It's Over, It's Done

Despite the fact that I fell off the blogging wagon, I still feel the need to complete my experience with a blog about my final thoughts on NCCC.

It's been almost a week since graduation (July28, 2010), I'm home, slightly unpacked, slightly lonely, potentially a mildly depressed, and in utter disbelief that NCCC is over.

At times I really wanted it to be over. It's hard to say the least. One Team Leader described NCCC as concentrated Orange Juice. It's so much in one condensed form. Which makes the highs extremely high and the lows excruciatingly low. But then there were times when I genuinely didn't want it to end.

And now it has.

I didn't think I was going to be weird about NCCC being over until today. At church today there was a mini-celebration of my accomplishment (earning the US Congressional Award - Bronze Medal) and completing a year of national service. I was incredibly uncomfortable with this "celebration" and I couldn't adequately articulate why.

My first thought was that, I didn't do any of this for recognition. It wasn't a big deal. It wasn't a huge sacrifice. I wasn't ready for grad school, I didn't just want to sit at a desk, I knew I wanted to do something productive, and I like non-profit work. I never, ever, saw NCCC as "community service". In fact, I realize now that I hate that word. I hate all the connotations a behind it. I hate it because it is a very passive word. It signifies, haves helping the have-nots, and that's not what this was.

I never once thought about the good I was doing for the "community." Instead, I was mesmerized by how the "community" was help, changing, and inspiring ME. Everyone at the Oregon Garden helped reveal a new eye-sight for nature and the environment that I never had before and now that I do, I'm ashamed that I didn't have it my whole life. The children at Larchmont showed me just how easy it is to be kind and trusting, and how much a smile can really brighten even the darkest days (and how to Jerk). Baton Rouge showed me just how important family is and how that family doesn't have to look like everyone else. A family is a group of people that work together, help one another and love and care about each other. And St. Bernard Project and the entire City of New Orleans, showed me A) how important it is to keep you head up in face of adversity B) and how to celebrate each and every day for the beauty that it is.

And then there was my team. A Team that in the beginning seemed like a hodge-podge of misfits who never should have lived together and now, they are 9 people I couldn't imagine my life without.

The end of the AmeriCorps pledge states, "I will carry this commitment with me this year, and beyond..."

My earnest prayer is that I will.

Round 3: Habitat for Humanity Greater Baton Rouge

YES!

The project I've been waiting for! I've had a love affair with HFH for years now. I love the concept, the theology of the hammer is one of the greatest evangelical Christian doctrines I've read, and to top it all off, HFH is just so darn cool! Before I began NCCC I contemplated doing my AmeriCorps year with HFH but for better or worse, I never got around to submitting an application before NCCC selected me

Never the less, HFH and I were destined to spend some quality time together.

Our round three project was spent doing construction with HFHGBR. Also something new and different for our team. This meant we packed up our 15 passenger government van, drove for 5 days (stopping at mi casa in Clear Lake) and finally arrived at University Presbyterian on April 15. The very next day we began construction. Pre-building (nailing all the necessary studs together that would later be used to build the walls which would be raised the following week). We then had orientation the following Tuesday morning and set out for a wonderful 6 weeks of construction.

In retrospect, it would have been nice to blog throughout the entire round, given that I <3>

Our housing was fantastic. University Presbyterian was located right on LSU's campus (a school I've come to love almost as much as my own alma matter). Baton Rouge the city is not only the capital of Louisiana but the quintessential southern, Louisiana city. Large enough for a division one football stadium (aptly named DEATH VALLEY) but small enough to show you what it's really like to live in the South. Things like crawfish boils, Raising Canes, lakes, plantation homes, and southern hospitality. While New Orleans might steal the Louisiana spotlight, Baton Rouge aka Red Stick is still a great southern city.

Our work was unbelievable. We had the luxury of working at two different sites for our round one on Chinn street and one in a cute Habitat neighborhood called Rosewood. Chinn street started three homes while we where there which meant lots and lots of framing, hammering, wall raising, hanging trusses, and traditional construction fun. The Rosewood houses were in the finishing stages which meant lots of painting, cabinet installation, installing baseboards, tile, trim and LOTS and LOTS of caulking. While I spent more time a Rosewood than I did Chinn street, I enjoyed both of them tremendously.

So, while I can't give you daily reflections, I can give you some pretty sweet photos (courtesy of my teammates!)

Round 2: Project Accomplishments

Quantifiable Data

Railroad Museum
Acreage of grass mowed 1

Bridges restored 4

Feet of track ballasted 240

Feet of trench dug 180

Feet of trench filled 180

Picnic tables painted 9

Pounds of debris cleared 2650

Pounds of trees removed 2400

Structures painted 2

Trees removed 4

Community Volunteer Day

Community gardens started or tended 2

Neighborhood cleanup activities organized or conducted 1

New trees or shrubs planted 80

Playgrounds constructed or repaired 2

Volunteers recruited or coordinated 70

Larchmont Elementary

Elementary students mentored 380

Elementary students supported in an out of school program 75

Elementary students tutored 380

Elementary students tutored in reading 380

Existing programs expanded or improved 3

Hours spent in tutoring elementary school students 1763

Corps Member and Community Benefits

The Benefits Blue 2 gained from our experience working at Larchmont Elementary were innumerable. All of us feel as though we have gained a sense of responsibility from being a role model for children. We have also come to hold ourselves to a higher standard of accountability and professionalism. Having children watch and model everything you do is defiantly a good motivation for good behavior (not that we wouldn’t behave normally, we were just more conscience about it in the school setting). We have also had the benefit of knowing that what we were doing at Larchmont was needed by the students, greatly appreciated by the teachers and staff, and thoroughly enjoyed by our whole team. A lot of the Blue 2 team members grew enormously during our time at Larchmont, and we would like to thank the children for giving us that experience.

The community benefits that Larchmont School received from Blue 2 are mainly having a presence that they can count on being there every day, and having a sense of routine and normalcy. The students also received one on one time with us, whether it was them reading to us, doing math flash cards, or just asking how their weekend was. We all feel as though we got to know many of the children and that they each had a friend in us. Another benefit that Larchmont received from us is the Community Volunteer Day (CVD) that we did at the school. We planted two gardens in the school, painted the line in the center of the hallway, and played lots of games with the children. Our CVD was a huge success and it was really great for all of the parents to have the chance to meet us.

Round 2: Executive Summary

Larchmont Elementary School, located just north of Sacramento in North Highlands, is a kindergarten through sixth grade facility and part of the Twin Rivers Unified School District. Larchmont has been open since 1955 and now serves approximately 380 students of varying backgrounds, including three Special Day classes. The student population at Larchmont is 38% Hispanic/Latino, 32% Caucasian, 16% African-American, and 14% other. Many of these students are faced with outside challenges to their education, such as single-parent or foster homes, drug abuse, and bullying. Furthermore, many of the students at Larchmont come from Spanish speaking homes and know very little English. Despite these obstacles, the staff at Larchmont works every day to fulfill the school’s mission statement, which is “to inspire each student to extraordinary achievement every day.”

Apart from the mission statement, Larchmont also outlines a set of beliefs for their school, with one being: “The education of each child is the shared responsibility of the entire school community: parents, guardians, school staff, local agencies, and service organizations.” This sums up the project mission for Blue 2; the team was expected to help educate the students not only in the classroom, but also in life in general.

Blue 2 was the second AmeriCorps team to serve at Larchmont for the 2009-2010 school year, so the team’s role was basically to follow in the footsteps of the previous team and act as the best possible role models for the students. The team was also expected to help the students achieve their potential in the classroom through one-on-one and small group tutoring, and after school programs for grades two through four. Every teacher had different expectations for how the corps members would assist in the learning process of their classes, ranging from grading papers and assignments to leading reading groups or small group sessions with students who needed extra help. Blue 2 was also expected to interact with the students during recess in an effort to cut down on bullying and citations, which included leading games, talking to the students, and encouraging fair play and respect.

Throughout this project, benefits were seen both in the children and in the members of Blue 2. All of the corps members formed strong bonds with the students that will have a lasting impact on their lives, and the students at Larchmont consistently showed their appreciation and love. Members of Blue 2 were able to gain many skills in tutoring children, as well as a more vast knowledge of the California education system and the profession of teaching in general. The team is leaving with a newfound respect for the desire, determination, and patience it takes to be and educator, and hopes that Larchmont Elementary will continue to thrive despite the many obstacles they face.

Round 2: ?

Remember when I was blogging daily, and that turned into three times a week, which turned into once a week, which turned into never?

Obviously a lot has happened since then and the only way to truly do that justice is to insert excerpts from our Round 2 portfolio as blog post (which I feel I can do since I was the editor for this round) and also because the idea of rehashing everything would just be too daunting.

So, I'll leave with my reflection form Round Two...

I could mention teaching methods, grammar rules, my newly formed impeccable quick multiplication skills or the confusion that is JiJi Math, but the two things I will always remember from my time at Larchmont are resilience and the power of love. It doesn’t matter what went on in the homes of the kids, what happened on our team, or how we disciplined the children in the classroom, when it came time for recess, it was always smiles, hug, freeze tag, and Four Square.

Despite the situations they face in life, these kids truly are innocent and have effortless mastered the art of forgiving and forgetting. I may have taught them math and language arts, but they reminded me how to truly love with an open heart. Somewhere along the road to adulthood I believe we all lose that ability and I am forever grateful to the students at Larchmont for opening their hearts to me and loving me unconditionally.

Mid Year Transition

Our Mid year transtions turned out to be very interesting.

After spending that last two months with basically no one but our team and select members from other teams, having the entire first floor to ourselves --in addition to Nelson's room (equip with his roommates TV, X-Box and Guitar Hero), our very own kitchen and permanent dining location in 943, seeing all 300+ corps members was a shock and a half.

It's amazing how just 6 months before, seeing 300 18-24 year olds living, working and playing figuratively on top of each other was the norm, and now it seems awkward. Just goes to show you how fast you adapt to new situations and how fast NCCC becomes your life.

Mid year transition was chalk full of lots of down time, debriefings, briefings, picnics, pod reunions, The AmeriVagina Monologues (directed by your's truly), and Life After AmeriCorps Day.

It's the latter that I want to expand upon.

It's weird to thing that I'm half way through with my AmeriCorps term and I'm already forced the think about what I'm going to do next. Even more weird is that I already decided I wanted to do another year of AmeriCorps. I graduated college with the 5 years plan that involved two years of AmeriCorps, one as direct service and another more VISTA or office like, and three/four years of graduate school. So, while I didn't NEED the Life After AmeriCorps resume building, interviewing skills, or potential job opportunities, it did get me thinking...

One of the main reasons I joined NCCC was to figure out which avenue of the non-profit/governmental world I could see myself working in. With two rounds down, one in the environmental realm and the other in education, my experiences couldn't have been further from each other. I'm also no closer to my answer than when I started.

I do know...

• I like work that let's me know I've accomplished something
• I enjoy recognition and praise
• I really enjoy handling tough tasks on my own
• I like pretty things
• I don't mind being messy (as long as I have the opportunity to get clean)
• I REALLY ENJOY COPY MACHINES
• Coffee is a must. And LOTS of it
• Working with a boss who's flexible and understanding is something I really thrive under
• I don't like working when people aren't pulling their own weight
• I have an amazing capacity to latch on to things I never thought would become part of my life
• I enjoy working with interesting, hard to use, awkward tools
• I like variety in the work day

May that's enough... for now.

The AmeriVagina Monologues

After being in or in support of The Vagina Monologues (TVM) for the past 4 years of my life, I couldn't imagine a V-Day season without seeing fabulous women reading these powerful monologues.

So, I decided NCCC needed to do their own monologues.

A lot of red tape was cut through because traditionally TVM is an advocacy event that raises money for to help stop violence against women and children, but as a governmental program, NCCC cannot raise money for an organization. Luckily, the V-Day ladies we're very on board with the education aspect presenting TVM to the corps members would have and thus allowed us to put on a production at no cost.

Recruiting and auditioning the ladies was very interesting as all but 6 of the teams were away from campus. There were both on campus auditions and off campus skype/phone auditions, and after weeks of preparation, TVM took place during Mid Year Transition.

The show was very well received. I gather anywhere from 100-130 people were in attendance, and everyone throughly enjoyed the show. My teammates, friends, and those I don't even know all gave praise to the cast.

Even more rewarding than that was seeing the cast come together. We had last minute changes, doubts and fears, but once the show began, it was obvious these ladies realized they were part of something more powerful than they ever imagined.

But perhaps the most profound experience within in this Vday was my own personal growth.

The past year has been a very intense, emotional, and unfathomable one for the issues the monologues tackle. I along with one of my best friends from college had a hell of a year and I never really gave myself time to deal with any of those issues. So the monologues became my therapy, or to quote a line for the the show, my "politically incorrect savior."

Hearing these monologues again gave me the courage and strength to begin to let go of my past and look forward.

And for that I have Eve Ensler and The cast of the AmeriVagina Monologues to thank.

Round 2: The Beginning

Today was the end of our fourth day at our Round 3 Project, Larchmont Elementary.

Yes, our round three project is a complete 180 form round one. We're no longer working together as a team but rather we're each in individual classrooms. We're no longer working outside or with our hands, save for transitioning between the classrooms and picking up small children and four square balls. And we're no longer mindlessly working, in fact it's just the opposite.

We start our days at 0730 (0930 on Wednesdays). We monitor breakfast and morning recess and then at 8:15 we begin working in our first classroom. From there until the end of the day everyone has their own schedule and our only AmeriInteraction is with those who have the same lunch period as us. I am currently working in a 1st grade class for the first 45 minutes, I then move to a 4th-6th grade Special Day Class, and have 2 hours of third grade, followed by 2 hours of fourth grade. We are all mostly helping with language arts, and math classes (although my last 4th grade hour is social studies) doing small group work or one on one tutoring.

All in all, I really enjoy this round. The kids make my day. Form the very moment we arrived we were showered with hugs and enthusiasm. I've already received a dozen Valentine's and drawings and have multiple fan clubs. Additionally, the Teachers at Larchmont are a joy to work with! Shout out to Mrs. Kerswell, Mrs. Ball, Mrs. Martin and Mr. Friend! Not to mention our wonderful Principle Mrs. Yates and our site supervisor Mrs. Thiessen.

Yes, at times it can be frustrating trying to get the kids to perform at a proficient level and yes, we have all shared our stories of frustration around the dinner table, but I've got to say, this round is shaping up to be just as amazing as the first.

So far, Larchmont is GET IT!

Transition

Last time I left you we were working on our debrief for Round 2.

As you will notice, I haven't posted since then. This is because my life was consumed with Transition activities.

This basically means, I spent the week, researching for our briefing for our Round 2 project, and socializing. Which really means, those that are of age frequented the local watering hole and slept in until noon. Transition for corps members is a lot more laid back than for team leaders. We had to prepare our briefings, go to team position meetings and... that's about it.

Friday night, Colleen, Anna, Valary and I hit the downtown Sac club scene to release our pent up dancing rage.

Good times were had.

And now it's back to the AmeriGrind.

Round 1 Transition & Procrastination

I've been MIA yet again, but like always it's for a good reason.

As of last Friday, Blue 2 is no longer working in the Oregon Garden. That's right, we packed up most of our stuff (another NCCC team is working there after transition so we left our cots, dishes, and rain gear there for them), boarded Gustavus the 15 passenger government van, and drove the 10 hours back to Sacramento.

Unfortunately for Blue 2, we arrived to find that almost every other team already started and finished their debrief presentation and there project portfolio. So, needless to say, while everyone else enjoyed a nice lazy weekend. Blue 2 was busy projecting away.

Despite the last minute work, since a the majority of us are college grads, we're all used to putting together A+ work at the last minute (at the sacrifice of sleep, food, and sanity). We decided it was best to have one person (Colleen) edit the portfolio for cohesiveness and one person create the debrief Powerpoint (yours truly).

While I can't upload the entire debrief Powerpoint, (first, because you wouldn't understand it without us giving the presentation and second, because it's way too large of a file) I can and will link you to our "Final Words About the OG" closure video which I created.

And with that I'll finally say,

Kick rocks, Oregon Garden.

Final Reflection

Our first round project at the Oregon Garden is quite literally the reason I wanted to do NCCC.

I wanted to see a different part of the country, have the chance to do environmental work, and meet inspiring new people. I accomplished all of that and more throughout our time at the Garden. Our team leader, Nelson, told us that other team leaders who were corps members previously thought the Garden was a great first round project. Now that it's coming to a close, I could not agree more.

Perhaps the most important thing I will take away from the Garden is the wealth of environmental knowledge gained form conversations with the horticulture staff. I came to the garden barely knowing the distinction between fruits and vegetables, and I'm leaving spouting words like monocotyledon and dicotyledon, naming wild birds and plants, and constantly thinking about how things affect the earth. After two months working at the Garden, I feel confident that I could carry out my long time desire to grow my own vegetables and maintain an exquisite garden (or at the very least remove the non-native invasive species that find their way into my backyard).

I've also developed an incredibly admiration for the beauty of nature. Working outside during the rainy season that is Oregonian winter, you really learn to value clear, warm sunny days. Additionally, the rare sunny winter days that showcase the lush forest and striking colors of green allow you to appreciate the rain.

The one thing I was unclear about coming into the project was just how much our team was going to bond over the two months. When we got to the Garden in November we were still just getting to know each other. After two months of living, working and playing with the same 9 people, we're closer than I ever thought 10 strangers could get.

Over all, I think the Garden was the perfect match for our team. It gave us the opportunity to learn something new, grow together as a team, and as cheesy as it might sound, this project also allowed us to get things done for America.

Garden Snap Shots

Today's post is really easy.

Coupled with the fact that it's the last few days of work, the sun was shining, and we all more or less felt like productivity wasn't going to be above par, we decided to take time to take shots of the Garden.

But since I took so many, I'll only upload a few here and just link to my Round One Picasa Album for the rest!

AmeriCorps and #CuseHoops

I don't know why the AmeriGods and NCAA Basketball gods hate me so much, but it seems like I'm never able to watch the Orange play.

Yes, I'm aware I'm on the West Coast. And yes I'm aware that I do actually now have a job that doesn't revolve around Syracuse University. But come on? Does there always have to be a conflict of interests?

I suppose this isn't really about AmeriCorps, but as my team can attest, Syracuse Basketball is my second religion and I'm deeply deeply upset that I'm not able to follow them as religiously as I should.

Chalk one up to going back to Sacramento on Friday. At least I'll have access to cable, high speed Internet, and if those two fail, my car to drive to a local bar.

The Oregon Coast

Well, we finally did it.

After 2 months of being in Oregon and spending approximately 5 Mondays in a row explaining to Jeff why we didn't do any of the things we planned to do over the weekend, we finally visited the Oregon coast.

And honestly, just like Silver Falls, words cannot describe how beautiful it was.

Having grown up in a suburb of Houston that is a little of 20 minutes from Galveston Island, I'm definitely no stranger to the beach. For Tracy however, growing up in northern Wisconsin, meant that this was his first time to see the beach. And what a beach to see.

Jeff told us that what's mesmerizing about the Oregon coast was how the forest literally meets the water and he was dead on. Driving on the 101, to our left we saw Fur tree forests and to the right was nothing but gorgeous blue water.

Our itinerary included driving to Newport, OR and Depot bay. We visited the Hatfield Marine Science Center, ate at the Original Mo's and definitely played on the beach.

So without further ado, I'll leave you with the snapshots that my Blackberry took of the day, which for a camera phone, are pretty sweet!

Scotch Broom

Today after Jeff headed our request to tackle something other than Blackberry, we moved to the fields down below the Oak grove to remove some Scotch Broom*, yet another non-native invasive species.

Even though my back is slightly killing me, it was nice to have a change of weed to pull. It was also surprisingly nice to only have 7 of us working in one area. It's not that we don't all get a long or that I don't particularly like the girls who were working in Complex B, it just, it was different. I think it's good to have a change of environment. Which is good since for our next project we won't be seeing much of each other at all.

That's right, we've gotten word that our next project will be working in an Elementary school in Sacramento. North highlands to be exact. Each of us will be placed as teacher's assistants in different K-6 class rooms. We will also monitor recess and the after school programs.

So while we will be an NCCC team, we will be doing individual work. It's going to be quite the change.

But then again, after 4 weeks of straight weeding, I might be ready for an education project and some alone time.

*The Scotch Broom does NOT look like this. Imagine the plant without the vibrant flowers and as Bonnie said, the smell of cucumber surrounding you. That's what we tackled today.

Silver Falls

Well, it took us long enough but today we finally went to Silver Falls State Park.

But, of course like everything Blue 2 does, there's a back story.

This morning happened to be gorgeous. The sun was shining, it was low 50s and everyone seemed to be in high spirits. In fact we were in such high spirits that during breakfast Christie joked that we should take the day off and enjoy the sunshine.

Flash forward about one hour into the work day and our site supervisor Jeff comes around to talk to Colleen and I about the general happenings of the day, and just has he was about to leave he says "Gee, it's such a nice day you outta take today off and go to the falls a work on Saturday."

Ding, ding, ding!!!

Without a beat I immediately told Nelson that Jeff suggested we take the day off and the rest is history.

Silver Falls is gorgeous. Beyond belief. And while I'd like to expound upon the experience, I'll take the minimalist approach and say this, Oregon is an outdoors state, and it's very clear why.

Don't believe me? Check out the shots from my blackberry!

Oregon Garden = Great Spike

Just when I'm starting to get used to my Oregonian life, we're packing up and leaving.

Well, not literally, but in a two weeks.

I've got to say I never thought I'd get so attached to a place so quickly, but the Garden is just so lovable. Every day I thank God for the beauty that is the green lusciousness that surrounds us. Sure, it's raining every day, and sure, it's always cold, but it's some how beautiful.

But it's not only the Garden that I'm going to miss, it's also our site supervisor. Jeff is truly an remarkable guy. Funny, knowledgeable, and eager to teach and learn. Not only does he teach us so much about the garden but he's also knowledgeable about Oregon and the surrounding area. He could certainly have a job as a travel guide if horticulture doesn't work out.

Lastly, I'm going to miss the luxury that is the Oregon Garden Resort. No, it's not like we're getting free massages or comp rooms. We do however frequent the lounge for a nice glass of wine (those of us who are able), great blues music, and of course, the hot tube. Nothing soothes better after a long day of manual labor and physical training that wine and relaxing in hot water.

Over all, the Garden is a great project and I'm not looking forward to leaving on January 29th.

AmeriFunk

It's only Tuesday but this week has already been a struggle.

We're all moving at a glacial pace, looking for every opportunity to NOT pull blackberries and virtually passing out after PT after work. Call it an AmeriFunk. Nevertheless it's happening. And it's happening at an ironic time. We're are finally coming together as a team, bickering like old friends not strangers, cracking jokes, laughing, comforting, consoling, and generally being a family. Or we're all bonding over are hatred for blackberries.

What ever it is, I can see why we were told that this would be an excellent first round project. Despite the weather and the only now monotonous work, it's really been nice being surrounded by just our team. It's given us the chance to really get to know each other and come together as a team. Even though I have blackberry thorns stuck in my fingers slightly permanently, I wouldn't trade this round for the world. The bond that we've built is going to be the back bone of a great 10 months.

I just hope we all feel the same way.

525,600 Minutes

Tonight after dinner my team watched RENT.

I couldn't help but think about the end of AmeriCorps throughout the whole movie. Where will this year take us? It's already brought most of us farther than we've ever been from home, doing things we never thought we'd do. But what else is next?

I also couldn't help finding similarities in many of the songs, especially "Today 4 U." That's what AmeriCorps is all about. Today for you, tomorrow for me.

While the song isn't actually about service, that principle is.

Yes, this blog is a stretch, but I couldn't think of anything else to talk about today...

Blackberries

It's suddenly occurred to me that I haven't informed the blogging masses about the current phase of our work here at the Oregon Garden.

We have moved out of the Wetlands and are now working in the Oak Grove removing invasive species. The species in question happens to by Himalayan Blackberry. This plant is the definition of an invasive species. Brought here sometime ago by humans who presumably wanted to consume the blackberries, this plant is not running rampant all along the Pacific Northwest. Not only is it non-native but it grows almost virally. The invasion of the plant is so bad that it takes years to remove the plant entirely. No one team of 10 NCCC members can ever get all of the plant out. It roots, re-roots and resurrects.

And did I mention the thorns?

That's right, this isn't your average weed, it's got vicious thorns that have scratched corneas, punctured body parts left scratches on all of our bodies. The plant is so vicious that we have actually contemplated pooling out stipends together to buy a few goats (the only known animal that actually eats this plant).

Just how vicious you might ask? Vicious enough to use machetes and take down corps members.

But, it's not all bad work. In fact, despite the pain and monotony, I am finding that I enjoy working in the Oak Grove just as much. Unlike the Wetlands, working in the Oak Grove, the team is working in the same spot, so we get lively conversations and banter going on. Anna also got a sweet iPod speaker system that provides some righteous tunes. And perhaps one of the greatest things about Blackberry is we can really see the progress we are making. What used to be an entire hillside covered in blackberry is now only 1/3 after only 3 days of working.

How's that for getting things done?

If I Had a Million Dollars

Today Nelson (my team leader) and I went on what started out as a simple forgotten items grocery run that turned in to shopping for the entire week.

Two realizations happened this afternoon The first being, it's infinitely easier to shop for 10 people when only 2 people go to the grocery store, and the second being, I really enjoy AmeriCorps.

I became cognizant of the latter after our side trip to Rite Aid. Rite Aid is currently doing their version of McDonald's Monopoly game with the game of LIFE. The cashier there asked me if I wanted to play, I declined and was then promptly told by Nelson that we, as a team, are playing and I did in fact need to get the game pieces being offered. Once back in the car Nelson asked if I one any instant wining prizes. I said "what like, $1,000,000? If so, good by AmeriCorps."

I then thought about what I said, and added "it would be a real test of character to see if I would stay with NCCC if I won." And as soon as I said that, I thought even more and realized, yes, I would stay with NCCC.

Don't worry, this isn't my way of saying I did in fact win $1,000,000 (that's not even the grand prize). But it is my way of saying that I am truly happy where I'm at right now and this is exactly what I want to feel for the rest of my life. I want to be so content with where I am, what I'm doing and who I'm with, that money really is not an object.

My mom always said, do what you love.

And for the first time, I actually know I am.

--

*YES, I know I've already slacked on the Resolution. No more!

Back to the Garden

After a much needed winter break and a 10 hour drive,

Blue 2 is back at the Oregon Garden.

Even though we were away from each other for almost 2 weeks, it seems we all stayed relatively on the same page. The girls have all resolved to stop being passive about our fitness/weight loss goals. The guys have decided to give Tony Horton and run for his money by sticking to the strict P90X videos, and we've all resolved to make improvements for good of the team.

What I couldn't help but notice on the drive up here, is how we've all really come together as a family. I might have said it before, and I certainly said it in our interview with the Appeal Tribune, but this time I actually meant it. I was surprised to find that seeing my teammates felt almost like seeing my friends from school. There is just something right about the 10 of us being together at this point in time.

Case in point, after a long day of traveling the girls all instinctively decided a nice unwinding trip to the hot tub at the Resort was necessary. The guys decided to get back into the swing of movie watching, and we all decided Brinner was a better solution than tackling the WinCo bulk foods store.

I'm more than glad to be back, and I cannot wait to get back to getting things done!

Return of the Corps

I'm currently sitting in the Phoenix airport waiting for my 9:10 flight back to Sacramento.

The only thought running through my head is: "Finally!"

It's not that I didn't enjoy the break, or seeing my family and friends, it's just, NCCC is so hard to explain. Yes, as media rep, I can give you a 30 second elevator speech about the program, but none of that is appealing to friends, family, and cute strangers.

Friends want to know I'm leading an exciting life of pseudo-debauchery. Family wants to know why I'm not in Div school/Grad school. And cute strangers just want to know how much they're going to have to work for my number. I've probably explained NCCC 100 times since break and I've got to say, it really is exhausting.

I've been in many "bubbles" before in my life. Bubbles meaning, living in a world that really only makes sense or is really truly understood by those also in said bubble, but the AmeriBubble is by far the hardest. Or really, I should say the AmeriNCCC bubble, as I realized recently that even my friends doing AmeriCorps Direct don't understand my AmeriLife.

I live, work, and play with the same 9 people. At times I find it frustrating it, and at times I love it, and then there are times like now, when I realize even though it's hard, and even though it's a love/frustration relationship, I really can't see myself doing anything else right now.

And as a shout out to Blue 2, I really couldn't see myself doing NCCC with anyone else!

New Year's Resolution 2010

My only new year's resolution this year is to keep my blogging promises.
Which means, AmeriBlogs everyday of NCCC.