Friday, April 30, 2010

What Sub Saharan Africa?

"Sub Saharan Africa...?"
"Yes Sub Saharan Africa" the Peace Corps placement officer told me on April 15th as I was driving the massive work delivery truck to Denver... (focus Molly, don't drive off the road... this is where you will be placed for next 2 and some odd years of your life... big decision... think Molly, think...) "as in anything south of the Sahara Desert?"
"Correct"
"Well then... I guess I'm going to Sub Saharan Africa." (as in I could now be placed in one of the many countries south of the Sahara Desert... my oh my)
"Excellent, welcome to the Peace Corps, look for your welcome packet in the mail."

Africa??? What about Latin America... all the spanish I've been learning... What about??? All the adventures I've had planed out down there...? out the Window...

As it turns out I'll be in Ghana, West Africa... as a Peace Corps volunteer for the next 2 plus years working in the environment sector as an Agroforestry and Alternative Livelihood Facilitator. It all begins on June 1, 2010!




Sunday, November 15, 2009

My oh my... time sure does fly!

Last night I was laying in bed recapping my day... 22 gallons of fresh apple cider pressed in the freezing cold (it was snowing), so we could brew it to make some hard cider... anyways that's beyond the point... I came to the realization that I haven't written in my blog in almost a year (well I'm a month and a half shy of a year... oops).

But no worries I'm back (haha, for the time being at least) to fill everyone in (I'm not sure who all reads this still) on my super, exciting life!

Time to do some back tracking...

April 2009 - Ski season ended with a success. I lost count when I hit 90 days of skiing, but I believe that I got in about 100 days of making turns on the mountain. The last few days at Winter Park we were graced with about 4 feet of fresh wonderful white stuff. Ullr give me my wish and I skied till my hearts content.

May 2009 - With ski season at an end, I moved back to my parents house in New Castle, CO to become that farm girl once again, and learn the family's business. I worked all summer as the farmer's market coordinator for three local farmer's market.

June 2009 - My hair had hit the middle of my back, and it was time for a change. I got the nerve to shave all my hair off. I sent 16 inches of my hair to Locks for Love and the rest went to the trash. So now I rock the short hair and I absolutely love it.


a few weeks after I shaved my head

July 2009 - I hiked my first 14er, Quandry, as well as hiked my second and third 14er. Surprised that I was born and raised in Colorado and had yet to hike a 14er till this year.

August 2009 - Hummm... I think I hit a low in August. Over worked and overwhelmed. I did manage to take the last few days of August off and start off on a 4 days bike trip from New Castle to Fort Collins with my friend Elliott.

Elliott and me on day three of our bike trip

September 2009 - Elliott and I made it safely to For Collins on September 2 just in time for me to spend my 23rd birthday with friends in the Fort. It took us four days and over 200 miles to arrive in our former college town. September was also racing month for me. I took part again the in Colorado Relay. Running 170 miles over 3 mountain passes from Georgetown, CO to Carbondale, CO in 24 hours. And ironically the next day was the Glenwood Triathlon. I took second in my age group and set a personal best in the swimming.

October 2009 - Harvest was in the air, I stared my usually jam making session as well as drying and the fruits produced on our trees and pressing apples and peaches to make some hard cider. Theresa and I set out across the great west and drove to California to visit our sister Tara and meet up with the rest of our family in San Francisco for a family wedding.

The 5 of us together again

November 2009 - That's where I'm at right now... I've been running still, working on the farm, and I'm gearing up for ski season. Landed a job teaching at Snowmass as a kids ski instructor, and I'm more than anxious for the snow to start flying. Cider is still brewing have over 27 gallons of hard cider brewing in the basement. Woot Woot!

Future - I've been accepted to the Peace Corps and now I'm in the current stages of passing legal, dental and medical. As of now I'm scheduled to leave in May of 2010 for somewhere in Latin America to do farm management.


Thursday, January 01, 2009

For those of you that still keep up with the exciting life of Molly, I'm sorry for the delay in writing blogs.  I guess I feel that my life isn't that exciting now that I'm living back in the wonderful state of Colorado, but maybe is really is?

I guess I could catch everyone up on my whereabouts though...

When I got back from my summer travels I landed at my parents house and started working on the farm out in New Castle, CO.  I managed the farm girl lifestyle for about two months when I decided (actually this plan was in the making when I graduated from college) to up and move to Winter Park, Colorado to get in a good season of skiing.  I moved here with one of my really good friends from CSU to put our degrees to use (actually whenever I speak German I'm totally putting my degree to use) and make our parents proud!

So now two months later, I'm living in Winter Park.  I'm able to see the ski area from my front deck as well as a beautiful view of the Continental Divide.  The snow has been falling, but we are still in desperate need for a good 3 foot dump (but at this point I'll take whatever the sky will give us).  I've already put in 24 days of skiing and I hope to get in about 100.  Lately I've been spending my days skiing (big surprise, right?) and acquiring awkward tan lines (working right now on my goggle tan line).

Keep thinking peace and powder!

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Dirndls und Lederhosen
Bier und Brezels
Lachen und Trinken

Theresa and I got all dressed up in our typical Bavarian dresses for some Bier und Brezels.

And old friends reunited in Germany
(We all once upon a time studied together in Bamberg, Germany)
Holly, Molly, Danielle


Molly in training


Danielle, Ali, Theresa, Molly

Theresa bringing over some Bavarian Bier und XL Brezels

PROST!!

Saturday, August 16, 2008

After an 11 hour flight to München, I arrived exhausted, but excited to be back in a country where I knew the language (or I could more or less get by), could eat a large amounts of the foods that I was missing (fresh salads, coffee, dairy - milk and cheese, good bread and pizza) and just relax (clean hot showers, comfortable bed with clean sheets and no bug crawling all over them). I was greeted by the smiling face of my friend Ali (we went to CSU together, and she was back packing through Europe after studying in Morocco for the summer and she was currently crashing at my sister's Munich apartment).

Ali and I set off to explore the city (regardless of how many times I've been to München I've never really seen the city other than the Beer Gardens)Here we are with the Olympia Stadium behind us

My friend Holly (From England) and her boyfriendJon met up with Ali and I in Munich for a small Bamberg reunion.
Ali in training for Oktoberfest with Augustiner Bier.

The beer guardens go through a few of these Maßes of beer a night.

My first needle tree in 9 weeks. Just had to give it a hug!