The 11th Annual National Book Festival

This past week I had the opportunity to meet up with a couple friends and venture out to the 11th annual National Book Festival on the Mall in Washington D.C.  The event is organized and sponsored by the Library of Congress and is completely free to the public.  It attracts tens of thousands of people each year, and hosts over fifty nationally published writers, poets, and illustrators.  Attendees are invited to listen to lectures, readings, and to participate in book signings.  There are tents dedicated to numerous activities for children, to include an area filled with colorful chairs and cushions for comfortable reading.

We arrived around 9:30am, and the Mall was already buzzing with activity as individuals and families of all backgrounds mapped out their endeavors for the weekend.  A large tent was set up as a book store, where novels and children’s books where available for purchase.  People rushed about within the store to claim their items prior to their favorite author’s book signings.  My friends and I were able to get books autographed by Gregory Maguire, the author of Wicked, and Julianne Moore, actress and children’s book writer.  The weather was overcast, but everyone seemed in high spirits to match the energy of the event.  I would highly recommend the National Book Festival for book enthusiasts or as a fun family activity.  Afterwards, the festival is surrounded by museums and monuments to suit every interest.

The Winding Road to Washington D.C.

I drove away from my life in San Diego on December 25, 2009.  For love, no less.  I was heading to Pensacola, Florida to work on a relationship with a long-time friend of mine.  I told myself that it would be be the “one stupid thing I did for love.”  Needless to say, it did not work out.  But in the process, I finished my bachelors degree and made some friends that truly impacted my life.

In May of 2010, I found out that I was going to be deployed to Afghanistan in short matter of time.  The Army was going to essentially “borrow” me from the Navy for about 16 months.  Everything changed.  In the race to prepare for my deployment, time became a blur.  I went back to Southern California to say goodbye to my family, I quit my job, and moved out of my apartment.  About three days before I was supposed to leave, I received word that my mission had been cancelled.  Suddenly, I was faced with the realization that all of my money had been used to go home and I no longer had a place to live.

After I received the news, I had about 10 seconds of sheer panic before I took a deep breath and enacted one of my backup plans.  I spoke to a friend of mine who lived just outside of D.C.  She selflessly offered a place to stay and even volunteered to comp a ticket for that evening.  Everything I owned had literally been moved into storage that day, except for two suitcases (the exact number that I could take on an airplane).  I woke up that morning in Pensacola, with no idea what the day had in store.  I fell asleep in the D.C. area, which became my new home.

I believe that things happen for a reason.  That each choice leads to a new adventure.  After I got off of that airplane, everything fell into place.  And life has only gotten better.  So that brings me to today, this blog, and unlimited possibilities for the future.

Girl Scout Urban Campout

Last Friday, a bunch of Rotarians got together to volunteer at the Girl Scout Urban Campout fundraiser.

The patriotic themed event was just getting started at the time of my arrival.  I was assigned to be a flagger during the live auction, which wasn’t until the end of the program.  So this gave me an opportunity to enjoy the festive atmosphere and meet different people who were there to support the cause.

I think my favorite part of the program was the dancing presentation put on by a group of Native Americans.  I haven’t had a lot of exposure to their culture, and I found the choreography and clothing fascinating.  Following the dancing and some singing, it was time for the auction.  This was where the big bidders got a chance to donate and send young girls to camp.  The best prize was a small terrier puppy that I was inclined to try and run off with myself!  Completely adorable.   Very generous offers were made on all the prizes and it seemed like the event was a huge success.  I look forward to hopefully lending a hand at next year’s Urban Campout.

Providing a New Place of Learning

This month’s trip to Casa de la Esperanza left us very dusty and sore.

Our goal at the Tijuana orphanage was to restore the children’s library to a condition where it was safe and accessible.  The hope is that with an organized library, the children would be allowed to enjoy the books and promote their reading and learning skills.

When we first opened the abandoned room, there was a layer of dust settling on massive piles of books covering the shelves and table.  I think it was a bigger project than most of the volunteers had anticipated, and I was positive that we wouldn’t finish in the amount of time we had allotted.  But by pulling together we somehow plowed through the work.

We sorted the piles, removing books we thought wouldn’t be used and reorganized the remaining books onto the newly cleaned shelves.  At the end of the project, I was amazed at the result.  We actually managed to create a decent place where the children could come and expand their knowledge.  I think that the only issue now is making sure that the orphanage administrators continue to provide access and support some kind of reading program.  I have a feeling we’ll have to take it one month at a time.

Giving a Thousand Smiles

My New Friend, Leslie.

The Thousand Smiles Foundation is an amazing Rotary-sponsored program that has given thousands of children a new chance at life.

Last week, a group of five of us headed down to Ensenada, Mexico to contribute our time and services to the cause.  Thousand Smiles volunteers meet there every quarter to provide dental services and to operate on children who suffer from severe facial deformities.  They also provide follow up and several other necessary services that other similar organizations tend to overlook.

While the dentists and oral surgeons examined the children, the other volunteers and I organized and made the children at home.  Many of them had been coming to the clinics their whole lives.  One little patient, named Leslie, asked me to draw a picture with her and proceeded to give me a Spanish lesson.  I gave her a lesson in English.  She was my little sidekick for the rest of the day.

I never understood why people became dentists.  Now I can see it.  You can literally see the lives you are changing.  You can see the parents’ faces as you bring their child out of the operating room.  You can hear them thanking you for making their child beautiful.  It’s an amazing thing. A beautiful thing.

 

Finally a Member of Rotary International

It’s official!

I’m finally a member of Rotary International, one of the largest service organization in the world.

This will be a fantastic opportunity to become involved in continuous service projects, and hopefully be able to contribute some innovative ideas of my own.

I look forward to the oncoming challenges and hope that I am able to live up to my commitments and really make a difference.

Quilting for Humanitarian Aid

The Quilting Party is Just Getting Started

Today, a group of men and women got together to sew and mark over 70 quilts for donation.  Something I discovered very quickly…I am not very talented at sewing.  Knowing that marking quilts probably took less precision, I quickly volunteered and grabbed some chalk and a ruler.  After about an hour of marking I started to get the hang of it and after that, my partners and I started going through quilts very easily.  With the addition of interesting conversation with new acquaintances, three hours of work few by.

This is a huge, statewide project that is coming to an end.  There are still many quilts to make, so we will be regrouping on Thursday to try and complete as many as possible.

The quilts will go to Deseret Industries, a welfare organization comparable to Goodwill.  From there they will be distributed when the necessity arises.

Casa de la Esperanza Orphanage

Today I fell in love with 50 boys and girls in a Tijuana orphanage.

Around 14 volunteers woke up this morning and headed across the boarder towards Casa de la Esperanza, one of the few orphanages in Tijuana.  I hadn’t been to Mexico since a service trip I took during my junior year of high school, or even an orphanage since I was in France in 2006.  I completely underestimated the impact that these young children would have on me.

We arrived after the children had finished their breakfast.  At first, there was no sign of life outside of the bright yellow buildings.  But soon the sounds of boys and girls running and playing filled the air.  Several of the volunteers went to a nearby field to play kickball with a couple dozen energetic boys.  I took a walk around the facility to meet some of the orphans and observe the atmosphere.

Most of the other volunteers spoke Spanish and were easily conversing with the children.  With my background being French, I had to rely more on eye contact and facial expressions.  Luckily, that appeared to work.  Although we couldn’t understand each others words, we were able to share laughs and the experience of the day.

One of the trip’s leaders came prepared with an art project, which the boys and girls enjoyed and shared with one another.  The project leader told me that she was a part of an international art exchange.  That art is a universal language.  Watching the children create their personal works of art gave me a glimpse of who they are, where they’ve been and who they hope to be.  I pray that they find the opportunity to follow their dreams.  It breaks my heart to think that they might not.

After the art project, they gave the volunteers a presentation of song and dance.  The young Mexican boy to my left became a photographer as he used my camera to excitedly document the festivities.  I held a young Alejandro on my lap, completely content with the idea of taking him home with me.

Following a lunch of pizza baked fresh from their oven, it was time to leave.  I think my favorite memory was Alejandro smiling up at me when I went over to him to say goodbye.  This is a monthly service trip, so I hope that I get to see him again.  I hope that their drawings come true.

 

Meeting the New Generation of Rotary

Service Committee Meeting

Service Above Self

I have always had a great respect for the Rotary Club, an international service organization dedicated to goodwill and peace.  When I was in high school, they helped fund Interact Club service projects and humanitarian trips.  It was also the organization that sent my sister to Germany to study and foster intercultural understanding.

I had always wanted to contribute and “pay it forward” as a member of Rotary.  However from what I had observed, the generous members tended to be business owners of greater financial means.  Then a close friend of mine mentioned that there was a new evolution of the organization.  Clubs that tailored to a younger group of working professionals, with fresh and innovative ideas.  This was exactly the kind of group that I had been looking for.

Last night, I visited the Rotary Club of La Jolla New Generations to see what they were all about.  As with the other clubs I had seen, it was full of kind and motivated people who were very welcoming.  They discussed business and shared what they had been blessed with in their lives.  There was a very helpful and humorous guest speaker that we all enjoyed.  Afterward I stayed to check out the Service Committee meeting, since serving the community is my primary goal.  There was a huge list of possible and in-progress activities that benefited not only our immediate area, but people internationally as well.

I look forward to the next meeting and getting more involved!

Full Time Reservist…or Student?

It’s been a month since my Navy Reserve orientation and there is still a lot that is up in the air.

I had to make the decision whether to pursue a full time position as an IT and take the remainder of my college courses as I was able to, or to just be a “weekend warrior” and use my GI Bill money to go to school full time.  With the second option I would try and switch to a different job and go back into the military full time as an officer after obtaining my degree.

After going back and forth with the decision, I finally determined that I would register for a full schedule of classes and knock my degree out.

The next day, I went to speak to the career counselor at COMTHIRDFLT (my reserve unit) to see about putting in a conversion package for a new intelligence job.  But when I went over there, I was snagged up by a petty officer in my division who introduced me to a lot of key senior enlisted members.  Apparently, they are lacking IT watchstanders and are very interested in acquiring another full time reservist.  So they took my information and said that they would see what could be done.

I hadn’t heard anything in a couple weeks and am not in a position to rely on hopes and dreams.  So I have been setting up all of my college courses and proceeding as if I wasn’t going to get the full time position.

Today I checked in with COMTHIRDFLT and they told me that they had in fact highly recommended me for a six-month to 1-year position, but the request hadn’t come back yet.

So I’m in the same boat.  Leaving it to fate.  Even if I don’t get the full time position, I still have my education plan backing me up.

That’s the update!  Hopefully I’ll know more before the fall semester starts.