Early Summer Reflection

The past few weeks of transition have been intense, but incredibly good for me. In April I was still working two jobs (almost 40 total hours per week), tackling 2 classes, and trying to prepare for my summer internships. Somehow, I managed to earn As in my classes, pull off my last week and last event at my graduate assistantship, and hit the ground running at internships when my summer began the week of June 17th (just two weeks ago!)

I have to say, this summer has been amazing so far. Only 2 weeks in and I'm already smiling ear-to-ear when I come home every day. And not taking summer classes is allowing me to focus on my two internships to pour my heart into and get the most out of them. One of my internships in particular is becoming vital to my professional growth and development. A while ago I thought that I should delve into non-profits, but I didn't really know where to start. Now that I've put some time into one, I'm starting to see the worth, dedication, and passion involved in non-profit environments and I'm definitely starting to figure out  that non-profits are where my heart lies.

It's strange to think that a year ago I thought I'd end up in international education. I even focused a lot of my reading and papers on international students, study abroad best practices, cultural competency, etc. Looking back, I could never picture myself in the international education field quite like I can with non-profits. Thankfully, there are plenty of transferable skills that I will take from this master's program to wherever I end up. Who knows, maybe I'll end up in an international education themed non-profit, if such a thing exists? The best thing is, that I'm okay with wherever I end up. I like having a flexible plan for the future!

The husband and I are still considering the JET program after I graduate from SU. I can't wait until the application is released so we can soak it in and possibly start filling it out. Hard to believe we could be moving to Japan in a year, but I am stoked for the possibility. Zach has been studying his Japanese... I have to get on that!

As you can probably tell, I've been quite happy and inspired lately. I just wish this could translate to my paintings! Having a creativity-block lately has been frustrating, but I hope to pick up the pens/pencils/paintbrushes again soon.

art station

My classmate Evinn, me, and Zach at an end-of-year BBQ

Here's some paintings that I've been working on lately:

Painted this Totodile for my little brother (watercolor)

I do love how this cherry tree turned out! (watercolor)

Gorilla behind bars (pen)

To close this post, a quote to keep in mind:
"Promote what you love instead of bashing what you hate."