A Little More Info

A little more about the trip

T H E P RO G R A M

Media, Journalism and Business in a Global World offers students a remarkable opportunity to learn about, explore and analyze an important topic – the role of media in society, particularly as it relates to business and globalization – in a comparative and cross-cultural context. Students will spend the first week in Atlanta, meeting with professors, local business leaders and media organizations to deepen their knowledge of the economics aspects of media and journalism industries. Students then spend the following two weeks in Istanbul, Turkey, meeting with local business leaders and media organizations, Turkish professors, and university students. Professional site visits typically include CNN International (Atlanta), Global Atlanta, CNN Turk, Bloomberg Turk, Al Jazeera, Coca-Cola Eurasia & Africa, UPS, Marmara University and others.Cultural activities tentatively include trips to the world’s oldest shopping mall (opened in 1461, Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar), the world famous Spice Market, the oldest church/mosque/museum in the world (Hagia Sophia), Topkapi Palace, Dolmabahce Palace, the Galata Tower, the world’s most recognized Mosque (Sultan Ahmed, or the Blue Mosque for short) and, of course, a soothing cruise down the Bosphorus Sea! Istanbul – the only city in the world to sit on two continents, Europe and Asia – is uniquely suited for the study of business and communication across cultures. As a hub for diverse religious and business practices, cultural norms and global commerce, Turkey provides students in this program with an opportunity to take their education outside of the classroom and understand globalization, media and business in a real-world setting unlike any other.

The cost is 4350.

I really need to raise the funds to make this happen.

Anything you can give will be greatly appreciated.

Just use the donate button on the right.

You could also add a link from my blog to your blog/facebook.

Thank you all,

Misty

Feeling Humble

I woke up this morning a little apprehensive, excited and nervous.
I wanted to check to see how fundraising was going but

it has only been about 12 hours since I started.

I logged on to my blog and had ZERO comments, and

I was more nervous than before.

Then I checked stats and I had 32 page views.

I felt a little calmer.

I then checked donations and I was immediately

Humbled.

Three people had donated.

I actually felt like crying.

And if you know me well, I cry about twice a year, so that was a big deal.

I am extremely grateful.

Thank you to those lovely giving friends of mine.

But please don't stop.

I still have a long way to go to be able to pay for this trip.

Anything will be much appreciated.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Humbly,

Misty

I Need Your Help!

I have been back in school for almost 2 years now. With 5 kids and a house to run, it has been tricky, at times overwhelming, a lot of hard work, but overall rewarding. I have maintained a 3.95 GPA since starting at GSU. This Semester I was feeling very overwhelmed. I was actually deciding to quit. I am tired. I felt stretched thin, doing a little bit of everything and doing nothing well. I was telling myself, "this isn't fun anymore, I am done".

But I continue to feel this is what the Lord wants me to do. I have had blessings that have said that the things I will do with what I am learning will influence thousands for good. I don't know everything, but I know that when I do the will of my Heavenly Father I am blessed and so are countless others.

Just as I was feeling like I was done with the whole school thing an opportunity arose. I was told that there was a study abroad in Turkey for the May semester that would give me 6 credits that would go toward my degree. The focus was media in a global economy. It would give 15 students the opportunity to study in Atlanta for ten days and then Istanbul for ten days, visit multiple companies in each and compare them to get a better understanding of global media.

I had already planned on taking 6 credit hours in the May semester.

IT WAS PERFECT!

I was excited about school again. I felt this push to check into it and before I knew it I was in an interview with the ladies in the business school who put the program together and would be leading it. I felt strongly that my Heavenly Father wanted me to do this, that I needed to learn the things that were offered on this trip. I knew it would be tricky to pull off the funds to make it happen but I felt compelled to continue. In the interview I was made aware that the cost was not 2500 like my professor had mentioned in class, but instead it was 4350.

WHAT?

I was concerned with how we would pay for it. They told me I needed to do a fundraiser. They made it sound so easy. Now that I am sitting alone in my bedroom, it is a little daunting. But I have spoken with a few people who encouraged me to use my blog as a fundraiser. I will take you on my adventure, but I need help getting there.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

1. I have added a PayPal donation button on my blog. I would be grateful for any amount you would be willing to give. As a thank you I will blog about the whole process, including preparation to leave my husband and kids for 12 days. I am sure it will prove amusing.

2. You can also add a link to my blog on your blog/facebook. Tell them how much you love me, what a great opportunity this is and how appreciative I will be for their assistance.

Your money will not be wasted, I will work super hard to get the most out of this experience and will share everything I learn.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I know this will be an amazing opportunity and I am so grateful even if you just took the time to read this.

Much Love,

Misty

College

I have been back at school for 3 semesters now, or 1.5 years. It has been great. I love riding the train downtown. I love having quite thinking or reading time. I love getting an A on an assignment. I love getting positive feedback for things I do. It has been wonderful. I just got accepted into the honors program. I had a 4.0 until I got a B+ in Spanish, which brought me down to a 3.95. I am planning a little craziness and decided to go full time for a year and a semester and graduate. I hope I have what it takes to pull it off, going to school full time in the summer could prove tricky with 5 kids home. We will soon see.

Nauvoo Part 2

We drove my dads beater camper to Nauvoo in July this past summer. The air didn't work and it felt like we would die from heat exhaustion most of the time. The tire kept going flat, and we couldn't drive very far without having to add air. We finally paid 400 bucks for a new set of rear tires. Well they didn't hold air either. This was all on the first day.

We finally made it, but it was so humbling to pile 10 people out of this beater that I was grumpy most of the time from my pride being hurt.

At one point my dad and Shay let my sister out to get tickets to a show we wanted to see. I had gotten her a root beer from Joseph Smiths red brick store, they are bottled in brown bottles similar to beer bottles. As she walked away, Shay remembered her root beer and offered it out the window yelling "hey do you want your root beer?" All my sister saw was this beater camper a brown bottle being held out the window and all she heard was "do you want your beer?"

We were all so stressed out, hot, cramped with 6 fighting kids, in this hammered camper that she thought they were trying to be funny, but it wasn't funny to her. But looking back it was hilarious.

We went on the handcart trek. I think it was the best and worst part of the trip. In the first 5 mins, just about everyone had cried or screamed at someone. In the middle we had a prayer and story that brought the spirit super strong, it was peaceful and calm. It ended with everyone crying and Skyler and Nick having a true fist fight, their first and hopefully last.

The whole trip ended in selling the camper for 500 bucks, renting cars and driving home. If you asked if I would do that same trip again, No stinking way. Am I glad it happened. I guess so.

Highlights

Laughing our heads off at our stupid situation. Stress can make you crazy.

Skyler getting stung by the 5th bumble bee we found in the camper.

Almost dying when the brakes didn't work and it was raining.

Shays prayer about learning patience, before the trip started.

The way the walls of the camper would breath when you would drive.

The wall that no one could lay against or they would fall out and die.

Making rope.

Doing a session at the Nauvoo Temple.

Walking 1/2 miles to the Creepster horror movie campground.

Going 3 miles an hour, stopping every 20 mins for 20 mins for 6 hours, going a total distance of 2.3 miles when camper tire caught on fire for the second time.

Water park frog, please don't eat me snake.

Nauvoo Part 1

We went to Nauvoo this summer with my dad, sister and nephew. We had so many good experiences. The kids loved learning about pioneers and being together as a family. We had spiritual uplifts and really learned what it was like to be a pioneer.

I am gonna be just like grandpa

Adam said, I am gonna be just like my grandpa when I grow up. I got dirt on my pants and I go pee outside.

My dad has been building a house and this is how Adam sees him I guess. He loves his grandpa more than anybody else, I think Auntie is a close second.

He is a real lover of people. I love that about him.