Life Works Out

There are some side effects to this travel bug I have. Common symptoms include a heightened sense of surroundings, feelings of inferiority or superiority, an appreciation for home. My favorite is the opportunity for adventure. It takes you out of your comfort zone. And when you’re not in your comfort zone, you gain new, and often much needed, perspectives. My dad always said that backpacking around the world was the greatest education he ever received. By embracing travel and adventure, you inevitably open yourself up to learning new lessons. Here is the first I learned (or rather, re-learned) leading up to my weekend in New York City.

Life works out, and God provides.

For the first time, Valentine’s Day posed some challenges for me. After being inspired by Sleepless in Seattle, my friend began planning this trip so she could celebrate Valentine’s Day at the top of the Empire State Building.  The group was planning on taking off that Friday. Even though I tried to come in for part of the day on Wednesdays, because of my weekly field trips, I felt guilty about taking extra time off. I proposed that I would work and take an early bus Saturday morning.

If you know me, you know I’m not some angry anti-Valentine’s Day single person.  It’s not exactly a day I look at with the same fervor that I did when I received a mailbox full of candy in second grade, though. Most of the time, some girlfriends and I would just hang out together and have a fun night. All of the people with whom I’d want to be were going to be on the Empire State building. With my early bus, I would be hitting the sack early. So my prospects basically looked like a lonely night in, not only on a Friday, but on Valentine’s Day, when everyone else is going on fancy dates and sharing chocolate and wine, for goodness sake. That sounded really depressing.

When the New York group planned during our lunch break one day, it hit me how very ridiculous I was being to not just go to New York on Friday with the rest of the ladies. I checked with my bosses, who it turns out were completely alright with me taking the day off, and I changed my bus. Later that evening in the LCWS office, my friend Heather invited me to join her and her roommates for a Friday night of red velvet cupcake baking and rom-com movie-watching. 

All of this to say, it was so reassuring to know that if I had stuck to my original plans, I would not have been entirely alone on the commercialized holiday of hearts and roses. I felt God nudging my soul, reminding me not to worry. He cares for us, always. As the coming summer and post-graduation possibilities in a year loom closer in the forefront of my everyday thoughts, this lesson is particularly relevant for me. Everything is going to be okay. A lot of times, things just fall into place, and there is very little I can do to make that happen. Life works out, and in His time, the Lord makes all things good for those who love Him. Even in our Valentine's Days, He is our provider, and He is forever faithful. 

Relapse 1 - NYC

In 2007, the Compton Clan ventured on our first summer adventure to Ireland. Once as I walked through a vibrantly green pasture of sheep on a typically misty Irish morning, I contracted a sneaky disease.

Customs did not detect it on my return flight, nor did the Red Cross the first time I gave blood. It was so subtle, quietly developing in the core of my being, that even I didn’t notice for a while. It was there though, and it was malignant, fed by the family’s annual adventures…hiking in Yosemite, returning to pick cockles in Ireland, cross-country skiing in Oregon,  exploring Whistler and Vancouver, relaxing in Costa Rica. Each trip, it became stronger, taking over a little more of me. After a month in Cambodia and a semester of day trips and weekend jaunts throughout Europe this past fall, the Travel Bug has permanently found a host in me. There is no battling it. Yes, it can be subdued for a little while, but if I’m stagnant too long, I start itching to follow Mark Twain’s advice and “sail away from the safe harbor.”

Don’t get me wrong – I love D.C., and life has been anything but boring. Still. This is a strong Bug that I have caught, and it must be appeased. I began itching toward the end of January, and I quickly found myself evaluating my free weekends. Where I could go? Who could I visit? Several Megabus and Amtrak tickets were purchased one night, and Adventure beckoned.

I confess, I’m not one to battle this Bug too persistently; as long as I have the money and time, I see the demands it brings as welcome maintenance. I suppose I had my first remission this past weekend. Given the day off for President’s Day, it was pretty inevitable I would succumb to the Travel Bug. A group of IJM interns and I made a jaunt to the Empire State – the big apple, concrete jungle, city that never sleeps.

New York City. I’ve only been once before on a 7^th grade school field trip. I remembered being turned off by the dirtiness and lack of trees, and my memory had not failed me. It was a sloshy, snowy, freezing mess of a weekend. Even with the pollution and the dreadful weather, it satisfied my “disease.” I enjoyed getting to know my fellow interns better, feeling the magic of Broadway, and exploring the city for myself.  

Here’s a photo timeline of the weekend. Clearly, the bug is rapidly progressing. Discoveries made during my “first remission” will be published tomorrow.

Preach it, Subway

Cheap, easy transportation

 

It is too easy to step into a six inch puddle of snowy, half-melted slosh. Ask Vanessa.

Allegra and Lauren in Times Square

Empire State Building on Valentine's Day

Lebanese Shish Kabob, anyone?

 

Snow and cold at Ground Zero. Not fun. For such a sacred, thought-provoking monument, all I was thinking was, "Get me freaking inside that warm pizza shop. South Carolinians do not know how to deal with this.

Fifth Row to watch twenty handsome, energetic young men sing and dance. I'll take it!

Browsing the menu at Arabesque Restaurant & Lounge. Coolest ambiance and very authentic.
Morocco is now on my mental list of places to travel to.

Does this mean Spring might come after all?

Very long Sunday walk through Central Park.

I'm so grateful I joined in on this adventure. Thank you Allegra for taking the initiative to do a lot of the planning and organizing. It was a snowy blast!

Anniversary & Happenings

I like to play the "What was I doing this time last ____?" Fill in the blank - week, month, year, sometimes up to four years. My memory fails me after that. I happened to be jogging my brain in this exercise this evening, and I have one big celebration to share with you tonight. I realized, and the lovely evidence of archived blogs confirmed, that this time last year, after a day exploring North Carolina family history with my grandfather, I was writing my first blog post. February 9 marks the official one year anniversary of Walking With Jessica. 

This endeavor - blogging - has been more than a phase or the documentation of  a semester of study abroad.  I really think this thing is here to stay. (Though hopefully the header picture of the Google image searched old lady legs is not. Sorry you have to look at that every time. Just haven't found one I like better.) I began explaining in that first blog how I hate messing up, how after years of struggling with perfectionism, I still fear judgement, and how that had prevented me from writing in the past. Here I am, though, a year later, unafraid of writing or the failure it often entails, and I am appreciative of you - one of the visitors who have wandered on this "cyber path" 6,300 times in the last year. I am honored that you have joined me. I hope you continue not only to check in on my ongoing adventures, but also to learn from my mistakes, take to heart some of my lessons and simply enjoy a good story every once in a while.

With my 7 a.m. alarm clock due to go off in less than eight hours, tonight is no night for stories. I've been up to some cool stuff, though, and it would be a shame not to at least share some of that with you. Pictures must suffice.

Wednesday, 2/5

LCWS Field Trip to the Newseum

Largest section of Berlin Wall. I stupidly did not even touch it.

Pulitzer Prize hall was definitely my favorite

When pictures really are worth 1,000 words. There were way more sad ones than happy, but...

 It made me laugh,

Nigeria wins a medal at the Olympics

It made me cry,

Boy in Syria learns his father has been killed

 It ripped my heart out

That man is still alive

 There were some really powerful pictures.

Then on to a House Subcommittee Hearing on America's future in Asia and Managing Sovereignty Affairs. Painful. And slightly informative.

Thursday, 2/6
After work, I went straight to the Kennedy Center for a Millennium Stage production of Lowland Hum, a North Carolina folk duo. Millennium Stage is a free gig every single night of the year at 6 pm. Yes, I did this by myself. In solitude I have learned that activities, even if you're not talking, are more fun with a companion. Still, my last-minute spontaneity often leaves me by myself. I will also never let others' lack of interest determine my activities.

Lauren and Daniel Goans

Friday, 2/7
Sochi Winter Olympic Opening Ceremony and a glass of wine with LCWS people. I'm really trying to hang out with them, too, since I haven't really done that yet.

 Y'ALL, I MADE THIS POST FOR IJM! 585 likes in a few hours. It later went up to over 700. This pretty much made my night.

 

Saturday, 2/8
Despite the horrendously cold weather this Southern girl is not-so-patiently enduring, I made it out for a run Saturday morning. Not just any run... A trail run! On the Potomac Heritage Trail, to be exact. Even though I am in a big city, I love that genuine nature is still so accessible.

And then...

The National Museum of the American Indian

Best part? The food court. Hands down. It's divided by all the different Indian regions.

Salmon and brussel sprouts from the Northwest, sweet potato medley from...somewhere else

Who is more fierce?

Bethany
Making LCWS buddies

 And THEN...

Don Giovanni Opera. In Italian. Made me heartsick for Italia. Again.

 Sunday (Today), 2/9
The Falls Church Anglican is my temporary church home while I'm here, and I love it. Instead of the contemporary 11 am, I go to the 9 am traditional service with all the old people, and then I go to Sunday School studying the Book of Mark...with more old people. But they are awesome, very wise, and I'm learning a lot. Let's all admit it. I've always been an old soul at heart. The Barretts befriended me the very first week, and I've continued to meet more people since then.

Lunch at Taco District

Joell, Lauren, Melanie (and Wes) - new TFCA friends

After an exhausting Saturday, I finished Sunday off with an episode of Sherlock and Downton Abby. I promise I'm doing (some) homework, too.

The Locust Effect

The first American pioneers were a scrappy, unfortunate lot. For emigrants settling the unknown frontier, there were plenty of very real dangers to those who embarked on the journey; people did not make this trek for kicks. Other than the lustful adventurer or risk-taking businessman, most who left were desperate for new lives, drawn by the allure of free land under the Homestead Act of 1862. Poorer than the dirt they would soon be tilling, these hopefuls believed that with diligence and hard work, fortune would turn in their favor. They staked their plots, sowed seeds and, with a few months of favorable weather, were encouraged by growing, luscious crops. Soon, the farmers would reap a plentiful harvest.

                                               

But no one anticipated the nightmare arriving at noonday. A dark shadow descended from the sky, and in mere minutes, droves of locusts descended upon the land and decimated the farmers’ crops. Almost nothing was salvageable, as one farmer quipped, "They ate everything but the mortgage." After departing from familiarity and venturing into a new life, after all the grueling manual labor and menial farm preparations – the sunrise to sunset workdays, the aching backs, the lack of resources –,  after the hopeful expectation of a rich harvest season, these pioneers found themselves in a more dire situation than before they moved west.

Today marks the official launch of The Locust Effect by Gary Haugen, president and CEO of International Justice Mission (IJM). With it, the conversation on our approach poverty is about to change. Haugen compares the locusts of the American frontier with a much greater pest present and thriving today – namely the bullies of everyday violence. In the stream of humanitarian efforts toward those living in poverty, a broken leak is significantly reducing the effectiveness of our help. Like locusts destroying unprotected crop, those of power take advantage of the helplessness of the poor. A widow in Zambia cannot utilize donated farm tools if she is a victim of land grabbing. Girls who endure regular sexual assault are not benefiting from their school scholarships. Legal entitlements to the poor in Thailand are of no use if a birth certificate was never issued. A micro-loan entrepreneur cannot run a successful business when he and his family are kidnapped into a brick factory and work fourteen hours a day as modern day slaves.

Everyday violence – this perpetual cloud of fear hovering over the unprotected – is the poor’s constant reality. In America, laws are generally enforced; police seek to protect citizens. Sadly, for the majority of the developing world, this is not the case.  When it is more likely for a rapist to be struck by lightning or slip in the bath tub and die than be imprisoned for his crime, impunity is rampant. In The Locust Effect, Haugen provides a few facts and statistics, but he mainly invites readers to discover the stories of regular poor people. Rather than violence restraining the oppressed from lives of freedom, it is time for us to fix the leak in the system and begin restraining the hand of violence. Fortunately, we are dealing with simple bullies who lack courage. When they realize that there are repercussions for their actions, they back down. Beyond rescue and aftercare for victims, IJM works to imprison perpetrators and create structural transformation within the justice system. Their vision is “to rescue thousands, protect millions and prove that justice for the poor is possible.” The exciting part is that IJM is showing that it is possible, and it is happening.

If any of this motivates you or catches your interest, I invite you to join me in three easy actions you can take today.

First, with the launch of The Locust Effect, you can  buy the book*. Not only will all proceeds benefit the mission of IJM, but this week only, for every book bought, a generous IJM supporter will donate $20 to help bring justice to the poor. The goal is to make it on the New York Times Bestseller list – not to brag about book sales, but to gain more credibility and attention behind the concept of protecting the poor from everyday violence.

Second, read the book. Take these stories to heart. Preparing for the launch of The Locust Effect has been the predominate focus of my marketing internship at IJM thus far. Even though I may already know the ideas behind The Locust Effect, I will be joining you in this endeavor. I have heard it’s not the lightest reading (What?! Reading about the tough lives of poor people isn’t for your coffee break? No!), but it is enlightening and important. Together, we can learn more about the problem of everyday violence and begin a more global, united conversation on changing our approach to poverty.

Third, please sign the petition urging the UN to protect the poor from violence as it decides its 2015 long-term goals. It is short, and you can opt out of receiving e-mail updates if you choose.

All of these steps will help you easily engage and begin to join the team of those committed to protecting the poor from violence. This is an exciting time, and momentum for a tidal wave of change is building. You can be a part of it.

“Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.”  -Isaiah 1:17

*If you buy more than one book, please buy them from somewhere other than Amazon.com, such as Barnes & Noble. No matter how many books bought at once on Amazon, the whole purchase only counts as one book bought on the bestseller list.