I was talking to a group of friends from the U of M about last fall: we were all into politics and there was so much enthusiasm that we were working towards a real and substantial change in America. What a difference a year makes. Have we all become numb to the deaths and chaos in Iraq? I remember feeling beaten down by the new numbers every day this Spring, but the war is barely a blip on the news anymore. While Hurricane Katrina was obviously devastating, what is going on in Iraq? Our government has sent a generation of Americans to protect us, most of whom are not wealthy, not highly-educated; just good, honest Americans who signed up to gain discipline, honor, or college-funding. Not one of them will come back without some kind of scarring. And what of the innocent Iraqis who are dying on the streets everyday? I just can't imagine how horrible the situation could get if we forget about it and slack in our responsibility of holding the government responsible for this mess.
Here is my favorite bumper sticker of the week...my parents saw it in that ultra-liberal mecca of the midwest where they live, Ann Arbor.

Anyway, I've realized that anything less than fluency in Spanish is sometimes completely disrespectful in a professional setting. So I've decided that I'm going to Mexico this summer. I'm probably going to take classes at the University of Guadalajara so I can also visit with friends who will be there for the summer. After term, I'm going to do a mini-tour of the main tourist destinations, possible based on the literature I read all through college. Of course, I already saw the grave of Porfirio Diaz (famous Mexican leader) in Paris, which was really strange.

Does anyone remember the SATC episode when Carrie wonders about "having it all?" Well, now that I have a nice apartment and an amazing job, I'm really getting anxious about lining up the final part.