another step

lately i've been looking into another volunteer opportunity...instead of applying for jobs.  sigh. i had contacted a hospice a few cities away, who had advertised a volunteer opportunity doing similar things i'm doing now at the club. they haven't emailed me back yet.  so i kept looking for other volunteer gigs. today, i came across a few more organizations in need of help in the office. most are too far away though. then i came across this nonprofit not too far away that need help sorting through donated medical supplies. this time i got a glimpse of their mission statement and it turns out a lot of the supplies that need to be sorted are to be shipped off to developing countries. it was then i realized this is the volunteer opportunity i should be doing.  in addition, this nonprofit also offers internships in a few areas i would love to participate in, one of which is logistics (i will come back to that later).

before i go on, i have to back track.  in the summer of 2010, i was looking at the posting for the volunteer opportunity at the club.  i didn't start volunteering there until april of the following year.  however, before i came across that opportunity i had stumbled across the volunteer opportunity for this nonprofit.  for some reason, i didn't read far enough in their mission statement. though at the time, i didn't know yet that i would want to work for an international nonprofit/humanitarian aid sector. i looked into this volunteer opportunity of sorting through things but it didn't seem a very good use of my time, the bus ride would be too long just to go sort through supplies. i ended passing this opportunity up and kept looking.

back to their logistics internship, i would love to learn this. if they tell me, i can't then i won't mind volunteering in their store or in the office.  either way i'm going to learn something.  i am pretty excited and i haven't even sent them an inquiry yet. why am i excited about a logistics internship.  awhile ago i was reading blogs from people who have gone to work on missions for the international red cross in different countries around the world.  it seemed like something i would love to do one day.  however, there are only a few positions that they recruit for:  medical personnel, admin/h.r., and logistics.  i am not a doctor, nurse, or surgeon. i'm working on my admin experience but have no h.r.  and logistics?  along with admin/hr, a logistics person is needed in most international nonprofits who deal with sending crews/supplies to foreign lands.

now the only thing i need to figure out is how many days do i want to go in.  the nonprofit might have a minimum service requirement per week.  then i still have to find a second job.  maybe this will just be like my experience at the club:  a job will come from volunteering.

flats

update:  i had no idea i accidentally posted this here (3 times??!!!).   i actually have similar pieces in my wardrobe and wore it as an outfit. the shoes, especially, i have.  they are from old navy and are quite comfortable. i am not a flashy person when it comes to style so if i own anything with leopard print on it, it would make sense that they would be shoes. now that i think of it, this outfit reminds me of paris.

a few of the outfits i've created on polyvore are outfits i have worn with similar pieces.

losing sight of the future.

more than a year ago when i had realized my career path was to be in the non-profit sector, i started thinking about my next steps.  it was a very general idea but i was able to project several years into the future.  the first step was to get a job.  when that came to fruition, it still wasn't enough.  however, it was strange.  the picture i had imagined had disappeared soon after i was hired.  i still don't know why.  maybe because that path that i had imagined last year wasn't relevant anymore.  maybe i am supposed to go down a different path. i didn't think too much about trying to stick to that path.  i felt i was supposed to just stay where i am for a few years and in that time i will eventually know what my next step will be.

tonight i took another look at my old plan.  one of the next steps was to intern for a humanitarian aid non-profit.  looking at their internships, many require knowledge of the field of world affairs, international relations or international development.  something i have no knowledge of.  a few other knowledge require a good command of written and spoken english.  communication isn't one of my strengths.  in a work environment i am pretty quiet.  my writing skills are not strong enough to write grant proposals.  sigh. then there is the master's degree requirement.  eventually that is what i'll have to do - go back to school for a graduate degree.

with all this in mind, if i just continue to go with the flow, how long will it take me to arrive at my destination?  do i jump ahead and apply to grad school within the next two years now or wait and apply after five years of entry-level non-profit work and internships?  i'm currently working at a non-profit that deals with children from under-served communities and education at a local level though the non-profit is also national.  at this point i really don't know if i'm supposed to be going the international route or if my career will keep me at the local and national levels only.  how do you plan for the future when you don't know?  if i just stay the current path and i don't get a full-time position or more hours soon, then i will need a second job just so i can save up for the future.  doesn't soon too great.  how do i apply for grad school without feeling strongly or knowing well enough what i want to do?  the future is nowhere in sight.

beautiful things

i am currently helping my cousin look for a wedding dress.  i come across this one article online. in this article it lists online mass retailers who have a wedding line. one of the ones i didn't know about is anthropologie. their wedding collection is actually called bhldn (i have no idea what that stands for). the dresses are just beautiful-- the style is vintage, romantic. well... i don't know if my cousin is into the vintage look but i am. will definitely keep this in mind for when my time comes :)