Willow Wonders...

Lately I have been trying to think of presents to bring to my host family. I think the main one that I have definitely decided on, is bringing three of my favorite American board/card games. My family is big into games, so it would be something personal, plus I could show each of my host families how to play their game! So far, the one game I know that I am bringing is called Trans America. It is a train track building game that I have been playing ever since I was 5 (when I couldn't read). Because it is simple, fun, and American, it will be perfect.

Now I just have to think of two other games that I should bring. Two of my ideas are Pit and Dixit. If you have any ideas, please shoot them at me! I also would like to bring some kind of regional food/candy to share, but I don't know what I can have on the plane or what's American. Some of my other gift ideas are, CD's, cook books, post cards, and 4th of July decorations. 

     I have these really amazing Rotary Pins to share that I made, but I only have 100 of them, so their going to be the pins I give to people that I really get to know. However, I also need to have like 500-1,000 different pins to give to everyone. The only problem being that I am out of ideas!! All the seemingly easy ones have been used, and I just cannot think.

So... If you have any ideas, please let me know! I always love any comments. :-)

Esterdayyay

Pig Latin. Pardon me.
Iay entway otat aay otaryray eetingmay esterdayyay. Tiay asway unfay, saay sualuay. Iay avegay aay peechsay. Utbay, tiay asway otnay lannedpay. Tiay entway ellway, ndaay heytay avegay emay $375 utoay hetay indnesskay foay heirtay eartshay. Luspay, 5 eoplepay oughtbay aay hirtay! Luspay Iay oldsay aay otlay foay rufflestay! Esterdayyay asway aay oodgay ayday. :-)
That was fun. Hope u could read it!!

     On a more formal note, after I typed that, it occurred to me that my brain was in Spanish Mode. Not just normal Spanish Mode, but like some super crazy Spanish Mode where all the words that I have ever learned started coming back to me, and I was thinking in perfect sentences! It was pretty crazy and I think it occurred for two reasons. One reason is that I think the Pig Latin served as a brain exercise, that got my cranial juices flowing, and opened up my brain. The second reason, is that because it was fun, I was more relaxed and so more words came to me because I was not stressing over the Spanish. So, the lesson I learned from this stupid blog post is that I just need to ree-laaax and try to have more fun. Who new Pig Latin could be that useful!

Mental Note

Last night when I was tired, I was thinking "What have I got myself into!? I can't do this!!" =-O However, that was last night. And I always must remember that things are ALWAYS way worse when I'm tired. So I just have to remember that without my mom reminding me all the time.
Now, I am at this conferencey thing, by myself, in a really nice dorm, wearing clothes that I bought for Chile, {Contented sigh} and I'm thinking, "Who was I kidding? :-) I can handle anything." I realized that I do enough stuff on my own, and have become so much more independent in this last year, that going abroad will be fine. I feel like I could leave today, and I know that it is one of my phases, but I'll be OK.
Even if I die tomorrow, my life will have been so much better because of RYE. I have learned so much already. {Tear}

Chocolate Money

     I have begun another one of my many fundraisers. I'm selling my homemade truffles at our local food market, Purple Porch Co-op! I make four kinds: dark chocolate, coconut, raspberry, and peanut butter. My mom has been making them FOREVER at Christmas, and everyone always loves them! I also sold them to fundraise for my DC trip in eighth grade, and so I thought it might help. Plus,  I can unofficially sell my t-shirts too! :-)
     I started selling them last week as a test run, and I made about $100! So yay! The benefit of PPC is that consumers can order the truffles online, or just buy them at the market. I hope that this week I'll sell even more!
     I guess I'm just trying to see what, fundraising sticks with people, and makes the money. I can add another thing that I've learned through RYE to my list,  entrepreneurship.
     I'll follow you up with some pictures and how my sales this week go. If you SB folks want to order some, just visit the Purple Porch website, and look up Crisovan Truffles.
:-)

View's Country Contest

Getting tired of clicking that Google Translate button? This is kind of random and a shout out to all of my Chilean readers. If the number of Chilean views for next week gets higher than the number of views from the US, I will blog the next five posts entirely in Spanish! Then you can give my readers from the US a taste of what you face, and it will be fun! Please share this with your friends/family to get the most views. May the best country win ;-)

Ramble Bramble

So... I don't have any specific topic to blog about today, so bear with me, as I might wander.
     My journal entries have gone into a period of relapsation. I have noticed that during school, both my blog posts and my journal entries functioned as a calming and productive method of pro-cras-ti-na-tion. When I needed a break, I could just say "I can do Rotary stuff. That's something that needs to get done right?" However, now I don't have any homework, and therefore no need for a reprieve from the every day. I have to remind myself more to do the things that I used to do automatically. 

     I also learned that, apparently, there are no shoes for women in Chile bigger than a size 40 (or US 9) and no clothes for girls taller than 5' 8''. I, am a size 10 and 5' 9'' :-( . Poop. So, I guess I will have either wear a lot of skirts ;-) or have my mom mail me clothes. {sigh} Oh well. It will be worth it.

     Another thing that I am worried about is the fact that It's Your World, Travel (IYWT) has yet to send me my paper work! Luckily, I think I trust them enough to let it go, and lean back a little. 

     The fact that I am actually leaving has finally hit me. It feels real. It no longer feels like some dream that I am going to wake up from any minute, and go to another normal year of my Midwest high school. 

     I realized that I'm not going to change overnight. I will be the same Willow that I have been forever, and will still feel exactly the same. Other people might not recognize me when I get back, but I will, and that's what counts. 

Black and Green Treasure

THE T-SHIRTS ARE FINALLY IN!!!!!!!!

     Thank you for your patients this week, as I was temporarily paralyzed by the awful illness which you may know as Final Exams. My t-shirts actually came on Monday, but I was studying. They are amazing, and you should totally order one!!!! They are $25 per shirt. But, if you order two or more, they are only $20 a piece! Your purchase will help me complete this amazing journey, and you get a super, wonderful t-shirt! :-) 

     To order one, just shoot me an e-mail (wcrisovan@gmail.com) with the quantity, sizes (adult small- XL), and your name and address. If you live in the South Bend area, I can drop it off at your house and you can pay me then. I will also be selling them at The Purple Porch Co-op on Wednesday nights. Otherwise, I'll mail it to you and you can send me a check.
Thanks! ...and remember, they're beautiful!!

Thank you to my grandpa, Thomas Crisovan, The Barber/White family, Jacqueline and Matt, Graphie Tees, and my mom and dad for sponsoring me!