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2012 in Review

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I learned the first three letter of the Arabic Alphabet yesterday.  It’s going to be difficult, but I think I can pull it off.  I need a good way to fill my time over the next 29 days.  Spending a good deal of time learning a new language sounds like the best way to occupy myself.  Now I just need a good place to study.  My coffee place seems to have decided to start making shitty coffee….which kind of throws me for a loop.

For those of you who do not know, I am a Broncos fan.  I have lived my entire life in Northern Colorado.  This team has always been mine.  It has been an incredible season.  Even though I am more of a baseball fan, this is hard not to get excited about this season.  I mean, nine wins in a row.  Come on!  I’m starting to think about how far they can go….and I hate that I won’t be in the country for the conference championships or the Superbowl.  I will have to find a way to watch them with fellow Peace Corps volunteers.

Today’s writing is actually my year in review. I do this every year.  Same 40 questions.  Feel free to steal the questions and fill it out for yourself.  It’s a great way to reflect.

2012 in Review

30 Days Out

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With 30 days until I leave for Morocco, two things are on my mind.  First and foremost is the girl I am set to leave behind.  I know I’m going to leave my family and friends behind…but I don’t entirely regard that a bad thing.  Although I will miss my friends and family, I know they will be here for me when I get back.  When it comes to romance, life works a little differently.  We know full well that we can’t ask each other to wait.  It really isn’t sane to expect a 27 month long-distance relationship to last off of a one-month romance.  A part of me desperately doesn’t want to risk losing her.  That part want to stay behind.  The other part of me reminds me that everything I’ve ever wanted (except romance and a family) is offered by the Peace Corps.  Ambitious friend.  Helping people.  Travel.  Help towards a great job.  I can not expect either of us to wait…but I can hope.  Still, I cannot help but imagine my life if I decide not to leave her.

One other thing is on my mind.  Arabic.  I am not great at languages.  In 30 days, I will be thrown into an intensive 8-week course where Arabic and the culture of Morocco will be taught.  I need to get a good head start.  In order to get going, I am going to force myself to work on it every day until I leave.  Today is focused on skowering the internet for ideas on how to start learning the language.  Tomorrow will focus on buying a couple language books (and a tourist book of Morocco) so that I can get a real start on my studies.  I will let you know how it goes.  I may even try to write some Arabic poems or Haikus.

Here is today’s update from my teenage past.  Some of these poems are a bit embarrassing (this one included).  It almost looks like I wanted it to be a song rather than a set poem.  It sounds like a crappy pop song.

True Love

Reacting to Shootings in Newtown, Connecticut

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For those of you who have been following me for some time, you know that I am an avid advocate for gun control.  The events of Aurora, Colorado (about an hour south of me) changed me permanently.  I no longer feel like I can sit on the bleachers as shooting after shooting after shooting takes place in my country and my state.  I want to be an active part of the solution.  If you want to be a part of the solution, here’s a short list of what you can do today:

(1) Send condolences to the families.
(2) Contact local representatives and let them know this can never happen again.
(3) Give to charities who help families grieve through these charities
(4) Support loved ones with mental illnesses. If they know they are loved, they are less likely to reach their breaking point.

I am starting off with number two.  I spent the past hour writing a letter to my elected officials (state and national).  I suggest you do the same.  You are also welcome to share my open letter in any way you would like (just let me know).  Inaction is our biggest fault.  Here is the link:

An Open Letter to my Elected Officials Regarding the Shootings in Newtown, Connecticut

 

Overdose of Peace Corps

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I read through all the documents in my Peace Corps packet again.  With 39 days until I leave, it seems necessary to figure out as much as I can.  I sent an email to my director.  I got a response this morning that my Peace Corps Passport has already been issued and will be waiting for me at the staging even on January 14th.  I should get more information on the staging event before Christmas…but from what I’ve read, it looks like it may be in Philadelphia.

Over the next 39 days, my time will be divided up between learning Arabic, reading, writing, and hanging out with friends and family.  Oh, and watching the Denver Broncos kick some ass.  As a result, I will be updating new stuff sporadically based on what I am doing each day.  I will, however, continue uploading old pieces for you daily.  I really like the one for today.  I hope you do too:

’cause I know

Morocco on the Radar

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It’s been a good day off.  I cleaned my condo, saw Wreck-It-Ralph, wrote some Haikus, and generally relaxed.  I finally broke out my Peace Corps packet it today and started getting a better feel for what the next 27 months are going to look like.  I even met someone who vacationed in Morocco (he made me much more excited about going). I wish the day would just come.

I think I am going to take a break from what I have been trying to write.  It just isn’t working.  I’d rather spend these 39 days free writing anyway.  I also need to read a lot more than I have in the past week.  That means I will have more to upload in the week to come.  Until then, here is another poem from my freshmen year of high school:

Look at Me

40 Days Out

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Today was my last day of substitute teaching.  After two longs years in this field, I hope to finally say goodbye to the job.  In 40 days, I will leave for the Peace Corps.  Then comes 27 months of service.  When I return, I hope to make a career in the government.  So, this is the end of a long, strange shift in my jobs.  Substitute teaching allowed me to live the way I wanted to live.  I made enough money to get by.  I never took my job home with me.  I could choose what days I wanted to work.  It was the perfect life for a writer.  Now, I am on Christmas vacation with 40 days left in the United States.

Since I worked on the blog instead of writing yesterday, today I need to focus again.  A large part of me just wants to lay down, take a nap, watch a movie, and talk to Sofia.  I can’t do that.  Yet.  That can be tomorrow’s plan.  This evening has to be about writing.  I will get started now.  Here is another poem from 2004 for all of my readers:

When You Look at Me

Remodel complete

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I just spent two hours remodeling my website.  It is now ready to explore.  As I update with more writing over the next few weeks, the earlier years will begin to fill up with content   Until then, the content from 2012 is full enough to keep you busy.  Here is the link.  Let me know what you think about the new website.

2012

Why Haikus Make Me Smile

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I miss your eyes—and
waking up to see them there
looking back at me
–Sofia

There is something beautiful in the way Haikus work.  I’ve written poems, flash fiction, short stories, and novels.  But now, thanks to a lovely lady in my life, I am finding the beauty in Haikus.     They capture the same thing I hope to capture in all my writing–the emotion of the moment.  With a Haiku, however, we are limited to 17 syllables (5,7,5).  It is the perfect tool to force a writer to be concise.  I think it will be a great tool for me.  I have become much more precise in my writing over the past three years.  This will force it even further.

Today, after a shortened day of work, I am getting back to work.  I was able to write almost 1,300 words today.  I need to break the 1,00 mark today.  Unfortunately, as I develop this story, i know full well that I will not be able to share much or any of what I am writing for years to come.  That is okay.  I will continue to update my old poems and writing in the weeks to come.  It’ll be enough to hold you over until the writing blog also becomes a travel blog.  Here is today’s poem:

The Sight of You

Don’t Fret. Just Write.

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I spent a good deal of time last night wondering how I was going to write my current story.  I worried that I didn’t know how to do it right.  I worried about the order the story should go in.  I worried about this and that.  In the end, I pretty much gave up on figuring it out.  Instead, I just wrote.  It may not have come out perfectly, but it came out.  I got 500 words on paper last night.  So far this morning, I’ve already put another 500 words down.  The story is starting to come together.

Today’s poem is a special one for me.  I wrote it second semester of my 8th grade year.  I had a huge crush on a girl in my class.  I had no idea how to tell her.  Instead of gathering up the courage to talk to her, I gathered up the courage to give her a poem.  I printed it off and slipped it in her locker during the last week of classes.  She never made any mention of the poem.  But, after that, I had a small amount of courage that made it easier to talk with girls I like.  This poem is my introduction to romantic life in High School.

Speak of a Sin

 

Time for Family

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I spent four hours with my family today.  My cousin’s little girl just turned one year–and we all gathered in Denver.  It’s nice when this time of year rolls around.  I get to see my family so often.  Thanksgiving.  Birthdays.  Christmas.  New Years.  It’s great.  It’s exhausting  but it’s nice to keep up with everybody.  There are suddenly so many young children in my family.  I can’t help but wonder when I will have the young child at the party.

This evening needs to be spent on two things.  I need to write my 1,000 words.  I also want to start reading “The Road” by Cormac McCarthy.  So, before I go, I am going to leave you with one of the better poems from my early teenage years.

Those Beautiful Eyes