Death with Dignity

Pope Francis is one of those well known humans that people of every faith and background can easily love. And so, I'll begin a tough subject with a quote of his, "A population that does not take care of the elderly and of children and the young has no future, because it abuses both its …

Another Goodbye

Now, in my last week here at Queen of Peace, the end of my official gap year is fast approaching. To quote a favorite author of mine, John Green, "my thoughts are stars I cannot fathom into constellations." Dramatic, I know, but as with all of my goodbyes this one is full of mixed feelings. …

Juxtapositions

I have a bit of an obsession with juxtapositions. Being 18 years old in a home for 60+ residents means my life is constantly juxtaposed to that of most of the people I spend the majority of my time with. This is especially funny because the majority of people my age (at least Americans in …

Thought conglomerate

There is a note on my phone with all the random stories and such that I think I should include in a blog post but they never seem to fit anywhere. So, welcome to the hoard of my thoughts and things I've heard: Today I was talking to a woman that's a resident here about …

Talking with Old People

First an update on my experiences, then what I really want to share with you. Such adventures I've had trying to figure out NYC's public transportation! In Belize I felt like a city girl and now I feel like a country girl. I visited the magnificent New York Public Library and wandered Bryant Park this …

Learning

If you haven't noticed, there's a common theme throughout my blog and this "year off" from my education: I'm learning a lot I learned that if someone has dementia they may remember their young life better than their current one, so ask them about growing up. It's fun to compare the childhoods of different generations …

A Whole New World

It feels as though months have passed since I was in Belize. During the week or so that I was home I got a much needed haircut and a TB skin test(I’m healthy!), signed the papers to allow a background check for my next volunteer spot, unpacked, repacked. And that’s just the boring stuff. I …

Happy New Year

Hello again! I hope everyone had a blessed Christmas and continue to have a joyful season. Happy New Year as well! Whether you are the new years resolution type or not, I wish you luck in dreaming big and achieving your goals. There's something silly my dad says any time someone says, "Have a good …