Live your love.

I recently heard this quote, and it really rang true for me:  Life is beautiful not because of the things we see or do, it is beautiful because of the people we meet. I got to babysit my nephew and play with him at Gymboree! Sweet college friends, celebrating John's birthday! My roommates on Halloween My roommates took a road trip to Albuquerque for the Hot Air Balloon Festival Closest friends from high school help my nephew celebrate his first birthday! I constantly encounter people on a daily basis with my job. I am blessed by the kids I get to work with and my colleagues. There are so many people in this world that really want the best for kids and people, and I need to remember that. Those people make life beautiful. I recently started volunteering with a group of woman who are refugees from Somalia. They have taught me more about culture, overcoming adversity, and beauty more than I could ever teach them. I have been energized by conversations with really...

“ Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you  not  to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. ” -Marianne Williamson (later said by Nelson Mandela)

It's been awhile since I had a day of catching up on me. I'm realizing how hard it is to be still and reflect on the past few months of life. Our society keeps us moving... interacting.. and gives us endless opportunities that I find myself wanting to take part in. But it seems like when we do have a chance to stop.. breathe.. think... is when all that hard stuff comes up- the stuff we've been neglecting because it's just easier to go on living our busy lives sometimes. After trying to process through the past few months of my life, I am quickly reminded how life is actually not about me at all. I am energized by the lives of the people I get to live life with. Recently, I've gotten to share great celebrations with these people like passing an exam, having a birthday, getting a new job, getting married, having an anniversary, living in the same house for a year, etc. All these events have given me great joy because it gives us an excuse to get together, catch up, s...

With Erin, Jessye and Jill at Machu Picchu My last day at the school with Nancy, Luz, two students, and a caregiver With my precious host family Out with Sandra & Maite, friends from Spain Summit of Machu Picchu Mountain With Simi on our Sacred Valley tour This week I spent the majority of time being a tourist! I spent monday, tuesday and wednesday at the school. I feel like I have finally developed relationships with the students and the teachers there! I made a list in spanish (with a little help) of various fine motor activities that are culturally relevant and helpful for their students. On tuesday night, i went out with my spanish friends and got to try a pisco sour, which is the drink of peru and was quite delicious. On wednesday after working at the school, one of the teachers took me to experience a peruvian wedding. I sat through a traditional catholic mass in spanish at one of cusco's beautiful cathedrals. I even went to the re...

The Therapy room at Manos Unidas Asiya & I at Sacsayhuaman Out with Maite & Asiya 3 of the students in the younger autism classroom at Camino Nuevo At Wachuma reggae bar with Maite, Asiya, and Sandra Universal cuffs I made for the classroom with children with Cerebral Palsy Hola y buena tardes de Cusco. My time here has been very satisfying and interesting. Traveling alone really forces me to branch out and meet people and get to know people who are different from me. It´s been so encouraging and rewarding to meet people from all over the world with various different backgrounds, while learning the culture and getting to know many Cusquenians and Peruvians. I had to say goodbye to my volunteer buddy, Asiya last night. She is a physical therapist in Baltimore, Maryland. She taught me a new appreciation for Reggae music and was my travel buddy around Cusco. I´ve also been spending time with two girls from Spain who are doing a education psy...

My Dove dark chocolate wrapper told me this week: "you are exactly where you are supposed to be." I agree with this for right now because this experience has allowed me to share my resources and expertise while learning to speak Spanish and being out of my comfort Zone without some of the amenities I'm used to in the US. It has also forced me to have friendships and form bonds with people very different than me and often don't even speak my native language. Today I had the opportunity to run a workshop for teachers on strategiEs and activities in their classroom to help with fine motor development, sensory processing, and whole brain learning. They were very receptive and engaged and I so appreciated their time. Many of them are already doing well with the resources available. Last night at the school they held a meeting/ support group for the parents of the students. When you work with kids with disabilities, you don't just take on the kids, but you take on their...