Call Me Crazy

Last week when I was in New York, I received some good news. After 6 months of applications, cover letters, and interviews, I finally got an internship for this summer-- and it's in Germany! I will be doing social media marketing for earthfaves, a small company in Saarbrücken. Going to Germany has been a long-time goal of mine, and I am so incredibly excited for this opportunity to experience the German culture and improve my language skills, while learning about marketing and digital media.

I will be arriving in Saarbrücken in exactly 14 days from today, and I have so much to do before then! I still need to find a place to live as well as someone to sublet my room in Fort Worth while I'm gone, and my German business vocabulary could use some major sharpening. I've also got to figure out how to scrape up some cash, because I'm currently as broke as a joke. On top of all that, I still have four final exams to take and a room to pack up before next Friday. It will be a miracle if I manage to pull all this off!

Though I have a lot to be freaking out about, I have complete faith that everything will work out. I have always believed that everything happens for a reason, and I can't help but think this is a part of God's plan for me. This internship is certainly one of the biggest challenges I've ever taken on, but I know that I will learn and grow a lot from this experience.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight."  -Proverbs 3: 5-6

Spring Break

In five days I will be in Nicaragua, soaking up the sun and breathing in the fresh air. This will be my third spring break to spend in Tepeyac, a small village just outside Granada, and I couldn't be more excited to be going back. I am traveling with a group from TCU, as a part of a program called Questa Terra.

I wish I had a fast forward button so that I could skip past the upcoming week of midterms and assignments, but until then I will simply daydream of warmer weather and the carefree days ahead in the land of lakes and volcanoes :)

Here are 10 of my favorite things about Nicaragua:

the palm trees

Late night conversations on the front porch at the convent

rice & beans + fresh fruit, coffee, and honey every day

these precious kids & their enthusiasm for learning

the volcanoes

my Tepeyac friends including Douglas & Milton.

San Juan del Sur

the friendly people & their proud traditions

picturesque Granada

this yellow cathedral

Change for Egypt

Breakfast with Shabban (Aug. 2010)

With Egypt at the forefront of international attention lately, I can't help but think back to the days I spent there six months ago. So much has changed since then... or has it? I keep replaying the morning that I shared conversation over cake and coffee with our Alexandrian taxi driver, Shabban. Full of curiosity, he unabashedly drilled us with questions about the United States and President Obama. We listened as he rattled on about his personal frustrations with Egypt's government and economy. Little did I know then, there are thousands of Egyptians that share his sentiment and are ready for change.

Egypt has been on my mind a lot these last couple of days. I often wonder what Shabban is doing; if he is out in the crowds of protesters or at home with his wife and three children. I think about Uncle Khamis and the dozen other faces I met during my visit to Alexandria and Cairo, and how they might be affected by this political unrest. I can only hope that the steps taken toward governmental and economic reform will be ones of nonviolence. What are your thoughts on the situation in Egypt? Will the Egyptian people prevail? Is democracy possible for Egypt?