Me aculpa…

Well, for all of you who were enjoying my periodic updates, I apologize for my lack of communication in the last year. In short, I finished my service with the Peace Corps May 2, 2008, and have been preparing to start graduate school at Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington, DC this September. Many of you have heard of this plan for some time, which is why it may come to a shock to you that I have recently decided to transfer to the Bologna campus of SAIS in Italy for my first year. This decision was made at the very last minute, but I believe that it is the right choice for me. For those of you in DC with whom I have been trying to get in touch with since I have been here the last month, I will miss you a lot, and I hope that you will still be here next year when I return to complete my MA at the DC campus. The most difficult part about making this decision was the knowledge that another year would pass before I can spend quality time with my friends and family. You all are so important to me, and every time I go on a new adventure it pains me that I cannot take you all with me. However, I am beginning to understand that part of my commitment to international development requires that I make sacrifices, and for the first time in my life I have a clear purpose and goal for my professional career. Unfortunately, those goals do not include life in DC right now. However, it is my home and you are my family, and I will never forget how much you mean to me and how essential your support is in every step of my journey. So, that said, I will be leaving this Tuesday. Class begins on Thursday, and the Johns Hopkins administration will hopefully help me find an apartment on Wednesday. As always, everyone is more than welcome to visit me any time, as I will be there until mid-June of next year. Please excuse the short notice, and I hope to see you all when I return, or earlier, if you are interested in the Tuscan countryside!

Love always,
Liz