Hello Friends, Family, and Strangers who stumble across this blog!

A quick update of life here…

I finally posted pictures to the flickr account page of my new apartment. Here are a couple of my favorites:

my kitchen

my couch

a shower in which i can actually stand and into which I do not have to climb!

my bed (and my pseudo walk-in closet behind it)

The view of my deck terrace (and yes, Sunshine’s about to check it out, too)

The view from my deck terrace to my neighbors’ “yards”

Please see all of them here.

My LL.M. is keeping me extremely busy. I have two classes, the Guilt of Nations and International Criminal Courts. Both are very demanding, but I love the subject material so it’s really fun.

Soccer is back in gear and we’ve won two out of the last three games. I am hoping we can keep improving as the season rolls on.

I’m still keeping up with Dutch lessons. I still have class twice a week and I’m really enjoying it.

And my most exciting news: just last Friday I had an interview with an organization called Global Human Rights Defence for a 6-month internship position working with their human rights division. And I got the job!!!! The organization is located in The Hague, just about two blocks away from the Peace Palace!

In fact, in order to catch my train back to Utrecht, the tram stop is right outside of the Peace Palace. Not bad scenery on the way to and from work each time From our lunchroom, we’re able to see it over the rooftops of our neighboring buildings. When I stop to think about it, it gives me goosebumps (but this is only because I’m a law nerd and recognize the place in international law the Hague and the International Court of Justice hold). So, my first day of work is next Monday. I’ll keep you posted about how it goes.

I hope you all are doing well! A shout out to Megan, Lindsey, and Annie for my awesome birthday package. That was really special. Also, mom and dad, thanks for your birthday card as well!

Tot ziens!

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More about GHRD:

Global Human Rights Defence (GHRD) is an international human rights organization with the objective of promoting human rights for those areas where severe violations have victimized relatively large populations. Up until date millions of people continue to live in the margin of society lacking effective attention from the perspective of governments, development aid, human rights organizations and media authorities, in spite of mankind’s joint effort to build a detailed human rights legal framework, based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UN 1948) and followed by covenants, treaties and implementation mechanisms.

Global Human Rights Defence has the aim to specifically address those areas and populations of the world where severe and extensive human rights violations of certain ethnic and religious minorities have taken place for long periods, and where structural help and global attention of the international media have proven to be absent or insufficient.

GHRD officially was founded after the “The Hague 2003 International Conference on Human Rights” , which was subthemed “Human Rights of Refugees and Victims of Ethnic and Religious Violence” (The Hague, July 2003). This founding conference of GHRD was supported by a broad spectrum of over a 150 selected participants of (inter)national human rights organizations from over the world. The memorandum of association, which was agreed upon unanimously and signed by all participating parties, provides the structure of this international organization.