Adulting - my way!

Hello to my faithful readers:

Tomorrow will make exactly one month since my last day at Twitter!  Wow - what a difference a few weeks makes.  I've spent a lot of time this week focusing my energies on quite a few things.  Here's the listicle of the top 10 things I did while 'adulting' this week:

1) Wrapping up all of my doctors visits so that I can take full advantage of the money I had left in my FSA account (almost $900).  The good news is that I'm healthy (though there was a slight scare with one of my breasts, which turned out to be nothing) and now I have new glasses on the way soon!  I will say the Cigna FSA process is a pain in the ar$e and very confusing.

2) I also finally transferred everything from my old Macbook Pro to my new one, wiped the old one and sent it to be sold for more money than I thought I'd ever get for it (I bought it in 2009).  This involved 2 appointments at the Genius bar to get things all resolved, but it was worth it.

3) I finally ended my #SocialMediaDiet (though I haven't added any of the apps back on my iPhone or iPad yet), so far I'm just limiting myself to desktop access.   One thing I recognize is that I will need to be cautious because honestly - I enjoyed the bubble of the past couple of weeks.  My anxiety went down because I wasn't seeing all of the news stories that made me angry!  

4) Ladies That UX LA hosted a financial seminar on budget and salary negotiation and I attended it (even though it meant schlepping all the way downtown).  It was excellent and I realized that I need to re-frame financial planning as an extension of my creative process because of the talk by Claudia McGowan.

5) I had a referral from one of my former Twitter colleagues for a potential freelance project that I might pickup this week!  It's for a company that really resonates with where my head is, which is philanthropy and making a positive impact on the world I'm living in, especially because everything seems so uncertain with our new President Elect making all sorts of diplomatic gaffes this week.  

6) Paypal encouraged me to participate in #GivingTuesday (so I did)

7) I finally found chairs that should work well with the new counter height table I ordered for the little nook in my kitchen.  I'm excited that the table will arrive tomorrow and the chairs should arrive by Tuesday!!!

8)  I've finally found a group of women in tech that I can connect with here in Los Angeles.  This week I reached out to a group that I'd been a member of for about a month and the reception was warm!

9)  I bought some Affirmator cards on a whim at World Market and they've inspired me way more than I thought they would... the way they work is that you're supposed to shuffle the cards, spread them all out and ask (God, The Universe, whatever higher power you believe in) to help you choose the card you're supposed to read for that day.  I pulled 'bonus' cards on Thursday (Abundance) and Friday (Perseverance) and the messages on them felt like just what I needed to see to keep me going!

10) I attended the Preserve LA meeting for the westside today to hear more about their Neighborhood Integrity Initiative.  Essentially they are a collective that want to help pass laws that will help keep the developer and city council/planning relationships here in LA on the up and up.

This issue is important to me because I've noticed some seriously horrendous developments cropping up all over the city.  Take for example this multi-unit apartment complex that has popped up on the corner of my street.

It looks NOTHING like the rest of the buildings on the block, though somehow it got a pass from the LA City Council and City Planning commission.

So this is 'adulting' for me now, which means actively being involved in my community both professionally and personally (I never did that at all in NYC), taking better care of my mental and physical health, plus focusing on becoming comfortable with the financial planning process for myself!

Thanks for stopping by to read my blog and I'll do my best to write more often.

Mwuah,

Georgia Peach

Taking a break

Hello to my faithful readers:

Wow - I've been 'funemployed' now for about 3 full weeks and for the first 2 weeks I was busier than I've ever been.  This past week for the week of Thanksgiving - I decided to make the conscious effort to dial back my 'busybody' syndrome.  I had a conversation last week after church with a couple who had both taken time off from corporate life.  It was in chatting with them that I was encouraged to
truly take a break by dialing back my social media activity, which meant deleting and blocking my access to Facebook, Instagram and (gasp) Twitter!!!

The results - though I feel a little less informed on all things Trump - my anxiety levels have gone down tremendously.  I'm taken the week to read a little more - I finally finished reading a sweeping and expansive love story - About The Night by Anat Talshir.  I've been reading it for a while now and in my opinion it's long, but beautifully written.

Having the down time this week also gave me the time to watch a few more TV and movies that I haven't had a chance to check out before now -- my recommendations from this week are: Eye In The Sky, Trumbo, Paranoid (though there are some weird tonal issues with this show, but overall it was worth the time watching) and The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975.

This week has made me realize that I have a lot of history to learn and perhaps lots to unlearn.  I am thankful that I have this time to spend on the education of Gleana as well as some relaxation and restoration.  My little shadow, Ginger has been my best cuddle buddy throughout it all - even the horror of realizing we still have a President-elect Trump to contend with.

I'm also using this time to seek direction about the next steps for me.  There is a big change coming and I'm preparing myself.

Mwuah,

Georgia Peach

Saying goodbye

Hello my faithful readers:

It has been quite sometime since I've written a post here lots has changed for me -

• I moved out of NYC to LA for a great job in 2015...
• Decided to move on from that job just a couple of weeks go... 
• Adopted an adorable chiweenie named Ginger... 
• Bought a car (I love driving)...
• I woke up...

I say all of that to say that 2016 has been a challenging year for upset and loss (we lost David Bowie, Prince, Gwen Ifill and many others this year).  We also recently elected Donald Trump as Pres. of the USA in one of the nastiest elections I've ever seen.  We've also seen lots of black men and women get killed by the police.  It's been tough for me personally emotionally and I haven't written anything on my blog in a while.  I promise that I will finally write more now that I have more time... I'm still processing and unpacking how I feel.  It's a lot.

I didn't talk much about it at the time, but I lost my grandmother, Lucy Albritton in April. Because life was busy, I didn't really get much time to grieve. This loss was huge and in some ways I'm still dealing with the effects of not being able to talk to her and get reassurance that everything will be alright...  I did want to share with you the words I said at her funeral on April 9, 2016.  This is a rough approximation because I made a few edits to it... maybe it will touch some of you.

Today we come together to celebrate the life of my grandmother Lucy “Lulu” Albritton.  For those that don’t know me – I’m Gleana Albritton, the eldest daughter of one of Lulu’s three sons, El Douglas Albritton, Jr. (or Boot as she would lovingly call him).  Today I want to share with you the great impact Lulu had on my life learned from watching her over the years.

First and most importantly, Lulu taught me all about how important it was for me to have my own relationship with God.  She modeled her faith for me by showing how important it was to bless others through service.  Lulu always made sure to help so many in the community and her circle of friends by running food giveaway and social programs for the elderly, even as recently as a couple of years ago.   She kept doing it until she no longer could.  Lulu always encouraged me to pray (almost every conversation ended with her telling me this) and if she felt like I needed it, she would always guide me to a scripture.   I believe Lulu learned these same lessons as a young girl by watching her grandmother back in Talbotton, GA and I’m grateful that she passed this on to me.   So if you don’t remember anything else from this celebration, I hope I can encourage someone here today to develop their own relationship with God.

Lulu was also a master storyteller – on any given Sunday I remember sitting around and laughing with the family as she regaled us with her stories.  She loved to tell stories about family most of all and I learned so much about my dad and his siblings by just sitting there and listening.  The tales would get bigger and bigger each and every time she told them.  She loved to tell the story about the time we took a trip to visit my aunt Charlotte (Aunt Peachy to me) ito Macon on the greyhound bus.  It was on this trip that we made a stop and the way she told it – I asked her to buy some candy for me and that I wanted to save some of it for my Aunt Peach.  We got back on the bus and continued on down the road and I asked for my candy.  She asked me – “What about you saving it for Peachy? “ and according to Lulu, I replied “I ain’t studdin Peachy.” It was through these countless re-tellings of the stories – you saw just how much she loved her family and friends so remember to pass along your family stories too. 

Most importantly for me, my grandmother encouraged me to be brave. It was because of her encouragement that I believed I could do anything I put my mind to…she was my champion and always had an encouraging word for me whether it was related to my move to NYC, my travels (she would always tell me to watch out, because there was so much going on), she always said she was proud of me and that she knew I would survive because I was smart.  She always spoke a word of life and encouragement to me and I know she did this for countless others.

Lulu made such an impact on me and I hope that I can make her proud by continuing her legacy through my relationship with God, becoming a better storyteller and encouraging others to be brave.  Thank you for coming out to help our family to celebrate the life of Lucy “Lulu” Albritton today.  May God bless and keep you all.   

Mwuah,

Georgia Peach

#BeSomebody

Hello to my faithful readers:

It's a new year - 2015 is here and I for one am excited for the fresh beginnings.  Last year was one of great growth, some professional success(es), but also one full of challenges for my family.  I realize that I've been quiet for a while now...not really in the mood to any of my feelings down on any pages.  In some ways, I'm coming emerging from a cocoon of my own making and I hope that it leads to more adventure(s)

Graffiti #BeSomebody (Austin, TX - 2014)

in the coming years.  

I'm still not sure where my journey ends...and I've just now realized that I've been blessed enough to experience quite a few things that I never ever dreamt I would as a child.  Life has so many infinite possibilities and I realize now that I'm just on the cusp...

I hope that you'll be brave this year.  That's my challenge to myself...to be braver in 2015.  That's my only resolution for 2015...to be brave.  I'm not sure where this will lead, but my only hope is that I'm a much better person for it.  I encourage you all to #BeSomebody in 2015.  

Wishing you all much love, peace and joy in the coming year.

Smooches,

Georgia Peach!

RIP - Paul Timothy James, Jr.

Hello my faithful readers:

I lost a friend this past weekend.  Paul Timothy James, Jr was probably one of the few people that knew me best about 10 years ago.  He was like the big brother I never had; one of my biggest cheerleaders who made me believe I could (and should) do anything I set my mind to do.

It doesn't feel like Paul is gone.  I had not been close to him in years, although I was blessed to have caught up with him sometime last year, after we fell out of touch for quite a few years.   Social media was the sliver that connected us after all these years and for that I'm thankful to the power of Facebook for giving us even that briefest connection.

Paul always saw me as way more interesting and intelligent than I ever saw myself.  He was always encouraging me to strike out on my own and start my own business and we even worked for a while on producing a concert series called "Grown Folks Music."  We even went as far as trade-marking the name, but that's just the nature of Paul, always working on something.  There was always something going on with him and he was a man of great character - always fighting for the underdog in every situation.

The one thing that strikes me about Paul was that he had so many different friends from so many different walks of life.  Intellectually I always knew this, but it was made evident when I visited him at the ICU in his last week here on earth at Brooklyn Methodist Hospital.  I met people that I'd heard him reference over the years as well as people I'd never even heard of - people who mattered in his life.  That's the thing about Paul James, he took people under his wing and took care of them, even if he hadn't seen you in years, you had the assurance that he would remember you and give you the shirt off his back if that's what you needed at the time.

Paul James lived every last drop out of his life.  He was a warrior, fighting until the end, although he always fought more for everyone else than for himself.  I wish that he was still here so that I could give him one last hug and tell him (when he was awake to hear me), just how much he meant to me.  He was someone who knew me well, at a time when I probably didn't know myself.  I lost my big brother from another mother and right now I'm a bit numb right now.  In my way of coping, I can just pretend that he's off visiting with friends.  In reality, I won't ever get the chance to say to him what I should have said when he was alive to hear it, "I love you man, thank you for being my big brother.  I will miss you."

Peace and blessings to everyone who was touched by Paul for those who loved him know that he's in a much better place right now and maybe, just maybe, he's finally allowing someone to help him on the other side.

Paul Timothy James, Jr. (July 24, 1960 - July 20, 2013)

Best regards,

Georgia Peach

TV Junkie Digital Streaming Options Review - the Dish Hopper

Hello to all of you:

It's been a while since I've posted here, but I thought I'd take the time to share some of my recent experiences in digital streaming.  I am a TV junkie... (there I've said it).  I love great tv, plain and simple.  It's a bit of a challenge watching great tv, without actually paying for cable, but that just makes me a bigger advocate for streaming everything online.  I thought I'd start to blog more regularly here by sharing a few of my thoughts about the state of streaming from a casual, non-techy user experience perspective.

Just to explain why I'm so passionate about streaming - I moved to Belgium in 2009 for graduate school.  While there, I wanted to continue watching some of my favorite shows and I was able to do so with some of the early streaming site aggregators (although some were & remain quite nefarious in nature).  I was frustrated by the lack of legal ways of seeing the content (I tried Hulu, etc), but had to remain conscious that I was living on a limited budget.  In fact, when I moved back to the states and eventually back to NYC, it was my limited budget status that caused me to realize I had to make some tough decisions and I realized I'd rather eat dinner each day than pay for a super expensive cable bill!!

Unfortunately the marketplace doesn't have a great, simple, legal streaming solution for those without cable - yet!  There are companies that are working to change this, but if you have kind parents who will share their username and passwords to their TV Everywhere online streaming platforms, then you've won half the battle.  One that I'd recommend trying is the Dish Hopper. 

My thoughts on the Dish Hopper:  Overall the stream is pretty solid here, love the fact that watching live is available on all their channels.  I think their search functionality on the iPad app is horrible, it seems to be a much better experience when using my computer!  It's difficult to find shows on their On-Demand Platform here. I also hate that Dish now has some very limiting legal language about the number of devices you can stream on...I tend to stream from my computer and my iPad depending on how fast my ISP (internet service provider) is pumping my (very expensive) connection to me.

Channel Guide

DVR Recordings Display (on Computer)

Overall I give the Dish Hopper a solid A- on the overall experience.   If they came up with a lower priced web only a la carte solution, I'd be willing to give it a try.  Take note all of the other MPVD's (Multi-Channel Video Programmers) out there!

I'll try to blog next week about my experiences with some of the other streaming options out there next week.  As always, thanks for reading and I'd love to hear from you in the comments section if you've had any experiences with other platforms.

Mwuah,

Georgia Peach

Executive Presence

Yesterday I had the pleasure of sitting in on a talk by Evan Shapiro, President of Participant TV; he was addressing me and my fellow WICT NY Prime Access Mentees and our mentors.  It was a session on Executive Presence and to be honest - I was pleasantly surprised by his talk.  I had my pre-conceived notions of what it takes to fit in as an executive, especially as a woman (who happens to be African American) and Evan managed to address many of my concerns, which was a nice change from some of the talks I've attended that never seem to address haven't addressed these issues in a way that resonated with me.

One of my biggest concerns in regards to the idea of executive presence is the big elephant in the room - I'm a woman, I'm a minority (African American) and sometimes I've sometimes questioned whether  these characteristics (that I can't change) have impeded my career.  I know that I'm smart and talented, but time and time again I've seen myself and many of my peers in the same situations get overlooked for career advancement opportunities and shut out of the good ole boy and sometimes even the good ole girls clubs you find in the corporate settings in my chosen field.  Many who know me personally, know that I'm pretty unconventional...I've spent most of my career working in Entertainment and Media.  I'm quirky, I wear my hair in a crazy afro and I'm obsessed with the worlds of pop culture, digital streaming and social media in a way that some might consider frivolous.

Most people may not know exactly how ambitious I am, especially if you take a look at the zigs and zags I've made over the course of my career.  I have aspirations to make it to the executive CEO ranks and I tend to beat myself up pretty harshly about the fact that I haven't made it nearly as far as I think I should be in my career.  Getting to the top feels as likely as me scaling Mt. Everest and as a result I've spent a great deal of time in my head recently, second guessing some of the steps and missteps I've made along the way.   For most of my adult life, my entire focus has been on my career (13 years) and it's been tough hell for me to recognize that my path won't be the more linear one a lot of my peers have taken in their careers!

Evan mentioned in his talk that people, whom consider themselves to be a part of a minority group in some way often feel they need to change their approach to fit in (to the collective agency aka group think).  I've often thought about these things myself...wondering if I should change the way I dress, my hair or even the way I speak (remind me to tell you about the time one of my former colleagues told me I sounded like Beyonce to her in another blog).  But his words of advice to all of us in the room is that we need to be ourselves.  Plain and simple...we have to put our own approach on things and focus on honing in on what makes us our best us.  One of the quotes from Evan's talk that I loved most of all was "don't filter yourself to the point of blandness."

Evan had a few recommendations for us to get to our best us and I'll just mention a couple that resonated most with me.  He recommended spending two weeks evaluating what makes us feel strong and what makes us feel weak by writing it down every time we noticed.  For example yesterday I noticed that on a call with one of our clients to plan an event, the client recommended bringing in a major electronics manufacturer to giveaway their newest tablet to one of the bloggers at our event.  I immediately jumped into this idea with ways to expand this idea and make it much larger (and hopefully a win-win for all sides involved by leveraging all of the marketing channels all 3 brands have at our disposal).  After the end of the call I felt invigorated and in that moment I knew I was in the zone...that's what I love to do, make smart partnerships happen.  In making this list over a two week period, it should allow you to really focus on identifying your biggest strengths and major weaknesses so that you can start to arrange your days in ways that you can spend more time on your strengths and minimize the time spent working in your weaknesses.

Another thing recommended by Evan is that we should be deliberate about our careers, we approach our careers in the same way that we approach a project at work, by putting together a cohesive and deliberate plan for our careers.  This can involve seeking out opportunities and special projects outside of your current role (e.g. volunteer to help setup a charity outreach or mentoring organization), speaking on panels that position you as an expert in your field or simply by going outside of your peer group for ideas (e.g. talking to people who work in the medical /financial services/tech fields if you happen to work in media for innovations/ideas that could apply to you).  One big tip here is to be clear and ask for what you want because putting your head down and hoping someone notices all of your hard work rarely works!!

Evan left us all with a few succinct tips on improving our executive presence at the end of his talk:

1.  Write well
2.  Know your shit (keep up with what's happening in your space, read the trades, etc)
3.  Listen and listen wide
4.  Come to meetings prepared to talk (even if it's only one prepared comment/question, etc.)
5.  Become an expert and be known for something good

This talk made me realize that although I am doing some of what I need to in terms of managing my executive presence there is a great deal of room for improvement for me.  I haven't quite learned how to ask for what I want.  I also have to focus in on what makes me happy.  I was especially pleased to hear this as a part of Evan's talk yesterday - it's an often overlooked element when you get into career discussions.  We have to define and always keep in mind what makes us happy because most of us spend a great deal of time working (I know I do)!

What tips on executive presence have you heard over the years?  I'd love to hear from you in the comments section on this one.

As always - thanks for taking the time to read my blog.

Mwuah,

Georgia Peach

Change Is Going to Come...

Hi my faithful readers:

I hadn't written a blog post in over two years now and then earlier today I felt the urge.  For that I apologize...I have a few drafts of post  that I just came back and finished publishing a few drafts that I had written in the middle of my angst, but to be honest I felt too vulnerable at the time to actually share them at the time.  They felt too real, too raw, too honest for me to parade them around and display them.  This past two years has tested my patience, strained my nerves and I've felt more than a little angry, confused and nervous about my prospects and feeling as if I'd made a wrong turn somewhere. I've always wanted this blog to be a positive place and quite honestly I didn't want to be putting my negative energy out into the universe in the written word.  So, I have kept quiet as a result.

Now that I have a little perspective on the year, I realize that perhaps I needed this time to mature a bit and improve my character through some serious testing.  Overall, I'm still not sure what's happening with me, but since this past summer things have certainly started to look up for me.  I also think that my attitude has certainly changed for the better and I know now that to move forward I have to release some of the doubt, resentments and confusion so that I could begin to focus on the things that are good for me.  I also realized that most of my insecurities, goals and even some of the things I desired really mean very little in the scheme of things.  Quite simply priorities are changing pretty dramatically.

So, in this year of 2013, I'm dedicated to savoring the good moments in life, spending more time with my loved ones and not beating myself up so much when things don't work out quite as I'd planned them to...no small feat for me! If you know me "in real life," then if you see me slipping back into old habits and patterns feel free to say to me "G - I see you slipping."

Thanks for reading and I promise to do better and write a little more often.  It's time for a return to me...the image above was taken by me a little more than a year ago, when I had a friend visiting from Toronto.  I miss taking pictures...I think it's time for me to start taking them again.

Mwuah,

Georgia Peach

Is this thing on?

Hello to my faithful readers:

I can't believe I've waited more than a year to post anything on this blog.  My apologies for such a long break, but hey I've felt that if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it at all - life gets in the way.

I finally landed a job. I moved back to NYC and I didn't make such a big deal about it.  I think there are quite a few people who don't even realize I'm back in town nearly a year  two years after the fact.  I have also realized that it's quite easy to slip back into the rat race.  The past two years  for me have been ones that I haven't felt like sharing because I couldn't find the words.  I'm still not sure the words have been found, but here's my first stab at trying to share a bit of my journey.

Why didn't I make a big deal out of moving back or even getting a new job?  Coming back to NYC wasn't in the plans. I didn't want to come back to the big apple after my year in Belgium.   I still wanted something different.  But things didn't work out that way, bills had to be paid and this was the door open in front of me so I walked right on through it.

This past year I have spent an awful lot of time in my head.  I'm still processing the past two years.  I'm still not sure I know what to make of it all.  I recognize that my attitude has been half committed as evidenced by the fact that I still haven't fully furnished my apartment (after living here for nearly 2 years).   Six-year old me doesn't like to cook (grubhub is her BEST friend) and she really LOVES her junk food.

This year I've spent a lot of time frustrated with some of the choices I made.  I have to keep it real - I was getting caught up in the comparison game and when I looked around at some of my peers I felt like I wasn't stacking up.  Even though I own up to the fact that it was "ME" that made all of the choices - many of them left me with the feeling you get after going out on a few dates with a great guy who then stops calling you back because he got what he wanted because you gave it up too easy.  That's how I spent the first half of last year (2012) - feeling like I was just too easy!

The biggest challenge I face right now is not squandering my potential.  That's my struggle.   My inner voice keeps chanting "don't give up, don't give in - you can do this," but there are some days where my faith feels so far away.   It came to me a few months ago that this past year (and many times my relationship with God) has been like trying to reach orgasm.  Sometimes you have lots of fun trying to get there, but it takes the right set of circumstances, the right person to get you off.  But more often than not, when you don't get there you can end up very frustrated (and perhaps even a bit angry that you've wasted your time).

But after the frustration - perhaps there is light at the end of the tunnel...I'm finally starting to see the light.  Slowly.  I see the light.  So for now I'll sign off, but not with out saying as always - thanks for reading!

Mwuah,

Georgia Peach

PS - this is something I've written about a year ago and didn't publish at the time.

Fatherhood honor roll

My church asked me to write a little dedication to my father and they read it last week when they had their "father's day honor roll" ceremony and presentations.  Here's what I had to say about my dad - I hope you enjoy it!

Protector, Encourager and an example of living his purpose…these are the areas that my father excels and earns his place on the ‘honor roll’ of fatherhood. 

Protector

When I was a young girl, I’ll never forget one of my biggest wishes was to get a t-shirt with my name on the back of it.  At the time, I never understood why my dad wouldn’t allow it, but my mom had to explain to me, that my dad was doing it for my own protection.  You see, he didn’t want me to be fooled by kidnappers who might have enticed me into their cars because they could call me by my name.  This protection from my ‘natural father’ is similar to the protection that my heavenly father offers me as well.  Even now, he sends me e-mails with warnings and continues to pray for my safety when I’ve ventured out to explore the world on my own. 

Encourager

My Dad is a man of few words with me as a daughter.  Like me, he’s much more comfortable saying the important things by the written word.  Often he’ll send me e-mail messages with inspirational stories of encouragement or texts from “The Upper Room.”  The other day he sent me an e-mail expressing how proud he was of me.  Although I don’t consider myself to be an overly emotional person, his note brought tears to my eyes and it was the encouragement I needed to hear in that moment.  My dad, knows the right times to offer me encouragement, much like my heavenly father does. 

An example of living his purpose

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always associated music with my Dad.  When we were kids we’d go to see the bands he was directing in concert or even sometimes get to see him play the saxophone or other instruments.  In fact, he forced encouraged both my sister and I to take piano lessons and music lessons as kids.  I thought for a while that I wanted to make music my career and even went as far as majoring in it in undergrad for a couple of years, before I realized my talents were better used elsewhere. 

My Dad is one of those rare persons who was blessed to recognize his purpose and anointing early on in life.  He made a career out of music and also uses his gifts to serve the Lord.   For me, that’s why he’s an example of living his purpose.

I’m thankful for the fact that God has blessed me with two fantastic parents, but I’m especially proud of my Dad, El Douglas Albritton, Jr. and I believe he deserves his place on the ‘Fatherhood Honor Roll”.


Mwuah,


Georgia Peach

The benefits of unemployment

Hello my faithful readers:

It has been a while since I've posted a blog.  I've been quiet because I things have been quiet for me - I'm still working on finding a the right job for me.  Not working full-time has given me lots of time for self reflection and although it took me a lot longer than it should have while to realize it, having all of this unexpected time off is allowing me to cross off most of the non-work related goals I'd written for myself back in July 2010.

Rather than focusing on how terrible it is that I'm not working full-time, I thought I'd share with you some of the benefits I'm currently experiencing as a result of my unemployment.

1)  I have more time to focus on my spiritual side.  Since I've been home I've felt the need to strengthen my relationship with God.  I'm praying more and attending church more than the every once in a while I did when I lived in NYC.  I didn't make the time before, but now that excuse (no time) has been removed.

2)  I have plenty of time to spend working out and as a result I've lost 22 lbs. (and going) since I first realized I was gaining weight at an alarming rate (for me). Working out is also a great stress reliever for me and it does wonders for my mood.  I have about 8 more lbs. to lose before I reach my target weight and it's been great to have people notice all of the hard work(outs) I've been putting in.

3)  I'm getting to know my family much better.  I'm sure most of you are scratching your head and thinking - "get to know her family better what does that mean?"  Although I saw them at holidays and talked to them on the phone (and later by Skype), there was an awful lot going on that I missed in ten years away simply because I wasn't here.  It's been nice for me to allow myself to catch up with the circles of life happening right here in my own family and getting to know them as an adult.

4)  My friends, former co-workers and acquaintances have been great about sending me job listings, hooking me up with freelance projects, connecting me with volunteer opportunities, introducing me to their network for informational calls/meetings and offering me places to stay when I need to come to town for a visit.  It's a really great feeling when people are willing to lend a helping hand.  There have been a few friends who have really kept me going throughout this period and I'm eternally grateful for their help and support.  Never underestimate the power of encouragement - it really does make a difference on a bad day!

5) I'm also still continuing to learn Spanish - although I'll admit I haven't spent nearly as much time with my grammar books as I should recently.  I do make sure to squeeze in at least an hour per day of Spanish language programming and I'm happy to say that I comprehend (with captions) about 65-70% of the language without looking up the words as much in my dictionary.  I still need to work in my grammar books a lot more though.

Now this isn't to say that I don't have bad days, hours and weeks, but I think the most important thing for me in getting through this time of unemployment intact is my attitude.  I've had to make sure that I really focus on surrounding myself with positive people and positive energy.  It's really easy (for me) to get into a funk of self doubt and self pity, so I have really tried to make sure I don't spend a lot of time talking to people who help me to get to those places quickly (even if it's family).   It's nothing personal, just something I have to do in order to preserve my mental health and sanity.

This period of unemployment has also taught me more about my capacity for persistence and patience.  Some of the informational calls and meetings took me months to set up, but they finally happened - I'm still waiting on a few more to happen.   The fact that they are happening makes me more optimistic than I've been in a long time.  I can't give up! Good things come to those who wait right?

Mwuah,

Georgia Peach

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Catching up - a new year, new name and new blog design!

Hello my faithful readers:

I've been quiet of late - my last post was nearly 5 and a half months ago now!  Wow what a difference a few months makes.  It's really hard for me to believe that I spent the last year living abroad and seeing the world. The year away changed me indelibly.

The reason for the silence has mainly been as a result of me processing this sudden change in my life.  I'm living at home for the first time in about 10 years.  The first month and a half were torturous for me - although I was happy to be home, surrounded by my family, I wasn't quite sure of how to  deal with living with my parents.  Especially after having lived alone for almost six years.

I also feel slightly guilty because I haven't done much to explore my hometown.  Nor have I tried to re-connect with childhood friends.   It's as if I'm in a weird holding pattern, waiting for my life to start.   I have to say that my parents have been very supportive of me through this phase - they are indeed a blessing to me.

Although they have been supportive, I must admit that initially there were a quite few squirmishes with my parents.  Sometimes they still happen, but I believe it's a normal part of life and growth, etc. My mom has accused me on more than one occasion of being arrogant.  I think it's simply the fact that she doesn't get my snarky sense of humor or that I am not afraid to voice my opinions on issues and I refuse to let her make judgments (or statements) in my presence that I don't agree with (as I would have a few years ago).  I challenge her a lot more now mainly because my view of the world and of people is a lot more open-minded than it was even a year ago.  

My dad and I used to have regular stand-offs about who would do the dishes.  I hate doing them, but since I'm living here pretty much rent free of course I pitch in to do them.  I prefer an alternating schedule, at first I got the impression he thought I was the hired help.  We had a discussion about it and came to an understanding, now things have improved a great deal.  

I've also started to cook more than I probably ever have in my life...it's a creative release and gives me something to think about other than the fact that I do not have a job. The initial adjustment period was rough, but after the first couple of months I finally managed to settle into a groove.  

My day typically starts with me waking up, catching the morning news shows, then I work out for about an hour at least five times per week (mostly weekdays).  The working out has become necessary because here in my hometown no one walks anywhere;  here everyone drives for even the shortest of trips.  I was starting to gain weight at an alarming rate and I decided that I needed to get working out or turn into Miss Piggy.  I also realized that I have absolutely no will power when it comes to all of the cakes, cookies, candies and unhealthy foods that my mom keeps buying. 

In order to make myself slightly more competitive in the job market - I'm working on learning Spanish, since I have a lot of time on my hands.  I'm watch Spanish TV (normally a 2 hour block of what has become my latest obsession La Fea Mas Bella the mexican version of Ugly Betty) and use Rosetta Stone about one hour each day to learn.  I also recently ordered a few grammar books from Amazon.com that I hope will help me with some of the finer points of conjugations and word order.  

I have to say that when I first started with just using Rosetta Stone alone I didn't feel like my comprehension was all that great, but now that I watch the show daily throughout the week - my comprehension is a lot better. My next goal is to start speaking the language with a few more of my native Spanish speakers friends.  

The major focus of my life is job searching.  I tend to spend a lot of time researching the companies that interest me, industry trends and people that I should network with. My search started as this really narrow project and now I'm starting to broaden out and try to think a little bit differently about the way that I'm looking.  The one thing I noticed was that there are lots of jobs that seek people who can speak Spanish, my biggest motivator for learning the language.  

A few weeks ago I took a two and a half week trip out to San Francisco to have a few informational meetings with some of the companies on my target list.  I also met with a few who weren't on my list.  Ironically most of the meetings were made because of my friends helping to connect me with some of their friends and colleagues.  I found most people in the SF Bay area were quite generous with their time and offered me wide ranging advice from info about the job market, which companies were hiring, recruitment cycles and what to expect lifestyle wise if I were to move to San Francisco.    

The trip out west and returning home made me realize that I need to live in a major city.   My hometown isn't small by any means, in fact I'm quite impressed by how far it's developed since I was growing up here.  I felt at home in San Francisco.  I felt like I was waking up from a long nap.  There's something, a special energy about living in a metropolitan city.  Being in San Francisco also made me think about returning to NYC.  I'm open to the possibility now that I've been in San Francisco for a visit, because although I loved San Francisco, I realized that it's no NYC.  And I miss NYC. A lot more than I'd care to admit.

That's the update for now.  I'll try to blog more often...although most of my thoughts happen on Twitter where I have lots of little 140 character blogs daily.  :)   Thank you as always for reading.  I didn't mention it before, but the blog has a new name and design.  What do you think?

Mwuah,

Georgia Peach

Where are you from?

Hello my faithful readers:

I'm back in Istanbul again and I have to say that Turkey has been a blast. It's a lot different than Greece, but overall the people I've met (in Turkey) have been just as nice (as the Greeks). Since I've been on vacation the first question that I always get asked is "Where are you from?"

It became a running joke for Oksana and myself because it almost invariably is the first question out people's mouths when they saw us. I'm exotic looking (read: I'm black) when compared to the other folks you saw walking around in Greece & Turkey. When they realize that Oksana and I were traveling together they express surprise and immediately try to figure out why an American is traveling with a Russian!

I especially love it when the pushy vendors trying to get us into their restaurants, rugs or souvenir stands try to start up conversations by speaking to me in French or Portuguese to get a reaction. I have observed that here in Turkey they are likely to start with French instead of English when addressing me. I'm sure they think that I'm either French or African (from a french-speaking country) although one guy in Greece started speaking to me in Portuguese at first.

I've even started to ask this question too because let's be honest, it's the easiest ice-breaker there is when you're meeting someone new. I've met some of the nicest people from around the world on this trip including: Australia, Canada, Greece, Germany, Italy, Japan, Taiwan, Turkey and yes even the US. Hopefully we'll keep in touch - I exchanged information with a lot of the people I've met.

I'm here in Istanbul solo for the next two days. This morning my travel buddy Oksana headed back to Belgium to attend our graduation ceremony. I won't be attending the ceremony because the scheduling didn't work out for me, but as of Monday I'll officially have my MBA. :) It's also the day I head back to NYC for an overnight layover until my morning flight home to Georgia.

This trip has been magical for me - I really have loved every single moment both here in Turkey and Greece! When I get back to the US, I will have to hit the ground looking for work. But for now, for the next two days, I'll focus on savoring the last few moments of my vacation! Enjoy the pics of some of the people I've met while along the way!

It's time to lose some weight...

Hello my faithful readers:

This morning I'm sitting here on the patio of my bungalow and realizing that my life is pretty freaking amazing. I wake up pinching myself everyday that I've the opportunity to travel and see the world when so many are suffering right now. I'm currently in Paros and I think this will be a laid-back place for us after the frenetic sightseeing in Athens and the festive party atmosphere of Mykonos.

So far Greece has treated me well - all of our accommodations have been solid. Our room in Athens wasn't as spectacular as I'd hoped, but if that's the worst thing we'll experience then it was still fine –I loved the hospitality I was given there.

I'm also starting to feel much better now that I'm kicking the cold or bug I started getting in Athens. Yesterday I got a little over heated (too much time in the sun) and I started to break out in hives again, but today I'm clinging to the shade, avoiding direct sunlight and covering up my skin so that I don't melt like the vampires in "True Blood."

I’m also learning a lot about not getting so attached to my material things on this trip – at every location I’m leaving something behind simply because I have way too much luggage for all of the moving around we’re doing. We have been lucky with our transfers from the ferries in Mykonos and Paros, because our hotels picked us up and dropped us off for free. If I had to carry all of my luggage on public transportation - it would be absolutely horrendous.

The motivation behind the shedding of my seemingly unnecessary belongings is my superstitious hope is that if I leave something behind, eventually I’ll return. I’m mostly happy that all of the things I’ve left behind have been on purpose (I’m known to leave very important things unintentionally).

Now the only thing I have to do now is make sure I don’t weigh a million pounds by the time I leave Greece. So far the food has been good and I’m making my way through all the Greek desserts as well. I'll have fun trying them all though. It's worth every pound I'll gain. :)

Mwuah,

Georgia Peach

On the road again...

Hello my faithful readers:

The past few weeks where a whirlwind of activity for me. I barely had time to think, much less update in any detail what was going on for me. My twitter feed gets a lot more updates on my life because it's only 140 characters and I don't have to spend a half hour thinking about what I want to say there. Now I before I head out for another day of adventures I figured it would be good time to share some of my current thoughts.

I've finally completed all of the requirements for my MBA program at Vlerick. This year has been one of the best years of my life and as I spent the past few days in Leuven saying goodbye to all of my new found friends from the program - it was a bittersweet moment for me. I was happy that the hard work was over, but I realized that as a result of the work ending I won't be seeing and talking my friends everyday like I did when we were in class.

I've mentioned it before, but most of my learning this past year has been through random conversations with my new friends from the program. We've shared our thoughts on topics as diverse as business (we were MBA students), politics, healthcare, travel, love and life. I'll miss these moments full of laughter, great stories and fellowship most of all.

Now that I've packed up my little life in Leuven, I'm on a whirlwind adventure through Greece. Yesterday was my first full day here and I have to thank one of my classmates Orestis for all of the great advice he's given me for my trip. The hospitality of the Greek people has been amazing. From the moment I arrived at my little hotel everyone has been more than helpful. I've NEVER had so many people on a trip offer their phone number for me to just give a call if I needed help with anything or even just wanted to meet up for a trip. I LOVE IT HERE!

Yesterday on the walk up to Acropolis I also met a few Americans who were living in Europe. One young lady is studying here in Greece until December (she's from Utah). I also met a cool young woman who used to live around the corner from me in Bedstuy and is currently living in Paris. I'll try to post a few more blogs during my 20 day odyssey as I head to Mykonos, Paros and Santorini (in Greece) and Istanbul and Cappodocia (in Turkey).

Now I'll try to figure out how I'm going to survive moving all of the luggage I brought with me. I have the feeling that a few pieces of clothing will be sacrificed for the sake of lightening my load by the end of this trip. I'll be moving around a lot with my classmate Oksana, who is joining me later tonight!

Mwuah,

Georgia Peach

All good things must come to an end

Hello my faithful readers:

My Giving Back Project for School of Life (SOL) International Foundations in Roatan, Honduras is drawing to a close and it has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. For the first time in a long while, I feel that my work will actually be used and will make a real difference to the organization I’m helping.

Yesterday in the morning we had a meeting to discuss the comments and suggested changes for the plan we submitted to SOL last week. We submitted a comprehensive plan covering the areas of action (activities and operations), financial, fundraising and marketing. Our entire group met with Dave (one of the SOL founders) and Andrea (our project advisor). I was delighted to hear that they liked our suggestions and would be presenting it at their upcoming annual Board of Directors meeting.

After our morning meeting we went out for a glass bottom boat cruise with some of the SOL kids in the afternoon. It was a pleasure seeing the excitement of the youngest kids as we floated by all of the exotic sea creatures at the bottom of the sea.

I’m happy that I came to work on this project. Being here has made me appreciate some of the things I take for granted on a daily basis like constant internet connection, hot showers and even shoes! The one thing I won’t miss is all of the mosquito bites!

I’ve also had a lot of time to reflect and although if you were to ask me today where I think I’ll be living come October, all I could tell you is where I don’t want to live. The great news is that I have started to write down my goals through the next year and a half. I intend to write out my more long-term goals before I leave the island. After today’s meeting I added one more thing to the list --I want my work to be used and appreciated in my next job. I can’t tell you the number of times I wrote tour and festival strategies at my last job that went unused (and probably unread).

The experience here in Roatan has been challenging, lots of fun and something I hope to never forget. We’ll get out of here a little earlier than anticipated and I’m thinking about the air-conditioning, hot showers and constant internet connection waiting for me in my next destination (I'm leaving early and will be visiting my family and friends in Georgia for the weekend)!

As always thank you for reading and for posting your comments! I love hearing from you.

Mwuah,

Georgia Peach

Trust yourself

Hello my faithful readers:

I’ve been here in Roatan for exactly two weeks now and it feels like so much longer. The word to describe how I’ve felt in the last day has been languorous…it’s impossible not to relax when you’re semi-disconnected from the real world. Even the sun poisoning and the resulting hives I’ve been dealing with have decided to chill out (but only a little bit, since I still have them).

It’s not as if I’m not working while I’m here in Roatan, as we’ve actually done quite a bit of working on our respective plans for our project. I’m responsible for the marketing plan and we’ll deliver the full plan for review to our project advisor on Tuesday. But even with all of the work we’re putting in – Roatan has such a relaxed vibe that I’m enjoying sort of just going with the flow of things.

One of the things that I’ve had the time to think about a little bit more is the whole – “I’m- graduating-from-my-MBA-program-soon-and-I-haven’t-really-scratched-the-surface-of- job-hunting-at-all-issue.” Alas, the beaches of Roatan make me want to become a beach bum and travel the world in search of endless paradise. Would that be such a terrible thing?

Coming into the MBA program was my opportunity to learn more about the world. I’ve done that, and I’ll continue to do it as much I can, but I realize that in some ways one year was not remotely enough time. Learning is, in my opinion, a continuous process and I’ll cycle through being the student or the teacher (as determined by the situation).

The one major lesson for me this past year was that as an outside observer –it’s easy to think the grass is greener on the other side. Sometimes that other side of the fence has weeds or infestations of bugs that you couldn’t see from your side of the fence though. Yes – it’s an old lesson, but I’m hard-headed and I needed to learn this particular one on a much grander scale.

But I’m happy to have learned this lesson again, because looking at things from my neighbor’s side of the fence gave me much needed perspective on my life. I’ve discovered some things about myself that I have to improve in order to become a better me, as well as some things that are working well for me.

The one thing I’m working out for myself now is what balance means to me. I’ve always heard that life should be balanced, but what exactly does that mean? It’s something that I’ve thought a lot about lately and I’m still thinking about it now. In the past I’ve focused almost solely on my career. I recognize now that yes, my career is important to me, but there are other things in life. I’d like to spend a little more time focusing on those ‘other things’ in life now.

It’s time to write some new goals for myself, because the year has led me to a place that I didn’t expect initially. I had a plan before I arrived in Belgium, but I’m not quite the same woman I was a year ago. I'm a little more mature, a lot softer and I recognize now that the old plan won’t work for me anymore.

Here’s a quote I read today that resonates with me:

Trust yourself. Create the kind of life you will be happy to live with all your life. Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into the flames of achievement. -- Foster C. McClellan

I’ll start with this – trusting myself to do what’s right for me. Then I’ll work on creating the kind of life I’ll be happy with (for the rest of my life). That’s most important for me now – a happy life.

As always thanks for stopping by to read my blog. I appreciate all the comments and support you give me.

Mwuah,

Georgia Peach

I'm an adventurous woman now

Hello my faithful readers:

This weekend I became an “adventurous woman” as my friend Javiera called me. If you know me well, then you know that I don’t do so well with heights. You’re talking to a girl who is more than a little frightened of going on a down escalator. So the fact that I actually got up the nerve to zip-line across the Honduran jungle is a pretty big deal.

The experience zip-lining or “canopy” as it is called here on Roatan, was the beginning of my birthday weekend celebration. The trip was organized as a treat for some of the more well-behaved kids from the tutoring program for SOL. Once I relaxed a little bit (about halfway through) I had an amazing time and just enjoyed the view from up in the air. For me zipping through the air was rather peaceful once I forgot that I was terrified of heights. Seeing the happy expressions on about 12 of the SOL kids after getting through the course was rewarding as well – they truly inspired me to face my fears.

After my morning of the canopy tour – we ended the night by going out for dinner and drinks in the West End section of the island – the part of town where we generally hang out most when we want to grab drinks or dinner. We went to local Balleda stand for dinner where I had a tasty pollo (chicken) one. Then we headed to Sundowners Bar (refreshing frozen margaritas), Mayan Lounge (vodka 2 for 1 special & the much needed ice-cold air-conditioning), then to the Blue Marlin (delicious brownie with vanilla ice-cream). After the Blue Marlin most of the group was tired from such a long day and we made a relatively early night of it and I was home and safely tucked into bed by 11 PM.

On my actual birthday I woke up super early again (it’s hard to sleep here past 6:30 AM because it’s so sunny and hot by then). Our power went out around 7 AM so I went outside to cool off at the docks. We’d decided that we would do a day-trip to West Bay (the area on Roatan where most of the resorts are located). After a 5-10 minute water taxi ride from West End we arrived to a strip of resorts and lots of beach. We walked the strip enjoying the cool water lapping at our feet. Then we had a lunch then headed back here to Sandy Bay. It was a relaxing day for me and I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate my 32 years on this earth.

Mwuah,

A Broad

Something to think about

Hello my faithful readers:

I’ve been here in Roatan, Honduras for exactly one week. In the meantime I’ve started to take note of my surroundings…Roatan has more Americans here than on the little island of Manhattan. I kid, but it has been strange to hear so many American accents since I’ve arrived. From what I’ve observed, many of the people who own businesses here (bars, resorts, restaurants and dive shops) are expatriates. I haven’t talked to many of the American expats yet, but I am curious about what motivates them to move here to the Honduras. Life here isn’t as convenient or easy as you’d find in most of the developed, western world.

Earlier this week we went to the neighborhood (Sandy Bay) where most of the kids who are helped by the School of Life (SOL) International Foundation live. It was an unsettling experience for me because the neighborhood was a mix of fancy resorts, nice beachfront homes and the homes of where the kids live. Some of the homes where the kids lived were in such stages of disrepair that they didn’t even look inhabitable to my untrained eyes; all of this was across the street from a luxury resort. Many of the other neighborhoods here (e.g. Coxen Hole) have similar tough living conditions.

I knew that Honduras is the second poorest country in America, but visiting has affected me more than I expected it would. It makes me realize that even my most humble living conditions were more like luxury homes in comparison to the homes of most of the kids who participate in SOL.

The things I’ve taken for granted-- potable drinking water, hot showers, food, shoes and education are all things that are not readily available for the kids that actively participate in the program. This is something that isn’t as easy to ignore when you’re not faced with it on a daily basis. I remember having this same uncomfortable feeling when I was in China earlier this year. How do you reconcile whining about not having the money to splurge for your next pair of the newest, hottest shoes when some kids don’t have any to wear?

The thing that gave me a little hope was seeing the kids have a good time at the SOL Recreation program, despite whatever they were facing at home. Five nights a week from 5-8 PM, the kids can come to the courts (an old unused basketball court that a local resort allows SOL to use) and play. SOL provides them with the space and a few basic pieces of equipment and crafts (e.g. balls, skates, books, construction paper, markers) to keep them from getting into trouble – gangs and drugs are a big problem here.

The most shocking thing was the number of two-year olds who walked into the courts on their own. I just couldn’t imagine as a parent allowing my two-year old to walk the streets by themselves especially at night. In fact throughout the whole evening we only saw one parent come to the courts with her four-year old son.

On the evening that we visited the courts there were about 35-40 kids participating. I saw kids playing fierce games of futbol (soccer) or basketball, drawing pictures and even rollerblading. That evening there was a great deal of ingenuity and perseverance from the kids using the rollerblades; all of them were using just one skate because of skill or simple availability of skates. It was a funny sight, but the kids were fearless and having a ball doing tricks on their self made obstacle courses. It was a humbling experience for me to see that this one little program seemed to give them an escape- a few hours for them just to have a good time.

My hope is that through our efforts we can recommend practical ways for SOL to implement more structure and procedures to the folks at SOL so that they can continue to help as many of the kids as they can. There is so much need here that it’s hard even with an MBA to decide what advice is relevant for the current situation. Resources – financial and human are severely limited for SOL. It’s tough to find suitable volunteers who are willing to spend the time it takes to keep the programs going for more than a month or two at a time.

If you’re looking for ways to make a difference – consider volunteering or donating to a worthy organization. To make a donation or find out about the opportunities to help SOL, click here.

In transit

Hello my faithful readers:

Wow – I can’t believe that I’m sitting here typing this blog from my apartment in Roatan, Honduras. Life has changed a great deal for me over the past year – in fact at this time last year I was preparing to give notice to my job to embark on what has turned out to be the experience of a lifetime for me – pursuing my MBA at Vlerick in Belgium.

I’m here in the Honduras for one of my last projects as a Vlerick MBA student with my team of four other students (Chris, Javiera, Jess and Julio). We’re here to help School of Life (SOL) Foundation to put together a fundraising plan. SOL is a foundation, based here on Roatan to help children in the Sandy Bay community who are at risk youth – risk of drugs, gangs and dropping out of school.

I arrived in the Honduras on Thursday afternoon following a long travel, which involved me taking the train from Belgium on Tuesday afternoon to London. From London I flew to NYC where I had a few hours to try to get into the city from JFK, do a little shopping and take care of my much needed manicure-pedicure at my spot on 7^th Ave and near 34^th Street.

I also caught up with one of my best friends Olin when I was in NYC but only for about an hour and a half at his Spanish Harlem apartment. I wish we’d had the time to catch up a little longer, but I had a flight to catch, so I headed back downtown to wait for the train to Newark, NJ where I had a hotel room for the night. The New Jersey Transit trains to the Newark Airport where I was catching my hotel shuttle were delayed; after a 2+ hour wait at Penn Station, it was almost 3 AM by the time I made it to my hotel.

The next morning I was up bright and early to prep for my flight to Houston, TX where I had a short stay with one of my other best friends Gigi. I also got to meet my godsons (her twin boys) for the very first time since their birth a little over a year ago. It was great to see Gigi in mommy mode and to see the boys in action. They were adorable and although I couldn’t imagine myself raising twins, Gigi was in her element and you could see that she’d spent a lot of time creating an environment focused on their comfort and enjoyment.

I didn’t get to see much of Houston because of some of the most torrential rains I’ve ever seen. I made a mental note that I should NEVER visit that city during Hurricane season. That’s why I consider it a miracle that all of my flights in and out of Houston were on time.

Our apartments are located right off of a lovely beach and the views are amazing. Our apartment complex is lush with vegetation with lots of beautiful trees and bushes. I’ve also seen lots of hummingbirds, crabs and fishes since I’ve arrived. I don’t mind that we don’t have hot running water because to be quite honest the cold showers I take are a relief from the heat. I love it here, despite all of the creepy crawly bugs and flying bugs, an unavoidable part of life here in the Honduras, which have taken a liking to biting me (and the rest of the team).

My favorite thing to do so far is to sit at the beach or at the top of our pier and stare out at the ocean. My access to internet is limited and I don’t have a mobile phone here with me so far Roatan has been a great place to get a little thinking and reflecting done. Before I arrived I thought I would be freaked out by not having constant connection to the internet, but when you’re disconnected from the rest of the world it’s s relaxing and it gives me time to think about the future without the distractions I would normally have. I’m also getting a lot of reading for pleasure in, something I haven’t done much this past year because things were just too busy.

We’ll get started working on our project full throttle tomorrow. But for now we have the rest of this weekend to enjoy getting acquainted to Roatan and all of the pleasures it has to offer. It’s very laid-back and the team is a lot of fun. Let the good times roll!