Greetings from the great state of Texas!

Hello from Ft. Worth! I should start by saying that this is my first real blog post. The last was a short intro, but this is the first one for which I’ve actually got a little something to talk about, given that my only sister very recently gave birth to (and this is as unbiased a description as I can muster) the most beautiful and perfect child that was born to anyone ever. I know a few moms who may disagree with me there, but having been nanny to half the children on New York’s Upper West Side, I must assert that I am in fact a trained expert on what constitutes a beautiful child.

Featured in the photo to the left are my lovely sister (the proud new mother) Apple Hansen Sims, and my darling niece, Katherine Ava Sims. What fortunate timing to give me ridiculously cute photos for my first real blog attempt!

My sister made a good point about my choice of blog title yesterday. I thought it was an admirable feat in witticism myself (being that I am not a very big person, that I am partially Thai, and that I am venturing a long way from home), but as she pointed out I am indeed more Thai than any other race that’s mixed into this strange concoction of DNA, so it should have been ‘More Thai Than Any Other Race Goes A Long Way,’ but it lacks a bit of…je ne sais quoi, wouldn’t you agree? And beside that the title is also a nod to my firm belief that to know a little bit about something (preferably everything, but especially languages) can take you just about anywhere, get you out of sticky situations, or open up whole new worlds for you. You never know when or where you will run into people in this world who you’d love to get to know or ask for directions to ‘el bano’ from and if you’re not willing to invest a few moments into becoming a bit of a babel fish, you might just be stuck lonely, lost, and peeing in the bushes for the rest of your life. Not a nice thought, eh?

This leads me back to my perfect baby niece, who I hope will never feel lost, lonely, or have to pee in bushes (unless she wants/needs to for a moment because in fact, I have found that each of those things can be enjoyable in their own way at the right time). It’s strange to look at her now and imagine her dating some boy who will want to get to second base (I refuse to imagine him wanting to get any further or I may have to affix a GPS tracker to her here and now!), driving, registering to vote, becoming leader of the free world, or even sitting upright on her own for that matter. Babies really do make you reflect on all sorts of things…on the fragility of life, the endless possibilities that are before us all, the sustainability of our choices and our world, protecting those who need it and empowering them to protect others too. And by god, they smell incredible. I have met my fair share of babies in this life, but I’ve never gotten the chance to spend this much time with a one week old baby, and what they say is true. It is intoxicating. You’d think with all the burps, farts, and other unpleasant excrement of life they might smell quite vulgar, but there is simply no sweeter more addictive smell. I get one more lovely day of breathing her in and then it’s back to DC for 2 days, then off to Isibania, Kenya.

And as an additional note, it was the tenth anniversary of the September 11th attacks yesterday (which you likely don't need me to tell you unless you live under a rock or on the moon without any social contact or satellite TV).  I daresay we all remember where we were, how we felt, not only on that day, but how the feelings have resonated in the months and years that followed.  The tragedy, the horror, the heroism, and the unflinching and indomitable spirit of humankind.  Oddly enough, I had dropped out of college earlier that year, which was 'odd' because not only did I always love school, but (not to toot my own horn) I was always really good at it.  For some reason, I'd decided to pursue something I wasn't very good at at all: skateboarding.  I had moved to Long Beach, CA, in with a lovely man (you know who you are ;) )who was an incredible skateboarder and really wanted to try my hand at being something other than a bookworm for a little while.  Well, a real nerd can only deny his/her true nature for so long.  I didn't last in Cali, nor at skateboarding (though it was a hell of a wild and awesome ride that I don't regret for a moment).  It was just days after I packed up and went home to my parents house in Oklahoma to try to figure out where to go and what to do next in life that the first plane slammed into the towers.  I'd already been abroad quite a bit, I'd seen poverty, felt the pangs of social and economic injustice and the resentment they cause.  I am not one who will tell you that there is necessarily and unquestionably a direct link between poverty and what happened that day (I've been thinking about that link a lot lately based on how my current org came into being), I know the men on those planes were well-off and well-educated.  What I will tell you is that in a world where all people have access to quality education, health care, livelihoods, clean water, and opportunities, we are certain to have fewer enemies and our friends will be greater in strength and number.

I decided to go back to university that day (I knew I had more to offer the world than being a terrible skateboarder).  Not in the States though.  It took time, but I managed to do a good portion of my Bachelor's in International Politics and all of my Masters in International Social Development abroad.  I got to see the States and the world as they are seen through the eyes of students from across the globe.  I defended our honor with tenacity, but apologized for our mistakes profusely. Over the past decade since the attacks, I have had the honor to work for incredible organizations that work to protect and empower people, to fight injustice and inequity, and create a better, more peaceful and sustainable world. I have seen what works and what doesn't.  I know that real change can only come when people in poverty have access to the knowledge and resources they need to transform their own lives and communities.  I am excited to embark on another journey toward those ends this week with Nuru International.

Lots of love to all, and please feel free to give me feedback on my posts. I imagine I need all the constructive criticism I can get. Or just say hello. Many humble thanks, j