The start of many beautiful things!

My first two weeks at the IRC are complete. I am settled into my new home. This means it is time to job search, prepare for Kenya, and navigate numerous grad school websites for more information.
I am home sick today with food poisoning (I think?!) so I am taking the time to get a head start on my "To-Do" list. I registered my trip to Kakamega with the US Embassy. A few clicks of a button and I already feel like my trip is more secure :)I sent my visa application on Friday to Washington DC. I checked my FedEx tracking this morning and it has already arrived. Now I just have to wait for my passport to come back with my visa enclosed. I am excited.
That is the update for now. Off to write emails to my list of grad schools.

Oregonian Article

About a two months ago I received an email about a writer from the Oregonian that was interested in covering a piece on 2009 graduates that have had a hard time finding jobs. Immediately I knew I had to be a part of his story. I emailed him with a bit of information about myself. Soon after he scheduled an interview with me. He asked me all about the past year including how I felt about my current situation. I told him exactly how the year went down and how disappointed I was with it. He comforted me by saying that he had heard many stories just like mine which was his inspiration for writing the story. However, he seemed to be really impressed by my story in particular. He asked if he could send a photographer to my work to get a couple of shots for the article. I agreed. After a rough day last day of work with a man taking pictures of me the entire time (just about my least favorite thing in the world!), the article is finally out. Take a look: http://www.oregonlive.com/education/index.ssf/2010/06/oregon_college_graduates_strug.html

Settling

I made it across the country into Baltimore. I have spent the last few days getting to know the city. On Friday I had my orientation at the IRC. It was good to finally know a bit more about what I will be spending my summer doing. I am excited to jump right in on Monday morning. My Case Manager is 22 years old and did the exact same internship last summer. I think working with people from all different cultures will be good practice for Kenya, on top of being completely awesome! I will give you updates on the crazy things that happen throughout the summer because I am sure there will be many. It is definitely a classic nonprofit: disorganized, overworked, underpaid, making a beautiful change in many peoples lives :)

Exciting Change in Plans

I am moving to Baltimore for the summer to pursue an internship with the International Rescue Committee. It is a great step in the right direction towards getting a job in the international nonprofit field. I am so excited. This will make leaving for Kenya a bit easier I think. It will not be so sudden and I will be used to unfamiliar surroundings. I can't wait! One week until I leave. I will have to do all my planning for Kenya in Baltimore. I hope I don't forget anything that I will need.

The more I think...

...The more nervous I am about flying out to Kenya in just a few short months. I have so much more preparing to do. However, for many things it is just too early. I need to go shopping for travel essentials (mini-everything). I need practical things like new shoes that I can wear to walk long distances and are comfortable in high temperatures. I need to wait a while to submit my visa information so that it will cover the few months that I will be over there. I have to crack open my Swahili text and start re-learning some key phrases. I have a lot to do. I am excited. I am anxious. I am ready to take it on!

Finally

I have been searching for flights for weeks now. The other night I had Orbitz pulled up on my computer and just before I got into bed I updated the search results for my flight from PDX to Kisumu. The price was the lowest I have seen. I did not want to pass the offer up, so I took it. I have my tickets booked for September 9 to November 14! Here is my itinerary:

(SEPT. 9) PDX~1:30pm to AMS~8:30am
AMS~8:40pm to NBO~6:15am
NBO~8:00am to KIS~8:45am (SEPT.11)

(NOV.14) KIS~6:20pm to NBO~7:05pm
NBO~10:50pm to AMS~5:30am
AMS~10:30am to PDX 12:00pm (NOV.15)

Tyson recommended that I take a tour of Amsterdam on my 12 hours layover. I was thinking about it. I'll keep you filled in on those plans.

I am off to work on my visa paperwork now. More updates to come...

Passport Photos and Flights

So I still have yet to book my tickets. It may sound like I am procrastinating a bit, which is about 5% of the reason. However the price is fluctuating everyday so I am waiting for the best possible time. I am going to set a goal though. I want to have my tickets booked by May 1st.
I also am glad that I did not purchase tickets when I originally planned because after talking to Adam, my contact at FSD, I found out that I am not supposed to fly into Nairobi but Kisumu. This is an unexpected extra $400 hour-long flight. Not only is that unfortunate, but will make my travel days just that much longer. It sure will be an adventure.
For an update on my visa: I went to Walgreens the other day and had two more photos taken to send in with all my other documentation. I am that much closer to getting that sent off.
Once my tickets are purchased and my visa is in my hand, a huge weight will be lifted. After that, medication is the next on my list to take care of.