What would we do without them? For me, I know that I wouldn't be as fortunate to have a job right out of college if it weren't for computers--my job is web-based and only exists because of computers. And, on top of that, I wouldn't know half the weird things I know now and I'd be a pretty boring person. So here's to computers. Hip, hip, hooray!

I'm finished with school! No more papers, no more merciless dissecting of literature! I'm FREE! I have been waiting for this for three years. I was never really happy at college with a bunch of boozy party animals--it's not my scene. But now I'm out and I can start working and doing things that make me feel happy and productive.

There was no December graduation for me so there was no throwing of hats or wearing of robes but I might walk in May (if I'm in the state--I might be in Colorado!). I'm just so happy to be out. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off me and now I can do ANYTHING. I could move to Europe, I could work on a ranch, I can just go anywhere and do anything and I cannot wait to get started. Wish me luck!

I love to daydream about my future. I dream about where I'll travel, where I'll live, who I'll meet--all kinds of things. At the moment, I'm having the most fun daydreaming about the next place I'll live. I'm hoping for a cute little row house in the city with my best friend. Last night we daydreamed by looking at postings for houses online. It was fun, encouraging and now we're psyched for March when we'll find out if it will work out. I want to paint walls, I want to hang pictures. I want a home!

No matter what I'm daydreaming about, you can usually find me looking wistfully out of windows or staring blankly into space--I always have something on my mind!

They just make me feel so awesome. What more can I say?

Gloves are an essential piece of my winter wear. My fingers get cold really easily, especially when I'm at the barn. Fingers are so important, too, so it's doubly important to keep them warm. I hate it when my fingers are too cold to do something intricate like lace my shoes or button a coat or something. For all these reasons and more, I need gloves at almost all times.

I love the new trend of the fingerless gloves with mitten fold-over parts since I have a touch screen phone but I have never really worn mittens before (I always choose a glove over a mitten) so when I flip the mitten part over for warmth, I'm kind of awkward. Also, without that extra cloth over the fingertips, my fingers still get cold! So, I like the idea but I don't like the outcome. Really, the phone developers should start making phones that detect gloved fingers just as they detect flesh ones. Then all my problems will be solved! Get working on that, phone developers.

I'm almost done school--I'll be out in a little over a month! Wish me luck on the last leg!

It is so outrageously delicious. Here at school we have a farmer's market on Mondays and there is an assortment of Amish breads including an amazing zucchini nut bread which I buy every single week. It is always gone by Wednesday. It's so moist and sweet and luscious. I dream about this bread! My only regret is that it's taken this long for me to find out how absolutely lacking my life was before I tasted zucchini bread.

No explanation needed!

Sunglasses are my heroes. I wear contacts and have sensitive eyes because of it. On top of that, my eyes are fair (light blue-grey) so keeping them protected is important to me. Whenever it's sunny out, I HAVE to have my sunglasses with me. When I'm driving, I especially need them--I have to squint and really make an effort to clearly see the road and other cars (not safe!). Though I usually wear sunglasses smaller than the fashion as shown in the picture above, I do like my sunglasses to be pretty cool. My current favorite pair is a nice shade of red-pink and the lenses are actually pink as well and give a nice rose-colored (get it?) tint to everything, making it brighter and more vivid. I love them and hope they never break!

County fairs are so much fun. I love the mixture of rides, fair food and 4-H animal events. There is something for everyone at county fairs--bizarre crafts, games, rides, tractor pulls, rabbit showmanship classes, even horse shows! My favorite part, though, is the food (of course). There is so much! Usually, there's a great variety of food available but you always have your staples of Italian sausage, hot dogs, funnel cake, caramel apples, popcorn, cotton candy and maybe even barbecue if you're lucky.

I go to school in a rural community. There isn't much to do so it's always a lot of fun when the county fair rolls around and the whole community gets together in one place. This year I'm going to try to catch the rabbit showmanship class and the auction of a chainsaw sculptor's works. I usually try to catch the heavy-weight horse pull as well but that didn't work out this year--no worries! No matter what I see, though, it's always fun to have a new weekend activity to do!

Homemade or store-bought, flour or corn, I cannot get enough of tortillas. They are smooth and flexible, doughy and satisfying but they don't fill you up immediately so you just keep eating! The taste of corn tortillas is really nice since it's so sweet and nutty but flour tortillas are better for most flavor profiles. When I was little I liked the taste of tortillas so much (and I still do) that I would eat them alone, folding them in half and then in half again and again until I couldn't fold it anymore. Then I would eat it from the tip of the triangle created by the folding to the base. It was so satisfying and yummy and bready.

Today I still love most things tortilla. I love fajitas, quesadillas, enchiladas, tacos, etc. I could, if I was slightly more foolish and wanted to get rid of future great post ideas, lump pita bread, naan and gyro bread into this likability of tortillas. However, I will not but I do acknowledge both that these are very similar, equally tasty and that I like all of them!

Though I don't really like the sun because of all the heat it gives off which makes me sweaty and grumpy, I love its light. Sunlight is warming and comforting in all the right ways--on a winter's day, one can seek out the sun's rays in search of warmth. On a crisp, fall day, the sun helps keep you warm before you finally succumb to wearing your jacket for the rest of the year. My favorite thing about sunlight is the way it streams in through windows, especially in the morning. I love to wake up to a nice, sunny room and just bask in the rays for a little while before I get out of bed. There is something about basking in sunlight that is just so revitalizing yet relaxing.

When I say that I like cameras, I mean REAL cameras--the kind that take film and have to be developed by a professional. I love the sound of the shutter as it clicks closed and then open again and the feel of the shutter release button as you press it down. I like hearing the film advance inside the camera, the uncertainty of not knowing what the picture looks like. I like all these things but that isn't to say that manual cameras are what I use. I like the idea of a manual camera but digital ones just fit me better--though, on one side, I like the uncertainty of not knowing what a photo will look like, I also have a desperate need to know. A digital camera can satisfy that need. Despite this, I still love and appreciate the art of the manual camera and highly respect anyone who can use it with ease and success.

I'm a morning person. Not to say I get up at 4 in the morning or anything but I like to get up earlier than usual for a college student and get my day started. I like to feel like I've had a full day by getting up early and going to bed around 11:30-12 rather than staying up late and feeling like a delinquent who slept until 2pm. The best part about getting up early is the cool, crispness of mornings. The air is cooler and moist, the day seems fresh and new. Mornings just make me smile!

Headphones (yes, I know the image is specifically of earbuds) are so handy. Living with a roommate (in the same room!) for four years, I have learned to appreciate the beauty of having your own personal speakers in your ears. They allow you to listen to bad music in secret, occupy your mind while at the gym, quietly watch things so as to avoid disrupting your roommate, and, sometimes, provide some all-needed quiet. I know that I have, on multiple occasions, used my sound-canceling headphones to drown out noises when trying to sleep. All around, headphones are an essential tool for an computer user, music listener or even, sometimes, TV watcher--I don't know what I would do without them!

I've been working in the same place as an intern for the past two years. And no, I'm not complaining--I've been at school and working as an "intern" allowed me to work whenever I was home so I'm grateful. However, now that I'm nearing graduation (December 2010!!!), I've been given a job offer! So that means in January I will have a cubicle that's a little more permanent (I've been moved around over the past 2 years) and I will get to decorate it! I am excited by the challenge of injecting personality into a uniform cubicle space and love getting ideas from the Internet. I simply cannot wait for January and to be working on something that feels more productive than writing literary criticism essays (ugh....). Three cheers for employment!

I like cupcakes. A lot. But I don't like icing as much as I probably should (or as much as is normal). Therefore, I prefer my cupcakes uniced, as pictured above. I think icing is too sweet and usually takes away from the deliciousness of the cake (mmm, boxed cake). Some icing is tasty, though and then I'm willing to compromise. However they are made, though, I can usually take off the icing if I don't like it and enjoy the lovely cake underneath. Who could possibly not like a mini cake?

Maps are pretty useful. They help you get from one place to another, plan out a trip or show someone that you know geography better than they do. Aside from this, though, maps are just beautiful. I've always been fascinated by them. This might come from my Dad who is a great lover of maps and has always shown me the routes we take on our road trips. He has a couple of maps framed and hung around his house and they are some of my favorite pieces of art in his house. He has a particularly beautiful map of Ohio that uses purple tones and he has an old schoolroom map of the USA in the home office. The lines and colors and shapes always look so inviting, asking me to follow new roads and discover new places. Because of maps and my great sense of direction (mental maps), I will never need a GPS in my car--I'll navigate on my own!

The Smashing Pumpkins were my first favorite band (or at least the first I can remember) way back in the 90's. I was little and 99.1 WHFS was playing Tonight, Tonight a week after Halloween. The DJ introduced the song saying something along the lines of "And now, because this is what you should do with those old pumpkins from last week, here's some Smashing Pumpkins." I instantly loved the idea of smashing old Halloween pumpkins and so my love of the band was born directly from their name. Their sound, as well, has captured me but it took a little more time for me to appreciate it. Many years later, they are still one of my favorite bands! Now if only they would tour near me...

Hammocks are amazingly comfortable. They solve the problem of not being able to sleep while camping so you can be both comfortable AND enjoy the sounds and other benefits of sleeping in the outdoors. My mom is a big fan of hammocks so, luckily, we usually have one set up during the spring and summer under the leafy roof of our "forest." It's usually too hot and humid to actually enjoy sleeping in the hammock but on spring and fall days, it doesn't get much better than a nice long nap in the hammock.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need a  nap.

Sandcastles are amazing. They can be anywhere from a low-budget project with a few molds and a bucket to huge operations with spatulas, blueprints and full-blown moats. As a child, I used to make sandcastles and specialized in "drip castles" where you let wet sand drip through your fist to create very skinny and perilous towers. I don't make sandcastles very often now but I always like to look at them because I know how ridiculously difficult they are to make. I think they add a whole new dimension of fun and nostalgia to the beach and make it a more unique place than it already is--it's not everywhere that you can find huge replicas of castles made out of small rock particles!

I laugh a lot. I make myself laugh quite often and I'm not ashamed of it. If I didn't make myself laugh or if I didn't laugh as easily as I do, I think I would go crazy. Laughing is my release--it let's all my energy and emotion out and it makes me feel so GOOD! I usually laugh loudly and widely, only covering my mouth when I'm in public and my laughing goes a little overboard. I think the fact that I laugh and smile so easily, despite my serious and somewhat critical nature, are a big part of what make me who I am. For that reason and so many others, I love laughing.

I have very few vices. I don't smoke, I don't do drugs and I very rarely drink. One vice I do have is speeding. I love to drive fast and I get impatient when I can't do it because of slow traffic. That's why I absolutely love an empty road. I can go as fast as I want (well, sort of--I keep it between 10 and 13mpg over the limit) and  just feel very free and unrestricted blasting off into the distance. No matter where the road is going, I want to get there as fast as possible. Unless someone else is driving--then I don't mind going slower and taking the time to look at where I'm going.

Vintage wallpaper is so simple and classic, especially British styles. I don't know if I'd ever wallpaper a whole room but I might wallpaper a wall or stretch wallpaper over a frame as an accent. Whatever I do with it, I hope to make vintage wallpaper a part of my future apartment/house!

Pad Thai is utterly delicious. It's taken me some time to fully get used to it and be able to enjoy it totally and unconditionally like I do now (actually, unconditionally is a little generous--you can definitely make a bad pad thai). I used to hate the idea of peanuts in a warm preparation and so I shunned pad thai. And, to be honest, the first couple of pad thai's I tried were pretty awful so they didn't properly introduce an appreciation for it in me.

The first pad thai I remember loving was in Alaska. My roommate loved pad thai and when I ordered Chinese food, she would order tofu pad thai (because the Chinese food place was also a Thai food place). She let me try it one day and I was hooked! Tofu pad thai isn't the traditional type--as I was told by a somewhat surly Thai man at my favorite Thai restaurant, pad thai is traditionally prepared with shrimp or plain. None of this chicken or tofu business. I try to stick to that and usually choose plain. Yum, yum, yum! Today I am a lucky girl because sitting in my office refrigerator is leftover pad thai and it's all I can think about. I will need to find something to distract me until lunch!

Most of my computer usage is on a laptop. Because of this, I relish the times when I get the privilege to use gloriously large and beautiful computer monitors. Occasionally I'll really hit the jackpot and get two monitors! At the moment I'm traveling for work and I get to use two monitors. Usually I use only one large monitor back at my normal office. In my dream office, I have two large monitors and a nice, large, clean desk. I have these fantasies quite often. This dream "office" could even be a cubicle--I'm not picky (and I'd still consider it "my" office)! But whether it is one or two, almost any monitor is a luxury compared to my 15.6" laptop screen!

 Aquariums are amazing. They are like televisions but filled with nature. I guess the zoo is kind of like this, too, but I find that aquariums seem to be much more alive than zoos. Maybe that's just me. Anyway, aquariums are filled with so many amazing things--many of which I've never seen before. Sharks, whales (maybe?), seals, jellyfish, seahorses, coral, anemones, etc. It's all colorful, beautiful and mesmerizing. I know I could sit in front of the stingray, shark or dolphin tank for hours, just staring into it.

I recently went to the local aquarium. I have loved it ever since I was a kid and it's been changing a bit recently. I was glad to visit again and realize that many of my favorite things haven't changed one bit! The dolphin show is new (and not as good in my opinion) but most of the same exhibits and installations are the same and bring back good memories.

Also recently (and what inspired my visit to the aquarium), I found an amazing video of the Kuroshio Sea Aquarium in Japan which is the world's second largest aquarium and is home to a healthy population of tiger sharks! I just absolutely love the video and its hypnotizing array of fish and its equally-hypnotizing music. Take a look!

I have, after all my years of living, recently "discovered" Belle and Sebastian. I had heard of them before and heard a few songs but I had never actually listened to a whole CD or really gotten into them. Well, I can't remember how it happened but now I'm in deep. Luckily, I have a friend who is similarly "taken" by the band and has compiled a gigantic library of their music and was willing to share it with me. So now Belle and Sebastian accounts for 1/6th of my iTunes library and I wouldn't have it any other way. Their calm, haunting melodies and clear, mind-reading lyrics have me captivated and squirming to find a way to get over the $38.50 price tag on their concert at DAR Constitution Hall in October. Or I can just drive around in my car, filling its inside with their songs from my iPod. Either way, it's going to be a good time.

Sweaters are so much fun. They are warm and snuggly and they add an extra layer of interest to an outfit. But mostly they are just warm and snuggly.

When I was little, I told my mother that I hated sweaters. I can vividly remember this. I think I hated them because I associated sweaters with itchy, scratching wool and cloying, strangling turtlenecks. I still hate turtlenecks...grr.

Anyway, now I can't imagine living without sweaters. It's summer right now and, even though I get to wear sweaters to work because it's so air-conditioned, I cannot WAIT for fall to come so I can break out some of my favorite sweaters!

Some people call them fireflies but I've always grown up calling them lightning bugs. They sparkle and blink on muggy nights, happy reminders that summer has finally come. As a child, I always tried to catch them in my hand and see how long they would stay with me before flying away--never very long, obviously, but long enough for me to think they recognized some kindness or special quality in me. Now I like to sit out on the patio at night and watch them flutter about, following their spastic flight paths by the blink of their tails.

When I was learning to drive, my mom taught me on her manual transmission Pontiac Vibe. She likes to drive manuals because it gives her something to do when she's driving so she pays more attention and doesn't fall asleep, etc. Well, it was pretty difficult for me to learn since I had already basically learned on an automatic and didn't understand why a car should be so complicated. There were many "adventures" such as when I stalled in the middle of an intersection making a left turn on a "yield when green" (harrowing) and when I started the car in third gear. On a hill. Yeah...the Vibe made all sorts of new smells and noises after I was done with it but it's been such a good sport and keeps on going.

Anyhow, I eventually mastered it and now I love that I can drive any car I come across. It's handy for when people are too drunk or hurt or just plain don't know where they are going. And I love to drive other people's cars. So, essentially, thank you Mom!

Umbrellas are just such cute ways of keeping dry in the rain (and snow!) and shaded in the blistering beach heat. They come in all patterns and colors and, nowadays, sizes that make them fun accessories that you can easily stow away in your purse or car for a rainy occasion. In Europe (or at least Italy), no one is without their umbrella in the rain or snow and you can be easily spotted for a tourist if you don't have one. But don't worry--people will eagerly offer to sell you one on the street! There is just something romantic about an umbrella. You can share it or you can be alone, romantically (if in a sort of sad way) walking down a sidewalk, hoping someone will come keep you company. And, of course, there's always that time when you forget your umbrella when sometimes (just sometimes!) someone will come and offer you to share theirs. I can't wait for the rain!

Getting flowers when you're sick is the best. They brighten your day and automatically make you feel better. Usually, though, you have to be pretty sick to warrant flowers--sick enough for someone to worry about you. And the flowers stick around after that person has left, letting you know that they care about you and want you to get better quickly. And what could possibly be better than a cheery bouquet of flowers urging you to get better? Two or three bouquets!

Skirts are so much fun to wear. When I was little I would specifically pick out skirts that were perfect for twirling and then use any and every opportunity for twirling. I loved seeing the skirt flare out around me--it made me feel so happy. I still love to twirl and, though I wear tighter-fitting skirts like pencil skirts and others, I still love the classic A-line skirts that easily twirl as you move. A terrific compromise between pants and a dress, skirts are just the easiest way to feel carefree and fun!

Wildflowers are so simply beautiful. They aren't planned, they aren't high-maintenance and they grow anywhere and everywhere. They fill up vacant lots and field with beautiful splashes of color and they just make me happy! When I have a house and a garden I am going to till my garden and just let it grow wild, full of what people call "weeds" but are really as worthy of the word "flower" as any other plant. I will let my garden grow itself and, in return, I will have sunny wildflowers all the time!

Ahh, the last day of that ever-elusive final goal to a school year. It was always so hard to sit still on the last day of school in middle school and high school and all one could think about was that final bell ringing our freedom. I always envisioned people running right out of class, out the front doors of the school, just like on TV but that never happened--teachers had us too under control. Despite that, though, the last day of school was always the best thing to happen to a kid.

Today is my last class in Alba for my semester abroad and I will be leaving Saturday. I am not sorry to be leaving but I did have a great time visiting so many places this semester. After today I will be free from class for an entire 4 months while I do some more meaningful work in the workplace instead of the classroom. I am so excited to give my brain a rest (not that it did much this semester...) and focus on something I feel is more fulfilling and interesting--work! And, soon enough, I will graduate and work as much as I like. Woo!

Naps are wonderful things. Some days you wake up too early or stay up too late or just spent the morning running around and 3:00 pm rolls around and you just need some energy. When I can afford the break, I love to nap. On the couch, in my bed--anywhere comfortable. I just snuggle up with a blanket and get some sleep for anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour and a half and I'm good to go! Rainy days make me especially need a nap. There's something about the coolness of a rainy day coupled with not wanting to leave the house to do anything that makes it a perfect day to lay down and nap. And naps are even better when you have someone to nap with!

Whether they are mine or someone else's, I love looking through photo albums. All the memories are so fascinating, especially if they are mine and I've forgotten them--it's living experiencing them all over again. When looking through someone else's photo album it's sort of like discovering a new part of that person, learning something about them you didn't know before. Like that they were a piglet for Halloween or they used to drive an old, battered station wagon or had a buzz cut. And then there are always those albums with pictures of people who have been lost and the pictures serve as a little shock to our hearts to remember them just a little more than before. Whatever the reason, one can see that photo albums will always have surprises hidden within!

I love the fresh breeze that comes in through an open window. It freshens a room and blows away the damp, mugginess of the spring and summer. Sometimes, when it's a cool day, I'll leave the windows open even though it's almost too cold. I'll sit in my bed, curled up in my covers, and relish in the coolness of the air. It makes me feel snuggly and warm and relieved from the dreadful heat. Because of this, one of my life goals is to have French doors somewhere in my future home--ideally in the kitchen and my bedroom--so I can open them up and have fresh breezes as often as they are provided by nature. Yay!

Music that has the power to make me want to--need to--dance is powerful stuff. It gets in my bones, in my blood and makes me need to move around to the beat. I may not even like to listen to the song but there is something about it that makes me subliminally need to get up and dance. I need to loosen up every now and then so when a song comes on the radio that makes me want to dance, I revel in the opportunity to turn up the volume and bop around in my chair, my car, or even on the dance floor!

Editing papers gives me so much satisfaction. I'm a grammar and spelling Nazi so I like making papers (mine or otherwise) correct. I like the precise and meticulous attention to detail and knowing that everything is "just so." I like the idea of making a product better, the best it can be. And since words are sort of my thing (occasionally design is as well), I like seeing them in the best place possible. I realize this is probably an obsessive tendency but it's at least a useful one!

I've been thinking lately about where I want to live after college. I have plans to go to Colorado shortly after graduating in December and I originally thought I might want to try to find a job there and settle down a little in Denver or around it (maybe Colorado Springs) but lately I've been thinking of many other places. Maybe it's being in Europe that's making me restless and changing my mind about Colorado but now I have Provence, France, England, and good ol' Baltimore on my mind. Three very different places but they all have something I want.

Provence is unbelievably beautiful and I love the French language. England is a place I've always wanted to be more a part of--I've been an anglophile for a long time. And then there's home--Baltimore. Baltimore is such a quirky, cozy city. It has its reputation, of course, but I know it is really a nice, hip city underneath all the statistics. With all the possibilities I'm feeling a bit stressed out but I love the thoughts that go along with each different place. I could have so many different lives! If only I could have them all!

Cereal is the perfect way to start the day. I'm a big proponent of breakfast and eat it every day unless I wake up late (10 or later) because then it doesn't make much sense. I do love big breakfast foods like pancakes or home fries or french toast but they make me feel too full rather than energized for the day like cereal does. Plus, cereal has the all-important element of fiber (at least good cereals do)! My favorite cereals are mostly healthy ones like Cheerios, Wheat Chex, Special K, and Life but I also like Reese's Puffs, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Frosted Flakes though I don't eat them often. Whatever kind of cereal it is, it's how I want to start my day--pour on some skim milk, hand me a spoon and I'm ready to go!

Because sometimes it's so reassuring to have something to fall back on. Sometimes the thing you've been planning all along just doesn't work out so it's nice to have a back-up waiting for you. Alternate options, just in case you change your mind or in case you just want too many things all at once! I have many plans--probably all the way down to letters J, K, and L. I like to think this makes sure I will never just be doing nothing but maybe that's plan M! In any case, it's nice to not have to worry or stress so much when you know you have a safety net waiting to catch you if you fall. Hopefully you never touch the net but, if you have to, it's there.

I'm a horrible procrastinator--I really am. But I'm also a pretty responsible person (yawn). Sometimes, then, I like to get my work out of the way, especially if I know I have something else I want to do or another project I need to work on soon. Today I did tomorrow's assignment on top of today's and I feel great about it! I can take it easy tomorrow or I can continue and finish early at the end of the week and start my weekend early. Whatever I choose to do, it feels great knowing that I was responsible, made a good choice and used my time now wisely so I can have fun later. Yay!

When I was younger I always used my overhead light in my bedroom. When my dad came in he would always turn it off, open my curtains more and tell me that overhead lights "sucked up my self esteem." Of course I thought he was crazy and more adorable for it but, despite not believing him, I have grown to have a similar aversion to overhead lighting. There is something about large, bright, artificial lights that just...annoys me. Though I don't think my self-esteem is being affected, I definitely physically and mentally react to these obnoxious and distracting lights and turn them off whenever I can. At school my overhead light is only used when serious business is being conducted in mirrors or if (the horror!) it's too dark outside that even table lamps aren't bright enough.

In any case, natural light is so refreshing. It is warm, comforting, and fresh all at the same time. It has the ability to warm or cool any room and just makes me happy when a sunny day's rays fill my room just right that it makes everything bright and cheerier. So thanks, Dad, for passing along your words of wisdom!

This summer I conquered a mountain and today I conquered a 6.8-mile cliff walk up and down steep, steep stairs. I love challenging myself with these tests of my physical and mental strength. I feel empowered and motivated to prove to myself that I can climb that mountain or power-walk that distance. I put my head down, focus, and push ahead. And when I get to the end and realize I've done it, that's such an awesome feeling! Yes, my body will start screaming in a few minutes but at that moment right at the end it is humming with excitement and energy, pushing me even further. I always feel tempted to do the "Victory!" pose but I think I'll save that for a really amazing accomplishment like the Appalachian Trail or Mt. Everest. For now I'm satisfied with just pushing myself in these little ways that make me proud to be as strong as I am.

I love Swedish meatballs. As I mentioned before, my mom used to take my brother and me to Ikea for dinner sometimes just because we (and my mom) loved the Swedish meatballs so much. At some point my mom started making them at home with a sauce packet from the grocery store, handmade meatballs and egg noodles (which is perhaps the traditional preparation)--like the picture shown above. Swedish meatballs are delicious in either preparation and I think I prefer my mom's style even though the Ikea style is lighter and has the delicious lingonberry sauce. The noodles and the gravy and the meatballs are just such a unique dish with a lovely savoriness to it. It's just perfect in every way. When I get home from Italy it is one of the things I will request for dinner. Yum!

I got my tax return a couple of days ago and was ready to just keep it in my bank account and forget that it was money I hadn't really been expecting to ever get back. Today while reading for my Economics class, though, I was reminded about kiva.org, an organization that deals in microfinancing where people can loan out small amounts of money to entrepreneurs in developing countries. These loans have a very high rate of repayment (Kiva quotes theirs at more than 98%) and help get people off their feet--a win-win situation!

I used my tax return and loaned money to five different people/groups. One loan is to a group who run a furniture making workshop in Uganda and one is to a woman in Nigeria who runs a general store. I also loaned to a groups in Vietnam (all women), Kyrgyzstan and the Philippines who raise and sell livestock. I am so excited to be a part of this opportunity to help people work their way to a better lifestyle and can't wait for them to prove me right by paying back the loan so I can turn around and lend the money to someone else. I just feel so good!