Blueberry Fields Forever...

In Watkinsville, Georgia, about a 15 minute drive outside of Athens, GA, there is a small family-owned farm, Washington Farms, that grows strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and pumpkins to the public. Not only do they sell their produce to the public, but they allow you to pick the goods. A labor of love! June is blueberry season, so we spent about 1.5 hours picking ripened blueberries as the hot Georgia summer sun set low on the horizon. (What a great way to procrastinate on packing/moving!) After laboring over the spider-infested blueberry bushes, we happily paid our $12 for a bucket full (1 gallon) of delicious blueberries...just enough to bake up a mouth-watering blueberry cobbler (see pic). YUM! Now that I've had my blueberry cobbler, I'm ready to start packing...for Oxford.

Futbol Kebab Feast!

We have befriended a Brasilian couple who are visiting researchers at UGA and Georgia Tech. Since I am leaving the country soon, as are the Brasilians, we decided to have one last hoorah! On Sunday night, we gathered for an international kebab feast for the Confederations Cup Futbol (soccer) match between USA and Brasil. More than likely all TV sets in Brasil were tuned into the game, while only a few US TV's were capturing the foot magic...one of which was ours. The Brasilians LOVE their futbol! Even though Brasil won the game, USA gave them a good run for their money in the first half. Our afternoon/evening turned into a six hour eating feast: Goat cheese, crackers, fruit, Tu-Tu (from Brazil), baked brie with jam, chicken/veggie kebabs, and lots of vino. A good night indeed! Safe travels (boa viagem) Milena & Raf, ciao...

Athens Farmers' Market

Before heading off to my LAST Saturday class, I jumped out of bed at 7 a.m. and headed to the Farmers' Market for some local produce and goodies. The Market is small and sweet with about 30 booths and a local band playing bluegrass music in the background. Tis' the season for carrots, onions, potatoes, tomatos, sunflowers, and greens.

Big Phat Blog Slacker!

Okay, I admit I have been a big blog slacker! I do not even have new photos to share. But, let me try to rationalize the madness that has kept me away from the blog and Nikon. After arriving back in Athens, Georgia I immediately jumped into two intensive summer school courses. Imagine a semester load of work crammed into only four weeks. The first class, Qualitative Research Traditions (QUAL 8400), convenes for 2.5 hours every day of the week and we have a total of six small assignments (3-5 pages each). Dr. St. Pierre teaches the course and she is a post-structural feminist, so you can only imagine how she loves to deconstruct all the systematic hierarchies in the world we live. I enjoy her lively rants and will continue to rave about how she makes me think about life differently. The second class, Managing Innovations in Organizations (SOWK 7423), meets every Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m . and every week I have a new project to turn in. Yes, I have a weekend class...F-U-N! Not really. But, I am trying my hardest to slam out my coursework. Plus, what else am I going to do in Athens, Georgia in the think humidity and 100 degree weather? Sitting in an air-conditioned classroom isn't all that bad. Now, if I was in Colorado...I would not be signing up for a weekend class. No way!

In addition to the coursework, I am starting to prepare for my sojourn across the Atlantic ocean to study in Oxford for 6 months. It feels like a figment of my imagination...but in 11 days it will be a reality. WOOHOO! So, packing, moving, and cleaning keeps me busy when I'm not studying and writing like a mad woman with super curly hair.

An International Education Conference in Los Angeles!

After taking the train up the beautiful California coast to LA, it was time to switch gears and put on my conference smile. The Association of International Educators (NAFSA) hosts a colossal annual conference promoting the exchange of students and scholars from the U.S. Even with the economic downturn, a record breaking 7,400 people attended the conference sending a message that international education continues to grow regardless of the economy. Back in March, I was asked to represent Erasmus Mundus, the EU-sponsored two-year Master's program, at the European Commission booth. Coupling my two great passions: Europe and higher education, I could not think of a better way to spend four days (in a nerdy PhD sort-of-way). I talked to international education specialists from around the nation about my Erasmus Mundus experience, the program, higher education in Europe, and I also hosted a poster session based on research from my thesis. Okay, I think my cup is overflowing with lots of good Erasmus Mundus vibes right now. Of course there were a few good educational sessions I attended...and the plenary speaker was Bangladeshi economist and Nobel peace prize winner Muhammad Yunus. My thought after listening to his inspirational talk about microfinance: the American banking system sucks!

The social aspect of my LA visit was just as good! The Denver Nuggets were playing the LA Lakers in the NBA playoffs. Go NUGGETS! My fellow colleagues and I joined the Laker fans and cheered on the Nuggets, even though they experienced an agonizing loss. Argh, we (the Nuggets) lost the playoffs, but we did give the Lakers a run for their money in the first few games.

My trip to LA could not be complete without hanging out with my dear friend from high school, Bridget! We had lost touch over the years, yet this visit made it seem as if no time had passed. We visited many of the LA hot spots, including the Standard rooftop bar complete with a vibrating waterbed pods (no joke!), a panoramic view of downtown LA, and a heated swimming pool. I crawled into bed at 3:58 a.m. and had a poster session at 8:30 a.m. I think it's time to get back to PhD life in Athens...

A Birthday Celebration in San Diego!

A long birthday weekend in San Diego resulted in a few war wounds and of course an omnipresent perma-grin. My little kid brother resides two blocks from Pacific Beach which makes a beach vacation effortless, especially with the beach cruiser bicycles. We celebrated my birthday with many rounds of tequila. A great way to spend time with my brother, celebrate another year of being alive, and realize how old I am when I awoke the next morning with an "adult" hangover. On Saturday, after a lazy morning, we hit up Torrey Pines State Reserve and hiked the coastline. This area is beautiful with eight miles of trails perched high above on rocky cliffs overlooking the unspoiled beaches. We hiked and found a few spots ideal for yoga. Unfortunately, this State Park may be shut down due to the dire California state budget ordeal.









Every Memorial weekend a big group of my brother's friends gather for an annual kick-ball tournament on Sunday. Imagine 40 people (including a few San Diego Chargers--Nate Kaeding) playing kick-ball for 4 hours with the following rules:

1.) Everyone must have a beer in hand when catching the ball in the outfield.

2.) When you run to first base, you must pick up one of the cold beers, pop it open and begin drinking.

3.) The beer, picked up at first base, must be finished before touching home base (there are "coaches" to assist with the beer drinking at third base).

Needless to say, carnage ensued: broken toes (see photo of Bobby's nasty foot...with a broken toe and toe jam...ick!), pulled hamstrings, and lots of laughing.

Off to Los Angeles...

I HEART Boulder, Colorado!

The Boulder valley peacefully cuddled next to the majestic mountains, as I drove down highway 36 . Oh, Boulder! Every time I drive into the Boulder valley a deep-rooted visceral feeling overtakes me...I'm HOME! It seems that this feeling continues to grow stronger with each visit. The flatiron mountains, cafe culture, extreme athletes, active lifestyle, the CU-Boulder campus, and my dear friends all contribute to the adoration I have for Boulder, Colorado. Hence, the reason I refuse to sell my "home" in Boulder. In 2001 (at the height of the housing market) I purchased a town home that officially marked my passage into adulthood (and never ending mortgage payments...) So, every time I visit Colorado I put my tool belt on and get ready for some exhilarating home projects. This trip, my parents and I had the exciting task of fixing a leaky shower head (a 30 minute task that quickly turned into a 4-hour task). Gotta love owning a home!

Here is a photo of a cloudy day in Boulder and my dear friend Mel with baby Hope. One of my favorite things to do when I'm back in Colorado is visit all of my Boulder friends at the Alpine and Broadway strip mall of cafes, which is where both of these photos were shot.

My Bucket List #36: Become a Yoga Instructor...CHECK!

Shoshoni is a yoga ashram nestled high in the Colorado Rocky Mountains at 9,000 feet. When I lived in Boulder, my dear friends and I used to enjoy weekends escapes to Shoshoni for a little yoga, meditation, and mountain hiking. During these weekend retreats, I discovered how to hold my laughter as we all danced around deities (Hindu gods) with offerings (red umbrella, scarf, peacock feathers, etc.) during evening temple. I also discovered that pedicures are essential when doing yoga. And, finally I discovered that yoga is a pretty sweet addition to my life. My love for yoga continued to grow as I practiced with Wendy at Studio Be in Boulder, and Paula at Om Yoga in Finland. Last summer I decided to take the plunge and begin a 200-hour Yoga Alliance yoga teacher certification program at Shoshoni. I just finished up the last 100 hours while I was in Colorado the last few weeks. Dancing around the deities now has special meaning!

Reflections on my FIRST Year of PhD School...

I have written this entry about four times only to delete it to and write it again. I began each former entry by re-hashing the trials and tribulations of my first year of PhD life, and then decided I did not want to live in the past. We have all heard the first year of a PhD program is the hardest. Yes, it was a rough first year. Yes, I questioned living in Georgia. Yes, I spent more time on my computer than what is humanly healthy. Yes, there were times when I wanted to pack up my bags and become a ski bum. But, I am now officially a second-year Doctoral student. Woohoo! That is worthy of a celebration. And, that is exactly what happened at the end of the year...a BBQ (or what the Southerns call a "cook-out") complete with badminton and hula-hoops and a night of margaritas. SEE PHOTOS. Overall, I have learned a great deal about PERSEVERANCE and BALANCE. Suck it up and keep going, while taking the time to do things that fill your heart with love.

Dreamin' of Colorado, California & Europe!!

I have a few exciting adventures on the horizon and since the light is shining brighter at the end-of-the-semester tunnel...it's time to start thinking about what's next!

So, here is my life for the next 8 months...

May 4: to COLORADO! (QT with family & friends)
May 6-17: Shoshoni Yoga Ashram, Rollinsville, Colorado (yoga, meditation, veggie eats, and lots of mountain time)
May 21: to CALIFORNIA (to hang with my little kid bro on the beach)
May 25: to LA, California (to attend a conference on international education)
May 28: to GEORGIA!
June 1: Take two month-long PhD courses
July 4: to ENGLAND (not only Independence Day for my nation-state, but independence day for ME as I go back to Europe to study at Oxford for 6 months.)
August: travel with my dear friend Ali (the crazy Brazilian!)
September: ESTONIA (to present at an academic conference)
December: to COLORADO! SKI!!!



PHOTOS: Dennis' (a fellow PhD colleague) b-day BBQ.