Live your love.

I was am feeling especially nostalgic and emotional today as it marks the one year anniversary of the horrific earthquake that struck Haiti taking over 200,000 lives and the homes of millions. As I was listening to the stories covering the anniversary on NPR this morning and this evening, it was good that we were able to stop our day-to-day lives and remember those people and that country that has had it so hard. Some of the words shared were hopeful and helping to inspire the Haitian people by helping to take their lives into their own hands, and not to put their faith in the very corrupt government- But it was also frustrating that so many are still homeless and living in tents. Most of the buildings and houses still lay in rubble- just like they were 6 months ago when I was there, and 1 year ago when the earthquake struck. Certainly mourning needs to happen because of the tragedy and everyone in the country was some how affected. However, people from the outside have come to help an...

I feel like I haven't stopped this past month. Work has been really busy trying to get things going in the beginning of the school year and moving out of a house and into a new house is always more work than you think. I'm feeling more and more like an adult these days. This is my third year in this job with the same schools and some of the same staff and a lot of the same kiddos to work with. I'm no longer a rookie or the young kid on the block. I like that, but with it comes added responsibilities. I do know I'm not alone in feeling super overwhelmed and busy trying to do my job well. I think a lot of Americans probably feel that way right now because when positions and programs are cut due to a poor economy, it tends to leave one person to do the work of at least three people. There are some big systemic issues especially in the field of education. Class sizes are too big, teachers and specialists are expected to do too much in order to prove to the government that o...

With Medeus (our patient with a stroke) and his wife in Haiti It's certainly been a whirlwind of a month. Tomorrow I will have left Haiti three weeks ago. I continue to miss it everyday and think about the experience and people often. Being there for a month made me realize how short one month really is in the grand scheme of things. It made me desire to do something more long term. I know that the timing in my life, I have a job I need to return to and financially I cannot leave that right now, but my hope is that maybe in the next couple of years, I can figure something out so I can live in a different country for a longer period of time... long enough to learn the culture well and learn the language a little more.. and really build some great relationships. Holding my new nephew, Blake Murray Heilicser for the first time My first friends in Denver Since returning from Haiti, my little nephew was born on 8/9/10! He is so precious and has brought such joy to my family. ...