The First $1,000 Payment

Today I found out that I have made enough money to pay the first $1,000 payment. I am really shocked because for the first two weeks I only had around $90. To break it down I received $100 each form my Big Momma, Ed (a close family friend), and from my uncle Bob. So theres $300 right there. Then I made $100 from selling sports cups, $50 from selling candy, and my pay pal account that my aunt and uncle put $370. So now were at about $910.... At the moment I am not sure where there the last $90 came from... but wherever or whomever it came from I am very grateful.


Thank you friends and family for all your support.

Passport: The main thing that will get me there

Sometime this month I am going to go get my passport. Besides the money and support, the passport is the most important thing, because without a passport how am I going to travel out of the country? And without my Uncle Jeff I wouldn't have a passport. My uncle lives in Florida and when I was little he was ALWAYS at our house which was cool because I love him. One of my fondest memories of him was when he had a new girlfriend (who he is now married to) who had a daughter who is a little bit younger than me. One day they came to my house and took me and the daughter to the beach. It was a fun day and I was happy that he loved me enough to involve me in activities with his new family. Anyways he gave me the money for my passport. I very much appreciate that he is willing to help even though we live thousands of miles away and I haven't seen him in years.

Girl Power!

Last Thursday I went to a Soroptimist meeting to ask for a sponsorship for my trip. For those who have no idea what Soroptimist is, it's an organization of professional women who make the effort to improve the lives of women and girls worldwide. I went to them to talk about how this trip to Italy and Greece is an educational experience and how it is related to my future goal of becoming an architect. Architecture is a male-dominated profession and Soroptimist are all about equality and diversity so I knew they would be the perfect people to ask for help. I was a little nervous about meeting these women but they were all very kind and seemed interested in what I had to say, most of them have traveled to Italy before. They said that at their next meeting about finances they would tell their other members about me and see what they decide. So I am keeping my fingers crossed but I am just thankful that they even made time to have me come talk to them.

Dr. Maya Angelou

Today I had to submit an essay for a Black History Month Essay Contest. The Essay had to be about a person of color who has faced many trials and tribulations but still accomplished their goals. But there was a twist to the essay, it wasn't just an average research essay it had to be written as if I actually knew the person I was writing about. I thought the obvious people to write about are President Obama, Oprah, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. But when you're writing an essay in an essay contest you don't want to pick a common topic, so I chose to write about Dr. Maya Angelou. She isn't the most obvious person to write about but she is still popular. She was the person I enjoyed researching the most. She inspires me to never give up on my dreams. She said "I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life's a bitch. You've got to go out and kick ass."
Another thing I admire about Dr. Angelou is that she traveled and she inspires me to keep fundraising to get to my goal and accomplish my dreams. 


"Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends." -Maya Angelou

Anonymous Donation of $500

An anonymous donor donated $500. The nice lady told my mom that this money is only to be used as shopping money when I get to Europe. The lady also said the reason she is so generous is because the Lord says that you should give generously and expect nothing in return. She does this and her life is very blessed. Is it because of her optimistic point of view or is God really rewarding her for he good doings? I don't know but which ever the answer may be, this way of thinking should be used in everyday life. We should all look outside of ourselves to help others, expecting nothing in return but to know that we have made someone else happy with whatever we have to give. Time. Love. Money. There are endless ways to give and be blessed in return.