No frost or snow, I've yet to go...

Quick update: Stephanie Rupp, my dedicated and generous host counselor in Geneva, has again found me a place to stay, and even if this one doesn't work out, she has assured me that she has two other options on standby, if need be: her friends are willing to put me up if I can not find a place otherwise. This is very comforting b/c I've worried about not having a place to stay so late in the game.

Next obstacle: the inertia of bureaucracy that has stalled my approval for a Swiss visa. I'm afraid another call to the consulate in Houston would cross that line from solicitous to annoying, so I'm trying to wait patiently for a promised email.

In the meantime, I am overjoyed at the prospect of flying out to SLC to see my sister and her soon-to-be husband, Matthew. I also get to see Uncle Bob and Aunt Maryann on my way to and back from the airport, which is an added bonus.

The weather in SLC currently looks like it will be perfect when I'm there, though I was actually hoping it would be a bit colder so I could begin to acclimate myself to what mercilessly and patiently lies in wait to strike me when I step off the plane in Geneva. Brrr. At least I can be sure my hands will be warm. I got some extreme ice climbing gloves in Utah this summer that are waterproof and good down to -15 degrees F. I'm sure they'll come in handy when I get to go glissading for the first time, or scale my first frozen waterfall with crampons and double ice-axes, just like in the National Geographic photos which have dumped a few liters of propane on the flames of my adventuresome spirit.

Cliff Jumping at Toledo Bend, LA

During one of my layovers (ha ha) in Natchitoches (my home town in Louisiana), I went out with some church friends to Toledo Bend. Some of us did a little cliff jumping (about 20 odd feet up). Todd Hayes took this photo of me (actually, multiple photos in rapid succession which I later joined together in the one photo you see here) leaping out into the lake.

Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarships

Here's some background information on the scholarship:

The Rotary Foundation's oldest and best-known program is Ambassadorial Scholarships. Since 1947 more than 30,000 men and women from 100 nations have studied abroad under its auspices. Today it is the world's largest privately funded international scholarships program. More than 1,100 scholarships were awarded for study in 2002-03. Through grants totaling approximately US$26 million, recipients from some 69 countries studied in more than 64 nations.

The purpose of the Ambassadorial Scholarships program is to further international understanding and friendly relations among people of different countries. The program sponsors several types of scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students as well as for qualified professionals pursuing vocational studies. While abroad, scholars serve as ambassadors of goodwill to the people of the host country and give presentations about their homelands to Rotary clubs and other groups. Upon returning home, scholars share with Rotarians and others the experiences that led to greater understanding of their host countries.

Generous contributions from Rotarians worldwide represent continued faith that the students who are Ambassadorial Scholars today will be tomorrow's community and world leaders.

--From the Rotary International Website

Here's a link to more information on the Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholarship. I am also happy to answer any questions you might have concerning the scholarship. Email me with your questions and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.