Wednesday, April 2, 2014

The Next Step

Salama e!

Here it is! The much anticipated glance into what the next few years have in store for me.  Finalized (ish) this morning, I am happy to announce that I will be attending the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville AND the University of Arkansas at Little Rock starting January 2015.  I will be pursuing a dual master's degree in public service and business administration over my 2.5 years there. Yay!  I am still awaiting assistantship news from the business school, but I received financial aid from the clinton school.  Whoohoo!

But what will you be doing in the mean time, Sarah?  Glad you asked.  Here is a breakdown of the next few years and where I will be and when, for y'all's information (yeah, I might as well get used to that word, eh?)

First, when I finish here in July, I will be traveling through Asia on my way home.  Here is what that schedule looks like:

July 18: Officially finish Peace Corps.  28 months!
July 19: Fly from Antananarivo, Madagascar, to Johannesburg, South Africa
July 20: Johannesburg
July 21: Drive/bus from Johannesburg to Capetown
July 22-26: Capetown
July 27-28: Fly to Shanghai, China to meet my Dad, via Johannesburg and Abu Dhabi
July 28-August 6: Shanghai, Nanjing, and Beijing with my Dad
August 7: Fly to Manila, Philippines
August 8-11: Manila
August 11: Fly to San Francisco to meet some college and Peace Corps friends
August 12-14 San Francisco
August 14: Fly to Detroit via Atlanta
August: Arrive in Detroit, and go out for a 25th birthday lunch with my Mom!

The next few months will likely involve me looking for part-time employment around Ann Arbor, and re-acclimating to life in America.  I have decided to buy a Michigan Football ticket (not even a student one!) because it has been so long since I have seen Michigan football, and it may be one of the last times I will be available for a whole season.

Once November comes around, a very close friend of mine from Madagascar--David-Pierre, a French volunteer--will be finishing his service in Madagascar, and would like to come to America.  The plan is for him to come for a month, and for us to travel around for a bit.  That schedule looks something like this as of right now:

November 15: Arrive in New York City
November 16-18: NYC
November 19: Drive to Philadelphia
November 20-21: Philly
November 22: Drive to Washington DC
November 23-24: DC
November 25: Drive to Ann Arbor
November 26-December 2: Ann Arbor for Thanksgiving and UM vs OSU football!
December 3: Fly to San Francisco
December 4-5: San Francisco
December 7: Drive to Stanford (David-Pierre is interested in a PhD program there, and I wouldn't mind checking out google...)
December 8: Stanford
December 9: Drive to San Jose
December 10: Fly to Los Angeles
December 11-14: LA (Including Santa Monica, the beach, and Hollywood!)
December 15: Return home

In all likelihood, my family will be leaving for Arkansas for Christmas (I finally get to be there again!) around December 22.  Still don't know if we are driving or flying or what, since I need to figure out my car situation and how I am getting all of my stuff to Arkansas.

Wacky school schedule: because Fayetteville and Little Rock are so far apart, the 2.5 year program is split by year.  So, here is my schedule of where I will be for those two years:

January-May 2015: Fayetteville, AR
May 9, 2015: MY SISTER GETS MARRIED AHHHH!
May 10-August 2015: Some kind of job/internship (TBD)
September 2015-May 2016: Little Rock, AR
May-August 2016: Summer capstone project abroad (TBD)
September 2016-May 2017: Fayetteville, AR
Should be graduating in May, but it is possible to go into the summer semester as well.

Then, who knows? And that is the way I like it :)

I know there is a lot going on in this post, but I wanted to let you all know where I would be, especially while traveling, in case you wanted to meet up!  Anxiously awaiting all of it :)

Love,
-Sarah



Maeve Comes to Mada!

Manahoana daholo!

I am sorry it has been so long since my last update, but that is a good thing I swear.  I have been very busy, and definitely a good busy.  But I got to take a little break from all of my nutrition work (which has been my focus lately) when my friend, Maeve, came to visit me from the states!

Maeve and I went to high school and college together, and we also swam, played water polo, and worked at the pool together for several years.  She graduated from Michigan last May, and has taken the year off to do some traveling before she begins dental school at the University of New England in the fall.

Maeve and I took a trip south over the two weeks she was here, joined by some German volunteers and some other Americans.  I got to plan the trip, so we went to some of the places I had never been.  This included two national parks and a beach town on the south west coast, near Toliara.

I really enjoyed when my mom wrote a post about her trip here from her perspective, so I am attaching the link to Maeve's blog.  You can see how she enjoyed Madagascar, and follow her on the rest of her trip around the world!


http://mavywavy.wordpress.com/2014/03/07/madagascar/

http://mavywavy.wordpress.com/2014/03/08/womens-day-celebration/

http://mavywavy.wordpress.com/2014/03/12/ampefy-antsirabe-alakamisy-ambohimaha-ranomafana-and-fianarantsoa/

http://mavywavy.wordpress.com/2014/03/16/a-quick-lesson-in-malagasy/

http://mavywavy.wordpress.com/2014/03/17/isalo-part-1/

http://mavywavy.wordpress.com/2014/03/17/ring-tailed-lemurs/

http://mavywavy.wordpress.com/2014/03/17/isalo-part-2/

http://mavywavy.wordpress.com/2014/03/17/peacock-sighting/

http://mavywavy.wordpress.com/2014/03/17/anakao-day-1/

http://mavywavy.wordpress.com/2014/03/18/anakao-day-2/

Since we are not permitted to travel our last 3 months (so for me, starting April 18) this was my last vacation in Madagascar.  And it was a good one!  The next time I travel, it will be en route to America!

Love,
-Sarah