Tweet Tweet from RZ

Twitter inspired (144 character) update:

Doing: Sacramento, financial analyst. Loving: small hipster church, int. soccer, SF visits. Reading: NT Wright. Missing: punting wars, Dwyer

- Ryan Zoradi

What are you up to?

Hello all :) It was great to hear from Kelsey, Amanda, and Holly! I'm sure many more of you are going through amazing transitions that leave you in a state of joy, or maybe you're in need of some prayer. I would love it if you'd let us know what we could be celebrating!

For me it's the fact that I'm working at this amazing company, Decker's Outdoor Corporation, with people who appreciate my goofy personality!

I know it's different for everyone, so let us know :D

In Santa Barbara for now....

Hi everyone!!! I hope all is well!

Well guys, I missed Europe so much that I have decided to go back. I leave in a couple of weeks to go to Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic for a month. The main purpose of the excursion is to be in Berlin on November 9th to witness the 20th anniversary celebrations of the fall of the wall. Over a one hundred thousand people are expected in that little platz in front of the Brandenburg Gate alone, and I will be one of them. But other than planning an extensive trip, this summer has been all about working two jobs and applying for a couple of internships in Washington DC which is where I hope to be by next May. Until then, I will continue to be working at the Fess Parker Double Tree Resort (a Westmont favorite) and nannying. So yes, brief story of my life. :-)

You are all in my thoughts and prayers!

Love, Holly

My memory (to continue Kelsey's trend): Tiger Tiger.

Kelsey Q. misses you!

So, I love this idea. Mostly because I love any excuse to catch up with y'all and relive our Europe experiences, but also a little bit because it gives me something else to do in my office when I get tired of working (which is pretty often...).

Where am I now? Well, right now, I'm at my desk in my office in Littleton, Colorado. I graduated in December and proceeded to spend a lovely month and half of unemployment either at the beach or cleaning my apartment (seriously....I think those are the only two things I did for a month and a half). I then got a joke of a job at Xanadu (the bakery right by Vons) where I worked for six months. The day I quit there was one of the happiest days of my life. Starting in June, I worked at Westmont as the 2009 Orientation Assistant. It was basically a dream job and I couldn't imagine a better way to have spent my summer. However, all good things must come to an end, and this good thing happened to end September 1st, when school started and there was no one else to orient. So, I said farewell to my great job, packed up all my stuff into my car, and after a rockin' goodbye party (those of you who were there can attest to this...haha) I drove myself back to Littleton, Colorado where I am currently living and working. I'm working as the director of a daycare (where I basically just bathe in hand sanitizer everyday - no swine flu for me!!) for the next twelve weeks until the woman I'm replacing returns from maternity leave. After that...well, who knows?! I'm seriously tempted to just pack up and go to Europe for a few months. We'll see, though.

Anyways, I hope you're all doing well - and I encourage you to update us all! I'd love to hear about your lives, and I'm sure everyone else will, as well.

And I think I'll leave you with this memory: the overnight train from Warsaw to Berlin. I think that's all I have to say.

Love,
Kelsey

For Example: Lauren Johnson

Hello all! I hope this becomes a place that you can update we fellow Europe Semester 07 kids. I just thought that as almost all of us have now graduated (almost Nikki!!) from the wondrous place that is Westmont, it naturally becomes more difficult to stay in contact with each other. So I thought to myself.... "Lauren, you are interested in knowing what your fellow ES peeps are doing with their lives, so how about you start a blog that everyone can access and add to!" And then I thought, "Wow Lauren, great idea, let's start that up!". So I sit here now at Peet's on State Street with my wonderful roommate Holly sitting across from me, typing these words to you while listening to the Arts and Ideas CD (never deleted it...).

I shall give you an update of my life as an example for what the rest of you peeps BETTER do ;) No pressure! I am currently living in Santa Barbara, surrounded by amazing people, soaking up the SB culture, working for a temp agency, and trying to figure out what the next step of life has in store for me: staying in SB? moving to Ireland? getting a real job??? All crazy questions, but I will leave it there to allow others of you write your own "status updates".

Happy blogging :) (I know many of you will not be able to do this on a regular basis, probably 0 of us with our crazy lives, but I would love if every once in a while, people could give a little update, so we can pray for you, rejoice in our successes, and stay close to one another!)

P.S. I'm totally inviting Gabs too, so I hope he graces us with his presence!