In Rwanda

I love that first moment, when I step off the plane and smell the fresh air. That moment makes the flights and stress all melt away. The realization that this is my third time in Rwanda in less than a year was kind of surreal. The first time I was so nervous because it was my first solo trip, I'm still a little nervous because I have some meetings with officials and there are some big funding changes, but it's much less stressful than it was back in January. Yay self confidence!

Weekend Fun

Researching the costs of prescription drug abuse without a prescriptionDetermining the costs of an electronic tracking systems for pharmacies in the United States
Comparing anti-drug campaign efficacy to other forms of prevention and treatment

Yup. It's been fun! I created 3 hypothetical federal budgets based on costs extrapolated from various sources. Now I just have to write a 20 page white paper before I leave for Ohio on Thursday. Womp womp.

I am exhausted and overwhelmed, but I think that this paper is going to be good.

I was a theatre major in a strange land

I was a theatre major in a strange land, a temp. Shuffled into whatever job that opened up. I worked a home improvement expo, a daycare, bartended and auditioned. It was another temp position; it was supposed to last a month…  Finance Assistant. Ok, I can do this.

The first day I walked in, the woman I was replacing told me everyone at the office was a liar. Everyone would sell me out. I smiled and nodded and told myself that it was a part of the plan.

Cut to…

THE PLAN: Move to Chicago, Be Charming, Get cast in every show, and then: Hollywood, movies, money, moderate fame, and of course, fulfillment.

Stick to the plan: that was how it started. I had no financial background. A theatre major with an (almost) psych minor. I had made budgets for shows, figured out how to live on cigarettes and fruit smoothies; in fact I frequently overdrew my checking account much to the chagrin of my extremely frugal parents. But now I was going to help out on a multi-million dollar poject