Back With A Funny Dream that Inspired Me to Blog Again

I know it's been a while so I will begin with a funny anecdote about a dream I had this morning. I will tell it by copying the text conversation I had with one of my closest friends, Christina. It started with me telling her I had a funny dream to tell her about...

Me: So you know how I'm really awkward?

Christina: Yes. I have experienced that a couple of times before.

Me: Ok, well in my dream I was with super handsome, guy of my dreams (pun intended), someone I apparently invented in my head and we were having one of those profound moments you only see in corny chick flicks where we are talking about something other than the electrical charge between us...and then he says, I'm going to be bold. I felt it coming, but he moved his arm towards me and I became confused and thought he was just putting his arm around me so I moved my head away trying to facilitate this, but really he was moving to move a piece of hair off of my face and kiss me [very romantic] while I awkwardly leaned away from him until I realized what was happening. My brain knows me too well. Even in my wildest dreams I'm awkward!!!

Christina: What a weird dream to have.

Me: Right!?

Christina: U should google it to see what it means

Me: It means that I'm awkward and lonely! lol

[This was actually spread out over several texts.] Right when our lips met and we kissed (awkwardly) I woke up. Time to go to my grandpa's. The entire drive there I was stifling my disbelief yet understanding laughter.

This hysterical dream, made me want to blog again. One of the reasons I stopped was because I felt I had nothing interesting to say. My life was pretty mundane and structured. Now, I don't really care if people are interested in what I have to say or if they think it's not interesting. I want to say it.

To catch up, since it has been so long, I am still lovin' livin'; however, not in Maryland. So much has happened and changed in my life since I last blogged. First of all, I finished all my classes at Towson, but I failed physics :( so, I still have one more class before I can graduate. I am going to be one of those perpetual students, I swear. Anyway, over the summer I worked at Coach, and then quit because my boss was horrible to me and started working full time at Burberry.

In the two months that I worked at Burberry so much changed. My grandpa was going to through radiation treatment because he had lymphoma and he would be starting a very intense form of chemotherapy on November 14. Then, as if that weren't enough for my parents to have to deal with and work full-time, they sold their house just when they had given up on the idea and had to be out of it by December 15. In an eye-opening session with my doctor, I realized I needed to be in Ohio to help my parents and grandpa through this difficult time. It was sad, but actually not a hard decision to make. I knew what I had to do--and what I wanted to do, for that matter. I put in my two weeks notice and planned to be home the weekend my grandpa would be finishing his first round of chemo.

I miss Maryland and all the people I love there very much. But, I am not too sad because I know I will be back soon. It is the place I know I want to and will be. However, my family, my mom and dad and grandpa, they are home. No matter where they are, my parents are my guiding direction--my north.

So, here I am. I wake-up every morning and spend a couple hours with my grandpa and it is the best part of my day. I help with breakfast and medication and then we just enjoy each other's company. I usually spend time with him again in the evenings and take him to most of his appointments. The past month has been crazier than I could have imagined with getting my parents moved and being with my grandpa, but we all made it through together. Now, the holidays are here, my sister is here, and soon my Maryland family will be here! I can't wait. Grandpa still has four more rounds of chemo, which are really tough on him, but I will be here for every one of them and that we will get through it. I know that I will never regret my decision to come home, now or ever. I've decided to use this blog, at this time, to document my time with my grandpa and my family so I can look back on all the great moments.

Again, still lovin' livin', not in Maryland, but I will be back soon. Until then, lovin' Ohio.

WOW!

Before you read on, watch this video by Yasmin Moll. It's about the women who led the revolution in Egypt. I had goose bumps and choked up in class when we watched it. It's only 3 minutes long.

http://www.vimeo.com/20554580?ab

The woman who filmed, produced and edited this film, Yasmin Moll, was a protester in Tahrir, Egypt earlier this year. We were lucky enough to be able to skype her in my class last evening and ask her questions about what led up to, happened during, and has happened since the revolution that got Hosni Mubarack to step down from leadership. She was amazing. She talked to us about how women across generations and classes banded together for this to happen. She also talked about the ongoing concerns of the Egyptian people like how the military is now in power, how women's issues have been pushed to the side after solidarity between men and women for women's rights during the revolution because they feel that bigger problems need to be dealt with. She also talked about media's role in portraying the revolution in Western countries. Wow, wow, wow. She was great.

Today in my resource wars class, my teacher's good friend, Ricardo, sat in on our class. He is currently at Northwestern working on his Ph.D. thesis in sociology. He is from Ecuador and specializes in Latin American studies and social movements. He was really insightful and had some great things to say. After class my teacher, Dr. Fabricant, Ricardo, a few of my classmates and I went to Starbucks to talk to him more and ask any questions we still had. It was my last class, so I figured 'what the hell! I'll just hit traffic on the way back.' I talked to him about the pros and cons of being in a policy-making position and how there are too few people in policy that will listen to what all groups of people have to say. We compared the benefits of policy and social movements. Very interesting. I also talked a lot to Dr. Fabricant. She's great too. Needless to say, we were there from 3:30-5:45!! It was well worth the rush hour traffic.

Had a great time last night with all my friends who have been in the majority of my classes these past two years after our African Film class. Laura and I sang 'I Just Can't Wait to be King' from The Lion King. It was a big crowd pleaser, even if Nick said we sounded miserable (swine). Then this old man came over and started to talking to me and Laura. And of course, Laura dipped and I felt bad so I ended up talking to the 76 year-old Korean War, Marine Veteran about his life and his family for at least a half hour. I always get roped into these things. My friends told me I need to learn to say 'no' and stop trying to be friendly to everyone I meet. But, I think that makes me who I am. However, they're probably a little bit right. Moral of the story...it has been a GREAT two days!!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!!

Why blog?

Well, after reading my sister's blog today, I started thinking...'I love to write! And I like reading about Jessica's life in San Diego...' So, I decided that I wanted to do the same thing. She is updating family across the country about her life in San Diego so I decided I would keep the ones I love up-to-date with what's going on here in Maryland.

After a rough fall semester with my roommate and ex I decided to move in with my aunt Ari and uncle Kevin along with twins Ali and Harris and the youngest Christian! It has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. I am surrounded by people that love and care about me and I just hope that they know how much I appreciate them taking me in and how much I loooove being here. As of right now, my room is currently the area between the couch and tv where I have put my mattress. Needless to say, I am quite comfy-cozy here. My dad was here not too long ago putting in shower in the basement so I don't have to invade their space with my weird showering schedule (normally around 10 pm). He was so helpful and we had fun doing it. My mama helped me organize all my stuff that was quite hastily removed from my previous living situation. All through this difficult time my family has been there for me and I am now able to see some of the amazing things I have ahead of me.

Such as, I have been working on policy writing for public health and international negotiation and diplomacy!! It is wayyy exciting and allows me to be obsessive about something positive. I will be doing an internship with Anita Brady (long time family friend) in the public health sector! I could not be more excited! I am learning about all kinds of events and people and organization that have/are going on in the world and a lot about foreign policy that I hope to do something with in the very near future. Therefore, don't be surprised to see lots of links up about world events that I think everyone should know about.

Because I live with Ari in Mount Airy (hardy har) and I am going to school and work in Towson, will be doing my internship in Rockville, have friends in Annapolis and have aspirations to get to D.C. I really am all over Maryland...and I love it! Hence, lovin livin all over MD!

So, anyway, that's all for now. I have plenty of work I can be doing right now for all my classes but I will leave you with my first link that I think everyone should know about.

http://www.sweetcrudemovie.com/home.php

This is the site for a documentary about the effects that 50 years of oil extraction has had on the people of Niger Delta. Please, if you have time look through the page; it is very enlightening. I was lucky enough to meet the director of the film Sandy Cioffi at the screening of Sweet Crude in Towson and even able to move to a more casual setting at a nearby sports bar afterwards to talk with her more. She is an amazing person! Also, if you are on facebook please like the Sweet Crude page. I think it is important that people become aware of what is going on in the Niger Delta. If you are outraged by what happened in the Gulf of Mexico, this will astonish you! Ok...so my PSA is over...

Welp, until next time!