My frends are awesome

Today i feel a very lucky man, because besides having a loving family, I also have kick ass friends. Last night my friends threw me a farewell party and I had a Blast!


Thanks guys for staying real and please don't forget about a brother!

Vagabundo Por El Mundo.

This is for those of you wondering why I have named my blog "Un Vagabundo Por el Mundo" which translated into english stands for A Vagabond through out the world or world Drifter. AND NO a vagabond is not necessarily a homeless person.

I first came across the term from a song by Puerto Rican rock singer "Draco" Rosa named Vagabundo. This spanish rock song which came out in the mid 90's has very deep meaning and can be translated in many ways. Besides being very inspirational, the song in it self speaks about a man taking risks and learning about him self.

I am at a state in my life where I am still on the path of finding myself spiritually and mentally, and with each passing day I learn something new about my capabilities, sense of self. Every one grows in their own way and my way of growning is through reaching out into the unkown, traveling and experimenting, seeing, experiencing, feeling ect... At this time in my life I feel like a world drifter. I love to travel and learn and I don't care what the future brings just as long as I am not stagnant. I believe that in whatever situation you're in when you become stagnant you stop growing. I love taking risks (whatever that risk may be), it is sort of an addiction. To me taking risks brings forward feelings that test your mind, and limits.

Where ever my path takes me I know I will be happy with it. Until then I will consider myself Un Vagabundo por el Mundo.

Here's the song...

Applying for the Peace Corps

This is something I wrote on 1/14/08,


Current mood: adventurous

Category: inspired, Life


Well It has been over 2 years really the Idea came to me that maybe I should do more with my life besides the normalcy of living in New Jersey, So while I was desperatley looking for new employment and an escape from a monoutnous 9-5 working for the State of New Jersey's Child Protective service system, I came across the peace Corps. At first I did not apply but I did print out an application and worked on it for about one year. I held it off after I found a job with another counseling agency FIS. Like a cold that wont go away, the thought of the PC remained, I returned to filling out my PC application, only to find out it now had to be done on-line.

It is now january 14'th 2008 and I have since submitted my App and I was nominated a few days after an interview with my PC recruiter. It is something about PC volunteers that makes them different out of the rest. Is this what is driving me to become a volunteer? Think of it , A VOLUNTEER? That strange aura of Peace Corps Volunteers, who instead of thinking of themselves, are out to travel the world to spread their labor, help people, help children. They are idealists and humanitarians in every way. Maybe it is that part of me that needs to be fulfilled. It is a feeling that is unexplainable. I have considered my self unique in the sense that I am alone in this process. Think about it, WHO JOINS THE PEACE CORPS?, specially in Paterson? most of the people I know, either don't know what it is, might have heard of it, but have no interest in it. A lot of people who I have mentioned this to have showed a sense of admiration, but in general I do not like to talk about it, because when I have, many have looked at me like I have two heads..."Your going to work for free"?...Ha, Ha, I just chucled to myself ...

I am currently going through the medical, and dental part of the PC, They say 1 in 17 who apply get in. I've found out why many people do not get accepted, fisrt of all they drop out after they find out how dificult medical is.

Hopefully this year I will be that 1 out of 17.

Wish me luck.

Ney

A must Watch

Just thought I post this up for people to see, It is very inspiring.


http://video.stumbleupon.com/#p=ithct48cqw

The countdown continues....

Mood: Nervous, Anxious
Currently listening to: Nothing

Location: Work.

Well today is Friday March 14th 2008. I am currently typing from my computer at work, pondering and thinking of what to write for my Aspiration Statement. For those of you who are not aware of what an aspiration statement entails, it is pretty straight forward. It is necessary in order for the Peace Corps to get a better feel of what we the invitees are about. This needs to be emailed to my country of service along with my resume.

For the past several days I have been a Lil anxious. I have a ton of things to take care of still, and I feel I don't have the time.

It's been like this since i was told by my P.O I was going to be invited to leave for a program for the late April. This threw my mind for a loop being I was expecting to leave in June and I already had everything planned for Mid June. I'm pretty sure it will all work out but it is still a little stressful. I am currently taking one day at a time and I have made an agreement with myself to get one task done for every day that passes. As of now i have accomplished a lot including dental (three wisdom teeth taken out last Friday). I sent in that paperwork yesterday, Passport, pics, gave notice of cancelling lease, and currently moving out. Getting rid of furniture and planning to donate clothes to the salvation Army. In addition I've also been trying to spend alot of time with friends and family. I have realized this journal has been very helpful in releasing stress so I will continue to write as much as I can.

In the begining...

Current Mood: lively, content, calm.

Currently listening to: Todo es vino, by Robi Draco Rosa
Album: Draco y El Teatro Del Absurdo.

Location: My apartment in Paterson NJ

Favorite quote at moment: "Risk Everything Regret Nothing".....


Dear friends, family, Colleagues,


I start of this blog on March 10th 2008. An online journal of my thoughts ideas, and wanders. Join me in my preparations, joys, hardships and adventures of my Peace Corps Adventures or just everyday life. AND please don't be shy to drop me a message.

Ideas and views expressed in this Journal are solely of the writer and in no way shape or form are they associated with anyone else.

He walks aimlessly through life some how knowing the name of the paths he takes. Each step taking him into a more horizon broadening path. The sun shines bright over his brow as he scoures the darkest depths of the earth trying to find a place in this unforgiving world.
Time is nothing but a dimension that puts us into a state of Consciousness , depleting our existence like a ticking bomb. Knowledge is infinite, ignorance is swift, we must stay ahead of the race or succumb to the ordinary and mundane.


I love u all.

F. Giraldo

I start off by introducing my self. My name is Ferney Giraldo, I am 27 years old and I currently reside in Paterson NJ. I am originally from Medellin Colombia. I was born in Colombia and lived there untill I turned 7 years old when my parents decided on bringing me and my sister Maribel to the United States. We lived in Queens New York until I turned 13 when we moved to Paterson NJ.

I attended Don Bosco Technical High School in Paterson and I eventually graduated from William Paterson University with a Bachelors degree in Sociology and a minor I African America Cari bean Studies. After College I worked for two years at the Division of Youth and Family Service. After that I worked for a family counseling agency by the name of Family Intervention services.

At this point I am preparing myself for which will be one of the hardest but most rewarding things I have ever done in my life. I Will be living abroad volunteering for the U.S Peace Corps. in Guatemala.


Here is a brief autobiography i wrote in 2006.

Born November 27th, 1980 in Medellin Colombia. The child, full of life and inspirations, was raised in the beautiful romantic, middle class town of Envigado. At age four the child's mother left his presence to join her husband who was living in the United States.

Surrounded and raised by female family members in Envigado, the child was nurtured and was taught the importance and the beauty of women. The child did not have his father around unfortunately because the brave and hard working man decided to cross the border to the land of opportunity. Always thinking about his family, Ferneys father returned to the land of Colombia where Ferney lived with his sister and the rest of his family. It was at age seven when the child was taken to the unknown land of Los Estados Unidos. A land many spoke about but not many had the chance to reach.


When Ferney arrived to the unknown land he was in shock of what he was seeing. A small boy, still learning about the trials and tribulations of life was relocated to a strange and hostile land called Queens, where people identified themselves with different backgrounds, ethnicities and the majority of the people spoke unheard languages. It was here where this seven year old middle class child was forced into living in a lower class environment. The child humble at heart did not understand the social classes at the time, but this did not matter to him because he assimilated and learned the customs and language of the new land quick. Easily approachable, this child made many friends and became wiser. Now reunited with his nuclear family the child was the happiest he had ever been.

F. Giraldo

I will leave you with some of my favorite quotes.

Enjoy...


Manhood

"A mans usefulness depends upon his living up to his ideals unsofar as he can.

It is hard to fail but it is worse to have never to have tried and succeeded.

All daring and courage, all iron endurance of misfortune make for a finer nobler type of manhood.

Only those are fit to live who do not fear to die, and none are fit to die who have have shrunk from the joy of life and duty of life".
-Theodore Roosevelt

"There is no security on this earth, only opportunity".
-Douglas McArthur

"The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing and becomes nothing.

He many avoid suffering and sorrow, but he simply cannot learn , feel, change, grow and live".
-Anonymous

"He who risks and fails can be forgiven, He who never risks and never fails is a failure in his whole being".
-Anonymous