WELL DONE, Blogging Community.

Blogging is an amazing tool...

It keeps the ex-pat connected to her family,

it keeps the stay-at-home mom sane by providing friendships

that don't require getting out of the house,

it keeps the begrudged employee entertained with dreams of travel 

& the splurges of their Christmas bonus...

Every day, it provides each of us an escape from our realities.

But what it today,

blogging did something bigger.

What if today,

we all of forfeited our own daily blogging indulgence

and offered an escape to someone 
who lives in the realities of third world living.

What if we all got together,

gave $5 and provided clean water to people who need it.

The displaced daughter who walks 30 km a day for dirty water,

the young mother who has to give her child contaminated water to drink,

it gives the worker in a field the chance to be refreshed 

by something other than murky brown water.

While this might sound like a problem that exceeds anything you can do...

you're wrong.

You actually can do something to stop it.

So can I.

If we, the blogging community, use our mass & readership together-

we can end this problem for one community.

It really is that simple.

$5000 and our goal is met.

A water well for 250 people can be built with $5000.

Drilling equipment can be purchased for $5000.

All you have to do is give $5...

which, I know you have.

Even in the midst of the holiday purchases,

the winter travel,

& the holiday cocktail dress shopping...

you have $5.

{Welcome to the First World!}

So start of Monday by being awesome.

Help me do something bigger than write love stories

(though, to be honest... that was pretty fun).

You may not even remember the chunk of change 

you gave by tomorrow...

... But to the woman who can offer her child clean water,

 the daughter who can go to school instead of walk to find water,

and  the field worker who is missing work because he is sick...

it will never be forgot.

Get involved like so many of your favorite bloggers are...
{Helena, Ashley, Elizabeth, Sue, Beth, Bridget, Carolyn, Michelle, Christine, Anna,
Victoria, Cassie, Sarah, Will, Piper, Wegan, Kelly, Jillian, Tina, Patricia, & Keely...}


Below are the buttons/banners
(and I can email you the html code, if you like!)


 Join the revolution.
...because we kinda can't do it without you.

Tears for Cinque Terre

This week has brought horrific flooding to the Italian coast.

Towns throughout Liguria have been washed away,

homes have been destroyed,

six people have been killed,

and nine people are still missing.

Along Italy's brilliant coast

sits a rare jewel of splendor-

Italy's beloved Cinque Terre.

The five coastal cities have been 

a really special place to me for a long time.

I visited there in college and attempted to ignore the cold
by laying out in the sunshine in a bikini during the beginning of March.

After finishing a buying trip in Milan,
Tyler met me here to tell me about his GMAT score
and the possibilities of where he might could study.

And it was the setting for a really sweet time with dear friends this summer.


{Ironically, I just finished the video last week... if you're interested.}

The Cinque Terre is just an ordinary & amazing place.

I was devastated to read this quote by Angelo Betta, the mayor of Monterosso... 

{the first of the five towns creating the Cinque Terre}...

"People are getting into their houses from the terraces, everything is flooded.
Monterosso doesn't exist anymore."


This clip of the flooding rushing through the streets is unbelievable.

            

Apparently, the favorite city Vernazza is the same... 

(A favorite of mine & most other tourists.) 

It's going to take a long time & a lot of rebuilding

to bring this amazing place back to it's full capacity...


to reopening the doors of local businesses...

to being a place where children can play...

and to reforming the community that it once was.

Please keep these cities in your thoughts & prayers 

as they work through the damage, loss, & pains of starting over.

Well Done

Last week, 

I got an email...

which made me write a post...

that caused a spark

in so many of you.

Five days later,

you've made it a movement.

Bloggers all over the world

are spreading the word about

Charity Water.

I dare you to watch this video...

and be able to not tell your friends how great it is!

We are $1000 away 

from finishing a well in Africa

that will provide clean water 

for 250 people.

This will change their lives.

All it means for you is $5.

We are asking you to trade 

a cup of coffee, a glass of wine, one happy hour,

...or whatever "your drink" may be.

For one day.

So that together, 

the blogging community 

can give 250 people a chance

to drink clean water.

For the rest of their lives.

So that this....

can become this...

And that

is a project we're calling:

Well Done

Join us by donating $5 here.

 Then grab our the blog graphic-

and spread the word.

We would love to have you join alongside us!

*email aspiringkennedy@gmail.com for the html blog button code

Water Works

I'm not a celebrity.

Nope.

 I'm just an Aspiring Kennedy.

My days of paid endorsements are still far out.

Maybe someday I'll be as cool as Ms. Aniston

and get my mug on a Smart Water campaign.

via

I think I'd be good at talking about water...

because I really like it.

via

In fact, I drink it everyday...

but it's nothing I want to keep exclusive.

via

That's why when I saw this initiative

to build this water well-

I got excited.

These precious students have donated $3800 towards a $5000 goal.

And it made me think:

if students can do that,

what could bloggers like us do?

via

If half of the people that visit Aspiring Kennedy today

just give $5...

250 people will have a water well.

That means those people can drink clean water,

which means they won't get sick as often,

which means their children won't be as prone to childhood death,

... and all that means: their lives will better.

What will $5 mean for me?

1'll have one less cream tea this week.

via

If you are a blogger and donate to this water well,

let me know, I'll give you a month of free advertising.

Because if I can't be a poster child,

I'd be happy to have you be one in my place.