So, it's been a minute since I've posted, but I was waiting for something to discuss. And, here it is, on this rainy day- two things happened that inspired me to post. Asst 2 and myself have been talking a lot lately about the "state of the union of women." I think, mostly, Asst 2 is practicing for her master's thesis in women's studies- but I'm happy to oblige. We are women, with many differing and similar thoughts- so why not?
1) I got a call from my sister, who was in the waiting room at our small town Doctor's office back home. This Doctor is a family friend - someone who's daughters I taught swim lessons to and who's other daughters went to school with said little sister. She was waiting because she needed to have an STD test. She needed to have an STD test because her ex-bf of almost 2 years, quite possibly cheated on her and they had unprotected sex a few times. My sister was terrified a) because my father took her to the doctor and b) because she was scared of the test results.
Boy, there is nothing like a long-held belief hitting home. I've believed for a long time that abstinence education is a farce (anyone else get the chastity cards in high school? you know, the ones with the penny? i did. i lost the penny, and my virginity shortly thereafter). I wondered if my sister would have been sitting in that waiting room if she had been properly educated on STD awareness (symptoms, things to watch for) and not just the "YOU'LL DIE IF YOU GET GONAHERPASYPHILIS, SO JUST DONT HAVE SEX" message. It's incredibly frustrating - especially after the recent presidential campaign- that we're still stuck in a mind-set that if we tell teens about STDs, HIV/AIDS, pregnancy and protection we will make them more promiscuous. Would she still have been in that waiting room if she had been educated in an environment where discussing sex (especially with ones you're sexually active with) is not taboo, but is open, honest and informative.
Lastly, I have never been a fan of 'education campaigns' and I'm always distraught by the number of social problems that are laid at the feet of our public education system. However, if there is going to be a push (federally funded at that!) to teach abstinence as contraception in schools, our teachers, parents and community leaders MUST step up and DEMAND sex-ed that is modern, descriptive and useful. America's teens are not stupid and they are not magically shielded from the same issues we must deal with as adults (relationships, sex, one-night stands, STD tests, embarassment, date rape, cheating) and we have to start addressing these issues with them. The time is over to handle them with kitten gloves when lives are on the line. I think about how many young peoples' lives in DC could have been saved with a comprehensive sex-ed course about HIV, protection and resources. Listen, when I was in high school, my gym teacher wasn't the first person I thought of to talk to about sex, but I'll be damned if my mother didn't tell me where the closest planned parenthood was in case I needed it. I had resources and I knew where the resources were if the ones I had weren't sufficient. I was lucky.
2) Today it is rainy, dreary rainy. Rainboot and umbrella requiring rain. So, I hopped on the express bus to work today, which meant I had to get off a few blocks further away from my office since the express doesnt stop at my office corner. Typically, I miss the express bus and take another local bus that drives past the downtown Planned Parenthood branch. So, I often just see it in passing. Today, I got off the bus about 400 feet from the PP office. **Bias Alert-I've always had a grand affinity for PP, as they were my first morning after pill experience and always had the cheaper birth control pills in college (true story). So today, as I got closer to the office I noticed two people standing on the sidewalk outside the office. I also saw two semi-nervous looking "Volunteer Clinic Escorts" in orange vests standing at the door. As I approached the man and woman on the sidewalk I noticed the woman had her eyes closed, a rosary in her hand and was praying. The man, was standing across from her with a pack of brochures.
As I approached, I couldn't help but I wish I were braver and confront them about what they were doing. Ask them if they realized that 3 percent of black women in D.C. have HIV and this clinic provided an afforable resource for some of those women. I yearned to stop and ask them about the women who walked through those doors, needing a safe place to go to consider their family planning. I thought about my sister and if they would have tried to stop her from going in to recieve an STD test, and what would have happened if they were successful at stopping her- or any other girl for that matter. I thought about the millions of victims of date rape who need the morning after pill. I think of the young girl who is in college, broke, made a mistake and needs to have an abortion because she could never have a child only to submit it to the horrible state system for adoption and foster care. I think of myself and my friends, highly educated, career-women with stable lives and incomes, who have ALL had our scares and needed that emergency pill or appt. I thought of the HIV/AIDS rates in DC that rival some West African countries and yet our local providers of contraceptives were being protested!!! Then, as I rounded the corner I wanted to run back and say- "Do you two have counterparts that are doing the same thing in the condom aisle at the Safeway around the corner?"
And then- amongst all these thoughts, the rage and anger I felt towards these two-- I smiled. I realized, that with all the flaws, all the protests and all the cuts in funding, the Planned Parenthood stood. It persisted. The volunteer clinic escorts stood in the dry doorway, while the protesters stood in the rain. Once inside, women were lucky enough to find a safe haven from the (proverbial and literal today) storm. I realized that as a woman in this city I would ALWAYS have a place to go should I need it. Then of course, I began to think of the women who don't have that place. Or have to drive hours and hours to find a clinic. But after that brief pause in happiness, I reminded myself- this is why you're going to Africa.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
They Will Remind You
I am frequently drawn to the sensational headlines around women's issues. I read about the terrible toll women's rights are taking in Afghanistan, about gang rape in California, about FGM in Africa, about girls in Saudi Arabia burning to death in their locked school because they weren't allowed out into the streets unless they were properly covered up. And I read and think about the small things, mostly the ones that are relevant to me in some way - the rate of AIDS amongst women in DC, for example, or the sociological implications of underweight women's over-representation in advertising.
But if I ever forget that the "small problems" for women transcend race, class and geography, things like this remind me.
In an article on MSNBC titled
Women bear brunt of African hunger crisis (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30412356/)
An aid worker says: "It doesn't matter whether it's a humanitarian crisis or an economic crisis or a food price crisis, women are hardest hit. Women are always hardest hit," said Catherine Bertini, a farming specialist with the Seattle-based Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. A woman "feeds her husband, and then she feeds her children, and then she feeds herself if there's anything left."
It describes a mother in Swaziland: "Phetsile Ndwandwe, short, skinny and 23 years old, accepts an apple from a development worker and nibbles at it, stripping the peel with her teeth before handing the fruit to Siphokazi, her baby daughter.
But if I ever forget that the "small problems" for women transcend race, class and geography, things like this remind me.
In an article on MSNBC titled
Women bear brunt of African hunger crisis (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30412356/)
An aid worker says: "It doesn't matter whether it's a humanitarian crisis or an economic crisis or a food price crisis, women are hardest hit. Women are always hardest hit," said Catherine Bertini, a farming specialist with the Seattle-based Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. A woman "feeds her husband, and then she feeds her children, and then she feeds herself if there's anything left."It describes a mother in Swaziland: "Phetsile Ndwandwe, short, skinny and 23 years old, accepts an apple from a development worker and nibbles at it, stripping the peel with her teeth before handing the fruit to Siphokazi, her baby daughter.
Siphokazi manages a bite of the apple, the first fruit she has had in months, then thanks her mother with a kiss.
Ndwandwe allows herself only the peel."
I think of my best friend peeling the strawberries for her one year old daughter, too young to eat the seeds, and I know that if there were only enough for the baby, that's who would eat. The aid workers are concerned; these mothers can't function and support their families without enough to eat.
You know what the solution is? Make sure there's enough for the mother AND the children. Because if there's not, Mom is going hungry.
I know families in rural New Hampshire where the kids eat until they're full and mom sits down to eat when everyone is done. If there's nothing left, she has a can of corn or soup. The kids don't notice. Mom says she's just cleaning up and she'll "sit down in a minute."
So it struck me that women's problems are in many ways the same all over because there are shared commonalities among women themselves. I don't mean to generalize my gender, but things like this make me feel more connected to the women I'm going to Rwanda to work for than a genocide I can't begin to understand.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
True Story
Well, Asst 2 has also "put a ring on it", sent the requisite "hey leaving the country" email aaaaaaaaand we're off, friends.
While (as Asst 1 noted earlier) many initial reactions to our adventure announcement are overwhelmingly positive, even those who are excited for us have paused upon hearing our destination and gone, "Rwanda? Is that the place where they killed people?"
Which. OK. Fair.
But there are several things to keep in mind when assessing Rwanda's current situation (and we had them very much in mind when deciding whether or not to travel there). First, Rwanda's genocide occurred over a decade ago, and as near as anyone can tell, having been a relatively peaceful nation up until that point (largely due to the Belgium-imposed monarchy), the country essentially scared the crap out of itself when it became suddenly and overwhelmingly violent and killed a million people. Following the violence, Rwanda got very, very quiet, and has stayed relatively stable for the last ten years. Second, Rwanda was one of the only African countries that experienced a genocide and followed up with Western style prosecutions and trials, essentially giving the entire nation a way to grieve and air their pain openly.
That said, Rwanda suffers from "the usual" ailments: high crime rates, particularly theft, extreme poverty, widespread abuse, and pockets of the countryside where customs that, yes, I will go out on a limb and describe as "barbaric", still have hold. There is a fine line between "really unacceptable" and "cultural differences", but I feel I can safely say that female genital mutilation crosses that line. It's not a widespread custom in Rwanda, but it does still happen.
Other hazards we have been informed we should be wary of include: theft, theft, theft, HIV/AIDS, guerilla warfare along the borders, and the ever-popular malaria.
Some of the things to get little-kid excited over include: gorillas a la "gorillas in the mist", the previously-mentioned fantastic weather, coffee, tea and GIRAFFES, Rwandan beer served in vast quantities, french, mountains, breathtaking views, and the exchange rate.
We both have program guides to go through this weekend with extensive instructions on immunizations, packing, shopping and general preparedness to be done in short order - it feels like a long time before we leave, but it goes by quickly when you're not getting things done.
http://wikitravel.org/en/Rwanda
While (as Asst 1 noted earlier) many initial reactions to our adventure announcement are overwhelmingly positive, even those who are excited for us have paused upon hearing our destination and gone, "Rwanda? Is that the place where they killed people?"
Which. OK. Fair.
But there are several things to keep in mind when assessing Rwanda's current situation (and we had them very much in mind when deciding whether or not to travel there). First, Rwanda's genocide occurred over a decade ago, and as near as anyone can tell, having been a relatively peaceful nation up until that point (largely due to the Belgium-imposed monarchy), the country essentially scared the crap out of itself when it became suddenly and overwhelmingly violent and killed a million people. Following the violence, Rwanda got very, very quiet, and has stayed relatively stable for the last ten years. Second, Rwanda was one of the only African countries that experienced a genocide and followed up with Western style prosecutions and trials, essentially giving the entire nation a way to grieve and air their pain openly.
That said, Rwanda suffers from "the usual" ailments: high crime rates, particularly theft, extreme poverty, widespread abuse, and pockets of the countryside where customs that, yes, I will go out on a limb and describe as "barbaric", still have hold. There is a fine line between "really unacceptable" and "cultural differences", but I feel I can safely say that female genital mutilation crosses that line. It's not a widespread custom in Rwanda, but it does still happen.
Other hazards we have been informed we should be wary of include: theft, theft, theft, HIV/AIDS, guerilla warfare along the borders, and the ever-popular malaria.
Some of the things to get little-kid excited over include: gorillas a la "gorillas in the mist", the previously-mentioned fantastic weather, coffee, tea and GIRAFFES, Rwandan beer served in vast quantities, french, mountains, breathtaking views, and the exchange rate.
We both have program guides to go through this weekend with extensive instructions on immunizations, packing, shopping and general preparedness to be done in short order - it feels like a long time before we leave, but it goes by quickly when you're not getting things done.
http://wikitravel.org/en/Rwanda
Thursday, April 16, 2009
The Beginning of the End
As mentioned, Asst 2 started a new job today - same company, new cubicle (but still the one next to you). And for the first time in the year and a half that I've been in DC, I was no one's assistant. I was given a phone that would ring only for ME (which is to say, almost never). Emails came today related only to the work I was doing. I scheduled nothing. I didn't print one single piece of paper. And I realized that, for the first time in the over 400 days I have been with my company, not one single person was mean to me. FOR THE FIRST TIME. That is both truly amazing, and incredibly sad.
I also "put a ring on it", as my co-pilot says, and got my little confirmation in my email letting me know that basically every spare penny for the next 7 months is going towards getting my life in order, so I can put it on pause.... and.... go.
And that, really, is the point your two stalwart assistants were most stuck on today. This is the beginning of the end. This is the beginning of the end of cell phones, working just to pay the rent (to jobs that pay the rent, raise your glasses, folks, thaaaaanks), BLACKBERRIES, cab rides, Saturday night Mexican and Margaritas, Sunday night QAF marathons, walks in Meridian Park, OFFICE POLITICS, long-winded speeches by our bosses to tell us things that we already know that they seem to constantly forget (BE RESPONSIVE, PPL), 8pm ab classes with Bill, spinning (good things are happening!), the end of garlic and olive oil and weekend detoxes.
It's also the end of clean water in every building and, apparently, toilets that don't consist of a hole in the ground on the side of the road - but eventually we plan to return to those things. DC? Not so much.
Above all, this is the beginning of the end of a certain time in your life that, if you're as lucky as we are, you never have to relive. We're both the kind of girls with what our dear friend *John calls the "public school chip" on our shoulders. We both worked extraordinarily hard for what we have. We crossed boundaries we never knew we would cross, kissed asses we NEVER thought we would kiss, shook hands when we wanted to punch faces, smiled when all we wanted to do was throw the heels we were wearing out the window of the very fancy restaurant we were busy NOT eating at because we were too busy staffing the rich person next to us, kissed the cheeks of people whose necklace that evening was worth more than our college debt, and kept, all told, three lives that WEREN'T OURS from running off the tracks (and we looked fabulous while we did it, fyi). We both moved across the country and came to this city with no friends, no savings and, shortly upon our arrivals, no jobs or means of supporting ourselves. We cried. We questioned whether we could stick it out. We did all the proving ourselves, TO ourselves, we will ever need to do. At this point we can both leave here firmly convinced that we can do anything and that, as our motto goes, we can run your life, run your company, run your city - and do it in heels. That's not a small thing to take away from our time here, and we need a moment to mourn the passing of a challenging but incredibly formative and exciting time in our lives.
Moment over. Let's get the fuck out of dodge, friends. I want to see an elephant so bad, no words.
*name has been changed for our protection - not that anyone reading this wouldn't know IMMEDIATELY who we are. we are DISTINCT.
I also "put a ring on it", as my co-pilot says, and got my little confirmation in my email letting me know that basically every spare penny for the next 7 months is going towards getting my life in order, so I can put it on pause.... and.... go.
And that, really, is the point your two stalwart assistants were most stuck on today. This is the beginning of the end. This is the beginning of the end of cell phones, working just to pay the rent (to jobs that pay the rent, raise your glasses, folks, thaaaaanks), BLACKBERRIES, cab rides, Saturday night Mexican and Margaritas, Sunday night QAF marathons, walks in Meridian Park, OFFICE POLITICS, long-winded speeches by our bosses to tell us things that we already know that they seem to constantly forget (BE RESPONSIVE, PPL), 8pm ab classes with Bill, spinning (good things are happening!), the end of garlic and olive oil and weekend detoxes.
It's also the end of clean water in every building and, apparently, toilets that don't consist of a hole in the ground on the side of the road - but eventually we plan to return to those things. DC? Not so much.
Above all, this is the beginning of the end of a certain time in your life that, if you're as lucky as we are, you never have to relive. We're both the kind of girls with what our dear friend *John calls the "public school chip" on our shoulders. We both worked extraordinarily hard for what we have. We crossed boundaries we never knew we would cross, kissed asses we NEVER thought we would kiss, shook hands when we wanted to punch faces, smiled when all we wanted to do was throw the heels we were wearing out the window of the very fancy restaurant we were busy NOT eating at because we were too busy staffing the rich person next to us, kissed the cheeks of people whose necklace that evening was worth more than our college debt, and kept, all told, three lives that WEREN'T OURS from running off the tracks (and we looked fabulous while we did it, fyi). We both moved across the country and came to this city with no friends, no savings and, shortly upon our arrivals, no jobs or means of supporting ourselves. We cried. We questioned whether we could stick it out. We did all the proving ourselves, TO ourselves, we will ever need to do. At this point we can both leave here firmly convinced that we can do anything and that, as our motto goes, we can run your life, run your company, run your city - and do it in heels. That's not a small thing to take away from our time here, and we need a moment to mourn the passing of a challenging but incredibly formative and exciting time in our lives.
Moment over. Let's get the fuck out of dodge, friends. I want to see an elephant so bad, no words.
*name has been changed for our protection - not that anyone reading this wouldn't know IMMEDIATELY who we are. we are DISTINCT.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
It's Official- Put a Ring on it!
I am officially going!! Asst 1 here- reporting from the battlefield of my email inbox that just informed me last night I have a spot being held for me, a paid for, ring on it, SPOT IN RWANDA!!!!!!! I can't believe it's officially official now. As a sidenote, Asst 2 gets paid tomorrow and will be paying for her spot too =)
Upon making it official I sent out a mass email to my friends and family. I wanted to wait until I had really put the money down (350 bones to be exact) to hold my spot in the program. I knew I would hear back from some people, well wishes, etc. But I literally was not prepared for the responses I would get. I want to put some of them in this email - because these people have played and continue to be such big parts of my life that I can't help but share.
Here are a few things that inspired me:
"THIS IS BEYOND AWESOME! So proud of you girls!!!!!"
"I am SO proud of you, this is going to be an experience that is going to totally change your perspective on life... you have such a big heart, i know that the Rwandan's will cherish all of your help."
"I'm so very proud of you. let me know if I can do anything!"
"You, my dear, are courageous and stalwart to undertake such an enterprising adventure at this point in your life….better now than when you become completely settled and complacent. Congratulations on this new pathway that will take you very far……in terms of growth and maturity"
"You will make such a positive impact on so many lives!"
"I hope that you follow all your dreams where ever it takes you. I will pray that God will keep a covering over you and your friend. That he will keep you safe from harm and provide your needs."
"I'm so glad you're going to participate in some service for that part of the world, which needs so much."
So now that we're becoming more official by the day we've been reviewing our travel options - weighing prices. We've decided that we're going to do British Airways from Chicago to London (11 hour layover there British friends!!!) to Entebbe, Uganda. In Entebbe, we're going to catch a 9-hour bus ride into Kigali. We've been reading reviews of past volunteers and this seems to be a pretty common way to get to Kigali. Here's a review we found about the bus trip using "Jaguar Bus":
"A journey not recommended for those who like to travel in comfort and style, but one that will take you through the heart of East-Africa on a road less-travelled."
We also got a glimpse into what our home life would be like in Kigali in the guest house:
"You will be provided with two meals a day, breakfast and dinner. Breakfast will include bread with jam, fruit, and tea. A typical evening meal in Rwanda consists of heavy starches such as yams, rice, or potatoes accompanied by a savoury stew. Little meat is eaten normally however there will be abundance of vegetables and fruit."
Along with the food, we discovered that mosquitos are a legit concern! We have to work on acquiring a mosquito net and in case you were wondering- mosquitos are worst at dusk and twilight.
Signing off for now!
Upon making it official I sent out a mass email to my friends and family. I wanted to wait until I had really put the money down (350 bones to be exact) to hold my spot in the program. I knew I would hear back from some people, well wishes, etc. But I literally was not prepared for the responses I would get. I want to put some of them in this email - because these people have played and continue to be such big parts of my life that I can't help but share.
Here are a few things that inspired me:
"THIS IS BEYOND AWESOME! So proud of you girls!!!!!"
"I am SO proud of you, this is going to be an experience that is going to totally change your perspective on life... you have such a big heart, i know that the Rwandan's will cherish all of your help."
"I'm so very proud of you. let me know if I can do anything!"
"You, my dear, are courageous and stalwart to undertake such an enterprising adventure at this point in your life….better now than when you become completely settled and complacent. Congratulations on this new pathway that will take you very far……in terms of growth and maturity"
"You will make such a positive impact on so many lives!"
"I hope that you follow all your dreams where ever it takes you. I will pray that God will keep a covering over you and your friend. That he will keep you safe from harm and provide your needs."
"I'm so glad you're going to participate in some service for that part of the world, which needs so much."
So now that we're becoming more official by the day we've been reviewing our travel options - weighing prices. We've decided that we're going to do British Airways from Chicago to London (11 hour layover there British friends!!!) to Entebbe, Uganda. In Entebbe, we're going to catch a 9-hour bus ride into Kigali. We've been reading reviews of past volunteers and this seems to be a pretty common way to get to Kigali. Here's a review we found about the bus trip using "Jaguar Bus":
"A journey not recommended for those who like to travel in comfort and style, but one that will take you through the heart of East-Africa on a road less-travelled."
We also got a glimpse into what our home life would be like in Kigali in the guest house:
"You will be provided with two meals a day, breakfast and dinner. Breakfast will include bread with jam, fruit, and tea. A typical evening meal in Rwanda consists of heavy starches such as yams, rice, or potatoes accompanied by a savoury stew. Little meat is eaten normally however there will be abundance of vegetables and fruit."
Along with the food, we discovered that mosquitos are a legit concern! We have to work on acquiring a mosquito net and in case you were wondering- mosquitos are worst at dusk and twilight.
Signing off for now!
Monday, April 13, 2009
Keep Calm & Carry On
Today... today is post-Easter food/candy coma and I am being attacked by all things pollinated.
It's times like these that I feel most disconnected from what I like to refer to as my "real-life" which consists of: working to pay the rent and my "real, real-life" which is more: everything I do unrelated to my career and my paycheck. Lately, I've noticed that my real life is becoming very overbearing on my real, real-life. So, I'm going to take a moment to think about those in my real, real life who inspire me.
my co-hort in this whole experiment de vida. She is the ying to my yang. She is nice without thinking about it, kind without thinking through it and generous without a second's thought. I sometimes struggle to be kind. It's true. Maybe, because I was an only child for so long, I have an inherent selfishness that is hard to shake. But she takes no moment pause to say kind things about people and gives a lot of people more second, third and fourth chances than I give out first chances. I learn from her everyday and I try, a little bit harder every day to reach down and find the good in any person.
my mom has been through more than I hope to ever experience. Her eyes are deep with the lessons of life, love and family. Everytime I pause to compare our lives, I realize that when she was my age- she had a two-year old child. I think of the sacrifice and selflessness that required of a woman who I know I inherited so much of my independence and drive from.
I have a friend who is an amazing activist. Right now, he is traveling the country teaching other young folks how to be an activist and what it means to fight for something you believe in. He inspires me because sometimes I find myself wavering from my own beliefs. I like to change my mind alot- perhaps it comes from a flexibility I have to have in my job and being a twenty-something, adapability is key; however moral and ideal flexibility probably isn't the most sound policy. My friend inspires me because he's been able to turn himself into a machine of activism, a person who wakes up everyday and gets to inspire people to be more than their ideas, to become a megaphone for their ideals. his days must be truly rewarding.
last but not least, scott harrison. about 5 months ago I spoke at event where Scott was the keynote. He talked about his organization charity:water and their work in remote countries, installing water wells that completely transformed communities and brought hope. I think hearing him was the first seed that was planted in my decision to leave and go to Rwanda.
On a closing note, the other day a friend of mine asked me "So, you're going to Rwanda because you want to work in humanitarian stuff now?" and I realized: for the first time in my life, or my life after age 16, I was doing something that had absolutely nothing to do with my career. I was doing something that wouldn't be a line item on my vitae. I was doing something for the sole purpose of myself, a decision I made without being guided by an obsession with a career. I recently heard about a friend from college who had studied his way through b-school, passed up weekend parties and bar crawls for b-school networking events and more studying-- he was offered a six-figure salary, moving costs and a bonus to help cover a great upper-east side apartment. He lost his job in the middle of the financial sector meltdown and moved home.
A career will only get you so far.
Finding happiness and worth in everything you do lasts forever.
It's times like these that I feel most disconnected from what I like to refer to as my "real-life" which consists of: working to pay the rent and my "real, real-life" which is more: everything I do unrelated to my career and my paycheck. Lately, I've noticed that my real life is becoming very overbearing on my real, real-life. So, I'm going to take a moment to think about those in my real, real life who inspire me.
my co-hort in this whole experiment de vida. She is the ying to my yang. She is nice without thinking about it, kind without thinking through it and generous without a second's thought. I sometimes struggle to be kind. It's true. Maybe, because I was an only child for so long, I have an inherent selfishness that is hard to shake. But she takes no moment pause to say kind things about people and gives a lot of people more second, third and fourth chances than I give out first chances. I learn from her everyday and I try, a little bit harder every day to reach down and find the good in any person.
my mom has been through more than I hope to ever experience. Her eyes are deep with the lessons of life, love and family. Everytime I pause to compare our lives, I realize that when she was my age- she had a two-year old child. I think of the sacrifice and selflessness that required of a woman who I know I inherited so much of my independence and drive from.
I have a friend who is an amazing activist. Right now, he is traveling the country teaching other young folks how to be an activist and what it means to fight for something you believe in. He inspires me because sometimes I find myself wavering from my own beliefs. I like to change my mind alot- perhaps it comes from a flexibility I have to have in my job and being a twenty-something, adapability is key; however moral and ideal flexibility probably isn't the most sound policy. My friend inspires me because he's been able to turn himself into a machine of activism, a person who wakes up everyday and gets to inspire people to be more than their ideas, to become a megaphone for their ideals. his days must be truly rewarding.
last but not least, scott harrison. about 5 months ago I spoke at event where Scott was the keynote. He talked about his organization charity:water and their work in remote countries, installing water wells that completely transformed communities and brought hope. I think hearing him was the first seed that was planted in my decision to leave and go to Rwanda.
On a closing note, the other day a friend of mine asked me "So, you're going to Rwanda because you want to work in humanitarian stuff now?" and I realized: for the first time in my life, or my life after age 16, I was doing something that had absolutely nothing to do with my career. I was doing something that wouldn't be a line item on my vitae. I was doing something for the sole purpose of myself, a decision I made without being guided by an obsession with a career. I recently heard about a friend from college who had studied his way through b-school, passed up weekend parties and bar crawls for b-school networking events and more studying-- he was offered a six-figure salary, moving costs and a bonus to help cover a great upper-east side apartment. He lost his job in the middle of the financial sector meltdown and moved home.
A career will only get you so far.
Finding happiness and worth in everything you do lasts forever.
As Ani Said
someone do something
anything
soon
i know that i can't be the only whatever-i-am in the room so
why am i so lonely?
why am i so tired?
i need back-up
i need company
i need to be inspired
And on days like today, when work is driving me insane and I want to scream at people that not getting your coffee in a timely manner or not being able to fit in a gym appt is not a life-altering crisis and make them sit in a chair a la A Clockwork Orange and stare at pictures of starving, clean-water deprived children all day, I have to really dig deep to find that inspiration. When I first started thinking about traveling it was mostly because I had realized what I didn't want - which was to live the way I live now. But what did I want? Who did I want to grow up to be like? And what did I admire about the women I wanted to emulate?
Well, my co-conspirator assistant, for one. I would love to grow up to be like her. She kicks ass and takes names so effortlessly it's amazing. I've learned so much from her. So I know I want to grow up to be independent, sexually liberated, and career-oriented. And I want to be the kind of woman who can say no when she wants to. A lot of women, myself frequently included, do not know how to do that.
My aunt is a missionary - I'd like to be like her. There's this calm gravity to her, the kind that comes from a life lived at peace with her God. She's doing exactly what she's felt destined to do since she was 12 years old.
My mother is incredibly giving and selfless. So thoughtful. My cousin has been breaking through the glass ceiling with some serious construction equipment since I was little. My two best friends from college are unique women who live exactly as they please and make themselves happy in wildly different ways - one as a barista traveling around watching bands, experimenting with photography, and bringing art to it's knees in a kinky self-expressionist way, and one as a mother re-defining my image of motherhood.
So I guess what I want to be is a woman who lives for herself in a way that makes her and everyone around her happy, in a fulfilling way, in a way at once giving and selfish. So if I figure that out, I'll draw y'all a formula and maybe some charts and a powerpoint.
Today, a day when I could happily strangle anyone who gets too close but would rather strangle my boss, I am inspired by these two ass-kicking ladies: http://jezebel.com/5209364/girls-gone-wild-two-proper-ladies-who-went-west-and-won
From the text:
anything
soon
i know that i can't be the only whatever-i-am in the room so
why am i so lonely?
why am i so tired?
i need back-up
i need company
i need to be inspired
And on days like today, when work is driving me insane and I want to scream at people that not getting your coffee in a timely manner or not being able to fit in a gym appt is not a life-altering crisis and make them sit in a chair a la A Clockwork Orange and stare at pictures of starving, clean-water deprived children all day, I have to really dig deep to find that inspiration. When I first started thinking about traveling it was mostly because I had realized what I didn't want - which was to live the way I live now. But what did I want? Who did I want to grow up to be like? And what did I admire about the women I wanted to emulate?
Well, my co-conspirator assistant, for one. I would love to grow up to be like her. She kicks ass and takes names so effortlessly it's amazing. I've learned so much from her. So I know I want to grow up to be independent, sexually liberated, and career-oriented. And I want to be the kind of woman who can say no when she wants to. A lot of women, myself frequently included, do not know how to do that.
My aunt is a missionary - I'd like to be like her. There's this calm gravity to her, the kind that comes from a life lived at peace with her God. She's doing exactly what she's felt destined to do since she was 12 years old.
My mother is incredibly giving and selfless. So thoughtful. My cousin has been breaking through the glass ceiling with some serious construction equipment since I was little. My two best friends from college are unique women who live exactly as they please and make themselves happy in wildly different ways - one as a barista traveling around watching bands, experimenting with photography, and bringing art to it's knees in a kinky self-expressionist way, and one as a mother re-defining my image of motherhood.
So I guess what I want to be is a woman who lives for herself in a way that makes her and everyone around her happy, in a fulfilling way, in a way at once giving and selfish. So if I figure that out, I'll draw y'all a formula and maybe some charts and a powerpoint.
Today, a day when I could happily strangle anyone who gets too close but would rather strangle my boss, I am inspired by these two ass-kicking ladies: http://jezebel.com/5209364/girls-gone-wild-two-proper-ladies-who-went-west-and-won
From the text:
According to Dorothy Wickenden's story in this week's New Yorker, Rosamond Underwood and Dorothy Woodruff were both twenty-nine, both well-to-do Smith graduates, and both "uninspired" by their suitors in Auburn, New York, when they responded to a search for schoolteachers in remote Elkhead, Colorado. The mastermind behind this search, cattle rancher Farrington Carpenter, had a secret agenda — luring educated East Coast women to Elkhead to marry local men. It worked — Rosamond married local mine supervisor Bob Perry and, forty years later, Carpenter himself — but this marriage scheme doesn't negate the impact that the women had on Elkhead, or that the town had on them.
Elkhead was a mountain town seventeen miles from the nearest train station, and its school was a single room serving the families of homesteaders in the outlying areas. Dorothy taught the younger children, ten boys and a single girl, while Rosamond instructed the older kids. One former student of Rosamond's wrote, "I don't believe there was ever a community that was affected more by two people than we were by those two girls." Another, who went on to become Missouri's chief forester, wrote, "their impact was immediate, but above all lasting." And although graduation rates in the late teens and early twenties were extremely poor, all six of the ninth-graders Rosamond taught went on to either college or professional school.
But, the article goes on to say, the experience probably had a greater impact on both of these women than they had on the town. If you're lucky, the good work you do will have any impact at all, even a little, and you'll get to hang on for the ride.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Right & Tight
there is nothing more stressful to a twenty-something than finances. college loan debts, maxed out credit cards, exhorbatent post-college rent, city living costs vs. college town living costs, $8 beers, $10 cocktails... etc etc
So, we have begun a full-blown financial plan that we like to refer to as the "Right & Tight" plan. It also refers to our diet and workout plan-- which we will address at a later time.
Back to the finances... since we'll be leaving the country for three months and unlikely to do things like pay our credit card bills, we have to prepare to be marginally debt free come January 1st. Also, since we won't exactly be able to use said credit cards in Africa, it is highly possible we will be traveling sans-Visa cards and cash only (Visas in the back pocket of course- we're not totally crazy).
So along with Airfare to Africa and back, our program costs and spending money we're collectively paying down a little over $6,000 in debt... however, the freedom we feel this will bring us... is going to be pretty phenomenal.
For the first time in a long time, we'll be living within our means as we prepare for this trip and even while we're in Africa. Lucky for us, our means will be a lot more than our local peers, but we're going to embrace it. And, with the country the way it is, our economy in its current state - we think its high time everyone start to realize their means and live within them. We've both done these amazing spreadsheets for our budgets and we're pretty stoked at the prospect of leaving America and all its indulgences, excesses and debts behind for a few months. I'm sure we'll both breathe a little easier once the program is paid for and the flights are booked, but for now... we'll be dispensing our right and tight experiences!!
So, we have begun a full-blown financial plan that we like to refer to as the "Right & Tight" plan. It also refers to our diet and workout plan-- which we will address at a later time.
Back to the finances... since we'll be leaving the country for three months and unlikely to do things like pay our credit card bills, we have to prepare to be marginally debt free come January 1st. Also, since we won't exactly be able to use said credit cards in Africa, it is highly possible we will be traveling sans-Visa cards and cash only (Visas in the back pocket of course- we're not totally crazy).
So along with Airfare to Africa and back, our program costs and spending money we're collectively paying down a little over $6,000 in debt... however, the freedom we feel this will bring us... is going to be pretty phenomenal.
For the first time in a long time, we'll be living within our means as we prepare for this trip and even while we're in Africa. Lucky for us, our means will be a lot more than our local peers, but we're going to embrace it. And, with the country the way it is, our economy in its current state - we think its high time everyone start to realize their means and live within them. We've both done these amazing spreadsheets for our budgets and we're pretty stoked at the prospect of leaving America and all its indulgences, excesses and debts behind for a few months. I'm sure we'll both breathe a little easier once the program is paid for and the flights are booked, but for now... we'll be dispensing our right and tight experiences!!
Bigger Better Bolder
The words of the day are: bigger, better, bolder. After assistant 1 posted I started thinking about coffee. How I've never given it up, even when I've been in the middle of crazy health kicks and everyone from my Dr to the shiny magazines on the stand have insisted I should. I LOVE coffee. Tea and I have a great relationship and a rich history going back to my early childhood - tea was my first word. It means home and family, and I literally dreamed of it during college. But coffee. Coffee was my first act of independence. It was the first thing I did differently from my mother. Coffee to me is the joys of adulthood, that rich flavor in your mouth, that time to yourself with a book or people watching in a cafe, and I never rush through it, I never drink it just for the buzz. I really enjoy it.
So I'm excited for the biggerbetterbolder Rwanda coffee, and I'm moving forward with the promise to myself to live out loud, to live bigger, better, bolder, to take wild chances and try not to get sucked into the easy, formulaic way of living miserably. I want to be excited. I want to be inspired.
So, today, the things I'm most looking forward to about Rwanda are:
1) Buy Local. I love "local". When I was in college, local was apples in the fall that literally fell off the tree into your hand, strawberries that tasted like heaven, and maple syrup you could watch come out of the tree. Here in DC, local is Maryland apples I pick myself and incredible cheeses from VA farms. There's nothing better. For the first time in my life, I'm going to get to try local coffee. This is both incredibly dangerous, and utterly amazing. If I die of a heart attack I promise I'll go out with a smile on my face.
2) Doing It Because I Want To. When I ask myself why I do most things, Because I Want To is not usually the answer. It's Because I Have Something To Prove, Because I Feel Obligated To, Because I Need to Pay My Rent. I'm going to do it because I want to. And that feels AMAZING.
3) Doing It Because I Believe In It. There is nothing I love more than watching women succeed. I'm not looking to start a flamewar here, but let me tell you, the odds are often stacked against us, and so much more in other countries, and in the whole continent of Africa, than I as a privileged white girl can begin to comprehend. And if any of you read that sentence and thought any variation on "Well women have the advantage of being able to use sex to get their way", friend, you are part of the problem, see me after class. Thaaaaaaanks.
4) Practicing French. Oh, my once mad skillz are for shit these days, yo.
5) Giraffes. I think I mentioned this. Dude, you know you're excite about the freaking giraffes, and you're not even GOING.
6) Leaving Behind. The following things: pencil skirts, high heels, mascara, the words "Have WE taken care of this yet?", getting crappy cheap coffee for someone else, being treated like a secretary when bitch, I run your life, your company and your city, and I do it in heels, the "hold" button on the phone, cranky taxi cab drivers, and the sense of entitlement that hangs heavy in the air here.
But that's a long way off, so you'll excuse me, I need to go order a fridge, get a picture framed, find a longer cord extension, and get some checks signed. Four years of college, people, true story. Go live out loud.
So I'm excited for the biggerbetterbolder Rwanda coffee, and I'm moving forward with the promise to myself to live out loud, to live bigger, better, bolder, to take wild chances and try not to get sucked into the easy, formulaic way of living miserably. I want to be excited. I want to be inspired.
So, today, the things I'm most looking forward to about Rwanda are:
1) Buy Local. I love "local". When I was in college, local was apples in the fall that literally fell off the tree into your hand, strawberries that tasted like heaven, and maple syrup you could watch come out of the tree. Here in DC, local is Maryland apples I pick myself and incredible cheeses from VA farms. There's nothing better. For the first time in my life, I'm going to get to try local coffee. This is both incredibly dangerous, and utterly amazing. If I die of a heart attack I promise I'll go out with a smile on my face.
2) Doing It Because I Want To. When I ask myself why I do most things, Because I Want To is not usually the answer. It's Because I Have Something To Prove, Because I Feel Obligated To, Because I Need to Pay My Rent. I'm going to do it because I want to. And that feels AMAZING.
3) Doing It Because I Believe In It. There is nothing I love more than watching women succeed. I'm not looking to start a flamewar here, but let me tell you, the odds are often stacked against us, and so much more in other countries, and in the whole continent of Africa, than I as a privileged white girl can begin to comprehend. And if any of you read that sentence and thought any variation on "Well women have the advantage of being able to use sex to get their way", friend, you are part of the problem, see me after class. Thaaaaaaanks.
4) Practicing French. Oh, my once mad skillz are for shit these days, yo.
5) Giraffes. I think I mentioned this. Dude, you know you're excite about the freaking giraffes, and you're not even GOING.
6) Leaving Behind. The following things: pencil skirts, high heels, mascara, the words "Have WE taken care of this yet?", getting crappy cheap coffee for someone else, being treated like a secretary when bitch, I run your life, your company and your city, and I do it in heels, the "hold" button on the phone, cranky taxi cab drivers, and the sense of entitlement that hangs heavy in the air here.
But that's a long way off, so you'll excuse me, I need to go order a fridge, get a picture framed, find a longer cord extension, and get some checks signed. Four years of college, people, true story. Go live out loud.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Things I'm looking forward to (Asst 1)
Assistant numero uno here (only by virtue of logging on to post first), just finishing a cup of tea this morning thinking about some stuff I am really looking forward to about Rwanda. I'm sure this list will change as we get more info about the trip, but I know it will only grow. You'll probably also realize, that well, it doesn't take much to entertain us....
1) Rwanda's biggest exports are two of my most favorite things: coffee & tea. I plan to try as many flavors as possible. Note to self: research limits on products I can take from Rwanda back to the States.
2) Weather. It is no small secret that there's nothing I hate more than rain and snow and cold. No really- some people say they hate cold weather, but I legitimately let it change my mood, typically into rage.... So needless to say, being in Rwanda during the dry season, temperatures range from 60-80 and rain is minimal. I am psyched for sunshine and no need for my rain boots. It's the little things.
3) Travel. I am a sucker for roadtrips, plane rides, etc. And this trip has awesome travel possibilities. Currently, the best airport (read: cheapest) to fly into from the states to Africa is Johannesburg, South Africa and then book a national African airline to Rwanda. Hopefully, if we plan our trip just right, we'll be able to spend a day or two in Johannesburg and see what the city has to offer. There's also a possibility we'll have a layover in Abu Dhabi, which, just by virtue of its name I think the airport is going to be wicked cool.
4) Thanksgiving - Christmas with my family. Ok- so this isn't directly related to Rwanda per se, but I'll be leaving my job right around Thanksgiving, with the lease being up in December and all it seems the best time to peace out. So I'll be moving my life back home and hanging out with my family for about 5 weeks before leaving for Africa. This will be the longest I've been able to spend with my fam since I graduated high school (double-edged sword?). Also- excitedly, since I will be home for so long and don't do well with boredom, I will be applying to substitute teach at my old school system! Good way to make some extra scratch and catch up with people I haven't seen in years.
5) The clothes in Rwanda. So basically, I get to spend 3 months in long skirts and tank tops. Long skirts are a cultural thing, so those will be mixed with jeans. I may even invest in a couple maxi dresses, even though I have been morally opposed to them in the past. Also, cotton pants are going to be great. I basically plan on clearing out the Wal-Mart spring clothes collection for a grand total of $32 and throwing it into a suitcase and hopefully picking up some locally made skirts in multiple bright colors.
6) GORILLAS!!!! So, right above Rwanda is the Congo. Inside Rwanda is the Parc National des Volcans, aka home of "Gorillas in the Mist" and right across the border of course are the Gorillas in the Congo and all the different parks there. We're hoping to do at least one Gorilla tour when we have a day off. Also, apparently, there are elephants, Lions, Rhinos and Hippos. We're crossing our fingers for some sort of cheap, day-long safari so we can see all this!
7) Hotel des Mille Collines (aka THE Hotel Rwanda) Although Don Cheadle probably gave this hotel more publicity than any well-crafted PR campaign could do, the hotel is supposed to be beautiful. I think at least once we'll be indulging in a little poolside bar action!!
that's all for now! i'm sure my compadre will be checking in soon with her own list =)
1) Rwanda's biggest exports are two of my most favorite things: coffee & tea. I plan to try as many flavors as possible. Note to self: research limits on products I can take from Rwanda back to the States.
2) Weather. It is no small secret that there's nothing I hate more than rain and snow and cold. No really- some people say they hate cold weather, but I legitimately let it change my mood, typically into rage.... So needless to say, being in Rwanda during the dry season, temperatures range from 60-80 and rain is minimal. I am psyched for sunshine and no need for my rain boots. It's the little things.
3) Travel. I am a sucker for roadtrips, plane rides, etc. And this trip has awesome travel possibilities. Currently, the best airport (read: cheapest) to fly into from the states to Africa is Johannesburg, South Africa and then book a national African airline to Rwanda. Hopefully, if we plan our trip just right, we'll be able to spend a day or two in Johannesburg and see what the city has to offer. There's also a possibility we'll have a layover in Abu Dhabi, which, just by virtue of its name I think the airport is going to be wicked cool.
4) Thanksgiving - Christmas with my family. Ok- so this isn't directly related to Rwanda per se, but I'll be leaving my job right around Thanksgiving, with the lease being up in December and all it seems the best time to peace out. So I'll be moving my life back home and hanging out with my family for about 5 weeks before leaving for Africa. This will be the longest I've been able to spend with my fam since I graduated high school (double-edged sword?). Also- excitedly, since I will be home for so long and don't do well with boredom, I will be applying to substitute teach at my old school system! Good way to make some extra scratch and catch up with people I haven't seen in years.
5) The clothes in Rwanda. So basically, I get to spend 3 months in long skirts and tank tops. Long skirts are a cultural thing, so those will be mixed with jeans. I may even invest in a couple maxi dresses, even though I have been morally opposed to them in the past. Also, cotton pants are going to be great. I basically plan on clearing out the Wal-Mart spring clothes collection for a grand total of $32 and throwing it into a suitcase and hopefully picking up some locally made skirts in multiple bright colors.
6) GORILLAS!!!! So, right above Rwanda is the Congo. Inside Rwanda is the Parc National des Volcans, aka home of "Gorillas in the Mist" and right across the border of course are the Gorillas in the Congo and all the different parks there. We're hoping to do at least one Gorilla tour when we have a day off. Also, apparently, there are elephants, Lions, Rhinos and Hippos. We're crossing our fingers for some sort of cheap, day-long safari so we can see all this!
7) Hotel des Mille Collines (aka THE Hotel Rwanda) Although Don Cheadle probably gave this hotel more publicity than any well-crafted PR campaign could do, the hotel is supposed to be beautiful. I think at least once we'll be indulging in a little poolside bar action!!
that's all for now! i'm sure my compadre will be checking in soon with her own list =)
Saturday, April 4, 2009
As this is our first post, we feel we should establish a few things:
1) We do not own Manolos. In the life of an assistant there is little budgetary allowance for shoes such as Manolos. We prefer our friendly neighborhood Target. For everything. Including groceries.
2) Manolo is the term we often use for the following: Fabulous, Awesome, Indulgent and Expensive. Our life here in DC has been and continues to be all of those things. Ipso Facto our life is MANOLO.
3) Now that you know the "who," let us proceed to the "what."
4) On January 1, 2010 (1/1/10 - lovesit) we will be in Kigali, Rwanda (aka: The Bush - oh, get your minds OUT of the gutter) on our first day of a 3 month adventure volunteering with a humanitarian aid organization. This blog is going to chronicle our time preparing to go the farthest from home, comfort and civilization that either of us have ever been.
5) There will be shots. There will be tears. There will be very, very strict budgets. There will be worried, frantic, happy, sad, questioning phone calls from parents. There will be "Africa Wardrobe Preparation." There will be fundraisers and more good bye parties than either of us deserve. There will be subterfuge (one of us has not informed our employer). There will be advice. There will be smiles. There will be laughter. There will be recipes! As new budget allows for less eating out and one of us has finally caved and decided to learn how to cook. There will be stories. and there will be The Adventure.
6) How about the "why" now.
7) Because like many young people in DC, we think a lot about what's next. The all-powerful lease is up in November; we've gotten a Democrat elected President (over 1000 doors in Virginia BABY!); and we have had, in the last two years: amazing experiences, wonderful opportunities, and projectiles released from bosses towards our heads; and... exciting as all of that has been -- the time has come, friends, to leave this city in the dust (as much as its been amazing... no really... we mean that).
As I'm sure everyone has noticed, if you don't play close attention, this city will chew you up and spit you out. So, while we're young, optimistic and still have our figures - it's time to move right along. Where does one move when leaving the District? If they haven't given, gotten knocked up by a recently-promoted Hill staffer, and retreated to Virginia? Why- Africa of course!
8) Why Africa? We'd like to say, its because we're the kind of selfless people you read about, wanting only to bring good to the world with a song on our lips and in our hearts. But even on a good day neither of us can really carry a tune. So- we'll tell you the truth...
9) First, when Barack says Serve - You Serve girl. And as two young, very privileged women we TRULY do want to give something back. So much so that we will pay to give back. We're sure you'll hear more about the paying later. But we could just as easily give back by volunteering our time when we move to our next city after DC. However, as we're both young, single and fabulous and we're watching our friends become Less-single, Less-young and (unfortunately) less-fabulous at a truly alarming rate... we figure our number is close to up. We don't have our whole lives to drop everything and go to another continent: live, work and spend time in a place where it doesnt rain 6 months out of the year (1 asst is PSYCHED about this- I hate rain). Also, we have been watching the #1 Ladies Detective Agency (highly reccomend - go watch - Jill Scott, too awesome, no words) and it suggests we may see giraffes (asst 2 is PSYCHED about this... she doesnt mind rain).
10) So, with that, we kick off "Manolos in the Bush". A chronicle of two fabulous assistants planning and making their way to Rwanda with 9 months to say goodbye to friends, US Bank Accounts, cell phones, BLACKBERRIES, jobs and tap water. We hope you enjoy, laugh and have minor nervous breakdowns right along with us.
xoxo
1) We do not own Manolos. In the life of an assistant there is little budgetary allowance for shoes such as Manolos. We prefer our friendly neighborhood Target. For everything. Including groceries.
2) Manolo is the term we often use for the following: Fabulous, Awesome, Indulgent and Expensive. Our life here in DC has been and continues to be all of those things. Ipso Facto our life is MANOLO.
3) Now that you know the "who," let us proceed to the "what."
4) On January 1, 2010 (1/1/10 - lovesit) we will be in Kigali, Rwanda (aka: The Bush - oh, get your minds OUT of the gutter) on our first day of a 3 month adventure volunteering with a humanitarian aid organization. This blog is going to chronicle our time preparing to go the farthest from home, comfort and civilization that either of us have ever been.
5) There will be shots. There will be tears. There will be very, very strict budgets. There will be worried, frantic, happy, sad, questioning phone calls from parents. There will be "Africa Wardrobe Preparation." There will be fundraisers and more good bye parties than either of us deserve. There will be subterfuge (one of us has not informed our employer). There will be advice. There will be smiles. There will be laughter. There will be recipes! As new budget allows for less eating out and one of us has finally caved and decided to learn how to cook. There will be stories. and there will be The Adventure.
6) How about the "why" now.
7) Because like many young people in DC, we think a lot about what's next. The all-powerful lease is up in November; we've gotten a Democrat elected President (over 1000 doors in Virginia BABY!); and we have had, in the last two years: amazing experiences, wonderful opportunities, and projectiles released from bosses towards our heads; and... exciting as all of that has been -- the time has come, friends, to leave this city in the dust (as much as its been amazing... no really... we mean that).
As I'm sure everyone has noticed, if you don't play close attention, this city will chew you up and spit you out. So, while we're young, optimistic and still have our figures - it's time to move right along. Where does one move when leaving the District? If they haven't given, gotten knocked up by a recently-promoted Hill staffer, and retreated to Virginia? Why- Africa of course!
8) Why Africa? We'd like to say, its because we're the kind of selfless people you read about, wanting only to bring good to the world with a song on our lips and in our hearts. But even on a good day neither of us can really carry a tune. So- we'll tell you the truth...
9) First, when Barack says Serve - You Serve girl. And as two young, very privileged women we TRULY do want to give something back. So much so that we will pay to give back. We're sure you'll hear more about the paying later. But we could just as easily give back by volunteering our time when we move to our next city after DC. However, as we're both young, single and fabulous and we're watching our friends become Less-single, Less-young and (unfortunately) less-fabulous at a truly alarming rate... we figure our number is close to up. We don't have our whole lives to drop everything and go to another continent: live, work and spend time in a place where it doesnt rain 6 months out of the year (1 asst is PSYCHED about this- I hate rain). Also, we have been watching the #1 Ladies Detective Agency (highly reccomend - go watch - Jill Scott, too awesome, no words) and it suggests we may see giraffes (asst 2 is PSYCHED about this... she doesnt mind rain).
10) So, with that, we kick off "Manolos in the Bush". A chronicle of two fabulous assistants planning and making their way to Rwanda with 9 months to say goodbye to friends, US Bank Accounts, cell phones, BLACKBERRIES, jobs and tap water. We hope you enjoy, laugh and have minor nervous breakdowns right along with us.
xoxo
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