Wow. I have so much to update...

This post may be long. I really need to take the time to write more often. :/

My internship is going to be over for the semester in 4 weeks! I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed working at my internship, and I can't rave enough about my awesome field instructor. I couldn't ask for a better relationship between the two of us. We have similar personalities and views, so we get along fantastic. My field professor came to meet with us and we both sang each other's praises. It was a proud moment. :)

Last week was crazy busy. One day, we had 3 home visits and one finalization at court. Another day, I attended a selection staffing, had the meeting w/ my field professor and attended a Life Books event with foster children. Insane!

We met a young couple who I shall call James and Eliana. They've have had no success in conceiving naturally (3 years of trying), so they've turned to adoption. You could definitely see that there is still a small tinge of sadness in Eliana, but she is also a very strong-willed woman and knows this is the best path for her and James. They live in a cute little bungalow with a sweet dog. They both have successful jobs and seem to know how to work out their lives when there is a new baby in it. It was the first meeting with them. Next, we meet with each of them one on one. This will be my first stab at writing a home study! Woot! I'm excited for this couple. They remind me a lot of Todd and myself. :)

We also met with another family who adopted a Safe Haven baby. This was the 2nd of 3 post-placement visits, and I will also be writing the final home investigation. Baby Mercedes is doing great! She is growing and eating her way through life! That lil teeny tiny baby ate 7 oz of food while we were there! When we arrived, Mercedes was halfway through a 5 oz bottle. Once she was finished, she got a lil fussy. Mama gave her a pacifier to see if that would soothe her. I don't think I've ever seen a child suck on a pacifier the way Mercedes did! You could definitely see that she was expecting to get something out of it. After a minute or so, she realized that thing wasn't producing any milk and she let us know she wasn't pleased with our trickery! So, mama fixed her 2 more oz and she gulped them down! It was kinda humorous.

We attended an adoption finalization at the courthouse for the Daniels family. I had not yet met this family because they went through the entire process before I started interning. Baby Addison has had some developmental delays, and they once thought she had fetal alcohol syndrome, but I believe that has been cleared. She is breathtakingly adorable though, and she is going to be one beautiful young lady! Mama Daniels is a beautiful woman, probably in her mid-forties. Papa Daniels is definitely older, maybe in his 60s. No big deal, to me, but I bring it up because a lot of people do question the age cutoff for adoption. I am not sure there is a definite line. I believe it is up to the social worker to figure out if the family is able to provide for that child for the next 20 or so years. These people aren't slowing down anytime soon. They are very lively and mobile.

The finalization was quick, as always, and later on that day, we actually went to their house for a final goodbye and good luck. (However, they are actually going to be starting the process again in January for a 2nd baby!) Mama stays-at-home and papa does some sort of financial job. He makes great money, as evidenced by their home. Mama is a crafty lady and showed me her craft room. She makes shoes, handbags, clothing, carpentry, upholsters furniture, draws/paints, etc. She is very handy, much more so than her hubby. :) She grew up on a farm - I think that has a lot to do with it. She painted Addison's room and made a lot of the furniture. I was amazed at the beauty of this room. It is every little girl's dream, and Addison will no doubt love it up into her early teens, for sure. Mama Daniels was SO nice. We sat and talked of all kinds of things, and she was so warm and sincere. She definitely disrupts the "snobby" stereotype for the rich women of this town. LOL! They also have a small dog who I just fell in love with - and I don't often like small dogs! So cute and very smart. He let me hold him like a baby and walk around the house with him. :)

On a separate day, I attended a Selection Staffing, which is where the adoption specialist, dependency case manager, therapist, and other important decision makers in the adoption field, come together and decide on the BEST family for a child. Well, it just so happens that there was only one family to present for a young girl I will call Carissa. Carissa is 12 years old and has been in the system for quite some time. She presents with a myriad of developmental and emotional problems, and has definitely been in trouble because of them. However, Carissa was picked to attend the 10-week Model Approach to Partnerships in Parenting seminar that all foster parents have to go through. During that 10-weeks, Carissa fell in love with the Andrews, and they in turn adore her to pieces. The Andrews even took it further to speak with her therapist, psychologist and others to really get an understanding about Carissa. They have shown sincere interest in providing a healthy, stable life for this young lady. Carissa has spoken out for her adoration for the couple many times, which is why this family was presented. I am not surprised at all by the outcome of the meeting, which of course, was positive because the match was made! This isn't a typical selection staffing though. Usually 3 - 4 families are presented and much deliberation is needed. This was a special one though. YAY!

After the meeting, we called the Andrews to let them know. They were ecstatic!!! We can not tell Carissa until the Andrews go through disclosure though, so she does not yet know. Now - here is the cool part of the story. Later that day, we had a Life Books event for some of the foster children and we invited 3 or 4 prospective adoptive parents to attend and mingle with the children. Life Books are a very important resource for the child, as it is a reminder of where they've come from, and where they are headed. Well, Carissa and the Andrews attended and they sat together the entire time and worked on Carissa's life book. I was beaming on the inside. It was so awesome to know that these 2 wonderful people are her new family and she doesn't even know it yet! This was my first time seeing the 3 of them together, and I definitely agree that the match is perfect. Carissa hit the jackpot!

BUSY!!!!

Today I got to sit in on the Adoption Team Unit Meeting, which was hysterical, to say the least. Those women (and their token male colleague) are a hoot! They are planning a holiday party in December for their foster children and prospective families, and I got talked into teaching the kids dances like the macarena and electric slide. LOL! :) I am also helping to plan the crafts, which will be lotsa fun.

Next Monday, I will be going on 3 home visits and one finalization! Then on Friday, I will finally be able to see selection staffings!! This is when everybody (case managers, adoption specialists, guardian ad litem, foster parent, etc) gets together to select the best family for a child. This is on my learning plan so I am glad that I will be able to see how involved the match process it. I will also be attending a Life Book event in the afternoon with some of the foster kids. You can read all about life books here - I'm too hungry to explain.

Then, Nov. 20 is NATIONAL ADOPTION DAY, and we have a big event going on at the County Courthouse. Lots of foster care adoption finalizations that day. WOOHOO!

Ciao!

Bridges out of Poverty

Today I attended a training titled Bridges out of Poverty. The training was developed by Ruby Payne and colleagues at aha! process, inc. The piece of poverty that this training focuses on is the economic piece, which is certainly a big part but doesn't cover everything. The economic status of someone is only one thread of their quilt, ya know? There are many other threads that make up that quilt - age, marital status, sexual orientation, location, gender, religion, race, etc.

We talked mainly about generational poverty, which is when poverty exists in a family from generation to generation. Situational poverty, which we are definitely seeing a lot more of today, is when a situation - death, divorce, unemployment, depression, drugs, disability, etc - put you in poverty.

We talked about the mental model of poverty. A mental model is your perception, how you view something. As we know, everyone sees things differently. We might look at someone and think they are poor, but in reality they may be quite happy with their situation. Hell, you might view a couple who looks rich and think they have it made, when in fact they might be the most unhappiest people in the room. Don't judge a book by the cover. Plain and simple.

To check how our perceptions were different, we took the words Love, Religion, Celebration and Divorce and drew a picture representation. We all had different pictures. For divorce, someone drew a broken heart, and someone else drew a smiley face! This was a prime example at how we all view things differently, and if you are not on the same page with your client, you will be completely useless to them. There was an example of a social worker who had a poor family of 5 on her caseload. They didn't have a refrigerator - they used Styrofoam coolers. So, without telling the family, the social worker set up a fund raiser so she could buy them a fridge. And she did just that. A week after delivering this gracious gift to them, she called to check in and couldn't reach them. A month went by before she heard from the family, and when she asked where they had been, they told her they went to visit their sick mother/grandmother. The social worker asked them how the heck they were able to afford that (in another state, had crappy car, etc). Can you guess what their answer was? They sold the fridge! The social worker was completely shocked at their response and asked why they did that. They simply said that visiting this sick relative was far more important than a fridge could ever be. So, the social worker should have asked this family what was important to them and what they needed, because what the social worker thought they needed was not something the family thought they needed.

So to get on the same page about poverty, we looked at the mental model. Guess what's at the center of the Mental Model for Poverty? RELATIONSHIPS. Social workers know the importance of relationships, as it is part of our Social Work values. It is no surprise that people are social animals and need to have relationships with others to feel secure, have support/resources, etc. Trusting relationships are the key to motivating someone to change. Building trust with your client can possibly be one of the hardest things you have to do with them, but once that trust is solid, the helping relationship will blossom and you will be able to effectively assist your client in the change process.

I learned an interesting tidbit. People in generational poverty do not have a future orientation. They live in the here and now. All their priorities are right now. Whatever is needed at that moment. This is very different from how the middle class views life - we are very future oriented! We save money, when we can, and think about our futures - education, family, retirement, etc. The generational poor don't go there - what is the point?

This brings me to a very interesting argument. If a mother of 3 is eligible for Medicaid, WIC, Food Stamps, etc., but loses it all if she gets a $6/hr job (which won't pay for squat) - what the heck is her motivation to work? What is the point of stressing herself out over a bullshit job, wondering if she is going to get fired for missing work every time one her children gets sick, feeling completely exhausted at the end of the day and then having to care for the children. The list goes on. YES - a lot of us work, and work hard, and then come home to work for our families, but I think those who are reading this blog are living comfortably from their efforts, and while we all certainly have stress - it is usually not at the level of the poor.

"The need to act overwhelms any willingness people have to learn." If someone is always stressed out and having to constantly worry about the NOW - what will my children eat for breakfast, how will they get to school, how will I get to work, what if I miss my bus connection and I'm late and get fired, what if something happens to my children when they are home alone - they are never going to be able to take the time to reflect and learn. Never. Can you imagine feeling like that 247? I moan and complain when I have one night of insomnia due to an upcoming test or big event. I can't imagine constantly having those dreadful feelings in my head.

Wanna know what is at the center of the Mental Model for Middle Class? ACHIEVEMENT. Surprised? I wasn't. Guess what's at the center for the Wealthy? CONNECTIONS. Again - not surprised. The middle class has future orientation, CHOICES and power. This does not exist for those in poverty. The Mental Model of Generational Poverty describes life from a Concrete Perspective. These people tell it like it is. There are no abstract thoughts - thinking of going to college, thinking of becoming successful - there is only concrete thinking. Tell it like it is. What you see is what you get.

Anyway - there is so much more to say but I'm hungry! What I really took away from this training was pretty much what I've already been taught in my social work classes: Start where the client is. If you get on the same page with them, and see their story through their eyes, your helping relationship is bound to be effective in some way. If you think the client needs X, Y and Z services, but all they want from you is a clean pair of socks - then that is what you give them.

And to end this post - check out this documentary called The End of Poverty?

My Mom's Birthday!

I'm FINALLY able to post about my mom's birthday weekend in Disney! I met her in Orlando on 10/24, we checked into the room and then went out to dinner with an old friend of mine, Alberta. (Her mom used to babysit me during grade school.) When I last saw her, her daughter (Kaylie) was about 6 months old. Kaylie turned 8 that day, which was why they were at Disney. Seeing old friends is always a treat.

We went to T-Rex, a super cool restaurant in Downtown Disney. If you've been to Rainforest Cafe, then you know what I mean when I say the restaurant is alive with activity. :)

I love this picture of my mom and the baby mammoth

We got to sit in the ice room which was SO beautiful!

The prehistoric ocean room was by far the best though (this is coming from a marine biology freak)

And, they weren't playing around with the portions either. You were served a dinosaur-sized portion!

It was nice to catch up with Alberta and see her lovely daughter. I realize now that I didn't get a picture of us together. Duh! After we ate (unfortunately, my mom's food wasn't too great, but my massive pile o' meat was delish!), we walked around Downtown Disney and joined in the plethora o' madness. I love Downtown Disney! I stumbled across Trend, which is a Disney store that has trendy Disney clothing/accessories! Some of the stuff in there was uber cool, and uberly expensive.

The next day - it was the EPCOT INTERNATIONAL FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL!

I must start this out by saying save a couple of hundred bucks up (aside from park entrance) and GO TO THIS EVENT! I don't drink wine but not only do they have mixed drinks, beer, etc. all over the place, but you don't have to drink to enjoy the experience. Seriously. I'm not a serious drinker, esp. in the sun. Just give me the food, please. :) Luckily for us, Mom got in to the park free for her birthday and I had a leftover ticket from my last trip in May. Also, mom had some birthday money, so all in all, much didn't come out of pocket. Hallelujah!

Kelly and Irene met us there for a few hours and we had a great time with them. They are Disney-holics and know every nook and cranny to see and eat and drink. However, they had never stopped to see this interactive comedy trio in Great Britain, so I told them that we had to stop and see it. It's hysterical. What do you know - Kelly got picked to play along! LOL!!

Kelly is no doubt thinking of Edward as she takes a bite out of this apple.

Our moms are so cute!

Fabulous Foursome!

Now, I am going to list all of the things that we ate so you can salivate at the mouth and start saving your pennies.

New Orleans: Chicken and Andouille Gumbo. Delish!

Montreal, Canada: Mom had Maple Glazed Salmon w/ Lentil Salad and I had Spicy Chicken Sausage w/ Sweet Corn Polenta (I'm such a sucker for polenta)

San Juan, Puerto Rico: Mom had a Ham Croqueta and I had a Guava Pastry. Yum-o! I love the guava.

Cape Town, South Africa: Mom got Seared Beef Tenderloin with Sweet Potato Puree and Mango Barbeque Sauce. It smelled heavenly but I didn't try it since I don't like red barbeque sauces.

Mexico City, Mexico: Corn Tortilla filled w/ Shredded Pork and Purple Opinions. I'm not a big pig eater (don't like ham or bacon) but one of my favorite preparation of any meat is the Latin preparation of shredded pork! I don't get to have it often since Todd doesn't eat red meat/pork, so I jumped at the chance. Delish! Mom and I also split a Fiesta Margarita, which was a concoction of Lime (Yuck), Strawberry (Yum), and Mango (Double Yum) Frozen Margarita mixes

Kraków, Poland: I couldn't pass up the Kielbasa and Potato Pirogies w/ Caramelized Onions and Sour Cream. Mom helped me with this one. :)

Paris, France: HOLY HECK! I think the best food I've ever tasted was at the France kiosk. All Praise the Braised Short Ribs in Cabernet w/ Mashed Potatoes. It was so funny, earlier in the day, Kelly and her mom told me I needed to try it, but I said I didn't like ribs. They told me not to think of traditional ribs, this was far more sophisticated, yada, yada. I ignored them. LOL. Well, after they left, mom and I walked by France again and she got them and let me taste. There are no words for the savory perfection that dish was, and I went and got my own. It took me about 100 minutes to eat that little portion b/c I chewed so slowly and just savored the taste. Freakin incredible.

Misc: Mom and I also split this goat cheese salad (LOVE GOAT CHEESE!) and a Napoleon from France. The best friggin pastry this side of the Atlantic, let me tell ya!

There were WAY more places to eat that we didn't stop at. At least 15 more countries, it not more. So cool! Mom had a blast! I am so glad she was able to get away for a couple of days. She needed the break from the everyday. It was a great experience and surprisingly, I barely gained any weight! CRAZY!

Of course, my mom can't go anywhere without buying ME something. She is so crazy. She got me this beautiful bag, which I needed like a hole in the head. It is not a Dooney, but I love it just the same.

"I brought children into this dark world because it needed the light that only a child can bring." ~Liz Armbruste

Yesterday, I had the most enjoyable experience at my internship. I finally got to meet a family that adopted internationally. This family, who I will call the Jones, adopted a sibling group of 3 from Ethiopia. Before I met the family, I was able to watch a documentary that they were in regarding adopting from Ethiopia. It was so beautiful to see this family (The Jones and 2 of their adult bio sons) meet their new children/siblings. (Mr. Jones actually made the trip prior to this and had already met the children.) The Jones went through a reputable agency and even met Birth mom (B.M.) when they went to Ethiopia to pick up their children. She is very ill and can no longer care for them. B.M. was featured in the documentary and let me tell you, I was amazed at the strength of this woman. She was so composed and strong. However, a smile never crossed her face, and her eyes showed the depth of her pain. C. (my supervisor) was crying and I had a few tears drip down my face. That type of thing is never easy to witness, no matter what situation the B.M. is in. B.M. and Mrs. Jones hugged one another and it was the most powerful thing to watch. B.M. is ever grateful that her children are being cared for and will likely live to old age, but it was the epitome of a bitter-sweet moment, if that even describes it at all. :(

Now, on to the FUN PART! I got to meet the children! I shall call them Amare (boy), age 3; Desta (girl), age 5; and big brother Bekele, age 6. The Jones kept their Ethiopian names (which are REALLY cool/cute, I wish I could tell you) and gave them American middle names. They were obviously already used to their names so changing them would have made the transition more difficult. However, I must first say that I was AMAZED at how quickly these children have transitioned into their new life. They've only been here 3 months and I would never be able to tell that they weren't born here. They only thing that gives it away is their cute little accent. :)

Bekele is only 6 but he was practically the parent of his 2 siblings since he was 4. He had to feed and bathe them as their mother could not. Needless to say, this young man is a leader in ever since of the word. The Jones described his transition from a parental figure to a sibling as wondrous. To see him roll around on the floor with little Amare was quite surprising (especially to Amare!) because these things did not happen back in Ethiopia. He had a sort of emotional breakdown at some point and they let him cry, so he knows it is ok to cry. I assume he had to keep all of these emotions inside in Ethiopia. Bekele is in first grade, is very outgoing, talks really fast (his English is great but if he gets going, he starts to blur it with Amharic, his native tongue), and loves soccer. :)

Desta is SO CUTE! She barely said 2 words but she is such a pretty little thing. (She and Amare look so much a like, and a lot like B.M. but I think Bekele looks very different from them.) Desta has adjusted well but she is still very sensitive to her parents leaving. When were done with the visit, the Jones walked us to the door and Desta said "Mommy, no go!" and ran to her and threw her arms around her legs. It was very touching and shows the trauma these children have experienced in their life. Mrs. Jones said she had a meltdown at the dinner table one night when she would not eat her vegetables. Typical toddler. She was also given a princess dress (Cinderella, of course) which she wore to a princess birthday party. Well, her birthday just passed and she got up that morning and immediately put on her princess dress. I think she associates birthdays with having to wear that dress. Too cute. She goes to Pre-K 4 mornings a week.

Amare is the youngest and so adorable! He has picked up the language the fastest, since he is the youngest. He seems very good natured and easy going, and they said he doesn't have tantrums (yet). He's social and has a great sense of humor. He didn't say much while we were there but he did show me his wonderful smile many times.

The Jones family were given MANY things - children's clothes, toys, money - by their church and community. When the children first sat down with these toys, they looked at them like "what the heck am I supposed to do with this?" They didn't have toys in Ethiopia. You know what they wanted to play with? The rocks and dirt in the backyard. That was familiar to them and they had a blast. The Jones say the children are very industrious and hardworking. The like to be productive, probably because they are used to it. Bekele likes to help Mr. Jones bag up leaves in the yard. Amare cleaned up after himself after he ate without being told.

I told the Jones that I hope they don't mind if I call them in 20 years when I'm ready to adopt from Rwanda. They asked why I would wait so long, and I told them my husband and I are incurring serious debt from school, so it will definitely have to wait. I had a side conversation with Mrs. Jones about my anti-genocide advocacy days and how I mostly want to work with refugees. That got us discussing the Lost Boys of Sudan and Human Aid workers and all of the things that I can only dream of being a part of. However, at least I can help those who resettle here. They need it too.

All in all, it was the best field experience I've had thus far, and I am very happy for this family. Those kids are very, very lucky to have this new life. They will not forget where they came from though, and have pictures of their B.M. and share stories about her. B.M. has pictures of them, as well, and will receive updates. Hopefully B.M. doesn't suffer for a long time, and I hope she is at peace with her decision.

[Rant]

The documentary also showed the dark side to adoption in a lot of countries: Human Trafficking. I was sickened to see some of the practices that these FAKE agencies do to obtain children to SELL to Americans who are completely clueless. And let me just put this out there RIGHT NOW, Christian World Adoption was shown in this video in a village, coercing parents to hand over their children. Now, I do not know anything else about this agency, other than what I witnessed on this video, but what I saw was enough. These children were FINE! Obviously, Ethiopia is not the best country in the world to live in, and the people that live here struggle in ways we can't even imagine, but these children and their families were living the typical Ethiopian life. These agencies come to these villages and persuade these people to hand over their children by telling them of the beautiful, healthy, safe lives they will live in America, never going hungry, blah blah. Ok, that IS great. I wish ALL of those people could live the way we do. The entire WORLD should be able too, but let's get realistic. The entire world can't move to the U.S., and children should remain with their families unless they are being neglected, abused, etc. These children were FINE!

C. was telling me how they have discontinued international adoptions from Guatemala because women were being found dead with their stomachs cut open. PEOPLE WERE KILLING PREGNANT WOMEN WHO WERE NEAR TERM TO CUT OUT THE INFANT SO THEY COULD MAKE A PROFIT OFF THE ADOPTION OF THE BABY. Honestly, I don't think humanity can sink any lower into evil.

[/Rant]

Now, off to Orlando to meet my mother and celebrate her birthday at EPCOT Food and Wine Festival! Ciao!

"I want to provide a safe, stable home for a child that needs one."

This was a quote spoken by a prospective adoptive parent that I met yesterday, when I experienced a different piece of my internship. I went on a home visit with B, who finds families for the older children in foster care. This is far different from the work I do with C, who handles private infant and international adoptions.

The prospective mother and father have already raised some pretty solid children, and are looking to adopt one or 2. The husband wants a son, but there is a sibling duo (older sister and younger brother) that they have their eye on. They met the duo when they went through the 10-week MAPP (Model Approach to Partnerships in Parenting) training, which is required of all foster parents. I do not know if it is required of all adoptive parents (I don't think it is) but some take it anyway.

Anyway, we interviewed the prospective mother for 2.5 hours! We had to explore spanking with the father a little, since it is obviously not the approach this class teaches when disciplining children, and I was very impressed with his honest answers. He seemed very genuine. We did have to reschedule with him because of the time it took just interview his wife.

After the interview, we looked around the house to ensure there were smoke alarms, fire extinguisher, enough space, etc. It was a very interesting experience, and I hope these 2 parents end up welcoming a child (or 2!) into their home.

P.S. I found it quite interesting that they actually film these older children for commercials called Thursday's Child that are aired on local news stations. It reminds me of the Humane Society commercials where they showcase a cat or dog in need of a home. Hmmm. Not sure how I feel about that...

Back to work!

Recent Book Acquisitions

Paperback Swap is possibly the best invention, ever. :) Here are the books I've gotten in the past week - ALL on my wish list.

• Gena Showalter: The Darkest Night (Lords of the Underworld, Book 1), The Darkest Pleasure (Lords of the Underworld, Book 3)
• Kelley Armstrong: Bitten (Women of the Otherworld, Books 1), Stolen (Women of the Otherworld, Books 2)
• Michael Ende: THE NEVERENDING STORY!!
• Nina Bangs: Master of Ecstasy (Mackenzie Vampires, Book 1)
• Rachel Caine: Ill Wind (Weather Wardens, Book 1), Heat Stroke (Weather Wardens, Book 2)
• Rachel Vincent: Stray (Werecats, Book 1) - I borrowed this series from a friend, but I must own it. It is fantastic.

Now, I just hope they are all worthy reads! Weeeee!

I am proud.

(I don't know what the heck has happened to this post, but the HTML is screwed up and I don't have time to figure it out!) I lost my badge picture. :(

SocialWrkr24/7 nominated me for

this cool award! I think my blog is pretty boring but I am happy that someone thinks I am deserving. SocialWrkr24/7 has been a large source of knowledge for me as I engage in the child welfare system in my field placement. I enjoy reading this blog very much. :) AND, from this little survey, I've learned she likes to SCRAPBOOK too! Weeeeeeeee!

This award comes with a few rules. Copy and paste this onto a new post in your blog. Write your own answers to the questions below. Remember -you can only use one word answers! (It is just too hard for some answers!) Pass this along to 6 of your favorite bloggers by including their links! Post on your blog. Alert them that you have given them this award. Simple. So go ahead get started.... Have Fun

Where is your cell phone? Close!

Your hair? Disheveled

Your mother? Devoted

Your father? Non-existent

Your favorite food? Mediterranean

Your dream last night? Non-existent

Your favorite drink? Coffee!

Your dream/goal? Equality

What room are you in? Living Room

Your hobby? Scrapbooking!

Your Fear? Loss

Where do you want to be in 6 years? Experienced

Where were you last night? Home

Something that you aren’t? Unproductive

Muffins? <3!>PJs

Your TV? Football

Your pets? Kitties

Friends? Loyal

Your life? Busy

Your mood? Calm

Missing someone? Always

Vehicle? Cute

Something you’re not wearing? Contacts

Your favorite store? Target

Your favorite color? Orange

When was the last time you laughed? Lunch

Last time you cried? Unsure

One place that I go to over and over? Costa Rica!

One person who emails me regularly? Mom

Favorite place to eat? Whole Foods

My nominations are:

• All That Scrap: Amanda is a dear friend who just left all she knows and loves behind to move to a new state and earn her Masters in Psychology at RUTGERS! She has grown and matured so much in the time I've known her. She is the most fashionable woman I know and probably one of the most talented. She was in my wedding and I will always cherish her pat in my big day. She is making my wedding album, which I cannot wait to see. Her work is incredible. :)
• BrookeReviews: Brooke and I have been friends for a LONG time. heh. She was recently accepted to USF, where she is pursuing a Bachelors in Social Studies Education (I think?). She has also turned her love of reading into an amateur hobby, and has created a blog to review books, mainly of the paranormal/urban fantasy/YA genre. She and I definitely share the love for these genres and I always know where to go to see if I will enjoy a book. She has recommended a countless amount of great reads!
• The Itty Bitty Kitty Committee: I don't think I could get through the day without these itty bitties.
• A Case Manager's Verse: I've also learned a lot from Anatolia! :)
• The New Social Worker Blog: TJ has been invaluable by sharing her experiences in the field with this budding social worker.
• Social Work Blogs: I couldn't thank the creator and maintainer of this blog enough! I've uncovered MANY social workers through this blog, and have learned so much from all of them!

Travel Prints.

I'm a fan of a local Miami artist, Valentina. I came across her blog once, and even won a few prints in a contest. I think her art is so interesting, very whimsical and just plain pretty! I am very inspired by her Travel set below, and I hope to one day own them! :D

Valentina's blog: http://valentinaramos.blogspot.com/

Valentina's Esty shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=41524

Inspiration.

Today, I got this book in the mail.

It was a gift from Tara, a dear friend of mine in Tampa. Tara was once my manager who wiggled her way into my heart. She was my mentor during a time in my life where I no doubt felt a little lost. I wanted to do this, and be that and create something extraordinary. I had so many aspirations and not enough lifetimes to do them in. She really helped me focus and look at the big picture, which is not something I excel in (I'm a detail-person by nature.)

Tara helped me realize my passion for helping others. At that point in my life, I wanted to save the world. I was getting my BA in International Studies, I became an anti-genocide activist and I applied to the Peace Corps. I was gun-ho on this path, and there is no question that my heart still really lies with large-scale advocacy (which is why I'm mostly interested in Macro practice).

However, along come a man who would change my path - my husband, Todd. I did not go on to join the Peace Corps because it would have meant 27 months away from the man who was undoubtedly my future husband. My future with him was far more important, so I decided to finish my BA, and what do you know? I'm now getting my Masters in Social Work. (Todd has also been a major component in my new path)

My interest in Social Work is all over the place, which isn't surprising. I do not want to be a therapist of any sort, nor do I want to work with the substance abuse or mental health populations. I would LOVE to work at the political/advocacy/lobbyist-level. However, seeing as there is .00000000000001% chance I will ever live in in D.C., I should just go on to the next option. I'm VERY interested in working with refugees who need assistance in starting their new life in America. Lucky for me, my future home of Atlanta houses one of the 6 refugee resettlement agencies in the U.S. We'll see where that pans out. I would also love to work with groups at the community-level, as well develop prevention programming. I want to ensure that EVERY single living human has the same opportunities. We all deserve the chance to shine and I will fight for human rights!

So, whether Tara really knows it or not, I owe a TON to her for being where I am today. I will never forget her piece in my crazy puzzle. She may not know it, but she has been an inspiration to me in many ways. The kinds words she wrote inside the book made me tear up a bit. Her last line "At the heart of it all, helping others is an act of love" really stands out. Love is what makes the world shake and move.

And if there was one thing Mother Teresa knew about, it was Love:

"I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love."

(P.S. I also have this book for Gandhi - titled appropriately Peace. He is my utmost inspiration.)