Life on the Trail

My first AT experience proved to be challenging and reflective. Since I haven't done much long distance hiking/trekking, I didn't really know what to expect. I definitely overestimated my enjoyable hiking distance level, especially since I did absolutely no physical preparation for the trail. I didn't reach my 80 mile goal, but I feel I gained valuable trail experience and still have the urge to go back. Here's a recap of the trip:

Day 1: Amicola Falls Visitor Center to Stover Creek Shelter (11.6 miles, 2,082 ft. in elevation)
Packs around 30 lbs.

Rance and I started off enthusiastic and ready to conquer, but we made a rookie mistake, starting at the visitor center. We got to walk through the stone gate at the sacrifice of climbing over 700 hundred stairs past the waterfalls (that we had visited the previous day). Nevertheless, the first day we made good time and distance. We were pretty talkative and excited about being on the trail. A light rain dripped through the trees but didn't impede our pace. Unfortunately, by the time we reached Springer (the official southern terminus of the AT) we were tired and wet. The view was a foggy blur. We debated about staying but decided to press on. As we rested our feet at the Springer Mt. Shelter, we met some fellow travelers. Roger was around 70 years old with a long white beard and hearing aids. As a part-time caretaker of the AT, he had been living in a tent on top of Springer since February. Wow. Looking back, we probably should have stayed at Springer because my feet started pounding the last 2 miles to Stover Creek. Since it was raining we decided to stay in the Stover Creek shelter. It was a little crowded with 3 young guys from TN, a German couple and a homeless guy. After we learned the set up of Stover, we used the privy, filtered water, cooked, dinner, hoisted our food, and got ready for bed. We arrived a fairly late so there wasn't much time for relaxation. And the temperature got surprisingly cold (we think in the 30s that night). Between the homeless guy's loud and crinkly sleeping bag (aka plastic tarp), the cold, and the German's loud snoring, I didn't get much sleep. We also had a mouse running around (later we learned the homeless guy kept a bag of trail mix, honey and chocolate in the shelter). It was hard to get out of my sleeping bag but my small bladder finally won over and I braved the cold to find the privy.

Day 2: Stover Creek to Mt. Justus (9.6 miles, elevation--up and down a lot)

After we finally got going, we fell into a slow, silent pace. Spent a lot of time staring at the ground and thinking about each step. Felt the reality of hiking. Being a very impatient person, I struggled with not seeing much progress. "How much further to the next gap or mountain" seemed a constant thought. The weather was nice but we didn't really see any good views that day. Stopped near Hawk Mt. shelter to fix lunch and wash up a bit. Realized that cooking lunch was a huge impediment to distance on the trail (which pretty much threw off the food supply we brought). Still we had a nice break at a creek. After lunch, it was slow going. We realized we weren't going to make it as far as we hoped and started looking for camp sites. On the downhill parts, my feet were painfully aware of each step. We made it to Justus Mountain around sunset and set-up camp with two Auburn students. They were quiet and not very social so we pretty much kept to ourselves. I was too tired to cook so I ate a cliff bar and helped Rance hoist the food (which took a while since we didn't have the handy bear cables like at Stover). We collapsed in our tent exhausted, but I still didn't sleep well (a common theme for me on the trip). Next time I will have to pack some Tylenol PM.

Day 3: Mt. Justus to Woody Gap (7.6 miles, up and down)

Rise and shine, it's morning time. Got the food down while Rance struggled to wake up. Feeling dirty and longing for some real food but ready to get on the trail. Unpacked my I-Pod and enjoyed some tunes on the trail. Scaled back our goal and decided to only go about 8 miles today. Good plan. :-) Enjoyed this pace much better and thought the trail seemed more enjoyable. Glimpsed some pretty mountain views. Spirits were higher. Woohoo. We're on the AT. Made it to Woody Gap earlier and contacted the outside world (needed to let everyone know we're still alive, don't worry). Found a great campsite a little past Woody's Gap. Made a campfire. Cooked some food, actually burned some food. Yummy. Had time to hang out with my brother, read and play cards. Slept a little better but it was really windy and the trees made creaking noises that kept waking me up.

Day 4: Woody Gap to Neels Gap (10.5 miles)

Since it was warmer, we got up earlier and hit the trail around 9 am. Today we were going to hit our highest elevation at Blood Mt. And at Neels Gap, a warm shower and ice cream awaited. Motivation to get going. We kept a good pace and made good time. Starting to adapt to life on the trail. Had a nice lunch and filtered water at Wood Hole. As we started climbing Blood Mountain, it got hot and sunny. The trees thinned out and I actually put on sunscreen for the first time on the trip. When we finally made it up to Blood Mt. there was a sense of triumph and accomplishment. And also some GREAT views. Took some pics, but we were also eager to get to Neels Gap. The descent took FOREVER and it was a hard descent. The trail was rough and rocky. My feet and knees started hurting. We kept meeting day hikers that said "oh you're getting close." It's funny how a mile on the trail seemed in my mind about 3 regular miles. Maybe I am just not good at estimating distances. We made it to Neels Gap before 5 pm (impressive). Had a hot dog and icecream. Yummy. Took a shower and washed the grime away. Feeling really stiff and sore. Hobbling around to do laundry. Decided to stay at the hostel there because we weren't supposed to camp because of the bear encounters. Apparently a bear had been grabbing people's hoisted food the whole week from Wood Hole to Tensantee. We met two guys at Neels Gap that had their food taken by the crafty bear. Met our first thru-hiker (who was getting a late start). That guy did 2 20 mile days and had the blisters to prove it. Intense. Our little group watched a movie and then headed to bed. Still could not sleep--what is my problem? I alternated between extremely hot in my sleeping bag to cold outside of my sleeping bag.

Day 5: Neels Gap to ??? to Neels Gap

The next morning we got up early and packed up. Started on the trail but my motivation was really low. Eating food and showering at Neels Gap was a great enticement to trudge along. Now I had four more days of pounding feet, blisters and shaky knees. Sweating and no showering. Rain in the forecast. Getting home right before I had to start work again. The terrain didn't hold any challenges (like Blood Mt.) and seemed to be monotonous. As we continued on, my knee started getting worse. Not really enjoying myself. Sooooooo....I made the call to stop early. I debated not reaching my goal, but in the end, decided I had a good experience and didn't want to ruin it by pushing myself too hard. We turned around and headed back to Neels Gap to be picked up. I got the chance to talk to some of the workers at Mountain Crossing who had thru-hiked. It was great to learn more about hiking and the trail. It got me excited to come back and a little sad that I didn't push on. But, I am really glad to have 4 days to relax and get things done around the house before I head back to work. I think I made the best call for my situation. And I know Justin wants to experience the AT so I am sure we'll see those white rectangles again soon.

Total time on the trail: 4.5 days and 4 nights Distance: 45 miles
Traveled: From Amicola Falls to a little past Neels Gap (and back) in Georgia

Pictures to come soon. They're on Rance's camera so I don't have any at the moment.

Hiking the AT in GA

In less than two weeks, my brother and I will hit the Appalachian Trail in Georgia. Unfortunately, we don't have the time to do a thru-hike so we'll be doing the 80ish miles from the southern terminus into North Carolina. And hopefully do more later. I am looking forward to being dirty, getting blisters, eating crappy food, and getting away from the real world. Neither of us have done any serious backpacking so we don't really have any idea what we are getting into. I hope to meet some bears and mosquitos along the way. And my anti-social brother should be able to keep the conversation going for hours. I don't really understand the appeal of camping but I can't help but want to experience the wilderness. Survive the elements. I am having serious adventure withdrawal.

Moving Forward

What does it mean to be an adult? The word often calls up the terms "responsibility" and "settling down." I think of bills, down payments, picket fences and office jobs. As I find myself transitioning from my college years towards (gulp) my later 20's, I struggle with the idea of becoming an adult. I don't necessarily fear getting older, at least not yet, but I guess I don't value the conventional path. Still I want to be careful not to diminish the traditions of my culture just for the sake of it. I guess I want to find my own way, mixing old with new, but as I move forward, I want to examine my path.

I feel pressure to choose a career, buy a house, and have children. I don't know where this pressure comes from. I often think it is self established, but I also like to throw blame towards my own culture and surroundings. Then I think about how many refugees have asked me, "Why haven't you had children yet?" Nope, I doubt it is cultural. Security, family, and hard work are things to be esteemed, but not at the sacrifice of trust, calling or lack of ideals. I want to live wide-eyed, aware of all the possibilities before me. I want to have the courage to take a different path. To think about the small everyday choices that I make and how they impact me, others and the world. I don't think this lifestyle has to be radical just contemplative. Change may come slowly and inwardly.

So I plan to shake off the stereotypes of adulthood. And see how it goes moving forward with openness and flexibility.

The Horrible Truth about Geonocide

I just watched the CNN special Scream Bloody Murder documenting acts of genocide from WWII to Darfur. This program outlines historical facts regarding specific incidents of genocide in Cambodia, Turkey, Iraq, Bosnia, Rwanda and Darfur. It also interviews people who tried to prevent the abuse of human rights and stop these incidents of genocide from occuring. Again and again the international political community has ignored or downplayed the incidents not acknowledging genocide until it is too late. It makes me so angry to watch the horrific stories. I detest the feelings of helplessness in the face of blatant evil and injustice. Will no one stand up to help these people? And when advocates do object, why are they ignored by the individuals with power to affect the situation?

As I contemplated this documentary, I felt called to action. We must do something. We must prevent this events from happening again. The need for action was clear in hindsight, but the more complex issue was what should we have done? Trade sanctions, military action, increasing UN peacekeeping forces, humanitarian aid, public denouncement. As a pacifist, I find it hard to recommend military action, but how else can you stop such evil? I don't know. We can gain little knowledge from previous experience because in most instances the international community has failed to act in a sufficient manner.

There are many conflicted areas where violence continues to dominate daily life: the DRC, Sudan, Somalia, Iraq, Israel/Palestine, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, Burundi, etc. I wonder if one of these countries will be the location of genocide (some of them already have been). Past conflicts linger and continue to generate violence. How can peaceful resolution really happen in reality of such evil? How can we prevent genocide from happening? I can only hope the world will not continue to remain ignorant and immobile in the future.

You can watch Scream Bloody Murder on YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4vI18HJM2o

Reminiscing Bangladesh

Things I miss from Bangladesh: Rice fields. Palm trees. Rainy afternoons. Mangos and pineapples. Bright colored saris and shalwar kameezes. Eating with my fingers. Rickshaw rides. Being rich. Neighborhood kids. Mehendi parties. Having a house helper. Pedicures. Iftar foods. Trips to the Barre. Cinnamon Chai. Stories. Eating by Candlelight. My VIP status. Afternoon visits from friends. Community. Hospitality. Intensity. Constant learning. Friendship.

Things I don't: Mosquitos. Staring men. Sweating profusely. Laundry by hand. Bangla sweets. Cockroaches. Weddings. Being bossed around. Overcrowded buses. Smells. Lack of privacy and alone time. Inefficiencies. Power Outages. Fights over powering the water tank. No AC. Running out of water. Moving again. Baksheesh. Extreme poverty. Injustice towards women. Dirty feet. Going to the outdoor sqautty in the middle of the night. Vicks Vapor Rub medicinal treatments. Language frustrations. Rationing Western foods. Missing my friends and family. Corruption.

Overall, I have to say I miss the place.

Faith & Politics--Do they mix?

I grew up with the belief that politics and religion don't mix. This past year I have started to take a more active role in politics, mainly due to the presidential campaign. Justin and I were volunteer officer managers for the Obama Office in Lexington during the KY primary. Through this experience we were encouraged to attend our local precinct meeting. We surprisingly walked away elected committee members. Due to my involvement and newfound interest, I have followed the campaign closely and tried to stay up to date on political matters. I also got involved with several activist groups mainly due to my belief in the Millennium Development Goals. Throughout this journey, I have been trying to better understand the complexities of politics. I mean, what is really best for our country, for the global community, for me, for others? There are so many issues and stances, viewpoints and perspectives, advice and expert opinion, media biases and political agendas. As I muddle through what I believe regarding politics, I find it hard to keep my opinions compartmentalized. How is it feasible to keep my Christian principles separate from my political ideology? Or is it possible to be a political Christian?

While these thoughts have been stewing in my head, there have been recent events that brought them to the forefront of my mind; various conversations with friends, KRM's fundraiser which is associated to the book "Jesus for President," and our recent topic of politics at Communality. Yep, for the past two Sundays we have been talking about politics at house church. It has been interesting and surprising to see how ingrained the belief of not speaking of political opinions in a religious setting is in my brain. I automatically get a little squirmy when the subject is broached. Nonetheless, I am still intrigued. I want to know how to be a holistic Christian, which also means being involved (or not involved if feel so led) in politics.

Tonight we were tagged with the task to write a political Christian creed in 5 minutes. Right. I am still thinking about this request and what my version would say. I will probably still be thinking about it for several weeks, months, possibly years. I feel that I jumped into the political scene rather quickly and would now like to take time to re-evaluate and build a stronger foundation of well-thought out beliefs. It's not that I have changed my mind about any issues or candidates. I am still an Obama supporter with a liberal mindset, but I also don't want to just be a stereotype. I want to really examine why I feel the way I feel. I want to learn from others with different opinions. I want to be challenged. And I want to figure out what fitting politics into my faith looks like.

You are what you Eat.

I recently watched a movie called "The Future of Food." www.thefutureoffood.com In the movie it brought up a food issue that I was unaware of--patents on seeds. Apparently, seeds have been patented. it began with seeds that were genetically modified but has now opened the door for other seeds to be patented. At first glance this might not seem like that big of a deal, but in the movie it brings to light many potential problems that seed patents offer. For example, if I have a farm and some patented seeds blow onto my farm (or blow off trucks carrying seeds) and start growing on my land and I haven't bought those seeds, then they don't effectively belong to me. THE CROPS GROWING ON MY OWN LAND DON"T BELONG TO ME! That's crazy. Seeds are naturally designed to be transplanted through wind, water and animals. It's like saying I have to protect my land from the possibility of seeds falling on the dirt and growing there. The whole thing seems quite ridiculous. You cannot control living organisms. They should not be patented. So if seeds and genes can be patented where do you draw the line. What if those genes are transplanted into a living human? Does this mean the human doesn't own those genes?

Another point is that seed patents give enormous control to big agricultural companies. When farmers have to rely on ag companies for their seeds, then these ag companies can control the seed market. Now if those seeds are patented it threatens the business of farmers who reuse their own seeds. If or when their fields become contaminated with the patented seeds then their own stockpile is effectively useless because it doesn't belong to them but the holder of the patent (even if they didn't want their seeds to become contaminated, i.e. it happens naturally).

The scary part of this is the big ag companies are pushing genetically engineered seeds and we still don't know what effective this has on humans. The GE seeds are mixing more and more with non-GE seeds. There has also been talk of a terminator seed (which would die off after one year making farmers more reliant on the big ag companies). Also, with the current global food crisis it seems dangerous to have such a seed, noting that it could potentially mix with non-GE seeds.

Before watching this movie, I wasn't really aware of any of these issues. Hadn't really thought about any of them. But I think it is important to be aware of issues that are going on in the world. Especially when dealing with such an important commodity as food. I also hope you will know think about it too.

Community

The elusive craving that plagues me. How do I find this sense of belonging among like-minded individuals? How do you develop heartfelt friendships with people that you actually communicate with more than once a week? It seems more like a phantasm than tangible reality.

I have friends and family that are spread out over the globe. I cherish those friendships and hope that many are lifelong relationships. I miss living close to family. We see each other about once a month or so, but the daily interaction isn't possible living in different cities.

Right now, Justin is my community. I am so glad to have his constant companionship, but sometimes I feel like we are living on a boat together. We briefly pass people by and make many acquaintances, but we have no anchor. We drift around, have great experiences, but can't find the right island to settle down on.

Lately many conversations seem to focus on this topic. We've met some groups that focus on living out community. We've made some connections with people that seem promising, but the future looms ahead. The thought of returning overseas is alluring yet painful. If we do take the plunge and invest in a community of friends, what happens when we have to leave again? The thought of starting over seems tedious and troublesome.

Anyone looking for a nomadic community?

The joys of being married

Justin often likes to play guitar loudly at night. I'm sure our neighbors enjoy it. As do I. Sometimes. He doesn't like to plan things (the total opposite of me). And he takes forever to poop. But really there's not much to complain about. I think we are alarmingly well suited. Since our engagement and most of our dating months were spent continents apart, I really prepared myself for the transition of marriage. And while it was weird to have a new name and share a house with a man, it was a relatively smooth conversion. Granted we didn't follow the conventional path of settling down and buying a house. The in-laws were an ocean away. We just had each other and a few suitcases. Overall though, I think Turkey was a great experience and a chance for us to have the alone time we needed in a stress free environment full of adventure and culture. I wouldn't change a thing about our first year of marriage.

Now our second anniversary is approaching. We're back home. Have somewhat normal jobs and an apartment. We get to spend more time with our families. And we're trying to decide what it means to be us in America. We're both idealists. Justin much more so than I am. We want to live examined lives. To actively support the things we believe in. Which is really difficult. It is quite easy not to contemplate the choices we make or the things we spend our money on. But we are trying to. And I am extremely happy to have someone who shares my core ideals. Justin challenges me. I motivate him. We get involved in groups that demonstrate our passions. It's great and I think we both feel much more productive as a couple than individuals. Our marriage is about jointly enhancing our lives and I love it.

I have waited for the strained moments and consequential fights to come. But as I look back, I can't remember a single night I went to bad angry at him. Of course you never know what the future holds. I don't think it will always be this easy. I sometimes find myself anticipating trouble because it seems that things are too perfect to be real. I mean we do have our occasional disagreements. Compromise is a big part of things. But Justin and I are such good friends. And in some ways being similar makes things easier. We normally just get along. Except when I am grouchy at night. But he deals with that well. And I know not to bother him in the morning. All in all, it just works. Extremely well.

My Summer To Do List

Summer is just a great time to be outdoors and do things! Here's my ambitious list of things I want to do this summer.

1. Camping at the Gorge
2. Improve my tennis game
3. Friday Flicks at Jacobson Park
4. Visit Shaker village
5. ROCK CLIMBING
6. Run a 5k!
7. Tour a bourbon distillery
8. Bike around a lot
9. Buy things at the Farmer's Market
10. Listen to Jazz music at Ecton Park
11. Visit KY Horse Park
12. READ outside
13. The extreme tour at Mammoth Cave
14. Have a picnic.
15. L'ville zoo
16. Visit Gethsemane Monastery
17. Eat a bison burger at Al's bar
18. Hike at Raven's Run
19. Take a ROAD TRIP
20. Have a barbeque party
21. Grow something

Please feel free to add any other fun things you know of to do in Lexington during the summer. And let me know if you want to tag along!

Kentucky Refugee Ministries

As many of you know, I started a new job at Kentucky Refugee Ministries through the Americorps VISTA program. My position focuses on providing ESL services and Cultural Orientation classes to the refugees. So far, I have really enjoyed working at the office and I wanted to share more about some volunteer options and general information for people who may be interested in volunteering with KRM. So here it is.....

Kentucky Refugee Ministries, Inc. is the refugee resettlement office in the state of Kentucky for two national church-based programs: The Episcopal Migration Ministries and Church World Service. Kentucky Refugee Ministries is authorized by the U.S. Dept. of State to assist refugees who have been legally admitted to the United States, as victims of warfare or other forms of persecution because of their religious or political beliefs.

Refugees come to this country as victims of trauma, as people who have lost their homes and families because of war, as people hoping for peace and freedom as they begin life anew. Our program provides them with apartments and furnishing, helps enroll children in school, gets families to medical treatment, and secures employment for family members who are able to go to work. Refugees come from very diverse educational and skill backgrounds, and we attempt to place the refugee in the best jobs available, given the client's language ability, background, training and experience. Long term assistance include job upgrades, assistance with certain immigration processes and classes and assistance preparing individuals to become naturalized American citizens.

Kentucky Refugee Ministries benefits from the help of many volunteers from service and educational institutions in the Louisville community. We are a church-based program, and we initially work to link refugees with church congregations who will sponsor them.

Since we began our work in 1990, we have placed over 4000 refugees in various Kentucky communities. These individuals and families represent 29 different nationalities and ethnic groups including Liberian, Colombian, Vietnamese, Haitian, Cuban, Iraqi, Somali, Kurdish, Bosnian, Kosovar, Russian, Ethiopian, Romanian, Sudanese, Benadir, Barawan, Togolese, Congolese, Afghani, Iranian, Ukrainian and Rwandan.

We generally need volunteers to be ESL tutors for our clients, help teach English classes, assist in apartment set-up, provide additional office assistance, and provide transportation to appointments.

KRM also needs donations and monetary assitance to provide adequate services to the refugees. We can use old furniture, electronics, bikes, clothing, etc. that is in decent condition. Please let me know if you are interested in helping!

The Global Food Crisis--Have you heard?

An earthquake in China. Over 51,000 dead. A cyclone in Burma (aka Myanmar). An estimated 130,000 lives lost and 2 million homeless. Two extreme tragedies that have occurred this month (May 2008). The media has closely followed the struggle of rescue efforts and aid distribution. I have two personal friends who have just entered Myanmar to assist in giving out food, water purification tablets and medicine. The need for help in these two areas is urgent and extreme. But there is another crisis that is much less public and potentially just as devastating--the Global Food Crisis.

What is the Global Food Crisis? An unbalance in the food supply due to poor harvests and underinvestment in agriculture, rising energy costs, growing demand from population increases, problems in economic policies, competition with biodiesel fuels, tied aid and restrictions in global trade have created an drastic upsurge in the price of staple foods. Termed a "Silent Tsunami," this food crisis is the worst in the world's history since the 1970s. Food riots have broken out inBangladesh, Cameroon, Egypt, Haiti, Indonesia, Mauritania, Mexico, Senegal, Somalia, Uzbekistan, and Yemen. The current food hardship threatens to push 100 million people back into extreme poverty. This is a dire circumstance that has potentially calamitous implications.

This topic has coincidentally presented itself several times to me over the past few weeks. I originally skimmed a news story about the rising prices of staple foods that underplayed its significance. Then at the RESULTS groupstart/informational meeting the focus was the food crisis and action steps to prevent further aggravation. Finally, a close friend from my time in Bangladesh has undertaken a project to raise awareness and funds for the global food crisis, called the 40 hour famine.

I will post some resources up that I encountered throughout the previous month, but would also invite discussion and feedback. Have you heard of the Global Food Crisis? What is your perspective? How dire is the situation? What action steps can be taken? I hope to do some more research and brainstorming about this issue in the near future. But here's a look at info I've found so far and you can also click on the title to check out the Washington Post website.

http://resultsmusings.blogspot.com
This site includes general info and statistics, action steps, and a conference call with David Beckmann, Bread for the World President.





A synopsis of Beth and Dustin's 40 Hour Famine event

40 Hours of Famine

The Situation: Global food prices have skyrocketed in the past months, and the world’s poorest are hardest hit. The result is a “silent tsunami”- the first wide-spread famine in more than 30 years; a crisis that has received only minor public attention.

The plan: To increase awareness of this crisis and raise assistance through a collective 40 hour fast.

40 hours is a safe, and spiritually symbolic, period that will allow participants to experience real hunger in solidarity with the hundreds of millions currently unable to afford basic foodstuffs.

Religious and secular groups around the Central Arkansas area will begin their fast on Friday May 30th at 8 PM and conclude on the following Sunday at noon. Any Children interested in participating are encouraged to set a 24hour goal, from Saturday to Sunday at noon. Anyone unable to fast during these hours, or unable to complete the 40 hour goal, is welcomed to participate when, and for as long, as they are able.

Participants are invited to raise relief as they fast by obtaining pledges for each hour that they fast. Friends, family, and coworkers can pledge to donate a fixed dollar amount for each hour fasted. $2.50 is a recommended donation that symbolically represents the cost of a good meal in the developing world. 40hrs of fasting at this level of support would lead to a $100 total donation.

All donations will be directed to St. Andrew’s partner church in Haiti to be used for hunger alleviation. Any money collected should be turned in at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church by June 15th for distribution.

For more information, please contact Dustin Freeman at dustinfreeman@msn.com

I do not mean that there should be relief for others and pressure on you, but it is a question of a fair balance between your present abundance and their need, so that their abundance may be for your need, in order that there may be a fair balance. As it is written, "The one had much did not have too much, and the one who had little did not have too little." – 2 Corinthians 8:13-15

How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the worlds’ goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses to help? Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. – 1 John 3:17-18

A Glimpse of McCain

Keeping up with the Presidential Campaign can be a full-time job, but I try to stay up to date on the issues. I recently read this article on McCain and was saddened by his stance on helping the working lower and middle classes. Granted I am an Obama supporter so my opinion is obviously biased, but I do try to remain open minded. This article is worth a look for anyone who is supporting McCain.

The Wide Open Door

I wanted to share my good news with everyone! I was offered the Americorps Vista position at Kentucky Refugee Ministries in Lexington. I'm very excited because I will get to work directly with refugees, coordinate the ESL program and cultural orientation, help the refugees find employment and deal with legal forms and documents, and organize volunteer activiities. I will have flexible working hours and my own desk. It sounds WONDERFUL. Of course, the pay is very minimal, but I get direct experience in what I want to do and will be rewarded a hefty education award that I can use for grad school. Plus, the timing will work perfectly for me to start grad school in Fall 09. It really is a huge blessing! I will hopefully start at the beginning of June. I meet with the Vista coordinator on Wednesday to work out the logistics of getting started. I have to fill out all the paperwork and attend a conference in GA. The person before me is leaving before her term officially ends so there is some urgency to get everything done. My schedule at Eastern State Hospital ends in May so I will be able to put in my two weeks notice and not mess up the current schedule, which is good. I'm really happy about my new position and it definitely makes not getting into grad school easier to accept. Hopefully getting relevant experience will strengthen my application. And I can take classes at the Carnegie Center for free (which includes French classes). I am really happy that everything worked out so perfectly!!!

The Open Door

I thoroughly enjoy making plans. Planning my future, planning vacations, planning fun activities. In fact, I often make to do lists, though they usually get lost before the next day. There is just something I appreciate about the mental process of planning. While often this habit keeps me organized, it can sometimes steal my focus from the present to the future. Justin usually balances this problem with his amazing ability to not plan anything and live spontaneously in the moment. Still I sometimes find ways to circumvent the delicate balance of present and future minded living.

I definitely went overboard making preparations for graduate school. I just couldn't stop myself. After submitting my application to the Patterson School, I poured over their website and looked up potential classes I wanted to take. I even started on last year's summer reading list. I didn't do these things because I am the biggest dork in the world (though I guess it is possible), but because I was impatient and love planning my future. From February 1st to the end of March, I anxiously waited to hear back about my application. After the first week of March I would nervously yet routinely check my mailbox after I got home. My friends told me not to worry. I had lots of overseas experience which is key to getting in at the Patterson School.

Fate was not in my corner. The inevitable letter reached my hands the last week of March. Waitlisted. Still a small sliver of hope remained. I really wanted to go to grad school in the fall of 08. Attend the Patterson School. Obtain a Masters in Diplomacy and International Commerce with a focus in International Organizations and Development. Begin my career in Economic Development of third world countries. Again I was forced to wait until April 23rd to discover my grad school outcome. Yet already my resilient mind was making new plans, just in case.

Today is April the 23rd. And I found out that I did not get accepted to the Patterson School for the Fall 08 semester. While this news is obviously disappointing, it is also liberating. I am now free to make more plans. Hopefully plans that will work out. And that are perfect for me to grow and experience life. And just today a new door opened.

I have been volunteering at an organization called Kentucky Refugee Ministries. Two days ago my contact at KRM emailed that she would be finishing her Americorps position and taking a new job. A vacancy at an organization that I would love to work for. So, I emailed her this morning to see if working there would be a possibility. She thinks I would be perfect for the job and I have meeting tomorrow morning to discuss the opportunity. I don't know what will happen but the hope of finding a job I would potentially really enjoy is enough to ease the disappointment about grad school. And motivated me to spend my morning planning about this new open door. Fall 09 just might be the perfect time for me to start grad school.



This is Jeanette, a Burundian refugee. I have been tutoring her in English for about 6 months through KRM.

Why is it wrong to hug trees?

Why do people think it is wrong to hug trees? They are strong and beautiful. They provide us with oxygen, fruit, wood, and paper. Trees are such good things. So why all the tree hate? I don't understand it. I thoroughly enjoy being out in nature. I like riding my bike, hiking, camping, rock climbing, the occasional short run, picnics, skiing (water and snow), sports and many other outdoor activities. I think being outside makes me feel more in tune with nature and also with God. I really enjoy our world in its natural form. Of course, I also appreciate roads and my apartment and the grocery store. These things are good too. I just think we should respect and protect the environment. And if that means hugging trees, I'm ready.

Global warming. Is it real or is it a hoax? I don't really know. I mean, I'm not a scientist. I've read some experts that say it's true and I've seen others deny it. How can you know for sure? Personally, I believe it is true, but I don't know to what degree. The main thing that I think is exciting about global warming is that people are finally paying attention to the environment, myself included. That means more negative action against pollution, fossil fuels, and deforestation and more positive action for recycling, sustainability, and solar energy. I think that it is super. Regardless of global warming and who is causing it, I think we should be respectful of our planet and natural resources. It seems so obvious to me. People take care of their possessions and house so that it will function better, last longer, and be more efficient. Why are some people so inconsiderate of the environment?

Which brings me to my last point. We really need to do more to be energy efficient and leave as little negative environmental footprint as possible. There are lots of ways to do this and I hope you will join me as I learn more about changing my lifestyle to benefit the environment. Some changes Justin and I have made already are reusable bags and containers, unplugging all of our appliances when we aren't using them, energy efficient lightbulbs, biking places, keeping the thermostat lower/higher, recycling most everything, put sand bottles in our toilet, and just considering the impact of our actions by the things we buy and do. It takes awhile to get used to the changes, but it does make me feel like I am positively affecting my environment. You should try it!!!

The Beginning

Most people want to do good things. But often we don't. Why not? Is it laziness, apathy, fear? I don't really know the answer. But I would guess it's probably a combination of many things. And the fact that sometimes the world's problems seem quite distant. I know I have made many excuses to justify my own lack of initiative. But lately I have felt an urging to change. To do something. But even this concept is difficult. Where do you begin? How do you choose a worthy starting point? What are the most critical problems? And what activites really create positive change? It's been a daunting task just to sort through the options. And sometimes I feel overwhelmed by ignorance in the humanitarian realm. I mean, it's easy to have good intentions, but how do you really help people in significant and efficient ways. I need help in understanding how to help.

Living overseas for three years gave me an insightful global perspective that I immensely appreciate. I think everyone who has the opportunity should go overseas at some point in their life. Because of my experiences I do not necessarily think of myself as an American citizen (though this is my heritage), but as a global citizen. My extended relatives are the people who live in the third world countries, the slums and war zones. Indifference to situations of extreme poverty and injustice infuriate me. I believe that human life is precious and worth protecting. Just because someone has the misfortune to have been born into poverty, abuse or injustice does not mean other more fortunate and able individuals should ignore the unfair cruelty. We need to do something about the dire situations that exist in our world.

There are just so many appalling circumstances. Recently, I have started engaging in local politics, contacting grassroots organizations, watching informing documentaries and volunteering with refugees. I have spent a lot of time on the internet trying to research and compare ways to get involved. I want to use my time wisely and there are many ineffective ways to help people. And it is very much a learning process but I feel that I am educating myself. I am also finding places to plug in. And one opportunity usually leads to another. Some ways I have found to live intentionally are through volunteering by teaching English to refugees that recently move to Lexington with Kentucky Refugee Ministries, volunteering and participating in activities with Lexington for Obama, attending my local precinct democratic convention and then being elected as a Committee Chair Women, and trying to start a grassroots advocacy organization called Results in Lexington. And I often feel like the process is slow. I am impatient to see the results of my work, but I have to remind myself that change and improvement often come slowly and through much hard work. So I am content to keep trying. And I want to encourage you to do so as well. We should all be living intentional lives full of challenging ideas, positive action and deep reflection.