Update: Externship

Hey!

I was looking over some old entries today and realized I haven’t really written about one of the more important factors of our time apart… Rog’s externship – you know, the whole reason we are doing long distance in the first place!

It seemed like it was a good opportunity on paper, but it hasn’t quite turned out to be what he was looking for. Oh well, at least he is getting some good office experience. he is learning the typical things you learn in an internship – formatting, office politics, networking skills, etc. So those are all a part of the silver lining…

Rise Foundation

Afternoon –

I promised a while back that I was going to look into ways to help buy women’s freedom that were being sold into sexual slavery. While I did hear back from the Kurdish government committee that was working to free the women, they were unable to provide anything beyond a routing number. Since I didn’t feel confident that it was secure and would be used for that specific purpose, I didn’t share that information here.

However, I have since been on the lookout for other opportunities to help the fight for Kurdish  regional safety. Today I came across the Rise Foundation. They are helping coordinate relief for refugees given the current conflict in Syria, as well as ISIS advances.

US Bombing Syria: What You Should Know

As I have detailed before, ISIS’ most important base is in Syria. The fact that we were so reactive thsi summer, rather than proactive allowed their strength to continue growing quickly. We flew in with airstrikes over their advancing lines in Iraq, when we really should have also been employing strikes in Syria in tandem with the airstrikes.

Anyway, over the past month I have tried to watch less news, but things are always going to find their way into my consciousness as friends and family read something I might want to be aware of… Thoughtful? yes. Stressful? Yes, but so is dating someone who is living in Kurdistan.

The news I have looked at really shows how ISIS is actually poorly constructed:

• They have spread themselves so thin and are recruiting people who feel they are losers within their own communities.
• They tried to demonstrate how widespread they were by attempting a beheading in Australia, as well as sneaking terrorists over the American border from Mexico. Both attempts were thwarted and they failed.
• Their hold in Iraq has been reduced significantly as soon as other countries stepped in to prevent genocide.

President Obama, who I honestly think is too concerned with being the “cool president,” finally came out and urged the UN to consider all terrorist groups be treated similarly as Al Qaeda. He also moved forward with bombing in Syria.

Options: to erbil, or not to erbil

This past weekend, I was out of town celebrating a friend’s new engagement! It was great to visit with friends, most that I haven’t seen since I moved for grad school last March. With the visit came the questions; all well meaning, but you know the type, intrusive.

Anyway, most people focused on my long distance relationship with Rog during small talk. Along the lines of:

• How he wants to continue working in the middle east after he passes the bar in July.
• How we are doing now, how we will do then…
• Who will move where.

I’ve obviously given this a lot of thought over the past few months. When I don’t know something, my best solution is to research. extensively. After all, why embark on a LDR if you have no intention of being together again IRL.

ISIS: Political Genius or Complete Idiots

ISIS has now threatened the US on two occasions to withdraw aide in Iraq by beheading two of our journalists on video. I can’t tell if ISIS is just that stupid or if they are baiting us into yet another war. Either way, I am betting that they are getting one.

 

Rog is skeptical that we will actually take action, but honestly if we look back on times when our ego has been threatened we’ve always gone in and attempted to eliminate the threat.

 

Signing off,

Liz

Cal to Kurd: A Three Day Trek

Well today is the day, Roger started his travels from California out to Kurdistan. He has a couple layovers, one in Atlanta and another in Dubai before finally arriving in Kurdistan on Wednesday.

Iraqi Current Events, in a nut shell

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DISCLAIMER: What I am about to write is based solely on my readings to date and conversations with Roger, If you have any additional points that you feel should be included or corrections, please feel free to elaborate in the comments section. 

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A terrorist organization, Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (aka ISIS or ISIL), previously known as Al Qaeda, is flexing their muscles throughout Iraq. Many believe they are funded through Saudi Arabia and Qatar to fight on behalf of the Sunni religious group.

Any who, the group is destroying those that stand in the way of their mission, power in the region. They wish to take Middle Eastern countries and expand westward, some anticipate as far as Europe. Their main mission is to spread their special extreme version of Islam. Not even just spread the ‘good word,’ but force it upon all of those they can under the threat of death.

Welcome!

Hi there!

Welcome to my blog, I invite you to join me on this most likely horrific wonderful decision to be in a ldr. My boyfriend, whom I care about deeply, is relocating to the Middle East for an externship.

My Background Info:

I am currently enrolled in a MBA program that specializes in technology management. I work with computers and computer nerds alike. I have traveled extensively, but haven’t been to the Middle East.. I think my generic American upbringing coupled with my fair skin and blonde hair has limited my interaction there.

I plan on graduating in two years and at that time plan to use the advanced degree to advance my career in the tech field. Ideally a mass consumer facing company (amazon perhaps?), but who knows. I know that I enjoy the work I do today and figure an advanced degree will only help me reach my future ambitions in strategy work.

His Background Info:

Let’s call him Roger. Roger is in post-graduate school and this trip is a requirements of his education. As you may have guessed his background is Middle Eastern – Kurdish to be specific – which explains the location selection. His ideal job is to work in the oil industry within the region post-graduation.

Now I know what you are thinking, if his ideal career path resides in the Middle East, will you eventually move there too? No clue. We’ll see how the next five months play out. Roger leaves this Friday and returns late December. I know this wont be easy, but he’s worth waiting for…

I think that I should be entirely clear that this is truly being used as an outlet to express the highs and lows of such a relationship and ask that users refrain from posting negative comments. That being said, I will be using this blog as a therapeutic outlet and I welcome your thoughts.

Signing off,

Liz