A Realistic Look of 2014 New Year’s Resolutions

The great thing about blogging is being able to stay accountable. I have been making a ton of changes to my blog and I have been reading old posts that I have written over the years. Sometimes, I look back and laugh at them because I have changed so much. I haven’t really done most of the things that I have set as goals, especially since I have 2 or 3 blog posts talking about my goals to lose weight and setting out a plan, but I am still the same weight that I was when I wrote all of those posts. Oh well, I am at a healthy weight, but I could be healthier.

Last year in January I wrote a post that talked about my goals for this year. Looking back at the goals, I have done a good job with some of them, and not so good with the others.

Saving Money while you are Abroad!

So, you raised all the money you needed for the trip. You are walking off the plane into a whole new country. Congratulations! But now you have to figure out how to not burn through your entire bank account while you are in the country. I can help! While I was in South Africa, I spent a little more than I had expected to, but I also had the trip of a lifetime. These are the 5 tips that I figured out while I was there!

5 Ways to Raise Money to Go Abroad!

This summer has been absolutely crazy. After getting back from South Africa I have been trying to focus on getting moved into our new apartment and making it a home. Then I had 2 weeks of military training out in Fort Carson. (Great Time) But I feel like yet another summer has slipped away from me.
I am just getting Thank You’s done from my South African Donors, 2 months after getting home.. Even though they have been on my list of things to do… since I got home. Slowly but surly this summer is coming to an end.
All of that being said, I am finally starting to get some of my study abroad posts up onto my blog! Woo!

Studying abroad is well worth the money. I don’t regret a single penny that I spent on the trip, but I do wish I would have watched my finances a little more closely. Here are 5 Tips for raising money for your trip, because it is no secret that it costs an arm and a leg sometimes. It is hard to pay for an entire trip straight out of pocket so follow these:

All About Me

Hey everyone! I know most of you are regular readers, and most of you are probably family and friends, but for those of you who happened to stumble upon my blog, I thought I would give you a nice, warm welcoming!

African Safari: Day One

   Today, we packed up our bags and headed out for our first overnight trip.We were headed to the Safari. It seemed like a super long drive on the way there, but it was really only an hour or two. As we drove, I couldn’t help but be surprised at how absolutely beautiful the world is.
Ever since the Slave Lodge we have been making fun of Kelsie because the birds and squirrels really love her. In the Company Gardens, the animals came right up to her and were super friendly, which freaked her out. It wasn’t pretty. She also seems to attract the dog at the Hostel very well. Well, the Safari just made her a target for some jokes because we kept saying how we would get to see all of the animals because Kelsie would attract them towards our vehicle.

I can show this one better with pictures than words. Only pictures can explain how truly beautiful Africa is:

Archives and Holocaust Museum

     This morning in South Africa we had a good class about the beginning history of South Africa. We talked about the Dutch coming to form a settlement here, the slave trade and the types of slaves, and the different types of segregation laws that took place.
It was really interesting because Dr. Curry started the lecture by saying that the 1940’s Alexandria, South Africa bus boycotts were happening at the same time as the boycotts in Montgomery, Alabama. She explained how this was the thing that got her interested in South Africa, primarily because when her professor first told her this, he continued with the statement, “Someone in this classroom will want to know if the two boycotts had any influence on each other. He was right. She wanted to know, but he didn’t have an answer for her. So she set out to find it on her own.

10 Things To Do AFTER Moving to a New City

This is a blog in progress, but I am quickly working on a checklist of things to do after you have moved to a new city.

I am moving from Lincoln to Beatrice to Omaha all in a 2 month time span. I finished my college semester and I am planning on moving to Omaha shortly after returning to South Africa. Beginning of June, I will be packing up my belongings and moving to an apartment. I have been working on downsizing and packing my things, but there is a lot more to moving than your moving your stuff.

You are moving your life as well.

I am slowly creating a to-do list of things that need to be done after your move.

The Amy Biehl Foundation and Nyanga

The Amy Biehl foundation is set up for a girl who was living in South Africa in the early 1990’s. She was a college student at Stanford University majoring in African studies. She came to South Africa to help fight the injustice and segregation. She was here up until the first free elections, but then she was driving home from a township and was killed by a mob that thought she was there to fight against freedom, instead of fighting for freedom.

UP, UP and AWAY!

When someone suggests that you go on a 24 hour flight. Think about it deeply before you jump on the idea.

   We flew from:

            Omaha to Detroit: 1 hr 23 minute flight

            Detroit to Amsterdam: 7 hour and 35 minute flight

            Amsterdam to Cape Town: 11 hour and 10 minute flight.

Big Thanks Goes tooo..

UNL: For setting up the trip, making sure everything went okay, and giving me a $750 scholarship!
Dr. Curry: For putting up with all of us crazy college kids for 3 weeks!
Robin Anderson: Who printed the letters for me to send out informing everyone about my trip and requesting a little help.
Gage County M.A.P.S. coalition for donating envelopes and labels for the letters.

Some of the Money Donors:
Kiwanis                                                     Verla Light
Grandma Jan and Grandpa Roger                Grandpa Earl and Grandma Vera
Grandma Cindy                                         Grandma Judy and Grandpa Gene
Roger and Dianne Aveyard                         Dawn Kendall
Roger and Jane Aden                                  Ernie and Jan
Bette and Marvin                                       Janice Waltke
Diane and Doug Swanson                           Troy Kendall
Mom and Dad                                            Pat May