Cheers, Mate

Well, it's Friday! The long-awaited day that just about every person and their mother looks forward to from the time that Sunday night hits. It signifies that the week is over, and we have a couple days to take care of business, or do nothing at all. Friday means we can pat ourselves on the back for making it through the week alive, throw on our comfs and ditch the work clothes, and sleep in till our internal clocks go off (which, thanks to work, is about 8:30 for me).

This weekend I will be taking it quite easy, with the exception of going to The Temper Trap concert tonight at the Hollywood Palladium. Tomorrow I need to go to Costco, DSW (hello, it was pay-day, means a new pair of shoes is in order), send in my rent check, go on a hike, and walk around the neighborhood (all things subjective pending my mood and desires;). But the most-anticipated activity of the weekend for me is, dun-du-duuh...going to the Farmer's Market on Sunday that is about 25 steps from my apartment! :D I cannot wait to mingle with some local growers and buy some fresh produce!

I should probably also look into getting some cable/internet set-up at my place too, it's a bit difficult not to have wifi.

Another thing I want to look into this weekend is ways I can begin to take my life in the direction I believe it is meant to go -- one in which I am constantly helping other people, giving back, and doing what I can to improve the quality of life of those around me, and in this world. I refuse to leave this earth without having done something drastic or major to have a positive impact on it, and I cannot continue to let the days pass without making a proactive motion towards said change. I see a long afternoon at a wifi-enabled coffee shop in my near future, so that I may begin to research and plan my future.

Today's Thought: Get out there and do something for someone else this weekend. Seek someone out if you have to, but make sure that you don't spend the weekend fulfilling your own hopes, desires, and wants, but make sure that you bring a smile to someone else's face as well. Don't be negative if things seem to start spiraling out of control, and never be condescending to your fellow man. It's up to us to take care of one another and make the world a better place. After all, don't you want to have children? Don't you want to bring them into a world where we love one another instead of try to top one another? Just a thought. . .

Motivation Statement!

Alright, alright, so I have to change my deadline for when I will have this application turned in for going to Spain. I requested an official transcript today (one of the documents I need to submit), and it won't be ready until December 7th. Which I figure isn't far off, and will give whoever I decide to ask to write the letter of recommendation, some time to do so. 

I thought I would share with you all another little part of the application. I was instructed to write, in 300 words or less, a statement that explains my motivation for wanting to participate in the program. And since I will be taking all of you along for this lovely ride, I figured you might want to know also! So without further a due, here is my motivation statement...

             I was blessed enough to be able to take my third year of university abroad in Bilbao, Spain, where I lived and studied for nine months. During that time I developed strong and real relationships with locals in Spain, as well as the other countries that I traveled. I gained a more global perspective, appreciation for all the differences in life, and realization of just how great and big the world around me is. Ever since my return to the United States I’ve known that my time abroad isn’t over quite yet.

Deep down I know that there is more for me to accomplish before I can be satisfied and settled in the U.S. I did not master Spanish in the way I expected, and need to go back so I can become fluent. Submersion is the key to learning a language and this program provides the perfect opportunity for me to do so. As well as a desire to become bilingual, studying abroad left me with a hunger for travel and thirst for culture. There is nothing in the world like learning about someone else’s culture and experiencing it.

I want to be involved in this program in order to share my language and culture with the students in the way that everyone I met abroad did with me. I think that when we have experienced other cultures and understand them, we develop respect for them. This respect is invaluable because it will help a person to be open-minded. With all that is going on in the world, we need to teach the young minds to appreciate and accept different languages, cultures, and people. I want to make a positive change in the world and help bring people together through learning about one another.

Enjoy the rest of your night, or day depending on where in the world you are reading this :) 




Today's Quote: "Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great." -Mark Twain

"Art After Dark" at the Guggenheim Museum, one of my first weekends in Bilbao