A Good Read & the Power of Pennies

One day I was in the airport and I randomly picked up this book and decided to buy it:

I really wasn't sure what I was getting in to when I opened up, but I was soon engrossed in the AMAZING story of Greg Mortenson. It describes his journey that started out as a failed attempt to climb Pakistan's K2 (the second highest mountain in the world) and ended with him establishing schools to promote peace in some of the most remote regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan. He went from lost to homeless to hero in a matter of a few years. If you're in to mountain climbing, adventure, peace, fighting terrorism, or changing the world, this is a MUST READ. (You can get it on Amazon for less than $10!)

My good friend Jill:

is involved in something really cool related to Three Cups of Tea and Mortenson's cause. Jill works for the Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention at Virginia Tech that was formed out of the tragedy that happened there April 16th, 2007. The Center's student affiliate organization, Students for Non-Violence, is bringing Greg Mortenson, author of the book, to campus on April 15th. (I am so jealous and wish I could be there!) As a part of that they are organizing a "Pennies for Peace" drive on campus as well. Their goal is that the VT community can raise enough funds to build a school in Pakistan/Afghanistan and maintain it for 5 years at a donation of only $1.77 per student on campus. How cool! Some of us at FFA are getting busy collecting pennies for Jill as well. If you're interested in learning more about the cause or how you can help with the Pennies for Peace campaign at VT (or just have some spare change!), please let me know!

Good luck, Jill! You are involved in a really cool cause!

In other news, this weekend I'm heading out of town for a couple of weeks. Stops include Chico & Fresno, CA, Gainesville & Clearwater, FL. I'm hoping to have some fabulous stories and pictures to share from my adventures! And... if you're in one of those towns I'm so excited to see you soon!