Jill's Personal Goals 2005

Physical Health:
- Work out regularly
- Start cooking at home and eating right

Mental Health:
- Read every day
- Write once a week

Aiesec:
- Maintain and develop personal relationships in the organization - make a random phone call to a member at least once a week, get mentorship from the Board and other alumni
- Sell more exchange
- Achieve my annual goals according to my role (whatever that may be)
- Empower great leaders

Career:
- Learn a foreign language
- Learn how to get foundation/grant funding
- Join a Non-Profit Networking Group
- Attend lectures/seminars around non-profit management
- Get more experience in business consulting

Personal Life:
- Get a personal life!
- Volunteer for a cause that I'm passionate about
- Keep in touch with friends and family that I care about (less email, more snail mail and phone calls)
- Try something new once a month
- Take at least one exotic vacation this year

Snow Football and Related Musings...

12 inches of powder. If only I had a mountain and some skis!!! But this weekend was awesome. I went to Philly to hang out with Matt, not realizing that the storm of the year was on its way. Friday night I got into town and it had to have been close to zero degrees. We had dinner, had a few beers, and went to see Assault on Precinct 13. We surveyed all of the magnificent things we could take home after the movie: shopping cart, construction cones, washer… But we finally went home empty handed, after taking a ride in the shopping cart!

Saturday morning (okay, afternoon) we woke up to a blizzard! Matt’s roommate brought home a couple of sleds from work (she works at a toy store), so we took them over to a nearby park to try them out. The entire neighborhood was in the park that day! There had to have been at least 10 dogs running around, people on skis, and kids in intertubes. So cool. We joined up in a game of snow football where we promptly got schooled by a 10-year-old kid!

Today Matt and I went ice skating at the UPenn rink. I haven’t ice skated since I was 12, so it was quite an adventure. But after a lesson in backwards skating from Matt, I’m certain that the women’s hockey team will be calling me soon.

Surprisingly, the Chinatown bus got me home in one piece. My blessed Jen had tomato soup and cheese sandwiches waiting for me when I got home! I love my little Suzy Homemaker!!!

By the way, just want to thank Mixmaster Mike for the lovely 5:30am drunk dial. It never gets old, Babe!

This is for you, Digs!

I don't write in my blog for a few days and already, Digs is on my case! So, here it is, another post!It was a lovely weekend! Friday we did happy hour at Kanvas, one of my favorite bars. After a few martinis we got Grand Szechuan take-out and ate it over at Paul's apartment (which is conveniently located above the restaurant) before heading over to Tim Sinyak's Going-Away Party. Why anyone would choose to live in Houston over New York City is beyond me. (Sorry, Hanna!) Had a great time catching up with friends and even met two girls from Colorado! Theresa, my best friend from Colorado was in town, so it was awesome seeing her again!

Saturday was a lazy day. Spent the day recovering from Friday!

Sunday was fabulous! I went to see Rent with Rob and Theresa. Although I've seen it before it still gives me goosebumps and makes me cry! After the show, Theresa, Paul, and I dinner and then met up with Jen to see Beyond the Sea with Kevin Spacey, which was INCREDIBLE. He wrote, directed, produced, danced, and SANG in it! He has got to be one of the most talented individuals in show business.Today I finally got my ass back to the gym. Everytime I go I always think to myself, "This feels so good! I need to do it more often!" But then when Jen comes knocking on my door at 7am telling me that we need to get up to go to the gym I can't remember any of that. All I can think of is sleeeeeep.

Can't wait for my trip to Philadelphia this weekend! It's always so much fun to hang out with Matt. We're both such geeks about the whole non-profit deal that we always wind up having the most detailed conversations about his new non-profit that he's starting. It's an incredible idea. It's called Philly Fellows. It's an organization that helps retain recent college graduates in the city of Philadelphia as a way of developing a stronger city community. More and more I feel like I'm finding people who are doing daring things like Matt. Jen's friend, Josh, an Aiesec Australia alumni, came to visit us the other week, and he's starting his own amazing organization that provides young people with communication and relationship building skills. It's called Shift International. Also quite impressive. Is anyone else out there creating their own new, progressive organization? If so, fill me in! I love to hear what Aiesec Alumni are doing these days!

Okay, well, I'm off for a nice, quiet movie night at home with Jen, my domestic partner. It's too cold outside to do anything but snuggle under a blanket! I hope you're all keeping warm!

Holiday Reminiscing

Although it's nice to be back in the city, I am definitely having the post-conference, post-holiday blues. I had such an amazing time in Colorado, seeing my family for the first time since March, doing the Christmas-thing, and carving up the freshies at Keystone.

The skiing was particularly good this time. You know when you finally pass that point in the learning curve when you can just point your tips down and go all balls out, and not fear? Well, I finally hit that point! My mountain partner, Phill, got me to push myself and tackle both moguels and jumps. I only conceded to the jumps after a full day of heckling on the mountain, but it was worth it! Even after having a few yard sales down the mountain!

The post-skiing activity was a blast as well. We had a TIGHT condo with a breathtaking view of the mountain right at the gondola and close to all of the village activity. It was enough to make me want to declare myself a ski bum for the rest of the season!

Over the break Phill also treated me to a Nuggets game. Unfortunately it was a sad game since they were missing their 2 best players and got wildly stomped by the Mavericks. But it was still incredible watching 5'4", 130 lb. Earl Boykins dribble between the legs of German Mammoth, Dirk Nowitzki.

I also got to see "Meet the Fockers". Sooo funny. Better than the first one. If you haven't seen it yet, you truly MUST.

Okay, I have to go order food on Fresh Direct. It's 10pm and Jen wants to leave the office. I can't imagine why! :)

Jillo's a Blogger!

Well, after decades of not blogging due to laziness and tech-tardedness, I've finally jumped on the bandwagon to become a nomadlifer. My inspiration spawned from the amazing communication happening over nomadlife.org around the horrendously tragic earthquake/tsunami that has shaken our world. Dody and Digs have created an incredible forum of information and support around the terrible disaster and I realized that I can no longer sit back and not be apart of it, no matter how awful I am with computers! :) So thanks to my two heroes for making Nomadlife a place where Aiesecers around the world can connect to each other in this time of need. You guys are wonderful and I love you!

More to come...