YOLO? (Don't let this deter you, there is substance to this post)

Disclaimer: Sorry in advance for the randomness/semi jumping around that I do here...

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I'm currently in the midst of what has probably been my most taxing semester in a long long time (hence why I've been m.i.a.). Between grant writing and my community needs assessment course, I have had assignments due every single week in the month of October. So it's been hellish, and while I love October with its pumpkins and leaves and sweaters and fall, I have never been so glad to see a month end. Which, when I think about it a little deeper, makes me really sad and brings me to the point of this post: I'm 23, this is the height of my youth and vivaciousness (and lets face it, looks) and I feel like I'm squandering it.

I will go ahead and make my apologies about this post's title, but when you think about the idea of the phrase "you only live once" isn't that technically true? You live and then you die. And I haven't been doing much living lately, more of a trudging along, lets try and make it through one week at a time. It's pitiful really. And to top that off, I saw this incredibly inspiring documentary last night that made me feel even worse about my terrible attitude.

Girl Rising is the true story of 9 different girls from all around the world, each having faced terrible things like poverty, child slavery, and sexual assault, but who managed to triumph over the adversity that they face. It's a documentary that stresses the importance of educating girls around the world; about how an educated girl can raise the GDP of her country, have healthier children, and live a safer, more productive life. These are girls who have fought the odds in order to go to school and get an education because they value it so much. Meanwhile here I am complaining about school and just wishing it would end.

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I like to watch these documentaries because even though they make me feel like the most selfish person in the world (and let's be honest, Kim Kardashian is way worse than me, who needs a 15 carat diamond engagement ring?!), it also reminds me just how lucky and privileged I am. This dose of gratitude is definitely refreshing in the midst of a crazy time in my life.

I'm a big believer in the adage that everything happens for a reason, whether due to an act of God, fate, or what have you. I know for a fact that there was a reason that I didn't get into a masters of public policy program at UVa (it was so I could come to come to Emory to get my MPH). And there have definitely been romances in my life that I'm so glad were not meant to be. This idea of a master plan for myself has gotten me through some tough times. But what about the kids born into poverty? What about the kids diagnosed with cancer, or who are abused by the very people meant to protect them? These are instances where I can't see that adage holding true, which shakes my faith a little and brings about more of that guilt I've been feeling. So what's a girl to do? Well as my friend and trusty roommate B says,"At least we're going into a field that helps people. Sure we won't make a lot of money, but at the end of the day we can say we have made a little bit of a difference and that we can, which is a hell of a lot more than most people on Wallstreet can say."

The Political Machine

I've said it once, and I will say it again. Politics and political parties make me want to say:

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Because we are sure as hell not getting anything done the way things are now. As I've gotten older the stakes have gotten higher, with the happenings on Capital Hill becoming more interesting/important to me. For a while things like furloughs and budget cuts seemed like some far off problem for someone else, until they literally hit home and affected my family. And now I find the current government shut down personally affecting me; today should've been the day that I restarted my internship from last semester, except now with the government stalemate in D.C. places like the CDC are basically shut down until some resolution is reached.

So while I've got a lot of emotions like the sapster above, mine are a little different. I'm mad and frustrated by the incompetence. I'm pissed off that politics has become more about blocking a bill because it's endorsed by another political party and less about the actual issue at stake. And I'm disgusted at how such a great country as the U. S. of A. can lack a basic guarantee to healthcare, one that every other industrialized nation in the world has. How is it that we spend the most but enjoy middle of the road health?

If you aren't sold on the idea of universal healthcare (if you are still a little confused, it's a complicated thing and I def don't have everything 100% ironed out in my head yet, so head on over to slate.com and read this simple article), I'd suggest reading this gem by Ezekiel Emanuel (yes, Rohm's brother). He presented to my bioethics class first year, first semester at UVA and I've been hooked. It's a simple, well thought out argument about how healthy citizens make a strong nation. And even though some may argue that the rich will end up paying more for things like Obamacare, I guarantee that we are still paying the brunt of things when those who are not insured finally have to go to the ER to seek medical treatment.

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**I am also well aware that this may cause some drama and people to get all mad and feisty with me. Bring it on Biddies, the world needs more intelligent discourse.

K.I.T.

This is an ode/giant apology to the ones I've failed to keep in touch with:

It's not that I don't love you,
I really truly do
It's just that my life has been taken over
by this giant thing called schoo(l).

I hate talking on the phone,
like a lot a lot.
Mostly because I am so awkward,
and partly because I forgot.

I promise nothing much has been going on at my end,
it's mostly school and work
these group projects are already making me bend.

I got a lovebird named Lemon,
its butt is blue
I call it an it
because I'm not sure if it's a female or a dude.

My cousin got married last weekend
on Friday the 13th.
Boy that open bar got the best of me,
I can help it, I like free drinkth.

So that's all I have to say,
I promise I will post more.
Gotta give the people what they want,
with funny stories galore!

Lemon says herro!

On why I am not looking forward to classes starting...

This isn't just your old "Oh but I love summer, boo school" sort of dread (though it kind of is because lazy days by the pool are awesome). First off, I'm a creature of habit so having to switch from my summer to school routine is simply unpleasant. I've had this nice working-out, surfing the net, reading, cooking, evening shifts at the library groove going for the past month which I've really quite enjoyed but will no longer be plausible.

Second, I'm not looking forward to the stress that school and assignments bring, to myself and my peers. In general I feel like I've calmed down considerably since my middle school days where I studied and worried about grades non-stop. "Well that doesn't sound very responsible of you, since you are in grad school after all" some of you may be thinking. It's a work smarter not harder philosophy baby. If I've done a project or taken a test and turned it in, there's no use worrying about it anymore. I'm not saying this to discredit the worries/concerns of my peers (I certainly have other things that I will needlessly obsess over), it's just that when other people stress out, I pick up on that energy and then I start to stress out. And I've just enjoyed having such a nice, relatively stress free summer; it's probably added years back on to my life!

And then there's this underlying thread of competition that seems to run through grad school in general. It kinda sucks. Granted, I could just be imagining something that isn't there, but I'm pretty sure this is encountered everywhere, including in the workplace. How do you deal with it? You could take the bait and attempt to one-up every person that you met by listing all of your accomplishments. If you're like me you could crack jokes (recall the "stand up and introduce yourself" episode from last year in which I said I spent the summer waiting tables, hence my people-person abilities). Jokes aside, I might have to take up meditation or something though because school starts in a week! Who has 2 thumbs and is not ready for classes to start?!

Grumpy hamster is not ready for classes to start either...

Sometimes you can go back

I was fortunate enough to visit the Bahamas not once but twice this summer. Last weekend I returned with my team members to present our findings at the second annual One Eleuthera Health and Wellness Symposium, which this year just so happened to be focusing on cancer. During our 9 hour long conference I learned a lot about the biology behind the BRCA gene mutations (the BRCA gene normally works as a tumor suppressor, without it the genes that cause breast cancer grow unchecked). It was cool/humbling/nerve-wracking to present my work to esteemed doctors and researchers, but it went off without a hitch.

This trip was action packed, in addition to the conference we got to attend Tarpum Bay's (the settlement we lived in) and Hatchet Bay's homecoming celebrations. These were weekend long celebrations, kinda like a fair but with more drinking and jungliss (a Bahamian term for ghetto looking girls who look tacky, like they are from the jungle. both a singular and plural noun and verb, it's now a part of my regular vocab and I'm trying to bring it back to Atlanta). This was a bittersweet visit, since this time I don't know when I will be back, but the Bahamas, namely Eleuthera, is now a part of me and I most certainly will have to return. I'm missing those beaches and the people already!

Hello Eleuthera!!!

The narrowest point in the world, the Glass Window Bridge, with the Atlantic ocean in darker blue and the Caribbean in light blue. 

The Craigslist Queens

As I write this I am sitting in my most awesomely decorated new apartment. Coming from a place that was already furnished with essentially nothing of my own to contribute, this past month has pretty much been consumed with worrying (and when I was actually done wasting energy worrying) acquiring furniture. So whether you are a post grad, a young adult, a more mature adult, or still in school but needing to upgrade from an old fold-up card table and air mattress to something more substantial, then listen up because have I got some life advice for you!

Here are some tried and true methods for furnishing a new place (or adding to your repertoire):

1. Buy off your landlord/lady/liege. We were lucky in that the reason our landlady was renting out her place was because she was getting married, so we had the great opportunity to buy things like a table, chairs, dressers, bookcases, a coffee table, and a t.v. off of her for a steal. Bonus: we didn't even have to move them.

2. Look to Facebook, where if you are in any sort of class group page, many people will be selling/giving away things for dirt cheap. I unfortunately couldn't carpe any of these deals as I really had no place to put them and was out of town during the peak post-grad furniture dump bonanza.

3. Thrift stores. People are all about upcycling these days, and if you are creative enough you can repaint some of those really ugly pieces of furniture into something bright and awesome. I unfortunately have neither the patience nor the supplies (because unfortunately by the time you gather all the paint and primer you can sometimes end up spending way more than it's worth) for this sort of endeavor. But one day I really hope to transform something.

4. Use what resources you have. This may be furniture that you already have, or the generosity of your parents. I am fortunate enough to have a mom who is super pumped about me decorating my first adult place that she bought me 2 super classy chairs from Target. Thanks Mom!!

5. Freecycle.com. This is an awesome jem of a website; you join the yahoo group that corresponds to the area that you live in. Daily, people post things that they are looking for or giving away and everything is totally free! That's how I ended up getting the awesome brand-new birdcage that will house the new member of my family (more on that later). I figure I saved myself at least $50, and it's a great site/concept for those who are especially concerned about the amount of waste/junk that we humans can accrue. Just always bring a friend with you to pick up your new trash-to-treasure and always be sure to send a thank you post!

and finally #6. Craigslist. I must admit, I was once one of those people who turned her nose up at the idea of getting something like a piece of furniture used. Granted, I would never buy something like a bed/mattress off of Craigslist; however, my roommate and I really lucked out in finding/buying a really nice (and cheap) ikea couch off of Craigslist. I do emphasize the lucking out part because with anything that's fabric and that people have been laying/sleeping on you really have to be careful. Bedbugs are no joke people! But this thing is great. And there really are some jems on the site, along with some god-awful stuff that's incredibly overpriced. We also ended up getting 2 side tables for $5 each, and I also got my desk and chair for a total of $50. You just have to look and be really careful. Never go alone, and if you find yourself given directions to a shady part of town that has a large group of men outside of the house were you are supposed to be looking at a couch, then turn the f-around (yes this did happen to us and yes, we got the hell out of dodge). While there are such things as Craigslist Queens (i.e. savvy female shoppers such as myself) there was also such thing as the Craigslist Killer, of which there is a Lifetime movie about.

There are some things that I think you should be careful about buying used (like mattresses); when it comes to cleanliness and a good nights sleep you sometimes have to suck it up. But you can really cut costs if you are willing to see the potential in things. Your table may not match your chairs, but hey, that boho mismatched look is totally in anyway.

Classy chairs and free bird cage

Do yourself a favor and frame your posters

Our craigslist couch. 

Can I go back already?

I've been back about 2 weeks now; in some ways it's gone by fast and I think "wow 2 weeks!" and other times when it feels longer I think, "wow only 2 weeks??" The constant rain since the day I returned isn't helping things much. Yes, with the exception of about 2 days the second week, it had rained pretty much everyday for a week straight. Talk about depressing and tan fading. Skyping yesterday with my team members and seeing all of our co-workers in the Bahamas finally made that homesickness hit full force. How can you not make connections and feel a little empty after living someplace for 6 weeks and delving deeper into the culture and the people than you ever would on any week long vacation?

pretty much sums up our last night perfectly. 

I'm very thankful to have to opportunity to go back, though there were definitely some things I missed and am glad to have now that I'm back. These include:

1. Cheap groceries/the Dekalb farmer's market. I ate kale everyday for about a week when I came back. I will never complain about food prices again; everything is just so much more expensive on a tiny island where everything has to be imported and there's no longer an agriculture industry (our Bahamian friend and the proprietor of Sweets n Treats, Miss Mary, explained that Eleuthera used to grow a lot of pineapples and tomatoes but the younger generation just doesn't want to farm, hence the lack of locally grown produce).

Eat all the produce!!!

2. Netflix. Maybe this has caused more trouble than it's worth, but I've started The Office from season 1 (never watched episodes consistently or got really into it) and now I'm obsessed. Yes a little late to jump on the bandwagon but better late than never. After reading Mindy Kaling's book (which is hilarious, you need to read it!) it makes you look at things a little differently, especially knowing that Kelly isn't actually a complete ding-bat. And Jim...need I say more?

Do something useful with your summer and read this book. via

3. Making money. It's so nice to be working and getting a paycheck instead of just spending money constantly. During the week I'm just working nights at the Emory library (still trying to figure out what to do with myself during the day...) which is not exactly a busy scene but is a cool change of pace. I unfortunately spend a lot of time puttering around on the internet, but manage to get some work done (we do still have to have a comprehensive write-up and presentation to show everyone that we didn't just go to the beach everyday for the past 6 weeks... we worked in the morning and went to the beach in the afternoon).

4. Air conditioning. Oh how I love you. And after going a month and a half without you, find myself getting more chilled than normal. It's a beautiful thing.

Currently moving into a new apartment, and coupled with a lack of anything notable going on (sometimes no news can be good news) has made it so that I didn't have a whole lot to say. But once I get settled and am no longer in this weird limbo of unpacking from a trip just to pack everything up and unpack again, things will feel a little more back to normal and posts can become a bit more regular. I have a few things in the works but won't jump the gun on spilling just yet...

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