PR Medical Clearance

So just got the call that I medically cleared for Puerto Rico!

The nurse on the phone called me (on a Saturday no less) and said that my paperwork looked good, and was kind enough to talk me through some next steps. At some point I will get an official email from the American Red Cross which will have my deployment date, information on finances and flight info. It will also include how to pick up my ARC Mission Card which is how they will give me money for preparatory purchases and incidentals.

It sounds like everything is pretty awesome, other than the fact that the next group being sent down is leaving in mid-December and I can't leave until mid-January. She said that wasn't set in stone by any stretch of the imagination, so I'm hoping enough people want to hang around for the holidays that they will bump it back. Worst comes to worst, if they send another group down, I could go with them; at that point I run the risk of getting a big girl job and needed to cancel my application, but I will cross that bridge when I come to it.

I still feel really good about this, and am excited about the prospect to serve. Send happy thoughts into the universe that the timing all works out. It is always all about the timing.

Claire/Tlotlo

Puerto Rico, My Heart's Devotion

I knew it was only a matter of time.

About a month and a half ago, I actually (this doesn't happen often) clicked into the RPCV newsletter, and found a call for RPCVs to take 4 week deployments to help with relief efforts in Puerto Rico. I applied, and three days ago received a response, requesting medical background, and available dates so that my travel could be booked ASAP.

I'm not sure what is going to happen with this, or if I will even be cleared, but the concept of getting back into the field and doing challenging work, while sorta being a PCV again sounds amazing. They asked the usual types of questions: whether or not I can climb two flights of stairs, and live without electricity and running water, if I would be emotionally able to handle the work. With each checked "Yes" box, I felt a little part of myself wake up, and ready itself for the challenge. There was an excitement that I haven't felt in a long time. I don't know why, but I really want to do this. I know it will be hard, I know I will be frustrated, but I just need something tangible, and real, and something that allows me to just focus on work and clear my head of all the other BS.

Life has been a bit challenging as of late, and I feel like this would be a fantastic opportunity for...a reset? ...A pause? ...A distraction? I would feel bad for making this about my wants and needs, if my first term of service hadn't already taught me that if you don't have personal reasons for these types of things, that the altruism part of it won't get you through the hard parts. I serve because I feel a drive to do so, and because I believe I can be conscious enough to know when the work is ethical or not. I serve because I believe I can impact communities, in small and intimate ways, and that I have something to contribute. I serve because it makes me feel good, and there is nothing wrong with that.

Will keep you all posted about how this turns out, hoping to hear in the next few days, and then leave sometime in January. Fingers crossed this will be how I get to kick off a brand new 2018.

~Claire/Tlotlo 

Performance Piece

Hello All!

Long time since I have posted, but I needed a space to put something out into the world, and I figured this was as good a time as any to restart this old blog. I spent last weekend at the One Voice Mixed Chorus Retreat, and was a part of the "No Singing Talent Show." The piece below was written for said show, and performed by yours truly. Haven't done this type of writing in forever, but I'm kinda proud of this one, and a few folks asked for copies. 

Should I really be able to screw my courage to the sticking place I may even post a video of me performing this a bit later. We will see ;)

Hands

Are you a boobs or an ass gal?

Though I provide a response

I tuck my secrete desire back into the folds of my mind and smile wicked at the thought of 

The true parts of my affection

The pieces of a human that grab my attention

The bits that never escape my detention

I’m a hands gal

I’ve fallen in love with so many hands I could fill a rock concert

A parade of royals

And a classroom full of eager students who have the answer on the

Tip of their tongues

That I could be a glove upon that hand

The dough beneath that hand

The hand within that hand

I’ve salivated rivers over hard working hands

Bloodied my knees worshiping at the alter of callouses

Hands with burns and cuts and scars

Played out in a historical inventory across the galaxy of a palm

A constantly carried autobiography written with blisters and missing fingernails

I can’t help but do a double take and a once over

As I watch soft, supple hands create music, prose, policy, and policy that is prose

Building seamless bridges between the mind and the world

The fierce poetic beauty of a hand is juxtaposed by the havoc it can wreck

I’ve watched hands bludgeon and beguile

Beat and bless

Berate and birth

I’ve become breathless as activists hands joined together

Face to face with brutality

Rising in fists and

Climaxing in liberty

Our stories are cradled in the palms of our hands

I fell in love with her whittling hands first

Building worlds from imagination just think of the places they will take me

I’ve watched those hands knead, and stretch and pull

And whether it’s working in the earth or working on me

I trust those hands

Hers are strong hands

And home hands

And a home for my hands, hands

Are you a boobs or an ass gal?

It’s all in the hands.

Tactical Compassion

I gave a safety pin to a Trump supporter yesterday...

She asked if she could have one from the box in my cubicle and I explained what it meant. I told her that the pin itself meant little, because a pin can't start a conversation, lead someone to safety, or insert itself in dangerous situation, but she could. She asked if I thought people would think she was a hypocrite for wearing it (she had made it clear through social media, who she voted for), and I told her they might, and that she could be getting some very legitimate anger her way. "But if you truly believe that you are willing and able to provide a safe place for people of color, immigrants, Muslims and queer folks like me, I think it may be even more important that people like you wear this." She agreed she would do it, and we talked about getting lunch at some point in the future. I don't know if I could have the full conversation with her about the impact of her vote, without getting angry, right now, but I want to. I want to listen to why this kind human being in my life, would put her most basic political power behind a person so vile. I want to understand, and more importantly, I want her to understand, we NEED to understand. So I gave a Trump supporter a safety pin yesterday, and I think my heart hurt a little less in the process. 

Last First Day!

Here it is folks, my last first day of school! I of course am saying this with the sincere hope that I don't get it stuck in my mind to go for a PhD at any point, though goodness knows that might happen a bit farther down the line. Anyhoo, here is what you have missed while I have been away.

I'm currently working for the Hennepin County Human Services and Public Health Department, within their Integrated Planning and Analysis Unit. I really couldn't be happier this with job, as it allows me to take on project from across county departments. For example, at the moment I'm working as part of a task force to end chronic homelessness in Hennepin County before the end of 2017 (learn more at https://www.usich.gov/goals/chronic) while also helping out some folks that are running a program to help children that have been take from their homes by CPS, to have an easier transition in school. I will get to stay in this position until the end of the year, and I really couldn't be more thankful for the opportunity. 

Part way through the summer I was invited to TA for one of my favorite classes last year, AKA Qualitative Analysis Methods. I know this might not sound exciting for most of you, but I'm really into it. I get to teach lab, and help student work their way through a semester long research project. This was the same class I did research on individuals who use the term "queer" in their sexual orientation labels last year, and it was pretty epic. :) First lab tomorrow, I'm going to show these peeps how to write a bang up literature review, and we are going to talk about the IRB process!!! Okay...maybe I do need a PhD?

On top of this I was elected as the Chair of the Gender, Sex and Policy Events Committee at the Humphrey, and will be finishing out my term as the elected Community Engagement Chair for the Public Affairs Student Association. Just so we are keeping on top of the math, that is 14 credits, 20hrs of county work a week, 10 hrs of TA work a week, and 2 different student groups. 

I'm also auditioning for One Voice (which, hereto after shall be referred to as "Gay Choir") because music makes me happy, and it is okay for it to take up time in my life. 

The cats are well, my partner is awesome, no one in my family has cancer any more (congrats Mom and Lil Bro bro!), and though life is busy, I'm really happy. 

More check-ins to come!

Hugs and smooches, 

Claire 

Working

Goodness it has been a while! I said I would try and post regularly and then, as per usual, life got a bit in the way. It isn't that life wasn't in the way during Peace Corps, just that life was slower, and more relaxed, and life here...well, isn't.

I've been feeling good lately, my want to board a plane to anywhere only comes up once every month or so. The work I am doing, both academically and professionally feels important, like I'm setting things up and accomplishing them all in one. I have a qualitative project I'm excited about, I'm presenting a policy brief I have been working on for the last five months to my bosses bosses at the County Election Office, and I have been offered an internship in New York, had a successful interview for one in Washington DC, and have moved on to the next level of review for another job in the county here (which would be paid, and run for a year!)

My partner has been invited to interview for a new job next week. Mom and Little Brother are in remission, my Little Sister received a summer fellowship with NOA, and Dad is going to be able to start rowing off his stress in just a week from now on the water.

I was elected to the Community Engagement Chair of the Public Affairs Student Association and I believe that I am going to be able to implement a "Rent-a-Grad" program similar to a program we used while I was an undergraduate rower at State. I have a few hundred dollars in my budget and I am hoping to be able to support a program called Laundry Love that opens up a laundromat for free washes for people that need them.

I had an allergic reaction to tuna, and now know what hives look/feel/itch like...

My partner and I are going to take the Foreign Service Exam this summer and I'm currently studying under a 20yr Foreign Service Vet learning about bilateral and multilateral diplomacy.

We don't have bugs!

I got to speak to family and friends back in Bots for the first time in a few months and it felt really wonderful. The want to get back to that side of the world is still pretty intense, but with new job possibilities around the corner, maybe not as far off as I thought it would be?

Sanders is on a roll :)

I will try and be better about this whole updating thing, no promises though.

Love,
Claire

Something We Can All Agree On

You may wonder why I announced a big rejuvenation of this blog and then disappeared, and this is why. (Written by my Dad)

Dear Family, Friends, Colleagues, Followers, and the rest of you wonderful people out there in the Internet universe that come across this post,

Thursday, December 17th is the occasion of my 55th birthday. This year and this birthday are especially poignant for me. Both my mother, Inga, and my Morfar, Sven Oscar Lundgren (my Swedish grandfather on my mother’s side), passed at age 55. So now is as good a time as any for me to take a look back and remember these two wonderful big personalities that had such a big impact on my life. Time has softened some tough memories, and I now fondly look back on many wonderful times I spent with both of them, especially Swedish Christmas.

But I write today (and will repost often this week, sorry about that) for another reason. In this day of contention, worry, derisive political antics, religious arguments and blustering personalities, I want to ask your help with something that I am certain will get 100% agreement from 100% of the people that read this, no matter your religion, political bent, what you look like or where you are from.

Cancer, Fucking Cancer……This insidious disease has recently touched way to many wonderful friends my family knows, and recently made a visit to my immediate family. As I am sure most of you can sadly attest, MF cancer (one F-bomb is probably enough) has touched way too many people we all know and love. Cancer hits indiscriminately, across all economic classes, religious and political beliefs, it does not spare nationalities or races. It has got to go!

Our personal family story:

After a routine mammogram this past July, my wife Lisa was diagnosed with Ductal Carcinoma In-Situ commonly referred to as DCIS (or early stage breast cancer.) Shockingly just a few months later our son Adam was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Fortunately the prognosis for both is extremely positive.

Lisa just wrapped up her treatment last week, including racing (and qualifying for next year!) in the Head of the Charles regatta in Boston, 5 weeks after her lumpectomy surgery, in a Womens Eight for the Ann Arbor Rowing Club.

My mom in the center 

Last week Adam completed his first month, of what is expected to be a four to six month course, of chemotherapy that will take place every other week. He is grinding through his Computer Science, Statistics and Swedish finals at the University of Michigan this week and expects to stay in school next semester as well. Unfortunately Adam had to stop rowing for the Michigan Mens Rowing Team this year after a very successful first year competing that ended with Michigan winning their 8th straight team national championship at the American Collegiate Rowing Association National Championships. He plans to return to the team next year. Row Blue!

Lil bro bro rocking the row (he is in the hat)

What am I up to.....

So why am I tying all of this together with my 55th birthday you may ask? Obviously our family has a rowing problem, but we don’t need help with that.

On Thursday a few of my Ann Arbor Rowing Club teammates will half jokingly post that I should erg (an indoor rowing torture machine) 55 kilometers (~34.18 miles) for my 55th birthday. While I do not plan to do this in one sitting, pesky work prevents that possibility; I am going to do it and row a total of 55k this Thursday, December 17th.

In celebration of life and my wonderful family, but especially for Lisa and Adam this year, I am asking all of you to do two things to support my just over 34 mile rowing odyssey that will not take me anywhere.

mom, lil bro bro, dad

First please consider making what I am calling a 55 donation, $5.50, $55, $550, or even $5,500 or more, to support cancer research at the University of Michigan (where both Lisa and Adam are getting fantastic treatment), or the cancer research or treatment center of your choice. See links at end of this post.

Along with happy birthday wishes (who doesn’t want those!) this Thursday I would so appreciate to see confirmations of your donations (message me if you don’t want to publicly post about donations) so I can keep track and post a total raised……….once I recover. Make a donation on the 17th and you get a tax donation for 2015.

The second thing I would ask you to consider doing, please like, share this post and the link for this post as often as you are willing through Thursday, 12/17. Maybe we can get some deep pockets to contribute if this post gets enough traction and raise some serious cash for a very worthy cause, no matter where the money goes.

Thanks so much!

Our Family

Relavent Links:

University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center -https://leadersandbest.umich.edu/find/#!/med/umhs-ccc

List of best cancer research hospitals by US News and World Report -http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/rankings/cancer

Best cancer related charities by Charity Watch -https://www.charitywatch.org/top-rated-charities

#fuckcancer #beatcancer #fightcancer #nomorecancer #cancersucks #breastcancer #breastcancerswareness #cancercure #cancerawareness #hodgkinslymphoma #lymphoma #lymphomaawareness #fightbreastcancer #fightlymphoma #InnovateBlue #LeadersAndBest #UMich #GoBlue 

Little Wins

Been feeling the stress lately, so I wanted to make a list of my "little wins" for the week:

• I got the top grade on a practice management memo in my management of organizations class
• Went out for drinks at the neighborhood bar with classmates last night, and felt like there are some real friendships in the making going on
• The class in which I met the aforementioned classmates is physically over and there are only two more short individual projects left to turn in next week (this class was...stressful, post about it later maybe.)
• I was invited to interview for a policy job working on voter registration
• I applied for an internship at the State Department (Bureau of Multilateral and Global Affairs, send good thoughts my way!)
• I reformatted the blog! What do y'all think? The picture in the background is of me on a walk about on an island in the Okavango Delta. I thought it might be a good "I'm starting a new adventure" type vibe. Comment below!

Love you all, 

Claire 

Welcome to the New Site!

...that looks exactly like the old site because I haven't really changed anything...

I'm going to try and figure out if there is a way for me to archive my "Peace Corps Ginger" blog within this site, and to make sure that those of you wanting to access my writings from during my service are still able to. In the meantime, however, I have been encouraged by a few people to continue my writings in blog format, for the adventures I will be having during my graduate education! I'm guessing most posts will read as follows:

Claire wakes up early to do the readings she should have done last night
Claire pulls an all nighter to finish a project
Claire geeks out over *insert policy topic here*
Claire finally understands the Minnesota "hot dish" (never to be confused with a casserole)
Claire gets lost in Mall of America and is never seen again

At this point you may have gathered that I'm attending school in Minneapolis, MN, and you would be right! I'm currently in the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, working on my Masters of Public Policy, with a concentration in Gender and Public Policy, a minor in Human Rights, and a certificate in Nonprofit Management. I like to call this particular academic track: "how many fancy looking pieces of paper could I have on a future office wall?"

I'm a bit busy to try and reformat the blog at this moment, so I will leave you with this little nugget, pulled from a family update I sent out in my 3rd week of classes (I'm now in my 7th.) Talk more soon, and thanks for tuning in!

Claire's Top Three in the First Three Moments:

1st: Discovering that the "W. Mondale", who co-teaches my Politics in Public Affairs class was actually Mr. Walter Mondale, VP to President Jimmy Carter, and unsuccessful Presidential hopeful against Reagan. He is present in about 30% of our lectures, and it is hilarious to watch him butt into the regular lecture with stories about the politics behind the policy we are discussing. This man headed the domestic arm of the Church Committee, which was fascinating to hear about, and horrifying to comprehend.

2nd: Meeting a Zambian international student in my Gender and Public Policy class and being able to geek out over that corner of Sub Saharan Africa. Though Agness doesn't speak Setswana, I was able to look up a bit of Chewa and greet her properly by the second class. When the professor asked her is there were any other students she knew from Zambia, she said one, and then patter me on the back and said she now knew one from Botswana as well. You could not have sanded the grin off my face for the rest of the evening.

3rd: Being able to raise my hand in my Management of Organizations course, as one of the few students who have experience in the nonprofit sector, for profit sector and government sector. I'm in the middle/ on the younger end of my cohort at Humphrey, and there are some amazing students with insane amounts of experience in the program. If felt nice to think that I could hang with them, and that I'm holding my own as an outspoken student in a body of outspoken students.

~Claire (and still Tlotlo)

Flight Risk

The urge to run is like a million bugs beneath my skin
The want to tear up the roots
To find new soil
Like the earth itself is calling me, haunting and delightful

The urge to break away is like the cane in a vaudeville show
A lasso at a rodeo
The moment before a bungee jump
The stress, the want, the need, inescapable

Have I the nomads curse?