The Journey Begins

Suhh?!  Haha!  Welcome! 

Thank you for your interest and just for being here, just for visiting!  I want to provide a little information about myself because I think maybe that’s a good idea.  I love to travel, but also enjoy working as a parks and recreational professional during the 9-5 grind.  Ultimately, I like working with youth and serving the community.  When I was in college, I had no idea what I wanted to do.  After some guidance from an amazing mentor I enrolled into the sports/parks program at Missouri State University and thought I’d dabble in the sports world…after some short dabbling but very valuable experience with major league sports teams, I quickly realized that maybe professional sports was not the road for me.  

I spent the summer of 2010 doing my practicum in South Africa through a program called ISV.  My first big trip out of the country!  So here we are…me and about 30 other young whippersnappers my age who I had just met in JFK airport in New York City boarded the plane to journey to Capetown, South Africa where we would be on a project called “Salty Crax”.  This consisted of running a holiday program for a local school from about 7am-2pm everyday, then doing community work at a local township/settlement for the rest of the afternoon into the evening.  I didn’t know it at the time, but looking back now it apparent that this trip had a huge impact on my life and the direction it was going.  I learned that there’s a big part of this world that’s living differently than we are, than I am.  I learned that whatever job I could get back home in the US doing this type of work, that’s what I wanted…and I haven’t really looked back since.  I also met some amazing people, but two REALLY important friends who became my family (shout out to you Homegirl, and Brother Max!)

Fast forward to my current position in parks and recreation essentially as a real life Leslie Knope!  Where I work with the youth and local community to provide recreation opportunities and all the fun things!  I really am lucky to wake up every day and do what I love.

[insert cheesy quote about if you do what you love you never “work” a day in your life]

–Yours Truly

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Anyways–I have always chased opportunities internationally or locally that allowed me to serve and engage with the community.  I am especially excited about the Minoro Project because it hits close to home.  It’s in the homeland of my mom and located in the birthplace of her mother.  It’s always been a dream of mine to create and be a part of something like this! 

All along my journey through life I’ve had a handful of some very influential people who have helped shape me, mold me, push me, and continue to challenge me to be better, to do better.  You guys have supported me through allllll this crazy life has thrown at me, and there isn’t enough room on this basic blog membership to thank you properly. YOU–You have inspired me to go for it.  I’m excited to see where this could go and the positive impact it will have for students of Minoro. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.