So I'm trying out video blogging, check this out:


And here are my videos for the scholarship! First question, what are your thoughts on volunteering in Latin America?


Why do you think you're a good candidate for the scholarship?


I realize they're pretty casual, but since part of the scholarship award is based on the fact that I'll need to blog, I wanted to seem laid back and personable. My application will stay in the running until my volunteer experience is over, they award the scholarships twice a month. Hopefully I make it, the extra $500 would be a DREAM right now!! Hello blood pressure medications!! ;)

Operation: Guatemala update

Well, we're trucking along in the preparations category. I went ahead and signed up for my medical benefits. The company I chose actually offers a pretty good deal. Not only do they cover medical emergencies while I'm over there, they also pay for my healthcare when I'm back home in the US for visits. They'll also pay for me to go home in an emergency if God forbid something happens to one of my family members. It's a pretty great plan, all for the low price of $550/year! Actually that IS cheap, I'm not being sarcastic. So we're all ready to role in that respect.

The other big thing I did was sign up for language classes at Centro Linguistico in Antigua, Guatemala . I'll be taking lessons from Dec 7th to Jan 8th, then moving to the orphanage on Jan 9th. The orphanage is only 30 min or so from the school, so it should be easy to find a ride there. I'll be taking 35 hours of classes per week, plus doing every possible extra curricular activity that they offer. Originally I wanted to stay with a host family, but after talking with the dude from the school, he convinced me that taking a private apartment would be better. To be honest, the idea of having added privacy and being able to be antisocial when I want is extremely appealing to me, I just have to be sure that I push myself to get outside and interact with folks on my own though.

The last thing left to do is get my plane ticket! Thats the last big item left to buy, and unfortunately my funds are getting dangerously low. I cant get my ticket until I start getting some money in from my weekend job, which wont be for another two weeks yet. I'm hoping to stumble upon a bit of money before I leave just to give me a bit of a cushion while I'm away. I still havent completely ruled out a fundraiser... but luckily my birthday is happening right before I leave, and I'm going to ask for nothing but cash. Lots and lots of cash ;)

We started making our introductions to one another online. I met three girls that'll be volunteering the same time as me. It's funny talking to them, knowing that this time next year I'll possibly count them amongst my closest friends, or possibly hate their guts ;) One of them is going to be taking language classes for the last week of my month in school, so we'll have a chance to get to know one another before we head to the orphanage. It's kind of nice that'll I'll have someone to talk to during the pre-arrival stress out time.

Next step is to get the final go-ahead from the company. They have my paperwork and we're waiting for the background check to come back. There's a minute possibility that they might deny me due to my background check (not for anything criminal, simply because of my situation) but I dont think it's going to be an issue. Still, I'll feel better once I get the official contract from them. (Not to worry, I already checked the refund policy on both the school and the health insurance JUST in case).
I'll keep you all updated, now its time for bed so I can go make some money in the morning!

Birthday boy girl!

As you're all obviously aware, today is my youngest sister's 20th birthday. This is a monumental moment for our family as we are now officially teenager-free for the first time in seventeen years. Of course Lauren's a good kid so there havent been any teenager-related issues in the house for a long time, but still, now we're officially out of the red zone. As with all birthdays, the honoree gets to choose where we dine so Lauren chose to go to the local chinese/sushi place Wok n Sushi. The food there is ehhh but they're super nice. Here's all of us having a fun time!

There was also a really nice pic of Jeff and Flo but I dont know how he'd feel about being on the blog. I'm pretty sure he'd be pissed, so I'm not adding it. Instead, here's a pic of the strawberry shortcake Kayla made!

Lauren made us promise not to sing Happy Birthday to her at the restaurant. She hates having attention drawn to her, which I can totally get behind. Unfortunately when the waiter came and asked us if we were ready for cake, we said yes but never directly told him not to sing. We realized our mistake right away, but by that time it was too late. I warned Lauren what was about to happen, she immediately turned beet red and started to fidget in her seat. I offered to tell them that it was her boyfriends birthday to deflect the attention off her, but she said it was ok. Well the waiter comes out with three or four other staff, candles blazing away on top of the enormous cake we brought. Naturally everyone in the restaurant stops to look. The waiter turns to us and says "Who's the birthday boy/girl?" Now this is a completely legit question, but it made us burst out laughing. Lauren has always gotten shit for being androgynous, and people frequently refer to her as a boy, so even though the waiter meant nothing by it, it was still hilarious. So naturally like good siblings we teased her about that for the rest of the day.

All in all it was a really fun time. Unfortunately I was dealing with some serious Damien drama the whole time, but I'm not going to get into that right now. I still owe Lauren a birthday present so I might drag her into the city next week to do some karaoke or something (in which case there will be many more pictures to follow)

Mini vacation to Yonkers

So the couch surfing thing is going pretty well. For those who don't know, I don't really have a permanent place to crash in NJ so for the next few weeks I'm kind of floating around a bit. Jamie and her husband Rob have been letting me crash on their couch which has been really great. I really miss living with Jamie and its been nice to spend so much time with her. Its also great to see my animals again!! Here's my cat Eve. Jamie and I got her 11 years ago when we got our first apartment together! (Naturally she curls up on my clean shirt)

I'm trying to balance it out so I don't drive them crazy, I try to stay in NY or with friends once or twice a week so they still have some privacy. Luckily my good friend Pete and his partner Jared have been letting me crash there on and off. There house is so amazing, it was built in the 1890s and has gorgeous stained glass windows and dark oak detailing. I feel so at home there, its been really lovely. This week we all baked cookies together! OMG, Pete made the best jam thumbprints I've ever had before.

Dave, their roommate, is this really cool kid who's an insanely talented artist. He totally helped me adopt my new baby!!! Look at how gorgeous he is:

So now I can actually talk to people while I'm away! Hooray! (Oh, and I can also play WoW and Diablo III, but that's a minor detail ;) I got to hang out with Pete Thursday morning and watch him work which was awesome :) I always wanted to be an illustrator/animator as a kid and being in his studio is like a dream come true. It gets me kind of giddy.
Soo I've been at Jamie's for over a week now and I'm thinking about switching over to my friend Tracey's next week. She has a spare bedroom for me so I'll actually have privacy, which is really nice. Plus Tracey and I get along really well so it'll be cool to get closer with her before I head out. Counting down the weeks now!