3 Questions & Some Answers..

A good friend once shared some insight about how to tell if you're content. It can be gauged by 3 questions.

Do you love what you're doing?
Do you love where you're at?
Do you love who you're with?

If you can answer "Yes" to two out of the three questions, then in general, you're a little more than content with your life.
It's high-stress time for me right now and it makes me think about these things.

I love what I am doing. I love my internship and the little, humbling part I play in the organization. It brings perspective into why I do what I do and why I want to do it. It brings me outside of myself and into the world. But I don't just love the work that I do. I also love what I am doing for myself and the plans I am working hard to make happen. So I love that all the things I am doing brings some balance between what I want to do and what it is I am meant to do.

I am learning to love where I am at. When I first visited Washington DC, I was 13 and it was such an exciting time for me! I was learning the in's and out's of the political buzz. I did another stint in DC when I was 20. That time, I was learning about why American's hate politics. I am back here at 22. This time, I'm learning to love living here, making a life for myself here. I think DC is one learning process at a time for me. Love doesn't always come as easily as we'd like for it. So sometimes, we have to learn these things.

Who I am with.. I suppose this is where it gets tricky. Let me start with this: I am so, very blessed to have family and friends on all sides of the world to be the support system I need and more. Whether they are a 350-mile to an upward 6,000-mile phone call away, I can always count on someone to pick up. But the real question here is, "Do you love who you are with?" As in, physically, alongside, in company of. I try my best to not confuse being alone with loneliness. For the most part, I am good about it. But it does get confusing when you are in desperate need of a hug, a real shoulder to cry on, someone to bake you cupcakes, someone to enjoy gin or vodka tonics with, or someone to not have to worry about awkward silences with.

I suppose I answered Yes to one-and-a-half of the questions.
Honestly, it's not easy being here. I have such a hard time with figuring out the things I need and the things I want. I cannot understand how I always end up in a place with cold weather when I know I absolutely dread it. I miss having friends within, at the very most, a 15 minute walk/drive from me.

But I am right where I need to be and I'm giving it my all.

Internship : Save the Children

It seems silly that I haven't talked about my internship considering I let it consume a lot of me..

It hasn't quite been a month yet that I've been interning at Save the Children. It is a 501(c)3 non-profit.. generally my favorite. I am in the Washington D.C. office which buzzes nicely in the nation's political center. We also aren't terribly far from the headquarters in Westport, Connecticut.

Save the Children's mission is to create lasting change for children in need in the United States and around the world. With that being said, Save serves over tens of thousands of children all over the U.S. and over 48 million children in over 50 countries. Their work range from education, maternal & infant mortality, food security, health, and beyond.. all while working to be intentional and innovative in the ways it attempts to create positive impacts in children's lives.

I am their Public Affairs and Communication Intern. Among other things, my main responsibility is collecting all their media mentions. So I get to read the news, see what the organization is doing, and read about some of the amazing (and sometimes not so amazing) things going on in the world. It has to be one of the easiest ways to learn about what the organization does & what current events effect children & the organization's programming.

I don't know where to start about how excited I am to be there. Even after my time at JumpStart, I am still self-conscious about working with children but I think this distant, behind-the-scene work suites me well.
A fault of mine is that I easily get wrapped up in tasks and to-do lists.. a robot of sorts. But at the end of the day, I always feel inspired. I'm brought back to the mission, its values, and the potential they're constantly pushing at to ensure better lives & futures for children around the world.

Here are some of the corporate campaigns and partnering:
Frigidaire, Intel & this has to be my ultimate favorite, Bulgari. I can write a lengthy entry about this, but you should just check out the Bulgari's Anniversary site & auction for the event in December.

even Barbie thinks Save the Children is amazing!

But these campaigns are not the only reason why Save the Children has been successful, it's through the dedication, perserverance and extremely hard work individuals put into making children rights a priority.



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The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Danica Iglopas.

Moved In.

I'm finally moved into my apartment for the duration of my internship.  I'm staying at the Fenestra Apartments which is conveniently located in a town square in Rockville, Maryland.  I won't lie, it's a pretty bomb living situation. Very chic..

2 bdrm, 2 bthrm; fully furnished; cable; internet access; gym; pool..

Literally on the same block or around the corner from all your needs (grocery stores, banks, metro station) & your other recreational pleasures (shopping outlets, restaurants, bars theaters, gym, & more) & right across the street is a library!! 

To be honest, I can see why my family & I had to struggle to pay the pretty penny for this living situation.  But, I feel quite uncomfortable living in such a nice area mostly because it's  well beyond my means of living.  Don't get me wrong, I can see myself living in an area like this.. but not right now.  Right place, wrong time? Definitely.  

Degree: Hard-Knock Living

Minor: Reality

I guess I'll be working on my minor for now.. 

I definitely won't be taking this for granted..

pictures later..