Thank You Notes

Have y’all ever seen The TonightShow with Jimmy Fallon? I personally love Jimmy Fallon (especially his friendship with Justin Timberlake), and I think his show is fantastic. Jimmy has this segment called Thank You Notes, which is incredibly honest and very funny. I have been meaning to write my own thank you notes, and I think this blog might be the most efficient way to get my gratitude out into the world. So, here goes!

Thank you, Craig Zelizer, for teaching your Conflict Resolution Skills class last fall. I have been contributing to the CRS CIRCA Project Manual since I got here, and the skills I acquired in your class have been immensely helpful. I’m writing the units on mediation, negotiation, and facilitation for this manual, and I’ve been using the assigned readings from your class as my resources. I’m so grateful that I can apply what I learned from you to practical work in the field!

Thank you, Religion Department of Boston University, for molding me into a thoughtful, respectful scholar of religion. Even when I’m outside the classroom, I still find ways to learn and grow from other people’s beliefs and values. Working for a religious organization and attending a new kind of church here in Nairobi has been rewarding and lovely, and I doubt I’d ever have taken these spiritual leaps without guidance from you.

Thank you, Mavis Beacon, for torturing me with those typing games in Mrs. Harris’s fifth grade computer class. I hated you at the time, but now I understand how much of my success I owe to you. Begrudgingly, I thank you.

Thank you, Christina DiBartolo and Colleen Chiochetti, for helping me create a loving, happy home in Washington DC. In the immortal words of Winnie the Pooh, “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” I love and miss you both, and I am grateful for you every single day.

Thank you, Domino’s Pizza, for magically and inexplicably having a location in Nairobi that offers free delivery.

Thank you, Stuff You Should Know Podcast, for providing me with hours and hours of entertainment and for teaching me all sorts of things that I never thought I would learn. Josh and Chuck, you are truly wonderful.

Thank you, Janet Phelps, for bringing me into this world twenty-three years ago, and for keeping me alive every day since then. You are my rock, my steadfast cheerleader, and an incredibly patient funder of my many adventures. I promise one day I’ll buy you a house or something, but to be honest, I know that there’s nothing I could ever do to repay you for everything you’ve done for me. I love you.

Thank you, solar-powered hot water heater, for providing me with warm showers every day.

And thank you, blog readers, for your interest in my summer adventures. I appreciate your readership and hope that I live up to my aspirations of being a funny, interesting, insightful blogger who broadens your horizons and warms your heart.