Farms and weddings and DC this summer...oh my!

Dear friends and family! Sorry it's been a while since I've written, the past two weeks have been a bit of a whirlwind. A quick update on my summer so far:

After saying goodbye to not a few friends at graduation, I spent two weeks couch-surfing (couch-surfing, /kaʊtʃ/-/ˈsərfɪŋ/, v. 1.when you're homeless so you stay with whoever is willing to take you in; 2.Peace & Justice major real estate) in Denver working on a film project for the Center for Service Learning. For those of you who don't know, CSL is an awesome department at Regis that works with community partners and service sites in the Denver area to connect students and provide hands-on learning experiences. I have been very involved with CSL in my time at Regis, as an in-office work-study, a tutor for Somalian refugees, participant in multiple spring break service trips, and, as of next year, acting as the coordinator between service learning and the Honors Program. (Cue Hannah Montana: You get the bestttt of both worlds! Academia galore AND saving the world!) The final product will be a short film for prospective students on the role of Service Learning in university education.

In the middle of all this reflecting and filming, I decided to make a quick (surprise) trip home. So, surprise Bainbridge Island! As you could all guess, John was the most excited when I showed up at the ferry terminal last night. I now get to enjoy a few days with the family here in Seattle, and hopefully will get to see Kyle and Emily, my older bro and sister-in-law, in Portland this weekend! I've missed the coffee and the rain; it's good to be back!

And finally...I return to Denver next week to finish the film project; send off one brave but maniac friend who's biking across the country; visit the summer residents of Romero House, Regis' very own intentional living community; and have one last great get-together with all my Colorado friends before I leave for a new adventure, eight weeks in Rush, CO, participating in the Teilhard de Chardin Homestead Program. The program begins June 1st, and all I know now is that for eight weeks, I'll be living in southern Colorado, learning about waste management and recycling, working with marginalized communities, spending a lot of time in the sun, writing a lot (thesis, what up), and becoming family with the other members of this intentional spiritual community. I came across this opportunity in my work with CSL and I can't really explain why, but it feels like exactly where I'm supposed to see this summer. Let's pray God knows what He's doing.

I will return end of July just in time for a dear friend's wedding, a trip to DC with Mom (Happy Mother's Day! #favoritechild) a couple more weeks on Bainbridge, and to help Johnny Boy move out to school in what is becoming one of my favorite states: Colorado.

Until next time, happy summer to you all!

Always, Peyton

And so it begins!

Hey friends and family. For those of you who followed me in Chile -- I'm back! If you've been missing weekly updates on my Peace and Justice adventures in the world, you're in luck. This weekend is graduation at Regis University, which is making me a little nostalgic (already, I know) and all the more eager to make the most of my last undergraduate year. In light of my interests in writing and social justice issues, I decided a blog documenting this final year would be the perfect way to keep all my fans (aka John) updated on the fight for world peace going on in the Mile High City.

Things to look forward to this year include: a new multimedia project on service learning at Regis; a trip to Central America; a thesis on the role storytelling plays in overcoming trauma; living in Romero House, an intentional living community; and, if I'm lucky and get all those English credits done on time, GRADUATION!

If you followed me in Chile, you also know that I was born on Latino time, which means I'm sometimes running a little late. I'll do my best to post often this year, every two weeks or so, and after some summer photography lessons from the little sis, will hopefully have pictures of my wild life to share! Shout out to the grandmas, love you both. Peace and love to you all!

Always, Peyton