Home Sweet Home

"It's been a long time coming, but I know a chage is gonna come, oh yes it will" - Sam Cooke lyrics

It has been bittersweet to be home, in part because it reminds me how rarely I get to be here and how soon I am leaving again. In general terms, I have been reading (Camus, because I can't help myself and Walzer's "Just and Unjust Wars"). I have been running and crossfitting; I have to say it is amazing to feel one's body wake up, one's muscles tense up and physically remember old exercises...I've been too sore to sit or stretch my arms out fully, but it is a good feeling. Other than this, I am working on my projects, tanning (a lot), studying for the GRE and figuring out my upcoming Grad School applications, seeing old friends, and restoring my own faith and optimism. Interestingly enough, to do so I have gone back to my old outlet: art. I've been drawing, painting, and in these simple expressions I find that my mind stops spinning and I feel serene and calm, for once. In terms of random things, I am taking a Krav Maga class (image: me and hand-eye coordination = hilarity), catching up on emails, helping out with some blood drives, cooking, and making obscene quantities of homemade blueberry preserves (it is stress-relieving).

Funny: I've become a bit of an old lady since I go to bed by 10:30 and wake up sometime between 6 and 7am, which is unheard of for me and which caused my dad to stare at me in awkward silences of disbelief the first few mornings I joined him for breakfast.

In some good news, I have accepted a position as Strategic Planner for Raices de Esperanza, a non-profit, non-partisan group focused on empowering Cuban youth on and off the island. The organization is one I am proud to be working for, especially because, with no paid staff positions, everyone who works for it does so on an extracurricular volunteer basis; as a result, the people I will be lucky enough to work with are extremely committed to this cause. It is a young and incredible organization, about which you will be sure to hear more from me over the imminent months! :)

Funnily enough, here is my boss on CNN yesterday:
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2009/08/24/nr.is.castro.relevant.cnn?iref=videosearch

In any case, here I am, actually liking Miami a lot more this trip than I have in all the years I've lived here. Hey, I guess there is a reason why preconceptions are silly!! I should have some fun stories after this weekend but until then, this is really all that is going on.