This is the story..

of a girl, who cried a river and drowned the whole world... just kidding. I'll leave out all Third Eye Blind lyrics out of my blog.. but I will make all exceptions for Jimmy Eat World and Dashboard.  Ok, for real this time. 

How was the shock? Now before you go off thinking I am crazy like the rest of the world, or the few that knew about my plan before today, let me explain. 

In the past year, I have changed so much, but in the last six months, I've grown up.  After getting mono in September, I really did some evaluating of my "six year plan"after being sick for so long, really messed up my semester. I have known what I want to do with my life since the beginning of high school but shortly after moving to Utah, I realized that Physical Therapy is not my passion.. and involves too many physics classes. Ick! Needless to say, I was back to square one. For the first time in my life I had no idea what I wanted. As it turns out, growing up is hard. 

After long conversations with Mr. Hughes Jan, and constant prayer, I realized, it was not all about me. My Heavenly Father really knows me, and knows what I need to be doing and as it turns out, that is not being in Utah right now. Soon after my slightly dramatic life crisis, I got a call from ILP. 

ILP (International Language Program) is a volunteer internship program out of Provo. If accepted, it gives college age students opportunities to spend a semester abroad and teach english to kindergarden aged kids in China, Russia, Ukraine, and Mexico. It was truly a blessing to get this call from my ILP coordinator, impeccable timimg too. I have learned I am happiest when I am in the service of others and I feel, this is just what I needed in my life at this time. It's not all about me. 

I applied and was accepted (thanks to great recommendations from Hughes and Jan). I can't thank either of them enough for how much they have helped me out with this. As you now know, I will be serving  at the School-Liceum "Darovanie" in Kiev, Ukraine.  

Since I received my assignment, I have been working two jobs, averaging 43 hours a week plus going to school full time to pay for the program. I can't thank the wonderful people in my life, especially my mom that have helped me out with this. I am so so excited to embark on this new chapter of my life. It will be hard leaving my friends and family for so long, I will keep you all posted. When I get to Kiev, I will try to update my blog every week. Till then, this is probably it!

ILP Ukraine Video- These kids are so cute!

Check out ILP on facebook!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/International-Language-Programs-ILP/17781657618?v=wall

some call it determinedly optimistic..

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” – Henry Miller

-Blog. Nerdy, I know..but I feel it may be slightly more effective for sharing my newest adventure than posting on facebook (and also for those who are fb challenged), this is for you. 

My mom always told me, when I was little I was always moving, always on the go, even if it meant scraped up elbows and bloody knees. Well, as it turns out, nothing has changed. I don't stay content for too long. Some might say I am a bit of an extremist but I just find joy in obtaining the unobtainable. Tell me I can't, I'll prove you wrong, and have fun doing it. I strongly believe that dreaming is not enough. Last summer, in Jon and Allis's last attempt to get me to converse with complete strangers in Swedish, "If all else fails, point, smile (but not too much, or you will look like a tourist) and say I WANT THAT".  This might have been some of the best advice I have been given, ever. Dreaming is not enough. This is me, pointing, smiling and making it happen. 

In exactly one month, my phone is being shut off, I'm packing my shiny new blue suitcases, and saying goodbye to the dry Utah air.

I am off to spend the next 182.621099 days in Kiev, Ukraine.