“Valentine’s Day” – #MSDStrong

Valentine’s Day doesn’t have the normal connotations anymore. It doesn’t mean red hearts and love. It doesn’t mean going out with friends or significant others and celebrating relationships. It all changed last year. No one had a say in giving up this day of love every year for the rest of our lives. It just happened that way.

From Sweats to Shivers – A Florida Girl Takes England

Hello Friends!

I’m officially one week into my six-month study abroad experience. Here’s a little background about my situation: I’m a third-year at the University of South Florida partaking in an exchange program at the University of Exeter, about three hour southwest of London, England. Business marketing is my major and I’m taking some very interesting classes here in the UK.

Global Environmental Issues, International Business, Behavior, Decisions and Markets, and Economics of Management Strategy. Stay tuned for a post addressing the differences between classes in the UK versus the US. From curriculum to the professor and classroom experience, it’s been a pretty cool ride so far.

Now let’s get into the more interesting stuff: life in Exeter. Being here only eight days, I must say I’m on a British high. The culture, the accents, the food, the people, the weather, everything. My only complaint is the HILLS! This Florida-born-and-raised chick is adjusting slowly but surely to these 75-degree angels.

Smile Through the Fear – A Trip to the South of Israel

On my trip to the south, we visited a kibbutz called Ein Hashlosha which is about a mile and a half from the Gaza border. This community experiences rockets weekly, but this is an improvement. At one point, I learned, they were being attacked up to six times a day. Like the playground discussed in my last post, safe houses are within a 15-second sprint from any point where one might be standing on this kibbutz.

In May, before the school day began, the sirens went off and everyone sought shelter. The rocket happened to hit directly next to the elementary school in the community. Everyone was safe, but that might’ve not been the case had it been shot 10 minutes later when school was supposed to start.

Our tour guide told us he has four young kids. When asked what he tells his kids who have to grow up in this reality, he said he’s realistic yet hopeful with them. He tells them there is no reason to live in complete fear or stop living your life, or else Hamas – explained in my Gymboree post – wins. He also tells them that he hopes there will come a time when their days and nights won’t be interrupted by sirens and screams.

Nerves

What are nerves?

How to Prep for Travel: Packing

Having the travel bug can be amazingly rewarding – and stressful. I’ve had the travel bug for most of my life – my family was always into travel. Since we’ve stopped our big vacations together, I find myself uneasy when stuck in one place for too long. Since coming to university, I started taking big trips on my own.

Traveling solo is a beautiful thing, but it can be difficult and anxiety-filled. Getting ready to go to Israel on my own for two months I got to thinking again on how I prepared for my past travels.

C-A-M-P-F-I-R-E S-O-N-G SONG!

Hello Friends!

Lets start this one with a request; try to imagine the last time you felt genuine calm and peace. If you can remember, that’s great (keep reading). If not, let me set the stage for you.

You’re sitting on the beach of Fort Meyers, nothing but a thin towel between your body and the powder-white sand. The only sounds hitting your eardrums are soft “whooshes” of the waves in front of you, muffled screeches of seagulls, laughs of children making sandcastles and chaos, and barks of dogs having the time of their lives.

Thoughts In Chicagooooooooo, Chicago

Hello Friends!

I’m currently sitting in the garden in Chicago’s Millenium Park. I’m feeling serine and relaxed for the first time in a few weeks. Have you ever just sat somewhere and felt like you were the only human on planet earth? That might be a bit of a stretch but that is how I am feeling right now.

Things happen every single day that can alter the entirety of your life. Big or small, we all have our issues and our quarks that worry us on a daily basis. I am sitting here right now, in this garden, putting my worries in perspective.