A Short Revelation While I Temporarily Avoid Writing a Paper

I have a final due tomorrow. It needs to be 15-20 pages long for a class on International Institutions. I am writing it on the balancing act of the United Nations in terms of global governance and nation-state sovereignty, with a focus on the United States role in condoning torture in its national security efforts, thereby decreasing the UN's legitimacy, and calling into question the role of the UN in the future. This paper directly ties into my thesis, and I am researching this and related topics for just about every class I am taking this semester. It means that occasionally I need a break, as focusing too much on this issue and all of the related topics, as well as all the factors that need to be considered in this type of a decision-making process make my head hurt.
So, on to the revelation. I am traditionally someone who doesn't speak out loud on topics that they know little about. In classes, I usually speak only when I am relatively sure of what I think, that it makes sense, and that it is the "right" answer. I don't like to make controversial comments and make people angry. During my years at Bethel as an undergrad, I was definitely more liberal than many of my peers, but made sure not to offend anyone with statements on my views on many things-- I spoke more centrally and moderately than I do at Cornell. While at Bethel, if anyone called into question what I was saying, I assumed that I was wrong (particularly if it was a professor), and moved on.
However, I am in a very different setting right now. While still fairly liberal, I would be considered much more moderate than at least several of the professors I interact with on a daily basis. I am more inclined to speak in class (partially because with several classes with less than 10 students that are purely discussion based, speaking in class is a necessity) now, and as such, recently came to a surprising conclusion. It may sound ridiculous, in the fact that for many people, what I am saying shouldn't be shocking. But, I experienced a revelation a couple of weeks ago that was a bit odd. I came to the conclusion that I am not wrong. I have several professors who have vehemently disagreed with me on class discussions. I think this is partially due to the fact that I am less inclined to view things from a purely idealistic perspective, and instead try to account for all of the aspects that influence a decision, particularly when looking at large scale issues. I had one professor tell me I was being too negative when I was discussing why the US would be uninclined to give up veto power in the UN security council. I wasn't trying to say I think it never should, just that there are a number of reasons why the US would rather not.
She utterly disagreed with me-- but I knew I was right. It was an odd feeling to say the least. There have been other similar circumstances over the past several weeks with different professors, but it was an interesting experience to be one semester away from graduating from grad school, and know that there may be people who are better educated than I am, who are older and more experienced than I am-- but that doesn't make them always right-- even in the topics which they are teaching me about.
So, as I sit here writing a paper for one of these professors, I am attempting to state what I think clearly, but at the same time, avoid angering my professor as they grade my paper. I would prefer not to tick someone off as they are giving me a grade that significantly impacts how I will do in their course. It will probably be a late night-- but tomorrow (at some point) the class will have been completed, and I can move on. Well, to the next final-- which is a project due on Monday. To be followed by a paper due on Wednesday. Followed by a paper due on Thursday. Followed by an exam on Friday. And then the semester is complete. Hooray!

Papers, Projects, and Tests Galore

All of my finals are due in the next two-three weeks. I have a stats project (of approximately 20 pages) looking at the power of the United States as compared to other UN security council members based off of their respective GDP's, and military spending, a paper on the United States role in the UN after condoning torture in the War on Terror for International Institutions (worth 55% of my grade, of approximately 20 pages), an economics exam, a paper on the role of immigrants filling lower level hospital positions the way kids coming off of farms had historically in Minneapolis (by looking at how unions organize these groups as well) for Labor and Global Cities (once again, around 20 pages), and a paper looking at how the Geneva Conventions were sidestepped and the effort to extend Presidential powers in condoning torture for Intergovernmental Systems. All of this is due in a one week stretch of time (from the 5th to the 12th of December).
It's times like this that deciding to go to graduate school seems completely insane on the one hand, but I get the opportunity to study subjects that I find fascinating-- and I learn a ton by forcing myself to put all of this information together in a comprehensible kind of way. Plus, it will be helpful for my thesis (well, for the most part), so its kind of like getting two things done at once. It feels insane right now, but I know when the semester is over, I will only have one semester left-- and then I get to graduate. And that will be a good thing.

School as a Competition

I attend an Ivy League school-- so it probably shouldn't be shocking that it is fairly competitive. What I find most interesting is that the professors that I have admired and learned the most from don't set the classroom learning experience up as a competition, one where they only give out a certain number of A's, or don't give out A's at all. Instead, they encourage the class to learn together, to share in the experience given the various backgrounds, so that we can teach each other as well. It sounds a little dippy perhaps when I phrase it that way, but that's the general idea. We are in a public affairs program-- its about serving people wherever your gifts are-- we focus on government and non-profits rather than business.
I guess that it shouldn't surprise me that students are constantly comparing grades then. Frankly, if they want to, that's their business. But for me, education has always been about putting in my best effort, learning from my mistakes, and improving. I don't mind occasionally comparing grades with people that I know and trust when it is so that we can learn from each other. But I am not ok with comparison as a means of boosting one's self-esteem at the expense of others. That has always really bothered me. I don't always get A's-- I am someone who has had to work hard to get to where I am. I have friends who can blow off most of a semester of classes, write (or study) for finals the night before, and get a 4.0. I find that pretty amazing, as my brain simply doesn't operate that way. For me, education has always been a balancing act, one where I set my priorities to do as well as I can-- I can't invest as much time as I would like to on every single class that I take, there simply isn't the time available to do that. Instead, I prioritize.
So it bothers me when someone who I don't know very well walked up to me after seeing me get a graded paper out of my mailbox on campus asks me "What grade did you get?" It strikes me as rather ballsy. It wasn't a question (which in my view is more polite) of "How did you do?" I don't think that question is as inappropriate, as it allows for the option of saying "I did well" or, "Not as well as I would have hoped" or also the option of saying, "I got an A-" etc. So I looked at the person posing the question and asked why they wanted to know.
I have in many ways been set up as the default person to ask questions of in the class, as I have had the professor before, and he frequently calls on me (even when I don't have my hand raised to answer). The whole class knows it, so they ask me what the professor is looking for, how to prepare for the class, etc. And I don't mind these questions-- I am more than happy to help with the experience that I have-- a lot of the students are first years who are nervous about the first semester in grad school, and I'm glad that I can reassure them and help them. But I refuse to be set up as the means of comparison-- how well I do is frankly my business, and no one else's. It strikes me as a sad thing that this is how many students have been taught to operate when it comes to their education-- their self-esteem is based on their gpa.
My goal is to graduate being a more well-rounded person, due in part to the excellent quality of education I have received while I am here. That's what it's about for me. I realize that having a professional graduate degree from a recognizable school also makes me more employable in the fields I am interested in. But I don't like the numbers game that is played by some in order to get there. It makes me sad, because it doesn't seem like it is done from a place in the heart that seeks to encourage and build others up. And that is what I seek to be, no matter where I end up a year from now.
--brianna

Moving Quickly Through the Semester

Pre-registration for next semester began this week. It was bizarre to realize that this upcoming semester will be my last one at Cornell. I feel like I just got here, which in many ways I have, being that this is only a two year program. Once again this whole pre-registration/registration process was more difficult than really necessary, as I couldn't find all of the classes that I want to register for on my first attempt. I will attempt again tomorrow (the last day of pre-registration), and hopefully have better luck.
I was also able to meet with the chair of the government department this week, and was able to get some ideas for my thesis (he wrote a book that is related to my thesis topic that was just released in August). I am setting up more meetings with other professors for the next couple of weeks-- now I just have to find the time to read everything that I want to. Cody and I were laughing the other day as we walked out of the house about how creepy it would be to break into our place, I have stacks and stacks of books on torture piled at the far end of the couch, near the door (and these books have pretty creepy covers). We decided that if someone were to break into our apartment, they would probably walk right out again, it looks a little weird.
The second round of midterms begin soon. I receive my second stats midterm tomorrow (its a take home), and my second econ midterm is next Wednesday. And after that, it is the beginning of the end-- starting to work on lots of final projects-- my stats project, international institutions paper, intergovernmental systems paper, and labor & global cities paper. It will all be over by the middle of December, and I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing-- it only leaves me about six weeks to get everything done, but its also a sign that I have already made it through quite a bit of the semester.
I keep wondering where we will be a year from now -- and the answer is, I really don't know. It's a little nerve-wracking, but also kind of an exciting opportunity to do something new. I keep trying to maintain a balanced perspective about everything that seems to be coming so quickly-- end of the semester, my thesis, graduation, a job search, a new place to live. Hopefully it will all stay in perspective as long as I need it to.
--brianna

We Survived Fall Break...

though it confirmed our decision not to have children for at least five years! It was a great trip, we had a lot of fun hanging out, playing, going to the beach, the park, the orchard to pick raspberries, dropping the kids off at school, watching youtube videos, watching cartoons, looking at halloween costumes, making art projects, building cars, going to a train show, going through hay mazes, and more. Clearly, it was a busy weekend. We got to New Haven at 1:00 on Saturday, and left at 11 am on Tuesday. We confirmed that sleep is well-loved by both of us-- we aren't ready to be woken up by excited yelling children at 7 am who are ready to jump in bed with us and play (I confirmed my suspicions of my style of future parenting skills-- that of reinforcing the habit my mom used to do-- of telling me to watch cartoons quietly when I would get up at 6 am on the weekends) because I definitely pulled out the couch cushions for the kids to sit on, flipped the tv onto noggin, and spent several more minutes trying to wake up before stumbling into the kitchen for a cup of coffee.
Spending time with my sister, brother-in-law, and the kids was a great chance to see them and catch up. Even though they live relatively close (its about a five hour drive), it really necessitates a long weekend to make it down there, which I haven't had that many of-- school is pretty intense, and I don't skip classes if I can help it. This was the first time that we had seen them since Christmas, and it was a blast, but definitely tiring. The trip down to New Haven was excellent-- the weather was perfect, the leaves were changing color and falling as we were driving through the Catskills into Connecticut. The little two-lane roads we drove in Connecticut, alongside small lakes and streams seemed perfectly New England-esque. Cody commented that he would need to re-read Walden after our trip, it just seemed necessary.
We have made it back to Ithaca, and classes are back in swing. I started my next set of meetings for my thesis earlier this morning. It seems like it should be a good group of students and faculty that I am meeting with in this second semester of thesis prep. We each have very different topics, but all the topics are areas that I am interested in. If things go well, I should pretty much have my thesis prospectus wrapped up in a week or so (a key step in the process that is due by the end of this semester). Work is a little nuts for Cody, but I will let him explain that one when/if he ever decides to start blogging again (it isn't an intentional break from blogging on his part, more of a sudden realization recently that he hasn't blogged since June).
The break was an interesting opportunity for me to discuss my thesis topic with various people while down in CT. Paul's (my brother-in-law) parents were visiting on Saturday, which led to a brief discussion of my topic, as well as a lengthy conversation with Karissa (my sister) and Paul on Monday night when we all went out to dinner. People are definitely opinionated when it comes to my thesis-- willing to debate, question, and debate some more. It should make for an interesting year of continued research!
--brianna

Fall Break

We are going away for fall break-- to Connecticut. We are driving down to New Haven through the Catskills on what should be a beautiful weekend drive-- it's supposed to be sunny with temps in the low 70's for the next several days, which should make for a nice drive and back (which is especially nice, considering it will take about five and a half hours each way). I am very much looking forward to it, as it will be a good chance to get away, and see the fam. My sister, brother in law, niece and nephews are there, and it will be good to see them,. It will also be good to see a friend from college, who I haven't seen since we lived together the semester that we spent studying in DC.
We are taking off at about 8:00 tomorrow morning, with a stop at Starbucks for some coffee before leaving town. Hopefully, we will remember to pack our camera with us, and we will take some pictures over the course of the weekend as well. So, just wanted to give you an update. We have survived midterms (me taking them, Cody dealing with crabby customers who are studying for them), and are glad to be able to leave town for awhile.
--brianna

Presidential Elections and Debates

I am currently watching the Vice Presidential debates. I watched the first Presidential debate last Friday and thoroughly enjoyed it. Tonight however, not so much. I have definitive opinions when it comes to politics-- I am not wishy-washy when it comes to this election. I am wholly supportive of women in politics, and wish that there were more women involved in the political arena. However, Sarah Palin is driving me a bit crazy. I don't think she is the best choice as a vice presidential for John McCain, who I have a lot of respect for.
Sarah Palin is not reassuring me tonight on her ability to lead a country, or being the second in command. She is not making the verbal mistakes that she has been criticized for earlier this week in the interviews with Katie Couric, but she seems to be sticking to the talking points that have been prepared for her ahead of time. While I acknowledge that everyone does this to an extent, I think she is avoiding questions by changing the subject when she gets uncomfortable to an extent that isn't really showing me who she is, or reassuring me on her capabilities to lead this nation in the precarious situation we are currently in.
I will admit that I get sucked into politics-- I majored in political science in college, spent a semester studying in Washington DC in the fall of 2005 with an internship for a government commission. Even now, I am getting a degree that focuses on working for the government-- a master's degree in public administration. I am passionate about the country that we live in, and think that Sarah Palin frightens me as having control over our international relations.
--brianna

Thesis Beginnings

I have until early-mid May to submit my thesis. It should be somewhere between 60-110 pages (excluding appendices, etc.). While it has been making me nervous since I started at Cornell, I am beginning to feel on top of the situation. It started with a two-semester seminar series last spring, where we split into small groups in order to read old theses from our program and critique them, looking at what makes a successful thesis.
So, last week I had an adjunct professor in my program giving me crap on my thesis-- why I hadn't gotten it all figured out already, wondering what my plan was, thinking I should have started writing it over the summer. Needless to say, it made me mad. I understand that his goal was to guilt me into action, and make me feel like I am already behind. But, I have been thinking about my thesis all summer and through the start of this semester, and still haven't come to any conclusions on what I want to study, or who I want to advise me for my thesis, so it is difficult to know what to do until these issues are figured out.
I finally experienced a break through this weekend though, and figured out what my thesis topic will be. I think my problem before was that I wasn't really excited about any of my potential topics. I found them interesting-- but not enough to feel willing to commit to a year's worth of research and revision on the topic; at least until now.
As I was thinking about all of the papers that I have written in graduate school so far, I realized that the one I found most interesting was the paper I wrote last fall on torture for my class on ethics and public policy. While I will need to narrow down the specifics of my paper, I have a starting point-- I will be researching how a US policy condoning torture influences the United Nations, and what it means for the International Court of Justice.
I met with my ethics professor from last fall this morning (I am taking a class with him this fall on Intergovernmental Systems) about my research. He knows just about everything on ethics and the US government, and gave me a bunch of ideas on where to go with my research. What was exciting to see was how excited he got about my research topic-- wanting me to come back and let him know how things were going in a couple of weeks, and we could work from there (I think this means I have found an advisor, and I haven't even asked him yet!) on it. He is also letting me write my research paper for him this semester on my thesis topic-- by focusing on how President Bush twisted the intergovernmental system to give himself enough power to allow torture to take place. I will focus on the failures of the check and balances of the legislative and judicial branches.
I am meeting tomorrow with my International Institutions professor to discuss the framing of my thesis topic for the UN, and also to get more ideas from her on where to go from here. The fortunate part of this is that I can also write a paper for her looking at this topic, and will have one chapter of my thesis written through the work I do on the final paper for her class.
We begin our second semester thesis seminar series in a couple of weeks, and I am beginning to realize that I have a lot more established than I thought I might, which is an exciting feeling.
I even spent part of the afternoon in the library, getting books so I can work on furthering my research. I'm excited-- I think this should be good.

Beginning to Look at Life After Graduation

My graduation isn't that terribly far away. While I still have to make it through the year, I can start applying for jobs now. In fact, it is highly recommended that I do start applying for jobs now, which in some ways seems completely crazy. I have started a list of organizations that I want to check on, to see if they have any open positions, what they are, where they are, etc. It's a bit difficult though, because I know that the organizations I am most interested in working for are not organizations that Cornell will direct me toward. The excellent part of Cornell is that there are so many great companies, non-profits, government agencies that are interested in it's graduates. But I know that I am not exactly the typical Cornell student. They are primarily based out of NYC, and I have a difficult time picturing Cody and I there. So, I am working to figure out how to find the right job for me, without having to leave all of the leg work to me, and seeing what Cornell's connections can do. It seems like a bit of a balancing act. We will see what happens. Cody and I aren't planning on going back to Minneapolis (not that we're avoiding it, but it is one of many options). It's exciting to have choices, and a little scary. But hopefully it should be good.

Classes have Begun

According to Cody, Starbucks has achieved its usual insanity again, which is a clear sign that the students are back. However, they are now coming in rushes, a good indication that they are on their way to class. I have now attended a number of my classes, which for the most part seem pretty good. One class hasn't happened yet, the prof decided to cancel our first day of class in honor of labor day. So, I went to three classes yesterday, all of which seemed good. My major question at this point is about the class I visited today. In theory, it seems like a good class-- International Institutions, looking at the UN, WTO, IMF, etc. The problem seems to be multipart. First, it meets from 11:30-2:00 on Tuesdays, which makes lunch difficult, particularly considering that we meet in a conference room off of one of the libraries, where no food is allowed. The prof knows her stuff, but I had a difficult time following her today, as she was basing her lecture off of hand-written notes, with no indication to the rest of us what was coming next. It was a little much for two hours on the first day. And, I have a three-hour long class on Monday nights that ends at 10 pm, so doing that twice in a row seems like it could be tough to do twice in a row. So, we'll see. I think I am going to spend the rest of the afternoon doing homework and checking out other options. Unfortunately, there is no easy way to skim a course catalog, as Cornell's course catalog is the size of the Minneapolis phone book. But overall, its been a good start.

Entering the Second Year

Classes technically began yesterday, though I haven't actually attended any yet-- because the classes I am registered for all take place on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday with section meetings taking place on Thursdays. I am feeling a little weird about begin a second year in this program, because it means that I will graduate in a year (well, I guess technically less than a year, I will graduate in May). So, the job search has officially begun. There are already companies who are interested in meeting with students in my program, which seems a little ridiculous.
As of right now, I am taking Labor Economics, Stats, Intergovernmental Systems, International Institutions, and Labor & Global Cities. I am hoping that it will be a good semester-- I know some of my professors already, and have heard really good things about others, which gives me hope. It will be busy with five classes, but I think it should be manageable (at least that's the goal). And, theoretically I can begin more work on my thesis this semester as well, so it is ready for submission by May.
Things are going pretty well here, it's definitely nice to be back in town. But, I am mostly glad that I have time to relax before everything starts again.

It's Been a Long Summer

And it's almost over. Classes begin on August 28th, and much to my surprise, I am beginning to feel ready for them. The summer is beginning to feel a little long. I'm running out of things to do at my internship, although I am working hard to find more projects to work on, as I have two weeks left. Being in Minnesota is getting a little old-- I am ready to be back in New York, so its nice to know that in two and a half weeks, I will no longer be living in my temporary housing (also known as my old bedroom at my parents house). It has been a really boring summer--thus the lack of posting. The farthest I have traveled is to Brainerd on two occasions-- once for a wedding, and later for the 4th of July. The interesting thing is, I had thought that maybe spending the summer here would clarify if we should move back here post-graduation next spring. But, right now I am feeling open to any possibilities. I guess we will need to wait and see what the future brings (like theoretically a job for when I'm done).
--Brianna

The Parents Paid a Visit

My long, mundane summer was broken up a bit last week by my parents showing up in town for around 9 days. We hiked, we grilled, we talked theology, I got exhausted. All in all, a good time was had by all. I am not kidding when I say we hiked though, it may surprise those of you who know my parents, but they are some hard-core hikers...at least for 64 year olds. Monday we did Taughannok Falls, Tuesday we drove the middle of the Finger Lakes region, Wednesday we did Treman State Park, Thursday I only worked, Friday was the Ithaca tour, Saturday was Watkins Glen, Sunday was more Ithaca and the Farmers Market. My parents were pretty blown away by the beauty of the area, and agreed that it was one of the best areas they have ever visited. Let that be incentive to any of you who are thinking about visiting us in the next year! To add to the enticement, here are some pictures for your optical enjoyment.

Being Apart

Cody and I have made it through our first anniversary apart now, which was a little weird. When people have asked me to describe it, the only word that I can come up with is anticlimactic. Not that if we were together it would be a whole day celebrating with extravagant gifts or a big vacation or something, but spending the day at work, and then going out to Chipotle with my dad for my anniversary was a little odd-- not exactly what I would have envisioned before making plans to spend the summer in Minneapolis. But, my parents anniversary is tomorrow, and my mom is in Tennessee, so I think that my dad and I will be celebrating his anniversary much in the same way that we celebrated mine.
This whole spending the summer apart thing is getting old by now. I am usually pretty good about not getting all emotional and such (after all, I hadn't shed a tear about this until last night), but I am realizing that this just kinda sucks. It's difficult to have meaningful conversations over the phone, particularly when we have been working fairly opposite shifts most of the time, meaning I am pretty sleepy by the time Cody finishes work. And, sometimes, there are simply conversations that you want to be present for, but that isn't going to happen for another several weeks until Cody comes to visit. I know it is going to be fine, but at times my optimistic view point dims a little.
On the plus side, my internship is going really well-- I have been writing several grants over the past week-- three for a program in the Philips neighborhood that I am pretty excited about, and one for a major international conference that the Foundation is hosting in 2009. And I'm learning all sorts of cool medical terminology that makes me sound like I know what I am talking about, but mostly it has been lots of research on wikipedia to give me definitions to terms like hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
--brianna

Return to Minneapolis

It has been an adjustment moving back here. Not that I expected it to be incredibly easy, but it's taking some work to get back into things here. The internship is going pretty well, though I am realizing that perhaps it would have been better if I started next week rather than last week. My boss has been incredibly busy hiring new staff members over the past several weeks, and hasn't been completely prepared for a new intern that reports directly to her.
The trip to New Ulm went well, and I managed to stay awake in the car, which felt like a major accomplishment (I was sitting in the back seat, it was gray and rainy, and we were driving through farm land, which isn't exactly anything new for me). But, because I was in the car with the president and my new boss, the vice president, I felt like potentially doing something embarrassing while sleeping wasn't what I was going for on the first day. Instead, I pinched myself when I felt like there was nothing else to distract myself with.
I have been assigned several projects to work on over the course of the summer-- looking at women's health, community health, a children's book on heart health, and potentially working on some professional education projects/documents for the medical community. But, for right now I am doing a lot of background/generic work, because none of these projects have a particular direction yet. I have been working on ideas, and sending them to my boss, but it looks like this week's meeting has been pushed back until next week, so it could be awhile yet until I have a better sense of direction.
On the plus side, this has meant that I can leave the office early every day to read articles/do research from coffee shops. I have been getting into the office between 7 and 7:30 in the morning, and leaving around 2 or 3, doing research from whatever coffee shop I feel like working from after that (and this has been a great way to avoid rush hour traffic). I even convinced my boss to let me take Friday off so I could go cheer my cousin on at the state track meet in the morning, and work from home in the afternoon.
It's been weird to realize that Cody and I will be celebrating our first anniversary apart though next week. I think that isn't going to be very much fun. My dad jokingly suggested that we call each other on skype while eating dinner as a mini-celebration. Oh well, I guess we can celebrate together next year!
But, Cody will be in town a month from today, and that is giving me something to look forward to. It also helps that I am making lots of plans to spend time with various friends that I haven't seen since last summer or Christmas. It's keeping me distracted (unlike last week, when I was bored out of my mind every night).
Now back to the research.

"Signs of the Time" or "My Own Personal Apocalypse"

Ok, so maybe the title of this post is a little over the top, but for those of you who have followed along with this blog, you know my feelings about going to New York City. In the past there have been events that made me wish that I could suck it up, make the trip down and enjoy such rarities as the debut of Sufjan Stevens' first orchestral composition, the premier of Sigur Ros' movie, and even tapings of the Daily Show/Colbert Report. In the end, it turns out, all it took to actually get me down there: boredom.

As some of you may know, Bri flew out last week Saturday to move back to Minneapolis for the summer. After having Monday and Tuesday off from work, I was about ready to lose my mind with boredom, so when my work schedule opened up for Thursday, and a friend asked me if I wanted to drive down and see a Yankees game, I think I temporary blacked out and said "YES!" When I came back to my senses, I realized that I had just committed to waking up before 6 AM, driving 4+ hours, (culminating in driving across Manhattan) and then driving back to the same day, all in the name of watching a team that, in my mind, represents all that is evil in the world of baseball. Call me crazy, I will simply defend that boredom does strange things to people. Add to that the fact that I have only ever seen pro baseball in the Metrodome and you will understand that it was my duty as a lover of baseball to see the game played the way it was meant to, outside, in a truly historic stadium that is going to be torn down at the end of this season.

So, that said, I woke up bright and early Thursday morning and began my great adventure. To give a little context, the real purpose of this trip was to drop my friends wife off at MOMA for a conference. (To all of you who have never been to the "City", MOMA is the Museum of Modern Art.) My friend Peter, our driver/instigator for this trip had never actually driven in Manhattan, and had only been to NYC once before, but assured me that all would be well thanks to the onboard navigation system, and his understanding that you have be ok with a little vehicle to vehicle contact.

I managed to keep my rising fear, and questions of sanity in check for the better part of the drive. As we came up on the George Washington Bridge, my only thought was, "Huh, so this is the place they get all the EZ Pass information from to determine if somebody was in the City to commit a murder on all those Law and Order episodes I have been watching recently." Ironically, I began to realize that most of my reference points for the city were actually from Law and Order episodes, and my old family tradition of playing Monopoly.

We made it to MOMA without incident, then proceeded to head north. I began recognizing street names: Broadway, Park Place, Lexington Ave, 5th Ave (I could have made that last one up, I don't remember if I actually crossed it, it just sounds right.) Finally we parked near 87th st, hopped the #4 express to the Bronx and found ourselves outside Yankee Stadium.
Our seats were up high, but behind home plate, and let me tell you, there is nothing quite like seeing a baseball game outside while you are being dive bombed by pigeons. I am not kidding, the first time one of those suckers dove down from above my head towards the field, I jumped out of my seat a little bit. I am used to only paper airplanes and the occasional beach ball in these settings, not birds.
The game itself was quite good, the Yankees took and early lead, then the Blue Jays came back, then the Yankees made a mistake and the Jays took a decent lead. It all came down to the 9th with two outs, one man on and Jason Giambi at the plate. Caveat, I can't stand Jason Giambi. He may be the player I most despise in baseball. Some of it has to do with the team he plays for, some of it has to do with the way he carries himself, a lot has to do with that wicked creepy mustache he is sporting right now. Anywho, Giambi steps to the plate and proceeds to crush a ball to right field that manages to stay fair. A walk off home run. Many of you may criticize me for what I am about to say, some may never speak to me again, all I can say is this. When you are in Yankee stadium, watching one of the last 50 games that will ever be played there, understanding all of the history involved in that building and you see a walk-off home run with 2 outs, you stand up and cheer, not necessarily for the players involved, or the win, but for the fact that you just got to see one of the coolest things in baseball in a truly historic place.

We made it back down to Manhattan without much incident, and back to Ithaca before too late at night. I survived. And to top it off, I didn't hate it and the world didn't end. Now I have to face the fact that I have to go there again, because Brianna says that if I survived it once, I can survive it twice.

Details!

I finally have a little bit of information to work off of! Woo hoo! I will start Monday morning at 8 am, I have an address, a suite number, and directions on where to park, which is a good start. Apparently shortly after I arrive we will be leaving to spend the day in New Ulm for a project that they are starting, and I will get the details of what we are doing/I'm doing on the car ride down.
Nothing like quickly learning the ropes! I'm thinking a car trip with my new boss will be a good way to get to know her quickly-- and hopefully its not too awkward. I have no idea who we are meeting with or how long the meetings will be, but I am thinking it is an all day thing. The internship and summer in Minneapolis is starting to seem more real now.
Now I just need to finish packing!
--brianna

The Last Few Days

I leave for Minneapolis on Saturday morning, which isn't very far away. I have managed to adjust to the time off to relax and enjoy life, so it seems weird to be leaving, even though I'm looking forward to the internship. I still don't have any details on the internship, other than that I start on Monday (don't know where I'm going, other than the address on the website, don't know what time to show up, anything).
I have been attempting to practice the art of polite email reminders to the future boss on getting me the details without being rude. I think if I don't hear anything by Thursday afternoon, I will at least ask for the where and when info. But, as my mom pointed out, if I don't have any details, they can't have any expectations of things I should know, which is at least a little helpful.
Cody and I have been attempting to spend time together and with our friends before I go, which has been fun. I managed to make it to Moosewood for lunch today, the first time I had been there. It was fun, good food-- I got the vegan ratatouille, which was pretty dang good.
The packing thing hasn't actually started yet, but I think I will work on it this afternoon. The plan is to watch a chick flick and pack while Cody is at work, before meeting some friends for a movie later. Hopefully I will maintain my motivation to get some packing done, or I think I may end up packing until Friday night, which means that I will be completely sleep deprived on my way to Minneapolis. And, I have to say, the prospect of needing to get up early in the morning next week to fight rush hour traffic into Minneapolis for work is not too thrilling. And, I haven't started readjusting my sleep schedule yet. Maybe soon, or maybe not. We'll see.
--brianna

Beginning of the Summer

So, the summer has unofficially begun! I realize that technically the seasons don't change for awhile yet, but the celebrating has started. It began Friday night when I went to a party with some friends to celebrate the end of the semester, and making it through the econ final that morning. It is the first time in my life I have been to a party that the cops came to. It was a little odd to be the first one to be told that the cops were coming (by some people out on the porch), but they were only there because the neighbors were complaining about how loud the music was. It still seemed a little surreal, and somehow typical of the college experience that I did not experience at Bethel.
Cody and I spent Saturday and Sunday in Skaneateles, which was a lot of fun, and a nice chance to relax. It would have been better if the weather had cooperated, but no such luck. We still enjoyed the town though,and the opportunity to check out some new restaurants.
Now I just need to figure out what to do with the free time that I have. I spent the day on Monday cleaning-- its amazing how last week every day seemed like there weren't enough hours in the day, and this week I don't know what to do with the time that I have. I'm sure I will adjust, and can't get too bored when I start my new internship. Well, that's about all, it hasn't been too exciting here.
--brianna

Almost Done

Well, I have made it through most of finals week relatively unscathed. The only class I have left is International Trade Policy, where I will hand in a paper tomorrow morning as I begin my final exam at 9:00. The paper is almost done, and the studying at least has been started. However, I will be incredibly thankful when the week is over and I can sleep stress-free, without questioning if I emailed in the right version of the paper to the professor before I went to sleep (yes, this actually happened, at 4 am earlier this week, and I needed to check my email as soon as I got up in the morning to make sure that it was the correct draft, which it was).
And, to celebrate being done, and an excuse to get out of Ithaca, Cody and I have decided to spend Saturday and Sunday in Skaneateles, a small town on one of the nearby lakes. I'm looking forward to getting away at least for a little while, and Skaneateles reportedly has a number of good restaurants, so now we just need to decide which ones to visit!
It's less than 2 1/2 weeks until I leave, which seems nuts. Hopefully Cody will find out soon when he can get some vacation time this summer, so he can get a plane ticket to Minnesota. The goal is for sometime in July. I haven't heard any more details on my internship yet, but I am hoping to hear soon. When I have a better idea of the projects I will be working on, I think I will feel better prepared. But, I also realize that some of this may get figured out once I get there.
But for now, I am simply trying to stay motivated until tomorrow and enjoy life in Ithaca for the next couple of weeks, by doing things like visiting the farmer's market before I go, hopefully making it to moosewoods at least once, and taking walks through the gorge.
--brianna

Finals...

Well, I have completed one of my finals, and have three to go. I should be able to complete the second in the next day or so, which will be followed by my stats exam on Wednesday, and my econ exam on Friday morning. And then, I will officially be halfway done with graduate school! I will admit that this is exciting, as well as a little nerve wracking, mostly because in the back of my mind, the further through grad school that I am, the closer I am to needing to complete my master's thesis. After watching the hell that my friends have gone through to get their theses or professional reports written, I am not looking forward to being in the same place a year from now.
It seems crazy that in three weeks, I will start my first day at my new internship. And, weird to think that I will be in Minnesota. But, fortunately, I have completed my last day at Barnes and Noble in Ithaca until next fall, so I will have time to relax and get ready before I go. Well, now off to do more work for the next final!
--brianna

Summer Plans

Well, my tickets have been purchased (thankfully, the parental units were willing to donate some airline miles so my whole stipend for the summer won't be wiped out with the cost of a ticket). I will arrive in Minneapolis on May 31st, and return to Syracuse (and Ithaca) on August 16th. It is definitely going to be weird living apart for the summer, but I think this gives us the best chance of being able to move back to Minnesota next year with some solid connections that could lead to a job.
So, Cody will be here in Ithaca while I am living with my parents (or more specifically my dad) for the summer. Hopefully this separation will go well, and when Cody comes to visit we will be able to spend some good time together. But, this will be a different experience to be sure. Fortunately, I know that my parents have managed to do this successfully, so that should be some help.
I'm trying to come up with a list of things I should try and do while I am around, as last summer was pretty much shot with wedding planning, grad school details, and planning a cross country move. If you have any ideas, let me know!
--brianna

A Final Decision

So, I just got off the phone with the VP of the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation, where I will be spending the summer working as an intern with the Education department. This will involve looking at grant proposals as well as writing them for new proposals that are going out for the projects that they are currently initiating. From the looks of it, I will be focusing on the implementation of new projects related to women's and girl's health, and doing research on collaborative efforts that MHIF is looking to participate in with other local non-profits. I'm really excited about the opportunity to get involved, as I think this will be a good chance to build skills that are helpful to any non-profit work (which I want to go into next year when I graduate), as well as an opportunity to build on the classes I have taken on women and community, which I am deeply interested in. They would like me to start the 2nd or 9th of June, so now it is simply a matter of finding a plane ticket. Yay! Just wanted to let you all know!
--brianna

Decisions, decisions

So, I haven't actually made a decision yet, but I have plans to. I have narrowed it down to my top two choices-- one with a foundation in Minneapolis, and the other with the non-profit in Connecticut looking at human rights. I will be talking with the VP of the foundation tomorrow to discuss details of what the internship will look like. I wrote a proposal for this position, so I am waiting to see if/how they would like to make changes to my proposal before deciding. I think the position will entail looking at women's and community health, which I think could be interesting.
So, in 24 hours I hope to have a decision made. Which I think is pretty exciting. I am looking forward to having a definite plan, as opposed to this whole idea of a plan that currently exists. Fortunately, I have managed not to get overly worried/stressed about this whole process, which is something kind of new for me. Hooray for progress. Anyway, I just wanted to give you all an update. And, I should get back to my research. I am sitting in Starbucks right now, taking a break from reading books for my paper that is due Friday. And, being that it is not remotely written yet (and needs to be 20-25 pages in a few days), I should probably stop my momentary procrastinating.
--brianna

The Year so far in a 5 Mile Radius

Its hard to believe it is already May. I know I say this with every month that comes along, but this one is especially crazy. Bri had her last class of her first year of grad school today. By all accounts, she won't be living in the the same state as me at the start of next month. It is an interesting time of life.
The other day at work, I was thinking back on the year so far, and I came to a kind of startling realization: I have been no farther than 5 miles from my apartment at any point during 2008. Stop and think about that, it is now May, and I have travelled no farther than 5 miles in any direction. Bri and I flew back from MN on the last day of '07, and that drive marks the last time I was outside the town of Ithaca. In some ways, this is a pretty exciting discovery. I have not felt confined at all, I have enjoyed this time, and I have been very busy. To top it off, I have avoided excess driving and having to pay $3.60+ per gallon on gas. It feels like Ithaca is starting to have an effect on the way I view the world. At any other time in my life, I would feel extremely confined, and be going out of my mind, now, it is something I am proud of.
This will all change soon. With the warmer weather upon us and Bri's impending departure, I am sure to get further away from town, but for now, I am proud to challenge anyone to beat this little story.

And another offer

Well, I just received another email from one of the non-profits I contacted about internships, and have another internship offer for the summer. Now I just need to decide what I want to do for the summer, where I want to be, and how important it is for me that it correlate with my thesis, or more important if it links to connections that could link to an eventual job. Hopefully I can make a decision relatively soon. But, I'm pretty excited about having three options for the summer-- I think no matter where I end up, this will be good!
--brianna

A Good Day

So, yesterday entailed a little bit of everything-- church in the morning, followed by a trip to Best Buy to pick up mario kart, a walk down to the creek, several hours spent playing the wii, followed by a walk to the ice cream store, followed by more playing the wii, and eventually convincing ourselves that we needed to sleep. Don't worry, I did manage to get some research done in there too!
As you can probably tell, it seems that Mario Kart is a continued bonding experience for Cody and I, for reasons that I will admit that I don't fully understand. I am not usually much of a video game person, but I enjoy the wii quite a bit, and I very much enjoy mario kart (not so much a fan of super smash brothers though-- I haven't actually played it, and have no desire to).
Cody and I achieved new levels of nerdiness/enjoyment though, when playing mario kart against some friends online, and setting up our laptops via skype, so we could all essentially watch each other play and talk to each other as we raced together. It was a lot of fun! :)
Our trip down to the creek was to watch the rubber duck race. We managed to stumble upon (we had heard rumors about it) hundreds of local children racing tiny rubber ducks down the creek in town as a fundraiser for the local 4H. It was a lot of fun to watch-- looking down the creek to see thousands of tiny yellow ducks, and they went on, and on, and on. Apparently the kids drop them over the bridge of the gorge into the creek, and the ducks race over a mile down the creek all the way to the lake (at least if we understand it correctly). So, we watched kids cheer as the ducks continued down their path, some of the older kids jump into the creek to free the ducks that were caught in the reeds, and at the very end, the several adults who were following down the creek as the duck herders. Dressed in waders, carrying large sticks, they were responsible for the stragglers, and it made me smile, watching them poke and prod at the little ducks in order to free them.
On a side note, one of the parts of living in upstate New York that is a little saddening to me is the fact that there are no Dairy Queens near here. I realize that not all of you will understand how DQ is fully ingrained as a part of my childhood. I grew up with a dad who knows where just about every DQ is in the state of Minnesota, and in my family we would take trips to the DQ almost weekly, whether it be after a softball game, on our way to run some errands, etc. we some how managed to fit trips to the DQ in everywhere. So, because there are no DQ's anywhere near here, Cody and I take occasional walks to Purity ice cream instead. It's not quite the same, but it's still pretty good (how can you go wrong with a hot fudge sundae on a chocolate chip cookie, with vanilla ice cream with peanut butter and chocolate swirls?).
All in all, it was a pretty good day. Perhaps even a very good day.
And, on the upside, this is the last week of classes, and I received another internship offer today! I am still waiting to make any final decisions until I hear back from everyone that I applied with/had interviews with (which should be fairly soon). But, it's nice to have options, and I am hoping to have a decision made soon so I can figure out where I will be for the summer (and if I need to buy a plane ticket somewhere!).
--brianna

anticipation

Now the end of the semester is really practically here-- next week is my last week of classes, and my finals are quickly approaching. Fortunately, this means that summer is almost right around the corner, and it will be nice to have the chance to have a summer vacation (even if I may be working full time for free, there isn't the insane pressure around the internships that I am looking at is there is in some of the classes that I have been taking this year).
And, it looks like progress is continuing for my summer internship plans-- woo hoo! Rather than having second interviews last week, as was originally the plan, they happened earlier this week. One interview (once again, they were both via phone) got a little crazy, as the interviewer thought I would be available to talk any of the times I gave him, so he didn't email with a specific time. It just meant I was sitting in the library doing econ work when my phone rang, I looked at the number, quickly picked up when I realized what it was about, and told him I would call him back in five minutes when I had checked out a private study room so I wouldn't be disrupting all of the 3rd floor study area where I was working. (That is one of the nice things about going to a school with money-- they have massive libraries with every book you would ever need, if they don't have it you can use the book loan program from one of the other ivies, or can request that one of the Cornell libraries gets a copy. And, they have tons of private or group study rooms, another excellent feature that I have found very useful. The picture is of the library where I spend all of my time-- Mann.)
So, I called him back for a brief, but good, interview, and have now sent him a list of references. It was nice to hear that I was one of the first people he was interviewing (the guy calling would be my direct supervisor), as I feel like its better to be earlier on this list rather than later. I should hear back by the end of the week. I also contacted the guy I have been working with on setting up an independent internship, and he said he too would get back to me by the end of the week. I am a little nervous about that one simply because he made it sound like they had hired an abundance of interns for the upcoming summer, so they were still trying to work out the logistics.
But, on the positive side, during my Tuesday afternoon interview, with the director of a non-profit in New Haven, CT, I was offered an internship for the summer! I am excited about the prospect of spending the summer with this group, as I think they are doing really good work on human rights, and it could be a substantive internship (though unpaid!), but I want to wait and make a decision once I have all of my internship-related information, when I know what all of my options are. One aspect that I am still trying to figure out is whether it is better to take an internship for the summer that fits in with my specific studies here at Cornell (and could help me put together my master's thesis), whether it is better to make connections for where we want to live when I graduate next spring, or how substantive the internship is. I think all of these are important factors in the decision making process, but I am still trying to figure out how one aspect ranks or relates to another. I suppose it will be easier to see when I know what all of my options are, but it is my tendency to over-analyze, so I figured I would over analyze and see if any of you had input on my thoughts. Let me know if you do. And, of course, I will definitely update when I know more and have made a decision.
And, just for kicks, I will fill you all in on what I am writing my final projects/papers on for the semester. I feel like I publicize this information, but half the time Cody tells me that he has know idea what I am talking about when I randomly bring up my projects, so for kicks and giggles (and to explain why half of the time it may seem like I am suffering from a really short attention span), here is the list:
For econ: I am contemplating (its not certain yet) writing a paper on how exchange rates are determined, and the impact of artificially setting an exchange rate for international trade.
For my class on women's history: the role of women's community in historically black colleges and universities
For my community development class: I am profiling a non-profit that works on affordable housing in urban areas (I am specifically profiling Urban Homeworks)
and, well, stats needs no writing, it is simply an exam-- so we will see how that goes!
It makes me laugh to think that most graduate school programs really seek to focus your studies, and in many ways my education is focused, but in other respects (like thinking about the diversity of topics that I am writing papers on), it is still incredibly broad. I guess that's just the way it works sometimes!
--brianna

A Protest Revisited

Before you read this, read my previous post, it will add some context.
As it turns out, the leader of the protest held in our store on saturday was this guy. He came on Friday to lead a concert/protest in the town commons, and then came to our store on Saturday. The really funny thing is that he made the front page of the local paper! I think it is hilarious that my manager was mentioned by name, but also a little sad that they didn't give much context to why the police were called. Let me tell you, this guy is intense. A lot of people in our store, including myself, felt threatened and nervous when they came in. There was no explanation or warning from them, they just grabbed our stuff and started talking.
In some ways, having more context to the event is helpful. I was really disappointed on Saturday to think that this was something put together by locals, because I had thought that I lived in a town that approached this with a lot more class and intelligence. It is encouraging to know that it was somebody from outside of town that came up with this. I won't lie, our store is out of place in a town with this much of a world/environmental/small town/organic conscience, but seems pointless to protest the whole company in a context like this. It seems odd to attack customers, who on a basic level, probably agree with your point, but don't agree with the inflammatory methods. It seems like it will only turn people against your cause.

My final thought: I feel famous to have been in the same cafe as a guy who had a documentary made about him!

A Wii and a Protest

Its time for a random update. As some of you might know, it was my b-day about two weeks ago, I got some cash, and after some prompting from Bri, decided to buy a Wii. It turns out that they are still really hard to get ahold of these days. After a week of searching, I located one on Craigslist and made an offer. The seller accepted and I made arrangements to pick it up. Turns out, the only time he was available was after 10 PM. So, last Wednesday night, Bri and I drove up the hill, and I bought a Wii in a dark parking lot, with cash, from a nerdy college student. The whole drive home Bri and I were laughing at the absurdity of the whole deal. The whole thing was legit, but it felt so shady. Good times.

In other completely random news, the store I work at was protested on Saturday during my shift. About 20-30 people made their way into the store around 2 PM and began picking up chairs, tables, lamps, bottles of water, bags of coffee, and anything else they could get their hands on. At first, they were just reading the labels, or something. Then, the leader began a type of call and response, condemning us for destroying a forest in order to have chairs and tables and the such in the store. The creepy thing was that all the other protesters were calling back Amen! and Hallelujah! The whole thing lasted about 20 minutes, and finally they all filed out of the store as the leader yelled at customers to evaluate where they spend their money. About five minutes after they left, the police finally showed up. Through the whole thing, my store manager was trying to politely request that they at least put the tables, chairs, lamps, etc down and not yell at customers, but he was completely ignored.
I can't say I am surprised. In many ways, this fits the mentality of Ithaca. I will say I was disappointed though. I expected a protest in Ithaca to be better thought out, and more useful. In the end, the protest felt inflammatory and pretty much lacked any sense of tact.

In a completely unrelated side note, I picked up the new Cloud Cult album over the weekend, and it is amazing. I highly recommend it.

Springtime has arrived!

It is about 60 degrees and sunny here, and I have to say, I enjoy spring in Ithaca. Unlike Minneapolis, there is no freak, end of winter/early spring snow storm. Maybe a couple of inches in the end of March, but nothing massive. While everyone kept joking/muttering about being prepared for the winters here, I am beginning to realize that it is simply the complaining of a few people who can't hack it out here.
Anyway, it has been a busy week here. While I still don't have an internship yet, much progress has been made on this front. I started receiving several emails earlier this week in response to the plethora of applications I sent out, and they wanted to interview me this week. So, I have just completed two phone interviews today for internships. I always think that phone interviews are a little weird, you just have to guess what the other person thinks of your response based on their tone of voice or next question. Granted, the pressure level isn't quite the same as an in-person interview (after all, I was sitting in jeans and an old Bethel t-shirt for the phone interviews), but there isn't the immediate satisfaction of: Yes! Good answer! when you get a smile that seems to indicate understanding. I am also looking at setting up an independent executive level internship at a foundation in Minneapolis, so I am going to speak with the director next week about that possibility. Next week will be busy, as it sounds like I will be doing follow up interviews for both internships.
On top of the busy week in terms of internships, it was Cody's birthday on Tuesday, and we decided to celebrate. It wasn't the same as the birthday bbq celebrations of the last few years, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. Instead, we got burritos at the Ithaca equivalent of Chipotle and went outside to eat them in the park across the street from our apartment. In the evening we went out to the Chapter House for some drinks and the chance to listen to the Irish music. It was a good day (even if I did pull an all-nighter that night to finish an exam due at noon the next day).
And now off to do some statistics work-- I know you all are jealous!
--brianna

the beginning of the end (of the semester)

So, it has been awhile since we posted last, but that is at least in part because it seems like not much is going on here. Life has been pretty boring-- a very slow and relaxing spring break, and now back into classes for the past couple of weeks. The odd realization now is that at the end of this month, classes will be done. That will be followed by one week for reading week, and a week of finals. Then, I will be on summer vacation! And, hopefully have an internship by then-- I have sent out many applications-- so I am hoping to hear back from at least one of them sometime in the next few weeks. I have no idea where I will be, which is a little scary, but I am sure I will manage.
Now is just the time to start researching my final papers. I am hoping that one of them will be able to tie into my masters thesis (at least a little bit). We will apparently start learning soon about how to write our theses for next year, which I am hoping will be helpful, because I don't have a definitive idea yet. That is about all though. We are looking forward to seeing what the summer will bring!
--brianna

Spring break

So, I'm on spring break this week, although it seems like it just started after working all weekend. It's nice to have a week off to relax and get caught up again. Spring break is definitely a different mindset here than it was back at Bethel. It all started with Dragon Day the Friday before spring break-- a huge parade through campus of a massive dragon the architecture students built, with the rest of the students in the department parading around in risque or questionable costumes. When the dragon has made it all the way though campus, the dragon is lit on fire in the arts quad (the picture is of the arts quad last fall). (If you want to know more, or see pics, just look up dragon day on wikipedia-- it explains the whole tradition.) With the drunkenness and the craziness, it made me realize that while it was kind of funny, it was weird too. It reaffirmed that spring break is nuts out here, and I am totally ok with avoiding the insanity as much as humanly possible.
I'm still working on the internship front-- looking at internships in NYC, Connecticut, Tennessee, Minneapolis, etc. I'm realizing more and more how important connections are to getting your foot in the door-- whether it be for a job, or an internship. I will admit that at times I find this frustrating, but its probably something I just need to accept. Even now though, I am thinking of where we are going to be living after I graduate next May-- of looking for a job wherever that may be, just to be prepared. It makes me realize that maybe I am more of an adult than I want to admit.
Hopefully, the rest of the week will be a good combination of relaxation and work, productive and fun too. I'm definitely looking forward to Easter though, and seeing Cody play in the worship service. I hope you all have a good Easter!

Hallelujah

I have been a bit remiss as of late at posting in general. Even more, I have been extremely remiss in posting anything music related. So, to make amends, I will now link you to a blog that is better at it than I am! My Old Kentucky Blog has created a wonderful post about the great Leonard Cohen song "Hallelujah." Most of you probably know the Jeff Buckley version better, I myself didn't realize that Buckley's version was a cover until I read this post. MOKB has posted the Cohen original and a plethora of covers, many of which I have never heard.
I highly recommend the versions by Dave Bazan, Regina Spektor, Beirut and Imogen Heap.
Enjoy!

Hallelujah

Return from the City

So, at approximately 2:00 in the morning on Wednesday, I finally made it back to Ithaca. The time I spent in New York City was great, but definitely made me appreciate my life in Ithaca. Life was insanely busy for the few days that I was there (and on my way down and back). The road trip down was entertaining-- as road trips always seem to be, particularly when you are in a car with four other people, two of whom you have never met. One of the girls had a gps system, which we used to get down to the city. It was great until we reached downtown Manhattan, and would have about three possible right turns, and all the tom tom would tell us was "turn right." As the navigator, leading us down broadway, past madison square garden, it was quite the adventure-- and traffic nightmare on a saturday night.
Eventually we made it to Brooklyn, where I was staying, conveniently in a building that had a subway stop in the basement, so travel was no problem. Saturday night I walked four blocks to the nearest Chipotle, and thoroughly enjoyed the first fajita I had eaten since December. I spent the rest of the night just chilling, as my other friends were all heading to a burlesque show, and I didn't really feel like joining in.
On Sunday I had the chance to spend the afternoon with a friend of mine from childhood who is in grad school in manhattan. We went to go see a play on Broadway that she had gotten student rush tickets to. If any of you ever have the opportunity to see it, I would highly recommend it. The fun/funny part was that we had front row seats, and there were several times when David Morse and Cieran Hinds were literally less than 18 inches away from me. This was followed by dinner at a fun little French restaurant, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
As far as the school aspect of the trip, we spent the day on Monday at the United Nations-- getting a tour and meeting with several different departments about the work they do, and how to get involved. While it was fun to be in the UN, it was a little disappointing, as they pointed out that unless you work for some obscure country, odds are slim to none that you will ever get the chance to work for the UN, as hiring is done by examining which member countries are under-represented, and allowing these people to take the qualifying exam which allows them to be interviewed for jobs. Clearly, the US doesn't have a problem of under-representation.
Monday night was a social networking event of hors-d'oeuvres and drinks. While I made a decent effort, networking is really not my thing. And, unfortunately, most of the people that I met were involved in fields that didn't have much connection to what I am interested in-- most of them were finance people.
Tuesday was spent at the Cornell Club, meeting with various panels of people representing different businesses and groups in the non-profit, public, and private sector. I made some potential interactions here-- which theoretically could lead to some internship possibilities for the summer (which is mandatory for my degree). They would be located in nyc though, which would mean I would be several hours away all summer. But, we will see.
Per road trip usual, our car broke down on Tuesday night around 9 or 10 pm outside of Scranton, PA. We ran out of gas because the gas line went bad and leaked half of a tank while we were driving down the interstate. My friend who was driving (and the owner of the car) is an international student who got his license in August (which I hadn't found out until after we were in the city), and had no idea what to do when encountering car problems. Fortunately, we got it all worked out with AAA, who towed the car all the way to Ithaca (about 100 miles away-- way to go AAA plus!).
I was supposed to the head down to Newark about 36 hours later-- but that simply didn't happen. Given the level of exhaustion I was reaching, I opted out of the trip for the chance to get caught up on my work, as I have two midterms this next week. Good times.
--brianna

Life after the flu

So, life has continued on, and after many days of sleeping, eating way too much chicken soup, etc. we are finally feeling better. Cody is back at work and I am back in class, working to quickly get myself caught up on everything that I missed (fortunately, I have just about finished everything). While still not completely energetic, we can actually talk to each other now and understand the conversation-- no more straining to make sense of words through coughing fits, etc.
And it's a good thing that I am feeling better and should be caught up by tomorrow, because on Saturday afternoon I am heading down the NYC with some friends! There is a professional development trip for the program I am in, with all day meetings at the UN on Monday, some social networking events, and meetings with potential employers/companies I could get an internship from on Tuesday at the Cornell Club. That's right-- Cornell has a club in the city, which just makes me laugh.
But, for the weekend I am planning on having fun and enjoying the city-- going out to eat and such on Saturday night, and spending Sunday with a good friend of mine from elementary school. I think it should be a good trip, and won't force Cody to go (at least not yet).
So, the plan is to get back to Ithaca late on Tuesday night, spend Wednesday and Thursday in class, and take off Thursday afternoon for Newark, NJ for my Community Development class. We are going to spend Thursday night and Friday meeting with community development groups and the mayor's office to discuss and learn about changes being made in Newark. Fortunately, we will get back on Friday night, which is a good thing-- because it is going to be a very full week. But, I am looking forward to it, and hoping Cody won't get too bored without me! :)
--brianna

hospitals

So, if the title didn't give it away, I am currently writing from the ER here in Ithaca, where I have spent the last three hours approximately. I almost passed out in class today, and the only ways to get checked out were either to walk across to the other side of campus to the health services office (but I was shaky and dizzy and could hardly stand), or to be taken via ambulance to the local ER. Thus, here I am, IV attached, blood tests run, EKG and Xrays taken.
I have never been admitted into a hospital, and its a bit weird. My room is in the middle of the ER, and the curtain/door to my room is constantly left open, so I see everyone coming and going, nurses, doctors, patients, emt's, etc. I wouldn't recommend being admitted to the ER, but so far it hasn't been too bad. And, I had to post, because they have free wireless, I am really bored (but not awake enough to attempt to do my homework), and they don't allow access to facebook, so no playing scrabulous.
It's been pretty cool to see how our friends are willing to help us out though. Cody is home sick and unable to drive, so they picked him up to come check on me, and drove him home a little bit ago so he could take a nap. I will be here for probably another hour, and then hopefully able to go home. Just thought I would update the blog, and be a little lame and do it from the hospital, just for kicks.
--brianna

Fat Tuesday/Ash Wednesday

This is one of the only years in my life where I have been conscious of the coming of Ash Wednesday. Most years I would realize on the day of when I saw friends with ash on their foreheads, or I wouldn't realize it until a week or two after it had occurred. The truly unfortunate aspect of this realization is that the only services that I have been able to find here in Ithaca are tomorrow night, and I, of course, work from 4 PM till midnight tomorrow.

I have never actually attended an Ash Wednesday service, but it has been a concept that has greatly intrigued me over the last few years. Most of my interest sprang from The Mercy Seat's Fat Tuesday/Ash Wednesday concert series that they used to announce the opening of their church 2 years ago. The shows were held at a Northeast bar, and ashes were imposed at the end of Wednesday nights music. It was an experience that I was forced to miss due to my work schedule at Bethel, thus, I have been trying to be more conscious not to miss another opportunity like that one.

To be perfectly honest, the Fat Tuesday concept is pretty lost on me. In the brief amount of research I have done today, I figured out that the concept arose as a final celebration and consumption of meat before the fasting that would occur during lent. As I fully acknowledge that celebratory holidays aren't really my thing, I guess it isn't surprising that I'm not interested in the Mardi Gras idea. The part of me that longs for Good Friday, and the uncertainty and yearning that comes with that day is very intrigued by the Ash Wednesday idea. I will also caveat that there is probably an element of my having grown up in a very conservative Calvinist church that looked at things like Ash Wednesday as a heathen Catholic practice that no good Christian would ever take part in. So there is that whole rebellion element.

I guess the purpose of writing about this is to see if anyone else has any thoughts. Also, I am trying to decide at the last minute if I should give something up for Lent. I have only done that once before, it was my senior year of college and I gave up caffeine. I didn't really have a great reason behind doing it then, but I did sleep really well after the caffeine withdrawal wore off!

It is harder for me to judge how to approach something like this these days. I don't have the opportunity to have thoughtful, in-depth conversations about church/faith/practice like I used to when I was around a whole lot of people who were much more intelligent than I am about these things. I find that most conversations I have about faith these days are the ones at work when people wonder why in the world an intelligent person would be religious and what in the world did I think I would do with a degree in Theology and Biblical Studies. Its a brave new world.
-cody

Transitions

So, life is beginning to take shape in a more formalized way here in Ithaca. My class schedule is now complete: International Trade Policy, Statistics for the Social Sciences, Community Development, and the Comparative History of Women and Work. Cody will start work officially as a shift supervisor this week, which means that we are moving out of the transition phase we had been in for the past several weeks.
One of the exciting aspects of moving out of transition is that we have officially become members of our church. We now have the opportunity to become more actively involved in church, which started today. It was a bit unusual because the church switched over to two services today, which was a bit haphazard, but also created more opportunity for involvement. I spent the morning greeting everyone as they walked into the building for the second service (aka the new service), and Cody served as an usher. The interesting part about being a greeter was that I had the chance to meet a lot of people I hadn't met yet, and was able to have some good (although very short) conversations. I haven't been this involved in a church since I left the church I grew up in, and I realized that I enjoy being able to serve in this capacity. Maybe not all the time, but it allows for new connections and opportunities, which I appreciate.
I am hoping that this church involvement will allow me to do more research for my master's thesis (which isn't formalized in any way yet). But, I am hoping to write my thesis (which isn't due for about 15 months) on the role that religious institutions play in creating community within a neighborhood or city. I realize that for some of you, this may not be very interesting, but I figured it might be for others (if so, and you have any ideas of books or organizations that I should check out, feel free to comment). Our church is intentionally located in the middle of town, and also has offices (the church meets in one of the local schools) in the center of town. It very much seeks to be a part of the community in which it is located, as well as seeking to create community within the church. This is a concept that intrigues me very much, and I think has much value.
On a totally separate note, this has also been a transition for me and my work at the store, as the store has a new manager. So far, this hasn't been going very well as I don't think the manager and I have clicked very well, and it is making work much less enjoyable. Hopefully this is short lived. But, if you feel so inclined, I would appreciate prayer on this, as it could make my already not relaxing weekends much less relaxing.
I hope that all of you are well!
--brianna

Shopping (for classes)

So, the process of finding classes has continued. After a week of attending macroeconomics (officially known as Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory), and spending a small fortune on the three textbooks for the class, I dropped the class last night. On Friday I discovered that all of the homework will be calculus based, and me, the good philosophy major that I was at Bethel, took Creative Problem Solving at Bethel. So, after contemplating the prospect of pulling out my hair for several hours in the attempt to teach myself calculus to complete the homework that was due today-- I dropped the class and signed up for International Trade Policy instead. Thus far, that seems like an incredibly wise decision. The class so far is interesting, and the professor is so genuinely excited about the material that I have seen her jump up and down in class.
While I feel somewhat guilty about dropping a class rather than living up to a challenge, it was pointed out to me that really, I am just taking classes that meet my strengths, rather than one's that magnify my weaknesses (like my lack of calculus knowledge). So, I am adjusting to this prospect. Statistics so far is good (which I wasn't expecting), and the Community Development seminar seems cool. We are actually taking a trip to Newark, NJ for Community Development, and it's even over Valentine's Day and the weekend. Woo hoo! Nothing like spending time in Newark for a romantic weekend (particularly because I will be there without Cody).
And, on another note which is somewhat related-- I think I am going to NYC at the end of February-- there may not be as much free time as I am hoping for (it's a trip though my program, which is looked at as a professional development trip), but I am looking forward to it. This whole grad school thing has been an adjustment, but so far this semester is looking to be much more interesting than last semester, which is a good sign.

Worky

I am slowly settling into the routine of having a job. I will admit that it is really hard for me to relax when I am not at work, mainly because I got so used to always having the job search hanging over my head last semester, I don't really know what to do without it. Basically, whenever I sit down at home, I feel like there is something I am supposed to be doing, and that I am probably slacking off. Oh well, if that is the worst I have to deal with, its not so bad.

So far I am enjoying my new co-workers, it was a little odd to run into one at the Laundromat earlier this week, but that is due to the fact that I am not used to knowing people around here. The increase in human interaction has been a definite plus.

Oddly enough, the whole having a job thing has allowed me to evaluate my status here in Ithaca in a new light, and I find myself incredibly homesick. I miss the ability to hang out with friends alot. I am sure I felt this last year after we got here, but most of the time I probably wrote it off as anxiety about the job search. Don't get me wrong, the people I have met here are great, but there is something to be said for friends who have known you for years. I miss the ability to have a truly amazing conversation over a quality pint or a chipotle burrito. Not to mention the ever-present disc golf companions.

That said, I miss you all greatly. It was a true blessing to see so many of you over Christmas and I can only hope that someday I will get the opportunity to live near you again.

A New Semester

So, second semester started today. Cornell's not much on respecting national holidays, which is too bad, because I particularly like Martin Luther King Day. Oh well. Cornell has a policy of much freedom with class registration-- I went to three classes today, and decided to drop two of them. So, it will be interesting to see what tomorrow holds. This semester should hopefully be a good mix of classes I need to take (also known as macroeconomics and statistics) and classes I want to take: Community Development Seminar and Ethnicity and Identity Politics. In spite of the cold weather here (I realize that it isn't as bad as MN, but walking from building to building across a large campus that isn't connected internally, on top of a hill where it is really windy), I did walk out to the Moosewoods restaurant on campus (good vegetarian food for those of you who don't know, and its ideal to go without having to force Cody) for some Moroccan stew, and later over to visit him at Starbucks when I had finished classes for the day. It will be interesting to see what the rest of this weeks classes hold-- to see if my schedule stays as it is, or continues to change. The only downside of the current schedule is that I am taking macroeconomics with almost entirely (in a class of 60) college juniors who either a) don't seem to be very mature, or b) are econ majors who intimidate me and my lack of knowledge when it comes to matters of economics.
On a different note, Starbucks is extending their hours this week, so it will be interesting to see what the semester holds for each of us, as it could be very scattered if we end up on opposite schedules!

3 Days Down

I have now completed 3 days of work at my new job. So far, things have been pretty slow going. I have mostly been training and reading training manuals. The co-workers are cool and my boss seems like a good guy. The location I work at is on the South end of Cornell's campus, so it is really slow right now. Classes don't start for another 10 days, so I am thinking that things will start picking up towards the end of next week.

So, if you find yourself in Ithaca any time soon, come by the store, and I will attempt not to screw up your drink. Oh, and the most complicated one so far was last night. Venti 9 pump Chai, 1 pump Peppermint Soy Chai Latte. I didn't make it, I just had to ring it up. Good times.

Addendum

Pray that I do well waking up in the morning. I am super nervous that I won't feel well. I am serious, I have a track record of getting sick in these situations. Long story, I won't share it cause I am going to go try to sleep now.. BECAUSE I HAVE A JOB TO GO TO!!!!!!!

Good news for a new year!

So, this will be a very brief update (with I'm sure more to follow later). But, CODY HAS A JOB! Which, he starts tomorrow morning at 7:00. The position is a shift supervisor at the Starbucks in the Collegetown neighborhood of Ithaca. The store called just a couple of hours ago to offer the position, and he starts in a few more hours. Keep him in your thoughts and prayers for an early morning tomorrow! There will be more of an update later when we have more info. We love you all and are super excited!
--brianna

2008 (hopefully not as eventful as 2007)

Well, as you all are well aware, we have now moved into a new year. And, thus, it seemed a good time for me (brianna) to hijack cody's blog. Maybe not hijack so much as borrow from time to time. Our New Year's Eve was incredibly uneventful, and seemed like the proper ending to a rather insane year (we fell asleep before the clock struck midnight). Today has been spent sleeping, watching television, playing video games, and doing a little unpacking. It was mostly recovery from a wonderful and crazy busy trip back to Minnesota.
I woke up this morning thankful for the opportunity to go back home for Christmas, and see so many of you, but also thankful to be back in New York. Life out here has been quite an adjustment, and the chance to see family and friends made it a lot easier to come back to our everyday lives, which at times seem both incredibly dull and insanely busy. Thank you to all of you who are a part of our lives, and who we got to see over the past several weeks-- it was great!
Anyway, being back in Ithaca-- I am beginning to wonder what we are going to do with ourselves over the next few weeks. I don't start classes again for a few weeks yet, and don't go back to work for awhile, so hopefully we will be able to spend some more time exploring where we are at (and sharing with you). Although, Cody is looking forward to spending some time with the Xbox and Half Life now that we are back as well. My goal is to try to make it to New York City at some point in January (maybe as part of a birthday celebration)-- now I just need to convince Cody that this is a good idea. I am sure that we will both keep you updated over the next few weeks and months as to how life progresses. Happy new year to you all! Oh, and the picture is of Cody and I with my nephew Christopher-- the three of us spent quality time together over Christmas.