Random Acquaintances

So last weekend I was in Chicago to take some testing that is required by the state of Illinois if I'm going to teach here, and I'm here right now, waiting for my train back to Michigan. (Unfortunately I can't get a wifi connection, so I'll have to wait to post this until I get home.) Both weekends I had the privilege of meeting some new people. Let me back up to the fall of 2005 so I can make all the connections for you. As most of you know I studied in Latin America with the Latin American Studies Program the fall semester of 2005. I have stayed in touch not only with some of my fellow students, but with some of the staff as well. Last year, I went to a Catholic mission in Guatemala (which I had been introduced to by LASP) to volunteer for four months. While I was there, I got to meet some of that semester's LASPers who worked with the same Catholic mission, and then I headed across the lake to hang out with the whole group for a day. I've kept in touch with one of those students as well. Her name is Amy, and she's student teaching in Chicago, and was generous enough to let me stay with her last weekend. One of her roommates (Lindsey) is someone else that I met in Guatemala. Her other two roommates are alumni of John Brown University. Amy knew I needed to come back this weekend, but Amy and Lindsey were both going to be gone. The other two roommates (Rachel and Jill) were gracious enough to let me stay with them anyway. I found out this weekend that Rachel and Jill both knew Heidi, someone I know from LASP and hung out with quite a bit in Costa Rica. Small world.

Friday night I went out to dinner with Rachel and Jill (keep in mind I barely know them), their friend Jamie who was in from Ohio, visiting her boyfriend, and her boyfriend Jonathan. I do enjoy meeting people. We had a great time.

Oh frustration. There's a wifi network here somewhere, but apparently I'm some distance from it, because I can't hold a connection for anything, and when I do get one I can't connect to the internet.