Picture to the left is a self-portrait of my son Evan.  I told him I would share it with the world.  We think it is really funny.

My last newsletter got so much reaction- (so many of you relate to the idea of running around doing too much-not doing anything well) I just wanted to take it one step further.  Have you ever caught yourself not being totally honest?   Let me caveat that with:  I am totally honest when it comes to important issues; but, there times when I am not quite honest.  The other day my friend and I took our kids to the Mummy Exhibit at the California Science Center.  We bought a combo pack to watch the movie at the IMAX then reserved our time to walk through the Mummy Exhibit.  Lots of preparation.  Shortly after our return, another friend called me and asked, “How was it”?  ”Amazing”, I gushed.  But, after I hung up, I thought about what an exhausting day it had been.  It was 100 degrees in L.A., my youngest son who struggles with eczema, spent most of our visit itching and asking me to carry him.   The movie was sort of “cheesey” trying to emulate ancient egyptian times with scantily clad women.  My boys begged for gummy treats the first 20 minutes- making me crazy (I gave in of course).   I laughed out loud, called my friend back and said, “The Mummy’s were sort of cool, but the rest of the adventure was not that enjoyable”.

I think my first answer: “amazing” was the answer that was expected.  Right?  It sounds great.  Makes me sound like an incredible mom:  alway positive and nothing too overwhelming for me to handle. Another example: when a friend asks me to help them with their kids, and I say no problem- even if it means me having to lug an extra 50lb seat from my garage into the back of my outdated Yukon just to fit their kid in.  On the way, I drop it on my toe, and cuss myself out for having said no problem to the extra kid (not always the case…but sometimes).  Once I asked a sick friend if I could grab them something at the market.  They gave me a short list (I was happy to help) then I forgot one of their items so I had to get back in the car and go get that item instead of just telling the friend I forgot it.

Why do I do this?  I can’t be sure, but let me say this: a couple of times when I was brutally honest, it back-fired.   I don’t want to open pandora’s box by giving a specific example- one of my readers might recognize the story and that is not the point here.  I WILL give a general example.  One time I said that I didn’t have time to do something someone asked.  I was just being honest- I didn’t have the patience or energy to spend my time doing this particular task when it was requested.  In the end, this person told several others that I was just being self-centered and thinking my time was more important than theirs.  But that wasn’t true at all.  You see, none of us know what others go through.  I don’t share all of my personal struggles with the world.  I would have been better off saying I had a doctors appointment (which I didn’t) or saying that one of my kids was sick (which they weren’t) in order to avoid the scrutiny of another.  Instead, I took the honest approach and I ended up feeling totally uncomfortable with my honesty.  God forbid others think I am self-centered!

In the end, what I am getting at:  the reason I take on more than I can handle, say “yes” when I wish I said “no” or say no problem even when something ends up being a big pain in the arse, is because I care what others think of me.  I am trying to work my way into a middle ground.   Less concerned what others think, and more concerned with how I feel deep down in the pit of my belly.  I believe it will lead me to a place where I can enjoy more moments and time with my family vs. running around like a mad-woman leading everyone to believe that I can do it all.

PS:  The only reason I pause before I hit publish is because I don’t want my friends and family to think that I am talking about them or  try and extrapolate this blog into something that it is not.   I like to help others, do favors when someone needs a hand and reciprocate to all of those who help me in my life.  I am just sharing this thought so that we can all reflect on our own situation and be compasaionate to another when the answer to a request is “Sorry, I can’t”.

Overall, things look pretty good over here on Walnut Avenue, but god forbid you open a closet, peak in the laundry room, or ask the kids how many hours of video games they REALLY play during some weeks. (Thankfully, the kids have no concept of time- or they might embarrass me in public!)

I wonder if anyone else out there, reading this newsletter, has felt this way before- doing a whole lot of everything, but not excelling at anything.  What I am working on now is choosing a couple of goals to focus on and finding the courage to say NO to the things that don’t rank as high on goal list.  Now that the school year is starting, I am going to have to take a close look at how much time I can volunteer to my kid’s classrooms considering I have just launched a new business- I can’t always be the room mom.  I might have to cut back on signing up for 10K’s and triathlons, so I can focus on getting my house organized (this doesn’t mean giving up running or biking- just giving up the pressure to train for a certain event).  I don’t have to be the gal who plans the girl’s trips, or the kid’s tennis lessons, or takes charge of the group gift for the party (whatever party it may be).

One of my more recent goals was to overcome my fear of swimming in the ocean.  While I still do have a healthy fear of the great pacific, I have managed to get myself into the ocean on at least six occasions for a swim.  Visit TheInpiredMom.com to read about my recent ocean swims.

Also new on TheInspiredmom.com is an interview with someone I like to call IronMama- Jennifer Temperley.  She is an amazing athlete who focuses on Triathlons.  I tried a new question and answer format for our interview.  I am interested to hear your feedback on the format.  There are a few other posts to read; and, now that the kids are getting back to school, I hope to get back to a weekly posting for TheInspiredMom.  Stay tuned.

Jen proves that it is possible to achieve your goals even if you are a busy mom.  Competing in triathlons takes prioritizing and dedication, both of which she has mastered.

When Jen was training, she invited me to ride along for 32 of her 70 miles.  Let me just say something- this girl doesn’t mess around.  You see, I joined her on her LAST 32 miles and when I got home, a fell into a heap on the floor.  She probably put on her running shoes and sprinted 10 miles; but, in order to save face, I pretended to be fine and told her to call me anytime she needed company for a ride.

I wanted to share Jen’s story for a few reasons.  First, she is a committed mother of 2 kids who does an amazing job of juggling so she can train to be an extraordinary athlete- living her dream.  That is truly inspiring to me.  Jen is also humble.  Besides the fact that she has no body fat and you can see every muscle in her body and you might already guess she is some sort of athlete, you sort of have to pry to find out that she has won triathlons.  Finally, Jen is starting her own business- Climb Fitness.   The commitment and dedication that Jen applies to her family and her own training is now going to help all of us aspiring athletes here in the South Bay. A big part of training for any event is knowing how to train smart and having someone who is experienced to inspire you to get there.  I can’t think of a better inspiration than Jen Temperley.  She is working on her website: ClimbFitness.com and you can contact her at: jen@climbfitness.com

For this interview I sent Jen a questionnaire-  a format that I am testing so I can continue to share stories without spending several hours typing and editing.  Read on to see what advice she has for being successful in reaching your goals:

Me: Let’s discuss your 2010 racing season.

Jen: I had the season of my life, consistently placing in the top 1-2 of my age group and completing my first ½ Ironman post-kids.  My goal for the ½ Ironman was to have a podium finish (top 5), a PR, and qualify for Worlds – all of which I accomplished!

Me: Why did you set this goal?

Jen: In 2002 I completed a full Ironman and finished 2nd place reaching my goal of under 12 hours.  I took some “time off” when my kids were born and only raced periodically.  I was excited to get back into racing and shortly after my daughter was born I focused on two local races and was the first (overall) female to cross the line in both of them.   I also qualified for 2010 Age Group Nationals and thought to myself “I really want to step it up and do better”.  Around the same time, I had a revelation – I also wanted to help others improve and reach their goals.  I love competing and without triathlons, it might just be me racing you to the checkout line of Trader Joes!

Me: What sacrifices have you had to make so you can work toward your goal?

Jen: I think about this everyday.  But I’m making sacrifices to enrich my life and do what I love. Most of my workouts happen in the early hours so I can maintain some sense of balance between family and training.  Yes, it’s hard leaving the family everyday, but I am rewarded in more ways then just crossing that finish line. The kids are watching my active lifestyle and are demonstrating a similar determination. I have an extremely supportive circle of family and friends that know racing is a part of me and they ‘allow’ me to make these sacrifices.  You find out what works for you and you modify around it.  Being successful doesn’t mean you have to wake up with the sun everyday, but, for me, it works.

Me: Do you ever have an “off” day?

Jen: Of course there are setbacks and other priorities, that’s only normal.   I don’t beat myself up about it, as long as the training sessions I do have are smart and effective.  People need to understand they don’t need to train 3-4 hours a day to be successful.  They need to be dedicated, motivated, and smart about their training.

Me: How do you motivate yourself to stay on track and continue to work hard?

Jen: I stay motivated by setting goals and finding new ways to challenge myself.   Of course there are plenty of days when it’s difficult – i.e. when the alarm goes off and I’d rather hit the snooze button, or when the family is kicking it on the couch Saturday morning and I’m headed out to go on a 5 hour bike ride, when I’m not improving, when I can’t do a workout due to another commitment, when I miss Sunday morning breakfast with the family.  There are lots of potential distractions, but I simply see them as excuses that could prevent me from achieving my goals.

Me: How do you find time to fit it all in?

Jen: Competing in triathlons can be as little or as much as you want – which is a beautiful thing.   I generally commit to 7-8 months (out of the year) and during that time period I am going to give it my all.   The other 4-5 months I mix up my training schedule and don’t schedule any races.  My daily workout routine has been a part of my life as long as I can remember and over the years I have managed to create balance through smart training and prioritizing life’s demands.

Me: What advice do you have for others who would like to achieve a personal goal- but haven’t been able to get started?

Jen: Just get going!  If the goal is large, break it down & start small.  There will always be something to get in your way (if you allow it).  There will always be excuses (if you allow it).  Sounds simple, but just don’t allow it.  Make time for yourself and don’t be the person that says “I’ve always wanted to __ BUT ___”.  Be that change you dream about.  It’s this particular question that encouraged me to start my own training / coaching company.

Thus far I have spent countless hours designing, printing, and cutting marketing materials.  I don’t have the money or the time to hire someone to do this.   Every step of the way, my kids have been helping me.  They pull stuff off the printer, stack pages in order, punch holes and help me clean up the paper scraps.  They see how hard I am working to spread the word on my business.  Today I sat at the Manhattan Beach Farmer’s Market handing out fliers and promotional materials.  I was there for 6 hours and 15 minutes.  One of my sweet friends stopped by to ask,” Have you made any money yet?”  The answer: “No, but I am not deterred”.  People have bought gift vouchers, but considering I paid my babysitter $100 bucks and $25 to the Farmer’s Market for my booth, and $50 for ink and paper to print all this stuff- I haven’t made any profit…yet.

In order for me to just break even for all I have spent- I need to sell 1,000 books.  Yep, you read right: ONE THOUSAND books.  Some of you might think I should throw in the towel right now.  But dreams are priceless and so is the lesson I am teaching my kids!

The other day I met my friend (Robin), who is an amazing swimmer, and a swim coach (Eric) to get in the ocean and swim for a bit.  The thing is, I sort of cheated.  I wore a pair of swim fins.  Not only that, but from the get go, I said I wouldn’t swim around the pier, and warned that I would get out of the water after a short while (all of this before even getting in).  But, I did get in and swim- I managed to swim a half a mile.  I started feeling sea sick from the rolling swells and called it quits.

The thing is, after I reached the shore, I was disappointed in myself.  I knew I could swim further than a half mile.   Once I was safe on the shore, I felt like I had to do it again…and do better than I had done on that day.  I made a plan with Robin (friend) and Eric (swim expert) to hit the open water again in two weeks.

As we started into the water, a pod of dolphins frolicked straight ahead.  My stomache was uneasy.  Also, this time, we decided to swim out and around the (hermosa beach) pier, then north from there.  What did I get myself into?  The big mistake I made, was not setting a goal of how far or long I would swim before getting out.  Robin was planning on swimming a mile and a half (at least) and I just said I was going to do my best.  Let me tell you, when you are out in the middle of the ocean gasping for breath it is hard to make good decisions.  By the time we rounded the pier, I was ready to quit.  Eric encouraged me to keep going, then when I got a half mile, I said I was getting out.  Thank goodness Eric was there to tell me to “quit complaining” and just swim.  By this time, we were in the water for about 20 minutes and I was actually less panicked then at the beginning, but every 50 strokes, I begged to get out.  Eric used every tactic in his book to get me to keep going, first being positive telling me I was doing a great job.  But, in the end, he just started slinging comments at me like, “Are you really a quitter?  Is that the kind of athlete you are?”  It worked.  I stayed in the water and managed to get myself to the one mile point.  Even then, I could have kept swimming, but something in my head wouldn’t let me keep going.  I guess it was FEAR.

Once again, when I was safe on shore, I analyzed my performance out in the water.  Proud that I made it a mile, but disappointed that the whole swim I was “kicking and screaming”.  Meanwhile, Robin and another swimmer who went with us that day, were just plugging away, stroke after stroke…never complaining.  I was the high maintenance girl who sucked up 100% of the attention of our swim coach:  making him paddle right next to me and leaving the other girls to fend for themselves.

As Susan first heard news of a plane flying into the World Trade Tower, she was saddened to think of the  family members of those on board.  At this point, nobody knew the crash was an act of terror; all that was known was that the plane was American Airlines, Flight 11.   Susan was relieved thinking that her husband was headed to Los Angeles, not New York.  But, the more she listened to the radio about the flight, the more she started to worry.  She knew nothing of a second plane into the buildings or the other acts of terrorism; one plane crash with her husband traveling that day was enough.  She cut her errands short, went home, and she looked up his itinerary.  David was on the plane.

Within hours David’s co-workers had descended upon the house.  They also knew he was traveling on that flight.  Susan doesn’t want to relive the details of that day and I don’t blame her.  Most of us can’t imagine what Susan went through that day.  I know I would be absolutely devastated to lose my husband for any reason- but for an act of terror?  It makes his death even more senseless.

Her neighbors brought food, family planned the funeral and a friend even pulled together her son’s birthday party.  While Susan greatly appreciated everyone’s support, it wasn’t until months after her third child- a daughter- was born that the fog began to lift and she was able to feel the full appreciation of what everyone had done for her.

Susan began her journey of healing, she finally connected with another woman left widowed by the terrorist attacks:   Patti Quigley.  Both she and Patti were pregnant at the time of their husband’s deaths and they lived nearby one another outside of Boston.  Friends of both women encouraged a meeting.  However, both women hesitated to contact one another; fearful that a meeting would just be hours of rehashing the events of that terrible day.  When they did connect, it was an immediate friendship because it turned out that both women were anxious to look forward and heal versus look back and relive the sadness.

When Patti and Susan finally met, the United States was waging war on Taliban forces in Afghanistan.  Susan describes how saddened she was at the thought that more people had to die as a result of terrorism- even if they were supposed to be the “enemy”.   As the deaths of both US servicemen and civilians in Afghanistan began to climb- and more women were left widowed, Susan pondered what an Afghan widow might feel.  Did she have a support network to help her recover from her loss?  Did she have any rights to her husband’s assets or property?  As she researched the answers to these questions, she was amazed to learn that Afghan women are not entitled to any of their husband’s assets or property once he dies.  Instead, all of his assets are given to his parents or an uncle or a brother – definitely not any woman.   Due to the harsh restrictions on women’s education and women in the workplace, most of these young women/mothers are left in poverty with very few resources for making money or  feeding their children.

As the beneficiary of a community, region, and country that came together to support her and other families of 9/11, in 2002, Susan had the idea to help the life of one widow in Afghanistan and Patti was an enthusiastic supporter.  Together, Susan and Patti decided to take action.  Their original plan was that they would try to help just one Afghan widow.   Not only did they want to share with someone else the same kind of compassion and support that they received but they also wanted to impart the message that the feelings of love and loss are universal.  When all was said and done, they realized that they had enough resources not to help just one woman, but to help a multitude of women. Their non-profit venture, Beyond the 11th was born and in 2004 they had their first fund-raiser:  Susan and Patti rode their bicycles on 9/11 from Ground Zero, NYC to Boston.  Susan had never really ridden a bike for any great length or purpose before, but the NY-to-Boston fund-raiser became an annual event for Susan, cathartic in some respects and raising funds to support local organizations that provide resources to women in Afghanistan.

In 2006, although Patti had distanced herself from the venture, eager to break away from the title of 9/11 widow, they both agreed to travel to Afghanistan to meet some of the beneficiaries of their funds and be the subjects of Beth Murphy’s, of Principle Pictures, documentary.   The documentary,  Beyond Belief, was released in 2007 and chronicles a life-changing journey they made to Afghanistan to meet the Afghan widows they have worked to empower.  Strikingly was Susan’s observation at how little the Afghan widows have on which to live.

Today, Susan accomplishes her mission in two ways: increasing awareness of the desperate situation of widows in Afghanistan, and raising funds to help them. By providing grants to partner non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on the ground in Afghanistan, they fund education and income-generation opportunities that are sustainable and culturally appropriate.

Hearing Susan and Patti’s story was inspirational for many reasons.  Not only did they reach out to help others, they reached beyond the borders of the United States and helped women in a country that has been known to harbor terrorists.  They are fearless and ambitious and they reached deep down, beyond their own sadness and loss, to a compassionate place.  They became problem-solvers for people who are so far removed from the daily life in upper middle-class America.  With new babies born after the tragic loss of their husbands to terrorism, it would have been easy, understandable, acceptable for them to have merely focused on rebuilding their part of the world and to have the strength to carry on and create a new life for themselves and their children.  Instead, they rose above their despair.  They looked internally at their own needs, their insecurities, and their pain and need to heal.  They looked around them, at all the people who descended upon them in their time of need.  They thought about the support they received from the community, friends, family, people they didn’t know and people they might not even recognize today.  And, they decided to channel their emotions to give to other women in need.  They went beyond their own grief.  To read more and to get involved visit the website: Beyondthe11th.org

This blog, The Inspired Mom, was born out of the concept that there must be more moms like myself.  Who had an idea, a dream, a goal and they might need some support in order to pursue their ventures.   In fact, the very reason I was able to reach my goal was because I had a support network of friends and family who wanted to see me achieve my goals.  Even though I have launched my website, I still have a huge journey ahead of me.  I need to get out there and market my book.  This is not something I have experience in doing, but then again everything I have done over the last three years has been outside of my “scope” of experience.

Up to this point, I never considered myself to be a creative person; but, as I look at my website and a finished baby book, I realize I am sort of creative.  Also, I didn’t envision myself as an entrepreneur, but I can’t think of anything else to call someone who has created his or her own business.   I knew nothing about technology or how to build a web-based business, but I have managed to ask the right people and do enough research so that I could bring My Own Little Story to life.  Now, I am going to teach myself something about marketing and public relations.  I guess in the near future, I might have to hire someone if I want it done right.  In the meantime time, I am going to harness my passion for my product and see who will share my enthusiasm

I hope that my readers will take a look at my website you can click here: www.MyOwnLittleStory.com.  There are some really cool features of My Own Little Story that have never been done before on a baby book site. Email reminders of important milestones, the ability to omit questions and pages so they don’t appear in the final version of your child’s story.  For example, if you used a surrogate or adopted your child, you might not want the page that describes all about where you travelled while you were in my belly.   The hand-painted watercolors created by Devon Galusha are timeless and adorable.  Check out our baby onesies, gift vouchers and stationery.  They make great gifts for friends that are expecting.

If any of you reading this have had a small itch to start your own business or float a concept- I hope you will contact me.   I can be your cheering section or even share some of the mistakes I made.  Maybe you can avoid the same pitfalls!

I am typing this message up at the end of the day- Mother’s Day, feeling exhausted and somewhat lazy.  On that note, I am going to wrap up my blog. I hope that anyone who is reading this had a wonderful day being honored and cherished.  Thanks to each one of you for your support throughout the two years I have been blogging.

Today I learned how to do a flip on the trampoline.  I didn’t quite land it and I also of pulled a muscle in my neck from the whiplash of over-rotating; but it was pretty impressive (at least my kids enjoyed it).   It got me to thinking of some of the crazy  things I have learned since becoming a mom over eight years ago.

I have learned how to use the restroom in 15 seconds flat- including washing hands.

I have learned how to play with light sabers.

I am undefeated  at head-stand contests.

I have learned that pretending to be magic can pull a child out of a tantrum 9 times out of 10.  It’s amazing that my youngest still believes I performing magic whenever he is on the ground crying.

I learned that there is no such thing as peace and quiet;  but, I sort of like loud and chaotic.

I have learned that, no matter what, little boys ALWAYS find passing gas funny- especially while they are sitting on your lap (yesterday Cade told Brad, “Daddy, tickle me till I fart.”  Gross.

I have learned there is no such thing as a day off from parenting.  Even if you are on vacation, you are still worrying about the kids and how they are doing.

I learned that every mother carries some sort of mommy guilt around for something they wish they did differently or better.

I have learned that being a mom is one of the hardest jobs in the world, but worth every minute.

The swim was not in the ocean, and there was no threat of sharks- but I did manage to swim 3/4 of a mile in a freezing cold, somewhat disgusting lake in the midst of 100 other feet and bodies kicking and bumping me.  As the gun went off, I dove in and started strong (that lasted about 15 seconds).  After getting kicked and jostled my goggles were full of murky lake water and I lost my breath from putting my face in the cold water.  Fifty yards from the shore I started treading water, looking at the bouy in the distance and thinking: this is not going to happen.  Then I thought of my hours of swimming in the pool and started to convince myself that I could go the distance, I just needed to get myself situated.  I wasted about 4-5 minutes treading water, floating on my back and trying to get my goggles back in order.

I took one more look up at the buoy in the distance and put my head down and tried again.  One stroke at a time I saw myself getting closer and closer to the turning point. Just when I was gaining confidence, the men caught up to us old gals and once again I was thrown off by bodies and feet everywhere.  I had to clear my head one more time and find a rhythm that I could maintain.  I ended up breathing every other stroke rather than every three strokes.  I had to let go of my fear and just get busy moving forward.

I got out of the water in 29 minutes.  I have to admit I was pretty proud of myself once I was back on solid ground.  Once I got settled on my bike, the reality of my accomplishment in the water set in:  I can be a swimmer, I am a swimmer.  I realize many people swim greater distance all the time.  And, in the scope of life, this was just a swim- not like saving someone’s life or finding the cure to cancer.  Tucked away in each and every person is a little voice that says “I wish I could do _____.”  You feel in the blank.  I am here to tell you that you can do it.  It might require hard work or take a while to do, but you can do it.  You just have to get started.

Pacific Ocean here I come!

Even if we can’t imagine life without plenty of water, there are literally billions of people around the world that face this reality EVERY day.  I had the pleasure of meeting a woman, Kristen Kosinski, who created The Samburu Project that has already helped over 20,000 Kenyans gain access to clean water.  When I heard about Kristen, a million questions raced through my head: How did she get started on this mission?  Why did she chose Africa and where does she find the strength to keep this project going after giving birth to a son who is now almost two years old?

Kristen and I met at her office in Venice, a small space in the back of a local church.  The office is small and she shares it with three others. Her personality filled up the room and my initial impression is that this is a gal who isn’t afraid of much.  Kristen, and her 9 brothers and sisters, grew up outside of Pittsburgh  in what she describes as a conservative family.  As a young girl, she recollects she had visions of herself in Africa, surrounded by natives in colorful dress.  When asked why, she says it is hard to put a finger on the answer.  The best explanation she can think of is her fondness for the volumes of National Geographic that her grandfather used to share with her.

As Kristen grew up, she has countless recollections of her strong desire to travel to Africa.  However, she had no means for pursuing her dream because she was young and didn’t have the resources to realize her dream.  She attended college and after graduation became a teacher for Teach for America, an organization committed to eliminating education inequity in low-income communities.  She was placed in Houston and taught fifth grade for the next two years; then, moved to Los Angeles to teach for another year.  After working with Teach for America, she wasn’t sure what her next pursuit would be, but after talking to one of her brothers she secured an interview for a job with a casting director in the area.  Before long, she was completely entrenched in the entertainment industry and all of the excitement that Hollywood has to offer.  As her career progressed she joined Paramount and oversaw programming for some of the most popular shows on television including:  JAG, Becker and Girlfriends.  She worked with and incredible group of people and had a boss that could only be described as amazing.

In early 2005 there was a shake-up in the executive ranks of Paramount (which was owned by Viacom).  Shortly thereafter, several of Kristen’s colleagues were let go- including the boss who guided her career for years.  The manner in which this turn of events transpired caused Kristen to do some deep thinking.  Was her job on the line? Even if she wasn’t let go immediately, would she spend her prime years committed to company that might find her dispensible?  As her most current employment contract neared the end of it’s term, she planned a trip to Africa.  At the time she wasn’t sure if her contract would be renewed or if she would be let go.  But in her fearless manner, she booked the trip anyway and continued to negotiate her contract.  As the company came back to her several times, she found herself in a tough position: take the contract and play it safe or stand her ground and risk losing everything.  She stood her ground and the contract was not renewed.  In the back of her mind was that nagging feeling that she needed to move on with her life.  Something was pulling her to Africa and she was interested to find out what it was.

The way Kristen explained the culmination of her ten year career was that on Friday, June 19th, 2005 she had a farewell lunch with her co-workers, packed the last of her belongings; and,  by dinnertime she had boarded a plane on her way to Kenya for three months.   A short wave of panic washed over her as she asked, “What I am doing?”    While she did have a game plan (a driver to pick her up at the airport and a place to stay) she wasn’t sure where her journey would take her emotionally.  She knew she wanted to find a purpose in Africa- she just wasn’t sure what it would be.

She arrived near the gates of The Samburu Game Reserve and met a woman named Rebecca.  Rebecca was the leader of a woman’s group called an “Umoja”- a group of women who have left or been cast out of their villages.  Rebecca was well versed in English and was able to communicate with Kristen that she was all about empowering the women of Africa.  Kristen couldn’t believe her good fortune.  It was almost as if some universal force had brought her and Rebecca together.  With Rebecca by her side, Kristen was introduced to countless African women that shared their stories of life, survival, tragedgy and triumph.  The one theme that perisisted through almost every story Kristen heard, was the lack of clean drinking water.  Since the women of the villages spend a majority of their day walking to find water there is no time for income generating activity  And, along those same lines, the daughters who help their mothers in the quest for water are left with not time for education.  The water that they do encounter is often filled with bacteria and disease as these watering holes are shared with wild animals who deficate in the vacinity.  Illness and death run rampant among the villagers- both children and adults suffer equally.  Kristen learned the only way to solve this problem is to drill wells in order to reach the water table that is 70 Meters below the Earth’s surface.

Sitting in my home, typing this blog it is hard for me to imagine that there are people living in such dire circumstances.  I think about it for about 24 hours then I get on with my life.  Kristen Kosinski is different.  She decided that she would not come home and put the experience behind her.  She knew she had to take action.  Even if she was only able to impact a handful of people, she was going to seize the opportunity do as much as she could.

Mid-September, Kristen flew back to Los Angeles.  She hit the ground running, she filed documents to create charitable organization within weeks of her return.  She hosted her first fundraiser in October, another in April and was able to raise approximately $65,000 within a year.   During her year back in Los Angeles, she survived on her savings and spent countless hours researching how to drill a well and calling Africa to find professionals who could help her complete her project.  Initially, she  estimated that it would cost $2,000 to drill each well,  but she quickly learned the cost was closer to $10,000 (her first small setback).  She stayed in contact with Rebecca, who was all set to help her oversee the drilling.  Almost one year to the day, Kristen flew back to Africa to oversee her first well drill.  Upon arrival, she found that Rebecca had vanished (her second small setback).  She proceeded to meet with the company she had contracted to drill her wells, only to find out that their organization was not competent enough to complete the project (deal breaker).

So, here she is in Africa, without her main contact and without a drilling company.  Thank goodness for Plan B.  She had been in talks with a 2nd well driller who was unwilling to make a deal until they met face to face.  As a last resort, Kristen called on this company and was able to negotiate a last minute deal.  She explains that the actual process of drilling a water well is surreal.  First, a geologist does his reasearch to find a water table, then drilling rig is directed to the ideal location, the rig revs up its engine as the drill bit digs into the earth- within an hour water is spraying up out of the hole and an all out celebration ensues: dancing, singing, laughing and celebration.  A resource that has eluded these villagers for hundreds of years is now within reach.  Amazing.

The details that Kristen shared were inspiring- but I am running out of space and time.  Let me wrap up with some really important points.  World water day is March 22nd and Kristen is organizing a Walk for Water in the South Bay scheduled for March 21st.  I hope you all can participate.  You really should visit the website for The Samburu Project- www.TheSamburuProject.org and learn more about this amazing organization.  Finally, Kristen is a great example of the phrase “You are never too small to make a difference”.  I hope you will read her story and realize that anyone of us has the power to impact the world- your impact can be big or small- but every little bit helps.