Time for Change

So much has changed over these last few months. My perspective on many things have slowly but surely started changing. Before school started my dream school's had to be Stanford, Duke, or Emory. As of last week it has gone down to only Emory. I finally came to the realization that maybe I can't be a plane ride away from my parents and little brother. And maybe they can't handle having me that far away either. I used to feel that going to school in Atlanta would be like staying home and not being able to experience new things that one expects from college. But the more and more I think about it, there's so many opportunities to experience in a setting I am not well acquainted with, and still be a a car drive away from what I call home. I had to think hard about how my parent's and little brother would fare with me at a school like Stanford where they would only see me like once every few months for brief periods of time. As much as I do love that school, it has become apparent that going there for my undergraduate is a decision that would not consider the affects it will have on my family. I know my parents would be more than happy for me to enroll at a school as prestigious as Stanford, but when it comes down to it, I know they would have a very difficult time adjusting, adding in the fact that they are Afghan and the fact that I have no family near home to keep their mind of me if I was away. So I am playing it close to home, already applied early to Tech. Working on my Emory application, and inshallah I will get that in before November 1st. This is just one of many changes that have occurred during these last few months, and hopefully I'll add on in the next few weeks.

AFGHANISTAN...DUN DUN DUN

All in all not that scary here or anything of that sort. But i'm discovering i definitely came here for way too long. a month woulda been perfect. another thing thats ticked me off is the fact that i barely got to watch world cup since its on past midnight here, which is pretty much crap for me. anyways today is my first day on the job as a volunteer for an organization that monitors the election process for afghanistan - they had internet :) got to check some mail mess around, its 12 in the afternoon here, about to go on mi lunch break. seems like a cool enough place, my cousin hooked me up with the job, but he has me working for two weeks straight...not cool. prolly gonna have to talk that one over with him, after all i am on vacation. now that i have a stable source of internet access i'll try and put up a post summarizing what i've gotten up to on this side of the world. until then, ciao.

T-MINUS 8 HOURS

How time flies. It feels like summer started two or three days ago. Now its time to leave. I spent yesterday packing and cleaning around the house. It's really sad, but in the whole family, I'm taking the minimum amount of clothes...I have less than my 12 year old brother. I'm taking 2 t-shirts i like!! Only 2! One pair of jeans. I'm more prepared for like weddings cause I'm taking 3 pairs of dress pants, two black, one navy. 6 dress shirts, and like 5 ties (I'll probably share those with my dad). Then a bunch of random white ts. Reason I'm only taking two shirts I like is cause my mom said to buy some over there, cause mine pretty much spell "American" which is also a sign for "rob me first." hahah thats the way i see it.

I'm home alone at the moment, my parents went out to buy some more things, mostly random gifts for family that they expect when relatives come over from America. I was sleeping when they left (I went to bed at 4 last night). They asked me to come to, cause i needed a new belt, but I was way too tired, so they got mad at me.

On other news, they still don't know about my Bs, my report card came home on Thursday, and I hid it up in my room. Kinda sad, but I can't put up with them getting mad, maybe I'll let 'em know over the trip.

Oh yeah, I still don't know how i'm gonna do my online summer work over there, but i hope i figure it out.

I'll also be deactivating my phone till I get back (no service over there). I should probably put that up on fb, cause don't want friends thinking i'm ignoring them or something.
I hope I can get to facebook and blogspot from over there. I don't think it'll be a problem.

And on this final note, I'm gonna miss everyone, by the time i get back, no one will have hanging out on their mind, but instead getting ready for school, so summer in georgia practically ends for me today :(

Gonna miss Yall! Wish me luck, and keep my fam in your prayers while we're over there!

Summer Has Begun

So i decided to make a blog at the urging of a friend, and i've always had the thought in the back of my head. Now that summer's started, i got all the time i need to blog. It's June 2nd, been out of school for 7 days now. There are 5 days left till I leave for Afghanistan. Summer started of real well, but haven't had much fun these last few days.

First day of summer (last day of school) i went to breakfast with some friends, watched a movie, and got to play some basketball. The second day was just as eventful at Pridge graduation, lunch, swimming, and basketball to end the day. Friday if memory serves me right, I think i cleaned up at the new house, which was an awesome birthday present from the parents (who still haven't gotten me my present :/ but its okay) then went to a family friends house, who made dinner for my birthday. Saturday went just as well at my friend Bilal's graduation party, then i slept over at a friend's house (which my parents are rarely chill with). Next day was a nice BBQ, more swimming and more basketball. I think my parents were lax during those first days of summer, cause they know i'm a little ticked at the length of our visit to Afghanistan will be, but can't do anything now :/

Monday is when things started to go down hill, I asked my mom if I could go out, don't really remember for what, but her response was, "No, you have to start studying for your SAT 2s" (which are on June 5th-smart of me to sign up considering that i leave on the 7th). So monday was spent aimlessly staring at a prep book, in which i don't think i actually read one whole paragraph. Tuesday was a little better, I got to go shopping for a suit, cause i needed one for my cousin's engagement in Afghanistan. Found an all black Kenneth Cole, it fit real well. Now the problem is picking the right dress shirt and tie, i'm feeling a purple shirt, but my mom says thats a bit much for Afghanistan. So i'll get back to you on that one. And today, Wednesday, also know as "hump day" (saw that bit on tv) i spent the whole day home alone, "studying" for the SAT 2s, not even sure if i'll really end up studying for that. Tomorrow i have to go to this Leadership Summit, at Pridge, which last all day...yayy (can you sense the enthusiasm?) But hey, its good for college apps and all that stuff ( i hope!) but i think after i get home tomorrow i might actually sit down and try and study for the SAT 2s (i say that now-i live by procrastination, its a horrible thing). Also got a text from a friend, gonna spend my last full day in Georgia at Six Flags on Sunday, if my parents are fine with that (please pray they'll be chill with it, cause it being the last day, they may make me pack and stuff :(

Gonna try and text/call the troops to see if they're all down for going there, so I can see them one last time before I leave.

OH YEAH! completely forgot, but my parents still don't know that i got two Bs this semester :( i have no idea how that one is gonna blow over. Trying to decide if i should hide the report card if it come this week, or if it doesn't should i tell them during the trip?!? i have no idea, but its not gonna blow over well. Please pray that they can be understanding about my grades, it was a hard year, and the second B was a gut punch i didn't see coming at all. Please if you read this like i need your prayers to have a good summer. iA my parents will be understanding about it.

Thats all i got for now, i'll try and post again before the week is over, maybe two times if i can. And i have no idea if i can get onto blogspot from afghanistan, but you'll find out very soon!! For now, Sayonara mi amigos :)