The Joy of Blogging

Thanks so much to Steph Higgs for nominating me for the Versatile Blogger Award! As with so many good things, it turns out that I have to do something to earn the award :) Here are the rules:

Rules:

1.      Nominate 15 fellow bloggers who are relatively new to blogging
2.      Share 7 random facts about yourself

This is a great opportunity to recognize some of the amazing International Development students who I have the privilege of getting to know this summer, both in our St. Paul's residence community, and in the online community. These are people whose bright ideas and passion shine through their thoughtful comments in class and on their blogs:

http://findingdevelopment.wordpress.com/
http://kylamckee.wordpress.com/
http://saida1sheikh.blogspot.ca/
http://dapochronicles.tumblr.com/
http://the-k-movement.tumblr.com/
http://wherehopetakesroot.blogspot.ca/
http://www.jeannette-rouire.blogspot.ca/
http://katelyninburkina.blogspot.ca/
http://nafishasavoice.wordpress.com/
http://adamchagani.com/
http://madihainvietnam.blogspot.ca/
http://dangoesperusing.blogspot.ca/
http://ginavukojevic.blogspot.ca/
http://www.heatherramshawtravels.blogspot.ca/
http://kevinmcgregorsblog.blogspot.ca/

And those are just a few! Check out the INDEVOURS blog for the whole enchilada! (I'm practicing my Spanish :)

And for the second part of the award, here are 7 facts about myself:

1. I have lived in Iowa, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ontario, and Quebec! All of these experiences have enriched my life, and I wouldn't take any of them back, but I think I would like to be rooted in one place someday.

2. Luckily, Mennonite culture is transnational. That's probably why I identify with it so strongly. The music, good food, peace theology, and great community are also really cool, and may I say radical?

3. I <3 music. Specifically, folk music--that is, the music that people and communities make themselves. As a fiddler, I love finding other people to play and sing with, and I've found that music is a neat way to build bridges across cultures and languages. I collect songs the way many people collect souvenirs.

4. Tucked away in a notebook, I have secret plans for my dream not-for-profit, community-owned arts, culture & environment centre. *Sigh*. Maybe when I graduate.

5. I speak in English, think in French, and sing in Spanish.  Language has always been a love of mine.

6. I love to read. Working at an indie bookstore for the last 3 years has been an incredible experience, and I'm sad to be leaving in a month!

7. I'm passionate about peace and environmental activism! Since high school, I've organized campaigns on issues ranging from climate change to Iraq War resisters in Canada.

So there you have it! 7 facts about me. But you seem interesting too! Let's talk :)

-Laura-