I'm heading out on another journey tomorrow, this time to San Francisco, California. This journey be short, in just a week's time, but is a big one for me. This is my first time going any farther west than Chicago. I'll be very happy to see a new places, be in some new surroundings, and have new experiences. I've been so fortunate to be able to travel so much in the past couple years and I've developed a love for it, making it a high priority in my life.

When I journey to and through a new place I feel accomplished. Accomplished in the fact that I can adapt to my surroundings and learn the ways of any given place. I enjoy doing research about a place, getting to know it in order to see what's important to me.

I'm going to be staying with my aunt Peggy who lives in the Bay Area. I know I can count on her to make my week fantastic.

I finally realized that I have not been blogging about one of the most significant events going on in my life right now, my search for a full time job. With so many other young professionals like me looking for work I feel I should be sharing my experiences in this endeavour.

I really have been searching for full time work for about eight months now. I began applying for jobs while still in Morocco. I applied for about 12-15 total and I heard back from only one. That one opportunity crashed and burned on me.

Once I got settled back into life in America and began substitute teaching and working for Jacksonopolis I stopped looking so hard for full time jobs. I figured I should just ride out the job that was working well for me while I could.

Now here I am, only a few weeks from the end of the school year, at the end of this job's rope. Yes, I could substitute teach next school year, but subbing is not a career, especially not one for me. It has given me a wealth of experience and I am thankful for that.

I am working on getting a job at the Jackson YMCA summer day camp. I feel this will buy me some more time to look for full time, long term jobs, while still earning money and being able to live at home. I have an interview at the end of this week.

Meanwhile I am still applying for full time positions. Since beginning this process I have applied for probably 40-50 total. I am still jobless. The issues I am running into are my lack of professional experience and the fact that I am having a hard time finding entry level positions. Believe me it is anything but a confidence boost reading job description after job description asking for 3-5 years experience in any given thing. I have a lot of experience, it's just not the experience that is going to get people coming to me for interviews.

Members of my generation are being made to do more for less and having to stay one step ahead of the competition to earn a decent living. With so many people with bachelors degrees, one doesn't guarantee a person a job anymore.

Filling out job applications is tedious and writing cover letters gets old. I don't like this business of applying for jobs. However, I want a place of my own, a nicer car, a more built up savings, benefits, and the chance to save more money for travel. I know it just takes perseverance to wait for lightening to strike.

To piggy back of my last entry about not taking anything too seriously I want to talk to you about my heroes. To me humor, especially humor in everyday situations, is what makes life bearable. Those who use the brand of humor keep me going.

Lucille Ball one of the queens of comedy keeps me entertained time and time again with her brilliant show I Love Lucy. I watch her in the morning when I am getting ready for the day. I watch her when I need to relax.

Take a look at this scene. Little Ricky has just been given a drum because Ricky thinks he's going to be a drummer. The little tyke only knows one beat and he practices it house on end. But his parents try their best to live with it.

Ellen Degeneres reminds me so much of Lucy with her physical humor. I love her because she finds so much funny in the everyday. It's impossible for me not to feel better when I watch her. Ellen is known for her love of frightening people on her show. This is a look at some of the few attempts for her staff to scare her back.

I've been breaking some of my own rules. Namely "remember not to take anything too seriously". This one has actually been crossed off my life list because at one point I was there. But just like I can't take back any of the experiences I've had, I can't take back this. I've gotten there and I need to stay.

To catch everyone up on the life of me, I've been swimming around in a sea of possibility trying to figure out what to do with myself. My job at Jackson High School ends very soon and I have to find something to do to earn money, pay my bills, and hopefully get positive job experience. Many things have crossed my mind but the truth is I just don't know what's right.

This whole lack of not knowing where to go, what to work for, and what to focus on has gotten me down. Down to wear I cripple myself with my own insecurities. It's like the strength I built over the past two years has left me.

I could wallow in my own self pity or I can stay positive. I can remember my own rule of not taking anything to seriously and stop taking myself so damn seriously. Life is difficult and the struggle we feel today is the strength we feel tomorrow. There can be beauty in the struggle.

So moving forward I'm going to keep in mind how positive I've always been. My positivity has always gotten me through before and it will carry me through my trials ahead.

I got my first two rejection letters this week. One coming from Kansas and the other coming from Maine, but both post marked on the same day and arriving at the same time.

To be honest I was surprised to even see anything this soon I wasn't even upset they were rejections. Most publishers take several months to respond (at least that's what their websites say) but I got my first replies in just about one month.

I've sent manuscripts to five publisher so far and hope to find at least 10 more to send my children's book to. I enjoyed getting the rejection letters because, to me, it's all part of the process. I'm going to keep trying and keep hoping for the best, but not expecting anything. Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised.

GREAT was not that great, but somewhat great. GREAT stands for the Grand River Environmental Action Team. I learned about it from a fellow Jacksonopolis writer. When I checked out their website I found out they were having an event the following week so I quickly expressed my interest via email.

GREAT organizes river clean-ups and monthly outdoor canoe and kayak trips to encourage environmental awareness. You can participate in two canoe/kayak trips before having to become a member, at a low cost.

I emailed to reserve a kayak for the river trip that would be taking place nearby. The morning started with heavy rain and hopes for it to clear up were not realized. The large group was set and ready to be off on the mile long river ride, but Mother Nature won over us. I was really bummed but not all was lost.

I met a few women there who I had a lot in common with. They could appreciate me for being an independent woman going out doing something on my own. I hope to be in touch with them soon. As for GREATs next kayak trip, I hope to be on it.

I first became attracted to Richard Yates' work when I saw the preview for the movie Revolutionary Road. I knew right away it was my kind of movie. Rooted in deep human feelings and emotions. Once I found out it was a book I ordered it and sped read it before the movie could hit theaters.

It was easy to do because right away I knew I was reading the most beautiful books I'd ever read. I remember reading it in the dimly lit room of my first apartment in East Lansing. Propped up on my comfy bed hiding under the covers from the cold winter. The book warmed me, it understood me, and I deeply understood it. The movie came out, I loved it, and immediately bought it when it came out on DVD.

I took my copy of Revolutionary Road with me to Morocco for Peace Corps a little less than a year later. I took a few books that I had bought, but never got around to reading, and one I had already read. I knew I needed it with me. When we first got to Morocco we were told we would only be able to take one of our bags to our host family's house where we would be staying for training. All our other luggage would be kept in a central storage location where our group trainings would take place. We were told to pack accordingly. I didn't take any of my books to my training site because I thought I should devote all my free time to studying Moroccan Arabic.

However, soon I realized I needed little things that I knew would bring me comfort. On one of our trips to our group training site I balanced and shimmied my way through the maze of my fellow trainees luggage to the back of the room where my bag was. Only being able to bring 80 lbs of belongings along for a two year journey makes you carefully select each item. Being presented with a bag full of my priceless pieces I felt joy seeing the few things precious to me. I knew I was only looking for one thing, my copy of Revolutionary Road.

Its soft pages and familiar font gave me a sense of normalcy I was missing. It gave me a comfort that I never could have thought a paper object could. I never understood why people would want to read a book more than once. I wasn't reading it to learn more about the story but rather to feel the feelings I had felt the first time reading it all over again.

I read the book another time after that in Morocco. I kept a running tally of all the books I read when I decided I wanted to try for the goal of reading 100 books during my service. I counted the books I had read multiple times because to me the time and effort you put into reading a book, even if you are reading it a second time, is worth it.

I had decided I wanted to read all of Richard Yates' novels because I knew that his writing was some of the best I'd ever read. I had faith that every single one of his works, even though about different subjects, would carry the same beautiful words. What struck me as most beautiful about his work is his dialogue. How realistic it is and how I have never read anything like it before.

Someone in the comment section below one of Yates' books for sale on Amazon described him well. "Yates knew people; their speak and their demons and he was a master at presenting emotionally crippled lives in raw form ... whether they sink or swim."

He presents people as human beings and gets to the true depth of their emotions. I'm now on my third novel of his, well on my way of reading all the 10 in his bibliography. It's called The Easter Parade.

My Yates collect so farI know I'll feel the same comfort while reading this novel as the others. Because I know I am reading the work of a man who understood the human condition and therefore indirectly understands me.

After 10 wonderful weeks working towards my goal I've finally made it. Coming in at a cool 48 inches, my first ever afghan is finished. Grandma Sarah would be proud, I wish she could see it.

It's not free of mistakes, excuse me, character. But it sure is warm, it's unique and it's all mine. There's nothing like being able to cross off something on my life list. Ticking away my completed goals.

Item 75, Xed off!Will I knit another afghan? Not in the near future. For now I'm going to stick to some projects that are shorter. But knitting another one is always an option for me, knowing I did it once before.

Please enjoy my new blanket's first photo shoot.

I really do love this blanket. It's soft, very warm, and is just the right size!

I enjoy processes. Starting from scratch and climbing up to a goal. Writing and publishing a children's book is a process. I can't say my goal is getting published, my goal is trying.

I felt like I let my book take a backseat for little bit so I gave myself a deadline of two weeks from yesterday to have my editing finished and have my cover letter written.

I needed that push to get these things complete. It's easy to think I can never make it perfect so with that notion I am going to be confident in how it is and move on to the next step.

With the generous help of a few friends and their great suggestions my editing is as good as I need it to be to start sending it to publishers. I've been scouring the Internet for publishers and the ones I am attracted to right now are ones with submission guidelines on their website. Ones that actually will accept manuscript that are submitted by an author themselves, not an agent.

From this point on I am going to submit my story to as many publishers that I can find with those above guidelines. Here is my first one.

My manuscript, cover letter, and self addressed stamped envelope

Will Andrews McMeel Publish be the one?

When I was young I always loved going to Ella Sharp Park for the Sugaring and Shearing Festival. I have missed it the past two year due to living in Morocco, but today I very happily went to the festival with my parents.

I enjoy this festival so much because Ella Sharp park is one of my favorite places in Jackson. I love the park and I love the museum because I love this history that is there. I enjoy going through the old school house, cabin, general store, and farm house to be able to step into the past, if only for a couple hours.

I watched a few sheep get their summer hair cuts and learned how maple syrup is made. Maple syrup candy is one of my favorite things so I bought some in the general store along with some maple tea and genuine maple syrup. In a world where so much of the food we eat is not what it used to be I enjoy eating something I know is real.

I got to watch a sheep dog demonstration. It was really amazing watching the dog round the sheep and seeing them realize exactly what they should be doing and where they should go. I do love watching dogs work, doing something that they are bred to do and that they love.

It was such a beautiful sunny day and a perfect 60 degree temperature made it ideal for enjoying the outdoors. My stamp of approval couldn't be better for this day.

I'm getting close to being able to type an X next to another one of the items on my life list. And close to having a new cozy blanket to use. I've been trying to hurry since the weather has taken such a summery turn, I want to finish this before it's too hot to use it!

Remember this picture of all the yarn I had in rolls ready to knit with?

Well now I am down to one lone roll of yarn ready to be added as the final piece of my afghan.

I am going to be done with this very soon and in my next update you will be seeing a completed blanket. Look how far I've come!

Too often we focus more on the bad things rather than the good. Why do we do that? Do we like to wallow in our own self pity? Are negative emotions just that much stronger than positive ones? Negative emotions tend to leave scars no matter how big or small.

My life is by no means bad nor is anything in it but I have a few things going on that I find frustrating. I seem to let certain negative emotions outweigh the good. And just as a general rule, we shouldn't do that. Even if more bad things happen to us in a day we should choose to remember the few good things.

Use the good things as a fuel to keep you up. The other day as I was monitoring the first floor of Jackson High School a student walked by and in a sly, smooth sort way said "you look nice today." My first thought was that is was inappropriate for a student to say that to a teacher but then I chose to see it as one person giving another person a compliment. There's nothing wrong with that. It made me smile.

Today as I was working out at Planet Fitness a woman came up to me and told me how good I looked. She was giving me a genuine compliment about the work that I put into my body. Now it just so happens these two good things had to do with my looks and I don't need these things to make me feel good, I just need some kind of connection to make me feel good. Connecting with a person to make them or myself laugh, make them happy, or just to give them something good to remember at the end of the day.

I really want to publish a book. Not for the money. Not for the fame. I just love to write and I want to see a book with my name in the author's spot. I have written a children's book and now I'm trying to get it just right. I have been looking up publishers online and trying to find out what it is I need to do to submit my manuscript.

I want you to be with me in this process so check back for periodic updates about this. Right now I am still making sure I've chosen all the right words and all my punctuation is correct. I have a writer friend of mine looking it over so I can hopefully get some good constructive criticism.

I'm not sure how long this process will be and I don't care. Honestly I'm not even concerned with the destination but rather the journey. I want to see what it feels like to try to publish a book. I have heard it can be brutal, but since I don't have my sights set too high they can't fall too far.

After just about two months of searching for full time work here in Jackson I finally found it. Well sort of. I will be working full time, as in I will be putting in 40+ hours of work each week but those 40+ hours won't be doing the same thing.

As I have come to find out that folks of my generation (hardworking, tech savvy, innovative, and resourceful), pardon my French, are getting the shit end of the stick. I am finding that we are doing work we are overqualified for, a lot more is expected of us, and we are expected to do it for peanuts. But we can't complain because at least we have a job right?

With that rant out of the way I will say exactly what I am doing. I am currently subbing at Jackson High School. A while ago I met the school's English as a Second Language teacher in the teachers lounge. He overheard one of my old teachers talking to be about my time in Morocco and asked me if I spoke Arabic. I said yes, the Moroccan dialect of it at least. He told me that he had a student from Yemen and that he could not find anyone to speak Arabic with him. I said I'd love to meet him and see what I could do, but I was apprehensive that my dialect would not match up with his.

The next day I met the 16-year-old sophomore and I was shocked to realize that he understood much of my Moroccan Arabic. The ESL instructor immediately saw me as what he had been looking to find. I never in a million years expected to use my Moroccan Arabic in Jackson, MI. To wrap this story up I have been hired by Jackson High School to work with this student 12 hours per week in his health, algebra, and English classes. With my three years ESL experience I am confident I can improve his English somehow.

The administration at Jackson High is also determined to help me have work in the hours that I am not working with the Arabic student. I have been taken on as a building sub, which will mean that I will come in everyday and rotate in classrooms if a sub is needed and can't be found. If variety is the spice of life then this work will be pretty spicy.

I am also working part time for Jacksonopolis.com. Writing some stories and working as a community manager helping to direct the right stories to the correct writers. This is great because I am getting some experience that will keep my on track with my career goals.

I'm proud that I am paying my own bills and saving some money. I'm still holding down the fort at my parents house, but I really can't complain about free rent.

I still don't know what is next from here. Come summer I won't have a job with the school anymore obviously and this is not something I hope to continue doing in the fall. But right now I am just embracing the chaos.

This week I went to the knitting group at Cuppa Coffee in Art 634. It was something fun and different for me to do, and was a good place for me to show off my work. The women were really nice and friendly. I got some tips on fixing my mistakes before they happen. A couple were knitting socks and it's something I would like to try next.

My knitting project now serves as a blanket for my lap while I work. It is very warm! Can't wait until it's finished and I can get it off the needles to really start using it.

It's bigger than my tape measure now, but trust me it's 30 inches, 20 to go!

For the past 25 years of my life I have known what’s next. I went to school. I knew what grade I would be in the next year. I went through high school knowing I would start college. I did well so I would be able to get in. I went to Jackson Community College and once I knew I wanted to go to Michigan State I did everything possible to assure I would be accepted. When I realized I wanted to join the Peace Corps I dedicated all my being into making that dream happen. Once I got my dream of becoming a Peace Corps volunteer I lived it out knowing that I had gotten exactly what I wanted.

Now that that dream has come and gone I feel like for the first time in my life I’m not sure what’s next. Yes I have a general idea of what my future looks like, we all do, but it’s less clear than the visions of my future I’ve had in my past.

Being young and unattached I feel I can do anything. But anything leaves a lot of choices. Some choices could be good some could be bad. I guess that’s the gamble that we all take every day. I haven’t lived in Jackson long term for five years. Now that I’m here and I can go for rides with my dad or pop in on my Aunt Marylynn anytime. When I think about staying I feel comfort. I do feel afraid of getting too comfortable and it might be harder and harder for me to get out and explore again. When I think about leaving, to be frank, I get a little scared. I’m not exactly sure what I’m scared of. Maybe scared of starting again, missing my family, or not liking the decision I made.

I had the big idea of working on Mackinac Island for the summer. I believe it’s a good idea, but it’s not the only one. In just 24 hours of applying for a few hotels up there I got two emails back, one interview finished one scheduled, and one job offer.

If I want this dream, I’ve got it. But I toy with what exactly I want to be right now and where I want to go.

I am a very goal driven person. As you have read before I’ve had some goal in recent years of my life that have guided me. Now I’m just not sure I have such as firm goal to attach myself to. In a way my life’s compass is a little broken at the moment.

But maybe I should embrace this confusion and spend a little time stumbling around in the dark. I am bound to stumble over something worthwhile.

When I feel distressed I like to use these words of wisdom from the movie The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Here is the text of it in case you want to use it for yourself!

For what it's worth: it's never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There's no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you're proud of. If you find that you're not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again.

I just started knitting with the new yarn that will make my stripe down the middle of my blanket. As I browsed the aisles of JoAnn Fabrics I was overwhelmed and excited at all the possibilities for projects made with the hundreds of kinds of yarn. My choices for this project were narrowed down some because I wanted to keep the yarn of a similar texture and I had a couple colors in mind.

That being said I ended up going with one that was inexpensive and a different color than I had originally envisioned. I am really happy with the yarn, it is a bit of a smoother texture that I was using before and so my knitting process is sped up a bit. I have seen a lot of progress in just a short amount of time.

22 inches now, goal 50!

I joined the ranks of credit holding citizens yesterday. I guess I learned the hard way and got the card out of sheer need. So here I am with my new black CP Federal Credit Union Visa, a $500 line of credit, in the great city of Louisville, KY.

So no I did not just end up here, I planned it. But my plan almost got thrown off course. I had been wanting to come down to Louisville for a while, over a year to be exact, and I just picked a weekend and planned all else around it. My only trouble is that I drive a 19-year-old car. I'm lucky to have a car and I'm not complaining, but my dad and I could both agree, that car might not make it.

I decided to get a rental. I found a great rate at Enterprise so on the morning of my departure I was all set and optimistic to go. I can't believe I let myself get into this pickle again but I was reminded of the fact that you can't rent a rental car with only a debit card the moment I was ready to embark in my journey. I needed two of three pieces of evidence that you could pay for the car if it was in an accident and I only had the possibility of getting one of them. So I quickly was realizing I was screwed to the max and my ride had just left. So what do I do, I call my dad.

I got back over to his shop and we thought about different ways we could make this work. Several plans were thought up and all led to either more expensive options or ones that were dead ends. My dad simply threw out the idea of seeing how long it would take CP Federal to get me a credit card. Enterprise wanted a credit card and I was going to get them one.

I found out I could be approved for one in as little as 30 minutes, so this was perfect. My dad and I had been talking about getting one for me to start establishing some good credit, but I kept putting it off on account of me thinking credit cards are the devil. Now I had a situation that forced me to get it, so I did.

I'm happy I got it, because I knew I needed to. But that's not the real story. The real story is that I'm in Louisville, or should I say Louavul. I think I've been here long enough to say that.

I'm here visiting an old friend of my aunt's. Elaine is incredibly nice and hospitable and is taking superb care of me. For starters she took me to a restaurant overlooking the Ohio River. It was really beautiful at night. Then we went to 4th Street Live, a local hotspot for bars and restaurants and when I passed the Makers Mark Bourbon House and Lounge I mentioned loving Makers so we immediately went in. We both had a drink, bourbon of course.

Stay tuned for more about my trip to Louisville.

As you can see I skipped last week but now I'm pretty far along. I need to go pick out some other yarn to make a stripe down the middle because the original yarn I bought is not enough. It's going to be a very eclectic blanket.

It's getting there!

18 inches strong and growing

I've been holding off blogging about this. But now there's no better time. To keep this nice and simple and straightforward I'm inviting you all to the launch of Jackson's new website, Jacksonopolis.

What is Jacksonopolis? It is an online source for positive news and media about Jackson contributed to and organized by the community.

When is the launch party? Monday, February 6th, 2012 6-10pm.

Where? The Hub 1825 Spring Arbor Rd, Jackson, MI 49203 (in front of Spring Arbor Rd. Pollys)

Why come to the party? Come to learn about and celebrate this new site. Learn about all the sections that will be included in the site, mingle with community members, and meet those who make the site possible. Have some food, score some free Jacksonopolis swag, and find out what it would be like to contribute to the site.

Still unsure? Check out Jacksonopolis' facebook page for more info or the Jacksonopolis blog for more information.

A sea of water was no where to be found. A sea of hands was there instead. No religious teachings were being said but music listeners seems to be receiving religious messages.

At my first ever trance show with Above & Beyond this is what I saw. Eagerly waiting on the floor at Necto in Ann Arbor I couldn't believe I was there to see the three member electronic group from England.

The crowed started off small but grew and grew. An opening act of yet another one of my favorite electronic artists Kenneth Thomas started by about 11pm. By midnight two of the three members of Above & Beyond were above us beginning to move our spirits with their moving beats.

From start to finish I had an amazing and memorable time. I barely stopped dancing once. The music flowed through my veins just as natural as my blood and I couldn't take my eyes of the group whose music nourished me through lonely times in Morocco.

Paavo Siljamäki, the Finnish member of the group was like an entertainer of sorts I had never seen before. It only takes on person to DJ at a time so between switching with his partner Jono Grant he grooved with a spirit that made it clear trance music was his life. With a constant smile and jolly blissful demeanor he helped the music feel like a liquid does of pure happiness.

We never heard a word from either of the men but Paavo showed us messages he would type on his Mac that let us know we were all on the same page. He said things like thank you Ann Arbor and one that I couldn't agree with more, "life is made up of small moments like these."

Being at Above & Beyond's show was like being in a class where you understand all the material. It was finally being able to feel all the feelings I feel for trance in a supercharged room where I was not alone. Above & Beyond blends dynamic and soothing beats with passionate lyrics to achieve a result that is euphoric for me.

If you want to take a listen I'll leave you with my current favorite.

This Thursday I lost my last and final grandparent. Follow me as I take you through a little tour of the grandparents of Alex Cash.

Ruth Jean Cash-She loved Euchre. She could remember every card played in each trick. Something that didn't get passed on to her granddaughter. She mothered three lovely kids, one being my dad, and was a faithful member of St. Mary's Catholic Church. I remember her taking me to Loomis Park as a child. Once she and my Grandma Sarah worked together against my parents to get my a haircut. They both agreed my hair was getting a little out of whack. She had a great sense of humor and was the life of the party.

Thomas Cash Sr.-My grandpa was a private eye. Yes a trench coat and fedora wearing private eye. I can't think of anything much cooler than that. I was told that he was one of the most handsome men in his day, something he surely passed onto my dad. Tom died when he was just 51 so he was long gone before I was alive. I don't know much about this mysterious man, but that's what he is to me, a mystery. I enjoy hearing every piece of his story unfold.

Sarah Jane Lefere-It wasn't possible to meet Sarah and not love her. That being said I loved the way she would tell people to "oh shut up". She wouldn't put up with any bull shit. She made me strong and she pushed me along. To her I was SB. Spoiled Brat. I think most of that was her fault!

Mickey Lefere Sr.-Mickey didn't stay alive long enough for me to meet him either. I didn't know him but I know he was such a brave man. He lived his life with depression and despite his challenges he bravely went to work each day at Lefere Forge to supported all eight of his kids. He was known for eating chocolate candy bars and washing them down the Coca Cola, sometimes resulting in some heavy backwash.

This week I've had a few mishaps. I won't photograph them because maybe I'm the only one that will really notice them. Too bad Big Sarah can't help me fix my mistakes.

After week 2 I've completed 10 inches. It's getting easier. I realized that I don't have enough of the yarn that I originally bought to finish the job. I bought it at Big Lots very cheaply for $1 per ball. It's really good yarn, easy to work with. Even though I got a smart bargain I wasn't so smart in buying the right amount. Since it's Big Lots they get new things every week. When I went back to check for some more yarn, it was gone.

Now I'm left to come up with a solution. I might put a stripe of another color down the middle. Or maybe at the top. Stay tuned to see what I come up with.

I've been a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer for just over two months now. Most of you have been reading about how my life has been since returning home but please allow me to give you the most precise and current update. Read on...

I've been substitute teaching now for nearly a month. I have enjoyed every experience in every classroom I have had up to this point. I feel lucky to be able to be getting a wide variety of different experiences each time I work. I have been asked if I have interest in becoming a teacher full time. Well, I'm sure about two things. I love teaching on this temporary basis and I know I wouldn't want to be a teacher full time. I don't have a teaching certificate or a degree in education. Obtaining one is not what I want to spend my time and money on right now. I'm thankful that I am able to be in the classroom from time to time without having those things.

As most of you know my purpose in life is to write. You know that or else you wouldn't be reading my blog right now! My ultimate career goal is to work in a job where my writing is showcased and I can use the power of my voice and pen to elevate those voices not normally heard.

That being said I also have another goal right now. Freedom from debt. I joined the ranks of debt paying citizens as soon as the ink was dried on my final Peace Corps description of service. On November 11th, 2011 my loan deferment was over. So each month I am served with a hefty payment due to my fantastic MSU education.

My upcoming debt used to scare me. However, now I just view myself as another one of the responsible adults paying her dues. I'm not so scared as I am optimistic and prepared. Prepared to face my student debt head on and continue down the road to being free of it.

I need a full time job to do this quicker. As most of you may know my vision was not to stay in Jackson, Michigan for more than a few months after returning from Morocco. However I never expected to make the connections I have made in the past two months or to have gotten into so many positive activities this quickly. My hope right now is to stick around for a while if I can find a full time job. I've been exploring many avenues over the past month to make this happen.

I have always been determined to squeeze all the life out of very new city I live in and the city I live in just happens to be Jackson. I feel that the Jackson I am living in now is a new city than when I left it. So I am determined to find any little place to explore or to help.

I am finding that the opportunities being presented to me in Jackson are unique to this city and I can't imagine having to leave them now. In addition to working as a substitute teacher I am tutoring an 8th grader in English, volunteering to collect backpacks for Jackson's homeless, and taking the chance to learn and grow through my work with Jacksonopolis.com (more to come on that soon!)

My life is full and that means this blog is full. I've been pleased to see the traffic on it pick up recently. If you are a new reader to Cash's Corner, welcome! Thank you for reading and thanks for sticking with me!

I want to thank all of you who have supported myself and Tamara Larkin in collecting backpacks full of toiletries for homeless folks. If you shared my first blog post or talked to your friends about it you have been a tremendous help.

Since first posting on Cash's Corner about it on January 2nd we have received nine generous bag donations and several other emails from people who are currently putting together backpacks right now. I also received a thoughtful donation of 100 cooler bags from my cousin's company You Name it Promotions.

I am also thankful to the Jackson Citizen Patriot for running a story about the cause which has helped generate interest.

I just want to say thank you to my readers for helping us out and give you an update, just to show what one woman's little blog can do.

Contact me directly at cashalexandra@gmail.com to help.

Last night I attended a performance by the young local comedy troupe, The Laugh Company. Being my second time seeing one of their shows I decided to bring along my mom, aunt, and aunt's friend. I'm glad I did because they quickly became fast fans.

The crowd was small but quaint at eight o'clock at the Jackson Comedy Club. It didn't take long for loud bursts of laughter to come from this adoring crowd. Less than half way though the night my mom told me her cheeks were sore from laughing.

A five dollar entry fee gets you two full hours of improv comedy that is a little bit different with every audience in every show. The five members work their hardest to make sure all audience members have a good time and laugh their butts off.

I'm not sure if my butt actually came off this time, but I did laugh really hard.

If you are looking for something new and different to do in Jackson (we all need a little something different in our lives) you should be sure to attend the Laugh Company's next gig at the Jackson Comedy Club on February 17th. The troupe will be performing every 3rd Friday of the month there.

My knitting is going well. If you have ever been interested in knitting I highly recommend you give it a try if you are looking for a soothing hobby. I know certain knitting can get stressful, the more advanced you try to go, by my little pink project is just the easy and methodical project I need.

I have come across some new knitting concepts in this project that I have never tried before. Such as tying on a new ball of yarn. Being on my third ball of yarn I have now tied on two new ones. Both don't look so hot, but I know by the fifteenth tie on I will probably have it right.

By the end of week one I've completed a cool 6 inches, on the road to 50

Here she is all together

Today to honor the man who sacrificed himself so that we could live in a more equal world I give you some Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. fun facts and trivia!

Dr. MLK Jr. says "What you got?"

Fun facts:

1. MLK was a Trekkie. Fan of the original 1966 Star Trek.

2. He is the only US citizen to have a national holiday dedicated to him.

3. MLK's birth name was Michael, like his father. They both adopted the name Martin Luther in honor of the Protestant religious leader.

Trivia: (answers at the bottom, no peaking)

1. What nickname did he go by?

a. Junior

b. M.L.

c. Marty

d. King

2. What year did MLK win the Nobel Peace Prize?

a. 1964

b. 1961

c. 1958

d. 1962

3. Which high school did MLK attend?

a. George Washington High

b. Franklin High

c. Booker T. Washington High

4. W.E.B. DuBois High

Now that's power...

b, a, c

Tiny chairs and tiny tables. Tiny carpet squares and tiny crayons. No, I didn't watch Honey I Shrunk the Kids, I was a sub in a kindergarten class.

Friday I was knee deep in knee high people. I thought the students at Parkside were mini, but this band of bitty little ones put a new definition of mini in my mind.

I spent the whole day tying and re-tying shoes, putting kids back in their seats, answering to the endless calling of Miss Cash, and enjoying watching five-year-olds learn how to write their name.

I find the learning process fascinating. Whether you are one, five, 16, or 52. The way the human mind figures something out then is able to do it over and over again has me so interested. In the kindergarten class I got to watch kids learn just at the start of their education, learning something so small, but that will stay with them forever.

Some of the kids are so cute you really want to scoop them up and take them home with you. I wonder if their parents would miss them? I promise I'd take good care of them! Others know how to challenge an adult and push as far as they possibly can, earning all the consequences along the way.

What I find beautiful about this subbing job right now is the ability to try so many different new things. One day I get to learn about science, the next I'm brushing up on basic math skills, or another I am corralling adorable little children. The other beauty is that it is temporary. I'm like that cool aunt who can always leave you to your parents when you are getting out of control. Then I'm on to the next student who I can talk to, listen to, and learn from.

So you want to knit an afghan?

Maybe you don't, but I do.

My grandma Sarah was my knitting instructor all my life and never have I made anything more challenging than a dish cloth. Big Sarah would always turn out these amazing projects, including afghans, which just seems to appear into being. I remember a little bit of her actually working on projects but I guess I never quite realized the time and perseverance it took her to make something great.

So item #75 of my life list is to take the plunge and knit my own afghan. I'm starting out slow, keeping it to a smaller lap blanket and a very simple pattern. I just want to finish it and to have something to look at that I know I put hard work and time into.

Yesterday I bought 15 packs of pink yard and the right needles to get this blanket off the ground. I casted on my 125 stitches today and now I'll be well on my way to some work.

1/13/12 images:

After this blog's two and a half year life I think it's time to explain the meaning behind its title. I can't take all of the credit for the name. The credit goes to a mix of myself, my uncle Pat Cash, aunt Carol, and my mom, Sara.

My late uncle Pat had a bar up in Alpena, Michigan with his then wife Carol which was named Cash's Corner. As a child I remember going there once and this is when my aunt Carol taught me how to open a potato chip bag. Or any type of packaging like that.

It was actually a bag of cheese popcorn that she not only opened for me, a clueless five-year-old, but rather taught me how to pinch the little tab and pinch the opposite side, then to pull them away from each other.

That is all I remember of that bar and that trip. But where would I be today without that information!?

When it came time for me to name this blog as I was leaving for Morocco, I wracked my brain for something original and maybe a little witty. My mom, never lacking of a good idea, ones that I would never arrive at myself, threw out the name Cash's Corner. I added the "of Morocco" and called it perfect. It may be no match to my friend Anteus Wright's blog called "Moroccan My Boat" BUT it is original to me and who I am.

I knew that each experience people would be having in Morocco would be different, but each equally as important. I wanted to explain just what was happening in my piece of Morocco, my corner.

Now as I move about the world again you can read about each corner I choose to write from next.

P.S. If you would like to read about Anteus, currently serving in Morocco, just click on his blog name!

One thing, among many, that I am loving about being home is hot water.

In Morocco I had a shower. Many volunteers like me, or Moroccans for that matter were not so lucky. To have a shower make sense I also had a hot water heater. It didn't work that well. It was just a small unit that, by the heat of an open flame, heated water as it went though the machine. It was powered by gas. I had to change the gas tank monthly and sometimes had surprisingly cold moments when the tank decided to run out.

This hot water heater almost always malfunctioned. Sometimes I couldn't get it to come through to my shower. Most of the time I spend the entire shower temperature regulating. I had only two temperature choices: scalding hot and freezing. For some reason it just didn't create the perfect mix of hot and cold.

On many cold, cold days and nights I dreamed of the free flowing hot water showers in America. Now those dreams are a reality once again.

My showers are usually quick anymore. A swift wash of the hair, a conditioning treatment, a body rinse and I'm good to go. But over the past couple weeks I have been hanging out under the hot water just to warm me all the way through. I have a lot of cold showers to make up for.

Sometimes things that are tradition just go on without any thought involved. Traditions are so ingrained into our culture, so that's only natural. However, when your traditions are taken away from you and new ones are put in front of you, you begin to realize just how important these traditions really are.

This past Thursday my mom and I put up our Christmas tree in our living room. A faker than fake, pre-lit, plastic tree, full of tradition. I dragged it up from the basement, full of determination, eager to get this symbol of Christmas up to see.

We may walk by our Christmas trees without paying much mind to why we have them. Please learn along with me, the origins of the Christmas tree.

Legend has it that Martin Luther began the tradition of decorating trees to celebrate Christmas. One crisp Christmas Eve, about the year 1500, he was walking through snow-covered woods and was struck by the beauty of a group of small evergreens. Their branches, dusted with snow, shimmered in the moonlight. When he got home, he set up a little fir tree indoors so he could share this story with his children. He decorated it with candles, which he lighted in honor of Christ's birth. The Christmas tree tradition most likely came to the United States with Hessian troops during the American Revolution, or with German immigrants to Pennsylvania and Ohio, adds Robson. But the custom spread slowly. The Puritans banned Christmas in New England. Even as late as 1851, a Cleveland minister nearly lost his job because he allowed a tree in his church. Schools in Boston stayed open on Christmas Day through 1870, and sometimes expelled students who stayed home. The Christmas tree market was born in 1851 when Catskill farmer Mark Carr hauled two ox sleds of evergreens into New York City and sold them all. By 1900, one in five American families had a Christmas tree, and 20 years later, the custom was nearly universal. Christmas tree farms sprang up during the depression. Nurserymen couldn't sell their evergreens for landscaping, so they cut them for Christmas trees. Cultivated trees were preferred because they have a more symmetrical shape then wild ones.

From http://www.christmas-tree.com/where.html

The Kennedy's in front of the White House tree

The Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center

The iconic tree of Charlie Brown

If you're interested take a moment to browse history.com by clicking here to watch some videos about Christmas trees.

The reason that my postings have been so sparse is also a story in itself.

Coming back home is as hard to do as it is easy. You jump right back into things as if they were on hold while you were gone. That part is easy. The warm showers, the wide variety of foods, and the central heating.

What's not so easy is adjusting to a life so opposite than the one you were just living for two years. As much as I wanted to use this time to rest I feel like I've barely rested at all. That is why my blog has been so bare, I've been so busy trying to reestablish myself in America. It sure is a change getting used to a faster pace of life compared to the one I was living.

Between trying to get the Moroccan bread weight off, figuring out my own health insurance, and trying to put myself out there for jobs I've got my work cut out for me.

Last week I had my first job interview. In short I crashed and burned. It was an interview with a small alternative newspaper in Lansing. By the end of the interview the editor was willing to put me out there for a test run where I covered an Occupy Lansing meeting. I was confident and collected and loved every minute of it. When it was time for the editor to read the my short story about it he wasn't impressed. He called me inexperienced.

That is what I will be dealing with right now. Instead of going out and getting job experience I went out and got world experience. I know it will pay off and I know it is worth it. I just have to get employers to believe that too.

But in better news I am loving being able to jump in my car and go where ever I want whenever I want. I love going out to get coffee and sitting in a cafe without being stared at. In short I love my freedom.

Just like it was a process getting set up in Morocco I will be making the same process back here in the US.

The last leg of my long way home was to drive from New York's JFK airport to Jamestown, NY before continuing on to Jackson, MI.

You may be wondering why I would do this. The answer is because I Love Lucy. Due to the many hours put in watching this vintage show I felt myself to be one of Lucille Ball's biggest fans. So does my friend Dawn. The two of us rented the car together and at eight a.m. in the morning we started our journey to Lucy.

Jamestown is Lucille Ball's hometown and we knew this mostly because of the many references she makes to it in her show. There are many tributes to Lucy there including the Lucy-Desi Museum, her final resting place, and a memorial park.

Dawn and I were the two most appropriate girls to take this trip because for close to two years, while I was away in Morocco, we used Lucy to stay in touch. For nearly two years we had a continuous "I Love Lucy" trivia game going between Facebook messages. We would ask a question from memory, expect the person to answer, and sometimes leave a little personal note at the bottom.We never went more than a couple weeks without contact and this was our own unique way to keep our friendship strong while on separate continents.

I'm not sure the average person could keep up with our challenging game. We met someone in D.C., an admitted Lucy fan who wanted to test the challenge of our game. We doubted him and agreed to lob him a soft question as to not stump him. "What is the name of Lucy's best friend." After thinking for what we thought was too long he answered "Ethel". He said he was just teasing us with the time it took him to answer but we were still skeptical.

Our drive took us across the whole of northern Pennsylvania. We had a long beautiful road ahead of us and miles between exits. We enjoyed ourselves listening to 90's on XM radio where we knew every song that came up.

When we finally made it to Jamestown we had 15 minutes before the Lucy-Desi Center closed. We planned on arriving much earlier. We thought we would stop by the museum, get a little information about the town, then have a lazy evening at the hotel.

Even thought we had 15 minutes until closing the doors were locked! We knocked on the glass door and we were greeted by a woman who seemed half expecting us to rob her. As we started to pour out the details of our trip and the magnitude of our Lucy love she opened the door wider and wider, letting us in. She gave us a map of Jamestown with all the Lucy landmarks. There were all very easy to get to. We decided we would take our tour the next morning.

For the time being we went to Taco Hut just a couple blocks from the Lucy-Desi Center where the woman said there were good margaritas. Afterward we found our hotel and snuggled in for a relaxing, quite night.

Early the following morning we ate our free breakfast and headed off for our pilgrimage through all things Lucille Ball. The stops on our journey were: Lucy's birth home, her childhood home, the Lucille Ball Memorial Park, four murals, several signs with her name, the Lucy-Desi Center, the Desilu Playhouse, and Lucy's final resting place. All pictured below because I am so proud of them!

I enjoyed my time in Jamestown because it was the closest town to Jackson I had been to in a year and a half. After coming from New York City and Washington D.C. the prices of everything were something you could afford on babysitting money! Dawn and I took this trip because we are both so passionate about all Lucy. We felt closer to her spirit by being there among her things and prancing around her hometown.

*Readers please note that I have changed the URL for this blog from alexinmorocco.blogspot.com to alexandracash.blogspot.com. Please take a second to change your bookmark of it. (Because I know you all have one!)

It's nice to be back to this blog, as it has been far too long. Now that I have some time to actually be sitting at a computer for more than a few minutes I will let you back into my life.

I have a lot to say but I won't bog you all down with all this at once. I'll give it to you in installments as I always do.

I took a Megabus for just $1 down to Washington D.C.from New York because it was just so simple and cheap. It was a nice four and half hour ride on a comfortable bus. I added this journey to my plans to reconnect with my three college best friends. Jacqui, Dawn, and Leanne.

Our first night in D.C. we went to the National Mall after dark to see the monuments lit up in their brilliant lights. There is nothing better than coming home to the country I missed so much than to walk fondly through the monuments of the great people that built this nation.

Myself, Dawn, and Jacqui in front of the Washington MonumentWe went on a short tour of the White House east wing. Each room was tended by a member of the Secret Service who had interesting information about each room. Most of them had a sense of humor that I wouldn't have expected by the suit wearing protectors of the President. Most of the tour guides we encountered in Washington D.C. were interested to know where each tour group member was from. I liked this and it helped make me feel unity with the other members of the room.

Jacqui, Leanne, myself, and Dawn outside the White House The following day we went to the U.S. Capitol building. This tour was both beautiful and intriguing. Our tour guide was hilarious in her own way and full of interesting facts about this grand and gorgeous building. What I loved the most were the statues dedicated to the many people that made our country what it was. People dressed in many different ways, men and women alike. I noted to Dawn, who had also recently traveled through Europe, that I so much enjoyed seeing statues of Americans, of people dressed in the American way.

Myself and Dawn outside the U.S. CapitolWe ended our college reunion by going to a drag show at a local D.C. gay bar. It took me a lot to get up and get out but I was incredibly glad I did. The four drag queens that rotated their acts and entertained us to the tunes of TLC, Tina Turner, and Katy Perry. It looked like everyone around me was having a fantastic time.

Myself, Jacqui, Dawn, and Leanne enjoying the drag queens The trip was short but full and fun. It added to my exhaustion but also added to my experiences and I'm so glad to be free to flow where ever the road may go.

I'm finding many things to love about being back in the USA. Here are some.

1. The exquisit smell of dry, dead leaves fallen on the ground. I've walked straight through them every chance I get.

2. Being able to be friendly to men again.

3. Hearing American English all around me.

4. Sitting in a Starbucks drinking a red rooibos tea, smelling the thick smell of coffee in the air, listening to "Hark the Harold Angels Sing" by the Peanuts gang.

You may have read a post of mine back in June where I am complaining about my weight. If not you can read it by clicking here.

This issue has come back around in full swing now that I am in New York City, one of the shopping capitols of the world.

I walked to SoHo yesterday and I had three mere goals. Buy a dress for the night before Thanksgiving festivities, some new Victoria Secret underware, and a new pair of jeans. My plan was simple. I found the H & M I was looking for and was quickly like a kid in a candy store. It didn't take much to please me. Nearly everything I saw I thought was beautiful. I picked a few dresses that were a little different style than I originally envisioned myself wearing and took them to the fitting room.

Naively I grabbed three of them in size two and one, just in case, in size four. When I got in the dressing room putting on the size two dress was like trying to squeeze a five-year-old's glove on an adult size hand. Some of the dresses made new shapes on my body that they were never intended to make. I was quickly defeated by the size two dress and then not shortly after by the size four.

Feeling sad and frustrated I had no choice but to get dressed and leave the store having not met my goal. As an added bonus to my moral as I was trying to squeeze back into my pants my fat thighs busted the zipper sending a crucial piece off into the unknown. Nothing like kicking me when I'm down. I walked around with an open fly the rest of the day.

This wasn't the best first shopping experience back in the USA. As I went farthur into my journey I came across another H & M not more than 2 blocks away. (Yes this is New York) I decided I would get off the naive train and grab a six this time. Presto I found my new size. The six fit great and finally I felt better.

The rest of the shopping trip continued that way. I got a great deal at Victoria's Secret. It was the last day of a special promotion. And I got myself a decent pair of inexpensive jeans at Old Navy. I knew I didn't want to spend much on them because I had to buy a size four. And of plan to lose a little weight works, they won't fit me for too long.

This blog is no longer Cash's Corner of Morocco, I'll be changing is as soon as I have the time, but rather Cash's Corner of New York City for the time being.

I'm beginning my 3rd full day back home in America and my trip to New York is proving to be as much fun as I'd wished for. Yesterday I got to cross something off my life list by seeing a performance by the American Ballet Company right here at the New York City Center. The building was breathtaking as well as the dancing.

After the ballet I was so close to Times Square I walked up there. I couldn't wait to go there because I love it so much. I actually had forgotten quite how amazing it is.

I felt amazing walking around the city on my own. Like Alicia Keys says "these streets will make you feel brand new, these lights will inspire you." Now I'm in New York. I was wearing a beautiful outfit provided by my new personal stylist (my cousin Melissa) and I felt like a powerful woman. This is a long time coming.

One of my best friends from high school Allie came over after the ballet. We had a blast discussing the past and catching up. It turned out to be a perfect day.

This post is short but I've had a hard time finding time to write. I hope to find time to write more extensive posts in the near future. But as for now, this is what is going on in my corner.

I'm working with limited Internet access right now, that is why this blog has been so bare the past few weeks. But after 26 months here in Morocco I am at the jumping off point. I leave in less than 24 hours now for my 10 day journey on my way home. Please stay tuned to read of my adventures back in the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Last week I volunteered to participate in the teacher training of the new group of trainees that arrived in September. As youth development volunteers part of our job is to teach English to Moroccan youth and not everyone who is a volunteer here has much experience teaching English.

Teaching our own language is not quite as easy as it sounds. That is why Peace Corps gives trainees information on how to teach. Breaking down English is somewhat foreign to us as native speakers as we are used to just talking, not giving much thought to what we are saying. There are many things about English grammar that our students want to learn, that we don't even know how to explain.

I spent a week with the training group in Ain Chegag, just outside of Fez. I quickly fit in with the five members training there and enjoyed having lots of laughs with them. I had forgotten just how tiring the training phase of Peace Corps service is. Long days learning language and living with a host family.

In the mornings I sat in on their Moroccan Arabic lessons. I remember how it felt to have to learn a new language from scratch and how frustrating is was to understand nothing.

In the afternoons I went over things like classroom management, lesson planning, and hopefully gave them some tools to use while teaching youth in their own towns.

I mostly talked about my own experiences. Going back to training, the place that I began, was a perfect way to wrap up my time here. I enjoyed sharing my experiences with them. It was a good way for me to reflect on my two years here.

Stay healthy this winter

1. With winter around the corner nhs.uk says to drink more milk to keep immunity up. The protein, calcium, vitamens A and B12 keep your immune system strong. Also go for other dairy products to get more milk.

Less stressful Christmas shopping

2. As Christmas presents are beginning to fill the store shelves use this tip from christmas-celebrations.com to ease stress. Shop in stores in the morning hours or late at night. These times in stores are off-peak and will be far less crowded making the rush of Christmas shopping much less harsh.

Avoid pickpockets

1. I've learned a lot about safety here in Morocco and the last thing I wanted to happen to me here was have my wallet stolen right out from under me so take some advice I've compiled to stay extra vigilant. Backpacks are the most convenient way to carry a lot of things but the easiest for pickpockets. Even though it may look stupid, carry your backpack on the front of your body, at least in heavily crowed places where pickpockets can lurk. Some of the easiest times for them to strike are while in lines, especially while waiting to get on and off transportation. People are touching you anyways so you may not feel a pickpocket enter your bag. Wear it on the front to avoid a huge hassle later. Also spread your cash in various places on your person. Keep some in your bag, some in your pocket, or even use a money belt (I have). So if any one thing is stolen the thief will not get all you have. Always zip or button your purse. Any small amount of inconvenience is not worth the inconvenience of replacing a passport, credit card, or lots of money. Keep your personal electronics or other valuables as close or concealed as possible. Thieves can run by and steal something right out of your hand. Even your phone while you are on it. Always keep the zipper to your bag where you can see it. Not behind you where a thief could come up without you knowing and open it.

Read this article on Frommers.com for even more advice and things to avoid while traveling.

For just a couple weeks now I've been tutoring a 12-year-old boy named Aymene. He is the son of my seamstress, Fatima.

She is friend of my Moroccan mother's so I have known her well over my two years in El Gara. She has made me a robe and a jelaba. She approached me asking me to teach English to her son and I accepted willingly because I knew I wouldn't have too much work in my final weeks here.

I wish I had been tutoring Aymene long before this, because being with him is a pleasure. He is so incredibly smart, motivated, and polite. He just started in his second year of middle school, his first year of his English instruction. When I started with him he hadn't had more than a few weeks of English classes and he quickly began to pick up what I taught him. We just started with greetings, numbers, colors, and other basics but he understood and retained them with ease, making me proud every time. He understands me, we understand each other.

His mother Fatima is a woman I have always admired. She has three sons aged 18, 12, and seven. She keeps up a stable home for the three of them and her husband by cleaning and preparing meals, and she is the boss at a highly active sewing shop. I have always admired her for being a female entrepreneur in this small Moroccan town, where something like that is extremely rare. Fatima not only makes beautiful clothes she educates and employs many young women in her shop. At any given time there are several women working on pieces that people have ordered.

When I arrive at 10 am Fatima brings us a tray of tea and bread for breakfast. And as sweet as she is, she has Aymene bring me lunch after I leave on his way to school. She is kind, generous, and always hospitable.

I haven't been blogging as much as usual, yes I know. I just have a lot on my mind right now. Perfect situation for blogging, right? I guess I haven't found anything that is post worthy. But I will let you in on what it's like to be a PCV so near the end of her service. Because it is as interesting a time as any.

Like I said I have a lot on my mind right now. I have just 29 days left here, but really only two more weeks in my town. I will be working one week as a teacher trainer for the new group of trainees that joined us here in September. That will take place the week after next. And I will be spending some time with my Moroccan family during the big holiday of the year.

What is there to do in a final month of service? I am finding that it is a lot. I feel very similar now to when I first started here. I mean I'm much more able to handle things, thank God, but just as starting up involves a lot of work, wrapping up does too. Don't get me wrong I would never want to go back to that place where I had to find an apartment, furnish it, get Internet and phone, all only knowing a small amount of language and not knowing many people. I should thank my lucky stars things are much easier now.

But now I have to find places for all those furnishings, cancel my phone, Internet, and post box, and pay all my final bills. I have to get my house all packed up and cleaned up. I feel like I am playing a waiting game. I'm having a hard time living in the moment because I have one foot here and one foot in America. I've been planning my ten day East coast vacation after Peace Corps and so it's hard for me to stay focused on my life here. In talking to friends and family about coming home, it's all I want to do right now.

There are many things that I am ready to be done with. All the stares, the way my body feels, the boring foods I eat, the long distance skype calls, and so on. Just as it has taken strength to get me through the past 25 months it's going to take just as much strength to get through this last one. It is my final challenge.

Novelty cake shapes

1. From wisebread.com comes an article about 36 uses for tin foil. One I liked is to use tin foil to make any shape cake you desire. Use several layers of the tin foil to make the shape of anything you want without spending the money on a specialty cake pan. Place it on a large cookie sheet and bake your specialty cake in the oven.

Click here to read the other 35 uses of tin foil. Take the time, there are some good ones.

Don't buy Alka-Seltzer.

2. Also from wisebread.com in an article about 12 natural remedies for stomach pains, instead of buying Alka-Seltzer or like products just make your own cheaper at home. These products are basically just baking soda which most of us already have in the cupboard. Try mixing 1-2 teaspoons, depending on how strong you need it, of baking soda with warm water and drink.

Click here to read the other natural stomach pain remedies.

Tomato stains

1. At a request from my own mom take this tip from messygourmet.com to remove tomato stains from plastic Tupperware. You can first put the container in direct sunlight to let the sun bleach out the stain. If that doesn't work completely soak the dish in bleach and it will clean the stain completely. They also suggest soaking the container is very cold water before putting the tomato based food in. It will prevent the stain from happening.

Egg shells

2. Also from messygourmet.com, save your egg shells and break them in to small pieces to help clean a glass bottle or jar. Drop the pieces into the glass container with a few drops of dish liquid and shake to clean.

For those of you who are not aware a yogi is a name for a person who practices yoga. I have been creating some yogis in my small Moroccan town.

I started teaching yoga to two friends of mine back in March. It was just the two of them and myself and I loved every minute of it. They seemed to really love it too. I was happy to be giving them a new way to take care of themselves, relieve stress, and relax.

Pretty soon it was just Khadija. She loved doing yoga so much and I often went to her house to give her private lessons. She really is a natural, she picked up most of the moves very quickly and truly has a body for yoga.

Just about a week and a half ago I was approached by some of Rababe's teachers asking me to teach them yoga. Four young, independent women who are teach various subjects at the high school here. I picked a time and a place, at one of the womens' house, and we had our first class on Thursday evening.

We had it on the roof where there was a nice smooth surface and it was nice and cool. I brought Khadija along for the first class to help explain some of the basic concepts of yoga and to help demonstrate. It was nice having an assistant teacher.

The women loved the first yoga class. Knowing that they wanted to practice yoga at night and that they have very stressful jobs I wanted to focus on stress relief techniques help promote good sleep. They all were very relaxed by the end of it.

Yoga is not a common thing here, most people know little to nothing about it. I am happy to have found some interested students willing to try something new. I'm glad to be able to share something I am passionate about with them. Since it has helped me so much I hope it can help them too.

I hate being away from my blog for so long. Last week my computer was giving me some trouble that made blogging, and many other common computer tasks impossible. So far this week it is acting like a normal computer again.

I'll just give you a quick update on me for now. I just got back from a regional meeting for Peace Corps that I had in the coastal town of El Jadida. I'm starting up a new yoga class for women tonight and also one for younger girls starting tomorrow. I don't have much time left but in that short time I hope I can get a few more Moroccan's hooked on yoga. I really enjoy teaching it and showing people the many things it can do for you.

This coming weekend I am going on a little trip to the town that I lived in when I had my Peace Corps training. I want to have the opportunity to spend a little bit more time with my host mother there, as she is a woman that I will never forget.

After that the next couple of weeks are going to just be normal around here, plus a little packing and emptying of my apartment. I have lots of things to go through to separate into my take home piles, give away piles, and toss piles.

I'm going to be participating in a Peace Corps training of the new trainees that have just joined us here a few weeks ago. I am going be administering training on how to teach English to Moroccan students.

After that it's just smooth sailing. I'll be spending lots of time with my family here and preparing myself to go home. I know six weeks is going to fly by so I'm just trying to take in all the good moments and let them fill me up with good feelings of Morocco.

After dinner drowsiness

1. If you find yourself getting drowsy after dinner it's best for a good night's sleep to try and fight it. Helpguide.org suggests doing something to keep yourself awake like doing dishes, getting ready for tomorrow, or taking a light walk. If you fall asleep to early you may wake up and have trouble going back to sleep at bedtime.

Streak free mirrors

2.From tipsaboutanything.com mix one part white vinegar with four parts water and wipe windows and mirrors with the mix using a dry cloth for a streak free clean.