Yes List

For training this semester, we had a fellow staff member give a presentation on servant leadership. One of the things she mentioned was being able to take risks and say 'yes' every once and awhile, of course without overwhelming yourself. During her presentation, a video clip of the movie "Yes Man" was shown. And while I haven't seen the movie yet, it looks fun and upbeat. So another staff member and I decided we would make a YES list of all the things we wanted to do this semester. Money was not suppose to be an issue and we put down everything and anything we wanted to do. Our goal is to hold each other to those lists and try as best as we can to fulfill our YES list. Below is what I want to do:

Go to a KState track meet
Go to international programs
Stay in bed ALL day
Call long distance friends more often (at least one a week)
Walk in the park
Go to VistaBurger
Get lost driving around
Go to a K-State baseball game
Volunteer at Douglass Center
Cook a FULL mean
Workout at LEAST once a week
Go to Tuttle Creek and fish, or just hang out
Bake a pie
Go for a long run
Learn Spanish
and finally....
Keep an updated blog :)

I hope that I can cross some of these things off my list, but in turn continue to do things I want to do. Just because I cross it off the list doesn't mean that I should not continue that anymore. I am excited to see what fun I can have this last semester in Manhattan! :)

There's No Place Like Home...

I don't know what it is, but even after 4 years of college I still get sad leaving home. I had such an amazing winter break spending time with family and friends that it is just so hard to leave. Since being away in Manhattan, I have definitely grown to appreciate Kansas City and all that it has to offer.

My family went to go visit more family in Illinois, which is always fun! We all had a good time bonding and it was nice to bring Jake along for the second time. It was a lot of bonding time and just having good old fashioned fun with the family.

I also got to see some of my best friends over the break. We had our usual breakfast and then we went out for New Years. It amazes me that even after four years of being apart we are still able to get together and pick up right where we left off. All of us have unique personalities and that's what I love about the Breakfast Club. We are all so different but we are all really good friends.

I guess I always feel welcome and myself back at home. No worries with work, no worries with school, no worries with drama...home is what it is. I am glad that this is my last semester in Manhattan. I am ready to move on...I think it's about time

One Step at a Time...

So as many may know, I am getting my education to become a teacher. I absolutely love kids and I am just so excited to work with them! I aspire to work in the urban school setting. There are so many kids that just need a positive role model and a place to feel welcome and I really would like to create that environment in my classroom. I am completely obsessed with Chicago, so naturally I would like to move to Chicago to teach.

It is so frustrating because I get so excited to tell people what I want to do and the responses I get are somewhat disheartening. I heard things from: you're gonna get shot, you're gonna get raped, do you have a gun, you won't last long, why would you ever want to do that, and so on. I get so angry that people don't think that I can do this and I am just so excited to show people otherwise. And don't get me wrong, I have a very supportive family, boyfriend, and girlfriends. It's just those few bad apples that tend to put me down. I don't think any of these people are doing it out of hate, I just don't think they understand the passion and drive that I have for helping these kids. It'll only be a matter of time until they see why...

I have an incredible opportunity to fulfill my dream by doing Teach for America. I plan to enter the program Fall 2010. It will be a long journey, but I need to talk to take it one step at a time... :)