where is haley?

What is happening in this picture?

2012-02-04T23:05:00.000-07:00

Here's what's cool. I've been working with this leadership team day and night for the last 6 days preparing every detail for a week long staff training next week, basically without break. We are absolutely exhausted. But before we called it quits for the day, they decided they had to make a treasure chest and a gigantic parrot costume to model our theme of 'treasure island'.

Work is so much better when you top it off with a cardboard treasure chest and a giant parrot costume.

I'm really in love right now with how much a sense of play adds to serious work. It energizes and makes me remember how fortunate I am to do the work that I do. This team reminds me of that every day.

Life is good.

Flying over South America at dawn

2012-02-03T09:58:00.001-07:00

On the way to Paraguay!

2012-01-28T12:28:00.000-07:00

Interactive Map by iMapBuilder

I am on a plane on the way to the lovely landlocked nation of Paraguay, home of Campamento Tape Jerovia. Last year was the first program here, the first program in South America, and the first program for children with cancer. It was incredible.

I am so excited to be returning to work with the amazing people that make this program a magical and life changing experience for the children we serve.

It also doesn't hurt that I'm leaving the bitter cold of Connecticut for the middle of the southern hemisphere's summer.

Next post will be from Tobati, Paraguay!

Scratch that.

2012-01-27T15:53:00.002-07:00

I'm giving in and checking that stupid thing.

Too many other fun things to do tonight other than struggle with getting it all in there!

Everyone send good vibes that my bag will make it through all of the layovers!!!

Packing for a month in a carry on bag

2012-01-27T07:24:00.001-07:00

That's what I'm doing today.

The world really does need more love letters

2012-01-25T07:18:00.000-07:00

“How lovely to think that no one need wait a moment, we can start now, start slowly changing the world! How lovely that everyone, great and small, can make their contribution toward introducing justice straightaway... And you can always, always give something, even if it is only kindness!”

― Anne Frank

Last night I met a lovely lady named Hannah, who, while having a hard time adjusting to living in New York City, decided to start writing love letters to people that she saw sitting on the train everyday, and then leaving them for them to find. She wrote 400 like this. And then it turned into a movement. Now there is a team writing love letters to people who need them all over the world, and they've been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Oprah's blog, and so on.

Check it out here, and see if you want to get involved.

I find her story inspiring and energizing. Its such a simple concept - something she loves doing anyway, and it is now impacting people all over the country and world. It makes me wonder what simple thing could be hiding in our hearts that if we just acted upon it, could being changing the world for the better...

Dancing the Blues

2012-01-21T13:26:00.000-07:00

I've always loved social dancing, and have danced swing and salsa on and off for all of my high school and adult life. Since I moved to New Haven, however, I haven't found much of a dancing community.

Until recently.

Last weekend, I took a swing and blues dancing 'bootcamp' at Yale, to get back into it. It was for beginners, but since I only really know how to follow swing dancing, I was curious to learn how to lead (so that I can help teach if the need ever arises), and I was curious as to what blues dancing is.

I fell in love with it.

Here's more or less what it looks like:

I'm hoping that in 2012, dancing will be making a big comeback in my life. :)

First Sunrise of 2012

2012-01-01T11:03:00.000-07:00

Sky lanterns over a frozen lake

2012-01-01T10:57:00.000-07:00

I have always wanted to go to the lantern festivals in South East Asia

Image Location

But then I decided to see if I could bring the lantern festival to us - to my friends here - for New Years Eve.

So I did some research, and found out that you could by the sky lanterns here.

When my friends and I decided to celebrate the new year near a frozen lake in Vermont, I decided to bring along a bunch of sky lanterns.

(the daytime view of the lake)

Before midnight, we all wrote our hopes and dreams for 2012 on them.

And then walked to the lake, and released them into the sky.

Toasting the first moments of 2012!

2011 Ended in a Cabin in Vermont

2011-12-31T10:34:00.000-07:00

Some of my nearest and dearest and I decided to rent a cabin in Vermont to say goodbye to 2011 and hello to 2012.

We played games

Took walks around the frozen lake

Cooked up a storm

Ate green eggs and ham!

And cooked some more

And of course ate like we were kings

We tended the fire

We danced

And danced

Made wishes for the year ahead

Celebrated our friendships

And toasted the end of a wonderful year!

Home for the Holidays

2011-12-25T09:42:00.000-07:00

Christmastime at home. My mom always makes it so beautiful.

A new tradition? My dad cooked a goose on Christmas eve, and we had family friends over to share. It tasted a lot better than it looked :)

Mom showing off her Christmas cheer

Every year, family friends come by on Christmas Eve to carol. It has been so lovely over the years to watch their family change and grow.

This was my lovely sister in law's first Christmas with us at home.

My family

Exploring Ecuador

2011-12-12T12:46:00.000-07:00

I spent the first week in December in Ecuador. My colleague and I met with people in Quito and Guayaquil to scope out potential partners for a program, and then I stayed on a few extra days to be a tourist. One of my favorite people and dearest friends, Kate, joined me from Bogota (where she is living) for the tourist part. We started in Quito, but then jumped a bus to Banos, a small town situated right under an active volcano (and thus the home of hot thermal baths, lots of cool tours, and tons of spas!). We spent a few days basking and enjoying the gorgeous little town, and then took the bus back to Quito to spend a day in the capital before heading back to our respective homes. In the process of all of this, I absolutely fell in love with Ecuador, and it made me hungry to explore more of northern South America. Here are a few of the photos from my time there:

Quito

Anyone for some drumsticks?

Banos city square

Steak, ceviche, and drinks for 2 for 12 dollars? Yes please.

On the chiva (party bus) on the way to view the volcano.

Same picture, just showing what the lighting really looked like :)

View of Banos from the top of the mountain.

The 'quiet campfire' we were promised by the tour company. aka party central. complete with Ecuadorian clown.

Pulling taffy, Ecuador style

View from the bridge in Banos

Danger Zone! Active volcano!

Wooden go cart race!

I love her face. She was so delighted to have her picture taken.

Canelazo - Kate introduced me, I'm in love. Like spiked hot cider, only better. Warms you inside and out.

A lovely evening at a little book shop/cafe in Banos

Banos is famous for it hot baths - heated by the active volcano nearby.

Kate and I had facials and massages (totalling less that 40 dollars!) at a spa in Banos

Stunning views

we tried and tried to see the active part of the volcano, but the clouds were just no cooperating. Behind us is the volcano. Just use your imagination - there's lava jumping out back there!

Everything in the area is covered with a film of ash from the volcano.

Ash

Our bus ride from Quito was about 3.5 hours, and cost $3.50. Ecuador has to be one of the cheapest places to travel I've ever been.

View of the Old City of Quito from our hostel.

Kate appreciating ceviche after we both had a near MTA (meal time agression) meltdown. This ceviche shop opened especially for us and fed us even though they were closed. They must have sensed that the whole world was in danger if we didn't eat immediately.

Lovely evening on the rooftop of our hostel in Quito

Quito by night

A walk in el centro de Quito

2011-12-04T13:37:00.000-07:00

On the way to Ecuador!

2011-12-02T08:27:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow, I'm hopping a plane back to South America. We will be visiting Quito and Guayaquil, Ecuador to meet with potential partners for future programs.

I'm especially excited for this trip - to be going back to Latin America, to be meeting with potential new partners, to be exercising my Spanish a little bit, and to be going to a new region. I've never been to northern South America before, and it has been on my 'wish list' for almost as long as I can remember.

After the business is done, one of my favorite people ever, Kate, is going to be meeting me for a few days of adventure. I cannot tell you how much I love exploring new places with my favorite people.

Sometimes I wonder when life will stop feeling like an adventure... it certainly hasn't happened yet.

Wishing everyone a warm and love-filled beginning to December!

Thankful

2011-11-25T14:00:00.000-07:00

I got to go home to Idaho for Thanksgiving this year.

Here's me being:

1. thankful that these folks are my family. (Please note Brian and Jenna in their cardboard form...)

2. thankful for having this lady be my life long BFF.

3. thankful for the priceless and precious time with my grandma.

So much to be grateful for.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Key Lime Pie

2011-11-24T13:49:00.000-07:00

This was my contribution to Thanksgiving dinner this year - Key Lime Pie.

And let's be honest, I think it was my first contribution ever.

The super easy and delicious recipe here.

Pretzel Turtles

2011-11-23T12:55:00.000-07:00

These have to be the biggest bang for your buck ever in the areas of:
1.SOOO EASY
2. DELICIOUS

Here's what you do:
1. Buy Rolos, Pretzels (we got the square ones here, but any will work), and pecans.
2. Place pretzels on a cookie sheet. Unwrap rolos and place one on top of each pretzel.
3. Bake at 250 degrees for about 3 to 4 minutes, until chocolate is shiny.
4. Press a pecan down on top of each rolo.
5. Let cool (can put on my mom's back porch to speed up the process!
6. Gracefully accept all compliments for your culinary genius.
I made these for my aunt and uncle's hors d'oeuvres party the night before Thanksgiving, and they were a huge hit!

ENJOY!

Wait - is that the cast of Sex in the City?

2011-11-21T12:02:00.000-07:00

Nope, its just my girlfriends and I, having Sunday brunch in NYC!

What 28 looks like..

2011-11-17T23:39:00.000-07:00

Here I am, folks! This is what 28 looks like.

This is what your house looks like when you have amazing friends who bring a birthday party to you.

This is what a "Best Italian Sub of 2011" contest looks like.

This is what your favorite dessert, key lime pie, looks like.

This is what you and your friends look like right before they eat amazing amazing pizza that your parents sent, just like they have every year since 5th grade.

This is what a slumber party looks like when you are 28. You are pretty much all asleep by 11pm, and happy about it.

THANK YOU SO MUCH TO MY PHENOMENAL GROUP OF LADIES WHO MADE THE ENTRANCE INTO MY 28th YEAR UNFORGETTABLE.

I am so blessed.

A Recap of 27

2011-11-17T18:06:00.000-07:00

It started with my birthday in New Haven
Off to New York to See Kate Rach and Pears
Then home to Idaho for Thanksgiving
Our office moved to Westport :(
Home again for Christmas
New Year's Eve was spent with Kate, Rach, Pears and Seba at TIMES SQUARE IN NYC!
In mid January, I was off to Paraguay for a month to start a new program
After the end of the program, I went to Mendoza, Argentina to visit Seba
Had a quick trip to NYC to see Elisa
My whole family went to the ranch in Arizona to see my grandpa in March
April brought the Unite for Sight Conference and a visit from Victor
The next day I was off to Cambodia and Vietnam for a planning visit
Then three weeks in India to start a new program
I had just over a week off and then I met my family in Chicago to see Brian and Jenna's newlywed home
I flew straight from there to Vietnam to start a new program in Hanoi - 3 weeks
I flew straight from Vietnam to Arizona to see my grandfather again, he was waning.
From Arizona I went to Houston to celebrate Parul's marriage - and reunited with both Parul and Kai, as well as other Houston loved ones.
I was home for a day, then picked up Eben in upstate New York
I moved out of my house and geared up to leave for Cambodia, but my grandpa was getting worse.
He passed away on July 27th. Mateo came to visit the same day.
We went to New York.
And then I flew to be with my family in Arizona and celebrate my grandpa's life.
I stayed with my grandma for 2 weeks. Just me and her.
We found drove to Idaho and found her a new house.
When Eben came back from Ethiopia, we took a road trip over Labor Day Weekend to Montreal, Canada.
At the end of September, my parents came to visit and we drove all over New England looking at the fall colors.
Then we met Brian and Jenna in NYC.
A week later, I flew to Ireland for our annual Network Meeting - I was in charge of planning it this year.
Then my colleagues and I traveled around Ireland for a week.
I was back for 2 days, and then flew to Paraguay for a planning visit
Then spent a weekend in Florida at a great Experiential Education Conference
Then flew to Idaho to present at a conference for camps that serve children with cancer.
Then it was my birthday in New Haven, once again.

And just like that, 27 is gone, and 28 has begun.

Trick or Treat!

2011-10-31T16:12:00.000-06:00

The ! Ladies handing out candy from our front porch.

Happy Halloween!!!

7 Billion

2011-10-31T09:34:00.001-06:00

Today you and I are two of 7 billion.

Incredible.

Image: from National Geographic's amazing series on the world at 7 billion

Ireland Ireland Ireland

2011-10-22T16:27:00.000-06:00

Our first night - a walk along the Liffey in Dublin

Liz and I pretty pleased to be in Ireland

Our first sheep.. in Ireland. I almost jumped out of the car I was so excited.

Barretstown Castle, where we held our GPI Network Meeting

View of the Barretstown from the top of the castle

Aly, me, Liz and Tim - dream team :)

A little evening serenade in the drawing room of the castle? Yes please.

The official 2011 GPI team - the ones I punch the clock with every day!

Maire framing the full moon!

Doing as you should do with full moons

After the end of the Network Meeting, we were officially on vacation! Celebrating with our first real Irish Guiness!

Happy? Why yes!

Late night snacks

We rented a car to tour the country. Liz drove. Tim told us where to go. I sat in the back, just like I like it.

Beautiful Galway

Night in Galway

Yes you are.

A little Irish coffee to start the morning right!

Rainbow

Blarney Castle

You know what's coming, right? You have to kiss it!

Success! I now have the Gift of Gab!

My favorite Irish saying!

Autumn!

I really like this picture. Kind of creepy, yes. But still.. cool, right?

Live music in the pubs - what we looked for every evening

Guiness Factory!

The Guiness Factory (no joke) was actually one of the coolest educational experiences I've had in a long time. I came home inspired about designing interactive education spaces and design thinking in general - whoever created this place is amazing and I would love to work with them someday.

Pouring the perfect pint - I'm even certified!

Dublin Cityscape

Occupy Dublin! Its everywhere!

The Fletchers in NYC

2011-10-03T21:17:00.000-06:00

What makes you come alive?

2011-10-02T17:28:00.000-06:00

"Don’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive" - Howard Thurman

New England leaf peeping with the padres!

2011-10-02T14:22:00.000-06:00

Montreal with Eben!

2011-09-07T09:53:00.000-06:00

For Labor Day Weekend, Eben and I took a little road trip to Montreal! Its only about 6 hours from New Haven. In addition to it being just a very cool place to go, it was also my very first time in the foreign land of Canada.

Every morning, we would take a walk to a cafe for breakfast and fancy coffees.

Clearly showing I how one should drink coffee when in Montreal.

We rented bicycles ($5/day! And you can find them on almost every corner - you use them and put them back as you like... amazing program), and rode around the old quarters.

Cobblestones and toes.

It was so lovely to just wander around and explore.

My first time in Canada!

Fortunately, Eben speaks French. It inspired me though - I'm still deciding whether I want to learn French or Portuguese next, until now Portuguese has been way ahead, but this trip nudged French forward a little in the race to my bucket list.

Lovely architecture everywhere.

Labor day was being celebrated in Canada as well, so there were street festivals everywhere. This also meant there were NO hotel or hostels available. Thanks to some good 'meet the stranger' skills, we found a place... but it was more than a little sketchy. However, it was also only $20/night. No complaints here!

We had quite the scavenger hunt trying to find a Beaver Tail, per the recommendation of my Canadian friend Kelly. It was delicious - fried dough with 1/2 nutella, 1/2 cinnamon, sugar and lemon.

And we had to have a famous smoked meat (pastrami) sandwich - yummmmm.

Eben looking either emotional about finally finding the smoked meat (it took about an hour trek in the rain) or petrified.

Lovely trip, lovely company, lovely city.

My Grandma

2011-08-14T12:06:00.000-06:00

From as early as I can remember, I’ve always thought of Grandmahas always been one of my best friends. Someof the very earliest memories in my life are with her – staying with her whenmy little brother was born, stubbing my toe and having her put a piece of icein a paper towel to make it better, all of our visits on the ranch – markingeach year of our lives by those visits and waiting for them all year long. Then of course her and Da’s visits to Idaho –waiting for them , coming home from school and seeing the car in the drivewayand running in to them sitting there… and then taking the pillows that sheslept on after she left and keeping them because they smelled like her perfume.

Growing up, she was always the first one to call on ourbirthdays, and I was often woken up by my mom saying that Grandma was on thephone. The sound of her voice is one of thethings I associate most with being loved.

But my very favorite memory with Grandma was actually one ofmy most recent. After Da passed away, Ispent two weeks with Grandma, just the two of us. It was both a hard and a beautiful time. We cried a lot and laughed a lot, packed alot and napped a lot. We reminisced andtold stories - I heard many I had never heard before, and got to tell her aboutmy work and life. We left the ranchtogether, found her new house in Idaho together, and imagined what the nextchapter of life would be like. It wasone of the most special times I can ever remember. I was so honored to spend that time with mygrandma.

In general, Grandma has been a living testament ofunconditional love in my life. She and Idon’t always agree on things, and have had our fair share of decent debatesthrough the years. But one thing I havealways, always known, through every single stage of my life and every decisionI have made, is that my Grandma loves me more than I will ever know. That is a source of strength and stability inmy life that has allowed me to have the courage to be who I am and do what Ido. I wouldn’t be the same personwithout her.

Da

2011-07-23T08:42:00.000-06:00

In loving memory of my Grandpa.

November 30, 1927 - July 23, 2011

Ira Lamar Willis, 83, passed through the veil, July 23, 2011 with his family at his side. He was at home on the ranch where he had lived for 64 years. He was born on the Willis homestead in Snowflake to Vern and Pearl Willis on November 30, 1927. He has been a rancher and farmer all of his life. He and his dad farmed the homestead and acquired the T-Bar Ranch when Ira was 10 years old and Concho Flat Ranch when he was 19 years old. Ira was involved with the Arizona Cattle Growers’ Association, the Navajo County Farm Bureau and spent countless hours on the Snowflake Irrigation District Governing Board. In March of 2011 he was inducted into the Arizona Rancher-Farmer Hall of Fame. Ira loved good horses, good cattle and most of all he loved his family.

Ira is survived by his wife Rita Fletcher Willis; daughters, Roma Lee (Phil) Hiatt, Lea (late Greg) Egnor, Melanee (Ben) Rearden, Jackie (Lloyd) Parker and a son Lamar (Robin) Willis; Kent (Kim) Fletcher, Richard (Donna) Fletcher, Janet (Kyle) Duren; 27 grandchildren and 37 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Swanee; son, Reaves and a great-grandson, Jackson.

Funeral services will be held at the Snowflake Main Street Chapel, Saturday, July 30, 2011 at 10:00 AM with a visitation beginning at 9:00 AM. There will also be time to visit with the Willis family at the Owens Livingston Mortuary, Snowflake Heritage Chapel on Friday, July 29, 2011 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. The interment will be in the R.V. Mike Ramsey Cemetery in Snowflake, Arizona following the funeral services.

Donations may be made in lieu of flowers to the Arizona Cattle Growers’ Association Litigation Fund at 1401 N. 24th Street Suite 4, Phoenix, Arizona 85008.

Owens Livingston Mortuary of Snowflake handled the arrangements.

Houston Reunions and Celebrations

2011-06-28T08:59:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to my ito Parul & Peter!!!

Branding at the Ranch

2011-06-24T17:28:00.000-06:00

From Hanoi to the Ranch

2011-06-20T00:16:00.001-06:00

Today I am leaving this behind:

And heading to this:

Perhaps a little bit of culture shock is in store :)

I have loved my month in Hanoi (and surrounding area) - my work here was not only professionally an amazing experience, but also highly personally rewarding. I love the glimpse I got into life here, I love eating out of a little bowl and sitting on little stools and becoming a pro at shoveling food into my mouth with chopsticks. I love the gentleness of the people here, their deep care and concern about myself and my collegues... I love that I am leaving this place with lifelong friends.

But I also love that when I get off the plane on the other side, I will be back at my roots - I'll get to have my arms around my grandparents in just hours - and stop and breath on the ranch for several days. I can't wait to rise and set with the sun and help with projects around the house and corrals, catch up with cousins, and more than anything, soak in every second I get with my grandma and grandpa.

I am both leaving and landing with a full heart. :)

Staff Training in Hanoi, Vietnam

2011-06-12T10:04:00.000-06:00

I hope they aren't hungry.

2011-06-07T00:36:00.000-06:00

I just thought you should know that I am checking my email in front of a crocodile pit. There are about 9 sitting on a ledge right in front of me and another 10 of them are sketchiliy staring at me with their beady eyes just barely poking out of the water. Sometimes the 'wow I can't believe this is my job' feeling is warm and fuzzy.... and sometimes its .... wondering what in the world I got myself into.

That is all.

At the site

2011-06-06T20:22:00.000-06:00

Today our leadership team traveled to the site where we will train our staff and welcome our kiddos.
On the other side of the bridge and under that thatched roof the team is working away, making posters, creating documents on their laptops, brainstorming ideas...

Walking across that bridge and toward our team a few minutes ago I had one of those 'i-can't-believe-this-is-really-my-job' moments...

Training starts tomorrow for the first ever camp in northern Vietnam... isn't that something?!.. send us good thoughts!

Storm

2011-06-05T19:18:00.000-06:00

Last night we were walking to dinner, and then suddenly everyone started yelling and running for cover. Out of nowhere, the wind started whipping around - things started falling off of rooves and balconies, little stands knocked over..... and then it was like the sky opened and a giant bucket dumped down on us... for hours.

Keeping with the food theme..

2011-06-04T17:27:00.000-06:00

I find the food here so pretty. If you looked at my camera this week and had to guess what my profession is, you would probably guess professional street food eater.

I promise we've also been doing our real work (we don't eat ALL day) - but somehow, I don't have photo proof of any of that.

Here's lunch - - tofu with greens and rice noodles..chili lime sauce.. delicious.

Stopping for some dessert on the way home... fresh fruit and red bean with coconut milk and my favorite.. sweetend condensed milk - all topped with shaved ice.

Delicious AND pretty... best case scenario.

A photo tour of what I've eaten this week in Vietnam.

2011-06-03T17:58:00.001-06:00

I realized yesterday that 99% of the pictures I have taken since getting back to Vietnam are of the food... so that's all I have to show for my week. The good news is that Vietnamese food is one of my favorite things on this planet. This is all street food, by the way... and (knock on wood VERY hard )- I haven't gotten sick once!

Bun cha - my favorite food in the world.

Sidewalk barbeque - they bring the meat and the grill, you cook!

Spring rolllllls - actually they said this was some other form of Pho..

MORE bun cha - yuuuuuum!

Greens and some kind of mystery meat.

And my personal favorite - we went on a search for a restaurant, and a little girl said to follow us.. so we did... and we ended up in her house! They slapped us down in the middle of their bedroom, pulled in some plastic tables, and served us a small feast. Oh Hanoi, you warm my heart!

Next Stop: Hanoi, Vietnam!

2011-05-29T14:00:00.017-06:00

(image source)

As this is posted, I am probably asleep thousands of feet up in the air, eating smelly airplane food, or watching a romantic comedy movie marathon on a littttllle tiny screen...

because I am back on my way to Vietnam!!!

I'll be there for about 3.5 weeks this time. I am so excited for this one - it will be the first camp in northern Vietnam, but we are working with a very experienced, very special team. This program is extra close to my heart, because it is the first GPI program I went to after I started working for Hole in the Wall last year.

Status: Hoping for super quick jet lag recovery, because I am as excited as I can be for this amazing program to start!

Chicago family time

2011-05-28T17:20:00.000-06:00

Look how cute we are! I love those four so so so much.

Above - a picture of us taking a picture of ourselves- I know what you're thinking.. that is higher level artwork!

Chicago+my family=perfect weekend.

Things that were fabulous:

Getting to be the one to greet my parents at the airport gate instead of the other way around- a first?!

Seeing my brother and sis's home and getting glimpse into their new life together!

Watching my brother and sis cook a great dinner - and then eating it - yumm

Late late night chats with my brother and sister in law

The Untouchables Tour - crazy corny but a fun way to see the city!

Spending hours eating at Sunda

Having my entire family, every last one of them, escort to the airport - all the way to the security gate

Snuggles and talks over meals, during walks, on the couch... just realizing we were all together in the same place.

I loved every single minute, and am already looking forward to the next time we can be together.

Positivity

2011-05-25T14:41:00.000-06:00

Monday night lots of wonderfulness happened.

WONDERFUL THING #1:

I went out for a happy hour with some of my favorite New Haven ladies – which is always so refreshing and a huge reminder that I truly have wonderful, wonderful people here.

WONDERFUL THING #2:

Two of our friends came a little late and told us that Brett Dennen was playing at a local venue and that there were still tickets available. WHAT? I love him! Yes please!

WONDERFUL THING #3:

When we went to pay our tab at the restaurant, we discovered that someone had covered our tab – thank you mystery person!

WONDERFUL THING #4:

Then we went to park at the venue – and found a parking space DIRECTLY in front of the block where we were going – no small miracle in New Haven.

WONDERFUL THING #5:

THEN we discovered that there was an ice cream store next to the venue, and exactly enough time to order and eat one bowl of frozen yogurt with sour patch kids on top.

WONDERFUL THING #6:

And then we proceeded to have an incredible evening of listening and grooving to Brett Dennen’s set.

I don’t know if you are familiar with Brett Dennen – but he is one happy guy. Or at least his music is.

This is a picture of him:

(image location)

He is up there, bare-footed, wiggling around, and just looking at him makes me happy.

A lovely benefit is that the crowds he attracts are super positive as well – Unlike the all-too-usual elbowing-shoving-glaring concert crowd, this crowd was shockingly pleasant. I bumped into a man, and he told me I had a nice shirt. I bumped into a lady and she said “isn’t Brett Dennen just so great?!”. People were just grooving with no rhythm whatsoever, and overall.. just happy and positive.

Which brings me to the point of this.

ALL of us talked about how cool it was to listen to such positive music for an evening.

As if it is a natural wonder.

As if it is unheard of.

I am kind of in the business of positivity – that’s what I get paid to create. And even I can only think of a few musicians who truly promote positive messaging – all of the time.

So my friend and I are on a mission to create a list of musicians who make us feel good – positive good.

Do you have any suggestions for our list? I will be sure to share the results.

PS - Brett Dennen is a huge supporter of The Mosaic Project.. which I just heard about for the first time, but which looks AMAZING. Check it out!

New England Bucket List: Lobster in Maine!

2011-05-22T10:40:00.003-06:00

Yesterday I went to Maine with Rachael and Kate.

**********

I need to digress for just a moment and talk about these two phenomenal ladies I have in my life. Actually to digress even further - I can't mention these two without talking about Pears, the other corner of this foursome. These three ladies have been a constant in my life for the last six (whoa!) years, and I can't imagine my life without them. We all taught at YES Prep together, and it is impossible for me to think about my life in Houston without thinking of them - they were staples, both professionally and personally. They were the ones who were in the teacher's lounge with me at 6am planning our lessons and stayed until 9pm some nights grading and laughing and making gigantic plans as how to change the world. And they were the ones who showed up at my house and packed up everything I owned while I laid on the floor with my foot bleeding the day before I was leaving for Ghana / grad school.

They visited me when I first started graduate school in Denver, and then visited when I was studying in South Africa, and then we all rallied in Boston when Kate started grad school, and in New York (for New Year's Eve!) when Rachael moved out there to follow her dreams, and then back here when.. I don't even remember what we were doing. And it doesn't matter what we do - whether we are just sitting around on the floor telling stories or on some great African adventure, I love and savor every single last minute with these three.

Without exception, every single time we see each other I leave inspired, uplifted, and excited about life. We know each other so well -we know all of each other's strengths and weaknesses, and since we've been such close friends but also worked together, we know what lights each other up and what weighs each one down. We talk about huge ideas but also crazy body issues, boys and love and loss, fears and joys and religion and plans and failures and.. you see the point.

We are all COMPLETELY different - different backgrounds, different interests, different takes on life.. But the three of them are PHENOMS at what they do - so good, talented, passionate - and so they are constantly exposing me to new things and new ways of thinking about whatever particular life-stage is happening.

I love them. My life wouldn't be the same without them.

******
So yesterday, three of the four of us (missing Pearsy the whole way!) went to Maine to eat a lobster. Its on my bucket list. And who knew.. Maine isn't even that far away! So Rach came up here, we drove to Kate in Cambridge, and before the sun even set, we were in that elusive most north-eastern state in the union!

Check it off the list!! And don't forget the bib...

Rachael even tried lobster for the FIRST TIME! :)

Maybe her first and last... :)

Jet lagging - back in Connecticut

2011-05-21T08:08:00.000-06:00

I left India a week ago yesterday.

I have two weeks of down time between trips.

Next Sunday I fly back to Hanoi, Vietnam for about a month.

It has taken me longer than usual to funciton as a normal human again this time - I am still waking up at crazy hours of the night and walk around with a fog around my head. I'm becoming convinced that I may just stay jet lagged straight through this round.

That said, it has been refreshing and lovely to walk around in cool weather, to eat sandwiches and salads and berries. And while I was gone, something magical happened.... SPRING!

The world exploded in green, and even in my jet-lagged fog, I am constantly in awe whenever I am outside - there are flowers blooming everywhere - such gorgeous bright pinks, purples, whites and reds. Trees sprung new vibrant green leaves, that even against the rainy grey days seem like they are just glowing.

Spring truly is something miraculous, don't you think??

Today I'm headed to Boston with Kate and Rachael - these girls make my soul happy. And next weekend on the way to Hanoi I am going through Chicago to spend a day with my family in Brian and Jenna's world. I am so so so excited to get my arms around all of them.

I truly am blessed.

One Year!

2011-05-16T10:21:00.000-06:00

On May 3rd, I passed the 'one year' mark with GPI. What a year it has been! This job has taken me so far to Ashford Connecticut, Vietnam, the Dominican Republic, South Africa, Paraguay, Vietnam again, Cambodia, India... and we are just getting started.

I have had the opportunity to work with incredible people and incredible organizations, and learned so much both professionally and personally. It has been a phenomenal year, and am looking forward to everything ahead!

Back in the USA!

2011-05-16T10:15:00.000-06:00

When I got back to my office on Monday, this is what was waiting for me:

LOVED it - such a wonderful, lovely welcome back. Thank you thank you!!!

Eating in India

2011-05-14T08:08:00.002-06:00

Above - peaking through a GIANT dosa. It tastes kind of like a crispy super thin sour dough pancake. You use it to sop up sauces. It is my favorite Indian food.

******

I called my grandma on Mother's Day. ((Ok, I'm about to talk about food but I have to go off on a tangent for a second. My grandparents are some of my very favorite people on the entire planet. I LOVE talking to them. When I am in the USA we talk at least once a week, but when I am abroad, sometimes it is less than that. When I do call, they are always amazed and shocked - EVERY TIME... "oh my goodness, where are you calling from??" On this particular call, I got to tell them I was calling from my computer sitting under a coconut tree on the side of the road in India. Which I understand sounds more than a little crazy, but it was true. Wifi is amazing, I tell you what. But I digress.))

ANYWAY.. whenever I call from some country or another, one of the questions they always ask me is about what I am eating. And I usually have some good stories for them. India certainly has provided some great phone conversation material.

First off, I should say that I pretty successfully made it through a month in India without learning the names of almost any of the foods I ate. I'm not sure how that happened, but it did. Since we were at camp most of the time and just being served food (instead of ordering from a restaurant menu), I never saw the names of any of the foods written down, so that pretty much means I was not going to remember anything. So if you are looking for advice when you go to an Indian restaurant, don't call me. An honestly, after eating curry breakfast lunch and dinner for a month straight....I should say you don't really need to invite me, either. :) I'll be enjoying my sandwiches, burritos and froyo.

Anyway, I took a picture one night (or lunch, or breakfast.. they all kind of look the same), and this is what my plate usually looked like: some rice (usually two or three kinds, but i must have been feeling riced out this meal since I only opted for one) - some sauce (usually spicy curryish), some naan or chapati, and then something fried - usually veggies but once in a while some chicken. Vegetarianism is extremely common in Southern India, so almost every meal we ate was vegetarian.

You eat with your hands... or rather.. hand. Your right hand. You don't ever eat with your left hand. Which is an interesting dilemma if you are left-handed, like one of our field consultants.

I actually really hate getting my fingers dirty. I always have - since I was a baby. But I overcame, and ate with my hands almost the entire time. Its tricky! Especially the really saucy stuff - there is some serious technique that goes into it.. Sometime like squeezy cuppage. Below is a picture of a dosa restaurant where we ate off of banana leaves:

After the meal was my favorite part when they would give us these little sweetened seedy things that tasted like black licorice. It made my mouth feel fresh and clean and delicious.

(image location)

Anyway, that is my very informative, very intellectual take on eating in India. Please know that the vast majority of my cynicism in this area is due to the fact that I was eating almost exclusively at camp, which means that I wasn't necessarily trying all of the culinary delights of the country.I must say, that although it did get a little much to be eating very similar food breakfast noon and night, the quality of the food we ate was extremely good, and I enjoyed the social interaction of having people critique my hand eating ability.

Bon appetit!

This week in India..

2011-05-06T11:28:00.002-06:00

This week we had the first ever Staff Training for Camp Rainbow. It was incredible. So many people who had worked in India had told us not to expect too much.. not to expect the staff to open up quickly, or to act silly.. or to be able to adjust to 'camp culture'. Boy was that not the case. The group of people we worked with was INCREDIBLE - they were so, so fun, open to trying new things, willing to break down perceived cultural barriers... they were THERE. They got it. It was fun. And hot. But mainly fun. Ok, fun and hot. I cannot emphasize how hot. Anyway.. a couple pictures (we try to protect the privacy of our particpants, you know how that goes.. so vague pictures only.)

Our schedule is PACKED - we do a 5.5 day training, with every hour intentionally planned. I LOVE IT. It is so so so exhausting to facilitate, but it is incredible - and the results are incredible. Sometime I will write out a much more comprehensive post on it, but for now, suffice it to say it is one of my favorite parts of my job.

Our camp culture session was INCREDIBLE. The participants made a map of India out of a bunch of random supplies we gave them, and then took us on a full on walking tour - with samples of dances and customs of all of the regions of India, and at the end... they all spontaneously broke into their national anthem. I of course lost it and started crying. It just was so lovely to see people so proud of their country and culture... and so incredible to think that we were about to have camp there, for the first time. They were so ready to create a safe place for children - such a good group. I am gushing. I know.

Egg drop! A fun evening program team building exercise.

Post training - we are wiped. WIPED. On the bus back to Chennai, the staff was still on a high - they were singing and dancing on the bus. But the leadership team looked a little something like this:

Did I mention it was hot? When I first got on the bus I seriously was a little bit amazed we all didn't get heat stroke instantly. It was like walking into an oven. But somehow, we survived.

The day after training we had a few hours to do some site-seeing. We were so so exhausted, and so so SO hot - but I am glad we ventured out because it was the only chance I had on this trip to be a tourist! Here is the team I traveled/worked with. They are AMAZING, and made my life a happy place. I get to work with some of the best people in the entire world. Truly. Just look at how adorable they are. And sweaty. But mainly adorable.

No memorable moment would be complete without a self portrait, don't you think?

Or a cheesy jumping picture

Or a giant stone elephant (built out of one rock!)

Beauty.

On the way back from our outing, we stopped at a roadside stand to pick out some fruit. This quiet little simple moment was actually one of my favorites. Just a lovely little stolen glimpse into life in Chennai.

I'm in India!

2011-04-29T19:42:00.000-06:00

I've been in India for a week now but we've been working so intensely to prep the leadership team we are working with, I've hardly taken a picture! Here is one from my first (cloudy) morning when we took a walk on the beach that is right by the apartment I am staying in.

Today we are heading out to the site where we will be training the staff and welcoming the campers to the first GPI program ever in South Asia!

I'm excited to see what camp looks like here.

Lots of stories to come about accidentally drinking tap water, surviving a rickshaw driver with road rage, and other great adventures on this time in indiaindiaindia.

From Vietnam... To Chennai, INDIA!!

2011-04-24T08:35:00.002-06:00

After an entire 3 days in Vietnam, full of super productive meetings and a great dose of checking out some highlights of Hanoi, we're off to the main purpose of this jaunt... to start the first GPI program in INDIA!!!

(image location)

Stay tuned!

Crossing the Street

2011-04-23T09:34:00.001-06:00

Warning: these might make you motion sick. And/or worry about my safety more than you already are (mom).

Today in Hanoi, a Thai monk and I took pictures of each other.

2011-04-23T08:59:00.001-06:00

Some things I saw today

2011-04-22T09:11:00.002-06:00

Hanoi!

2011-04-21T10:10:00.001-06:00

I'm still jetlagged to no end, but there is no rest in sight. Today we rose before dawn and left Phnom Penh for Hanoi, Vietnam!

I was struck by a few things:

1. This is a communist country (err.. socialist republic?), and someone doesn't want you forget it. Red flags flying everywhere and Viet Cong memorabilia on sale on every street corner (it seems much more so than in Ho Chi Minh City). But the most amazing thing to me is despite the not-so-distant-history of war between our two countries, we have been made to feel without exception completely welcomed. I find this both amazing and humbling.

(image location)

2. The architecture (I assume heavily influenced by the French) is gorgeous. I was really struck when driving in to town how beautiful the buildings were. Pictures to come soon. I am also in love with the foliage - it is thick, even in the most populated and bustling areas, it is almost like there is a canopy of trees and vines covering everything.

3. There are Seaweed flavored Pringles. I ate half the can.

4. We went to a water puppet show tonight. Its a Vietnamese tradition that dates back centuries, and it was really quite entertaining. The puppeteers are waist-deep in water the whole time, but you never see them, so it looks like the puppets are dancing on the water.

5. I am so excited to see what tomorrow brings.

From Cambodia to.. VIETNAM!

2011-04-20T08:38:00.002-06:00

(image location)

The whirlwind continues! Now we're headed from Phnom Penh, Cambodia (it was just a sneak peak, I'll be back in August!) to Hanoi, Vietnam! We're headed for a second planning visit for a camp that will happen in June.

Inspired - NHCC

2011-04-20T08:00:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I visited the site of our partner organization, New Hope for Cambodian Children. It is a children's village for children abandoned because they are HIV positive, and it is just beautiful. It is a place where love is tangible and visible.

Being there brought back a lot of memories of another children's village close to my heart, McKallie's Home of Future and Hope in Malawi, Africa.

Both of these places are founded and run by people with a vision and a calling and passion that I wouldn't even be able to believe if I hadn't seen it first hand.

I left NHCC yesterday feeling touched, energized, inspired and with a renewed sense that anything is possible. I am so excited to spend more time at the village this August, and this will definitely not be the last time I mention the amazing work happening there.

I am so grateful I've had the opportunity to get to be involved with these two organizations and others like them. There are too many beautiful things happening that we could be putting our energy into to be consumed by the negative things. There is good stuff happening out there. Let's celebrate that good work and support that good work, and push forward.

xo

Took a tuk tuk: Cambodia

2011-04-19T08:31:00.000-06:00

Last night the first thing I felt when I got off the plane was a huge wave of warm humid air. I love breathing in that first breath of the thick (usually smoggy) air that hits when you get off the plane in the tropics. I mean that in all sincerity.. it is like the thickness of the air is directly coorelated to the depth of adventure that is about to take place. (And FYI, if that stands, the work in this country is going to be off the charts)

This is my first time in Cambodia. I will be managing a program here this August, so this trip is just a teaser of what's about to come. I'm so glad because I want to explore every last corner.

This morning we took a tuk tuk to work and a moto home.

Its tradition.

Our view from dinner - overlooking the Mekong river.

Our tuk tuk ride home.

A side note: A couple of weeks ago I watched the Killing Fields, a movie about two journalists covering the Khmer Rouge regime. I have put off watching for a long time because I wasn't sure I wanted to see the imagry of genocide (I've been increasingly sensitive to movies that show violence or war the last couple of years).. but since I knew I was coming here, I watched it and I am so glad I did. I recommend it for anyone wanting to learn more about the genocide that took place here not so very long ago.. I am also hungry to learn more, so if anyone has good book/film suggestions, please let me know!

Next Stop: Phnom Penh, Cambodia!

2011-04-17T13:48:00.000-06:00

(image location)

on the road again

2011-04-12T18:47:00.001-06:00

Sunday I leave for the next round of this crazy job.

This one will take me to Cambodia for 2 days, Vietnam for 3, and India for three weeks.

Meanwhile spring is creeping in here. The rainy days feel damp and chilly but not cold, and the sun finally has warmth to it again. Buds are popping open all over and the tree in my house exploded into pink on Sunday.

My life here is nice.

And my temporary life in Asia... is about to be real!

Spring

2011-04-12T18:37:00.005-06:00

"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is." - Albert Einstein

March Visit to the Ranch

2011-03-27T17:41:00.000-06:00

New England Bucket List: Maple Syruping

2011-03-19T17:37:00.000-06:00

Mendoza

2011-02-28T17:30:00.000-07:00

I'm cold.

2011-02-22T20:50:00.001-07:00

I got back to Connecticut a couple of days ago.
I would write a lot about the last couple of weeks in Paraguay and an amazing week in Argentina, but my fingers are too cold and my soul is too angry about the fact that winter hung around and waited for me in the northern hemisphere.

Status: Trying to figure out why I thought it was a good idea to move back to a cold climate / deciding that good attitude about the weather can start tomorrow.

Hoping that my loved ones are warm tonight.... xo

How to Make a Friendship Bracelet - in pictures

2011-02-19T09:02:00.000-07:00

How to Make a Duct Tape Wallet - in pictures

2011-02-19T08:59:00.000-07:00

On Greetings and See you Later

2011-02-05T13:29:00.000-07:00

On Greetings:

One of my favorite things about my grandma is that every time I call her or she calls me, the tone of her voice makes it seem like talking to me in that instant just made her entire day. EVERY TIME, even if I just saw her. Even if its been a really bad day for her, even if.. you get the point. And its been that way my entire life, ever since I can remember. In middle school we filled out a survey of our favorite things, and I put down my grandma's voice on the phone as my favorite sound.

I remember realizing in high school that every time I ran into my friend Karlee, I felt happy. From across the hall, she would yell out 'HALEY!', her face would light up, she would give me a big hug, and we would talk. EVERY TIME, she acted like seeing me (and anyone in our group of friends) was the best thing ever.

I'm in Paraguay now.

I don't know if it is a cultural thing, or if the group of people I am with are just extraordinary in making everyone around them feel wonderful, but I've noticed I feel really personally appreciated a lot here. And in some part, I think it is because they say my name, a lot (granted, it sounds little closer to helly than haley, but the point is that they say my name). When we are talking, they frame the sentences something like "And then you know what helly? then we are going to go outside!" Or "How did you sleep Helly?" or "Helly!" as they walk up to me.

One of the best things that we do in our camp programs is our greeting. We get dressed up. We make huge signs with EVERY LAST CAMPER'S name on them (checked and rechecked to make sure we get everyone!) We have huge smiles, we yell, we cheer, we wave and jump and sing from the minute we can see the bus of kids round the corner in the distance. The staff have been trained to use the names of their campers as much as possible. We make sure that no one can even question that their arrival is the coolest, most exciting thing ever, that we've been waiting for them, and that we love them already.

And without surprise, it is regularly referred to as one of the favorite parts of camp. We do the same in Training, and it is listed by many of the adults as their favorite part as well.

On See You Later:

My parents always come all of the way in when they take me to the airport. There is no dropping off. They park the car, help me with my bags, walk me all the way to the point where there are the big "No entry without bording pass" signs by the security line. And then they wait while I walk through the security line. The whoooolle way. Every time I round the corner, we wave. I put my bags on the security belt, we wave. I walk through the metal detector, we wave. And then I walk through so I can barely still see them, and we wave again.

And with our kids, we do the same... when it is time to leave, we walk with them to put their bags on the bus. We hug and keep our happy game face on (while on the inside we are crying usually much harder than they are). We clap and sing the songs we've been singing all week. We stand outside the bus as it starts and give high fives through the windows. We wave our hands, and walk beside the bus as it starts moving, then run along side it as it moves faster, and we chase it, waving, until it pulls out of the gate. And we keep waving, and waving and waving, long after we can no longer see the faces of the kids, all the way until it turns on to another road and we can't even see a glimpse of any part of the bus anymore.

I've never been on the bus with the kids, but the doctors tell us that they are glued to the back of the window waving back at us the whole way.

Saying hello and goodbye aren't that hard, but they can be love in action, you know?

The day before the kids arrive

2011-01-31T02:01:00.000-07:00

Beyond Beautiful: Sunset Rainbow

2011-01-29T17:49:00.000-07:00

Staff Training - Campamento Tape Jerovia!

2011-01-29T17:12:00.001-07:00

The first day of training. I feel like this somehow proves I am in Paraguay:

Last minute to do list, before the staff arrive:

Mario, the hotel monkey, ready to welcome our team:

Benito and Margarita, our special Training guests, came to explain the rules on the first day:

Team building:

Showing how we are all connected and welcoming everyone to training:

Construcuting a map of camp (with a little bit of metaphor used for the borders)

Teaching the importance of providing the opportunity to choose our challenges:

Praciticing positive labeling

Skinned and bruised knees and a swollen ankle that I didn't even notice until I went to bed the first night. Adrenaline is quick the pain killer.

Gettin groovy for Stage Night

Super Staff! Every staff receive special recongition during the week, just like we do with the kiddos.

Our pool - I know. I know.

A skit mocking me, the director and one of our field consultants. The girl impersonating me nailed the way I wave my hands like there is a fire every time a talk, how I am overly exciting about EVERYTHING, and how I have a ridiculous accent and choose the wrong word in Spanish about 70% of the time. The girl was DEAD ON. Fuuniest thing I've seen in a long time.

Leadership Team late night meeting marathons everynight, planning for the next day

Ne'e Guyguy, the Guarani word for soft talk... a nightly meeting with our groups to have a chance to talk quietly around a candle.

The last day: the group awarded us a huge 'SUPER LEADER' award... so precious.

Our Tape Jerovia team

We did it we did it!!! Our leadership team realizing that TRAINING WAS COMPLETE!

Now... a day of much earned rest.

Sunrise

2011-01-27T02:10:00.000-07:00

View of sunrise from my balcony.

From 0 to 100

2011-01-26T09:37:00.000-07:00

The night I left New Haven, it hit 0 degrees and looked a little something like this:

And arrived to almost 100 degree weather in Paraguay.

If that looks like a really luxurious hotel, that's because it is.
It is going to be hard to make people feel sorry for me about this trip, we're leading the good life.

Its day 3 of training, the sun is shining, the staff are brilliant and so sincere, and I feel really really lucky to be here.

To Get

2011-01-25T18:29:00.004-07:00

Three days later, I remember that funny thing I was trying to think of. Ok, ready?

In English I use the verb 'to get' I don't know... maybe 4000 times a day?

We have a Field Consultant from Spain. In Spain, they use the word 'coger' to mean 'to get'.

You coger the bus, coger the pencil, coger your things out of your room.... etc. It is perhaps one of the most useful words in Spanish.

In Paraguay, coger means to...the F word. The bad F word.

You see where this is going?

Our Field Consultant says coger a lot.

She also leads a lot of our training sessions about very important topics that we are trying to teach.

An example from one of our training sessions:

Field Consultant: "And then all of you go into your room together and coger it."
Everyone else: (rolling on the floor crying from laughing so hard)
Field Consultant: (looking a very similar color to the tomatoes we ate at lunch)

.......I'm not sure if we have actually taught anything useful at this training, but we are certainly laughing.

xo from Paraguay.

Spritual Advisors and Sunsets

2011-01-23T20:28:00.000-07:00

So in case I forgot to mention it, my job is to train trainers and manage camp programs for children with serious or chronic illnesses (usually HIV, but the program I am working on now in Paraguay is actually our first program for children with cancer!) in developing countries. I specifically work in Latin America (so far the Dominican Republic and Paraguay), and Asia (Vietnam and soon to be India). We work in partnership with local organizations, so I do all of my work hand in hand with a local leadership team. To support our work and because there are never enough hands to get these programs rolling, we bring one or two "Field Consultants" with us to help support the local leadership team. Here in Paraguay, I have two fabulous Field Consultants with me - one from Italy and one from Spain.

The Parguayan Leadership Team has taken to calling our Field Consultants their “Spiritual Advisors”. So many of our conversations today went like this:

Haley: Maria*, what icebreaker are you going to use to introduce the training session?

Maria: (thoughtful pause) “Excuse me while I consult my spiritual advisor.”

(Field Consultand and Maria whisper for a minute)

Maria: “Mingle mingle because we need to divide them into groups for the session”

Haley: Thank you.

*changed the names :)

In other news, check out this sunset from the other night--- WOW.

The beauty that there is in this world blows me away.

Status: Happy, Anxious, and procrastinating sleep as the first day of training is tomorrrooooww! Body is covered in a rainbow of marker from the 200 lists I made today.

One reason why January 22 was a good day

2011-01-22T19:29:00.000-07:00

I handed our Activities Coordinator a sharpie and asked him to make a 'magic pen' for the staff to use to sign their contracts. This is what he came up with:

Today I am in Paraguay

2011-01-21T18:57:00.000-07:00

Today I'm in Paraguay. I got here on Monday, but it may as well have been 4 months ago for how much has been packed into the last few days. I'll be here for about a month.

After a measly 4 days of not speaking English, I have already lost the ability to think in any language. I remember thinking something funny at dinner, but half an hour later, I can't remember it for the life of me, so the best I've got is a stream of consciousness series of sentences and/or phrases. To be honest, my mind is in such a state of shock that it probably wasn't funny anyway.. I would have been lucky if it was even coherent.

Here we go:

We are getting ready for the first GPI program in South America, and the first ever to serve children with cancer.
I have a rock star team.
I love them.
It is hot.
Really hot.
Hotter than what you are thinking right now.
I promise.
I shook hands with a monkey named Mario.
And sat in his excrement.
I kill cockroaches like it is my job.
It actually used to be my job.
I shoved in front of an entire line of Argentinians at the immigration desk in Buenos Aires, including a pregnant woman who looked like she was in the middle of labor.
I may have lost some karma points, but I made my plane.
I wonder what trumps what? Shoving pregnant woman versus making my plane so I can make a camp for kids with cancer?
I just copied that from an email I wrote my coworker.
I am that lazy.
I will blame it on the fact that I have lost 90% of my electrolytes to sweat over the last few hours.
I was in Buenos Aires for approximately 20 minutes.
It made me remember my time as a little ISA kid.
And made me a little nostalgic.
What a wonderful, magical experience that was.
I think everyone should have the chance to study abroad.
Last night I danced on a patio under the stars with Paraguayos, ate the most delicious carne asada I have ever tasted, and spoke a sentence in the past conditional completely naturally.
Success.
I really like training people.
I really really like supporting people who are training people.
I really love my team.
Its hot.
I'm repeating.
Let's hope this isn't a sign of how I write now.
Buenos noches loved ones.

Status: Exhausted, unable to speak Spanish or English coherently, in love with my lot in life.

Behind

2011-01-21T18:34:00.000-07:00

You know how sometimes you get really far behind in something and then you keep putting it off because it would be so overwhelming to catch up, and then you get further behind and it gets more overwhelming?

That's what has happened to this blog.

Some Favorite Moments of 2010

2011-01-01T18:28:00.000-07:00

Welcoming 2010 with my parents and Elisa in Mexico.

Snuggling with Jeannie in Dallas and surprising JCI in Austin.

Hunkering down during Snowmaggedon in DC with Vic.

My first Habitat for Humanity Build in the USA.

Job offers and planning for a move to the East Coast.

Driving across the United States to my new home in New Haven, Connecticut

Seeing my first firefly, ever, in Vietnam.

Seeing the results of capacity building first hand, and falling in love with my job.

The Life is Good Concert in Boston.

Finally believing I can speak Spanish in the Dominican Republic.

Terrific Tuesdays and feeling like I have a home in Connecticut.

Reconnecting with Cat, Karlee and Robyn over Christmas break.

Saying goodbye to 2010 in Times Square with some of my favorite people.

I am thankful for clean water.

2010-11-20T10:51:00.002-07:00

Water at camp in the DR the morning after a big rain.

mmmm.

Pictures of Brian and Jenna's Wedding

2010-11-20T10:36:00.000-07:00

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2103439&id=3000795&l=ea9c5a3f5d

South Africa, I missed you.

2010-11-20T10:33:00.002-07:00

What 27 looks like

2010-11-17T09:14:00.001-07:00

A reflection on 26:
November - celebrated 26 years in Burley, Idaho with my family, and Thanksgiving on the ranch in Arizona.
December - February - The great job hunt - two trips out to D.C. and one to NYC. Surviving the great blizzards of December and February in DC with Victor.
March - "Spring break" with the wonderful JCI ladies in Houston. Job interviews like crazy.
April - finding direction in what I wanted in my job.. four job offers, big decisions and a cross-country move that included a wonderful stop at the ranch.
May - Starting my new job/life in Connecticut, Hole in the Wall Gang Camp training, big personal upheavals.
June - Vietnam to witness the magic of Camp Colors of Love
July/August - Dominican Republic and learning from challenge. Quick trip to the ranch with the family.
September - Back to New Haven to discover what my new life in the USA would be.
October - My little brother got married! Sun Valley Idaho for one of the most incredible weeks ever.
November - trip to South Africa for our amazing Network Meeting, (and to see Estelle!) and a planning visit to Tobati, Paraguay.
November 17th, 2010 - New Haven Connecticut, dinner party with my newly formed circle of wonderful friends and pizza delivered by mom and dad, per tradition.

26 was dynamic. Both hard and beautiful. I learned a LOT about.. a lot.

Bring it on 27!

Today is my baby brother's wedding day.

2010-10-10T09:01:00.001-06:00

holy cow.

I'm finally getting a sister!

p.s. i know everyone thinks their family is the best. but mine actually is. man i love them so, so much.

YES Prep on the Oprah Winfrey show!

2010-09-20T10:06:00.000-06:00

CHECK IT OUT TODAY!
This is the school where I used to teach and is one of the places VERY closest to my heart.
I am so, so excited for the exposure this will bring these amazing schools:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

YES Prep Public Schools will be featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show on Monday, September 20. This is Oprah’s farewell season and we are honored to be a part of it! Oprah will discuss the urban public education crisis in our nation and highlight YES Prep Public Schools as a model public school system. Other guests include Waiting for Superman movie director, Davis Guggenheim, Bill Gates, Michelle Rhee and John Legend, who wrote the theme song for Waiting for Superman.

Of the teammates from YES Prep that were in attendance at the filming of the show include Founder and CEO Chris Barbic who is a 1992 Teach For America Houston Alumnus, Director of Communications Jill Willis, YES Prep teacher, yBlazer Studios Founder and George Lucas Foundation Board member Craig Brandenburg and finally, YES Prep Principal and Alum Melanie Singleton.

Oprah's producers first discovered YES Prep when Secretary of Education Arne Duncan was the keynote speaker at our annual Senior Signing Day ceremony that honors our graduating seniors.

Will you tune in or record the show and watch YES Prep have a national spotlight shined on our success?

(Reposted from YES Prep on the Oprah Winfrey show! | The Answer | YES Prep Public Schools)

oh my.

2010-08-11T14:30:00.000-06:00

A rooster just walked in my bedroom and ate a dead cockroach.

I didn't even flinch.

I am trying to decide whether this means I have acclimated well, or if my standards for quality of life have gone off the deep end.

Hey Mom!

2010-08-11T11:13:00.001-06:00

They go with me everywhere :)

2010-08-07T20:41:00.000-06:00

i have learned

2010-08-07T09:53:00.000-06:00

kids' laughter is the same everywhere in the world.

i find that hopeful.

Dress code

2010-08-07T09:48:00.000-06:00

A Preview of the FIRST GPI Program in Latin America!!

2010-08-07T09:45:00.000-06:00

Tito the Guard Goose

2010-07-27T05:01:00.000-06:00

So I had this thought about sweetened condensed milk the other day: and this thought mainly was that it is ridiculously good. In Vietnam, every day we would drink Café Sua Da, a magical drink that tasted exactly like coffee ice-cream only better and in a drink form. The magic ingredient? Sweetened condensed milk. Then yesterday, allllllll the way across the world on this lovely little island nation in the Caribbean, I had one (ok, two) mango batitas (smoothies) that were so good I could barely breathe. The secret ingredient? You guessed it.

I refuse to look up the nutritional facts because I don’t even want to know. What I know is enough – it is the best thing since butter and Willis ranch steaks that a cow ever contributed to this world. It makes my life a better place.

Speaking of my life, it is about to temporarily change. Tomorrow we leave for the training site where we will be training about 30 staff over the next week. I am super excited – and exhausted already – and super excited again. I am excited to start training (In Spanish!) – to meet the staff, to see how all of our work comes together, to see the leadership team step into their roles.

And to see how the saga of Tito the Guard Goose unfolds.

I first met Tito a couple of days ago when we took a quick trip out to the training site. We were greeted right off the bat by Tito, a giant goose. It turns out that Tito is the .. pet(?) of the owner of the site. He is shockingly similar to a vicious guard dog. He sticks as close as possible to the side of the owner - When the owner goes upstairs, Tito goes upstairs, when the owner goes downstairs, Tito goes downstairs. It is very evident that the owner loves Tito very much, and pets and kisses on him and gives him little treats just like he was a beloved dog. I found this strangely charming until I found out the hard way that Tito is fiercely protective. When I made the mistake of crossing between Tito and his owner, I got bit! Tito came at me so fast I didn’t even have the chance to react, and he chomped on the side of my leg. It hurt! Needless to say he is effective, and I stayed a healthy distance from his owner for the rest of our time there.

However, our camp director didn’t learn this lesson quite as quickly. She was out picking cherries with a couple other people on our leadership team, an activity that Tito clearly did not approve of. He apparently thought that the cherry-picking situation was a large problem to warrant reinforcement, so he called in the back-ups. Soon there were about 6 geese in ‘V’ formation bee-lining for our camp director with wings flapping and necks swinging. The rest of us were still sitting at our lunch table, and heard a huge ruckus of flapping wings, honking, and our camp director yelling “AUXILIO! AUXILIO!” (Help, Help!) The owner had to run over and intervene.

I have no doubt that Tito will add a little bit of spice to our training, so stay tuned.

In the meantime, my Magic soap is still magic, chacos are still horrifically stinky (thanks for the advice though dad, if I can scrounge up some baking soda I am totally going to try it out), I am learning a lot of camp-y Spanish words, and I am on the lookout for more ways to incorporate sweetened condensed milk into my life.

ps – happy birthday ito ito ito.

The Strong Bigote

2010-07-24T20:37:00.000-06:00

I learned a new word today: Bigote.

I learned this word today on our drive to visit the site where we will be holding training next week. It was a hot and sticky ride. Up until today it has been raining, which though semi-depressing and soggy, also has meant that it has stayed pleasantly cool. Today, not so much. Its about a 45 minute drive to the training site from La Romana, where we are staying now. Myself and my three gringo colleagues piled into the back seat of our camp director's sister's car for the ride over. We used the "one butt cheek on the seat and one on the lap of the person next to you" method, and within about 2 minutes we were so sweaty that we were sticking together and anytime anyone moved an arm or a leg it was like pulling velcro apart.

This heat also didn't do anything for my stinky-licious chaco sandals. These things continue reek with a force that I never thought was possible. Our camp director (who is now one of my new favorite people - fiesty, spunky, about 4 foot 9 but enough personality to fill a football team) told me that I should hang my feet out of the window while we were driving. It gets worse every day, which isn't the best news considering that they are the only shoes that I brought for the next three weeks other than a pair of shower flip flops.

Anyway, while we were driving (and sweating, and smelling bad), a woman crossed the street right in front of us and came about 2 inches from getting plowed over by a motorcycle. We all gasped and then watched as she proceeded to attempt to push the motorcyclist off of his bike. He wobbled, but continued on. This in and of itself struck us all as amusing, but really what was funny was that she had a very thick... bigote. Let's just say that women don't usually have bigotes, at least not like this one. This lady had a bigote that rivaled Groucho Marx or Sonny Bono (in the hayday). I mean, we are not talking a few little stray hairs - we are talking a full fledged legitimate mustache.

As our camp director said: a very STRONG bigote.

.......Maybe you had to be there.

It was funny, trust me. The strong bigote had us in fits of sticky hot laughter that got us through a good chunk of the drive to the training site.

Time for cold shower and bed.
Miss you loved ones.
Haley

PS - Magic soap update: I brushed my teeth with it last night and this morning - and it wasn't bad! It didn't even taste that bad. It did foam like crazy - to the point where it looked like I had a small beard of foam hanging down from my mouth (which amused me for much longer than I would have originally thought and I even contemplated taking a picture ... )

Magic Soap, and other magic things.

2010-07-23T21:12:00.001-06:00

Since I now have a life where I live out of a very small suitcase (read: carry on) about 50% of the time, I am on a personal quest... no, more than that.. an EPIC personal quest to reduce the amount of STUFF in my life that I need to lug around while at the same time make room for small comforts that make me feel happy, comfortable, at home in sometimes not so comfortable or at-homey places.

So in other words, I am trying to reduce the amount of un-fun stuff that I carry around so that I have room to pack fun things like... People magazines. (I never said I was a good person.)

Ok, so the latest things I decided to eliminate: liquidy stuff... and underwear.. but the underwear I will save for another story. (I know, you can't wait. You are probably thinking this is the best blog in the world.)

Back to the point.

I bought magic soap.

For real. Check it out: http://www.drbronner.com/.

It smells like peppermint and it has 18 uses or something...I don't know what they all are, but for my purposes, it is shampoo, body soap, laundry detergent (very importante when you are eliminating the number of underwears you pack...), and toothpaste. Ok, I'll admit, I haven't brushed my teeth with it yet. But I am going to, tonight.

This trip is its test run, so I still brought toothpaste and shampoo and stuff.. but if it works out... IMAGINE THE POSSIBILITIES! Just one little bottle is all that I will need. Think of how many trashy magazines could fill the space that all of those little miniature bottles of body wash/shampoo/conditioner used to take! (ok, its probably only 1, but still!)

I have been itching to share about this magic soap, so I appreciate the blog-world outlet. My work companions are sick of hearing about this. They haven't said so (they are very nice people), but I can tell. To be fair, I updated them on the soap saga three different times today. And the saga is not really much of a saga... its more like.. telling someone you just washed your hands/hair/face/underwear/etc.

Simple pleasures.

I hope you all find the equivalent of magic soap today.

xoxox

PS - everything I own (including my clothes, hair and skin) now smells like peppermint. I am still deciding if this is an upside or a downside to this new system.

I Espeak Espanish!

2010-07-23T20:54:00.000-06:00

Oh my goodness I forgot how much I love love LOVE spanish...

The fact that I walk down the street and hear it makes me happy.

And the fact that the signs are written in it makes me happy.

And the face that I remembered more than 3 words makes me happy.

And when I successfully have a conversation, I don't even know what to do with myself.

PS - the fact that the last 3 nights i have stayed up late reading the dictionary may mean I have hit a new level of nerdiness.

PPS - my chacos smell worse than ANYTHING should ever be allowed to smell. How is it possible that two slabs of nylon and rubber could reek so much?

PPS - It has rained non-stop since I got here. I could write an entire poem about how much I love my poncho.

PPPPS - Did I even say that I'm in the Dominican Republic??

I AM IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC.

A small mystery animal just ran across the floor. I hope it wasn't a rat.

Although... there may be worse possibilities. I'm not sure.

Let's hope for the best.

xoxox

I'm back...

2010-07-20T20:06:00.000-06:00

I'm back, but I'm also on my way out.
My legs are still itchy from the Vietnamese bug bites....
and I'm about to leave again.

Vietnam was INCREDIBLE. So, so incredible, for so many reasons. I have so much to share still about it...

Fast forward fast forward fast forward....

10 days between trips this time, and it went FAST.
Between a healthy bout of jet lag, lots of gear-up work for DR, plus some time in and around New Haven with wonderful loved ones... 10 days went by in a blink.

But in a good way.

Because I loved my time in Vietnam, I loved my time at home, and I am incredibly excited about what is ahead.

Right now I'm too sleepy to write coherent things, so I'll put up a couple of my favorite pictures of Vietnam..

The kids are here!

2010-07-06T00:34:00.001-06:00

They are the most precious little people I have ever seen.

Seriously.

I cried when they got off the bus because they were so cute.

I had a green grass skirt on my head as a wig, and I cried, even while I was jumping up and down and clapping and singing to welcome them.

Then I cried because of how much I hate HIV.

Then I cried again because they were so cute.

Its been a teary 24 hours.

They are napping right now.

I see what all of our work is for.

Status: thinking all of this is so so so worth the sweat and the bugs and the rice for every meal.

Is this really my life?!

2010-07-04T03:33:00.000-06:00

For the moment, I live on a mat in a tent.

I shower with frogs and geckos.

I eat with chopsticks out of a little bowl.

I sleep 10 inches from my supervisor.

I lost count at 50 when trying to count the number of bug bites on one of my legs.

I eat rice 3 times a day.

I sang Heal the World (in English) with a room full of Vietnamese camp staff last night.

Then they sang happy birthday to American for us in honor of the 4th of July.

Obnoxious drunk Australians were keeping everyone awake a few nights ago, but I watched as our logistics coordinator (the sweetest little lady you have ever met in your life) took a megaphone at 6:30am the next morning and blared it in front of their tent.

My most valued possession at the moment is a racket - it looks much like a tennis racket - that is electrified and is used to zap mosquitoes in your tent.

I find this endlessly entertaining.

I have been told more than once that I have a good Vietnamese accent, even though I can't even remember how to say "how are you?"

I have worn a blue wig 3 times in two days.

Yesterday I had to teach our interpreter what "air quotes" are, after using them in an inappropriate story.

I have NEVER seen capacity building as successful as what is happening with this program here.

I am proud to be part of this team.

We just finished a week of training staff.

The kids come tomorrow for their camp.

This is the coolest job ever.

Things I love so far about Vietnam.

2010-06-24T17:54:00.000-06:00

1. Eating pho for breakfast.

[image location]

2. Iced Cafe su Do. I think the love comes mainly from the sweetened condensed milk part.

3. How every time I ask someone how to say a word in Vietnamese, they come back at me with something that I cannot even imagine pronouncing. And then I try. And then they laugh.

4. The hats. Seeing women in these hats was my "Whoa you are in Vietnam!!! moment." You know:

[image location]

5. Working with the local team to plan camp training. They are fan.tas.tic.

6. Dodging about 7000 motos every time we cross the street.

7. Remember how much I love working cross-culturally.

8. Realizing I really, really, really love my job. Even more than I thought was possible. I woke up this morning before my alarm and even though I am super anxious about how much we have to accomplish - I can't wait to start the day.

Current Status: Challenged, ridiculously happy and ready for my morning pho!

PS - I stole the Current Status idea from my fabulous friend K.C. It might stick.

Next Stop... Vietnam!

2010-06-20T21:10:00.000-06:00

[image source]

Tuesday I take off for Ho Chi Minh City

Stay tuned for stories of heat, humidity, rice....

As we do camp, Vietnam style :)

To my best fishing buddy...

2010-06-20T20:59:00.000-06:00

ok let's be honest... my only fishing buddy.

Happy Father's Day :)

Actual conversation in the elevator last week:

2010-05-26T16:31:00.000-06:00

(me and another girl are in the elevator, I hear a someone running to try to catch it)
Me: (holding elevator door) Good morning
Other Person: Wow, you must be new to the building.
Me: How did you know?
O.P.: No one ever holds the elevator.
Me: Oh..
O.P.: (looking at what I have in my hand) Wow, those are some really big chili peppers you have.
Me: Yes.
O.P. They are nice.
Me: Thank you.

(third person in the elevator never even looks up)

I am not sure what this means, but it has to mean something.