two weeks...

i'd be lying it i said i was entirely at ease with the impending departure.  there is much to do, much to resolve, and much to accomplish in these final two weeks and if the mental preparatory battles weren't mountainous enough, i'm knee deep in studying for my master's exit exam.  much to my own surprise, i'm finding much pleasure in preparing for it, though the limited time and abundant material aren't exactly complimentary.  so while writing this, i am calming my nerves by eating my body weight in chunky monkey ice cream and watching bad (emphasis on bad) television.  oh, and using piles of academic papers for a blanket.

this past week has been quite interesting with respect to the TZ preparations.  it is quite rare to be so intimately involved in a non-profit in its foundational years and it is both rewarding (to see how much value is placed upon your input) and frustrating (to see how many holes are within the existing system).  and with so many project coordinators being in their early 20's, i feel somewhat isolated in my concerns regarding health care coverage, student loan payments, and a number of other parts of life that not even i dealt with five years ago.  but just as i felt the weight of these issues bearing upon me, i had a chat with the two participants in Kwakiliga last year and heard the warmth in their voices when describing the people we are soon to meet.  little did i know how many there would be: the village numbers 1,000!

and as always, a remarkably humble "thank you" for the continued donations.  without so much as a peep from yours truly, another $600 come in through the pipelines!  $4,087 to date and we STILL have the  event on July 30th!