What's In Store, 2012?

           It's the last day of 2011...I think about how my year started; it was rough.  Probably one of the lowest points in my life.  I lost my boyfriend, two best friends, and two other friends.  I was living alone.  I was sick, and spent many months in and out of doctors offices.  But I'd go through it again (although hopefully I won't have to) to get to where I am today.  Which just goes to show that eventually, things will work out.
           Sure, not everything is exactly perfect right now...minus one little thing anyway...but I'm happier than I've been in a long time and I've got big things ahead of me!  In 2011 I lost a lot, but I also gained more than I could have imagined - I was selected Philanthropy Chair of my sorority, I was elected as an ASUO senator, this past summer I helped lead a group of high school students from Portland, OR to San Francisco, CA through STLF, I attended my family reunion up in beautiful BC at my grandmas house, I was a camp counselor for OASC, and I had the opportunity to visit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital for their Collegiate Leadership Seminar.  I learned how to better stand up for myself, tell people what I want and fight for it, I learned who my true friends are and I learned how amazingly I actually deserve to be treated.
           Each year I continue to set more and more ambitious goals for myself.  Each year I make mistakes and learn life lessons.  And I like to think that each year I become a stronger and better person.  2011 didn't start the way I had hoped, but it's ending better than I thought it could, and I just know that 2012 is going to be a good, make that great, year!  

Here's to a new year...with great friends, new journeys, crazy adventures, already some new mistakes, important lessons, big goals and big dreams, and most importantly, strong love! 

Goodbye 2011 :) Bring it on 2012 - I'm ready and anxiously awaiting you<3

Take a Chance --> Sometimes Love is Crazy

           For those of you who personally know me, you probably also know Austin...my 6th grade crush that lasted 4 straight years, the boy who I fought with all throughout middle school, the boy who then liked me throughout high school, the boy who then joined the Marines, and since then we've driven across the country together, spent a weekend in Vegas, and most recently attended a Marine Corps Ball together; the boy, and now man, who has, through all of that, always remained my best friend.  Well ladies and gentlemen...I am excited to say that my best friend, is now my boyfriend!  Yes, that's right, after 10 wonderful years we finally decided/realized that we've been fighting and putting off something (feelings), that were definitely happening between us.
           Now, some have jokingly said "oh, so now that you're on opposite sides of the country you finally date" (he's in North Carolina, I'm still in Oregon).  And yes, I'll admit, the timing isn't the greatest, but I've finally learned to accept that I can't plan everything...you can't plan when you'll meet someone, or in this case when your best friend becomes more than that.
           This all started the weekend I went to visit him in North Carolina for the Marine Corps Ball.  I left for India soon after that, but right before that we had a talk about us, and pretty much just talked in circles.  Now, I had A LOT of time to think about things while I was in India...I thought about the timing and how I needed to just get over my control issues, I thought about the fact that I'm still in college and how some people (including ourselves) might think that a long-distance relationship would be "holding me back", but then I realized that there was really no one else I wanted to be with and that I'd either spend the next year and a half alone and waiting for him, or I could spend it "with him" and waiting, I thought about the distance and how things would be hard, how there would be days where I'd miss him a lot and be sad and angry all at the same time; and as crazy as it is, I realized I wanted all of that, because I wanted him.
           If you find someone who you care a great deal for and want, and who cares, wants, and is there for you...then you would be stupid not to be together.  No matter the distance or the circumstances.  So on Christmas day, after 5 hours of discussing life and goals, and feelings and what we want, we finally decided that what we both really wanted was each other.  So call us crazy.  There will be hard times ahead, but I have no doubt in my mind that in the end it'll all be worth.  The distance between Oregon and North Carolina (and soon to be half way across the world) has got nothin' on us :)


less than three <3

PS.  Don't worry, I'll probably write a book about this someday

India

           It's been a week since I've been back in the States and I reflect on my time there...

           My time spent in India was nothing of what I really expected.  I was expecting to show up and visit a school, teach, work on some lesson planning, really do anything that had to do with education.  But instead I spent the first week and a half learning myself...learning about education, business, food, art, culture, and spirituality.  At first this was frustrating - I just wanted to serve!  I then began to understand a concept I had already kind of known...you cannot fully serve someone, a group, or a community until you understand them and their ways.

           So, needless to say, I think I ended up taking away more than I actually gave (which seems to be a reoccurring trend with my travels).  I think about some of my past service trips, like those in Thailand and Brazil, where I went to build a home; yes, I helped someone in some way, but those deeds are not ones that will be continuing - a house is built and that is that. Yes, I also learned a lot and grew a great deal as an individual.  But there was something about this trip that was different...I continued to learn about myself, but I learned a lot about life, and different ways of living it, I also learned a great deal about education.

           The things I learned on this trip will allow me to better serve others, my community, and my world in a continuing and lasting way.  It has given me a gift that will keep on giving.  I can only hope that this experience will, in the end, make me a better teacher, and will allow me to to serve my future students, both here and abroad, in ways that I wouldn't have otherwise been able to.  

India

In just a few hours I'll be on my way to India! :) I wanted to share with all of you my blog that I'll be updating all of my experiences on throughout this adventure!


http://indiawander.blogspot.com/

I Give Thanks for - My Family

       This year I decided to skip the typical article of what Thanksgiving is about; I'll just say that I think Thanksgiving/giving thanks, should be a part of our everyday lives.
       I could write a long list about all the things I'm thankful for - I've been blessed beyond measure with the life I have.  But I decided I wanted to focus on my family, because they are the ones who are my foundation, my rock, and have given me the blessed and fortunate life I have.
       Meet my family: my dad Doug, mom Micheline, brother Jonathan, and sister Vanessa.  Oh, and of course my dogs Champ and Sadie! And I mean like, I hope you really get to meet them someday...they're the best.

My parents have both made so many sacrifices and given up so much in order to give myself and my siblings the world.  My mom is one of the most caring, compassionate, and worrisome (I mean that in the best way possible) women I've ever met.  My dad is my hero - he's accomplished so much and yet still dreams of more and has such high goals.  They've both set an amazing example for me; I'm so proud of them and so lucky to be their daughter.

       My brother and my sister mean more to me than they probably know.  They're always there for me, cheering me on, and they push me to be the best me I can possibly be- I only hope that I don't let them down.

       My family is my world, my rock, my support and my backbone, my will to go on, my life, my love, and my everything<3

Say What You Need To Say

My whole life I’ve been a fighter. If it was something that needed to be fought for; education, politics, farming, the environment, morals, anything, you could have probably found me making my mark. Everyone fights for something, you name it and somewhere someone is fighting for it. But then I realized I never fight for anything I personally want for myself. Hardly anyone does.  

This summer I had my first experience with actually telling someone what I want, it was kind of hard and didn't really go how I had planned, but when it was done, but when it was all said and done, the other person looked at me and said "you don't ever have to apologize for how you feel or for what you want. not to me, not to anyone" - these words really stuck with me and it was so refreshing to hear someone else validate what I had been trying to convince myself of for years.

It's still something I struggle with; fighting for what I personally want and putting my emotions on my sleeve, but ever since I've been making a conscious effort of it, I've realized things have actually been playing out in my favor.

 It might be really scary, and I might make a fool of myself, but I’ve decided it’s better to say too much than nothing at all.

Finding Cures . Saving Children

This past school year I was elected as the Philanthropy Chair in my sorority (Delta Delta Delta, Theta Delta Chapter).  It was quite the honor and I spent a lot of time working with out philanthropy, children's cancer charities, by organizing events with the local Candlelighter's organization as well as raising funds and promoting awareness for our national philanthropic partner, St. Jude.
This past year my chapter raised almost $30,000 for St. Jude, almost tripling what we had raised the year before! I couldn't have been more proud of all the girls and their hard work.  Because of our successful efforts, myself and another member from our chapter had the opportunity to attend the Collegiate Leadership Seminar at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital this past week; I always knew that St. Jude was such an amazing cause...but I really had no idea what I was in store for and just how truly incredible it is.
From the moment you walk in, St. Jude isn't like any other hospital - it doesn't look or even smell like a hospital.  The atmosphere is so kid-friendly and fun! From murals on every wall, game rooms, and red wagons to be transported in instead of wheelchairs, all the way to the amazing staff, it is unlike any other place I have ever been.  Despite the fact that the children and families that are there are going through their worst nightmare, it is such a happy place!  It costs about $1.7 million a day to run the hospital, and the great part is...none of the families have to pay anything that insurance doesn't cover, this allows the family to focus on their child/children and getting them better, a family will never even see a bill!
Tri Delta has nationally been partnered with St. Jude since 1999 and since then has raised over $15 million! Our first endowment was the Teen Room, where we raised $1 million in 3 years.  Our next ambitious endowment was to have a Patient Care Floor in the Chili's Care Center, our goal was to raise $10 million in 10 years...we surpassed that goal and raised $10 million in just 4 years! And we are now onto our next, even more ambitious goal, to raise $15 million in 5 years for the endowment of the Specialty C Clinic!
Having the opportunity to tour the hospital and hear direct stories from families has really showed me the difference we are making, but also how much more there is to do in order to cure childhood cancer.  My passion and drive are that much stronger from this experience - it was so incredible, eye-opening, humbling, and inspiring.  I am so proud to be a Tri Delt, and so honored to support and represent St. Jude<3