survey fun

I was tagged a few weeks ago by Stephanie and am just getting around to it...so, enjoy!

I'm supposed to write about 8 things I'd like to accomplish before I die. So, here I go in no particular order..

1.) I want to find a way to open libraries in Albania. I've read a lot of research that makes me so sad, about the lack of libraries in Albania. UNESCO has a report detailing further, but there are some statistics saying that many homes in rural areas of the nation have no books at all in their house. As the daughter of a librarian, I've always had so many books, sometimes I take it for granted. I have no problem walking into Barnes and Noble and dropping $50 on a few new books. I have piles of them in my apartment that I haven't read yet. It really saddens me to think that some children don't have this opportunity. As you may know, I sponsor two girls in Albania through World Vision, and I often send them little packages. I almost always find a way to send a book...whether it be a childrens book written in Albanian, or a book without words...I just want my girls to know the joys of reading, and I want all children to love reading as much as I do.

2.) I want an owczarek podhalanski. They are a breed of Polish dogs that I fell in love with when I lived in Krakow. They are beautiful and they are huge. I adore them and their soft fluffy fur. Remind me to post some pictures of them sometimes. They'll make you cry because they are so adorable and you'll want one. I need to wait until I have a house with a big yard. Seriously, they are bigger then St.Bernards!

3.) I'd like to have children. Two, maybe three. For some reason, I think it would be fantastic to have twins named Olivia and Owen (my two favorite names), but I don't think twins run in my family. Boooo.

4.) Visit Norway and Iceland. While I was in Krakow, I wrote my Masters thesis on Norway and Iceland and didn't visit. I really want to.

5.) Find a job that I really, really love. Something that makes me happy and want to get out of bed each morning, not hit the snooze button another eight times and debate if I can call in sick, like the one I have now. I know what I want to be doing, I just need to figure out how to get there.

6.) I'd like to be fluent in at least one other language. Now, I speak some Polish, Spanish and French, and small amounts of German and Norwegian....but I am far from fluent in any of them. I think it is so important to have the ability to speak other languages, and I want my children to be bilingual. I am seriously considering sending them to one of the international schools here in DC, assuming I am still in DC when I have children. I would also like to learn Albanian, for obvious reasons.

7.) I want to do some family tree research. My great-grandfather, my grandmother's father came over from Poland many years ago. He died long before I was born, but I have heard many stories about him. Unfortunately, my grandmother no longer has his old paperwork, so I don't have a lot of information to work with, but I'd really love to learn more. I know he was from the Krakow area, where I lived, but that is about all I know. I think it is important to know where you came from and how you got where you are today.

8.) I want to go on an African safari. I just think it would be an amazing adventure!