Home Sweet Home

Two weeks ago from today I got home from the LONGEST flight back to the USA.  It was basically the happiest moment of my life landing back on American soil.  Me and my little were running around like small children with the biggest grins on our faces and treated ourselves to some REAL diet coke immediately.  As I came down the escalator I saw my family, sister and her kids, lucy, michelle, khristina, c biggs, and brooke all standing at the bottom with a giant big sign saying "Welcome Home Shrub".  So, naturally I start crying from happiness (don't worry, the returning Sister Missionary behind us was completely fine with absolutely no tears shed.) Ugh. Although I will admit, it is basically nothing short of amazing being back in my own soft bed, having warm water, electricity, my family and wifi.... I'm really missing Africa.  I'm so lucky that my little went with me so that whenever we feel sad we can blast our African Jams and reminisce on the good old days.

It's been an eventful past 2 weeks since I've been back; including lounging by the pool, the Mumford & Sons concert, playing with Melissa every day, moving back up to Logan and enjoying a nice Kappa Delta Sorority Recruitment weekend full of workshops (aka Spirit weekend). But starting Monday morning, its back to the grind.

This semester is a little more stressful then I had originally intended, 17 credits + 16 hours at my internship a week. My classes include Walk/Jog, Crossfit, Social Stats, School Social Work, Social Work Policy, and of course my internship.  My internship is the SAAVI office on USU campus (located in the Health and Wellness Center).  I have been a SAAVI volunteer for the past year and knew that working with teenage/young adult women is something I would want to do in life, so SAAVI seemed like the perfect opportunity. Sexual assault and rape are clearly very serious and important topics and I was nervous when I got the internship, but was still so excited to get started.  In May I was required to go to a 40 hour training so I would be fully competent to help victims through giving them therapy/counseling, offering support, helping educate them on their options as well as promoting education for prevention rather than intervention.  Rape and sexual assault is much more common than thought and talked about. 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men... just something to think about.  I know it's only been 2 days with my internship... but I can tell I'm really going to love it! I even have my own desk and computer. Yeah, its pretty official you could say.

(the buttons we hand out at Day on the Quad to promote awareness)

It's so crazy to me that this is my senior year.  I just see all these young freshman running around going crazy because they have all this newly found freedom and don't even know what to do with themselves. Creepy to think that I was one of them no more than a few mere year ago; and here I am today a senior in college with a short amount of time with my favorite people in the prime of my life.

In a year from now I will (hopefully) be starting my Masters program (if AIDS doesn't kill me by then). How is my life just going by so fast? Last year I thought the next two years were going to be the longest of my whole life and here I am wishing that I had more time. oh well... Bring on the year!!!!!!!!!

but like I always say... "living life like I only have 3 more months to live... because I do #AIDSsurvivor"