As a high school student, I dreamed of escaping my sleepy suburb, graduating college, and living in a different country each year. At age 16, my dreams were directed towards Europe, and my thoughts were filled with learning French in Paris one year, and exploring Greece’s picturesque islands the next. In my senior year of…
Dear Young Graduate, Just a year ago, I was in your shoes. I was idealistic and wide-eyed, hoping I would be an example of success in a world spiraling downwards with financial meltdowns and human rights crises. I wanted to change the world. I was excited to finally stop learning, reading, and absorbing and instead,…
Yes, you read that right. At the ripe old age of 21, I have already begun to feel pangs of disillusionment. In my work, present and future. In my life’s dreams. In my hopes of what I can achieve alongside non-profits and civil society organizations. The non-profit sector generally fills the gap left by insufficient…
I found the following quote/graphic on Tumblr and fell in love with it today. Although it’s from 2009, I find it extremely relevant to my life today. I think I’ll adopt it as my personal manifesto for 2011. Life is short. Get rid of things in life that make you unhappy. Live your dream, travel,…
This year has not been so full of vibrancy, change, or uncertainty as I had imagined and hoped. This year, instead, has been about stability, quiet planning, and small changes. 2010 has also been a year of loneliness and adjustment. Of learning new lessons about myself, what I want, what I hope to accomplish in…
I read a lot. I read blogs (I subscribe to over a 100 of them. I know, crazy, right?) at home on my Google Reader. I read books every day on the metro to and from work. I read poetry when I can. I read the news. I print out articles that are particularly informative…
Note: This is a more personal post, in contrast to my regular posts about social issues and human rights. But I will return to my regularly scheduled program very soon… In the meantime, I’d love your thoughts on this topic, as I am always interested in hearing about the religious and spiritual beliefs of others….
Oh, fear. It’s a battle that many of us face, at some point in our lives. Fear of the unknown. Fear of change. Fear of pain. Fear of heartbreak. Fear of failure. Fear of disappointing others. Fear of what others think of you. There are countless things to be afraid of in life. And oftentimes,…
If you know me, you probably know that I’m pretty addicted to social media. I’m constantly checking my google reader, Twitter feed, and email and reading my favorite blogs and news websites. But in all honesty, there’s nothing that beats face to face interaction. Social media is wonderful, but despite the connections and networking opportunities…
So…I’m graduating tomorrow! And I suppose that means that I need to write an obligatory blog post reflecting on my college years. As I sit in my bedroom packing all my belongings into two suitcases and two boxes (yet again), I can’t help but look back on the person I was when I stepped foot…
