Merry Christmas!

Merry (a little belated) Christmas and thank you everyone so much to reading my blogs so far!  I don't leave for Ethiopia for another month and a half, but all of the support that you all have given just by reading my blog is greatly appreciated.  

Firsts, Lasts, and Bucket Lists

Life is full of firsts and lasts.  I think that even doing something new can be such a common thing that we sometimes don't even realize we are doing something new.  I remember last spring when it really began to sink in that I was graduating from college, I spent some time thinking about all of the things I had done during my four years of college.  Some things were things I have done so many times before.  I found myself remembering things that I had never done prior to college, some that I would never have expected to have done even.  I began thinking about things that I had not yet done while in Spokane and things that I really wanted to do at least one time while I was in Spokane or things that I had done before and wanted to do just one more time.  I found myself making what I guess I would call a bucket list.

Now that I will be leaving for Ethiopia in February and I will be there for two years, I have found myself once again reflecting on what I have done, what I have not done, and what I would really like to do before I leave.

A couple things that I have on my list include:

• Visit family in Wisconsin
• Visit Spokane
• Going into San Francisco during the holidays

There are other things on my list, and there are always new things to add.  I am so excited that I really am making trips to Wisconsin and Spokane before I leave!  Honestly, all I want is to make sure that the time I have left before I leave is spent well and meaningful.  I want to enjoy my last few months in the states and I want to soak in as much of my own culture as I possibly can.

I will admit that my bucket list is actually shorter than I would like.  What I enjoy the most about creating this bucket list is being able to add things that I would love to do again or things that I have never done before but dream of doing some day.

No matter how short or small my list may be, I have realized that what really matters is how I spend every moment.  Am I making the most of each and every day?  And how do I best use my time up until when I leave for Ethiopia?  These are questions that I don't think I will ever be able to fully answer, but I hope that when February comes around, I am able to look back at the past few months and not have any regrets.   

Change

I have been thinking a lot about change lately and how it can change a person.  Over the past year, I have experienced and witnessed so many changes not only in my own life, but in the lives of many people around me as well.  Some changes have been small, while others have been big.  Some good and some bad.  I have learned that no matter how, small or big, good or bad, every change can have an effect on a person for the better or worse and can change them forever.

As an introvert, change can be hard for me (especially if it is a big change; even if it is a good change).  Between June and September of 2009, I found myself getting ready for the first really big change of my life.  That change was graduating from high school and preparing to move away for college.  Starting college is a big change in itself.  What made this change even more daunting for me was that I was heading to a school that was out of state and I know about only three other people going to the same school as me (not three people in my class, but three people in the entire student body).

When the time came for me to move up to Spokane, WA and begin school at Whitworth University, I found myself going through some of the changes I was expecting and some that were not expected as well.  Yes, it may have been a bit of a challenge in the beginning... but looking back, I could not have pictured a better place for me to have gone to college.

Fast forwarding two years... I found myself having to make the decision to switch my major from nursing to health science.  At the time, it was a hard change because I still had my heart set on becoming a nurse (and I still have the desire to become a nurse today).  Looking back at my four years of college, I am so grateful that I switched my majors despite any delays I may have put on becoming a registered nurse.  At the time, the change was a tough one.  But it was a good change for me in the long run for so many different reasons.  I was able to spend the full four years of my college experience at Whitworth (which would not have happened if I had stayed on the nursing track).  Those extra two years at Whitworth allowed me to grow and become so much more confident.  There are so many other reasons I am so grateful for those extra two years, and I wouldn't change them for the world.  I can share more with anyone who would like to here more about this part of my life, but it's long enough that it can wait for another day.

Moving to Ethiopia in February will be an extremely big change that I am both excited and nervous for.  Reflecting upon my life, I have realized that because of every change that I have experienced, whether big or small, good or bad, has lead me to who I am today.  If not for the changes and experiences that have shaped me, I would not be writing this post today and preparing for my two years in Ethiopia.

My last thought of this post on change is this:  No matter what the change is, be it small, big, bad or good (or any other way one may describe change), it will impact you even if you are unaware of it.  At the time of the change, you may or may not like it.  All you can do is take the change for what it is and know that all you can do is reflect, learn, and figure out where to best go from there.

Pieces of my heart

What makes me me?  This is a question I've asked myself so many times myself.  At present, I feel like I could go on for days and days trying to answer this question.  For now, the best I can do is share images of my life that may share some kind of piece of who I am.

Awesome trip to a Reno conference with an awesome group of people from
Whitworth.

After my trip to Uganda in January of 2013, it will always have a place in my heart.

My family :)

I cannot forget how much my cousins have a place in my heart.

Do I really know where I am going?

Following the excitement of accepting my Peace Corps invitation to go to Ethiopia in February, I found that I was asking myself, "What do I really know about Ethiopia?"  The answer to that question was not a whole lot.  Realizing how little I really know about where I will be in a few months, I found myself beginning to do some research.  First, I found exactly where Ethiopia is located.  Ethiopia is located on the eastern side of Africa and is surrounded by Eritrea, Sudan, Kenya, and Somalia.  And on a side-note (which I am excited about because I have been there), I am much closer to Uganda than I had originally realized!

And in case you were wondering about what the national flag looks like...

So a little about Ethiopia's history...

There are more than 80 various ethnic and linguistic communities that live throughout Ethiopia and Ethiopia is one of a handful of African countries that has never been colonized.  Since1855 (Ethiopia's modern period) Ethiopia has gone through a process of recreating a cohesive state.  The primary conflict Ethiopia has faced during this period of time is with neighboring Eritrea, which was a providence of Ethiopia until it broke away from Ethiopia and became its own country in 1991.  

The Ethiopian government is set up in the form of a democracy in which their parliament consists of the House of Federation (upper chamber) and the House of People's Representatives (lower chamber).  All positions in either chamber last for periods of five years.  In way of the economy, the most important agricultural exports of Ethiopia include coffee, various types of hides, sugar, and gold.

Religion is extremely important in Ethiopian society.  Almost half of the people are Ethiopian Orthodox and about another 35 percent of the population is accounted for as Muslim.  There is a small minority of people who are Catholics or Protestants.  There is also a smaller fraction of the population that practice traditional religious beliefs.  The official language at the federal level is Amharic (which I will have the opportunity to begin learning during my first few months in Ethiopia), but each of 80 plus ethnic groups across Ethiopia also have their own distinct languages.

The terrain of Ethiopia is vast and varies a lot.  There is a wide range of altitudes, which leads to extremely varied climatic conditions, including colds mountains, temperate highlands, and hot deserts.  The rainy season of Ethiopia is generally from mid-June to mid-September.  It is usually fairly dry the remainder of the year.  It will be a challenge for me to pack because I have no idea which area of Ethiopia I will end up spending a majority of my time and I won't know until during my training (the first three months I will be in the country)!  Looks like I am in for a major change and may get a head start on learning a new language...

The Invitation

Last January I had the opportunity to spend two weeks in Jinja, Uganda.  It was one of the most profound and life changing experiences I have ever had.  It was eye opening to have the opportunity to see firsthand what life was like for many who live in one of the many third world countries in the world.  It not only broke my heart to see the poor living conditions, but to also learn how few opportunities there were for many.

I was lucky enough to make this trip with an amazing group of people through a organization called Children of Grace.  Prior to this trip, my family was sponsoring two children through Children of Grace and I was fortunate enough to meet them.  It was such a gift to be able to meet these two kids.  Now that I know them, they are now a real part of my life and have changed me forever.  

Joseph and Sylvia

 I experienced so much and could go on for many more hours about my time in Uganda.  Within about a month or two of my time back in the states, I found myself trying to process all that I had gone through and where I would go with all that I had gained at that point.  I had shared my story with many people and there was a common thing that continued to come up.  This thing that continually was brought up was Peace Corps.  I had never considered it before, but after three or four people had asked me about it after hearing about my time in Uganda, I just had to look into it.

Fast forwarding nine months, and I am finding myself sitting here writing this blog.  In the midst of a hectic and and crazy schedule, I received an email about a week and a half ago from the Peace Corps department in Washington D.C. inviting me to go to Ethiopia in February.  I am have accepted the invitation and will be serving as a volunteer helping to promote HIV/AIDS prevention and community health.  The feeling I have is actually very similar to the feeling I had in May as I was nearing the date of my college graduation.  There is a mixture of excitement, anxiety, and nervousness (and the list goes on and on). 

I have always wanted to start a blog, but I never felt as though I had anything worthwhile or profound enough to actually make any effort try.  Following a suggestion made to use a blog to share my experiences in Ethiopia, I am finding myself attempting to write my very first blog post.  I love sharing my experiences with those who want to hear about them and I hope this will be the perfect way for me to share on a regular basis with all those who want to hear my stories.  

Between now and the time I leave for Ethiopia, I will be using all my free time to either soak up as much of my own culture that I can or learning as much as I can about what I am getting myself into.  Wish me luck as I head as I prepare for this new chapter of my life!