A White House Christmas

Each year, the holidays remind us of the many blessings we experience over the course of our lives, from the simple pleasures of laughing and sharing our meals with friends and family to the fulfillment that comes from giving back and serving others.  May we all carry forth the spirit of the season and time time to lift up others in our homes and communities-- not only during this special time, but also throughout the year.

-Barack and Michelle Obama

Culture Shock

December 12 was the day I left Tanzania.  I remember looking out the window of the airplane and feeling a strange combination of pride, sorrow, and inspiration as I watched the world beneath me become a part of my past.  Pride that I had embarked on the greatest adventure yet-- all on my own-- and come out alive.  Sorrow that I was leaving a place that I had grown to love and appreciate in its own special way.  Inspiration for the way I wanted to live the life that I had in front of me.

It has been quite a year filled with lots of joy, but some sadness too.  I have embarked on a similar adventure, but this one has no end date when I know I'm going home.  I'm trying to make this my home.  Although I am not speaking Swahili, Kentucky can be just as much of a foreign land as I navigate my way through being a single twenty-something girl and learning how to be a grown up woman.

I could not have predicted the way the past year has gone.  I hope I get to say the same thing come next year. I've done a lot of soul searching recently and the task before me is clear.  So I'm harnessing the person that left for Tanzania not knowing where she was going to sleep that night, but who had faith that everything would turn out alright.  I have no idea what's coming, but I know it's going to turn out alright.

iPhone magic

Dear Mom & Dad,

This iPhone was the best present ever. You already knew that I would have died in Louisville without it, but seriously, it's fantastic. You're the best!

Here's the apps I could not live without:

Maps: utterly vital during my first weeks in town when I had to search for a grocery store. Turns out that it's 0.1 miles from my house.

Map my run: So that I can "count it" when I go the 0.1 miles to Kroger in my daily exercise.

Instagram: to make all of my photos look way cooler and more hipster

TWC: because Kentucky's weather is not too different from NC's... if you don't like the weather, just wait 5 minutes.

facebook: I'm a child of the wifi generation and need to stay connected

tumblr: I look at it more often than the news... oops.

foursquare: For coupons and social status when I go out

skype: could not live without skype. I miss home.

yelp: to find out where the good eats are! Great recommendation for F.A.B.D.-- great ribs and Southern style cooking!

Words with friends: currently 7 games running

Meetup: I just joined the New2Lou group and my first meeting is next week!

Climbfind/ParkFinder/ClimbWeather: for all my climbing needs

UrbanBRBN: for journeys on the Urban Bourbon trail here in Louisville, I can collect stamps and get free stuff.

UNC/CNN/ESPN: news that I don't really keep up with

FlyDelta/Southwest/GasBuddy: for exploring and coming home

MonthlyPrescribingReference/ICD9/STATGrowthCharts/BMItool/Documents2: For all of my medicine notes and references to use daily at work

iHeartRadio/Pandora: to fill the house with music instead of the TV

TalkingTom: for the kids at work

BettyCrocker'sCookbook: yea right, I stink at recipes. Pour it all in a skillet, add some salt, bon appetit!

Dictionary: For cheating when I play Bert in Words with Friends

Scan: The most mind-boggling app ever! Try this!

Or this:

Mint: to tell me that I'm still broke

Shopkick: my newest and most profitable free app. Get points for doing nothing and get free stuff. I'm working towards a restaurant.com gift certificate. Use my promocode when you join (shark8859) and we both get 100 points.

Seriously, thank you!

Love,

Your local townie daughter

Thank you's

There are a lot of people to thank for helping to make this trip possible. From logistics, to supplies, to emotional support, I can hardly say thank you enough. To the people that had a very large hand in making sure I made it to Tanzania to work with little children like the cutie pictured above, thank you. You would not let me plan this trip alone, so I will carry you with me as I travel.

Thank you (in no particular order...except for Mom & Dad--you're the best!):

Mom & Dad- for letting me spread my wings

Aunt Janet & Uncle Bob- for providing me with tons of advice on Africa, health care, and encouraging me to stick with it!... not to mention the Skittles that will be my "birthday cake" in November

Duke School of Nursing professors, staff, Hase family, & NAPNAP- for organizing, arranging, and funding my time in Tanzania

Richard- for errand running, mentally preparing, and supporting me through all of the nerves. Our cultural immersion exercise: watching The Lion King while eating Cinnabons.

Emily & Audrey- for sending up prayers on repeat, sifting through the questions and planning with me, stocking me up with some great stuff that I'll need, and being great friends who understand the chaos of it all because you're living it too.

Sweet cousin Katherine- for awesome skirts, a one-a-day letter that will make me cry once-a-day while I'm there, and being my personal cheerleader.

Townie friends near and far- for wonderful emails, phone calls, and letters wishing me well and giving me some great advice on how to survive the culture shock. I have had notes and phone calls from Hawaii to Miami, Washington D.C. to Washington state, and everywhere in between. Thanks to all the townies that came out to The Station last night to say good-bye!

The road is calling, now I've got to go. ~Matt Costa