Okay, so I broke my promise to keep up with the blog, but I have good reasons and you’ll be proud of me by the end don’t worry!

So, I’m taking 18 credits this semester, working 2 jobs, maintaining a leadership position in the HOPE program (leading a group of about 50 to New Orleans yay!), filling out numerous applications for scholarships and study abroad programs, coordinating various outside programs, and attempting to stay in shape by going to our collapsing gymnasium!

So I basically know my plans for the next year and 1/2 also, which is pretty cool! Spring break as I said above I will be heading to New Orleans on a service trip; Easter Break I will be heading home to Ohio (hopefully with my lady); Heading home again for the final week of May; returning to Stonehill from June to August to work on my S.U.R.E. project (From the Ground Up: The Role of Grassroots Organizing in Building a Sustainable Economy for Brockton, MA); Going to Cuzco, Peru for 10 days in mid June to work with a non-profit on setting up a potential new immersion/service site for people to journey to; hopefully going to my first study abroad program in the fall (Switzerland, India, China, and South Africa); coming home for a bit; maybe going to Ghana in December/January; heading to Mongolia for the spring semester 2012; coming home to wherever my parents are; working at Stonehill again during the summer; going to study American Foreign Policy in Washington D.C. in the Fall of 2012; and finally returning to Stonehill’s campus for classes in Spring 2013.

Now, most of these plans are actually solidified, but we will see where the wind takes me! As one can hopefully see, I keep myself as busy as possible, I’m like a British Bank that is run with precision (name the movie reference without looking it up). Study abroad is awesome, please do it. Like really, do it. The best two programs (I’m biased because I’m doing both) are the International Honors Program (www.ihp.edu) and SIT (www.sit.edu). So look these both up and apply ASAP. I’ll be with American University for my DC semester so that will be lovely.

I love you all and will try to keep up more (Its harder than it seems).

Peace, love, and exploration,

Tracy Denholm

So recently my life has been extremely busy, I’ve had exactly 61 pages of work I’ve had due distributed throughout all my classes and thank the lord I’m down to the last 10 I need to write! I finished my American Government and Politics Exam (good test, good test), my French Literature (difficult, yet, rewarding), and my International Politics (good ol’ Michael Jackson). Overall I’m doing well and not stressed at all, I’m a worker. The only time recently that I’ve been stressed was when I had to write my 24 page Peace and Conflict Studies final paper on the genocide China has been committing in Tibet over the past 60 years (I chose the topic). That was an all nighter even after I had written 10 pages of it and sorted all my sources, so it was hard but great, I should submit that somewhere.

So it literally has not snowed here at school. Not at all. Do you know how upset that makes me?!?! Seriously I’m from Ohio and we have 2 FEET at home and my girlfriend is from central Maine and they have like 9 feet so far (some ridiculously high % at least). But no, the weather can’t take the time to dump on us here, I WANT TO GO SKIING! I just got some new used skis this year from ebay, good price on some Atomic’s naw meen? The dude lied about their appearance in the description though so I won’t be buying from that company again, if you wanna know who it is just ask me, I’d be happy to reveal their identity privately. I go home this week, I leave Wednesday night and I’m driving 12 hours through the night and will be home on Thursday, lez go road trips. I love driving at night so this shall be fun. Also I can play Angry Birds on my phone a lot, and thats epic (if you’ve yet to play Angry Birds, download on your phone, you’ll be happy. You slay pigs.)

I can’t wait for my classes next semester although its going to be insanely busy, I’ve got a ton going on, like way more than I should, but I can handle it, its all in good fun and for my future. 6 classes, 2 work study jobs, putting together a non-profit in Ghana, working on a huge research paper, applying for my internship abroad in London, looking at grad schools (I plan ahead), etc. I’ll be a busy kid!

Happy holidays tout le monde!

Tracy Denholm

So this past week I went home for the first time since August, it was good to see my family and dogs. I’ve got three dogs, Sydney, Chesy, and Hobo (we found this one abandoned) and they’re quite the silly critters. Chesy’s got a disease that makes her lose control and feeling of her back legs so she sort of scoots around the house because the hardwood isn’t conducive to walking really. I got back some tests today, did pretty well, except on one, I can’t talk about that though. Lets just say I don’t like math that much if I can’t understand it. I’ve got some huge papers due in the next two weeks so I’m going to be super busy with work: 10 pages for International Politics on the Scottish National Party’s movements towards Scotland’s independence from the UK, 10-20 pages for Honors:Peace and Conflict Studies on China’s cultural genocide in Tibet, 4-6 pages for French Literature, and 4 pages for American Government and Politics. This is going to take quite a long time but hey its okay, I’m here for school. This coming weekend though, Friday, my wonderful girlfriend and I are going to the Nutcracker in Boston and out to dinner and it looks to be a lovely evening. Well I must continue with the busy work I’ve been assigned for some reason (despite the huge paper this professor has already assigned). Au revoir! (That’s a French word).

Okay so it has been a long time since I’ve blogged, I apologize! This is going to be an extremely long post so get some hot chocolate and a blanket (if its cold) or some Arnold Palmer (if its warm).

So, things that have happened since I posted last: I turned 20 years old, I won Best Formal Wear for Mr. Stonehill and had one of the best times of my life, my sister came to visit, I changed my undergraduate plans and study abroad plans (again about 45 times), rugby ended, I registered for classes, I ate some Chinese food and didn’t feel good afterward, I ran my meal plan down to a grand total of $4.00 USD (we’re supposed to have around $350.00), and I was placed as a HOPE leader to New Orleans for Spring Break this year. I shall explain more.

Okay so the weekend when I went to Maine (Columbus Day) was awesome. I went to my pretty girlfriend’s house up north and went apple picking (and got stung by a bee on the neck in the process), when we arrived at 2 AM it was 35 degrees outside, we ate delicious food because her mom can cook (Italians), we hung out with her best friend from home, we watched the movies Babies (see this it is by far the most adorable thing you will EVER see) and Letters to Juliet (cliche but cute), I turned 20 at 10:18 am on 10/10/10, and we went to see the UMaine Black Bears (favorite colors) play Connecticut (boring colors).

So this past weekend I went to the airport to retrieve my sister from Logan airport and we went out to the Windsor Sum Dim Cafe in Chinatown (awesome food for cheaper than Midwest prices) (and this place won’t make you sick). My sister, who I love very much, came to hang out for the weekend and also to see me perform in Mr. Stonehill which I had been practicing for for about 6 weeks. It was by far one the best times I’ve ever had in my life and I love all the guys that did it with me. I also had the honor of winning the award for Best Formal Wear for two reasons, 1. I know how to rock a classic tux 2.Stephie and her outfit were stunning and gorgeous. My sister and I went into Boston the next day and went to the Garment District (cool place), Bodega (overpriced but neat), and Bolocco (good for noming). Then I took her to the airport and she returned to the Midwest while I navigated Boston’s public transit system (super easy).

So, school and study abroad. Changes a lot for me. I’m pretty 1000% positive that this new development I just had a few days ago is the final thing I shall decide on. I plan on going to do an international internship in London next fall and doing some class overloads and I will be able to graduate in 3 years rather than 4, pretty cool huh?

Food. I eat a lot. We’re supposed to have like 350 dollars left on our hillplans. I have 4. Gotta control my appetite, its so hard with sushi 5 days a week though.

HOPE. I finally found out that I am going to be a HOPE leader to New Orleans this year, more details to come soon! I’ll keep up with the blog now too, I promise

So the weather today is quite lovely, overcast, rainy, gray skies, you know the deal it’s New England. So this past weekend our rugby team decided to take sweet revenge on UMass Dartmouth and defeat them 53-3 because of their victory over us last year (By the way we won the previous week against Wheaton 45-0). The following day I went up to Vermont for the first time which was gorgeous, the foliage was at its peak (according to the internet). So now I’ve been to every state on the East Coast except for Georgia, I’m gunning for there next. School’s been really busy lately and is only going to get busier in the next few weeks because of mid-terms, but I like working and what I’m learning (especially Peace and Conflict Studies) so I’m not worrying. This coming weekend is my 20th birthday on Sunday and we play Providence College on Friday night. I’m heading up to Bangor, Maine right after the game and I cannot wait for that to happen.

Today I found someone’s car keys in my Peace and Conflict Studies class, so I sent out a listserv to save them the trouble of hunting for it. Hopefully they come claim them soon because I feel bad they lost them to begin with. This is my good deed for the day.

So my schedule is pretty darn busy, yet it just so happens that Wednesday are my least stressful days simply because there is just less on my schedule compared to Monday, Tuesday, Thursday. (no rugby practice, I’ve still got to run though) (And I don’t have class Fridays).

Rugby is going quite well on a personal level (except my legs are beat up), we unfortunately lost our first match against Salve Regina but we play Wheaton this coming weekend at 10:00 at the Sem Fields (yes this is an invite) and we should trounce them horribly.

This coming Friday morning at the early hour of 8:15 am beings the first official HOPE trip meetings where we will hopefully get more information on what is going on this year as well as meet the new guy in charge Joe (although I met with him today). I went to Nicaragua last year as a participant and I can’t wait for this year’s trip.

I like to eat. A lot. So it’s time for me to feed myself.