my resume

I'm down in College Station now on the job hunt! It's a little slow now, but I am hopeful. One important thing that I have learned over the past couple years is that I must be doing a job I love. Something I am passionate about and that is well worth my time. Something that requires helping people and not sitting behind a desk all day. Something that makes me and those I work with smile daily. Something great.
One program that I've been observing over that past 15 or so years because of my mom's involvement is CASA. It's a non-profit organization that helps children who have been removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect through the legal/social services/foster systems. I would love to be a part of it, so I'm trying to get my foot in the door with that. Other than that, I wouldn't mind moving back to Costa Rica (without having to work) for a living.

I'm picky, but I am open to suggestions!

tradition

Growing up, my mom always looked forward to the summertime, when she would get to spend the majority of the summer with her Grandma and Grandpa Heard in Guymon, Oklahoma. This is where she learned how to do many of the things that are so important to her now...like having a garden and canning.

Ever since I can remember, my summers have included lots of hours in the kitchen watching and helping my mom can all sorts of pickles, green beans, jellies, okra, peppers, and salsa. It has always been something I have looked forward to and appreciated (especially when it comes time to eating all the goodies).


This time when I was home, I was lucky enough to be there during the makings of plum jelly! More like yum jelly!

a medicine bag

A week or so before we left Costa Rica, we met Victor. He pulled up to our cabin one afternoon to ask us if he could borrow our surfboard. Since the board had some cracks in it, he was willing to repair those in return for a few days of using it. We quickly agreed, and while the board was being repaired, we were able to learn Victor's story.

He is on a journey from Michigan to the southern tip of Argentina on his motorcycle. He travels alone except when his brother flies down to meet up with him for a few weeks. He left without knowing any Spanish, but after spending some time in Mexico he's fluent. He carries a knife for protection, several wallets for when he's robbed, and a bag of medical supplies to earn his keep at various clinics and hospitals throughout the different coutries. He is a medical student taking a break from school, and he has been volunteering his time and knowledge in order to have a place to sleep and eat.

I visited with him for several hours one afternoon, and he told me all kinds of crazy stories. He's been robbed at gun point by dirty cops in Mexico, taken to jail in Belize for wearing a bandana on his head, and has come face to face with a jaguar in Guatemala (I think that's where it was). He has been on the road for about 10 months now, and he gets a bit homesick sometimes, but he is absolutely happy in life. He loves the excitement of discovering the unknown. He loves meeting people and seeing the genuine kindness that almost everyone he has encountered portrays. And he loves having the freedom to do whatever he wants to do on his motorcycle. He is certainly an interesting and inspiring person.

His website is www.dondeestavictor.com , and I think there is an online community somewhere that follows him. This is one way he makes contacts in different countries and knows where to go and even who to stay with.

CHOICES

One of the greatest things I have learned in my life is that since I am a human who was lucky enough to be born in the States, I can have the life I choose. If I am motivated, resourceful, self-disciplined, and focused I can do anything.

Life is awesome, and the world is full of beauty, but in order to enjoy these gifts, we have to make the choice to do so.