Bonsoir, tout le monde!

It's been fun reading everyone's blog posts so far. I probably shouldn't have waited until 11:30 to start mine, but once a procrastinator, always a procrastinator.

Life update:
-I finally actually got my visa. My passport is , once again, safe in my possession, along with a shiny new Working Holiday Authorization. So on paper it's a done deal. Still wish I knew if this will please God at all or if I'm just going my own way, though. Oh well...I guess I'll find out? It's not like I'm deciding the course of my life. It's a year at most, and if I weren't there with no direction, I'd just be here with no direction. Right...?
-There was a new stray cat hanging around outside my house. He (she?) hung around just long enough for me to name him (her?) Toby. Then the cat was never seen again. We'll see how long that lasts. Cats can't resist my house. 
-I got offered an internship with a travel company called Stoke Travel. It sounded really nice: working in event management and administration, frequent European travel. But upon further correspondence, I learned it would be based in Barcelona (where I don't have a visa), and it would be unpaid. So that was that. I declined the offer, but it was nice to be offered something. 
-I'm going to Georgia tomorrow for my cousin's birthday party. She's turning three, and she's hilariously dramatic. I can't wait to see what she and her five-year-old brother have up their sleeves this weekend. 
-Holy moly! I leave the States in 31 days!  *desperate dying wildebeest noises*

So this post was really brief and probably boring. Sorry! I was packing and watching Reign, and I kinda kept forgetting to write. But, to make up for it, next week is going to be QUESTION THURSDAY! So if you want to read something interesting, ask me  interesting things! Nothing is too personal, awkward, or random. Ask away. Or, if you have a topic you'd like to read a blog about, just say so in the comments. I will rise to the challenge and write about whatever you want next week!

Oh, and since nobody answered my hypothetical last week, I'll post it again. I'm really interested to know what you guys would pick!

You meet your true love, but you can only be with him under certain circumstances. You either go away with him and utterly disappear from your home and everyone you've ever known with no explanation OR you stay with your family/friends/life you've known but you can never see your true love again. If you choose your true love, you can, of course, start a new life and make new friends, but you will completely lose touch with everyone from your previous life and they'll never know why you left or where you went. Which would you choose?


Have a great week,
Anna Beth

Hello from a different midnight than you'd expect to find me posting.   
This blog is coming to you a bit earlier than it normally would. Actually, considerably earlier (like, I finished this on Sunday) because I leave in the morning for Chicago! Rachael and I, and a few of our friends from fencing club, are journeying north for their spring break because that's a sane thing to do in this snowmageddon season, right? Honestly, I'm pretty excited. I've never been to Chicago. We're gonna go to the Field Museum and the Shedd Aquarium and the Bean and eat some deep dish pizza!
                But all that can be in next week's blog. Let's get on to this week's. From what I gathered last week, you all like when I have existential crises and am more introspective........noted.

Aannnnndddd, this week we're going to be topical. 

Maybe it's been too long for this to still be a topic of interest; maybe it's too old hat. But hey, it's pervaded our culture and I think it's still interesting.

I am of course talking about that dress. You know, that one that people will say is blue but is depicted as white....

....

You know...

Happy International Women's Day! And to commemorate this beautiful day of warm weather and awesome women, here are some pictures from the EMILY's List 30th Anniversary!

What an amazing two days. From informative panels about a variety of topics such as feminism and the media, the 2016 elections, and redistricting, to seeing some inspirational women politicians talk not only about their work but also their path to success--I was in awe. According to staff and members who have been coming to these events year after year, this was the best conference/gala ever organized by EMILY's List! I feel so lucky to have been a part of it. Plus, we were all over the news! Here are some links, from TIME to MSNBC to one of my personal favorites, Jezebel.com (I HIGHLY recommend watching Boston City Councillor Ayanna Pressley's speech--it moved me to tears).

After that whirlwind of a two days, the rest of the week went by pretty quickly with one snow day and a two-hour delay on Friday. Let's just say DC isn't as prepared as I assumed it would be when it comes to snow. No complaints here though! Time away from work has been filled with furniture research and fun home shopping! Going to World Market yesterday was a struggle because I wanted to buy ALL THE THINGS. Seriously, World Market knows what I like. Slowly but surely, my little studio is feeling more like a home--my kitchen is well-stocked, I've bought some colorful decoration pieces and rugs, and I have furniture coming in this week! I cannot wait to sleep on a real bed; this air mattress is not the greatest, but I only have to hold out a few days more!

I'll sign off quickly with this picture of the entrance to DC's Chinatown! I did a little exploring in the area today, and I had to fight the temptation to go to each bakery and restaurant to sample goodies. 

Hello from Snowmageddon 2: Winter’s not over.

I was particularly excited about this week in the life of a kindergarten teacher because Monday was, drum roll please, Dr. Seuss’s birthday! That means that, officially speaking, it’s Read Across America week, and, practically speaking, we get to read Dr. Seuss books and do fun crafts! Forreal guys, can you think of better makings for an amazing week than Green Eggs and Ham and who hair day? I didn’t think so.

Buuuuuut rhymes and silly made up words were not to be the only theme of the week. Just when we thought we were done with our days of being held captive by that most dainty yet mighty of precipitation, winter had to rear its snowy head for one final display of its might before turning in for a long and well deserved hibernation. And so, here I am, enjoying my last couple of snow days before spring takes over (hopefully) for good.

I’m not gonna lie and say that I haven’t loved the snow. You guys know me: the winter white is definitely my favorite and most eagerly anticipated kind of weather. And you’re kidding yourself if you don’t think that teachers love these impromptu days of sleeping in and hiding from their responsibilities just as much, if not more, than their students.

But with that said, I think even I am ready for spring. I’d like to be able to wear open-toed shoes and dresses without tights again. Plus, with these last couple of snow days, the school year is pushing into June, and I don’t have to tell you how much I’m not loving that.

For now, though, I’m focusing on the positives: I still have a couple of Seuss books to read to my kids next week, and for now, I’m sitting on the couch in my comfy clothes with a steaming mug of hot cocoa on the table and a beautiful view of the winter wonderland out my window. Also, Jake and I are on season 8 of our "How I Met Your Mother" marathon.

It’s the simple things, guys :)

Love,

Sara

Well, by now you all know from Jill's post: we're going to Ireland. It's a thing. It's happening (Lord willing). I mean, unless the border patrol is like, "No thanks. Go away."

Hmm, I feel like this post isn't going in the profound existential-crisis way of the Jill. So I'm just going to ignore all the doubts, questions, uncertainties, and all those messy things called feelings. I'll still be talking about Ireland, though. As you may or may not remember, I've been to Ireland before...for about five days during my Harlaxton semester. Whatever. It counts. So in honor of Throwback Thursday, in the spirit of looking forward to new adventures in the Emerald Isle, and just because I like making lists, here you have it: the top 5 things I love about Ireland.


#5 Friendly people
Okay, so I was only there for a few days, but all the people I met during that time were incredibly welcoming. An old man stopped me in the street to ask what time it was, and after hearing my American accent, he struck up a conversation. What brought me there? Was I liking it so far? What part of the States was I from? It was a nice encounter, and I do enjoy spontaneous conversation. This was not an anomaly. I don't think I met a single unfriendly person. People in Dublin were certainly helpful in giving directions to the police station after my friends and I found a lost credit card on the sidewalk and spent half the night trying to get it turned in at the right place. Ah, adventures in Ireland.


#4 The colors

Sure, they call it the Emerald Isle, but it's so much more than that! Ireland is full of colors, from the red building fronts in the Temple Bar area of Dublin, to the rainbow of international flags flying from hostels. From the persistent green of the landscape that endures through the winter, to the churning blues of the sea. From the formidable stony grays of ancient structures to the warm fire-lit glows of pub interiors. Ireland is brimming with vibrant color!

You just won't believe it until you're right there in the middle of it. Even as a person who feels most alive in bustling cities, I found myself in awe of the rural beauty of Ireland. And much of Ireland is just that: very rural. There are places where you feel like the only person in the world. There are trickling streams, roaring waterfalls, craggy cliffs, and forests of crooked, winding trees. There's plenty of natural splendor to look at, and more importantly, plenty of places to frolic and climb on rocks!

In the words of August Rush, "The music is all around you. All you have to do is listen." And you won't listen very long before you hear music in Ireland. It's everywhere! You may or may not know this, but I love buskers and street performers. They completely make my day, and Dublin has plenty. One of Ireland's national symbols is the harp, and it's no rare thing to see harpists out on the sidewalk, playing beautiful tunes for the passersby. There are plenty of pubs with live music every night, and even some that host free jam sessions, where anyone can join in!

#1 The sense of magic
I don't know what it is about Ireland, but it gives you the sense that anything is possible, especially the extraordinary. Steeped in folklore of leprechauns and fairies, and teeming with surreal natural beauty, it lives up to its reputation as a truly magical place.

Okay, let's be real. This is me romanticizing Ireland because I'm moving there, so why not? I know it's not all going to be rainbows and sexy accents. I know that living in another country is going to be the hardest thing I've ever done. But I figure, why not be optimistic about it? You all know how I love to have something to look forward to.

Now, something else to look forward to: the QUESTION OF THE WEEK! This is a feature I'm going to incorporate into my blogs each Thursday to make this thing a bit more conversational. I'll try to come up with a question that everyone can discuss  in the comments section. This week's question is a hypothetical that Jill, Sara, and I have already discussed a bit, but we need a larger sample size. So here it goes:
You meet your true love, but you can only be with him under certain circumstances. You either go away with him and utterly disappear from your home and everyone you've ever known with no explanation OR you stay with your family/friends/life you've known but you can never see your true love again. If you choose your true love, you can, of course, start a new life and make new friends, but you will completely lose touch with everyone from your previous life and they'll never know why you left or where you went. Which would you choose?


Oh, and in honor of Ireland, here's the video of the week: Celtic Thunder performing Seven Drunken Nights. How could I forget to mention one of the best part of Irish music...drinking songs! Enjoy the craic!
--Anna Beth

Jill here, long time no see.

      First an update. (Please forgive the self-reflection if it seems braggy and redundant as most of you know all of this)
       I looked it up and the last time I made a post (one actually by me and not AB pretending to be me) was 14 April 2013. So just shy of 2 years. 
[update: so I lied. apparently I posted on 18 July 2014 and didn't see it until after I posted this one. But it hardly counts as a blog post. If there are others I missed....shhhhh]
Wow how things have changed. To think, I was a junior in university, on the pre-med track, had never been out of the country (excluding the few hours I spent in the Bahamas, which I don't count), hadn't been on that cross country roadtrip briefly mentioned in the blog archives, hadn't been skydiving.
      Now I've graduated with my degree in Biology and minor in Anthropology. I've worked in a rural health clinic in Kasigua, Kenya. I've been to Canada and England and France. I've crossed the country by car. I've attended Vidcon and witnessed a meteor shower for the first time. I've worked briefly as a stage manager and in retail on Black Friday. I've been on safari and competed in USA Fencing Nationals and driven through Brooklyn construction at 1 in the morning in the pouring rain. And I've no idea what I want to do with my life.
      I mean, to say that I really knew what I wanted two years ago wouldn't be very honest. I was mostly doing what I was doing because it was something to be doing and it was something I liked enough. But I decided senior year that med school just wasn't gonna be for me. But then I was left in a funk. There wasn't anything to replace my med school track. There were interests. I've delved into aspects of history and archaeology (Anna Beth can testify to my random Viking 'fun facts'). My love of theatre flourished. I spent time organizing trips and debating whether 'travel agent' was a viable career path. And I don't think there's really been anything where I confidently thought 'yep, gonna pursue that with everything I have until I get it.' I've never really been that way, but I do want to embrace passion in my life a bit more.
I've realized this is now less of an update and is starting to ramble. Let's just back on track.

Anna Beth and I are moving to Ireland.

Of course, you all knew that....now.

      I got my good-for-a-year work visa in the mail the other week. We've booked our flights. Got a temporary place to stay until we can find a decent and preferably cheap flat. I've been working at Target since November and have been saving up some cash. And we leave April 13th (with a 2 week pit stop in England to visit some friends of mine and because when we're that close to London we can't not). 

      But let's finally address the title of this blog post shall we? Really, it's just a phrase that has been stuck in my head since Sunday night and I don't think it actually applies.

 Let's unpack this:

      Anna Beth and I had a disciple-ship/bible-study/church-camp leader. Basically I did and still do think of her as a mentor. She's super nice and kind of amazing. She's aware of our planned move across the pond, and on Sunday morning she said something to Anna Beth. I was working Sunday morning so I wasn't at church to hear it for myself, but later I get a message from AB:

Hi folks! I'm taking a break from House of Cards to be an adult and do laundry. And to make my grand return to the blog! Thanks to Sara bullying me, peer pressure, and exciting things to report on, I'm back! Needless to say, my life is rather different compared to a few months ago...

After months of job-hunting, networking, and talking everyone's head off about my hopes for the future--I've finally moved to Washington, DC! It's all still a bit unreal--here I am, in the nation's capital with a fantastic job and about to move into my new apartment. I am content, I am blessed, and I am extremely thankful to all the friends and family who have been there with their encouragement and love. 

So what is up in the life of Sanaa? Work at EMILY's List is fantastic. I come in every day with a passion to work and help continue the legacy that the organization has achieved by electing women to government who make positive change. As a research assistant I get to do quite a bit, whether it's fact-checking press releases, editing letters and statements, and doing original research on current issues and possible candidates/opponents. I love the work because it requires an eye for detail and building relationships with people in the office who are getting their work revised. My boss is wonderful and such a pleasure to work with, and my coworkers and interns are great! I'm steadily getting to know some really amazing people! Below is a picture of the reception area in our fancy office. In January I was interviewed in that cool glass room! I remember going to the office for the first time, seeing the flurry of downtown activity around the building, and walking into EMILY's List, thinking, "I have to get this job." And now, here I am!

And in other exciting EMILY's List news, we are celebrating our 30th year anniversary in style with a conference and gala tomorrow and Tuesday! The conference will feature tons of great panels on topics like feminism in the media, strategy for 2016, and work that Democratic women have done in the House and Senate. I'm really looking forward to it! Soooo many celebrities! Congresswomen and senators like Nancy Pelosi, Barbara Boxer, Gabby Giffords, Al Franken, and more as well as celebrities like America Ferrera and Uzo Aduba (from one of my favorite series Orange Is the New Black) will all be there, so I will probably be fangirling and taking a lot of pictures. The gala on Tuesday night is expected to have 1,700 guests! We're gonna get fancied up, and Hillary Clinton will be receiving an award from EMILY's List. HILLARY FREAKIN' CLINTON. I got to see Bill in Paducah during the Grimes campaign, and now I get to see Hillary get an award! Mere words are not enough to express how I'm feeling.

I started my DC adventure on February 16th when I came to town with my mom, who stayed for a few days to help me get settled. All thanks to the wonderful Amber, I've been staying in a temporary sublet right in Dupont Circle, one of my favorite parts of the city! Amber found the studio on craigslist and recommended I look into it, and just my luck, the tenant needed someone to stay in her apartment for two weeks during her vacation to Costa Rica! The studio is very nice and cozy with all the amenities I've needed for my first weeks in the city. Seriously, this place has been great, and it's only a 25-minute walk from work! 

Job? Check. Place to stay? Check. Permanent home? I'm proud to say that that will be a check in a few days' time! Apartment hunting has been a whirlwind of getting to know the city, figuring out budgeting, reading crazy reviews, and honestly, some frustration. I mean, check out this article: "It’s more expensive to live in D.C. than New York, study says." Yeah, that's great, isn't it? However, let me focus on the positive because that's what any kind of hunt (whether it's for a job or apartment or anything else) is all about! I'm happy that I can finally say that I've found a cute studio in a very nice area of the city right down the road from the National Cathedral and Islamic Center. I mean, check out these awesome pieces of architecture:

Move-in day is this Wednesday, which basically involves me bringing the three suitcases I've been living out of to my new home. I am incredibly excited to fill the place with pretty things and make it my own. This will really be, in every sense of the word, my home. 

I still wake up in the morning thinking, "So I'm going back to Bowling Green when...?" This all seems so dreamlike or like a vacation--here I am, doing what I love in a wonderful city, and the fact that it's real and permanent is slowly dawning on me. This is my new home.