Realization of Potential

I'm going to be busy this semester, as in I've-never-been-so-busy-but-for-last-semester-Taylor busy.

AND IT'S AWESOME!!! I'm so happy to be busy - I've always felt like I waste so much time and could be doing more. Not this semster.

So my schedule: I'm doing work-study under one of the new International Comm. teachers who's majorly into virtual collaboration. So that's 10 hours as well as the fact I'm TAing his class, Cross Cultural Collaboration in Global Virtual Teams, which means I get it for free.

I've been trying to get more paid work, even applied to be Admin. Assistant to Southeast Asia for International Justice Mission!!! (which would be so sweet), but no bites so far. So I agreed to intern for the Intercultural Management Institute again. I.e. I love working there and can go to free Skills Institutes again. (Yay!) So that's another 15 hours.

I have full courses, T&W night, Program Eval (in ID, pretty heavy) and Implementing Cross-Cultural Training Programs (at George Washington - finally got fully registered) and then every other Saturday: Managing International/Intercultural Programs.

Very happy with my selection, though if I don't get into the PhD program, next year's going to be a bit rough.

Then, I have: Chi Alpha small group, Interfaith Board meeting (though I'm more of attend-the-events, not plan person), The Gathering worship service, InterVarsity Graduate meet, Gospel Choir, TALK program (International students-American, very cool) and then Chi Alpha worship.

So, yup, I'm busy! Of course, I haven't actually done one of these full weeks yet, so we'll see what happens. (Though I did manage to get all this scheduled so I don't have to ever wake up before 9 am. :))

A New Year

It's funny.
Every year, the countdown to New Years has always been a bit stressful for me - a time of accounting. I'd flip open my journal on New Years' Eve, just hours before countdown, trying to make sense of my year, write hopeful promises for the future. I always craved that sense of a fresh start.

This year I didn't - the pure mundaneness of that day and night was soothing. I have more hope? contentment? peace? with my current life.

Then again, I just figured out my vitamins have a rather sizable chunk of caffeine in it. Could be why I'm so peppy.

Anyway, for my update: I'm still having some shoulder issues, but currently okay; my big news is I'm applying for a PhD through American's International Relations program!!!! I won't find out I'm in until mid/late Febuary but I'm hopeful.

Meanwhile, I spent a great Christmas with my whole family (baby Eli including, he is so wonderful!!!!) and spent a decent amount of time working on understanding each of my family members, always an undertaking. (It's like intellectual and emotional relational exercises everytime I go home.)

Now, this week: International Student orientation (I'm helping out) and a Teaching Conference on Friday. Also my roommate, Ana, has her little brother and sister here for Orthodox Christmas, Jan. 8th, so we have a tree set up and everything. I'm so glad, though it looks like they're just as much night owls as Ana!