Mid-June

It's been an interesting summer so far.  I've made some new friends.  Claire Shumway and Adeline Rhoton, who both moved into the ward.  Claire comes over to our house a lot, so we hang out often.  Most days, in fact.  Adeline is 6'3.  That's tall!  I'm barely 6'4...  Unfortunately, Claire was only here for Spring term and is leaving today to go back home to Nebraska.  It will be lonelier here without her.  And she was my partner in leading our FHE group.  

Our FHE group this summer has been really good.  Everyone is friends and that's what makes it worth it.  Last semester no one was really friends, and so FHE was kind of a pain.  Some people didn't come because it wasn't so great.

I'm still unemployed... but yesterday I had an interview at Chrysalis, and it went well.  I feel that I will likely be offered a job with them, at least part time.  I would kind of like a grave shift, because then I would be making more money and hopefully have less confrontations or problems with clients.  I've applied at several hotels, too.  I would also be interested in the graveyard shift there.  Or day shifts.  Whatever I do, I need to save up a lot of money. 

Why?  I'll tell you.

First, since I haven't had a job for so long, I've got some bills to pay off.  (Not to mention student loans...darn education.)  Second, I have to save up for my trip with Uncle Rick to England and Spain at the end of August. Then in January I'll be going to Guatemala to teach English for 6 month, with no income, so I'll need money to live there. Then in July 2011, Elise and I with some other people are planning a backpacking trip through Central America.  And that will cost around $2,500, or probably closer to $3,000.  So I need to have several thousand dollars saved up by the end of December of this year.... When I move home after graduation, I hope to get two jobs.  Maybe I can get full time hours here and another part time job also.  

Yup.  And in the meantime I need to become a better friend and better person.  

Today

Today is the greatest
Day I've ever known
Can't live for tomorrow,
Tomorrow's much too long


So it's been awhile since I've written a blog and several things have happened.  I finished school in April and did pretty well in most of my classes.  My worst grade was a B-, but otherwise all were As of some sort. 


I am doing an internship with CHOICE Humanitarian working on a comparative market analysis.  This means, generally, comparing other NGOs that are similar to CHOICE, to see how they compare and where CHOICE fits in with those NGOs using many different indicators.  There are a few interns working on this subject.  Then there are also a few interns working on making a self-evaluation program for CHOICE to see the success and failure of their work, measuring the impact of their different fronts.  We had a meeting on Monday with Chris Johnson, director of field ops, and Marc Fuller, a board member who is an exec for Leucadia.  I really am glad to have this internship, because working with these people will help give me experience with an NGO, so that I can later get a job in the business.  Additionally, having Marc Fuller with a business perspective advising CHOICE will be good for me, to see the more financial and administrative side, too.  


I'm still trying to get a job.  I had an interview with Chad at Residence Inn.  I've applied for a part-time job at the Fairfield Inn in Draper.  And I've inquired about a job listing for a job at a hotel in Lehi.  Hopefully these will work out for me.  I haven't heard back from Chad and it's been over a week.  I was interviewed almost 2 Mondays ago and he told me he had more interviews for the rest of the week, so that was last Friday... and I thought I'd hear back this week... So who knows about that one...  


And some other stuff probably happened too.  I'll remember sometime.  

Good Times in Rexburg

I got back a few hours ago from spending time in Rexburg, Idaho visiting friends.  It was the best 2 days I've had in a long time.  It was really good for me to be with so many good friends for so much time.  And it was probably really good for them too.  At my place here in Provo life just isn't the same as with those people.  I'll let you know who I'm talking about.

We've got Steve and Jill Crager.  Eli and Jessica Thimmesch.  Hannah and Jon Lammers.  Shane Crager just got back out there, and Tim Crager came with him.  Jason Burk is out there.  Brian and Coley Earle.  Mike and Kim Treter. Anna (Becker) and Danny Dunbar.  Bishop & Sister Becker were out there, too, moving Anna and Danny's stuff.  Elise Klingaman, who went up there with me.  I think that's everyone.

What I really like about being with them is that everyone is just cleaner.... They seem to be trying harder to live righteously, keeping out the foul language and dirty talk and topics that I hear too much.  Also, I really think a big factor is the fact that all of them keep their houses/apartments CLEAN.  Sure, things would get a bit dirty with all of us hanging out, making trash, but overall it's clean.  They maintain cleanliness at all times, not just once in awhile when someone special is coming over.  I didn't realize it till now, but that is a very important part of having a morally clean lifestyle -- living physically clean.

We had a big barbecue to which those BYU-Idahoers invited some other friends and it was just good times.  We played frisbee, 500 (catch), had great food.  Wednesday night us guys played some computer games -- BF2 & COD.

It was just a great time being around great people.  That's right y'all.  I think you're great.  And awesome.  Thank you all so much.

Employment?

I need a job.  In about a week and a half, I'll be done with my undergraduate career.  So I need a job.  I've got loans to pay, bills to pay, money to save up for living in Guatemala for 6 months starting in January, money to save up for a possible trip to England at the end of summer, money to save up for summer fun.  I need a job.

Enlace Quiche

So.  I really love Guatemala.  I like being there and doing stuff.  I like the languages.  I like the people.  I like (most of) the food.  I like the landscape and scenery:  mountains, lakes, rivers, valleys, ocean.  I like the Mayan culture and ruins from ancient Mayan cities.  I like the lifestyle.  I like market days.  I like the exchange rate....hahaha...  I like crazy, hair-raising chicken bus rides up and down the mountains around dangerous blind curves (sometimes).  I like lots of other stuff about Guatemala, too.

I found an organization, Ajb'atz' Enlace Quiche, that is an NGO based in Santa Cruz del Quiche.  They do stuff.  Good stuff.  You can check them out at http://enlacequiche.org/volunteer/.  I will most likely be doing a 6 month internship with them starting January 2011.  I will be teaching English classes.  It's something I've never done before and so I need to start preparing for that.  My K'iche' language skills will be a big help, as many people there speak it along with Spanish.  This looks like the best organization so far, because they pay for rent and give you a small stipend for food, as well as being in an area where I can use and improve my Spanish and K'iche'.  And it Guatemala!  

Before then, I'll be technically graduating in April, but I'll be attending the ceremonies in August so my folks can come out here to Utah.  So I'm looking for a summer job or jobs out here.  Maybe something in the hotel industry, since that's where I have the most experience.  Then after August graduation, I'll probably be moving home until I go to Guatemala.  That way I'll be able to save money quicker by not having so many costs, like rent.  And I'll get some good time to spend with the family back in Wisconsin.

I hope things all work out for me.  Then, using my experience with Enlace Quiche, I hope to be able to get a decent job in an international development organization.  Maybe later that year (2011) I'll look into going to grad school somewhere.  We'll see how that all plays out....

Ri K'aslemal

Iwir, pa chaq'ab', xinb'ij ruk' jun jelik ali.  Pero ri are' xub'ij chi k'o ukuch'ab'ej.  Ni modo. Kintzukuj pa jun chik k’olibal. 

Ch'ab'ej chik!  Mattzaqik!

...

Ahh... life.  Your ups and your downs.  You're so interesting.  I love you and I hate you.  Sometimes I just like you.  You are here and you are there.

Things are so far out of reach, while other things are too close.  The future...hm.  I have high hopes for it.  But the road to get there is hidden.

Friends.  School.  Work?  Family.  Life..

Yes.

Happiness.  Takes work.  And happens everywhere.