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Name: Viet
Three words to describe yourself: indecisive, passionate, one-track-mind
Until the 6th grade, Viet lived in San Diego, California, and before moving to Athens, he lived in Banks County, Georgia for seven years. His parents are originally from Vietnam and they immigrated to America because of the war. Currently at UGA, Viet is undecided about a major but he is thinking about studying Psychology. For future endeavors, Viet would like to do more mission work; he has been to New Orleans twice for missions. As far as traveling goes, Viet wants to go to Rome and Vatican City because he is Catholic and wants "to see how Christianity has fought for so long." In his free time, Viet likes running, and if he could do anything in the world, Viet would travel the world "to see different cultures and different perspectives".

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Name: James
Three words to describe yourself: happy, fun-loving, erratic
James is originally from Ft. Lee, New Jersey and he lived there until the age of 12. In New Jersey, his parents owned Chinese restaurants, and when their lease expired, James' parents found a place to open a restaurant in Columbus, Georgia. Before they were married, James' parents were neighbors in China and James says, "My mom used to bully my dad for being dumber." His mom turned out to be valedictorian while his dad was salutatorian of their class. All of James' extended family still lives in China and his brother was a one-child baby in countryside China. James has been to China before, and he says, "Going back to China reminded me of my childhood because I was so immersed in the Chinese culture." At UGA, James is a Double major in Accounting and Sociology. As a career, James is thinking of becoming either an Accountant or a Professor. James also wants to adopt an Asian daughter who has a cleft palate, and then fix her face He wants to have an American child but who is also apart of the Chinese culture. In his free time, James enjoys watching talk shows such as Ellen DeGeneres and Tyra Banks, and Avatar: The Last Airbender is his favorite show.

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Name: Wardell
Three words to describe yourself: spiritual, creative, loving
Wardell is from around Cincinnati, Ohio and has lived in both Los Angeles and Berkeley. He started out working as car salesman and he is a musician in his free time. "My voice is my principle instrument," he says. Wardell has also lived in Chicago, Milwaukee, and Nashville. He is an entrepreneur for an educational occupational research company as well as a counselor and therapist for a non-profit organization. In the future, Wardell would like to record his own CD's and publish his two books about healing and transformation. I asked Wardell what his goal in life was and he replied, "I want to make a contribution to the world."

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Name: Terre
Three words to describe yourself: "missing Key West"
Terre is originally from Georgia, but spent a good portion of her life living in Key West, Florida. However, she came back to Georgia to take care of her mother who had become sick. Terre said she loves Key West because of the "laid back atmosphere . . . the water all around you . . . and the different varieties of people." In her free time in Key West, she liked to fish and hang out in the sun and Terre also ran a small bar. "I was taking care of the rich in Key West," she says. I met Terre at the Kennesaw Farmer's Market and she said that her parents started vegetable selling in Kennesaw with a few stands, and now she runs a vegetable stand. Eventually, Terre would like to go back to Key West, but she said, "If you aren't rich there, it's really hard to get reestablished." If Terre did not move back to Key West, she said she would not mind operating her own farm.

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Shyam with his wife

Name: Shyam
Three words to describe yourself: calm, tough, sincere
Shyam is originally from Nepal and he moved to Colorado a few years ago. He said that misses his job as a commanding officer, traveling all over the world, and his family in Nepal but that he likes Colorado because it is quieter. Shyam also loves Chicago and New York City. With his wife, Shyam has owned the store you see in the background, in Estes Park, for two years. For future goals, Shyam wants to make money as well as go back to Nepal to do some social work. He has also been married for 22 years.

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Name: Yvonne
Three words to describe yourself: old, grandma, great-grandma
Yvonne was originally born in Nebraska but came to Colorado when she was five years old. She also lived in Pomona, California for about 11 years. In 1999, she moved to Estes Park, Colorado and was a manager of an apartment rental complex for seniors. When her husband died, she worked at "Home for the Holidays" as a sales associate as well as a Mrs. Claus. The weather is Yvonne's favorite part about Estes Park and she has seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. She says, "I'm very happy and satisfied with what I'm doing and I'm very involved with my church."

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Name: Annetta
Three words to describe yourself: mother, wife, grandmother
Annetta was born and raised in Denver, Colorado and she also raised her family there. Annetta loves living in the mountains and in her free time, Annetta likes to water ski. Because she has always liked medicine, Annetta went into the medical field with the intention of becoming a nurse. She had two years of RN education, but chose not to finish. Now, she works as a front desk coordinator for a mental health outpatient center, which she says is sometimes stressful. When she retires, Annetta hopes to travel to Europe and to the Caribbean. She has four kids and seven grandchildren, with the eighth one on the way and says, "My kids are all very successful and I am proud of them."

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Name: Becky
Three words to describe yourself: creative, neat-freak, family-oriented
Becky is originally from Pennsylvania, moved to Alabama, and then lived in Virginia. While in Virginia, she got married, moved to Dallas, Texas, and lived there for nine years. I asked Becky how she liked living in Dallas, and she replied, "I hated it. There's nothing to do there. All of my family is on the East Coast." In her free time, Becky plays tennis and runs. She recently ran a 5K because it was on her bucket list. Becky's son now wants her to run a half marathon, so Becky says it might her next bucket list item. She owns a boat, so Becky likes going to the lake and doing outdoorsy things. For the future, Becky would like to see her son get married and have kids. Twice, Becky has been to Haiti for mission trips, and she would like to go back to build a school in the northern Haitian mountains (Her friend had the vision to build a school and passed away a few weeks ago). I asked Becky what she would do if she had no limitations such as money or time, and she replied, "If money were not an issue . . . I would make sure all of my family and siblings were taken care of."

227/365

Name: Frances
Three words to describe yourself: funny, honest, happy
Frances is originally from New York and she lived there for 35 years. Her parents are from Puerto Rico and Frances still has distant family living there. She has four sons and is one out of seven girls. Her husband had a job in Georgia, so Frances moved as well. She said that she loves the South because there is no snow. Frances is the owner of Fran's Chic Boutique and she the store has been opened since February. I asked Fran what made her open a store, and she replied, "I've always loved fashion . . . I like the small interaction from a small store." Frances has been on a mission trip to El Salvador and wants to travel to Egypt. "Everyone should go to a different country and experience it. Then you come back and realize how good America is," Frances says. Frances also adds, "Come to Fran's Chic Boutique! There's something here for everyone!" Here is the boutique's website: http://franschicboutique.com/

226/365

Name: Jessica
Three words to describe yourself: passionate, intuitive, motivated
Until she was five-years-old, Jessica lived in Chamblee, Georgia until the age and then she moved to Dunwoody, Georgia. A few years ago, her family moved to North Georgia and bought a farm. This fall, Jessica is going to Georgia Perimeter college to take her core classes. He mom has a radio show that is broadcasted from California every Sunday and is about consciousness and healthy living. Her dad is from South Africa, so Jessica has been there. Jessica would like to become a motivational speaker and also open a retreat center in the mountains in either California or Colorado "to have a place for the healers of the world to be healed." If she could do anything in the world and not fail, Jessica "would bring the world to a higher consciousness level. I would just sit and meditate." Eventually, Jessica would like to hike the entire Appalachian Trail and wants to live in the Appalachian mountains. She says, "I want to run away to the mountains. I want to live in a tent. A part of me wants to live in a commune." As a final remark, Jessica says, "I'm all about being. If I could give any advice, I'd say 'Be in the moment. If you can just simply be, life would be easier'."

225/365

Name: Bobby
Three words to describe yourself: open-minded, creative, dreamer
Bobby is from Fayetteville, GA and he attended Sandy Creek High School in Tyrone, GA. Midway through high school, he went to military school. "I wasn't as focused on school as I should've been . . . I went to a structured environment where I could focus on my education," Bobby says. Upon graduation, Bobby moved to Atlanta and now works at the Macy's at Lenox Mall. He is studying at the Georgia Military College for his Associate's Degree and will transfer to an art school afterwards. Currently, bobby interns for a company by taking pictures for an online magazine, and he wants to study photography and become a visual artist. Bobby says, "I want to make a career out of the art I create . . . I want to have a stable income and not be 'that struggling artist'." If he could do anything in the world, Bobby "would make the most ridiculous clothing line and buy the best equipment for his photography." I asked Bobby if there was anything else random that he would like to be posted in this interview and he replied, "Nothing is amazing to me anymore . . . there hasn't been anything recent that's just jaw dropping to me."

224/365

Name: Juan
Three words to describe yourself: energetic, spiritual,
Juan is from Atlanta, Georgia, and after graduating from high school, he spent most of his time doing missionary work all over the United States. He worked mostly in North Carolina and South Carolina with inner-city and community outreach. "I've always liked working with people," Juan says. Now, he is an ordained minister as well as a manager for Krispy Kreme. Juan is getting more involved with his church and says, "My goal is to be healthy . . . and keep the life that I've come in contact with." He is also an independent insurance agent and wants to own a small business. In his free time, Juan loves walking and working in his yard. He also enjoys working with fundraisers and comments, "I have a knack for that kind of stuff." Juan likes to read the newspaper as well; especially the business section because he loves reading about the global economy.

223/365

Name: Alkalik
Three words to describe yourself: motivated, postitive, outgoing
For the first 20 years of his life, Alkalik lived in New Jersey. In 1992, he moved to Atlanta for "opportunities" and "a different pace." He used to be a full time street vendor and now he is an IT consultant. Alkalik says, "In New Jersey, there are a lot of street vendors . . . so the culture breeds the here." On the weekends, Alkalik is still a street vendor for festivals. For career goals, he wants to take his business internationally and network with different people. He is married and wants to become a father. Alkalik loves to travel and Egypt and Ghana are his favorite countries that he has traveled to. "[Ghana] reminds you of the islands like Jamaica . . . very tropical," he says. Alkalik also wants to go to all of the countries in Africa and South America.

222/365

Name: Stuart
Three words to describe yourself: passionate, open-minded, empowering
Stuart is from Albany, Georgia but currently, he lives in Athens. He just finished studying Recreation and Leisure Studies and in the fall, he is going to work in Sydney, Australia with his brother. In about five years, Stuart says he will be in graduate school for either Social Work or Counseling. Stuart would then like to work with sexually abused teenagers by taking them to an outdoor camp in the summer. He wants to become a youth speaker and writer and wants to get his PhD for Youth Development. In 2015, Stuart plans on bike riding across America to raise money for cancer research. Both of his grandparents died from brain cancer, so he would also be biking for their memories. Stuart says, "I don't want to start 'real life' yet at 24." Stuart also likes this quote from Albert Einstein: "Everybody's a genius. But, if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it'll spend its whole life believing that it istupid."

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Marty on the left with friends

Name: Marty
Three words to describe yourself: ready to go
Marty is from Baltimore, Maryland and goes to college in College Park where he is studying Theatre. He grew up in theatre and wants "to make work as 'play', That's fun." Comedy show are what Marty prefers to perform and in the future, Marty would like to do more circus and physical comedy and theater. He also wants to go to graduate school for writing and would like to become a director. "I want to have independent theaters . . . and new kinds of performances that involve the audience," he comments. I asked Marty what he would do if he could do anything in the world, and he replied that the best case scenario would be to get rid of the money aspect of theater. He would also meet shamans and Tibetan monks and observe them to see how ritual and entertainment coincide. Marty started playing the piano and he would like to be in the music industry. "I feel like there is a divide in the arts. I would like to bring them together," Marty adds.

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Name: Gerda
Three words to describe yourself: foreign, clueless, realist
Gerda was born in Lithuania and lived there for the first three years of her life. Her dad won a green card through the lottery system and the family moved to Tennessee. After Tennessee, she moved to Jonesboro, Georgia, and then she lived in Maine and finally moved to Hiram, Georgia. "I hate staying in a place for more than five years because moving exposes you to a lot of different cultures," she says. Because Gerda wants to travel, she is studying International Affairs and Russian at UGA. Gerda said that she loved traveling to Prague and Vienna and she would like to step foot on every continent. If Gerda could do anything in the world, she would want to live in a loft and live her life like an artist, but with a lot of money. Gerda says she needs a career with some level of creativity. Gerda's mom's side of the family still lives in Lithuania, so Gerda does get to visit. Last summer, Gerda took a class in Lituania and said that Eastern Europe is more preserved and the pace is much slower than in America; she had a two hour lunch break. Gerda also speaks Lituanian and she loves Harry Potter.

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Francesca is on the left, with her friend on the right
They were our neighbors!

Name: Francesca
Three words to describe yourself: weird, quiet, friendly
Francesca is from Marshfield, Massachusetts and I met her at Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. In the fall, Francesca is going to school to study either culinary arts or restaurant management. "I want to be successful but I don't know in what," she says. She has already traveled and volunteered in India for four months and has worked in Dublin for four months through a program called "Lead Now." I asked Francesca if it was a culture shock to go to India, and she replied, "It was more of a shock to come back home to clean water and streets without cows wandering around." On her bucket list, Francesca wants to visit every state and she wants to go skydiving before turning 21. Francesca loves cats and she has two of them. "I love them like children," she says. Francesca also likes adventuring

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Name: Justin
Three words to describe yourself: intelligent, social, Leo
Justin was born in Powder Springs, Georgia, but he spent some of his life in Piedmont, Missouri. and says his hometown is Dallas, Georgia. Justin goes to school at Georgia State University and he is studying Neuroscience. I asked Justin how he became interested in Neuroscience, and he replied, "Anytime I was thinking about what I wanted to do with my life, it always led back to something with the brain." For a future career, Justin would like to either become a neuroscientist or speech pathologist. Justin would like to do some world traveling and says that he would probably go to Europe first. Justin also mentions he is gay and his motto is: "I do what I want!"

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Name: Tamra
Three words to describe yourself: caring, determined, talented
Tamra is from Hartford, Connecticut and moved to the south at the age of four. She went to school at UGA for Journalism and graduated in 1988. Ever since Tamra was in the 2nd grade, she knew that she wanted to write. Her first job was in Cartersville newspaper. The editor had Tamra cover "a kind of inappropriate story" in which she needed to interview a farmer who found a dead baby in a knapsack. Tamra said that she left this job after this story. Then, Tamra was an editor for a paper in Greenville, South Carolina and she worked with the children's section for the paper writing short stories. After this, Tamra gave up journalism and became a teacher. A few years ago, she had a dream about a dog named Baxter, but when she woke up, there was no dog. Tamra then tried calling local animal adoption centers to get a dog, but because she did not have any experience taking care of dogs, agencies turned her down. One day, Tamra went to a festival and there was an adoption tent. She asked the man at the booth about what available dogs they had, and there was only one left. When Tamra saw the dog for the first time, he had a cone on his head and a peg for a leg. She asked what the dog's name was and the man replied with the name Baxter. Tamra knew then that this was the dog from her dream and that she would have to take him home. A few months later, Tamra was outside with her dog and a man had crossed the street to Tamra with the intention of grabbing her. Before Tamra realized what was going to happen, Baxter had knocked the man down chasing him away. "If I had not had that dream. I wouldn't have adopted Baxter and he wouldn't have saved my life." Later on, she saw an advertisement in magazine that was looking for true stories about rescue dogs. Tamra submitted her story to the magazine, and they chose her story to be the finale in the series.Now, Tamra writes for an animal wellness magazine and is teaching technology, multi-media, and business at a middle school. She has also written a children's book, but it has not been published yet. Tamra would like to have a family of her own, and she says, "I have a family of fur kids . . . It could mean other animals and people." Tamra adds, "I'm blessed. I thank God everyday cause after all, he's the one that gives us these gifts."

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Name: David
Three words to describe yourself: adventursome, tireless, comedic
David is originally from Ohio, and while he was working in Ohio promoting a hospital wing, he found an organization called "Up With People", which is a leadership program that inspires people. With this company, David was able to travel the world and he visited 32 countries and 48 states. For a year, David lived in a Scandanavian and said, "I loved the family unit aspect." He also loved "the beauty" of Greece. David has also worked with Universal Studios and was transferred to California to build live shows for a theme park in Japan. Currently, David wants to bring more of the spiritual centers in Atlanta together and to see the Holmes Institute succeed. He comments, "The more I'm here (in Atlanta), the more I'm comfortable."