Seven Month Catch Up ;-]

April 23rd: Last day at EGHS with my AVID Family

May 4th: Graduate from Florida Tech with a Masters of Science in Environmental Education

May 15th: Attended the Lilian Carter Award Ceremony in Atlanta with my great aunt Alberta & meet several incredible Returned Peace Corps Volunteers

June 24th: Attend Staging in Philadelphia and meet seventeen new best friends

June 25th: Leave Newark, New Jersey for a layover in Brussels, Belgium and then on to Africa!

June 26th: Arrive in The Gambia, West Africa!!!

July 3rd: Move to training village (Meriama Kunda) and meet my host family 

July 4th: Attend naming ceremony and Gambian cultural show

July 10th-14th: Medically evacuated to Dakar, Senegal

July 16th: Found out permanent site (Maka Farafenni) & chopped off all my hair

July 21st: Shadow a Gambian Day~ I planted corn with Reyes, a teacher trainee

July 29th-August 1st: Teach 6th grade science (the 7 classes of animals) during "model school"

August 19th-24th: Attended supervisor's workshop, visit permanent site & meet my new host family

September 13th: Officially swear-in as a Peace Corps Volunteer!!!

MQD: Future Peace Corps Volunteer!

Here is how it all happened:

September 26, 2012: Peace Corps application submitted

October 10, 2012: Initial interview at University of Central Florida

October 31, 2012: Follow-up interview

November 5, 2012: Nomination to serve received 

(Sector: Education, Tentative Departure Month: May)

January 18, 2013: Invitation to serve received 

(Country: The Gambia, Program: Education, Job Title: Primary Teacher Trainer, Staging: June 26, 2013) 

January 28, 2013: Invitation to serve officially accepted

January 31, 2013: The infamous "Big Blue Packet" received

February 23, 2013: Met my first Gambian and fellow Grad Student during the Florida Tech International Festival

Stayed tuned as this life-long dream comes true!!!

New Hero

{photo courtesy of the Turtle Conservancy & Behler Chelonian Center}

Dear Mister Eric Goode: 

I thoroughly enjoyed your interview.  Thank you for all the good {no pun intended, I promise} that you are doing for this species!! 

Your friend & fellow turtle admirer, 
MQD 

"In the end we will conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand. We will understand only what we are taught." 

~ Baba Dioum

Sing to Him a New Song

I am thankful we sang this song at church today. I needed to hear it, sing it, proclaim it, confess it, cry it out and believe it... not just today but every day.
   
One Thing Remains

And on and on and on and on it goes

Your love never fails

It never gives up 

It never runs out on me

It's higher than the mountains that I face

It's stronger than the power of the grave

It's constant in the trial and the change

This one thing remains

And on and on and on and on it goes

It overwhelms and satisfies my soul

And I never, ever, have to be afraid

This one thing remains

Your love

In death, in life

I'm confident and covered by the power of Your great love

My debt is paid

There's nothing that can separate my heart from Your great love

Your love never fails 

It never gives up 

It never runs out on me

And on and on and on and on it goes

Hello there, 28!

My favorite time of day on my favorite day :-]

Not much has changed...

Michelangelo TMNT ice cream cake in 1991 for my sixth birthday

Sea turtle cupcakes twenty-two years later

Oh, Publix!

The balloons at Publix have stolen my heart once again!!!

2012: The Year of Twos

Two glorious weeks studying Pacific marine ecosystems along the southern coast of Oregon complete with two octopuses, Ocho & He'e Nui (who was shy and didn't want his picture taken).

Two guys, one a best friend whom I heart and one whom holds the heart of my best friend, serving in Peru and Togo through the Peace Corps.

Two fun, exciting, and educational summer jobs; being an overnight counselor for the Florida Tech Marine Science Summer Camp and teaching third and fourth graders at Brevard Zoo. 

Only two losses (heartbreaking as they were) for my Georgia Bulldawgs! To just have five more seconds and five more yards... What an incredible season!

Two special turtles come and gone: saying hello to my first nesting Green sea turtle and saying goodbye to Lonesome George.  Walking two miles and running one for sea turtle conservation during my first, but not last, 5K.

Meeting two science heroes of my childhood, Dr. Jane Goodall and Bill Nye the Science Guy.

Seeing the Forysth Park Fountain in all it's glory and dressed up for two holidays, Saint Patrick's Day and Christmas.

Two tearful farewells from the Space Coast to the Shuttles Discovery and Endeavour.

Two Presidents met in one day, one of the United States of America and the other of the Florida Institute of Technology.  

And two very special baby girls celebrating their first Christmas.

12/12/12

Today is just too much fun!!

Thankful for Thankfulness {Part II}

I have the privilege of being an AVID Tutor at Eau Gallie High School.  It is quite honestly the highlight of my week and I am thankful to be a part of this Family!  Before Thanksgiving break, the students surprised myself and the other tutors with these thank you cards!  Just goes to show, a little thanks goes a long way! 

Happy Thanksgiving, Y'all!! 

  

Two Good Two Be True

How sweet it is to be a Georgia Bulldawg :-]  I am beyond thrilled that my Alma Mater defeated those dirty gators both years I have been in Florida pursuing my Masters!  

The Bulldawg stays on the fridge for a second year! 

I'll never forget the {oblivious} initial revealing... 

And an other win over Auburn?!?  Be still my little Bulldawg heart...

Turtles & Touchdowns

Florida Tech has combined two of my favorites...

  

The inter-squad scrimmages don't come close to the splendor of the SEC but the view can't be beat.  They'll get there one day~