I live in JACK CITY!!! - ProfilesArchive

About Me

Thought I would spend a quick minute updating... I am happily engaged far away from everything I know and everyone I love in the grand country of Uganda, Africa, living in a village called Kasambira teaching Health Education and doing community outreach. I will be out here until August a total of 8 months, the longest I have ever been away from home. Third world rural life is a challenge, but very rewarding. I have been keeping blog diary entries of my experience so please take a look and if you want to help in anyway please get a hold of me, there is so much work to do out here and a lil spreads a long way.I just got engaged to the love of my life in Puerto Vallarta almost a year ago now, geez how time flies. I am so excited, despite the complete shock. I am really happy with my life and feel extremely blessed. My goals are to live a life of service, to remember my roots, and to give back.I am currently volunteering for a Health Education Program in Uganda Africa through an NGO called Students Partnership Worldwide(www.spw.org). I just got accepted into Pepperdine's School of Public Policy where I will start my Masters on August 22nd. I haven't set a definite wedding date, but I am thinking 2008, once grad school is finished, I know its sounds far away, but it will come quickly, unless Jose and I can't wait and run away to Vegas lol (I am sure my family would love that)...I can't believe that marriage is already here, life sure does go by fast.

My Interests

One of my passions is supporting higher education particularly within the Hispanic Community. I love to travel, I am currently in Uganda teaching with an NGO and I spent 3 months living in Germany last year and it was one of the most amazing experiences ever. I enjoy spending time with my family, my friends and of course my fiance...thats what life is all about, the people and the relationships you build; everything else is secondary.

I'd like to meet:

I would like to meet the people in need of help in Uganda, Africa... well I have met them, so I want to of course reconnect with old friends and get encouraging messages while I am here in Uganda, also if anyone is interested in helping support an African Village of Kasambira, school books, school supplies, school fees (sponsor a child only 40.00)...anything and everything is welcomed bring it on...it could be used greatly out here...

Music:

Everything...especially if I can sing-a-long, poor Jose always gets stuck having to listen to me. = )

Movies:

Grease...Braveheart, Top Gun, ahh there are too many to list..I love the movies, when I get home that is all I am going to do for at least one day, lay in bed with Jose and catch up on all the movies I have missed this year.

Television:

I am a soap opera junkie, I know its awful, but I grew up watching them...heck I was named after Erica Kane, so you can't blame me right? I am a fan of ABC Soaps, especially General Hospital...I love Oprah; my roommate and I would stay up late to watch her show throughout college, we're such dorks. But now that college is over, and I have to work in the real world, hence pay back all my loans for my good ole college days, I don't have the luxury of watching TV...I guess its better in the end...

Books:

Breaking Barriers- Carl T. Rowan, Profiles Under Courage- John F. Kennedy, Multi-Cultural History of America- Ronald Takaki, Farenheit 451- Ray Bradbury, 1984- George Orwell, Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas, The Kite Runner, Poisonwood Bible, The DaVinci Code, Memoirs of a Geisha, We Wish to inform you that tomorrow you will be killed with your familie- rwandan Geonocide...

Heroes:

God, My Mom & Dad, Jose and my family & friends, without them I am nothing...they are my strength and the rock of my foundation.

My Blog

Let the Countdown begin

Hello to all my loved ones...I am so excited that in 22 days I will be home...whoo hoo!!! I never thought this day would come, but almost. I have one more week in the village, this pastFriday we had o...
Posted by Erica on Sun, 16 Jul 2006 05:51:00 PST

WHOO HOOOO!!!

So I know I am so far behind... to be honest I got too bored of telling my tanzanian adventures, I would rather show you all the photos and videos when I get home, but to let you know that after the s...
Posted by Erica on Thu, 29 Jun 2006 01:57:00 PST

Hello Again

Hello to all my loved ones, I miss you all sooo much, only 56 more days and I will be home before you know it. Shout out to Mel, Happy Birthday babe, love you and wish I could be there. So I know I ha...
Posted by Erica on Sun, 11 Jun 2006 03:02:00 PST

Travelling Adventures

Hello to all my loved ones!!! Sondra, you look so beautiful at your wedding, I really wish I could have been there. Thank you to everyone who remembered me during my birthday, I can't tell you enough ...
Posted by Erica on Tue, 23 May 2006 09:34:00 PST

Holiday, Celebrate!!!

Yeah!!! So yesterday we taught the orphans and now we are on official holiday!!! WHOO HOO!!! I have finished and mailed off my Graduate Application, I had an amazing weekend in Sipi Falls, I watched t...
Posted by Erica on Fri, 21 Apr 2006 01:25:00 PST

Another week of African adventures

Ahhh where to start First of all commentating on the events of home (thanks Michelle for the updates). I am so frustrated with our current movement to make illegal immigrants actual criminals. ...
Posted by Erica on Fri, 14 Apr 2006 01:09:00 PST

White Water Rafting on the Nile

What a week What a week What a week...whew, where do I begin... First of all Congratulations to the Rialto Police who have just renewed a 2 year contract with the City of Rialto. Congratulations to al...
Posted by Erica on Mon, 27 Mar 2006 07:54:00 PST

Quick Update

So I just want to give a quick update since I am short on time...i love you and miss you all, I had an adventurous nightmare of a time in Kampala trying to get the gorilla tracking permits, but then m...
Posted by Erica on Sun, 12 Mar 2006 04:34:00 PST

Surviving After the Elections

Hello to everyone, I have successfully been set free after a week of being literally locked down in a hostel as a precaution to election excitement. UNfortunately, I am not excited to inform you that ...
Posted by Erica on Wed, 01 Mar 2006 03:40:00 PST

First week in School

Hey everyone, I promise this will be much shorter than the last entry. Happy Belated Valentines Day, all my love goes out to you. So let me tell you about the adventures in the classroom, this week I ...
Posted by Erica on Fri, 17 Feb 2006 03:54:00 PST