One Year, One Blog

Just over a year ago I made the decision to start this blog. It took me a few days to determine what I wanted to write about, what rules I was going to set for myself, and how often I was going to post. Well, as you know, I decided to post every day and I have done so for a complete year now. That’s right, this post is number 365. It has been a busy year with a lot of changes and a lot to write about. I don't know how sane this daily endeavor has been but, at the very least, I had to set this goal to prove to myself that I still had some kernel of creativity left in me.

It has been tough at times to motivate myself and there have been times when I have given up free time and sleep but it was all worth it given the cathartic nature of the things that I have posted. Even the things that may seem like records of what happened the previous day, there was a certain element of venting, processing, or thinking that allowed me to end the day, deposit the experience into memory, and focus on what was in front of me instead of what is behind. It has also been a way to focus on something positive, or just something else, than some of the things that were happening around me or things that I may have been dealing with beyond the words on the screen.

This has been a fun little experiment and one that I have enjoyed sharing with all of you but now the question is… what is going to happen with the blog now? Well, while this anniversary was originally set as a goal it has evolved more into a milestone. This blog is not going to be coming to an end any time soon. However, I will be making a small change that should make a big difference for me moving forward. While I will still be posting my daily thoughts and experiences, I am lifting the minimum word count.

You all know that I can be very long winded with my posts and I think it is time to put an end to that vicious circle. This doesn’t mean that I won’t have my long posts now any again but now, when the thought is complete, I can stop at a more natural point rather than having to continue to meet that 400 word minimum. This may even open the blog up to other forms of writing and observation so that I can write about interesting or funny conversations or I can post a poem or two that I may be working on. Essentially, by lifting the minimum, I am maximizing the possibilities of both content and form.

So, here is to another 365 posts, another 19,000+ views (a little short of my goal but I'll take it), and another year of recording life, thoughts, opinions, and places. Any other suggestions you might have as to content, form, frequency, etc. that you have please feel free to share below. I look forward to entertaining you for another year and, more importantly, I look forward to recording life.

From Venezuela to the US to South Korea

This week we had a great opportunity to start off the new Rotary year with a great speaker, Ruben Reyes, who was sponsored by The Rotary Club of Northeast Sunrisers in Philadelphia to be a part of The Rotary District 7450 Group Study Exchange Experience in Seoul, South Korea this past April. As part of a five person exchange, Mr. Reyes spent four weeks abroad learning about Korean culture and cultivating good will as one of the representatives from our Rotary district. Our club also had the opportunity to meet the Korean team during their visit in April to the Philadelphia area.

A native of Venezuela, Mr. Reyes resides in Philadelphia and is a Principal and Founding Partner of Lyquix, a marketing and technology firm based in Philadelphia, responsible for overseeing all the technology and usability aspects of projects. Given his marketing and technology background, he offered an interesting perspective of both the experience and the progress that surrounded the team throughout the exchange. Other members of the team comprised of other nationalities and professions which provided for a dynamic and interesting experience for all.

“Being part of the GSE team is at the same time an honor, and a very exciting adventure. As I was expecting, our team represents very diverse professions, aptitudes, and personalities. What I didn’t expect was to find that 3 out of 5 of us are born and raised outside the US. Blandine is from France, Tae is from Thailand, and I am from Venezuela.” Mr. Reyes continued, “While, we certainly don’t represent the struggles of immigrants that have escaped oppression, war, or poverty, for whom freedom and prosperity was denied to them in their home lands, we are proud to have the opportunity to visit South Korea to promote goodwill from both the U.S. and our home countries. This team truly represents the notion that the United States is a melting pot of cultures.”

All present at the weekly meeting were impressed with the way Mr. Reyes presented himself and how the members of the GSE team represented the district. We were also intrigued to find out about some of the many cultural and Rotary related differences between our two countries most notably the sheer volume of food present at meals and the fact that certain Rotary clubs have their own buildings. Overall, the message presented to the club reinforced our previous experience from our international guests from District 3600 months ago that the people of South Korea are incredibly warm, good hearted, and motivated by a love of peace and community.

The GSE program is something that we are all looking forward to hearing about again from both sides in the future as it illustrates one of the beauties of being a part of the world’s largest service centric organization. The connection we all share as Rotarians goes beyond language, culture, and country. Service knows no boundaries and peace needs no translation. 

To read more about The Rotary District 7450 Group Study Exchange Experience in Seoul, South Korea this past April visit the team's blog at http://phillygse2013.wordpress.com/. You can also browse the plethora of pictures posted on flickr at http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellysteveadventures/ (this is where the pictures were taken from for this post). The YouTube video is courtesy of Past President Richard M. Trivane.