One degree down!!!

Although I'm not graduating this term (holding out for that MS), I'm technically DONE with my policy degree!!! Freedom hasn't totally sunk in, as I'm flying outta here at 6 am tomorrow...lots to do! So happy not to write anything today...at all...AHHHHH!!! :-) Her Highness isn't coming with me...sad, I know, but she's going to be well cared for and spoiled absolutely rotten by one of my friends. He's pretty happy about the situation, too.

Anywho...lots to do and not a ton of time...

Had a bit of a tense moment this morning. Spent eight solid hours editing a final paper with a couple classmates yesterday, so put off doing my last literature review. Went to work on my partially completed lit review this morning and my laptop froze. No big deal, right? These things happen. Shut it off, let it sit for a second, hit the power button, heard the faint "whirrr" of it starting up, and.......nothing. Nada. Forced shut-off again, hit the power button, familiar "whirrrrrrr" and the light on the open/shut button blinked. Never seen that before, but whatever...as long as it's doing something! Right?! Wrong. Nothing. Mind you, I've emailed the 60 page paper to my classmates and myself, so that isn't a big deal. The lit review, however, had not been backed up (nor had the bibliography or supporting documents). Ack! In a moment of wisdom (and possibly resignation), I left the room, sat down, had a cup of coffee, and - out of desperation - took the battery out of the computer for a few minutes before replacing it and hitting the power button one last time. Same old "whirrrr," but a steady, normal light on the open/shut button, and the sweet sound of the computer kicking into gear. Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!! Why/How that worked is beyond me...but I'm beyond caring. :-) First thing I did was email myself that dang literature review, which I am now putting off (again) to write this blog.

12 hours from now and I'll be done with two years of graduate school (and technically, I'll have completed a Master's in Public Policy...sweet!!!!!!) Better yet...two days from now, I'll enroute to the beautiful PNW. See y'all then!

Music: Use Somebody ~Kings of Leon, Open Your Eyes ~Snow Patrol
Quote: "Obladi, oblada, life goes on, brah/Lala, how the life goes on..." ~The Beatles

Ah, spring!!!

"I believe that there is a subtle magnetism in Nature, which, if we unconsciously yield to it, will direct us aright." ~Henry David Thoreau

"Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life." ~Rachel Carson

"We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect." ~Aldo Leopold

"Is education possibly a process of trading awareness for things of lesser worth? The goose who trades his is soon a pile of feathers." ~Aldo Leopold

The beautiful weather and prospect of freedom have put me in a reflective mood. These reflections make me so grateful to be in the interdisciplinary field in which I find myself. Frustrating as this middle ground can be, it really brings harmony to my life and allows me to pursue something that I'm passionate about while still (hopefully!) making relevant contributions to the communities I interact with.

The Aldo Leopold quote about education is something that seems to resonate with how I've felt lately. Half the time, I feel like my education is more about communication than anything else. One thing I've learned through graduate school is that the good professors have tremendous amounts of intelligence and insight, but the great ones can communicate this intelligence to anyone on the street. These thoughts make me want to re-read A Sand County Almanac. Many thanks to Carl for introducing me to Leopold!

Sing to me, oh muses...

...or at least give me a sharp kick in the butt to get me going!

Finals week has arrived yet again, and I am happily exam free...which means I'm writing more papers than I ever wanted to. :-) Ah well...c'est la vie! I'm actually a bit ahead of the game and get to look forward to Val coming to town tomorrow...hooray for friends that put things (like literature reviews) in perspective!

In post-finals news, I'll be coming home from April 29-May 3 and would love to see PNWers. :-) My schedule currently includes a lot of hiking, wandering through Portland and enjoying the Japanese gardens, Powell's, waterfront, etc. and lots of time with the family and friends! Oh, to see mountains again! (sorry east coast, those are hills)

Also, I'll be going back to West Africa for a bit this summer. Send me your address and I'll get a postcard your way! (getting postcards is actually a process, so when it arrives in your mailbox it comes complete with a good laugh...you can imagine my attempts at first, finding postcards in a rural area of a developing country, followed by my attempts at haggling in French before finally settling on a price that is probably twice what I really should be paying but I'm doing my part to support the informal economy, then there is finding a postoffice which is an adventure unto itself!) Ah...good times!

Song recommendation of the week: Heartbeats by Jose Gonzales (acoustic guitar...pretty chill...if you like Ben Harper and Zero 7, you'll probably enjoy this song)

A picture from my recent trip to Chicago, one from the recent charity auction at my policy program (with friends Siobhan, Milena, and Elaine), and another Senegal picture...(not terribly difficult to tell which is which) :-)

Any ideas where I can find a blog background that doesn't scream "16 year old girl?!"  Suggestions would be much appreciated!  :-)

It's almost eight o'clock and the sky is far from pitch black...I love this time of year. Also, gotta love being so far east in the time zone! It can be a bit funny when people try to convince you that Michigan is not - in fact - in the Eastern Time Zone. :-) Not quite as interesting as the Newfoundland Time Zone in Canada. It is 1/2 hour ahead of Eastern Time...crazy Newfies!

In other news, this week is so far beyond busy that I don't know what I have to do. It's probably better that way...I can't get overwhelmed if I just focus on the present and near future. Much more manageable!

Also, more pictures will be posted as soon as I have them on my computer. Stay tuned!

Ok...so it's been a while since I've written. Quite a bit has happened in the meantime. Most recently, I spent last week in Dakar, Senegal as part of a class. I don't have time to write much about it now, but wanted to post a couple pictures. Enjoy!