may i pencil you into my 5-year plan?

Dear Penpals,

I'm sorry I haven't been writing lately.

I'm spending a lot of time reflecting & writing to myself these days - working on healing some cracks.

thank you for understanding & patience :)

nicole

Attitude Check.

no more pity party.

I had to quit the Peace Corps.

Accept It.

Let it Be.

Moving On.

life is GOOD.

I can do this!

keep swimming

up stream

a salmon.

that's it :)

accept. let it become.

I have always struggled to figure out the details - I guess I am more of a - I want to put all of the stairs together and see where they lead me - person, but for the moment at least, I feel comfortable saying that I have a rough goal as to where exactly I want this staircase to take me (I see myself working in a girls/women's center in Africa), but I am not quite sure as to what exactly all of the steps will be along the way.

AND MAYBE that's OKAY!

I am currently trying to line up different opportunities to have depending on where Life has me come next January.

If my mom's health is not looking so great, I'd like to have an option to move closer to home - without actually moving home. So I am planning to apply to the UofM Masters of Social Work program. (they don't require the GRE!).

If mom's looking okay and I can stay further away from home, there is an internship I'd like to apply for with YWCA global program - but I am also planning to volunteer with the local YWCA chapter here in Anchorage. The director I am becoming friends with is amazing.. and this organization focuses on girls & women empowerment. Very dear to my heart.

So - who knows. Maybe volunteering there would help me to get my foot in the door if/when a position opens up. Maybe volunteering there would help me to be a more competitive applicant for grad school. We'll see.

I am trying to tell myself that there are no "right" or "wrong" paths - just different consequences (which can be both positive & negative) depending on which you decide to take. And while they're not right or wrong, maybe there's just one that's better suited to you.

Accept that you don't have all of the answers.

You never will!

Be patient

while you live

& figure a few of them out.

peace at heart

may you have the courage to change your mind

i mean no disrespect

i want to be an educator,

not a teacher.