Change of Plans

Is it annoying for someone to post a new blog everyday? I don't really follow blogs, and I don't know many bloggers, so I'm not sure what the appropriate number of 'blogs per week' is.

So someone e-mailed me a link to a short documentary called "Impunidad" about the government and paramilitaries in Colombia. It has English subtitles and I recommend it for anyone interested in Colombia, or just government and human rights issues, etc. But, as a warning, it's one of those movies that really makes you think and leaves you with a very heavy heart. I linked the movie title to the website, so just click it and watch if you can. It's about 30 minutes. Anywho, watching Impunidad got me to thinking about poverty and human rights, which led me to thinking about inequality here in the States as well. The poor are exploited so much. All over the world. Why? Because it's easy to exploit the poor and they are less likely to speak up. They don't have money. They are uneducated. And they usually don't even know they are being exploited. Of course, this brought me back around to my thoughts about education. Knowledge is power is one of the truest statements that has ever been spoken. Poor people remain in a cycle of poverty because they don't get the education they need to pull themselves out of poverty. I find it so hard to believe that some people don't think education is a human right. Education is one of the simplest tools a person can have to ensure that they are able to live as human beings and not as animals or scavengers searching garbage dumps for feed and plastic to sell for money.

When I was in San Diego for Clinton Global Initiative University, I went to a session where the speaker told us that we needed to find out what we are passionate about. What we are willing to die for. Everyone wants to "be somebody," but we had to decide just who it is we want to be. Now, I haven't figured out exactly who I want to be, but I do know what I'm passionate about and that is educating the poor. Especially when it comes to exploitation and racial inequity. It's the one thing that I get extremely heated and defensie about. Shoot, I willingly wrote 30 pages about ways to get the poor more involved in the democratic process in the U.S. Maybe one day I'll expand on that paper and write a thesis. So many countries in the western hemisphere have a system in place where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, and the poor just so happen to be Afrodescendents. This has got to stop; especially in democratic nations where everyone should have a voice.

But moving on before I get lost in my thoughts, I find myself in a place that is familiar for many recent graduates, and one that most of my peers would kill to have right now. First off, I am sure that I'm sharing this whole "What am I going to do with my life?" sentiment with thousands of young people. We work for 18 years only to graduate college just as lost as the day we stepped foot into a classroom. Fortunately for me, I was blessed enough to have several mentors guiding me through college who ensured that I had resources to secure internships, study abroad experience, and language practice. As a result, I am a 22-year-old college graduate with, what seems to be, the world at my fingertips. Whereas my peers are still looking for jobs, one fell into my lap when I wasn't even looking! I'm not in a bunch of debt from student loans, so I don't feel restricted by having to pay back 20,000$ to the government (which is ridiculous! I mean kids in Finland go to college for free! Everyone. Free. Off topic, but just saying). Basically, I feel like I can do whatever, go wherever, and be whomever I want right now. Maybe that's a great place to be for some people. But, let me tell you, for a Gemini that might be the WORST place to be! LOL Do you know how indecisive we are?? So many decisions! So many options! And my attention span is this *snaps fingers* short. Oh, and yes I told the folks I'm not enrolling in classes in Europe. They know now.

Luckily, I have this time in the morning to think about things and get my life together for a bit. Of course, there's also a chance that while I am thinking I'll change my mind about what I thought the previous day. For example, yesterday I was set on going to Nica to teach and volunteer in the fall. Right now, at this second, at 10:11am EST on July 27, 2011, that's not the plan anymore. I signed up to teach English again starting in September. The HR manager at my job also said I'm welcome to stay here as long as I want (it makes her job easier because she doesn't have to work to find someone to replace me). The schedule is really flexible and I can still go to modeling/acting auditions whenever I get ready, so why not stay ya know? The office environment here is great. My officemate is funny. And, let's face it, money makes the world go 'round so I need a steady income to supplement modeling/acting stuff. As far as I'm concerned, it makes more sense to stay in the States during the fall and leave in January for Nica right when it gets too cold to bear! I can save a ton of money working and modeling/acting, be here for MODEL26, December graduations, Christmas in Puerto Rico to see family, and UGA football season (gotta make up for the 2 seasons I missed as an undergrad!). I'll be teaching English once a week in Atlanta and just TAKING A BREAK! Maybe doing all of that isn't what some people consider taking a break. But for me, it's a much needed break. So that's the plan for July 27. I'll let you know when that changes.

The Day Before

So in 13 hours I head to the best airport in the world...Hartsfield-Jackson airport in Atlanta, of course! Then to Nicaragua by way of Miami. I just spent...well I'm not sure how long it took, but it was a lot of time...packing up all the school supplies to take on my trip. I counted on fitting all the supplies into one big suitcase, but that didn't work out. Also, in case you didn't know, packs of paper are heavy when you put them all together. Consequently, I am almost positive the larger of the two suitcases I have weighs more than the 50lbs limit, which is gonna hit my pockets hard if the Delta agent isn't nice enough to let me slide. I've been let off the hook before, but that was when my bags were a pound or two over, and I have a feeling this bag is A LOT more than a pound or two over 50. So, say a prayer that the ticketing agent will take pity on me or will be so inspired by my noble purpose that (s)he will let me slide. Oooorrrr, if you are reading this and want to help me out ;-) you can go to www.model26.org and click the DONATE button on the homepage (shameless, I know. But closed mouths don't get fed right)


Speaking of MODEL26...I can't believe I'm leaving someone else in charge for 10 whole days! This organization is my baby, but I fully trust Julia to handle things. She's been great already and I'm sure she'll keep everyone on top of things at "the office" while I'm gone. Oh, and in case you're wondering, the school supplies I'm taking with me were collected by MODEL UN at Peachtree Ridge High School in Georgia and DPO at UGA. The list of everything going with me is below:

24 packs of markers 

22 pencil cases

13 rulers

9 glue sticks

5 colored pencil packs

541 pencils

6 crayon packs

88 folders

73 erasers

127 pens

30 notebooks

Big thank you to my best friend Shelly for sitting in my garage in Georgia summer heat the day after she returned from France to help me count all these supplies! 

Although I will have to be stealthy about getting my checked bags on the plane for free ;-) or at regular price, I have no worries when it comes to my carry-on baggage. I am so proud of myself for managing to pack VERY light. AND I have ten days worth of snacks in my backpack. At least I got that part right. I won't be taking my laptop with me (too much pressure), but I'll have my little whackberry, which isn't so bad I guess. Overall, I'm a little nervous about traveling alone. How will I know which taxi driver I'm supposed to be riding with? What if my bags get lost? What if I forget all the Spanish I've learned? What if I miss my flight? What if I lose my money/passport? So please say a prayer for me!! Even though I'm anxious, I'm looking forward to solo plane/bus rides so that I can spend some one-on-one quiet time with the Big Man. While I'm on this tiny journey, I'll be listening for that still, small whisper. :-)

<3  


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