Bonz in Africa

I Love My Friends

2008-02-10T15:47:00.001-08:00

I have such incredible and special friends. Sometimes I forget to tell them how much I love them and appreciate them in my life. They are amazing and I don't know where I would be without them! ...That's it:)

Bootz and the O'Shea's Visit Morristown

2008-02-10T15:14:00.000-08:00

My Friends and I Breaking

2008-02-01T15:57:00.000-08:00

Don't send a lame Starring You! eCard. Try JibJab Sendables!

Happy T-Giving!

2007-11-12T08:35:00.000-08:00

Life...

2007-10-29T08:37:00.000-07:00

Life passes like a cloud over the sea. Here, there, and gone. All we can do is cling together for awhile. Remembering the pleasures and giving thanks for the passages.

2007-08-16T20:11:00.001-07:00

2007-08-16T19:55:00.000-07:00

Bonzie and Brigie!

2007-08-13T21:00:00.000-07:00

Happy-Sas!

2007-08-13T20:58:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Celebration in Yonkers!!!

2007-05-24T09:30:00.000-07:00

2007-01-18T09:38:00.000-08:00

The Way I See It...

2007-01-15T05:44:00.000-08:00

Life is a school for angels. Love is the Teacher, so do your homework without fear. Death is merely graduation. ~Jeffrey Kuehl

Bailey's Recipe

2006-12-21T07:34:00.000-08:00

1 3/4 cup of Irish whiskey
1 can Eagle condensed milk
1 cup of whipping cream
4 beaten eggs
2 tbsp. chocolate syrup
2 tbsp. instant coffee
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract

Positano, Italy

2006-12-01T13:14:00.000-08:00

"Sunsets are so beautiful that they almost seem as if we were looking through the gates of Heaven. " ~John Lubbock

For Some, One Marathon Is Not Enough

2006-11-07T09:30:00.000-08:00

LONG BRANCH, New Jersey (CNN)-It's 45 degrees and windy, but the man sitting in the tent signing autographs is wearing a tank top and shorts. He has a bandage on his right arm and massive half-moon quads, legs that have carried him nearly 1,300 miles in seven weeks. Dean Karnazes is one day short of running 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days-and he's shocked-not that he's run this far, but that more than 200 people have come to see him. "I am just not freaking prepared for all this," he says as his handlers whisk him back to his hotel to get him ready for finishing his marathon trek in New York City on Sunday.

There is a party atmosphere along the Jersey shore. Two hundred-fifty long-distance runners have shown up to run with Karnazes, but not everyone has gotten his signature or a chance to talk with him. He has to rip himself away. "I just want to go running; it's crazy," Karnazes exclaims. "No one's trained me how to deal with..., I mean, those poor people I feel like I couldn't walk away from. It's this whole other challenge. "I just want to go run."

In a sport where people consider 30 miles a training run and count the number of toenails they've lost as badges of honor, Karnazes is a rock star. He is the Bono of ultramarathoning, a sport made up of races longer than the standard 26.2-mile marathon. It's a burgeoning pastime, helped along in recent years by Karnazes, whose book "Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner" was a New York Times best-seller in 2005. And he's down to eight toenails after taking a nasty spill running through Atlanta, Georgia, on October 27. There aren't many rules in ultramarathoning. It is the wild frontier of sport, and men and women like Karnazes define races at what appear to most to be excruciating distances. So why would anyone do 50 marathons in 50 days or run 350 miles straight, forgoing sleep for three straight nights or race 135 miles through Death Valley, California, where athletes run on the white line to keep their shoes from melting? The answer comes-eventually. He's won a few races but Karnazes will tell you he's not the best ultramarathoner. What makes him a star is that Karnazes sells the sport-and himself. He's a family man, he's affable. He makes you believe this can be normal, and any of us could do it.

How True!

2006-10-31T09:03:00.000-08:00

The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when you discover that someone else believes in you and you are willing to trust them with a friendship. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Happy Halloween

2006-10-18T12:59:00.000-07:00

Fall Foliage

2006-10-02T12:32:00.000-07:00

Books, Books, Books

2006-09-19T13:16:00.000-07:00

Books I've Recently Read

Memoirs of a Geisha-Arthur Golden
Lovely Bones-Alice Seabold
Hannah's Gift-Maria Housden
Kite Runner-Khaled Hosseini
P.S. I Love You-Cecelia Ahern
Prep-Curtis Sittenfeld
The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters-Elisabeth Robinson
If You Could See Me Now-Cecelia Ahern
Pomegranate Soup-Marsha Mehran
Vanishing Acts-Jodi Picoult
Love Rosie-Cecelia Ahern
Night-Elie Wiesel
Time Traveler's Wife-Audrey Niffenegger
My Sister's Keeper-Jodi Picoult

Future Reading List
The Birth of Venus-Sarah Dunant
Stones from the River-Ursula Hegi
A Million Little Pieces-James Frey
McCarthy's Bar-Pete McCarthy
The Pact-Jodi Picoult
The Other Boleyn Girl-Philippa Gregory
Mermaid Chair-Sue Monk Kidd
The Shadow of the Wind-Carlos Ruiz

Wish List

Running with Scissors-Augusten Burroughs

My Friend Leonard-James Frey

Power of One-Bryce Courtenay

The Memory Keeper's Daughter-Kim Edwards

The Shopaholic Series-Sophie Kinsella

Saved By the Bell-Thanks TH!

2006-09-14T12:42:00.000-07:00

I Love You Gramz!

2006-09-12T13:57:00.000-07:00

Gonzaga vs. Duke-Bring it on!

2006-09-12T13:17:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK-A season too late for a J.J. Redick-Adam Morrison matchup, Duke and Gonzaga will meet for the first time, and it will be at Madison Square Garden. The Blue Devils and Bulldogs, both ranked in the Top 10 all last season, will play in New York on Dec. 21. "A few years ago, it might have been 'Gonzaga gets to play Duke,' " Gonzaga athletic director Mike Roth said Thursday. " Now it's Duke versus Gonzaga. Two national powers playing each other."

The game was brokered by Madison Square Garden officials, who signed agreements with both teams, Roth said. He declined to discuss how much Gonzaga will be paid for the game. Duke and Gonzaga are the only Division I teams to have won at least 80 percent of their games over the past six seasons, and they are the only teams to have avoided a 10-loss season in the past eight years. Gonzaga's Morrison and Duke's Redick engaged in a season-long showdown for the national scoring title. Morrison won with an average of 28.1 points per game, while Redick averaged 26.8. Both were unanimous All-America selections, but Redick, a senior, won most of the player of the year awards. Morrison elected to skip his senior year and declare for the NBA draft. Gonzaga is 7-1 all-time against Atlantic Coast Conference teams.

Duke, which was ranked No. 1 for all but five weeks, finished 32-4 and lost in the regional semifinals of the NCAA Tournament. Gonzaga, which got as high as No. 4, finished 29-4 and also lost in the regional semis. Gonzaga played once in Madison Square Garden, losing to Saint Joseph's 73-66 on Nov. 14, 2003, in Morrison's first college game. Roth said Gonzaga was hoping to charter an airplane for Bulldogs fans wishing to attend the game.

Meanwhile, Gonzaga and North Carolina headline the field for next season's newly formatted NIT Season Tip-Off. The field for the 16-team tournament was announced Thursday, and the 22nd annual event will be played at four "common sites" before the semifinals and finals are again held at Madison Square Garden.

Roommates at Stout in NYC!

2006-09-12T13:09:00.000-07:00

Angie and Vinchenzo-Missing You Already!

2006-08-24T13:02:00.000-07:00

Jump for Joy

2006-08-24T12:57:00.000-07:00

The Bonz and Bootz Brigade

2006-08-24T12:52:00.000-07:00

Words to Live By

2006-08-22T12:50:00.000-07:00

Be grateful for freedom
to see other dreams.
Bless your loneliness as much as you drank
of your former companionships.
All that you are experiencing now
will become moods of future joys,
so bless it all.
Do not think your ways superior
to another’s.
Do not venture to judge
but see things with fresh and open eyes.
Do not condemn
but praise what you can
and when you can’t be silent.

Time is now a gift for you,
a gift of freedom
to think and remember and understand
the ever perplexing past
and to recreate yourself anew
in order to transform time.

Live while you are alive.
Learn the ways of silence and wisdom;
Learn to act, learn a new speech;
Learn to be what you are in the seed of your spirit;
Learn to free yourself from all things that have molded you
and which limit your secret and undiscovered road.

Remember that all things which happen
to you are raw materials,
endlessly fertile.

Endlessly yielding of thoughts that could change
your life and go on doing so forever.

Never forget to pray and be thankful
for all the things good or bad on the rich road.
For everything is changeable
so long as you live while you are alive.

Fear not, but be full of light and love;
Fear not, but be alert and receptive;
Fear not, but act decisively when you should;
Fear not, but know when to stop;
Fear not, for you are loved by me;
Fear not, for death is not the real terror,
but life magically is.

Be joyful in your silence.
Be strong in your patience.
Do not try to wrestle with the universe
but be sometimes like water or air,
sometimes like fire.

Live slowly, think slowly, for time is a mystery.
Never forget that love
requires that you be
the greatest person you are capable of being,
self-generating and strong and gentle
-your own hero and star.

Love demands the best in us
to always and in time overcome the worst
and lowest in our souls.
Love the world wisely.

It is love alone that is the greatest weapon
and the deepest and hardest secret.

So fear not, my friend.
The darkness is gentler than you think.
Be grateful for the manifold
dreams of creation
and the many ways of unnumbered peoples.

Be grateful for life as you live it
and may a wonderful light
always guide you on the unfolding road.

Bike New York-Pedal Power!

2006-05-10T07:41:00.000-07:00

Belfast Marathon

2006-05-10T06:48:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, I ran in Belfast Marathon on Monday, May 1st. One of the ways that helped get me through running 26.2 miles is to dedicate a mile to a special person in my life. It definitely helps me focus on certain individuals and memories that we have shared together. Even though most of you weren't at the finish line, I just want you to know that you still had a significant part in helping me complete my 9th marathon!

Thanks for being my shining stars.

Mile 1-Gramz
Mile 2-Marzo
Mile 3-Sparkey
Mile 4-Grandpa Judge
Mile 5-Lindsay
Mile 6-John
Mile 7-Chase
Mile 8-Brigid
Mile 9-Paul
Mile 10-Vinnie
Mile 11-Doubz
Mile 12-Amy
Mile 13-Jami
Mile 14-Kelly
Mile 15-Anne-Marie and Coley
Mile 16-Bonnie and Bradley
Mile 17-Alyson and Mike
Mile 18-Graeber
Mile 19-Karen
Mile 20-Casey
Mile 21-Lyssia
Mile 22-Raquel
Mile 23-Bryan Pham SJ
Mile 24-Robyn
Mile 25-Jeffery
Mile 26-Alexis

Long Live Hennessey's

2006-04-06T13:47:00.000-07:00

Hennessey's is the "Cheers" of Morristown-"Where Everybody Knows Your Name." It's the first establishment I began to frequent when I moved to Morristown and it reminded me of a small Montana bar or the Jack and Dan's of Spokane. It is the only bar in Morristown I feel comfortable to walk in with sweatpants and a baseball cap. It's become a second home. From the company, to the bartenders-especially Princey and Jimmy, to snow days with Brownie, to the St. Patrick's Day Parade celebrations and corn beef sandwiches, to the George Foreman hamburgers, to the shady bathrooms, to the orange bar, to the cash only, to Jim's stories at lunch, to the dirty floor, to Bill's Bloody Mary's, to the smell of smoke that will linger on you for days, to the red beer..., these are some of the qualities that make Hennessey's unique. Even though it will only be closed for six months, I will miss the quaint Hennessey's we have known and grown to love.

To Be Continued

2006-03-28T11:25:00.000-08:00

This is from a Gonzaga alum who is mourning just like the rest of us. Enjoy!

Over the next few days and maybe for the rest of March Madness, people will call Gonzaga choke artists, pretenders, overrated, exposed, and a disappointment.

However, they fail to realize what cheering for Gonzaga is all about... It's more about than wins and losses.

It's about a little school from a town nobody really cares about trading blows with some of the biggest and most storied college athletic programs in the country.

It's about cheering for players who you know and see off the court. Guys you party with, have class with, see while walking on campus and maybe even live in the same house with.

It's about a team you can be proud of: About our point guard who fought through injuries, the death of his best friend, and losing a girlfriend of 6 years-while still being able to lace them up every night and give the team everything he had in the tank. It's about our Brazilian power forward leaving home for four years to pursue his dream to pursue a better life for his family, and reaching his dreams while wearing a Zags' uniform. Or, how about Erroll Knight, coming out of one of the poorest parts of Seattle, being a difference maker on a premier basketball program, and now about to be the first person in his family to earn a college degree. Or what about David Pendo, the walking floor burn, the guy who put up 30 points per game in high school and was recruited by the likes of Duke as a sophomore, being happy to take play out of position for the team and rack up more fouls per game than points, but still leaving everything on the court every night. Lastly, what about Adam Morrison, the best player in the country hands down, with the entire future at his fingertips, money, fame, the NBA, collapsing on the floor crying like a little kid because the game and his team meant everything to him… Because the name on the front of his jersey meant more than the name on the back. Because the future looks bright in the hands of players like Pargo, P-Mac, Larry G., Heytfelt, and Matt Bouldin.

It's about community, family and friends. The fact you can walk up to someone wearing Gonzaga gear and instantly have a connection. The fact that you can go to a Zags game and see people you haven't seen in years and still have a common bond, stories to share and pride in your school.

It's about the fact that the sun still came up this morning, I'm healthy, have a good job, and a group of friends from Gonzaga that I love.

It's about the fact that the Gonzaga story isn't over and I can't wait to see what the next chapter holds.

So the next time someone asks me what I think about Gonzaga basketball, I'll just smile and say, "…to be continued!"

GO ZAGS!!!

A Sad Day for Gonzaga Basketball

2006-03-24T12:05:00.000-08:00

Chong Tash

2006-03-13T09:44:00.000-08:00

I wish I had more to "blog" about, but I'm afraid my life in Morristown is not that exciting. Needless to say, I've resorted to posting old e-mails. Here's one from Kyrgystan.

Dear Family and Friends,

I am sorry that this e-mail did not reach you sooner to wish you a Happy Valentines, but the communication system is difficult when I live in a primitive village in Kyrgyzstan. Please accept my Valentine's love from many miles away. I hope you all enjoyed this special occasion with your significant other;) I thought of you all, as I celebrated the 14th with my students. While this holiday has always been depressing for me, it was quite the opposite this year. My students and I made homemade valentines and had a great time. I even got a secret admirer note from one of my fifth grade boys. It was the highlight of my day.

The weather has been frigid, but the last week was the first sign of Spring. I finally took the lining out of my coat, and could manage to write on the blackboard without my two pairs of gloves and getting frostbit. I will miss the beauty of the snow on the ground, but I am excited to enjoy the rays of sun.

I had a wonderful lesson last week, as I taught my students comparatives and superlatives... They all grasped the concepts well. I found an easy subject to make them relate. For example..., the U of M basketball team is bad... The Gonzaga men's basketball team is good... The U of M is bad, Santa Clara is better, but Gonzaga is the best:) Well..., I am sorry that I had to have all of you endure that brief interlude. It was not meant for everyone, but I have to have faith in my Bulldogs, as I am there number one fan in Central Asia. Go Zags!

My spare time has been filled with helping coach basketball. It has been a lot of fun, and I have also been working for the preparation of Peace Corps' 40th anniversary on March 1st. We will be performing for the Bishkek community, and my students will sing the Star Spangled Banner. We have been practicing diligently and it will be a wonderful rendition. I will also attempt to sing a Kyrgyz song, so I am a little nervous:)

I think you will also be humored and enlightened by my most recent journey in Kyrgyzstan. Last weekend, I had the opportunity to experience the only ski hill in Kyrgyzstan. Having downhill withdrawals, we gathered local PCV's and set forth for an adventurous day, not exactly knowing what we were getting ourselves into. A forty-five minute marshutka (mini-van from the 1950's) ride, turned into a two hour excursion. We unfortunately, got a flat tire after going through a remote filed in the middle of nowhere. We recovered and were forced to push the marshutka up the remainder of the hill. We were almost ready to turn home, when we rounded the corner and saw Chong-Tash.(Big Stone in Kyrgyz) Having come this far, we explored the perimeter, and set foot in the ski rental shop-a trailer hut. Trying to communicate in Russian the size of our skis and boots, we managed to score the cheapest ski day in history-50 cents for rentals, and one dollar for the ski lift. We were all impressed with our steal of a price, we instantly forgot about our transportation nightmare and skated our way to the chair. Don't let me give you the impression it is like a "quad" when I say chair. It turns out we were given hooks with rope tied to a piece of wood-I am not exaggerating. We learned we had to connect the hook to a chain that was moving up the hill, and that was our ticket. Being the brave person I am, I volunteered to go first, only to find myself being dragged halfway up Chong Tash. I survived and we all managed to make it up together and ski down in one piece. It was powder skiing and my Rossignals from 1920 couldn't keep up the carving. Apparently, they have never heard of groomers here. We skied the rest of the day and had a great time. The slope wasn't crowded, as the Russians usually take to the vodka after the second run. We called it a day, after we could no longer feel our legs. We snowplowed down the small ravine, trying to dodge the numerous horses in our path, and headed home early. We were lucky not to have anyone killed and to experience the thrill of skiing in K-stan. Chong Tash 2001-an unforgettable memory.

Um Skinny Bop

2006-03-09T13:00:00.000-08:00

I was deleting messages in my Inbox, and I came across one of my many embarrassing stories. It made me laugh, so I thought I would share it again. Happy Thursday!

October 2003
After joining Headquarter's Gym last week, I decided I needed to take full advantage of my membership, so I hit the gym last night. However, something very unexpected happened to me. I decided to start my daily training off on the treadmill-running a few miles. So..., I hop on an enormous machine, turn on the TV, adjust the fan, perfect my towel, put on my headset, and select a good pace. The treadmill starts warming up and gets faster and faster and faster. So, there I am, running at a good speed-watching "Friends" on the TV. I am in my own little world-in the zone. The song "Um Skinny Bop" comes on and the adrenaline kicks in. So..., there I am, running..., surrounded my tons of people. I am singing to Poison and I decide that I need to quench my thirst with water. This is not an easy task folks. Very carefully, I try to gracefully straddle the treadmill. However, all of a sudden, in an instant, KURBANG! Yes, that's right. I go flying off of the treadmill at 50 mph and water goes every where. I am all tangled up in this contraption and it's still moving. WHY ME I ASK? Apparently, my foot slipped and I fell. For those of you who know my klutz tendencies-this tops the cake.

As I am leaving the gym, all of a sudden I hear an attractive guy talking
to his friend... "Hey, that's the girl that fell off of the treadmill. How embarrassing! He He He."
Great!

Embarrassing story number 5,200,342,560 in my life.

Go Adam Morrison!

2006-03-01T12:50:00.000-08:00

http://gozags.collegesports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/022806aah.html

Men Kyrgyzstandan Abdan Sagandim!

2006-03-01T12:44:00.000-08:00

Jack Kerouac Quote

2006-02-21T07:29:00.000-08:00

The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars.

Bonz and Doubz in DC!

2006-02-16T11:38:00.000-08:00

From Jen Moe and Nicki Gross, Lincoln to Madonna, to Late Night Talks, to Hootie and the Blowfish, to Weebles in Top Ramen, to Race Car Drivers, to Gramichis, to Plane Watching, to Vinnie and Guamz, to Josh Roehner's Truck, to Egged and Orange Juiced Windows, to Fire Alarms, to Biking Down Stairs, to Riding Our Bikes to Safeway, to Pepper Plants, to the Star Spangled Banner, to Chili Pepper Lights, to SYR's and Bean Burritos, to Johnny, to Walker, to Nervous Dave, to Retainer Kisses, Aaron McComas and the Canadian, to COG mornings, to Choir and Dr. Ed, to Choir Trips, to Magnificat, to Portland Trips, to 23rd, to Bentos, to Cheri's Palm Reading, to the Grinds, to Calobo, to Cow Alarms, to No Dose, to Holding Hands, to Danielle's Clutter, to Brother Labs and a Pick Up Truck, to Gonzaga Basketball, to Chaela and Doug's Wedding, to Eating at Cucina Cucina, to Montana, to Minihaha, to Andy and Shampoo, to Danielle's Dirty Dishes, to Running at 3 AM, to Throwing Suckers at Windows, to Birds in Vents, to Roommates Forever.

"Great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave and impossible to forget!"

Flavor Flav!

2006-02-09T13:31:00.000-08:00

Your new name is..., hemmm..., hemmm..., hemmm..., hemmm..., hemmm..., hemmm..., SHELLS! BOYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Montana, I Love You!

2006-02-08T08:26:00.000-08:00

Montana, Montana, Glory of the West. Of all the states from coast to coast, you're easily the best. Montana, Montana, where skies are always blue. M-O-N-T-A-N-A, Montana, I love you.

A Favorite Picture From Kyrgyzstan

2006-02-01T11:38:00.000-08:00

1993 Conversation with Conway

2006-01-16T13:59:00.000-08:00

Scene: JFK Terminal 4
Taryn: (After being on my first escalator) Hi, my name is Taryn Harrison and I'm from Montana.
John: My name is John Conway and I'm from New Jersey.
John: Do you ride horses to school in Montana?
Taryn: No.
John: Do you have electricity in Montana?
Taryn: Yes.
John: Do you have indoor plumbing in Montana?
Taryn: (On the verge of tears.) Yes.

Rock on Irish Way 1993. Even though John Conway was the first person I met on the Irish Way and even though he tainted my impression of Jersey, I still love him:)

2006-01-16T13:52:00.000-08:00

Irish Way 1999-Cool Kid's Reunion

2005 Dublin Marathon

2005-12-09T11:18:00.000-08:00

GO ZAGS!

2005-12-09T11:09:00.000-08:00

"The marathon's about being in contention over the last 10K. That's when it's about what you have in your core. You have run all the strength, all the superficial fitness out of yourself, and it really comes down to what's left inside you. To be able to draw deep and pull something out of yourself is one of the most tremendous things about the marathon." - Rob de Castella

Vote for Pedro-HECK YES!

2005-11-10T07:55:00.000-08:00

Cousin Love!

2005-10-27T12:39:00.000-07:00

Earl and Papa Bear Visiting the Aran Islands.

Truth

2005-10-25T09:29:00.000-07:00

With less than a year before I leave for the Peace Corps, I've been doing a lot of thinking. Truth is fierce and unrelenting, eh? I know I cannot change it, but I can change the way I live with it. Making mistakes, not being loved, and dying inescapable experiences of being human; is my fear. By facing those fears, I have a chance to step beyond them. When I am willing to do the best I can with what I know, to be honest with myself and others about who I am and what really matters to me, is when the life I live and the love I receive will truly be my own.

T minus ten months and counting...

E.E. Cummings

2005-10-24T10:40:00.000-07:00

I carry your heart with me. I carry it in my heart. I am never without it. Anywhere I go, you go, my dear; and whatever is done by only me is your doing, my darling. I fear no fate. For you are my fate, my sweet. I want no world. For beautiful you are my world, my true. And it's you are whatever a moon has always meant and whatever a sun will always sing and it's you here is the deepest secret nobody knows. Here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart. I carry your heart. I carry it in my heart.

Free

2005-10-12T07:50:00.000-07:00

The other night it was pouring rain and I sat in Starbucks, sipped on my pumpkin spice latte and read Robert Rosenberg's "This is Not Civilization." It's a great book that I'm able to relate to after my Peace Corps service in Kyrgyzstan. I'm able to escape back to the world I love and miss with every turn of a page. I'm surprised by how much Kyrgyz I remember and it makes me happy knowing that I will be leaving for another adventure soon. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. As I was listening to my iPod and singing silently to Galileo, I overheard a homeless man get in a fight over a dollar. This was after the homeless man told me that I was, deeper than just the surface and free, or very soon will be. I wonder what that means, exactly. I wonder what that means to the homeless man, who's quality of life is so dependant on the availability of a one dollar bill. It's another dismal day and I have to get back to work. I love these morning moments when it feels like I'm the only one breathing in the world and anything could happen. Maybe today I will be free.

Mattchew and the Red Barons

2005-09-23T13:30:00.000-07:00

My special friend-from Spokane/KXLY-in flight. I miss: Matt singing to Goo Goo Dolls and "Kiss Me" in the KXLY Van, Lake Chelan Camping Trip, Cliff Diving with Mary Nam, Silverwood, 502 Outings with Mattchew, Cheering on the Zags with Him, His Laugh, Lunches at the Browns, Trips to Glacier Park, His Letters to Kyrgyzstan, Hanging Out with Heather and Nicole and Seattle Reunions. Cheers to many more memories in the future.

My Peace Corps Essay

2005-09-16T12:52:00.000-07:00

When I was in 4th Grade, I remember a RPV from Ghana came to speak to my class about her service with the Peace Corps. She showed us pictures and told us stories about her amazing adventure. I was fascinated by her experience and I wanted to learn more about volunteering. From then on, many people would ask what I wanted to be when I grew up. “A Peace Corps Volunteer,” was my response. It became a dream of mine to some day have the “toughest job you will ever love.”

In the summer of 2000, I embarked on an incredible journey and began my service as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Kyrgyzstan. I felt so humbled, so insignificant for the first time in my life, so small when contrasted against the entire scheme of the universe. It took 10,000 miles for me to learn this lesson, this painful, yet eye opening exercise of patience and humility. I learned many incredible lessons: the Kyrgyz language, politics, and the cultural differences. However, the most important revelations are the ones that stemmed from deep inside: that you become whole when you recognize your fears, grow when you learn your limits, and blossom when you are awakened by your deepest desires.

My purpose as a volunteer became clear, as I recognized the simplicity of the life in Kyrgyzstan. The unimportance of materialistic items and the love for families. The amazement from the children by a foreigner-an American-with a funny disc called a Frisbee. The smiles of people who were always excited to see me and who welcomed me with open arms and a bow with the hand on the heart-a simple greeting of Salamatizbi.
Despite the lack of hope for the future in Kyrgyzstan, it made me happy when I could make my students smile from sharing a piece of chocolate from America, or having a simple Kyrgyz conversation with an elderly woman at the bazaar. I lived in the moment, and was grateful for the universe and whatever it brought me, and found the meaning of both joy and pain. I surrendered to the unknown, stopped manipulating, and wanting, and ceased wrestling against the things I could not control. I loved unconditionally, did things out of love, even let go, because I loved. I learned to be patient and to curb my tendency to scream and climb mountains. I accepted the fact that I alone cannot change the world. I no longer expected miracles and I did the best I could do to make a difference.

Kyrgyzstan became my home and a place I crave to return. I still remain in contact with many of my students, friends and families I made while I lived in Kyrgyzstan. Today, it gives me great pleasure to share my experience with others, promote the Peace Corps and paint a picture of the beautiful country Kyrgyzstan truly is and the wonderful Kyrgyz culture. Kyrgyzstan will remain with my heart forever!

Quote of the Day

2005-09-16T06:42:00.000-07:00

Change has a considerable psychological impact on the human mind. To the fearful it is threatening because it means that things may get worse. To the hopeful it is encouraging because things may get better. To the confident it is inspiring because the challenge exists to make things better. - King Whitney Jr.

Shawshank Redemption Quote

2005-09-02T08:56:00.000-07:00

Red: "I find I'm so excited I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it's the excitement only a free man can feel. A free man at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain."

2005-08-29T10:20:00.000-07:00

Paul and Bonz in Montana

Blogging with Bonz

2005-08-22T10:06:00.000-07:00

I thought this would be an easy way to share my experience in the Peace Corps with my family friends. Round Two-Africa or Bust. GO ZAGS!