U-P-D-A-T-E-S

I can't believe that it's been almost a month since I last blogged. So much has happened. I just came back from a two week trip to Ghana. It was a very emotional and bittersweet trip. I was able to see my Grandmother (and namesake, and lovely lady in the picture), I visited Cape Coast (google it), I partied in Accra (the capital), and even got into a confrontation with the son of a family friend. Overall, Im glad I went, but im also glad to be back state-side.

In other news...I FINALLY GOT MY TRANSFER AND I WILL BE GOING BACK TO ATLANTA AT THE END OF THE MONTH!!! God is good, prayer changes things, and EVERYONE needs a 'Prayer Possee.' Thats the circle of ride-or-die friends, family and loved ones that you have that love you and pray for your well-being and happiness. I have been waiting for this for so long that its surreal, but i'll start packing anyway ;)

Im excited and nervous all at the same time. I want to go home, but realistically, time didnt stop while I was gone and I know Im not coming back to the same place. Familiar, yet changed. Its home though, so I will take it. F.I.L.A. = Forever I Love Atlanta...so true =) And forever I love my support group...even the ones who are only around in spirit to share my joy.

Im a ball of emotions!

XOXOXOXO,

AYT

I Hope You Dance...

Akuba,

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder,You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger,May you never take one single breath for granted,GOD forbid love ever leave you empty handed,I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

I hope you dance....I hope you dance.

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance,Never settle for the path of least resistanceLivin' might mean takin' chances but they're worth takin',Lovin' might be a mistake but it's worth makin',Don't let some hell bent heart leave you bitter,When you come close to sellin' out reconsider,Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance,And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

I hope you dance....I hope you dance.

I hope you dance....I hope you dance.

(Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along,Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder where those years have gone.)

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance, And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

Dance....I hope you dance.

I hope you dance....I hope you dance.

I hope you dance....I hope you dance..

(Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder where those years have gone)

Lee Ann Womack

Rascal Flatts

"I hope you never look back but you never forget the ones who loved you and the place you left, I hope you always forgive and you never regret and you help someone every chance you get, I hope you find God's grace in every mistake, and you always give more than you take."

My 30 in 30

Some years ago, I was inspired by a friend of mine to make a list of goals to attain by a certain age. I put my own spin to it and voila! "My 30 in 30" was born. Guess we have 9 more years to see whether I accomplish everything on my list ;)


1. Establish a relationship with God
2. Fall in L.O.V.E.
3. Visit 6 out f 7 continents
4. Jet ski in the carribbean
5. Speak 3 languages
6. Own a home (check)
7. Be debt free
8. Have my first child
9. Be in a happy, committed, monogamus marriage
10. Be financially independent
11. Have a 'mean shoe game'
12. Whiten my teeth
13. Obtain my Ph.D or Masters
14. Eat a real philly cheese steak sandwich
15. Stand in a waterfall
16. Snorkle in the Barrier Reef
17. Meet Oprah Winfrey
18. Swim with a dolphin
19. Skinny dip
20. Visit the Oprah Winfrey show
21. Go n a safari
22. Visit Disney Land
23. Own at least two businesses
24. Parasail
25. Plant a tree
26. Net worth $1 million
27. Take care of my parents financially
28. Be happy
29. Read the entire bible
30. Discover my purpose in life


XOXO,

AYT

Women for Hire

Not many people know this about me, but I landed the position im currently working in to Women for Hire. Women for Hire is a national resource for job-seeking women. Every year, they host career expos in major cities. At the career expo I attended, I was fortunate enough to make some connections which eventually landed me what I would say is my very first career. Recently, I joined my company's Women's networking group and the opportunity to volunteer at the Women for Hire expo was offered to anyone who was interested. Of course I was more than willing to help out.

For a while, I had been toying with the idea of making a testimonial video to send in thanking W.F.H. for providing me with the opportunity to showcase my skills, but just never got around to doing it. When I volunteered to help out at the career expo, I sent in a written testimonial of my job search and thanked them for their help in that process. Well, soon after, I received an email back from the CEO of W.F.H. herself, Ms. Tory Johnson! She asked if they could publish my story on their website (www.womenforhire.com/career_expo), publish it in their spring magazine, and if I could speak at her early morning seminar. I was more than happy to help out in any way possible.

Well, today was the actual day of the career expo. I had butterflies in my stomach about speaking in front of a large group, but I just kept telling myself to just 'tell my story.' You see, I had two reasons for sharing my story: For one, I just wanted other women to know that despite how they feel, they are not going through feelings of frustration and hopelessness alone. The second reason was really to send a heartfelt thank you to the people who helped me attain a goal that was two years in the making.

It really touched me when I spoke to young women who felt as though I was speaking directly to them and their situation or that my story had inspired them and they now realize that many people go through the same trials and tribulations in their job search. I had the opportunity to meet women from all types of academic and cultural backgrounds which was the most fascinating.

Most of those women just want that one chance to show others what she can do. Although Im no recruiter and was moreso there to answer questions about my company, I hope that every woman I spoke with today walked away with a sence of satisfaction that they just might get that chance, and renewed hope as they continue on in their job search.


XOXO,

AYT

She aint Rusty...

Hello lovely people. I am about to do something never before done by myself: publish one of my poems. It feels very vulnerable for people to read and know your innermost thoughts, but then again its just as theraputic. Anyway, I used to write a few years ago, then stopped. I dont really know why, but in my stay in DC/Va, Im trying to get back into it. Love.



Bringing the passion back, back from time, back to life, and back to my LIFE.
Life was easier when I put pen to PAPER.
Paper grew dimensions when I epressed mySELF.
Self-examination grew to self-APPRECIATION.
Appreciation of the things that mattered to me most were LOST.
Lost passions lead to lost FEELINGS.
Feelings grew NUMB.
Numb to repeat past MISTAKES.
Mistakes I wont make AGAIN.
Again, I digress to those co-ed YEARS.
Years I wont get back, so why not do like the Robinsons and 'Keep moving FORWARD"?
Forward I must go and upward I must GROW.
Grow into the rose Iknow I can BE.
Be on POINT.
Point to what I want and go after IT.
It seems as though im getting my mo-jo BACK.
Back from those co-ed years.
Again I digress, yet set to be the best, take no mess, reduce stress, fear life and loving less.
I will not rest til I have taken back whats mine: The freedom to trust, love, and grow.
In the words of Ms. Stone...bruised but not broken, my heart is still open.
Back to doing ME.
She aint rusty!



XOXO,

AYT

The landlady from hell

Ok, ok, I have a really really good excuse for not writing to you since early January. I was doing the whole find-a-place-to-live-then-move-in thing. Since I wasnt going to move in with my cousin, I found a townhouse with a room for rent in Virgina for $350 including utilities WITH month-to-month rent! Doesnt get any better than that right? Thats what I said and I jumped on that opportunity.

As it turns out, the plans that the family member I was supposed to move in with fell through and they asked me if we could get the basement apartment in the same house instead. I asked the land lady and she said that would be fine. So everything was set....move in date was Jan. 26th, U-haul was rented, clothes packed just waiting for the big day. Now I asked the landlady if the furniture that was in the basement could be removed before we moved in and she said she would have that done. The day before we were supposed to move in, she told me that she was unable to remove the furniture. In the same conversation, she brought up the prorated amount of rent for the five days we moved in prior to the first. I thought it was odd because my lease started on the 26th. I paid no never mind to that and offered to bring her the furniture in exchange for the $125 we would have paid for the 26th-31st. When we were finished unloading the truck, I called the land lady to get her address but she didn't answer the phone. I left two messages and started back calling her the following morning at 8am because the truck had to be back by 10a.m. She ended up calling me back as I was approaching U-haul.

Long story short, we agreed that I would extend the truck rental for one day and bring her the bed that day. Once we got off the phone, I realized that I had no one to help me with the bed like I did yesterday. There was a lady who worked at U-haul who was interested in the bed, so I called the landlady back to see if she were willing to give the bed to the lady since at one point she told me to just throw it away. She said it was a really nice bed and she wanted some money for it, so I told her to name her price. She said $50 and thats what I told the lady. She decided she didnt want to pay $50 for a bed that was about to be thrown out. To be honest with you, I didnt blame her. So there we were at a stand still because she wanted the bed, but neither one of us had the resources to get it off the truck. My aunt stepped in and called her to reason with her while I was trying to come up with a solution at U-haul.

Next thing I know, she calls me back yelling and talking over me and told me that I wasnt doing what we agreed on and since we (me, my aunt, and uncle) wanted to be vindictive, then I could just bring the bed back and pay the $125 and hung up on me! She would not answer my calls after that either. (Who was really being vindictive?) So later that day, I ended up calling her again to see if we could just back out of the lease and go our separate ways because I didnt feel comfortable at that point. She said that she didnt feel comfortable either, but she wouldnt be able to find a tenant on such short notice. I understood that and as a result, I gave her a verbal 30 day notice, told her I would pay her the $700 rent for feb. plus the $125 prorated amount and that I was bringing the bed back and I would put it in her back yard. I also told her that she should have been talking in a more respectable tone earlier today. She asked me what was she going to do with the bed, but as far as I was concerned, that was no longer my problem since she would now be able to afford the $50 Home Owners Association fine with the extra $125 she was getting from me. Its a cute, clean place and my roomies are great, but I refuse to give that lady another cent of my money.

So thats it folks! I am moving AGAIN at the end of Februrary. I already told myself in '07 that I would have to get used to traveling and moving in 2008 because I would be doing a lot of that this year. So its back to the drawing board for me.

Told you I was going to have some adventures! lol

XOXO,

AYT