Happy Friday!

Marina Keegan

It's Friday and I've finished my first week in Texas. My program is great, and I am learning so much; but it's pretty intense, hence my absence. I will try my best to be around a bit more in these next few weeks. But first, I'm off to Tucson for a wedding tonight!

In the last few weeks I've come across some great articles all over the web. So this week's links are dedicated to some great recent reads. Enjoy:

The Opposite of Loneliness- a poignant description of the uncertainty after graduation, by Marina Keegan,  a beautifully talented writer from Yale tragically killed in a car accident last week

Favorite pieces from the New Yorker: When David beats Goliath (how underdogs can win in both basketball and much bigger things), Failure and Rescue (originally given as an amazing commencement speech), and Personal Best (an interesting article on coaching, humility, and ongoing learning)

Luv and War at 30,000 feet- an interesting look at the history of Southwest Airlines (possibly/probably the best US airline)

The Feminist Homemaker and Taming the Fear- from A Practical Wedding, my new favorite blog. Two women discuss some of their challenges in the marriage process (note: there is some profanity in the second article)

The Copenhagen Consensus 2012- A collection of articles on how to effectively combat some of the contemporary world's biggest challenges (Investments in conflict prevention, disaster prevention, sanitation, and solutions for hunger- and links to the actual research papers can be found in the short articles for people like me who want a more in-depth look)

11 Things to Know at 25ish- Shauna Niequist on life skills in Relevant 

Orphanage Volunteering: Do's and Don'ts- a helpful guide to responsible volunteering that can be applied around the world

The Once and Future Way to Run- a fascinating article on what proper form can do for running

The White Industrial Savior Complex- a thought-provoking read on humanitarian ventures in Africa (though I don't agree completely with the author, I think he does raise questions we would do well to consider)

African Girl Power- David Bornstein writes about Camfed, an organization supporting girls' education in Africa with great results

A Secret Plot in Syria- an illustrated crash course in the last 63 years of Syrian history, up to the recent violence

Three of my favorite Foreign Policy articles on Chechnya: And Then There Were None, Kill The Messenger, and The Chechen Model

Preying on the Poor- a provocative piece on the cycle of poverty in the U.S.

And finally, to play favorites a bit: Introverts, Extroverts and the Church (a piece on community written by my lovely friend Christy) and Grateful for an Anxiety Disorder (reflection on living with anxiety by my incredibly awesome friend Hannah)

Have a wonderful weekend!