i had a hard time picking out a costume but i settled on being a flapper from the 20's.
here are some pictures
hope everyone enjoys theirs too!
xoxo,
B
Saturday, October 30, 2010
halloween party
tonight chu gave a halloween party. everyone from americorps was invited as well as the students who go to the university. they held the dance in the cafeteria and it turned out to be fun :)
i had a hard time picking out a costume but i settled on being a flapper from the 20's.
here are some pictures
no plans for the rest of the weekend except taking it easy!
hope everyone enjoys theirs too!
xoxo,
B
i had a hard time picking out a costume but i settled on being a flapper from the 20's.
here are some pictures
hope everyone enjoys theirs too!
xoxo,
B
Friday, October 29, 2010
rock climbing!
today was "all corps pt day" and so we went rock climbing! they split the units in half and so a few groups from fire left this morning at 7:15 and we headed off! it was an indoor climbing place and it was so awesome!
they had different levels of difficulty on the "path up." each was rated with a number, the lower number being the easier path. the lowest level they had was a 5.6 so i did that one first and did the 5.7 second! you wouldn't think it would be too hard but my forearms are killing me now! not to mention my fingers are getting blisters! but it was definitely worth it!
they also had a rope ladder you could climb and a rope. i figured i'd let the others handle those two!
we stayed from about 8 to 10. it was so much fun! hopefully we'll get to go back again soon!
they had different levels of difficulty on the "path up." each was rated with a number, the lower number being the easier path. the lowest level they had was a 5.6 so i did that one first and did the 5.7 second! you wouldn't think it would be too hard but my forearms are killing me now! not to mention my fingers are getting blisters! but it was definitely worth it!
they also had a rope ladder you could climb and a rope. i figured i'd let the others handle those two!
we stayed from about 8 to 10. it was so much fun! hopefully we'll get to go back again soon!
xoxo,
B
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
denver food bank
ok ok i know i'm already slacking a little bit in keeping up with my blog BUT again i say- better late than never!
this week has been crazy busy. and to be honest, by the end of the day i'm pretty much so tired i plop down on my bed and fall fast asleep. pathetic but true.
so i guess i should start with my weekend. on friday night my roommate and i went into town again to check things out. saturday we decided to head out to denver and see the sights in the day time. we were in for a surprise. little did we know that saturday was denver's zombie crawl and pretty much every other person you saw was dressed like a zombie. they were everywhere! it made the day a whole lot more entertaining!
this week has been crazy busy. and to be honest, by the end of the day i'm pretty much so tired i plop down on my bed and fall fast asleep. pathetic but true.
so i guess i should start with my weekend. on friday night my roommate and i went into town again to check things out. saturday we decided to head out to denver and see the sights in the day time. we were in for a surprise. little did we know that saturday was denver's zombie crawl and pretty much every other person you saw was dressed like a zombie. they were everywhere! it made the day a whole lot more entertaining!
we cleaned our dorm room this weekend too from top to bottom! it is AMAZING how dirty these rooms are. but not ours anymore! ours is beautiful! :)
on monday we spent the WHOLE day in one room listening to everyone and their cousin talking about the same things we've already heard a zillion times but oh well!
tuesday was my groups day out! we went to the denver food bank and worked there all day. it was very fun and the time flew by! our jobs were to go through the donated food and clean the cans/boxes off and then sort them. it was a wonderful day!
well today we've been listening to red cross people talk all day and now i'm about to head to the childcare lesson.
well today we've been listening to red cross people talk all day and now i'm about to head to the childcare lesson.
i hope everyone is doing great! think of me in that warm sc weather... it's FREEZING here!!!
xoxo,
B
Saturday, October 23, 2010
first service project
first of all, i meant to post this blog yesterday BUT i was too tired. better late than never though!
i guess i should mention that on thursday we switched groups again and my new tl is kiera who is hilarious and my team members are all really funny! another great group!
so yesterday, we had to do our first service project. on thursday the man in charge of the project came to campus and briefed us and told us what we'd be doing- working with over 500 sixth graders to fix a couple miles of trail in a state park that sees over 1.4 million visitors a year. the park was beautiful in a very weird way... yesterday was the first cloudy day i've seen since i've been here and we had some drizzle action. but overall it was beautiful.
our group split in half so we became groups 21 and 22. i was in 22 with four other members from my group. the other five members were in group 21. each of our groups had ten kids. their elementary school literally sits right on the edge of the state park but surprisingly when i asked the kids if they'd been there before only one had. the object of yesterday's project was mainly to get kids interested in going outside and seeing how nice it can be. the next object was the get the trails looking better.
my group did an amazing job! our kids worked so hard and laughed and never complained and by the time we were supposed to stop for lunch they were done with the work!
after that, we came back to campus. the brave souls (!) who are trying out to be on the fire squad (the people who put out wild fires) had to take a baseline test. my roommate casey tried out. she was the first girl to finish the run and she had the best scores for the sit ups and push ups! she did great!
after that, we fell asleep! then headed out to denver to see our friends!
xoxo
B
i guess i should mention that on thursday we switched groups again and my new tl is kiera who is hilarious and my team members are all really funny! another great group!
so yesterday, we had to do our first service project. on thursday the man in charge of the project came to campus and briefed us and told us what we'd be doing- working with over 500 sixth graders to fix a couple miles of trail in a state park that sees over 1.4 million visitors a year. the park was beautiful in a very weird way... yesterday was the first cloudy day i've seen since i've been here and we had some drizzle action. but overall it was beautiful.
our group split in half so we became groups 21 and 22. i was in 22 with four other members from my group. the other five members were in group 21. each of our groups had ten kids. their elementary school literally sits right on the edge of the state park but surprisingly when i asked the kids if they'd been there before only one had. the object of yesterday's project was mainly to get kids interested in going outside and seeing how nice it can be. the next object was the get the trails looking better.
after that, we came back to campus. the brave souls (!) who are trying out to be on the fire squad (the people who put out wild fires) had to take a baseline test. my roommate casey tried out. she was the first girl to finish the run and she had the best scores for the sit ups and push ups! she did great!
after that, we fell asleep! then headed out to denver to see our friends!
xoxo
B
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
hiking in boulder!
yesterday my unit took a day trip to boulder, co which is about a 45 minute ride away. boulder. is. amazing. :) it is supposed to be the smartest city in america with more phd's per capita than any other city. it is also one of the priciest. the houses are SO beautiful. also, more people ride bikes in boulder than people who drive cars. so bike stands are everywhere! and everywhere you look you see the amazing mountains. the trees are changing and light up the sky. it's beautiful.
hiking was awesome. the views were so amazing. i heard one lady say if you can run in colorado you can run anywhere and that is definitely the truth! i didn't run by any means up the mountain but i can at least say i hiked up! hiking a 1.2 mile trail takes about an hour the map said and at first we thought that was insane but once we started we figured it would take us a little longer than an hour... it did. but the important thing is that we survived! oh and the dogs there.take classes with their owners so the dogs don't have to be on leashes. the dogs are so well trained it's amazing!
after hiking we went into the city and to the main street- pearl street. oh my goodness yall! it was so awesome! they had every kind of shop you can imagine! and on every block they had a little kids area for kids to play. no smoking was permitted. dogs were walking around. people were riding bikes and street performers were playing and dancing to their music. all the restaurants had seating outside and the weather with the sights were amazing. i definitely had a wonderful day there!
for today, we've been doing meetings all morning... and then we have more meetings this afternoon and after pt and dinner my roommate and i are teaming up to do the pumpkin carving contest! hopefully mine and heyward's practice before i left will come in handy!
xoxo,
B
hiking was awesome. the views were so amazing. i heard one lady say if you can run in colorado you can run anywhere and that is definitely the truth! i didn't run by any means up the mountain but i can at least say i hiked up! hiking a 1.2 mile trail takes about an hour the map said and at first we thought that was insane but once we started we figured it would take us a little longer than an hour... it did. but the important thing is that we survived! oh and the dogs there.take classes with their owners so the dogs don't have to be on leashes. the dogs are so well trained it's amazing!
after hiking we went into the city and to the main street- pearl street. oh my goodness yall! it was so awesome! they had every kind of shop you can imagine! and on every block they had a little kids area for kids to play. no smoking was permitted. dogs were walking around. people were riding bikes and street performers were playing and dancing to their music. all the restaurants had seating outside and the weather with the sights were amazing. i definitely had a wonderful day there!
for today, we've been doing meetings all morning... and then we have more meetings this afternoon and after pt and dinner my roommate and i are teaming up to do the pumpkin carving contest! hopefully mine and heyward's practice before i left will come in handy!
xoxo,
B
Monday, October 18, 2010
LoDo
well, today my new small group got up and went into the city- LoDo (lower downtown denver). it was lots of fun! it was my first time seeing denver in the daytime and being able to walk around and i loved it. denver is really big a lot like new york and atlanta with all the tall buildings but the awesome thing about it is the fact that there's parks and trees and tons of artwork everywhere. it's a very cool city. i posted pictures on facebook for everyone to see.
after that we headed back to campus where we played a game (a glimpse of what pt will be like). it was pretty much a game of tag. at first when you run here because the air is so thin it's hard getting air in so you breathe really deep and then the air is so dry and cold it makes your throat burn but after a few minutes you get used to it so it wasn't so bad.
tomorrow our unit is going on a hike in boulder! we're leaving at 9 am and driving to boulder and walking around and having lunch and then we're going for an afternoon hike. i'm very excited! i hope two nalgene bottles of water will last me!
other than this news not much has happened... it's nice being able to get into a routine and know what to expect. we're learning more and more what we'll be doing. actually, at the end of this week we're going out to work in the community so i'm really excited about that! :)
i hope everyone is doing wonderful
i really miss yall...
enjoy the (somewhat) warm southern weather! here it's FREEZING!
xoxo,
B
after that we headed back to campus where we played a game (a glimpse of what pt will be like). it was pretty much a game of tag. at first when you run here because the air is so thin it's hard getting air in so you breathe really deep and then the air is so dry and cold it makes your throat burn but after a few minutes you get used to it so it wasn't so bad.
tomorrow our unit is going on a hike in boulder! we're leaving at 9 am and driving to boulder and walking around and having lunch and then we're going for an afternoon hike. i'm very excited! i hope two nalgene bottles of water will last me!
other than this news not much has happened... it's nice being able to get into a routine and know what to expect. we're learning more and more what we'll be doing. actually, at the end of this week we're going out to work in the community so i'm really excited about that! :)
i hope everyone is doing wonderful
i really miss yall...
enjoy the (somewhat) warm southern weather! here it's FREEZING!
xoxo,
B
Saturday, October 16, 2010
new temporary small group
well, unfortunately today was pretty much the most boring day we've had yet.
first of all, i woke up at 6:15, went to brekky, packed my bagged lunch, then headed to the clinic to get my check up (which meant a drug test- that i almost didn't pass because i didn't have to go... a tetanus shot- that has my arm killing me now, and a tb test- which i got a few months ago but they wanted to be safe and give me another one...), then i came back to get sized for my boots (the man who measured my foot took the boot after i tried it on and told me i was done and could go so i did and didn't find out until the boot men had left that he was supposed to give me the boots but he didn't... so now on monday i have to go through the process again of getting boots) and then i spent literally more than five hours sitting in a chair listening to people talk about rules. it was pretty bad. after that though we got sorted into our new temporary groups. we only had about two minutes together because our tl wanted to see a game that was about to start so we split up. we'll start hanging out on monday so hopefully we'll all get along as well as my first group.
that was it for my boring day!
now my roommate and some friends and i are going out tonight. the tl's take us into town and we get a couple of hours to walk around so i'm very much looking forward to that! i just thought i'd update my blog before i left! so, for now i'm off!
oh and GO GAMECOCKS!!!
xoxo,
B
first of all, i woke up at 6:15, went to brekky, packed my bagged lunch, then headed to the clinic to get my check up (which meant a drug test- that i almost didn't pass because i didn't have to go... a tetanus shot- that has my arm killing me now, and a tb test- which i got a few months ago but they wanted to be safe and give me another one...), then i came back to get sized for my boots (the man who measured my foot took the boot after i tried it on and told me i was done and could go so i did and didn't find out until the boot men had left that he was supposed to give me the boots but he didn't... so now on monday i have to go through the process again of getting boots) and then i spent literally more than five hours sitting in a chair listening to people talk about rules. it was pretty bad. after that though we got sorted into our new temporary groups. we only had about two minutes together because our tl wanted to see a game that was about to start so we split up. we'll start hanging out on monday so hopefully we'll all get along as well as my first group.
that was it for my boring day!
now my roommate and some friends and i are going out tonight. the tl's take us into town and we get a couple of hours to walk around so i'm very much looking forward to that! i just thought i'd update my blog before i left! so, for now i'm off!
oh and GO GAMECOCKS!!!
xoxo,
B
traveling around the denver area
well, i guess i should mention that after i wrote on my blog last night i DID unpack my big suitcase! i suppose that means i'm now officially moved in to my room here in denver.
today we had driver training. aka a really boring day for the most part (and a little scary too). my group met up at 7:50 as normal and we went for an hour long meeting on how to properly drive a van. then we watched an almost two hour long video on how to drive a van. and then we had ten minutes to go get our ipods and get in the van. and then we spent from 11:15 until a little after 5 driving in the fifteen passenger van. woo.
my team leader (they're called tl for short) tim is really nice and really does want us to have a good time in denver so instead of just driving around in circles like all the other groups did we got to drive around the outskirts of denver and see some of the natural wonders. so, one team member would drive us to one spot then another team member would drive to another spot and so on.
the first place we went was red rock park. it was actually built by the group that americorps came from the ccc. it's a park and an amphitheater. it's amazing! and massive! it's right in the middle of these huge rocks. and the rocks are all really red! red rock park- appropriately named! evidently, the folks of denver just love working out and they come out and hike/ride up the mountain and then get in the amphitheater and run up and down the stairs. i'm serious. it's like an outdoor treadmill. i think amber would love it!
next we went to the grave of buffalo bill. this was another mountain and from here we could see denver. it was really beautiful. this mountain was like the first and so when you look to one side you see nothing but flat land and buildings and when you look to the other side you see nothing but mountains! it was so beautiful. heyward would have loved it there because it had a nifty little museum and fun things outside. we also got icecream!
our final stop was a bit more somber but way more moving. we made our way to columbine high school to see the memorial. it was very moving to drive by the school and park in the parking lot beside it and imagine how many parents waited there in horror wondering if their kids were wounded. we walked through the sports fields and saw all the kids running and playing soccer and football and cheer leading and i had to remind myself that while i was only in elementary school when this happened these kids were in diapers. i still remember things from that day. i remember seeing the faces on the news and hearing people talk about it. walking to the memorial we heard laughing and talking and people living their lives normally. and when we entered the memorial it was weird because you walk into that circle and you really couldn't hear the noise anymore. all you could hear was the fountain. i walked around the memorial reading the memorials to the teens and teacher who died and then reading the quotes that were in the wall. looking around i saw some of my team mates wiping their eyes. i had two favorite quotes from there. one was about how that tragedy didn't weaken peoples faith in god but strengthened it and the other was about how death is inevitable. what's most important is love. and i couldn't help but to think of my family. all the things we've been through, all the horrible losses we've faced and challenges that have arisen none of those things have made us bitter or angry with god but have strengthened our relationships with each other and with god. my family means so much to me. and i realized that when i got so far away but even more so when i read those memorials today and it hit me harder than ever how strong my family and most importantly how strong their faith in god is. i pray we never have to experience loss like that but i thank god for the things that have happened in our lives that have made us who we are. it was a very eye opening experience for me.
i did drive the 15 passenger van and no i didn't wreck or get a ticket. but after the memorial little else seemed to be important today.
tomorrow morning my day starts earlier than normal at 7:10 with a doctors appointment/drug test and then i get my steal toed work boots. after lunch is an afternoon in a classroom learning the rules and regulations of americorps. i'm sure none of that will be interesting but i'll update again as soon as something good does happen!
i love you all
xoxo,
B
today we had driver training. aka a really boring day for the most part (and a little scary too). my group met up at 7:50 as normal and we went for an hour long meeting on how to properly drive a van. then we watched an almost two hour long video on how to drive a van. and then we had ten minutes to go get our ipods and get in the van. and then we spent from 11:15 until a little after 5 driving in the fifteen passenger van. woo.
my team leader (they're called tl for short) tim is really nice and really does want us to have a good time in denver so instead of just driving around in circles like all the other groups did we got to drive around the outskirts of denver and see some of the natural wonders. so, one team member would drive us to one spot then another team member would drive to another spot and so on.
the first place we went was red rock park. it was actually built by the group that americorps came from the ccc. it's a park and an amphitheater. it's amazing! and massive! it's right in the middle of these huge rocks. and the rocks are all really red! red rock park- appropriately named! evidently, the folks of denver just love working out and they come out and hike/ride up the mountain and then get in the amphitheater and run up and down the stairs. i'm serious. it's like an outdoor treadmill. i think amber would love it!
next we went to the grave of buffalo bill. this was another mountain and from here we could see denver. it was really beautiful. this mountain was like the first and so when you look to one side you see nothing but flat land and buildings and when you look to the other side you see nothing but mountains! it was so beautiful. heyward would have loved it there because it had a nifty little museum and fun things outside. we also got icecream!
our final stop was a bit more somber but way more moving. we made our way to columbine high school to see the memorial. it was very moving to drive by the school and park in the parking lot beside it and imagine how many parents waited there in horror wondering if their kids were wounded. we walked through the sports fields and saw all the kids running and playing soccer and football and cheer leading and i had to remind myself that while i was only in elementary school when this happened these kids were in diapers. i still remember things from that day. i remember seeing the faces on the news and hearing people talk about it. walking to the memorial we heard laughing and talking and people living their lives normally. and when we entered the memorial it was weird because you walk into that circle and you really couldn't hear the noise anymore. all you could hear was the fountain. i walked around the memorial reading the memorials to the teens and teacher who died and then reading the quotes that were in the wall. looking around i saw some of my team mates wiping their eyes. i had two favorite quotes from there. one was about how that tragedy didn't weaken peoples faith in god but strengthened it and the other was about how death is inevitable. what's most important is love. and i couldn't help but to think of my family. all the things we've been through, all the horrible losses we've faced and challenges that have arisen none of those things have made us bitter or angry with god but have strengthened our relationships with each other and with god. my family means so much to me. and i realized that when i got so far away but even more so when i read those memorials today and it hit me harder than ever how strong my family and most importantly how strong their faith in god is. i pray we never have to experience loss like that but i thank god for the things that have happened in our lives that have made us who we are. it was a very eye opening experience for me.
i did drive the 15 passenger van and no i didn't wreck or get a ticket. but after the memorial little else seemed to be important today.
tomorrow morning my day starts earlier than normal at 7:10 with a doctors appointment/drug test and then i get my steal toed work boots. after lunch is an afternoon in a classroom learning the rules and regulations of americorps. i'm sure none of that will be interesting but i'll update again as soon as something good does happen!
i love you all
xoxo,
B
Thursday, October 14, 2010
i'm here!
oh goodness, i haven't started out too well with my blogging... i meant to write yesterday but by the time i was free i was SO tired i jumped in the shower then fell into bed. oh well! better late than never!
denver is BEAUTIFUL! everywhere you look you see mountains. it's so amazing. and so far the people i've met are great. my days are very busy. we were given a calendar with the next month of training and minute by minute scheduling. let's just say, i'll be tired a lot!
the weather here is SO different from south carolina. the air is weird... i don't know how to explain it other than when you breathe it's like you have to breathe deeper to get in the same amount of air i normally would. they make us drink a ton of water because evidently that is the cure for altitude sickness. so i've been drinking a ton! some of the side effects of the altitude are headaches, sleepiness and throwing up. luckily i don't think i really have altitude sickness but i can definitely tell my body is trying to adjust. as for the weather part, it's warm during the days... i guess. i wear a hoodie mostly. but mornings and nights are so cold. the mornings and nights here are about as cold as it gets in hartsville in our seriously cold times! and it's not even considered winter here yet! i'm very glad i brought thermal underwear!
i got my uniform today and it's probably the worst outfit i've ever worn in my life. ever. seriously. we have to wear men's cargo shorts and pants. and they fit SO weird. we have to wear our uniforms everyday when we work so that's five days a week.
i'm just getting settled into my room. i've unpacked my boxes and carry on all that's left is my suitcase. i keep looking at it and thinking alright benton it's time. but i still haven't unpacked it! it's getting in the way though considering how very small our rooms are... so i guess i'll break down and unpack it when i'm done with this!
i know i'll be busy a lot but i promise i truly will try and update my blog on a regular basis (at least a couple of times a week).
i hope everyone is doing wonderful back in south carolina! oh, and people think it's strange how i most of my stuff has palmetto trees on it... evidently south carolina is about the only state that wears their state flag on everything...
denver is BEAUTIFUL! everywhere you look you see mountains. it's so amazing. and so far the people i've met are great. my days are very busy. we were given a calendar with the next month of training and minute by minute scheduling. let's just say, i'll be tired a lot!
the weather here is SO different from south carolina. the air is weird... i don't know how to explain it other than when you breathe it's like you have to breathe deeper to get in the same amount of air i normally would. they make us drink a ton of water because evidently that is the cure for altitude sickness. so i've been drinking a ton! some of the side effects of the altitude are headaches, sleepiness and throwing up. luckily i don't think i really have altitude sickness but i can definitely tell my body is trying to adjust. as for the weather part, it's warm during the days... i guess. i wear a hoodie mostly. but mornings and nights are so cold. the mornings and nights here are about as cold as it gets in hartsville in our seriously cold times! and it's not even considered winter here yet! i'm very glad i brought thermal underwear!
i got my uniform today and it's probably the worst outfit i've ever worn in my life. ever. seriously. we have to wear men's cargo shorts and pants. and they fit SO weird. we have to wear our uniforms everyday when we work so that's five days a week.
i'm just getting settled into my room. i've unpacked my boxes and carry on all that's left is my suitcase. i keep looking at it and thinking alright benton it's time. but i still haven't unpacked it! it's getting in the way though considering how very small our rooms are... so i guess i'll break down and unpack it when i'm done with this!
i know i'll be busy a lot but i promise i truly will try and update my blog on a regular basis (at least a couple of times a week).
i hope everyone is doing wonderful back in south carolina! oh, and people think it's strange how i most of my stuff has palmetto trees on it... evidently south carolina is about the only state that wears their state flag on everything...
Saturday, October 9, 2010
fire unit!
i finally found out what unit i will be in! fire unit! no, it has nothing to do with actual fire. it's just what it's called.
as i mentioned in my first post, each americorps nccc campus is split into four different units; in denver, they are earth, water, fire and sun. each unit is made up of 50 to 60 people. within each unit there are small group which are made up of 8 to 12 people.
i got a call from a group leader yesterday telling me that i am in the fire unit! through facebook i've met quite a few people who will be in my unit! luckily, one of the two girls i've talked to most is in my unit! the other is in water.
i only have fine more days! i can't believe how fast time is going by. tomorrow is mom's birthday, sunday is my going away party and then on wednesday i'm out of here!
oh, i got my flight information! not sure if i mentioned that but i think i did. if not, i leave from florence around 9:30 on wednesday and land in denver, co around 1:30 their time. they're two hours behind us.
i've got my suitcase all packed! i'm totally ready! :) can't wait to be there!!!
xoxo,
B
as i mentioned in my first post, each americorps nccc campus is split into four different units; in denver, they are earth, water, fire and sun. each unit is made up of 50 to 60 people. within each unit there are small group which are made up of 8 to 12 people.
i got a call from a group leader yesterday telling me that i am in the fire unit! through facebook i've met quite a few people who will be in my unit! luckily, one of the two girls i've talked to most is in my unit! the other is in water.
i only have fine more days! i can't believe how fast time is going by. tomorrow is mom's birthday, sunday is my going away party and then on wednesday i'm out of here!
oh, i got my flight information! not sure if i mentioned that but i think i did. if not, i leave from florence around 9:30 on wednesday and land in denver, co around 1:30 their time. they're two hours behind us.
i've got my suitcase all packed! i'm totally ready! :) can't wait to be there!!!
xoxo,
B
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Only ten more days!
gaga doesn't like it when i update my facebook status with the number of days before i leave. so i figured i'd try and sneak around her and update my blog instead! :D TEN MORE DAYS!!!
i have to admit though- i'm so torn between being really excited to go and really sad to leave.
our family went to costa rica for a week this past week. we had such an amazing adventure and i highly recommend costa rica for anyone who wants a nice, beautiful, relaxing yet fun vacation. everyone there is so nice and it really is an amazing place to go.
going to costa rica so soon before leaving for denver i think opened my eyes a bit more to what my next ten months will be like. first of all, there was the flight process. i've flown before with and without my family. so, i am very confident in my ability to travel from (hopefully florence but if not charlotte) sc to co. luckily i have about a two week break between all this flying i'm doing which i am very thankful for! i think i'm all flown out for the next ten days!
there is a time change in costa rica. they're two hours behind us. this was cool for me because denver is also two hours back. i've never been anywhere where i had to experience the time change. it was very weird for me to get used to it and every night i was totally worn out and fast asleep by ten o clock costa rican time- midnight our time! waking up at six am was also unhelpful considering there was not much to do that early in costa rica! i know once i'm used to being in the southwest their time will be what's normal to me and it's so weird for me to think that after ten months i'll have to get used to the time change back home.
but i think what hit me the most this past week was the realization that i'll be so far away from my family for so long. i've never ever gone two months without seeing anyone in my family. i realized after being away for a week and wondering what everyone was doing back home will be intensified by about a million when i'm even further away in denver. our dog tillie is so old and i hate thinking while i'm gone she could die. it will be so weird not seeing my parents and weldon everyday. i remember how quiet it was when weldon was at boot camp and how weird it felt when i was at home all alone for long hours. weldon loves going out with friends far more than i do and he's always going somewhere so i know for mom she'll be alone at home more often with me gone than when weldon was at boot camp.
as yall know uncle bo had surgery right before we left and it was so hard for both mom and me to be gone when he was recovering. i realized how difficult it will be for me when i'm so far away and things are happening and i won't be able to drive over to someones house and see them. i know when i get back heyward and laurie beth will both have grown up so much. especially recently i've spent tons of time with them and it will be sad not having heyward in my back seat talking away about what we'll do that day.
i know i am so blessed to have such an amazing family. we might be a little spread out and busy with our own schedules but we all try and keep in touch and visit. i know how hard it will be for me when i'm gone because i'll be so busy every single day. i hate the thought of all the changes that will take place while i'm gone. so, i know yall expect me to take pictures of what i'm doing but i expect yall to take pictures of what yall are doing too! so i don't feel as left out!
yesterday i got a call from a group leader for americorps and he wanted to make sure i was still planning on going. of course i am! he said i could get my travel information any time between now and the day before i leave... they are a little behind he said. i hope i don't get my travel information the day before i leave.... i want it now! tomorrow i'll mail my two boxes to denver! and probably start packing my suitcase to go.
wow this was definitely a long entry! all done for now though! i'll probably update again before i leave!
xoxo
B
i have to admit though- i'm so torn between being really excited to go and really sad to leave.
our family went to costa rica for a week this past week. we had such an amazing adventure and i highly recommend costa rica for anyone who wants a nice, beautiful, relaxing yet fun vacation. everyone there is so nice and it really is an amazing place to go.
going to costa rica so soon before leaving for denver i think opened my eyes a bit more to what my next ten months will be like. first of all, there was the flight process. i've flown before with and without my family. so, i am very confident in my ability to travel from (hopefully florence but if not charlotte) sc to co. luckily i have about a two week break between all this flying i'm doing which i am very thankful for! i think i'm all flown out for the next ten days!
there is a time change in costa rica. they're two hours behind us. this was cool for me because denver is also two hours back. i've never been anywhere where i had to experience the time change. it was very weird for me to get used to it and every night i was totally worn out and fast asleep by ten o clock costa rican time- midnight our time! waking up at six am was also unhelpful considering there was not much to do that early in costa rica! i know once i'm used to being in the southwest their time will be what's normal to me and it's so weird for me to think that after ten months i'll have to get used to the time change back home.
but i think what hit me the most this past week was the realization that i'll be so far away from my family for so long. i've never ever gone two months without seeing anyone in my family. i realized after being away for a week and wondering what everyone was doing back home will be intensified by about a million when i'm even further away in denver. our dog tillie is so old and i hate thinking while i'm gone she could die. it will be so weird not seeing my parents and weldon everyday. i remember how quiet it was when weldon was at boot camp and how weird it felt when i was at home all alone for long hours. weldon loves going out with friends far more than i do and he's always going somewhere so i know for mom she'll be alone at home more often with me gone than when weldon was at boot camp.
as yall know uncle bo had surgery right before we left and it was so hard for both mom and me to be gone when he was recovering. i realized how difficult it will be for me when i'm so far away and things are happening and i won't be able to drive over to someones house and see them. i know when i get back heyward and laurie beth will both have grown up so much. especially recently i've spent tons of time with them and it will be sad not having heyward in my back seat talking away about what we'll do that day.
i know i am so blessed to have such an amazing family. we might be a little spread out and busy with our own schedules but we all try and keep in touch and visit. i know how hard it will be for me when i'm gone because i'll be so busy every single day. i hate the thought of all the changes that will take place while i'm gone. so, i know yall expect me to take pictures of what i'm doing but i expect yall to take pictures of what yall are doing too! so i don't feel as left out!
yesterday i got a call from a group leader for americorps and he wanted to make sure i was still planning on going. of course i am! he said i could get my travel information any time between now and the day before i leave... they are a little behind he said. i hope i don't get my travel information the day before i leave.... i want it now! tomorrow i'll mail my two boxes to denver! and probably start packing my suitcase to go.
wow this was definitely a long entry! all done for now though! i'll probably update again before i leave!
xoxo
B
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