A thought

How much are you willing to give up for the one you love?

Summer Lovin', havin' a blast!

Of all the summers I can remember, two have stood out as the best ever: the summer after freshman year of high school and the summer after freshman year of college. Granted, Stephen took me to the Dominican Republic the summer after 11th grade, but Nick had also broken up with me weeks before so that put a damper on my summer.

But these two summers...they were something special. Summer '02 was the "Golden Summer": living at the pool day and night, Dan coaching, the Powells and co. lifeguarding, still being excited about first kisses and new boyfriends, living at the Plummers, having no responsibilities, snorting sugar to freak out Dan, water polo, beaver, and team breakfasts. It was absolutely wonderful.

Summer '06 was equally amazing, despite having to take summer school and balance (for a time) two jobs. Potbelly, I will always proclaim, has forever changed me. Life revolved around "the line", "the back" and "the floor". My best friends that summer and the guy I was seeing were all my coworkers. I wanted to go to work every day, and on my days off I was almost inevitably there helping close so we could leave to play pool earlier. And now, a year and a half later, that spark hasn't died. I saw Colin yesterday after a year of virtual silence, and it was like the last year hadn't happened (minus our intense excitement at seeing each other). Without a missed step it was back to cruising around in his Ford Element, laughing about our friends, and sharing hopes and dreams for the future. He really is an incredibly guy (no longer that 18 yr old boy I dated!) and it was easy to remember why we were so head-over-heels 2 years ago. I wish him all the best in the world.

Here's to hoping that the second half of summer '08 will be just as enchanting. Que viva nicaraguita, y que viva Potbelly!

Cuenta Regresiva!

Or countdown, for my English-speaking readers. 11 days until I arrive in Augusto Sandino Airport in smelly, dirty, hot and beautiful Managua. I absolutely cannot wait, although not having my SIT crew to lean on is going to be jarring and draining at first (with whom will I esnuglear and yell obscenities?). Buuut the Manna crew looks more and more awesome each day and I'm excited for the year ahead. We're going to do amazing things, I just know it.

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"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

I'll never love perfectly, but every year I love you better than I did the year before.

xkcd says it all

To be honest, one of the things I love about discussing Nicaragua with older people is that so many of them tell me, "If I could do it over again, I would do exactly what you're doing." It might still be because I'm a doe-eyed young 21 year old, but I want my life to be as exciting and interesting and fast-paced for as long as possible. Two comics that perfectly sum up what I want my life and career to look like to the world:

http://xkcd.com/308 and http://xkcd.com/59

I might not be traveling the world or starting a new Partners In Health, but I never want to seriously doubt the worth of my work or feel like I'm wasting my life. Ever. However, I would like to be very active and sometimes on the move, so starting a family could be a little tricky...especially if my future husband leads a similarly semi-nomadic life. But I guess these sort of things work out.

Hot off the presses: Nicaragua is officially poorer than Haiti. Great, thanks for nothing Daniel Ortega. The next time one of my Sandinista boys gives me their propaganda mierda I am going to verbally smack them. Dios.

But hey, only one month and three days more :o)

Working downtown

....is a lot of fun. I secured a 9-5 (really a 9-whenever i go home between 5:30 and 6:30) in downtown and in my favoritest part of the city. My coworkers are great, the pay is great, and while the work is so-so it's temp work so what can you expect. Overall I'm having a great time, earning a couple months' pay for Nicaragua, and making some fun and very entertaining acquaintances. I work at a place that hires court reporters and processes transcripts for very important cases. Today I was especially happy because instead of being wedded to a computer and mind-numbingly importing/editing/processing transcripts, I got to do all that but also go to bind, put together packages, and joke around with the guys in the production room. I spent the day being productive while quoting Princess Bride and Spaceballs and listening to the guys quote every other comedic movie I know from Holy Grail to Employee of the Month.

Of course, I'd like to be in a different sort of business if/when I move back to the D.C. area, but it's reassuring to know that there are fun people everywhere. It's also gotten me vaguely interested in law school again. Maybe.

New resolutions for this last month in the States:
1. Eat healthy again like last summer.
2. Exercise in the morning before work. Honestly, it's the only time I'll do it since I'm not taking lunches anymore to exercise.
3. Be 90% packed for Nicaragua a week before I leave.
4. Go to sleep by 11 pm every week night.

Ready.....go.

Es un ciclo

Let's be honest, I was facebook stalking today (like every day in a college student's life). I was doing some study abroad stalkage and am currently giggling over how the cycle continues, how it will continue, and how THANK GOD I'm over the initial shock and impact of life in and away from the infamous Maximo. What does this mean? It means the little chickabees who just got back from Nica are crying over how they're not there anymore. Just like we were, obviously. And oh how much the U.S. sucks, etc etc. Five months later here I am: still in touch with los necios chavalos, my closest SITers from the trip, and occasionally spamming our fearless leader with email. But as a wise gringa explained to me, Nicaragua is much more than from the panederia to Jicarito, or even the various places we went. We lived in a bubble, no matter how much we spiced it up.

When I was there, I fell in love with something beyond MT's laughter, or Luis's stupid songs, or even weekly dances at Chaman/Ache/Marcelo's/wherever. It was something better than riding in the back of a pickup truck for 45 minutes through the mountains, better than star gazing at the dock in Orinoco, better than stolen kisses in the darkness courtesy of Union Fenosa. And that, my friends, is why I'm going back. To find out why I'm in love.

Si pequeña es la Patria, uno grande la sueña. - Ruben Dario

brainstorming

Okay troops, I know you're out there, so let's start brainstorming fundraising ideas I can execute in the next month and a half:

- personal fundraising, which I've already spammed some of you with
- tapping friends for corporate sponsoring (note to self: contact the H brothers)
- arranging a neighborhood poker tourney - I was inspired when I won at Texas hold'em at Steve's last night. I've NEVER won big before! It's a sign.
- working with Alex for $$$ from her foundation - if I can swing it for personal funding, I won't need to do anymore fundraising for my own behalf. However, even if it can only go to general funding for MPI that's still fantastic.

If you can think of anything else, please leave suggestions/sugerencias. Gracias!

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On a completely unrelated note, words that send a shiver down my spine whenever the nica boys say them: tranquila, mujer, la china/chinita, la + any female's first name, entonces, and whenever they sing that stupid song about exorcising demons from my body.

I'm in love with an entire country. Como sucedio eso?