rmwcfrey

What a difference a year makes...

Sat, 15 Mar 2008 23:59:15 GMT

So I know I don't post here much anymore but I thought I would give everyone a quick update about what is going on in my little life (I know... like y'all really care, but who knows perhaps someone will kill a few minutes of boredom reading about me!).
So it was about a year ago when I was turning in grad school applications and really sick and tired of being unemployed. So my parents rewarded me with a trip to Hawaii. Ok well it wasn't exactly like that... it was more of a we're going and your brother is joining us so you might as well enjoy a week of sun and a five star resort with us. It was a much needed break (ok... more like a change of scenery) and I came back and continued to be unemployed until late May when I was accepted to George Mason for grad school. To fill my days from March to May I interned (read this as did free labor) for the Boulder Creek Festival. I helped with their fundraising efforts and was in charge of all of the volunteers for the event. It was fun, I met some great people and I learned. So all in all not a bad way to spend my time. Around the same time I began looking for ads for Samoyed puppies in hope that I could convince my mother to let us get one. I found some puppies and it turns out that they were from the same bloodline as our last dog who was an angel. So on May 15 my brother and my parents picked out SarJohn's Czar Yeti to join our pack. It was day two of the Boulder Creek Festival and I had been on my feet for close to 15 hours when I came home and found a kennel in the back hall and my mom on the floor with this tiny little white furball. It was love (and some tears) at first sight. Little did we know what a personality this little guy would have!
Mia came from Denmark to work with Up With People for the summer and we spent two months laughing. I found a summer job with a silk wholeseller who needed office help and the saga of the silk boxes began. Most of my summer was spent answer the phones, placing orders, filling orders or tearing backings off of silk boxes for the 4 seasons. You see they had custom ordered these creme colored silk boxes. The standard backing is black felt because creme silk on the bottom would pick up EVERYTHING and make the pretty box ugly. Pretty simple thinking right? OH NO! Not for the 4 seasons. The decided they wanted a tan suede bottom. So instead of just making 1500 new boxes in Thailand, the cheap gay silk guys ask, non crafty Sarah the summer help to fill her days replacing the bottoms. Yeah, it was an eventful summer. But i was glad to have Mia. Yeti chewed everything in sight and barked and bit at people and was just generally a terror. But man, he was cute. The first week in August Mia's mother came over from Denmark. They spent a week in Tucsan, AZ doing UWP stuff and then spent time with my family and I. It was wonderful for Mia and I to have our mother's meet and for the 4 of us (and sometimes my dad too!) do things together. And yeti enjoyed having a new person to chew and bug.
On August 16th I began my two day trek across the country to move into my first apartment in Alexandria, VA. School began a few days later and I felt like I barely had time to catch my breath! My first semester of grad school went well and I enjoy a few weekend trips. I went to a wedding with friends in Tenn. and had a wonderful time reconnecting with college friends, I went home for a weekend to see my parents and Yeti and I had a short and unexpected, but wonderful trip to Miami.
In late October I met John. We connected right away and our first date was one of the best first dates I had experienced in a while. John is in the Navy and has an amazing job with the government, so there are always stories. On our second date he asked me if I would be interested in meeting him for a weekend in Orlando in Dec while he was in school and I quickly bought a ticket and started saving. We had a wonderful two days at Disneyworld where we did all 4 parks in 2 days! There were no lines, it was wonderful. We also spent a day at Universal and did both theme parks there. He talked me (actually cornered me and left me no way out) into going on upside down roller coasters and had a blast looking at my faces when they took pictures during the ride.
I spent three weeks at home during Christmas. Yeti had gotten bigger and found more ways to get into trouble. There was snow. There was baking with my mom and general holiday merriment.
I spent a few weeks in VA before school began again. John and I went to see Ozzy Osborne and Rob Zombie and took a trip to NYC. He had never seen a musical before so the first night there we went to Phantom. The next night we got discounted tickets to Spamalot and on Sunday we got 2nd row tickets to Young Frankenstien. We ate at Sardi's and I was in paradise. He talked me into going up to the top of the Empire State Building. We did the 86th floor observatory as well at the 102nd floor. I started my second semester of grad school and am still loving it (Minus the fact that I am taking accounting).
We took a second trip to NYC for Valentine's day. Again we saw three shows (Spring Awakening, Wicked and Curtains) and ate some amazing food. We went to Katz deli (known for the scene orgasm scene in "when Harry met Sally") and we went to Southern Hospitality which is a BBQ place owned by Justin Timberlake. The food was great.
I am currently working (for pay!) with the James Renwick Alliance which is a nonprofit arts organization in DC that promotes American craft (glass, jewelry, woodworking, pottery etc.) I am helping them with their annual gala. I am so excited to be doing what I want to do, even if it is only a temp job. I am working hard to make contacts and network and all those things that they tell you are helpful in career development.
So yes, what a difference a year makes. I am sitting on the floor of John's apartment (in the dark) writing all this to you out there in readerland while listening to John play Command and Conquer. We have been talking about getting a place together (my mother would kill me if she knew) and getting a dog (again... my mother would kill me if she knew). But I am happy, I am content and life is great. Hope you all enjoyed the lengthy update. I should have been writing a paper for class... somethings never change!

I need help!

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 18:23:47 GMT

As you may or may not know I am currently working on my masters in Arts Management. Next Tuesday I am doing a presentation entitled "The importance of art in a liberal arts education" that will focus on the current events with the Perminent Collection at Randolph College. I am trying to include all of the arts areas in the college and would love to get stories/quotes from people about how the art at RMWC enriched your college experience. If you are interested in helping please email me at smfrey@mac.com.

Also, is there someone who is on the RMWC list serv thingy that can post this there or tell me how to post it there? I would love to get a multi-genertional idea of the importance of the art.

If you didn't attend RMWC but still would like to contribute I would LOVE any input.

Thanks!

Sarah

Life update

Wed, 12 Sep 2007 05:08:14 GMT

So I royally suck at keeping a journal, online, in real life... period. I go back through my journal from Up with People and it is the most diligent I have ever been about recording anything. I wish I could be better, perhaps I will. Well, while I was looking st everyone else's lives I saw it had been 13 weeks since I updated. Opps! So in those 13 weeks Mia came to Denver and stayed for the summer working for UWP. I worked for some gay guys who owned a silk wholesale business. It was eventful, but I was happy to be done in August.
Three weeks ago I moved into my own place in Alexandria, VA where I am doing my grad studies at George Mason in arts management. I love being close to DC and Alexandria is a great area. Close to Arlington, close to King Street but not in the middle of it all. The best of all worlds. I have a little two bedroom place that I share with a girl named Stephanie who has lived all over the world and works on Capital Hill. I really like her and hope we end up being good friends. I am working with a light opera company, the Washington Savaoyards. They present the works of Gilbert and Sullivan and have been trying to perform Broadway musicals to expand their repertoire. They are in a lot of trouble with money right now, so it will be interesting to see how everything pans out in the end. At least they have someone who loves musicals...
Besides that I've taken trips to Richmond to visit friends and I went to a wedding in Tenn and stopped at Randolph College on the way back. It broke my heart but that is for another post. I simply don't have the time to rant about it here. I am going to get back to doing schoolwork...

and the beat goes on...

Fri, 18 May 2007 18:51:54 GMT

So I about a week away from the Boulder Creek Festival. Life is starting to get crazy and I am starting to wonder what the next few weeks are going to bring as far as a job. I am done with Boulder Creek Events after the festival because well, paychecks are nice. My old boss Cedric says that he has work for me, but it is probably only temporary but he does provide a pay check, so perhaps I will work for him until I find something full time. We all know how much I like coming up with ideas for the outcall! But Cedric has always been good to me in the past.
Let's see... I have finished yet another relationship and it's because there was talk of marriage. How is it that getting married is all I can think about, yet when guys start talking about it... I freak out! Perhaps i just haven't met "the one" yet. But I don't even know that I believe in "the one". Wow, I have become a jaded person! I should be writing an essay fro GMU, but I just can't seem to get excited enough to do it. Remember when I used to have work ethic? Ha, it's all gone now!

another step to adulthood!

Fri, 04 May 2007 21:20:38 GMT

So I got called for jury duty. So on Wednesday night I called the hotline and it says we need juror numbers blah blah blah through blah blah blah. Well the first number they called was mine! So I got up at the crack of dawn and drove the hour it takes to get to the courthouse. Then I got into the little juror wait room and the lady comes out and she is like I need these people to fill out forms... first name called... yup it was mine. So they take us up to the courtroom where we are interviewed.
They asked me if I had ever consumed booze... answer... yes. They asked me if I had ever consumed booze underage... answer... yes. They asked me if I had ever been intoxicated... answer.... Well I did just graduate from college. Then they asked me if I had ever seen someone intoxicated... answer... Like I said I just graduated from college!
So I was selected to be on the jury of possiably the one of the stupidest trials in the history of the world. Ok maybe not that bad... but it was enough to make me irritated. So here is the situation:
A man is pulled over for going 29 in a 20 mph school zone at 9am on a Wednesday morning. When the cop walked up to the truck he smelled booze and he looks on the seat and the guy has two bombers of beer, but they are unopened. Then the guy says "I was at a concert last night and had a lot to drink, I probably shouldn't be driving today." The cop observes that he has red, watery eyes and asks him to get out of the truck and do a soberity check. The guy has indicators that he might be intoxicated, but he for the most part passes the test. He hesitated while pivioting on the walk and he put his foot down at second 25 of 30 on the one foot stand. So the cop arrests him and takes him to get a breathalizer. When he does the breathalizer he blows a .061. In the state of Colorado you are considered fine if you blow under a .05. Between a .051 and .079 it is inferred that you are impared. So we had to decide if he was impared. We decided he wasn't.
Then after everything is said and done we are leaving the courtroom and the cops pulls us aside and is like thanks for you time do you have any questions. So we get to talking and he is like, I gave him a roadside breathalizer but you can't mention those in court. When that happened he blew a .09 which would be a DUI. And when the cop arrested him he didn't read him his rights and as they were in the car on the way to the breathalizer the guy says "can this thing detect drugs?" and the officer says no and the guys says "that's good cause I smoked pot a few weeks ago"... but since he didn't have his rights read to him they couldn't use that in court. Knowing those things I would have said he was impared... but oh well. I guess I shouldn't worry about it because a few weeks later the same guy got a DUI and blew a .2 something. Some people are just morons! Isn't being an adult fun?
But hey, I got a nice fancy certificate for fulfilling my civil duty. You can't beat that!

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

Wed, 02 May 2007 23:29:40 GMT

I realize I don't update on here a lot. Mostly that is because there isn't much to update... But I thought that it was about time for a general life update.
I guess the biggest thing is that I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up. I woke up at 3am Monday morning and realized that part of the reason I didn't know what I wanted to be was that I never really took it serious. I always figured that I would be married by this point in the game and that I would be the secondary bread winner and so I never really gave it much thought. I know it sounds pathetic, but really... I picked my major out of a hat (after taking out the math and science majors), Yes that is a true story. Of course that got me thinking about how many engagements/proposals I had gone through. And when I look at all of them it makes me feel kind of like a ring whore. There is something really messed up about the way that I view relationships. Anyone who has been given rings from six fo their last eight relationships and still is on their own... what does that say!? But I have been single for the most part since February.
I did spend last Friday night with Cam since it was his 30th birthday. We went to a nice dinner and then saw In the Land of Women (not my choice, but I was excited to see it!) It was a really funny movie and all through dinner Cam was kissing me and holding my hand. It was almost like we were a functioning couple, but that would never actually happen! At least it seemed like he had a good time. And I was happy that he wanted to spend his birthday with me. And I think he liked his birthday present. I had a picture made with his name on the back of a Yankees jersey and it is framed. The number on the jersey is 77 which is the year he was born in. I kind of ran out of ideas after he told me that he has already bought Yankees/Rockies tickets.
I am working for a special events company that produces festivals. Their most popular festival is the Boulder Creek Festival. I help to get sponsorship leads and I also work with the volunteers. I like the people I work with, but I am looking for something that brings in a bit more money. I have now gone through several jobs that I thought I would go work and then decided not to. I am thinking about moving to Richmond. But I am still looking for a job that would pay the bills.
I don't have a lot of friends in Colorado so I spend a lot of time reading and watching TV and I have become kind of grouchy. But I did go out with a guy from church the other night. We did dinner and a movie. It wasn't really a date, but it was nice to be out of the house and feel like a normal person! I guess that's about all that is going on in the great state of Colorado. Work is starting to get busy since the Creek Festival is at the end of the month. And I have jury duty tomorrow. Fun times. I am not in a bad place here, but I am restless. I guess I still haven't found what I'm looking for...

Dessert...

Thu, 19 Apr 2007 21:56:52 GMT

So today I ate a whole box of Little Debbie Fudge Brownies. In one sitting. Actually in about 10 minutes. I might need help...

Holy Week

Fri, 06 Apr 2007 18:30:27 GMT

So last night I went to church for the Maundy Thursday service, which is one of my favorite services of the year. Instead of doing communion by passing the plate we do it through intiction (meaning that you tear the piece of bread from a large loaf and drip it in the wine then eat it). A pastor holds the bread and an elder holds the wine. For me it just seems more personal than passing a plate. But it takes a while for communion because even with four pastors stations... there are a lot of people. About half way through I looked up and there was this frail old man making his way down the aisle to take communion. His wife and another man were holding him up. When he got closer the pastor took a few steps to him, but still it was a long journey for a frail man. and I thought to myself "this man didn't have to make that trip, they would have brought it to him at the end, but instead he was determined to make it down there. That is faith in action." I've been struggeling with my faith for a few years now, but seeing something like that reminds me of how moving religion is. And to be honest, things in my life lately haven't been steller. I've been moving through life since I got home from Up with People. I've done somethings that I'm not proud of and I've hurt some people that I didn't want to hurt. But for the first time since I've been home. Things are looking up. I don't have a lot of friends here, but I have a few great ones. I'm single and actually loving it for the first time in my life. I may not be where I imagined I would have been at this time last year, but I'm in a good place.

If you're interested in visiting Japan...

Fri, 23 Feb 2007 16:55:27 GMT

Hello All,
I know some of you REALLY like Japan and I got this link in an email from a friend I toured with in Up With People and thought I would pass it along. I have worked with the founder and all of the staff and I've been to most of the places that they are going and I would highly recommend looking into this program if you're interested in Japan and looking for a way to get over there! If you have questions or comments just let me know. The link is www.worldcampus.org. I really liked the months I spent in Japan, it was challanging, but I learned so much about Japan and ultimatly about myself. And living in host families was one of the most amazing parts. Hope this is of interst to someone!
SF

update!

Sat, 06 Jan 2007 04:17:56 GMT

So I am snowed in for the third time since I got back to Colorado. I haven't been snowed in since 1996 and now three times in one month. This is unreal. So since I was sitting around doing nothing and thinking about alphabetizing my cds I decided to do a little update on here. Not much is going on in my life to be honest. I went on a date with someone from Up With People the other night, which was interesting to say the least.
My best friend from UWP (Mia) comes in on Monday afternoon and is staying with me for a month and then at the end of it we are going to Las Vegas. That should be exciting. Mia is from Denmark... so between Vegas and the stock show I think she will see some real American culture. Nothing like the time I hit field mice over the head with a shovel in Minn, or made goats faint in South Dakota. Yeah... those are stories better left for another time!
One of the guys I used to work with in radio has decided that he has a crush on me and has been trying to get me to go out with him. He's a nice guy and I like hanging out with him, but I could never imagine dating him. He likes rap and R&B and I am more of a rock girl. He likes basketball and I like hockey. We are polar opposites. But we'll see what happens I guess.
I guess that's about all that is going on in my life. I am doing part time stuff with UWP for a month and looking at grad schools. Mostly to make my mother happy. Oh and I really need a hair cut but my friend that does my hair has stopped doing hair. So now I must branch out and find someone, which is really scary to me... I mean you get a bad haircut and they take too much off... it can ruin your month. So I need to alphabetize my cds, find a stylist and join a gym...

Sick Day!

Sat, 30 Dec 2006 02:07:29 GMT

So the snow is piling up around me... again. I can't believe that a few weeks ago when I was leaving Switzerland I was complaining that I hadn't seen snow. Little did I know that in a matter of days I would be seeing more snow than I had seen in a long time. Not much else is going on. I got really sick yesterday and spent most of the night throwing up. It was not so lovely, but then of course, is being sick ever fun? I used the snow and being sick as an excuse to watch movies all day. I rented All the King's men (my all time favorite book), Step up, Scoop and Imagine me & you. I am just excited for the snow to stop and for next week to come. Julie and Mia are going to be in town for the next month so I will be busy busy busy. I can't wait to have people to go out with!

Mon, 23 Oct 2006 15:14:42 GMT

So... I am sititng in Hong Kong... I am so cool that I am doing a happy dance... ok that is all

Mon, 23 Oct 2006 03:28:55 GMT

So I am sitting in the airport in Nagoya, Japan and I have wireless for the second time in Japan. I am really sad to be leaving this beautiful country but I will not be sad about leaving the food. If I eat Notto one more time in front of a host family I think I might barf. For those of you that don't know Notto is fermented soy beans that look like they are covered in silavia. Really nasty. And I like sushi and soy and rice and mizo, but I am really craving a change in diet as it seems that everything here is made with one of the aforementioned foods. The weather here has been beautiful but today it is raining and gross, so it is a fitting farewell. The rest of the cast is on their way to Tokyo and I am going to Hong Kong and then on to Amsterdam for three weeks. Then in Germany I get to spend a weekend with Emily. I am super excited to have someone from the outside world around. So mny times in Up With People I feel like we become our own little world and as much as I like the people I am with... variation is nice... really nice. Anyway my stomach growls so I am off to find some food. There is a starbucks across from me that is calling my name. Oh how I love globalization!

Tue, 10 Oct 2006 15:42:00 GMT

I wish I had a long time to write a super cool entry about Japan and what not, but the reality is I don't. But if you are interested in seeing pictures and reading random blog posts then check out my website: http://web.mac.com/smfrey/iWeb/Site/Welcome.html
Hope all is well for everyone!
SF

To the Women of RMWC, both Past and Present:

Fri, 15 Sep 2006 04:53:44 GMT

So all day the women of RMWC have been on my mind and I have been thinking about leadership and what kind of leadership we need to fight going coed... and this is what I've come up with and I may be really off track but I would like to share it with you all and if you agree perhaps pass it around so we can all be on the same wave length and start to organize the efforts of the alums and the students and help inspire each other.
When it comes to leadership there seem to be posers and leaders. The posers attempt to be leaders but they don't really take on the fear and exhilaration that should come with the territory. I think you have to look at leadership like an extreme sport. Have you ever watched the skeleton in the winter Olympics? For those of you who don't know it is like the luge, but head first on a tiny tray like thing down a mountain at a vertical incline of like 180 degrees. Ok that is a exaggeration but not by much if you ask me. You can't tell me that the first time you try something like that your automatic reaction isn't OH SHIT! This was a mistake. I think the OH SHIT! moment is so important in leadership. The OH SHIT! moment is a natural reaction when something extraordinary is about to happen. When you are passionate about what you are taking on in a leadership role, then I think it is only natural to experience the OH SHIT! moment. Terry Pearce, who is on the board for Up With People was quoted in the San Fransisco Examiner as saying ""There are many people who think they want to be matadors, only to find themselves in the ring with two thousand pounds of bull bearing down on them, and then discover that what they really wanted was to wear tight pants and hear the crowd roar."
If you chose to be a leader it should be because you love your cause. I really don't fear poser leaders when it comes to RMWC, but I think it is important to realize that it is okay to be afraid of what we are trying to accomplish. Not only do you accept the fear as part of the experience, the fear -- in large part -- creates and defines the experience. There is no way -- absolutely no way, therefore -- to participate in an authentic leadership experience without fear. If we are going to be leaders we must leap. Leap is an acronym for Love, Energy, Audacity and Proof, which to me seem to be the essential aspects of leadership...
It is important to cultivate love when it comes to leadership. Think, why do I love the college I am trying to save? Then ask yourself "How will I show that love in the way I work with, serve, and lead the people around me?" I think that is the first step to creating a plan to tackle this. Next you need to generate energy. Energy is what keeps people coming back. If we make a plan that shows our love of the college and that keeps people energized about the fight we are taking on, then I think we are on to something. Think, what is the excitement in what we are trying to do? Personally I would say the excitement is the opportunity that we are giving to other people. The reason we are fighting to save RMWC is the opportunity to give the education we got to other women, at least that should be the reason.
Next I think that it is important to inspire audacity. Audacity is, "A bold and blatant disregard for normal constraints." But audacity also has mixed connotations. Here's the way Webster's New World Thesaurus brakes it down:

audacity n. 1. [Courage] -- Syn. daring, boldness, valor; see courage 2. [Impudence] -- Syn. impertinence, temerity, brazenness, insolence

Love-inspired audacity is courageous, not impudent. (Literally-the word, courage, has at its root the word, cor, which means heart). We need to be courageously audacious in our actions and approach. I think we need to ask "How are we going to change the world of RMWC?"
Lastly we need to provide proof. If you ask me it all comes down to DWYSYWD: Do What You Say You Will Do. If it's true that leaders lead by their own example,it seems to me that we should lead by our own extreme example. You have to put your skin in the game, put yourself and your reputation at risk. You have to prove yourself through significant, observable, daily action. It's insanely easy to talk a good game. Do you say you love your school? Prove it in every action you take! The minute you say the words, "I can't do that in for this fight" or "they won't let me," your credibility as a leader is shot. On the other hand, when you are absolutely convinced that you can change the decision to go coed for the better, you have to prove it through the radical courage of your own action.
Women of RMWC, you are in my thoughts and prayers until January when I can join in the fight. I applaud your actions and hope that some of the words in this rant are inspirational to you. If you ever want to toss around ideas, please include me! I'm only an email away. I hope you are excited and afraid of the journey that we are setting out on. We have been given amazing educations that will only help us fight in the battle that we have found ourselves in! Please leap with me to save our school...

I wish I could post more....

Thu, 14 Sep 2006 03:37:31 GMT

And again it has been a long time since I posted! So after we left the Twin Cities we went to Mankato, Mn. In Mankato I had the coolest host family. There were four Uppies there (Rafa from Brazil, Dani from Conneticut/ Hawaii, and Kirstin from Canada) They also had twins Kelsey and Tyler. Kelsey told me I was her best friend... she's eight and I think that some days I wish I was still eight and innocentd They took us drinking and dancing every night and I got to be reunited with Ben so I felt like I had my partner in crime back. I also got really close to Mia from Denmark and Kelly from Denver. So that was a real plus for the week. Besides that nothing really exciting happened that I can remember besides a lot of fun at night! Oh wait I forgot... I pierced my nose... that was really cool. Oh and I met the woman I want to become. She was just amazing. She did a lot of organic farming and she just didn't seem to care about what others thought of her and she was beautiful in an unconventional sense. So that was really cool. We left Mankato on Labor day and headed to Sioux Falls, SD.
In Sioux Falls I staryed with a retired couple who had six grown kids and two of them had been through UWP, so they understood what we were going through. I stayed with Omer from Mexico and Siyi from China. Omer reminds me so much of my little brother and at night he would come to the bathroom door when I was in the tub and he would knock and say " I will wait for you in me bed". After my bath we would stay up late and talk. A lot of really cool things happened in SD while we were there. One of the host families decided to open their home to foster children as a result of having Uppies in the house. I think that s so amazing, It really goes to show us that we can change the world one person at a time... One to one we change the world by giving to another. Another cool thing that happened while we were there was a link between the cast and the community partner. We worked with Casa de Carlitos which is a house for mexican children who have cancer and their families. The Casa brings kids up from Mexico and gets them free medical treatment and provides them with a place to live and food. It is run by two UWP alums. Ashes who is from Nepal was talking to Jeanie who is in charge of the Casa about this child he knew in Nepal with cancer and she told him to see if he could get medical records faxed to the US to see if they could host him and help him at the Casa. And they can! So that is really cool. And another cool thing... We performed at the Dakota bowl. The Dakota Bowl is a high school football game but it is a BIG deal in Sioux falls. There were 10,000 people there and during our last song we looked into the stands and it was a sea of waving cell phones. It was amazing! Then towards the end of the song they shot off fireworks for 15 minutes. The thing that soured the day was the Trustee vote to go coed, which I could write about for days but will refrain as a lot of people who read this know how I feel. I saw the video feed for the first time today of the announcement and I cried in front of the computer for an hour (which I so didn't have time for) but thank you Megan for posting that. I wrote a whole bunch of notes to student who are protesting. I fully support protesting, but remember to be respectful in your protest. If you run around and do a lot of yelling and the likes then people will get sick of you. But if you are respectful then it will really make an impact. The board of Trustees does not know about the powerful monster that they have released. I hope that they don't blindly think that the alums and student will roll over and take this as a defeat. A RMWC education can open doors and RMWC has created some powerful personalities and they will be out in full force. And come January I plan to get really involved, it is just too hard from the road, but please keep me informed and I can write emails when needed!
Ok back to UWP... I performed in the most beautiful theater Sunday night... just amazing. It sat 2,000 people and was full. The stage was big and the sound was amazing. Monday we left for WS, which is our last US stop. Sunday morning I leave for Japan and I am excited and scared all at the same time. I am so ready for something new! But I am going to miss the US and most of all I am going to mIss Ashley! Yesterday I did a radio show for an hour on the campus of Carroll College who we are workign with this week. It was kind of like old times at clear channel and it was fun and I got Ashley to tune in and I ws sneaky and I thinks she felt special, which always makes me feel good! Today something funny happened in morning meeting. This week we are doing secret friends in the cast and the staff and my secret friend had one of the staff members sing "lady in orange" to me in morning meeting... wow, it has been since high school that a guy has sang to me in a big group like that! My dad comes on Friday and my Aunt and Uncle will be here. I am so excited! Please please please send me emails at smfrey@hotmail.com while I am gone. I really want to know what everyone is up to!

Life on the Road...

Sun, 27 Aug 2006 02:52:15 GMT

I really wish that I had more time to update this thing! So this week I have been in the Twin Cities, MN. We had a rather long driving day on Monday and then we got to meet our host families. My host family is about the age of my parents and have two grown sons. I am living with Kathleen the German and we have watched both of the son's wedding videos. Host families can be so special. Anyway, my host family has a lot of money! They have a waitstaff in the house and they both drive Mercedes! I grew up with a decent amount of money, but not this much! It is a new experience for me! On Tuesday we did our first Stand for Peace project with school kids. Stand for Peace is a program that we bring into schools and the point of it is to help kids realize that they are all different but that even though they are different they are similar and that there are ways to get along. It's rather touchy feely in my opinion but maybe it works... Anyway the group of kids I worked with were the biggest pains in the world. We do an activity called cross the line with them. At one point I said cross the line if you have ever been pressured by a friend to do something that was wrong. Then I asked the kids what they would do in the future. One girl says that she would stand up to the friend and we said that was a great answer. Then a boy says "what if you can't see your friend" and so I said write him a letter, "what if you don't have his address?" Call him on the phone "What if you don't have his phone number" Well how in the world did he get you in trouble to begin with!? Kids are so interesting sometimes... As a part of Stand For Peace we do a mini performance in the afternoon. Well we had the worst performance yet for a lot of reasons that I won't go into, but I think it was good that it was bad because it will spur people to work harder in rehearsals.
On Wednesday we got to meet a guy from Ghana who was born with one leg and taught himself how to walk and get around. He wrote to a non profit in the US that gave out money to disbaled people and asked them for a bike so that he could bike across Ghana and change the way people saw the disabled. He got his bike and rode across Ghana and then the non profit flew him to the US to ride in a triatholon and they paid for him to get a prothetic leg. He has changed the opinions of people in Ghana about the disabled and the thing I think is most inspiring is that he didn't once think he couldn't do something. It is like the Italians during the renaissance, they never once thought that they couldn't do something, they just worked at it until they could. Oprah made a documentary about the Ghanaian guy called Emmauel's Wish if anyone is interested. He was such a neat guy and really just blew my mind. Then we got to watch him ride with his fake leg. It was all really inspiring.
On Thursday I got to meet a Macon alum in a round about way... we had a guest speaker from Target to talk to us about marketing and corporate giving and she was sitting near me and wearing her school ring and I saw it and asked her where she went to college becaude it looked like it could have been a RMWC ring and sure enough she graduated in 1995. She's an odd, but I suppose that can be overlooked since I know some very nice seniors this year (who are also odds...)
Yesterday and today I was at the Mall of America. I used to think that it was such a great place when we would be there for hockey games and now I see it is just a mall... nothing big deal. Today we worked with make a wish and got to meet all kinds of wish families. Some of the kids had survived but so many of the families I met today had lost thier kids, which is so sad. Certainly it is always sad to loose family, but I think it seems like such a bum deal that parents lose kids. It just shouldn't be like that. And I think that it must be so hard to watch a child struggle.
I have a cold right now, but I am working really hard to get over it. Tomorrow is our big public show and then we have two private shows on Monday and we are off to Mankato and I get to be reunited with my partner in crime! I miss Ashley so so so much but I keep telling myself that it is only a few weeks until we are together again! I would love to hear from anyone out there...

Long Time No Post

Thu, 17 Aug 2006 04:41:12 GMT

So I understand it has been a long time since I've posted... Ok like over a week but in Up With People time that seems like a long time. Last week I was in North Platte, Nebraska. I stayed with a family on a ranch. They had horses and cattle and I roped and I was in heaven! My host parents were amazing and I have two host brothers that were 9 and 13. They were so nice to inform me that gay people are gross and that girls can't be gay. I don't know how I missed that... Anyway, they were a nice family. The father was an auctioner and the mother worked in loans for the bank that sponcered us and she was really helpful in some money issues I have been trying to sort out. Not a lot happened personally last week, it was just a busy week with lots of good food and desserts. We lost two cast members on Saturday. They were doing drugs and got caught. I feel bad that they do not get to continue this adventure with us, and they they left us without a drummer and a guitarist, but I feel like they made thier own beds and so they have to deal with their choices and their consequences. Maybe I am made of stone, but that is the way that I see it. We all make choices in life that we have to learn from and I hope that they use this as a learning experience. We did the show on Saturday without them (meaning with no drums or guitar) and I think we did a really good job. I am so proud of this cast for pulling together and really working to do the best that they can despite the circumstances. The people of North Platte were so good to us and we owed them a good show and I am proud of what we did. I signed my first autographs on Saturday. It is amazing how kids look at you in this program. There was this one girl who followed us around and she had the cast sing her shirt and photo. To some kids we are like superstars, which is a new feeling for me.
This week I am in Kansas City. It almost seems natural for me to be here right now because I usually drive this way this time of year to get back to RMWC. I am really struggeling to come to terms with the thought of not going back to school in the fall. I so love being with my friends and being able to drop into people's rooms and always having something to do or someone to see. I will miss Shaz and all of the good times we had. And I really miss sneaking between Webb and Wright and all of the nights that Ashley and I spent together and all of the great memories that go with being on campus at RMWC. But there is a time and a place for everything and I have so many memories yet to make with Ashley and Shaz and the rest of my RMWC friends that I really need to focus on the great memories that I have yet to make. Tonight my host parents were talking about how to keep a marriage together. It was my host mom, Nancy's 32nd birthday. Her husband Tood baked her a cake from scratch but he screwed up the icing and it looked a little like a burned big candle. The cake was amazing but the frosting was really hard. We had a good laugh. They have two kids, a girl (Neva) who is 5 and a boy (Lincoln) who is 2. They are so much fun and make me want to have kids. Nancy and Todd were talking about what makes thier marriage work and they were talking about how they just try to be thoughtful and spontanious for the other person. Certainly there is more to a good relationship than that, but they are such good examples of what a marriage should be that it was nice to have a few hints! Looking at them makes me so excited for the future that Ashley and I have together.
One last thing to talk about. The theme of this week is hunger. Tonight we had a hunger banquet and we were issued tickets. Each ticket was given at random and it was either high income, middle income or low income. Your ticket dictated where you sat and what you ate. The low income people sat on the floor and had a small dessert plate of rice and a 1/4 of a Dixie cup of water that was served by one "red cross worker" (someone dressed up). The middle group had chairs and served themselves lettuce, rice and black beans on a dessert plate. The hig people were served on tray with a choice of soda or water, they had chicken and pasta salad and bread and butter and brownies on huge plates and sat at nicely decorated tables. I ended up with a high income ticket and had a good meal, but felt bad for my friends on the floor so I started passing them food. Others did the same. At the end of the meal we talked about things and how we felt and learned from everything and what the world significance was. What it boils down to is that in this country we have it so good. I mean I know I am blessed and I thank God everyday for all of the amazing things in my life, but still when you hear how some areas of the world are, it really makes me realize how lucky I am to have what I have.
Anyway I will wrap this up as I have a long day tomorrow. I miss Ashley so much and I can't wait until I am done with Up With People and we can start our life together. I hope that I can be a good partner to her like Todd is to Nancy. I hope that we have the kind of relationship that people look at and want to know how you maintain something like that. Most of all I hope that I can always provide for her in all aspects, monitarily, emotionally and such. I just want her to know how much she means to me and how she makes my life so much more rich and fulfilling! I love her so much!

Leaving home....

Mon, 07 Aug 2006 04:52:53 GMT

So I am loading the last of the music I can't live without on my computer... note this is not the last of my music... I have So many cds that aren't touring the world with me. Oh well, I suppose I-tunes and I will be good friends. We had our first show last night. It went really well except for my mother didn't like my costume so she is searching for a new one... oh well. Other than that I thought it was fine, except for when during stomp my shoes somehow came untied and almost went flying into the boy with downs that was in the first row. That would have really been a sight, but it didn't happen and there was no international incident. Why does music take forever to load?
Besides the show not much else is going on. I am packing and getting ready to leave for North Platte, Nebraska in the morning. My suitcase is only suppose to be 44 pounds. Mine is about 47 right now and it is full of host family gifts, so I think that it should get lighter by time I have to fly. If not then I am screwed. But I really think and hope that it will be ok. I also have to say that I only have four pairs of dance shoes and two pairs of dance shoes... be proud! Ashley sent me a present this week! It was a super cute uglydoll that is designed to give a helping hand (very up with people oriented!) and so he will be going around the world with me and will be seen in many pictures. I sent her 30 red roses on Friday and I did such a good job keeping it a secret, which is an incredible feat for me. Too bad they were late showing up and I called to see if they had come and she just didn't mention anything... they came shortly after that. Some day I will keep a surprise I will! This time I was so close! Ashley and I haven't gotten to talk much lately and I have had killer PMS that has not been helped by the stress in my life in the last few weeks. Needless to say I have not been the easiest person to get along with. I don't mean to be hard, but I am really insecure (not that this is a secret.) Still the music is taking a long time...
So while I was packing tonight I realized the this is one of the last times I will be in my own bed for a long time. Hopefully I won't be living at home much longer after I get done with Up With People. When I move out my bed isn't coming with me (so my parents tell me) so that is a really odd thought. Also I realized tonight that my dog will probably not be around when I get home. I love him so much, but it is so hard to watch him get old. He limps around and he doesn't do much anymore, but he seems happy. I just have this feeling that this time while I am gone he isn't going to make it. It makes me so sad. He's been my dog for 13 years and he has been such a good dog when he wasn't chewing up my trash and making a mess, but really he is such a good boy and such a pretty boy. I will be so sad when he is gone. In fact I am sitting here crying because I am so sad even thinking about it. Much like I am crying over RMWC going coed. Yes, I understand the argument that we have to do it to survive, but if we go coed then what do we have to set us apart from other coed liberal arts schools? As a woman's college we are superior but as a co ed college I believe in my heart that we would simply be mediocre, and how do you sell mediocrity? As many problems as I had in college, I would not take back a minute of being at RMWC because it really helped to make me the person that I am today. Anyhow, I am still putting music on my computer but I should get to bed as I have to load buses in the morning. Joy of joys. And so it begins. When I get the blog section of my webpage up I will post the link here. I understand that I have been saying that for weeks, but now that I am not at home it will be a priority. Ok I have a few CDS left and then I am off to sleep with Wage the Uglydoll (that I love).

Wed, 02 Aug 2006 04:33:17 GMT

So my mother is driving me nuts... not that this is a surprise. I am working 12 hours a day and I come home and I am dead tired. All I want to do is talk to Ashley and unwind. There was a whole bunch of fruit left over from my graduation party on Sunday and she wants to give it to Up With People, which is fine, but she wants me to cut 15 melons. I was on the phone with Ashley and having a conversation and she was like "get off the damn phone all you do is talk on the phone or on the internet" Which causes me to lose my temper and tell Ashley I have to go cut melons and my mother calls me a fucking bitch and tells me to get off my high horse. It's not like I do nothing all day. I am seriously on my feet all day. If I am not rehearsing I am working on stuff or developing new things. But she doesn't seem to understand that. I think she thinks I just go hang out all day, it's really frusterating.
So on top of all of this I am stressed about packing and money and such. And I worry that I take it out on Ashley. She says something and I read too much into it. I really fear that I am driving her nuts because I just want to talk everything out. Hopefully when I get out of the house some of this will change. I am so physically and emotionally drained that I am just not functioning like myself. I am currently sitting on my bed watching lifetime which I haven't done since sophomore year of college. And all I want to do is eat chocolate.
Oh! I sent Ashley a package and it got there today and while I gave it away it still managed to surprise her a little. She knew something was coming but she didn't know what it was! So that was a minor accomplishment. (By the way it was season one of tripping the rift which seemed to not only please Ashley but also her father, you can never have too much support from other people's famiy!) I guess that was a minor victory. Ok I am off to bed as I am about to fall asleep.

Because I don't have anything better to do

Tue, 01 Aug 2006 05:12:43 GMT

*How R-MWC are you?*
*Odds & Evens*
Are you an Odd or an Even?	I was bred to be an Even
Did you ever deface the post/the tree?	I did the tree when I was a little kid and in college so there!
Did you ever go up or down the wrong set of stairs? (Odd & Even ones)	When I was 5 does that count?
Favourite Odd/Even song	You can always tell and Even...
*Traditions*
Did you participate in Ring Week as a first year?	Yup
Ring week as a junior?	I had the best first years!
Did you get a ring or necklace?	Ring
What does your ring/necklace look like?	It is a signet with White Gold
Did you participate in Pumpkin Parade as a sophomore?	you bet, I had my sissy
Pumpkin Parade as a senior?	Yup
Your fondest tradition memory?	My baked goods... they made my week! And my door Senior year. It was awesome!
*Parties*
How many Tacky Parties did you go to?	2
How many Webb Parties?	only 1 actually...
Did you go to Fall formal?	yes, two times
How many trips to Hamden Sydeny?	countless... don't date a HSC boy, they suck you in...
Did you go to SDD & Casino Night?	yes I did, with a HSC grad and my girlfriend...
Who was your date?	Ashley and Aden (I was big pimpin!)
Chosen poison of your RMWC years?	Long distance relationships! (and bottles of wine)
*Campus*
Did you participate in founder's day?	Not once... but I do have a button from this last one as the love of my life designed it!
Do you know what orange blossoms are?	that i do... though I don't like them.
Did you ever smell the wysteria?	I lived next to it for tw years, it was hard not to
Ever avoided walking in front of General Jones?	nah, I flirted with him a few times... in a not sober state
Ever been in the Engagement Tower?	I haven't done that... though I should have last time I was in Lynchburg, Ashley why didn't we take pictures there? We didn't take any pictures and I am still killing myself over it. I suck
Ever trampled in Mary's Garden?	nope, I'm afraid of Mary
Ever been to the botanical gardens?	that I have
Ever done a Dell run?	one or five but who is counting?
Ever went to a Pan World Coffeehouse? Participated?	I've been twice and particiapted twice
How many convocations and commencements did you attend?	I never went to convocation and I only went to my commencement
Attended the athletic events on campus?	does dance count?
What' the wildcat's name?	Wanda
Name one rugby team member	Hahahaha... Well Shaz once played, as did my Sissy and Ness and Carly and Angela, and I think Lacy Cotton did too... ok I am done with this question
Ever had a WWRM show?	no but I went to WWRM borad meetings...
*Res Life*
How many Walmart/Target runs in one year?	Who the heck counts that? If you count that you have too much time on your hands!
How many runs to buy fresh underwear?	I lived at VS in college because I didn't do laundry
How many Papa Johns?	Not often as I don't like thier pizza
Favourite roommate memory?	The Michael Jackson Conversation or the rotten orange at Dave
Worst roommate memory?	The Bulgarian and the Rice... long story... or the Bulgarian and the used pad... another long story
Favourite RA/RD/HR	Heather Godfrey! Or Emily as she didn't write me up
Worst RA/RD/HR	BETTY! I feared her!
Ever participated in putting together a man/woman wall?	yup
Favourite hall and why..	I loved the girls on 4th Wright... they were amazing, and made moving out of Main not tramatic.
Favourite RMWC ghost story?	hmmmm it's really obscure and long but it involves the swimming pool
Were you in a secret society?	Wouldn't you like to know (as if you don't know one of them?!)
*Academics*
Ever go to Reading?	nope
Ever did a study abroad semester or year?	nope
How many majors? How many minors? What were they?	One Communication
Your favourite professor and why..	Gauthier because she had so much energy and she let me cry to her... A Lot!
Worst professor and why...	Hmmm that's hard... Placidi (though not when I had her)
Best class ever @ RMWC	Greek Myth
Worst class ever @ RMWC	American History
How many Red Bulls/Caffeine Pills?	none
How many all nighters?	too many to remember
Who do you owe your scholarship to?	no one!
Ever go to a guest speaker event?	lots of times... I was expected to be there a lot. Some of them were Nap and Snacks
*Honor*
How many Honor violations? (be honest!)	none
Ever volunteered with the exams?	nope, not once
Were you in an honor society?	nope
*Food*
Favourite Dining Hall dish	Dessert
Worst Dining Hall dish?	too many to recall
Ever went to the post-exam pig-out in Cheatham?	a few times... one time it may have resulted in sprinkles in the pepper...
*Support*
Favourite B&G person	Anyone Shaz talked into helping me
Favourite Dining Hall person	Does Emily count?
Favourite Admissions person	Darilyn
Favourite DOS/DOC person	Terry!
*Alumnae*
Been to a RMWC reunion?	yep, but not my own
Participate at all in the alumnae network? How?	I talk to alums, does that count?
Contribute to the school?	I do contribute...
Think we'll go Co-Ed?	I hope not
Would you send your daughter here?	of course
Any other RMWC memories?
CREATE YOUR OWN! - or - GET PAID TO TAKE SURVEYS!

Caution: Emotional post ahead

Sat, 29 Jul 2006 04:38:04 GMT

Do you ever just feel like things are spinning out of control and as hard as you try you just can't control them? Perhaps it is because I am a control freak that I feel like this but this week is just really grinding on me. First off I have to state that I feel like Up With People operates in dog years and not human time. You know how they say that a human year is equivalent to seven dog years... Well an Up With People day seems to be like a month and a half. I seriously feel like it is time to end this and for me to move in with Ashley and start living life. Unfortunately we haven't left Denver yet. Most of the time I have a good time with people, but when this program gets to you it really really gets to you. I thought that I had miserable days in college... at least then I could lock myself in my room and chill, Not now! I feel like I live in a fish bowl and everyone observes my actions.
I also fear that perhaps I have made the wrong choice. I mean what if this causes my life to fall apart and all of th plans I have fall through? Then what?! Ok I realize that I sound really over dramatic right now, but I really like my life the way I have it planned right now. In fact at this moment I wish that I could just quit and move on with my life, but I am not a quitter and I really don't want to deal with the fall out that it might cause. I think that there are many highs and lows ahead in the next few months... I can't freaking wait (insert sarcasm here)
Anyway I am done being emotional, or at least emotional here... I wish I was closer to the love of my life and I wish that this was all easier. I am trying to be positive, but today it is just kind of hard. On a more exciting note... if all goes according to plan then 53 weeks from today I will be married! How crazy is that... I have a date, wedding ideas and a fiancee! Makes me smile a little more than I would be... And what if no one writes me on the road and everyone forgets me? That will make me sad. Ok I am done sounding crazy thought I feel like I am crazy

This Will Change Soon!

Thu, 27 Jul 2006 03:48:14 GMT

create your own visited states map

Tue, 25 Jul 2006 05:19:27 GMT

So today we talked about diversity and did an activity called cross the line in which we drew a line down the center of the room with masking tape and then we asked each other questions. If you had one of the qualities that was asked about then you crossed the line and looked your cast mates in the face. The activity was an attempt to get to know each other and build trust in the cast. The questions at first started with easy stuff like if you are a woman cross the line. Then they got harder like if you believe in God cross the line. Finally one of the questions was if you know someone who is gay, lesbian, or bisexual then cross the line. Well that question was easy for me to answer having gone to a woman's college and knowing lots of gay women that I really admired. I felt the next question coming on and I was scared to death of it. I have been fairly open with people I was comfortable in the cast about Ashley and I, but I am not to the point that I can be like "Hi, I'm Sarah and I'm gay." Certainly I embrace my life, but I don't think of being gay as something that defines what people should think of me. It is just one part of who I am, not the whole of who I am. It really made me realize what an interesting and unique culture RMWC has. Certainly it was not easy for me to come to grips with some people when Ashley and I started dating, but overall I think that it is an amazing enviornment to discover yourself in, because for the most part is it accepting. I felt like I had a good group of people that if I was having issues with things I would have been able to go to and they would have honestly helped me with everything. What an amazing place I have left! (which makes me very sad...)
So I am scared to death and the question comes "If you are comfortable with answering and you are gay, lesbian or bisexual please cross the line." I wasn't planning on moving because I am just not that straight forward yet (that seems very punny but it is not meant to be!). Unfortunatly for me I was standing between Bob and Erik who are both gay and I have both been very open with. Erik is a therapist and Bob is just supportive. Bob was in front of me and started to move first and Erik was behind me and realized I wasn't going to move and he whispered in my ear "it's time to move," and so I did, because I wasn't going to be there alone. And it was hard to look my cast mates in the eye not because I am ashamed, but because I am not yet comfortable just coming out with who I am... I think on some levels I am really afraid that I will lose out on getting to know people because they won't want to communicate with me because I am gay...which of course would rationally be their loss as I am a pretty neat gal and such, but it doesn't make it any easier. Though I feel like I really stepped outside my comfort zone which was a good thing, and I am so glad that I wasn't in that line alone. In fact I felt proud to be who I am when I finally caught Ben's eye and found comfort in his friendship. Though I was one of the only girls in the line. Another girl came forward and then stepped back and I am not sure what to think about it. Perhaps she just doesn't know what she is. She strikes me as the kind of girl that just doesn't know yet because she hasn't dated enough to know, and there is nothing wrong with that! I am very confident in my status because let's face it, I've been in more relationships than I care to recall right now.
After it was all over I ate lunch with Erik, Bob, and Ben and just kind of vented about what it was like to be on that side of the line and I was sure that someone would say something to me about it through the course of the day, but no one did. Erik thinks that there are more gay girls in the cast, but that they are uncomfortable with coming out to people. Which I can understand. If there are more gay girls (or guys) I hope that at the end of this they feel comfortable with coming out to us. I hope that our cast can bond and share in stuff like that. I am excited to see how the group is when we get on the road.
Besides that nothing else is really going on. Life is creeping along. As much as I am liking UWP I have to be honest and say that I can't wait to start looking for jobs because it will be one step closer to being with Ashley, which is really where I belong. I think UWP will be a good experience for me but it is nice to have something to look forward to when I am done. I can't imagine not having some kind of plan for when this is over. I think that it might put me back to where I was at the end of college and in that panic (which lead me to UWP, even if there was mis-communication between Ashley and I about how we felt about me leaving, I think that it was good for us because we learned that we need to just be honest with each other) in fact I feel like we are still learning that everyday. I love that she can be so honest with me and that I can be honest with her, even if it takes a while to come out. I feel like I am so lucky to have fallen in love with such an amazing person. I have been in relationships where I've felt like I've been in love before, but never anything like this. I am constantly amazed by how she seems to fill the empty places in my heart. There is a song by the Fray called "She Is" and the chorus is "She is everything I need that I never knew I wanted and she is everything I want that I never knew I needed." I know that it is corney to relate your life or your relationship to song lyrics, but I am doing it because every time I hear that song I think about how true it is to my life. In fact there is something about The Fray that I really understand... someone people will get that reference more than others... anyhow I am beat and I am headed ot bed as tomorrow I have another long day. I just wanted to fill y'all in on the events of today... and I somehow ended up being sappy again.. man! On some level I am sorry, but on another level I'm not because it's how I feel!

Sun, 23 Jul 2006 05:47:57 GMT

I think I have to be the luckiest girl on the face of the earth! I have the best girlfriend in the entire world and I get to do what I love every day (though some days are not as fun as others to be honest) but how many people can say that they get to sing, dance and travel? The only thing that could my my life better would be if Ashley were closer or traveling with me. I miss having her around so much. Anyhow I thought I would let all of you know how happy I am lately! Lucie Mae I love you so much and can't wait until I can come home and start the next adventure with you! As much fun as I am having I wish you were here because you make every adventure amazing. I miss you so much!