was a lot of fun, and I’m really glad I was able to talk to so many amazing people! I’m not sure if anyone new will join because of us, but at least we started talking to other people. One man, in particular, though, stood out in a not very good way. He was very nice and started talking to us without any hesitation. But then he started talking about how he can’t go to a church where they put homosexuals in Bishop positions. My poor Mum and I had no idea what to do! We…
Telling People
5-26-12: Tonight was the Sandbridge Shores’ block party. It’s an amazing opportunity to see my “village” — the various people who have helped shape me into the adult woman I am today. A lot of these people may not know the influence they have had on me, but it is truly immense. At the block party, I was able to tell a lot of these people my future plans, my discernment, and my interest in becoming a priest. As much as these people have watched me blossom from the little toddler running around the beach without my bathing suit on, to a teen who surfed and stayed out way too late, to a young adult…
Epiphany
5-3-12: There is so much for me to include in this post! I will have to only briefly touch on each item and expand in individual posts. First, the Episcopal Church I grew up in — The Church of the Epiphany — is returning home this weekend. After a long battle within its congregation, a forced out of its building, and a strenous legal battle, COEE (Church of Epiphany Episcopal) is finally coming home. Second, I just talked to the new rector at Epiphany, and I think it is close enough to being official for me to say, I am doing my YPI internship at Epiphany! It will be a wonderful experience on so many…
Herndon Festival
6-2-12: Today, Mum and I worked the Epiphany booth at the Herndon Festival for a couple of hours. It was a lot of fun, and I’m really glad I was able to talk to so many amazing people! I’m not sure if anyone new will join because of us, but at least we started talking to other people. One man, in particular, though, stood out in a not very good way. He was very nice and started talking to us without any hesitation. But then he started talking about how he can’t go to a church where they put homosexuals in Bishop positions. My poor Mum and I had no idea what to do! We…
Telling People
5-26-12: Tonight was the Sandbridge Shores’ block party. It’s an amazing opportunity to see my “village” — the various people who have helped shape me into the adult woman I am today. A lot of these people may not know the influence they have had on me, but it is truly immense. At the block party, I was able to tell a lot of these people my future plans, my discernment, and my interest in becoming a priest. As much as these people have watched me blossom from the little toddler running around the beach without my bathing suit on, to a teen who surfed and stayed out way too late, to a young adult…
Who needs a man?
5-10-12: Recently, I must admit, I had sort of been bumming that I didn’t have a reliable guy in my life. And then, I received a gift from God disguised as a new office chair. A few weeks ago, I noticed my office chair was broken (the back wasn’t sitting straight anymore), and so we ordered a new chair for me. It arrived today, in a nice big box (Bedi enjoyed playing in the box for quite awhile). However, it arrived in pieces. 13 pieces and 12 screws to be exact. Naturally, I pulled out my tool box (because why wouldn’t I keep a tool box at work) and started putting it together. By the…
Epiphany
5-3-12: There is so much for me to include in this post! I will have to only briefly touch on each item and expand in individual posts. First, the Episcopal Church I grew up in — The Church of the Epiphany — is returning home this weekend. After a long battle within its congregation, a forced out of its building, and a strenous legal battle, COEE (Church of Epiphany Episcopal) is finally coming home. Second, I just talked to the new rector at Epiphany, and I think it is close enough to being official for me to say, I am doing my YPI internship at Epiphany! It will be a wonderful experience on so many…
