i've been in joplin since june 10th and today is my last day here. it's so strange to think that i'm done here. having seen all the different sides of disaster management was just a very surreal experience. i worked in missing persons, worked with group intakes so that we could have large group volunteers, worked to welcome volunteers, helped with our volunteer center making sure we had food and all that we needed in order to run on a daily basis, done data entry so that we can catalog all the information here, and worked at debris removal in the field. overall this has been just an amazing experience. meeting all of the different volunteers who have traveled so far to come and help is just so uplifting. talking to the families affected by the storm and hearing how thankful they are for all we do is heartwarming. even though the circumstances are just horrible, i'm very glad i got to come to joplin and meet all of the amazing people.
yesterday was my last day of work and i spent it working in the field doing debris removal. today i got to sleep in(!!!) and now i need to go pack up all my things then we're cleaning up and we'll have a team dinner together and then pack our vans. tomorrow morning we leave for denver. the drive will take two days so we'll be back in denver on thursday. friday we have some office work to do and then we get a week off from work. working 12 hours a day 6 days a week i think we've earned a week long vacation! after that, everyone else comes back to campus and we'll start doing our debriefs and other office work to wind down from this round. i graduate from the program on the 29th and then i'll fly back home.
i can't believe my americorps experience is almost over. i remember my first day in denver and how excited i was and all the trainings we went through and each project we've had and how hard we've been working. some days the ten months seemed like they would never get here and some days i wished i could slow the days down and enjoy them longer. it's been awesome being able to work with such an amazing team that i've come to love and to see how different we are and yet how we can all come together and get things done. it's awesome to meet so many volunteers at all of the places we've worked and to see how driven so many people are to help others. it's been such an amazing time!
for now, i have to go pack but i know i'll write again soon:)
hope everyone's doing wonderfully
xoxo,
B
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Saturday, June 25, 2011
joplin, mo
being in joplin is still kind of crazy to me. i can't really believe that i'm a part of this massive effort. every single time i ride through the disaster zone it's just mind blowing to see the destruction. it's something i could never get used to. but the locals and the volunteers that are here helping to clean up are just amazing. it's so horribly sad to ride through the area and see nothing but piles of debris but it is uplifting to see how many people are coming out to help.
the missing persons center is closed. everyone is accounted for which is a blessing. that was emotionally draining for me. i might talk to 45 people in an hour and hear all these stories that are just horrible but how these people amazingly survived. but to just have that one phone call an hour where the people still couldn't find family members that just made everything so much harder. that was one of the hardest jobs i've ever had.
now, i'm working at the vrc- volunteer reception center. i'm the food poc here (just like i am on my team!) except i'm feeding every single americorps person (over 100) and the different volunteers that come through here everyday. this is a seriously stressful job too! having to make sure we always have a meal and snacks and water and gatorade is a challenge but it's wonderful to hear everyone say how good the food is. i'm getting the hang of it and have this weekend and all of next week planned but after that i'm kind of in the dark. trying to get everything sorted out. if anyone is willing to donate any meals or snacks or please please PLEASE let me know. we could really use it. we're all out of gatorade and our snacks are beginning to run low and a lot of places have been repeatedly donating to us and everyone else so donations are kind of dwindling.
anyways, that's about all i have for now. gotta go get back to work!
hope all is well with everyone
keep praying for joplin
xoxo,
B
the missing persons center is closed. everyone is accounted for which is a blessing. that was emotionally draining for me. i might talk to 45 people in an hour and hear all these stories that are just horrible but how these people amazingly survived. but to just have that one phone call an hour where the people still couldn't find family members that just made everything so much harder. that was one of the hardest jobs i've ever had.
now, i'm working at the vrc- volunteer reception center. i'm the food poc here (just like i am on my team!) except i'm feeding every single americorps person (over 100) and the different volunteers that come through here everyday. this is a seriously stressful job too! having to make sure we always have a meal and snacks and water and gatorade is a challenge but it's wonderful to hear everyone say how good the food is. i'm getting the hang of it and have this weekend and all of next week planned but after that i'm kind of in the dark. trying to get everything sorted out. if anyone is willing to donate any meals or snacks or please please PLEASE let me know. we could really use it. we're all out of gatorade and our snacks are beginning to run low and a lot of places have been repeatedly donating to us and everyone else so donations are kind of dwindling.
anyways, that's about all i have for now. gotta go get back to work!
hope all is well with everyone
keep praying for joplin
xoxo,
B
Sunday, June 12, 2011
disaster relief in joplin, ms
hey yall
i'm in joplin currently
was first in ruidoso, nm for two weeks doing trail work, yard work and in the caves. then i went to alamogordo, nm for a week and a half painting the historical buildings at white sands national monument. it was awesome working at such a beautiful place.
we were told on tuesday after work last week that we had been called to go on disaster and so we packed up that night and headed out in the morning. it took us two days to arrive and once we did the first thing we did was check in with the other americorps groups and then go on a tour of the part of the city that got hit.
it was horrible. the land is literally flat. just flat. there's debris and knocked over trees. one tree had a piece of metal that had literally sliced through the tree and was hanging half way through the tree. we saw pictures before the storm and afterwards and it's just insane to see the difference but to literally see it not just through a picture but in real life. and to watch the people in their yards. it was so horrible.
we arrived on friday night and got all unpacked and went grocery shopping and saturday morning we started work. i've been working these two days in the missing person call center. hey tell you hearing how happy people are when they tell you not to worry because they've found their loved ones. but it's heartwrenching to hear the stories. especially the ones from people who have lost loved ones and people who are still missing loved ones.
i find myself praying constantly. it breaks my heart to hear these stories. i keep getting people telling me how thankful they are for me and americorps and what we're doing for the city and it makes me so proud to say that i am a part of an organization that is making such a massive impact on this town. there's americorps nccc and americorps state and national teams here so it's just a huge gathering of us getting things done.
a couple of people on my team went into the city yesterday that wasn't affected and handed out information to people. the rest of my team working in the field cleaning up debris. there's tons of debris. we were told there's more debris here than there was after the attacks after 9/11. and after seeing it i can believe it. it's overwhelming. i keep thinking about when i was working in nola for two months and how it was five years after the storm and how people are still without houses and how houses still haven't even been gutted. it blew my mind then to see all that damage and to realize that it would probably be another five years before more houses were fixed. to have experienced that and then to experience this has been i don't even know. it's overwhelming seeing all this distruction. and having that first hand experience breaks my heart because i can see the destruction and i know it's going to take years and years to get things back up. it's so sad to know that.
but on the other hand, i've talked to every person who called with missing family members or friends if their names fell under a's or c's and everyone was so thankful and so positive and thanking god. it was very uplifting.
i'm kind of in a trance like status currently. i'm not too sure how to feel or how to act. i'm proud to be working for such an amazing cause. i'm so glad i can know i'm helping as best as i can. but it's exhausting both physically and mentally.
we live in a gym with the other americorps teams and it gets really loud at nights with all the guys snoring! we have three toilets, three sinks and 9 showers (only 7 work) for all the girls. it's a lot of waiting and not a lot of space. but luckily, by the time we're off pretty much everyone has ran to their sleeping bag to nap.
i need to go for now but i wasn't sure how much more time i'd have working here inside so figured i should go ahead and update this.
i hope all is well with everyone. please pray for joplin. pray for peace, strength, happiness and recovery. and be thankful for how blessed we are. god is good.
xoxo,
B
i'm in joplin currently
was first in ruidoso, nm for two weeks doing trail work, yard work and in the caves. then i went to alamogordo, nm for a week and a half painting the historical buildings at white sands national monument. it was awesome working at such a beautiful place.
we were told on tuesday after work last week that we had been called to go on disaster and so we packed up that night and headed out in the morning. it took us two days to arrive and once we did the first thing we did was check in with the other americorps groups and then go on a tour of the part of the city that got hit.
it was horrible. the land is literally flat. just flat. there's debris and knocked over trees. one tree had a piece of metal that had literally sliced through the tree and was hanging half way through the tree. we saw pictures before the storm and afterwards and it's just insane to see the difference but to literally see it not just through a picture but in real life. and to watch the people in their yards. it was so horrible.
we arrived on friday night and got all unpacked and went grocery shopping and saturday morning we started work. i've been working these two days in the missing person call center. hey tell you hearing how happy people are when they tell you not to worry because they've found their loved ones. but it's heartwrenching to hear the stories. especially the ones from people who have lost loved ones and people who are still missing loved ones.
i find myself praying constantly. it breaks my heart to hear these stories. i keep getting people telling me how thankful they are for me and americorps and what we're doing for the city and it makes me so proud to say that i am a part of an organization that is making such a massive impact on this town. there's americorps nccc and americorps state and national teams here so it's just a huge gathering of us getting things done.
a couple of people on my team went into the city yesterday that wasn't affected and handed out information to people. the rest of my team working in the field cleaning up debris. there's tons of debris. we were told there's more debris here than there was after the attacks after 9/11. and after seeing it i can believe it. it's overwhelming. i keep thinking about when i was working in nola for two months and how it was five years after the storm and how people are still without houses and how houses still haven't even been gutted. it blew my mind then to see all that damage and to realize that it would probably be another five years before more houses were fixed. to have experienced that and then to experience this has been i don't even know. it's overwhelming seeing all this distruction. and having that first hand experience breaks my heart because i can see the destruction and i know it's going to take years and years to get things back up. it's so sad to know that.
but on the other hand, i've talked to every person who called with missing family members or friends if their names fell under a's or c's and everyone was so thankful and so positive and thanking god. it was very uplifting.
i'm kind of in a trance like status currently. i'm not too sure how to feel or how to act. i'm proud to be working for such an amazing cause. i'm so glad i can know i'm helping as best as i can. but it's exhausting both physically and mentally.
we live in a gym with the other americorps teams and it gets really loud at nights with all the guys snoring! we have three toilets, three sinks and 9 showers (only 7 work) for all the girls. it's a lot of waiting and not a lot of space. but luckily, by the time we're off pretty much everyone has ran to their sleeping bag to nap.
i need to go for now but i wasn't sure how much more time i'd have working here inside so figured i should go ahead and update this.
i hope all is well with everyone. please pray for joplin. pray for peace, strength, happiness and recovery. and be thankful for how blessed we are. god is good.
xoxo,
B
Monday, May 30, 2011
heading to alamagordo, nm tomorrow!
well, today is memorial day and we had a MASSIVE lunch with all the good stuff- burgers, dogs, corn on the cob, watermellon, cherries, beans, chips, sweet tea and cake:) i'm so thankful for my little brother weldon and all he is doing for our country. soon he will leave for afghanistan and risk his life for our freedom and i am so proud to say he's my little brother.
for the past two weeks we've been in ruidoso, nm. it's been a big adventure! i've done a ton of trail work, spent a day making a garden at a local boys and girls club, cleaned up around the fort AND been caving (which was AMAZING!!!). i've had a great time here and can't believe how fast these two weeks went by. my next door neighbor is a local cop and he has a horse named tater so i've been able to ride him and i go visit him every day and brush him and give him peppermints and so that's a great break from everything. i'm more sad of leaving tater than leaving the city!
tomorrow morning we leave for white sands national monument in alamagordo, nm. we'll be there for one month camping and doing maintenance and trail work at the park. i've seen lots of pictures and it looks beautiful there. i've heard from locals that it's a good 20 to 30 degrees hotter there than it is here and you get burned easier so i've invested in more sun screen:)
i'm sure everyone knows about the storms in missouri. well, americorps nccc focuses on disaster relief so i've been informed by my team leader that if headquarters sends a call to my campus saying send teams then our team is at the top of the list to be sent. so far we don't know for sure if we'll go or not but the funds have been transferred to our account in order for the travel and hotel stays so my team leader says the chances are huge that we'll get sent. i'll let yall know as soon as i find out.
i can't believe i only have two more months in americorps. it's crazy how time flies!
hope all is well with everyone else
all my love
xoxo,
B
for the past two weeks we've been in ruidoso, nm. it's been a big adventure! i've done a ton of trail work, spent a day making a garden at a local boys and girls club, cleaned up around the fort AND been caving (which was AMAZING!!!). i've had a great time here and can't believe how fast these two weeks went by. my next door neighbor is a local cop and he has a horse named tater so i've been able to ride him and i go visit him every day and brush him and give him peppermints and so that's a great break from everything. i'm more sad of leaving tater than leaving the city!
tomorrow morning we leave for white sands national monument in alamagordo, nm. we'll be there for one month camping and doing maintenance and trail work at the park. i've seen lots of pictures and it looks beautiful there. i've heard from locals that it's a good 20 to 30 degrees hotter there than it is here and you get burned easier so i've invested in more sun screen:)
i'm sure everyone knows about the storms in missouri. well, americorps nccc focuses on disaster relief so i've been informed by my team leader that if headquarters sends a call to my campus saying send teams then our team is at the top of the list to be sent. so far we don't know for sure if we'll go or not but the funds have been transferred to our account in order for the travel and hotel stays so my team leader says the chances are huge that we'll get sent. i'll let yall know as soon as i find out.
i can't believe i only have two more months in americorps. it's crazy how time flies!
hope all is well with everyone else
all my love
xoxo,
B
Saturday, May 21, 2011
ruidoso, nm
well, i'm here in ruidoso new mexico finally! my last project round in americorps nccc. i can't believe my ten months are almost over. it truly flew by.
ruidoso is SO small. smaller than hartsville because most people live in the mountains. the city is so small and all the stores close by 8 except walmart. it's beautiful up here though. we're higher here than we were in denver, co. it's SO sunny and i'm already sun burned:( the work is super hard but rewarding seeing the trails we've made so far in just two days. it's hot up here but the wind is always blowing so it always feels pretty good. at night the stars are AMAZING. i tried to take a picture but it just didn't work out. we live at fort stanton which is a super old fort from the mid 1800's and it's on private land in the mountains with our only neighbors being the local police who live there for cheap. we never lock doors and always leave windows open. it's very freeing and open. the fort is fascinating to me and i've loved exploring it. they used it to chase indians away, then to protect the towns around it, then it was taken over by the south during the civil war, then it became a camp for captured germans during the world wars, then it became a hospital for tuberculosis patients, then it became a women's prison and then a youth prison. all that history and i'm loving it! i sometimes get one bar of service but usually it's temperamental. internet is out of the question! we're about thirty minutes from town and so luckily we can drive in on the weekends, i'm currently at the library. let's seeeeeeee i'm not sure what else to say at the moment. my mind is kind of fried because i'm so tired lol i'll update again soon!
xoxo,
B
ruidoso is SO small. smaller than hartsville because most people live in the mountains. the city is so small and all the stores close by 8 except walmart. it's beautiful up here though. we're higher here than we were in denver, co. it's SO sunny and i'm already sun burned:( the work is super hard but rewarding seeing the trails we've made so far in just two days. it's hot up here but the wind is always blowing so it always feels pretty good. at night the stars are AMAZING. i tried to take a picture but it just didn't work out. we live at fort stanton which is a super old fort from the mid 1800's and it's on private land in the mountains with our only neighbors being the local police who live there for cheap. we never lock doors and always leave windows open. it's very freeing and open. the fort is fascinating to me and i've loved exploring it. they used it to chase indians away, then to protect the towns around it, then it was taken over by the south during the civil war, then it became a camp for captured germans during the world wars, then it became a hospital for tuberculosis patients, then it became a women's prison and then a youth prison. all that history and i'm loving it! i sometimes get one bar of service but usually it's temperamental. internet is out of the question! we're about thirty minutes from town and so luckily we can drive in on the weekends, i'm currently at the library. let's seeeeeeee i'm not sure what else to say at the moment. my mind is kind of fried because i'm so tired lol i'll update again soon!
xoxo,
B
Sunday, May 8, 2011
end of round 3- shuffle round
i cannot believe that i have only two months left of americorps. the time has flown by so fast it's amazing.
round three at garden place academy with my shuffle team was wonderful <3 my class was third grade and they were all so amazing. i'm really going to miss them. i taught my class social studies and history and science everyday among all the other things we did. it makes me so sad to know that after this next week i'll probably never see them again. but i know that we helped them a lot and that makes me so happy. they have a school wide dance this coming saturday and so quite a few of us are going to go to that and i know it will be awesome.
currently, this is transition week. meaning, we do a lot of nothing really in between meetings and paperwork.
next week my original team leaves for new mexico and our next and final project. here is the description i have so far and this is all i know about it for now:
xoxo,
B
round three at garden place academy with my shuffle team was wonderful <3 my class was third grade and they were all so amazing. i'm really going to miss them. i taught my class social studies and history and science everyday among all the other things we did. it makes me so sad to know that after this next week i'll probably never see them again. but i know that we helped them a lot and that makes me so happy. they have a school wide dance this coming saturday and so quite a few of us are going to go to that and i know it will be awesome.
currently, this is transition week. meaning, we do a lot of nothing really in between meetings and paperwork.
next week my original team leaves for new mexico and our next and final project. here is the description i have so far and this is all i know about it for now:
Project #20 **Note: This project is a packaged project**
EcoServants & White Sands National Monument (APD: Vicky Reinold)
Project #20a
EcoServants
Ruidoso, NM
Dates: May 16 – May 27; June 25 – July 21 (Subject to Change)
Sponsor: Stephen Carter
Housing: Dormitory
Team: Fire One
Team Leader: Tim Boyle
EcoServants has the mission “to employ, engage and educate youth to serve and restore the community and its resources.” They started as a cave stewardship organization and quickly transformed to a youth corps summer program, which has run since 2006. In 2007 EcoServants started an AmeriCorps State program which placed full time members in 4 schools and an after school program. We are now expanding the program further, and request NCCC assistance for the following project tasks:
· Corps Members (CM's) would clear, design, build, and restore trails. They would also be restoring and building park facilities such as kiosks, shelters, restrooms and outdoors education laboratories. They would be removing noxious weeds, repairing fence lines, building animal passes and watering system.
· Caves take the CMs underground where they will inventory and map the cave’s environment, helping with cave management by completing tasks such as: leading and or inspecting groups going in and out of Fort Stanton Cave (FSC), restoring formations damaged by human impact, and removing graffiti. CMs could also design and give public presentations on caves, bats and White Nose Syndrome to help protect caves. CM's would be a part of the exploration of the newly discovered Snowy River Cave by restoring and creating trails or foot steps for expedition work, hauling equipment such as gates, cement, scientific and video equipment, survey gear, metal and plastic tunnel pieces and bridges.
· Using ArcGIS and a Trimble Global Positioning Unit, CMs would be assisting in mapping and inventorying area trails and parks, establishing safer walking and biking routes, recording distances, slope and accessibility.
· CMs might also support preparation for and implementation of weeklong Wilderness Camp for youth.
Project #20b
White Sands National Monument
Alamogordo, NM
Dates: May 28 – June 24 (Subject to Change)
Sponsor: Bill Melendez
Housing: Camping
Team: Fire One
Team Leader: Tim Boyle
Rising from the heart of Tularosa Basin is one of the world's great natural wonders- the glistening white sands of New Mexico. Here, great wave-like dunes of gypsum sand have engulfed 275 square miles of desert and created the world's largest gypsum dune field. White Sands National Monument preserves a major portion of this unique dune field along with the plants and animals that have adapted to this constantly changing environment.
The NCCC team will work with the facilities maintenance department on the following infrastructure improvement projects: help to resurface stucco exterior walls on buildings in the Historic District, help prepare concrete bases to mount grills in picnic areas throughout the Park, paint vigas, window frames and doors on several structures throughout the Historic District, assist in the removal and installation of fence rail to enlarge a parking area in the Inner Dune Life Area.
overall, i think this project will be awesome. i know our team is really excited about it and from the pictures i've seen online it looks like both sites will be beautiful!
before i go, i'd like to say happy mother's day to all of the amazing moms i know especially my own amazing mother. i love you so muchxoxo,
B
Sunday, March 27, 2011
i'm alive i swear!
ok, so i officially suck at blogging. and i'm really sorry lauren for picking on you all the time about how you're bad at blogging too... it's harder than i thought! a lot of people have been telling me to blog some more so i figured it's high time i got around to it! so here yall go!
so, i don't know how many weeks i'm in anymore! but, round two is over and i'm no longer in new orleans. i'm now back in denver and in round three working as a teacher's aid in a third grade class at an underprivileged school. i guess i can do a recap on what i've been up to!
my last weeks in nola flew by. i absolutely loved it there. i loved having sweet tea, hearing ma'am and yall, listening to country music and seeing churches on every block. in all, my team worked on ten houses while working with pnola. and we finished three houses! two of those houses were sponsored by two football players from the nola saints. and the players showed up at the house dedications! it was awesome! i got my picture with them.
i also went to my first mardi gras parade! it was... interesting! it was really funny but like it's all parodies and pretty sarcastic. but it was funny and there were SO many people there. and the parades aren't like the ones in sc. you get to stand in the streets and there's no police barricades and they hand out goodies and there are bands playing music and everyone's laughing. it's just fun:)
i'm not sure if i wrote about it or not but i also got to go to the st louis cemetery number one and clean tombs! i got a tour with the head tour guide and i got to go to the building across the street and go to the top floor and see the cemetery from above right next door! hardly anyone gets to see that view but i did!!! i got to spend two days cleaning the cemetery and it was by far probably my favorite thing i did in nola! i loved it! i got to clean the voo doo priestess' tomb!!!
we left nola and had a three day road trip back to denver. we stopped in tyler, texas and then in amarillo, texas and then we were back in denver. the road trip was long and well long. that's about it! the lone star state is entirely too big.
when we got back to denver, we had a little over a week for the transition. my team turned in all of our stuff, did our debriefing with the unit leaders and finished all of our paperwork. oh and i was voted corpsmember of the round for my team! which was a really awesome honor. my team and team leader had to vote for the person they thought worked the hardest and earned it.
then i met with my new shuffle team. we had a lot of paperwork to do and had to do our briefing with the unit leaders. my team is really cool. we all get along really well. we're working at garden place academy which is k5-5th grade and is mostly a hispanic school. none of the kids can afford lunch so they all get free lunch. the faculty is amazing and so nice. i love it there. i'm in a third grade class but the teacher had a baby so the class has a long term substitute who is really nice. but he's been sick all week so we had another sub this week and she was really great too. my two weeks there have been wonderful so far. the kids are pretty good for the most part. there are like four really wild ones but they've gotten better because i'm definitely a more strict person and i think it's good because i'm a constant where as the substitutes aren't. the principal told me at the beginning that i had one of the worst classes and so i've tried really hard getting them to behave. i bought candy and if they're good at the end of the day they get a piece of candy. oh, and we had to make a little book about us and so i told about my family and weldon and they thought it was so cool that he is in the army. i have one of his army hats and so i took it to class with me and i get one special helper a day and they get to wear his hat all day and help me throughout the day. they LOVE it. and when we go somewhere they march and whoever has the hat gets to be the drill sergeant. they're so cute:)
this week the kids are on spring break so we're working at a community garden and we'll be weeding and planting veggies and teaching people how to do it. it should be nice to work with people in the community again.
we've also been to the lifeline puppy rescue to do more volunteer hours and as always i've had a wonderful time. if puppies can't make you happy then nothing can!
let's see what other news??? i've been rather sick lately. my whole team has been. i'm finally getting over this stupid cold. it's already snowed quite a few times in denver. but, unlike hartsville, the whole town doesn't close down! OH! congratulations to alex and meagan! i'm so excited for you two! and the pictures i've seen of the wedding are just beautiful. meagan you're so gorgeous. alex is a lucky man!
i miss everyone tons. we have spring break the 22-25 but i'll be back in sc on the 21st thru the 26th. i hope to see everyone! it will be my last trip back until americorps in done july 31st.
hope all is well with everyone!
xoxo,
B
so, i don't know how many weeks i'm in anymore! but, round two is over and i'm no longer in new orleans. i'm now back in denver and in round three working as a teacher's aid in a third grade class at an underprivileged school. i guess i can do a recap on what i've been up to!
my last weeks in nola flew by. i absolutely loved it there. i loved having sweet tea, hearing ma'am and yall, listening to country music and seeing churches on every block. in all, my team worked on ten houses while working with pnola. and we finished three houses! two of those houses were sponsored by two football players from the nola saints. and the players showed up at the house dedications! it was awesome! i got my picture with them.
i'm not sure if i wrote about it or not but i also got to go to the st louis cemetery number one and clean tombs! i got a tour with the head tour guide and i got to go to the building across the street and go to the top floor and see the cemetery from above right next door! hardly anyone gets to see that view but i did!!! i got to spend two days cleaning the cemetery and it was by far probably my favorite thing i did in nola! i loved it! i got to clean the voo doo priestess' tomb!!!
then i met with my new shuffle team. we had a lot of paperwork to do and had to do our briefing with the unit leaders. my team is really cool. we all get along really well. we're working at garden place academy which is k5-5th grade and is mostly a hispanic school. none of the kids can afford lunch so they all get free lunch. the faculty is amazing and so nice. i love it there. i'm in a third grade class but the teacher had a baby so the class has a long term substitute who is really nice. but he's been sick all week so we had another sub this week and she was really great too. my two weeks there have been wonderful so far. the kids are pretty good for the most part. there are like four really wild ones but they've gotten better because i'm definitely a more strict person and i think it's good because i'm a constant where as the substitutes aren't. the principal told me at the beginning that i had one of the worst classes and so i've tried really hard getting them to behave. i bought candy and if they're good at the end of the day they get a piece of candy. oh, and we had to make a little book about us and so i told about my family and weldon and they thought it was so cool that he is in the army. i have one of his army hats and so i took it to class with me and i get one special helper a day and they get to wear his hat all day and help me throughout the day. they LOVE it. and when we go somewhere they march and whoever has the hat gets to be the drill sergeant. they're so cute:)
we've also been to the lifeline puppy rescue to do more volunteer hours and as always i've had a wonderful time. if puppies can't make you happy then nothing can!
i miss everyone tons. we have spring break the 22-25 but i'll be back in sc on the 21st thru the 26th. i hope to see everyone! it will be my last trip back until americorps in done july 31st.
hope all is well with everyone!
xoxo,
B
Friday, February 11, 2011
options for third round (shuffle round)
so, my third round is coming up which is really hard to believe. time has truly flown by.
third round for the denver campus is a shuffle round which means they shuffle all the teams up. each corpsmember gets a new team leader and new teammates as well as a new location.
it works a little differently because each team leader picks a project that they want and then the corpsmembers get to rank the projects from 1-7 not knowing which team leader is with which project. when we figure out what project we got we'll know who else is on our team and who our team leader is.
i figured i'd post the seven different options we were given so yall can see.
i figured i'd post the seven different options we were given so yall can see.
beside each project title there is KBB and a number. obviously the kbb is my initials and the number is my ranking. 1 being the most desirable and 7 being the least.
Fire Unit Shuffle Round Project Descriptions
KBB1- Project # 1 Garden Place Academy, Denver, CO; Housing: NCCC Dorm
The Garden Place Academy (GPA) literacy project will place NCCC members in an urban public elementary school in Denver; CO. NCCC members will be assisting Early Childhood Education – 5th grade teachers in a variety of ways to increase the academic performance of the students and the school. Corps Members will work one-on-one, in small groups, and with the whole class in the areas of reading, writing, math, and English Language Development. Along with the classroom assistance, Corps Members will plan and staff after school programs, which can be athletic, educational or artistic in nature.
KBB4 Project #2-- Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center; Little Rock, AR Housing: Cabins/Bunk-beds
Ferncliff began in 1937 as a camp and conference center for Presbyterians in Arkansas. In 1985 it was incorporated as a 501 (c) 3 organization with a Board of Directors. Ferncliff’s mission is “to make a positive impact in the world by opening eyes, minds and hearts to God’s transforming love.” Ferncliff operates inclusively and hosts many different church groups and non-profits. In 2010, Ferncliff registered 798 summer campers, hosted 130 different groups with about 6000 guests. Ferncliff has conducted special camps for children such as children with parents in prison, foster children, evacuees, children of homeless family and students who were victims of school violence. Ferncliff built a 10,000 sq ft disaster assistance warehouse in cooperation with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and Church World Service. Last year the center processed 132,000 pounds of disaster materials.
The NCCC team will get involved in a wide variety of outdoor grounds, maintenance and construction projects. The group will help prepare for and conduct a week long sawmill operation. They will make some modifications on existing cabins to prepare them to become straw bale insulated cabins. The team will help design, prepare and plant a large garden that will supply vegetables for the dining hall, serve as a site for hands-on education by campers, and produce food for a local food pantry. They will help design and install a rain barrel catchment system and a setting tank system that will prepare used cooking oil to be used for vehicle fuel. The team will do some trail repair/improvement work, paint a residence, build and repair campfire pits, and help prepare the site summer camp.
Inclement Weather Plan includes:
The NCCC team will get involved in a wide variety of outdoor grounds, maintenance and construction projects. The group will help prepare for and conduct a week long sawmill operation. They will make some modifications on existing cabins to prepare them to become straw bale insulated cabins. The team will help design, prepare and plant a large garden that will supply vegetables for the dining hall, serve as a site for hands-on education by campers, and produce food for a local food pantry. They will help design and install a rain barrel catchment system and a setting tank system that will prepare used cooking oil to be used for vehicle fuel. The team will do some trail repair/improvement work, paint a residence, build and repair campfire pits, and help prepare the site summer camp.
Inclement Weather Plan includes:
- Woodworking projects that can be done in Ferncliff's disaster center woodworking area
- Working at a local food warehouse
- General organization of Ferncliff’s Disaster Assistance Center; assisting in warehouse operations
- Continued compilation of technical information on structures, fixtures, vendors, and equipment to make Ferncliff more sustainable.
KBB7 Project #3 Big Bend National Park Big Bend, TX Housing: Camping/Backcountry Camping
This project is perfect for the outdoor oriented team who is open to working and living in primitive camping conditions while engaged in rigorous outdoor work.
The AmeriCorps NCCC team is invited to join in concert with the trail crew to accomplish the following well-defined and tangible service projects in Big Bend National Park.
1 – Work with the Trail Crew to conduct general maintenance along trails park-wide which would include general repairs, proper pruning of vegetation and cleaning of drainage systems along the trail corridors. The desired outcome is that we will provide well-maintained trails for visitors to safely hike, learn about Big Bend’s natural and cultural resources, and participate in interpretive guided walks and at the same time preserve the environmental integrity for future generations.
KBB2 Project #4 City of Casa Grande Casa Grande, AZ
Housing: City Facility (Carpeted floor/cots or sleeping bags outside)
The City of Casa Grande, Arizona is the largest in Pinal County with over 42,000 residents within its104 square mile boundary. Seventeen percent (17%) of Casa Grande families live under the poverty level compared to only 9.6% of families nationwide and over 60% of students at Casa Grande schools are eligible for the free or reduced lunch program. These economic times increase the need for low to no cost recreation alternatives. The need for recreation trails drove the formation of the Casa Grande Mountain Trails Steering Committee, a volunteer group charged with planning volunteer trail build events. Volunteer events are held once a month from October through April. To date, the Committee has hosted over 65 volunteers and built over 1,600 feet of trail on Casa Grande Mountain. At this rate, Casa Grande volunteers would take approximately 2 years of events to finish just one trail. This means the entire system could not be open to the public until at least 2015.
In conjunction with additional volunteer trail building events, the 2nd NCCC crew will continue constructing trails, creating an opportunity for residents to begin enjoying the entire trail system in five months, not five years from now. The NCCC team will be building trail for non-motorized use (hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding) in Casa Grande Mountain Park. This will involve working with hand tools to remove/prune vegetation, construct a trail by benching into a hillside, and some crib wall construction also may be required. The Casa Grande Mountain Park Trail System not only provides recreation opportunities for youth and adults, providing physical, educational and emotional benefits of trails and nature, but also serves as a draw for visitors, providing a much needed economic stimulus.
Inclement Weather Plan includes:
Inclement weather is rare at this time of year. Should it be necessary to stay off the mountain, the Casa Grande Parks & Recreation Department will utilize the crews to provide indoor maintenance, such as facility painting, moving and cataloging archive materials, furniture rearranging, indoor cleaning projects, etc. Additionally, the City also partners with other community organizations such as Boys and Girls Club that can use NCCC assistance during inclement weather such as tutoring, presentations or interactive games with kids.
KBB5 Project #5 USDA Forest Service, Oklahoma Ranger District Hodgen, OK Housing: Camping
The Oklahoma Ranger District is requesting an NCCC team to assist in several major and minor trail maintenance projects, maintenance for vistas on a 44 mile scenic drive and the implementation of animal surveys (approximately 6 days) and prescribed burn preparation (approximately 2 days). The district has over 200 miles of trails which include trails for hiking, mountain biking, horse riding and off highway vehicle use (such as dirt bikes and ATV/UTV). Team activities to address issues with these trails will include: Re-establishing a trail corridor and tread, removing brush and downed trees that currently block trail access. Installing and maintaining water control measures such as water bars and/or changes in grade. Performing minor repairs of existing trail structures and reblazing and signing trails.
The Talimena Scenic Byway has numerous overlooks and vista points for the public to stop and “enjoy the view.” The team’s work will include trimming back brush and small trees, mowing open areas, removing litter,making repairs to benches and signage. In addition, The team will work with district staff on performing minor campground maintenance. (This will be the lowest priority for the team). The team will also work with the wildlife department to conduct animal surveys for 6 days during the project. In addition, they will spend approximately 1 to 2 days assisting the fire program in construction and/or improvement of fire lines for future prescribed burns. If not already trained, team will be trained as “Leave No Trace” trainers. In inclement weather, the team will help out making signs, organizing the work center, staffing the visitor center and preparing a seasonal visitor center for opening.
KBB3 Project #6 The Nature Conservancy/Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute/ Fort Davis Historic Site,
Ft. Davis, TX Housing: Lodge
Service Activities will be split between three co-sponsoring organizations; The Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute (CDRI), a private non-profit education and research organization; The National Park Service’s Fort Davis National Historic Site (FDNHS); and the Nature Conservancy’s Davis Mountain Preserve (TNC). Service activities to be completed at the Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute include trail maintenance and stair construction on the 1.75 mile Modesta Canyon Trail as well as irrigation and other maintenance work in the Nature Center’s 25 acre botanic garden. At Fort Davis National Historic Site the AmeriCorps NCCC group will maintain 5 miles of hiking trails, as well as, reduce forest fuels from the boundary fuel break and flood mitigation works that protect the historic structures and cultural resources from flooding. The team may potentially assist in preserving historic buildings through painting as well.
The Nature Conservancy’s Davis Mountains Preserve would utilize the NCCC crew for forest fuels reduction work and in the application of herbicides to invasive species as part of the forest restoration project for Mexican Spotted Owl habitat improvement. The desired outcome of the involvement of the NCCC would be improved public access from the trail project work at the Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute and the Fort Davis Historic Site, improved visitor experiences and interpretation of the vegetation of the Chihuahuan Desert from the work in the botanic gardens of the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center and improved habitat for the Mexican Spotted Owl from the forest restoration work at The Nature Conservancy’s Mountains Preserve. The team is expected to work in strenuous physical and climactic conditions. Inclement weather plan includes building bird houses, painting signs, repairing floors and helping out at a local food bank.
KBB6 Project #7 Arizona State Parks Central AZ (Multiple Sites)
Housing: Camping with support trailer (kitchen and gathering space)
Housing: Camping with support trailer (kitchen and gathering space)
Arizona State Parks are located near many small rural and suburban communities throughout the state. The parks are vital components of the recreational opportunities for the citizens of these communities, as well as critical magnets for tourism dollars. Therefore keeping the parks open, accessible and safe is of primary importance. Arizona State Parks is also charged with environmental stewardship of critical, but slowing vanishing native habitats. With the current economic climate and the drastic reduction in staffing levels, the agency has reached out to volunteers, local community groups, local governments, and the private sector to help maintain and preserve our parks.
The Americorps NCCC team will be an important component in this partnership plan. The enthusiasm and energy of these young adults is needed to achieve trail maintenance and stabilization, invasive plant species removal, and campground, waterfront and facilities clean-up projects. Their work will help keep these park facilities safe for visitors and will help maintain our native habitats. But just as significant, the members will learn essential job skills – everything from great customer service to specifics of trail stabilization. They will also be exposed to the history, geology and plant communities of Arizona. They will learn about accessibility of trails for people with disabilities, how to work with and coordinate volunteers and how to be an effective and successful team member. We hope that after their experience working and living at Arizona State Parks, the NCCC team members will be advocates for public lands and life-long supporters of outdoor recreation. The team will be mobile as they conduct work in several Arizona State Parks. This is exciting way to work and compare different landscapes, but it will require relocating camp sites and travel logistics.
Inclement Weather Plan
· Sponsor has included average temperatures and climate for this area. All work is to be completed in the Phoenix/Tucson area at reasonable elevations.
· Indoor maintenance projects at several lodges. Sponsor is also looking at the possibility of partnering with local food banks.
i'll let yall know as soon as i get my project!
xoxo,
B
Sunday, January 30, 2011
week 9 at pnola
another week has gone by in nola... amazing! it blows my mind that we've been here three weeks now.
my days start around 6 am when i leave for the gym then come back to clean up and get ready for my day. work is from 9 to 5. before and after work we load and unload tools. then we have team dinners and then whatever else work that needs to be done for the day. by the time i'm done with all of that my body and brain are so tired i feel like i can't function!
this past week, we had volunteers from iowa come and work from monday to thursday. adam and i were in charge of a group of four and we had to do all the painting for a house. we got it all done and the house looks amazing! my team was really great and we had a lot of fun while getting a lot of work done. it was a great week.
saturday morning, we headed to a junior high for some isp hours. we built two huge flower boxes for the kids so that they can learn how to grow things for science class. it was a really fun thing to do and i enjoyed it! hopefully, we'll get to build some more of those for some other schools too while we're here.
i just finished my post cards that i got the first week i got here... it took me a while to fill them out BUT better late than never! :)
not much else is new really... we've finally gotten into a routine which is wonderful. i love knowing what to expect and what's going on.
i hope everyone is doing great and please stay safe in hartsville yall. mom's told me about the problems we've been having. i'm praying for the city and the people. and i'm praying for yalls safety. please be careful.
i love yall!
xoxo,
B
my days start around 6 am when i leave for the gym then come back to clean up and get ready for my day. work is from 9 to 5. before and after work we load and unload tools. then we have team dinners and then whatever else work that needs to be done for the day. by the time i'm done with all of that my body and brain are so tired i feel like i can't function!
this past week, we had volunteers from iowa come and work from monday to thursday. adam and i were in charge of a group of four and we had to do all the painting for a house. we got it all done and the house looks amazing! my team was really great and we had a lot of fun while getting a lot of work done. it was a great week.
saturday morning, we headed to a junior high for some isp hours. we built two huge flower boxes for the kids so that they can learn how to grow things for science class. it was a really fun thing to do and i enjoyed it! hopefully, we'll get to build some more of those for some other schools too while we're here.
i just finished my post cards that i got the first week i got here... it took me a while to fill them out BUT better late than never! :)
not much else is new really... we've finally gotten into a routine which is wonderful. i love knowing what to expect and what's going on.
i hope everyone is doing great and please stay safe in hartsville yall. mom's told me about the problems we've been having. i'm praying for the city and the people. and i'm praying for yalls safety. please be careful.
i love yall!
xoxo,
B
Sunday, January 23, 2011
week 8 at pnola
my first full week at the phoenix of new orleans went really well. we have a pretty busy schedule work from 9-5 and then the gym from 6-7 then dinner then a team meeting then whatever other busy work needs to be done then off to bed and i start over in the morning!
i worked at three different houses this week and did a ton of different work. i've learned so much already! i've painted walls and ceilings, learned how to put down tile flooring, learned how to work different saws, how to lay trim, built cabinets, built window sills, installed doors, and much more!
pnola is making such a huge difference and doing so much good in nola that it amazes me everyday. i've met two of the homeowners at two of the houses i worked at and they were just so thankful.
i also spent friday walking up and down my street and two of the ones next to mine doing what pnola calls surveying. pnola is working with a group of other non profit organizations and they're trying to survey all of nola to see what houses have been repaired, knocked down, and what ones are just sitting there. then they take the info and put it in a data base so that they can get an idea of who's had help and who needs it. it's called whodata.org and it's wonderful. so, i got to survey on friday with adam from my team and it was so amazing to just walk on three streets i cross every single day and really look at each individual house. we surveyed over two hundred houses and it just amazed me to physically spend a whole day looking at nothing but the damage but also the strong amazing people who have overcome this.
i've been here a week and a half and i've already learned and seen so much. i truly can't wait for what my next six weeks will bring! oh, and it's really nice to be back in the humid south! :)
hope everyone is doing amazing!
lots of love yall
xoxo,
B
i worked at three different houses this week and did a ton of different work. i've learned so much already! i've painted walls and ceilings, learned how to put down tile flooring, learned how to work different saws, how to lay trim, built cabinets, built window sills, installed doors, and much more!
pnola is making such a huge difference and doing so much good in nola that it amazes me everyday. i've met two of the homeowners at two of the houses i worked at and they were just so thankful.
i also spent friday walking up and down my street and two of the ones next to mine doing what pnola calls surveying. pnola is working with a group of other non profit organizations and they're trying to survey all of nola to see what houses have been repaired, knocked down, and what ones are just sitting there. then they take the info and put it in a data base so that they can get an idea of who's had help and who needs it. it's called whodata.org and it's wonderful. so, i got to survey on friday with adam from my team and it was so amazing to just walk on three streets i cross every single day and really look at each individual house. we surveyed over two hundred houses and it just amazed me to physically spend a whole day looking at nothing but the damage but also the strong amazing people who have overcome this.
i've been here a week and a half and i've already learned and seen so much. i truly can't wait for what my next six weeks will bring! oh, and it's really nice to be back in the humid south! :)
hope everyone is doing amazing!
lots of love yall
xoxo,
B
Sunday, January 16, 2011
week 7 the phoenix of new orleans
alright! i'm getting back into my blogging routine! hopefully! :)
i haven't even been in new orleans a full week yet and i already love it! the weather is about a zillion times better than denver, the people are a whole lot nicer and i'm much more used to this sort of lifestyle.
we're staying in the office building of the phoenix of new orleans which is in mid city 4th ward. we have a kitchen, living room, washer and dryer, three bedrooms and three bathrooms. and although it's sometimes difficult living so close to ten other people constantly, our living arrangement is pretty good.
the neighborhood we're in isn't too bad but we were told not to go outside at night alone and only go if we have a purpose. overall, i'm not too worried about our safety in this neighborhood.
we're really only two blocks away from canal street which is super nifty!
so far, the only place i've really been able to explore is bourbon street which i must say is not my favorite place. i was completely shocked to see how many people bring their children there. i would definitely be completely ok if i never stepped foot on that street again!
we drove through the french quarter and down magazine street and i think those two areas are definitely my favorites.
we also took a tour of the area where katrina did the most damage. we rode around the 9th ward and saw where the flood walls broke. we learned all about new orleans during this past week from our sight sponsor. we learned about how scientists had a simulation called hurricane pam a year before katrina hit and how they warned people that this could happen. we learned about how the people laughed at them and didn't take them seriously and didn't even allow them to finish their simulation project.
we learned that new orleans is a bowl and that the mississippi has been flooding the region for hundreds of years and that in order to make new orleans inhabitable the city had to make 92 pumps to constantly draw the water out. we learned that even if all 92 pumps are running at the same time they can drain 1 inch of water and hour. we learned that the armycorps of engineers made the flood gates after a huge hurricane in the 20's and yet they didn't dig deep enough. we learned the basic physics behind the flood gates and how the pressure the water will exert on the top half of the wall has to be completely balanced by the part of the wall that's buried deep enough in the ground.
we learned the difference in a flood gate and a levy and how the levies are much bigger both in height and thickness. we learned that the levies didn't break and if they had the damage would have been much worse. we learned how much smaller the flood gates are and that they are only made to manage the canal water.
we learned how building the levies and flood gates in order to stop the mississippi from flooding new orleans has cause the marsh lands to almost not exist. this means, when hurricanes hit, there's no buffer from the storm, no trees to break the wind, no land to try and calm the storm.
we also learned about the phoenix of new orleans. so many people have donated time and money in order to help rebuild new orleans but so much of the focus is going into the 9th ward. people don't really gravitate to the areas that were still affected but not as poor. the hurricane didn't distinguish between social classes. it affected everyone. and the good thing about pnola is that it is helping the people who have money but just not enough. so many people came in to new orleans after the storm saying they would help rebuild homes and they would charge the people right up front and then get their money and disappear, leaving these people without a home or money to rebuild. so, pnola comes into these peoples lives and finds out how much money they have, whether or not they have a job and can keep their house and then they work with the family and what money they do have in order to rebuild their house. so, the family pays for all of the supplies the houses need but pnola supplies the volunteers to do the work. i think this is awesome because when you think of tragedy you think of the people who had nothing and now have even less. those are the people that everyone wants to help. but these people have money just not enough. so now we're helping them. i love that.
overall, i think pnola is a wonderful organization and is doing a ton of great work. i can't wait to see all the good my team will do here!
i hope everyone is having a wonderful new year so far! i'll update again next sunday!
xoxo,
B
i haven't even been in new orleans a full week yet and i already love it! the weather is about a zillion times better than denver, the people are a whole lot nicer and i'm much more used to this sort of lifestyle.
we're staying in the office building of the phoenix of new orleans which is in mid city 4th ward. we have a kitchen, living room, washer and dryer, three bedrooms and three bathrooms. and although it's sometimes difficult living so close to ten other people constantly, our living arrangement is pretty good.
we're really only two blocks away from canal street which is super nifty!
so far, the only place i've really been able to explore is bourbon street which i must say is not my favorite place. i was completely shocked to see how many people bring their children there. i would definitely be completely ok if i never stepped foot on that street again!
we drove through the french quarter and down magazine street and i think those two areas are definitely my favorites.
we also took a tour of the area where katrina did the most damage. we rode around the 9th ward and saw where the flood walls broke. we learned all about new orleans during this past week from our sight sponsor. we learned about how scientists had a simulation called hurricane pam a year before katrina hit and how they warned people that this could happen. we learned about how the people laughed at them and didn't take them seriously and didn't even allow them to finish their simulation project.
we learned that new orleans is a bowl and that the mississippi has been flooding the region for hundreds of years and that in order to make new orleans inhabitable the city had to make 92 pumps to constantly draw the water out. we learned that even if all 92 pumps are running at the same time they can drain 1 inch of water and hour. we learned that the armycorps of engineers made the flood gates after a huge hurricane in the 20's and yet they didn't dig deep enough. we learned the basic physics behind the flood gates and how the pressure the water will exert on the top half of the wall has to be completely balanced by the part of the wall that's buried deep enough in the ground.
we learned the difference in a flood gate and a levy and how the levies are much bigger both in height and thickness. we learned that the levies didn't break and if they had the damage would have been much worse. we learned how much smaller the flood gates are and that they are only made to manage the canal water.
we learned how building the levies and flood gates in order to stop the mississippi from flooding new orleans has cause the marsh lands to almost not exist. this means, when hurricanes hit, there's no buffer from the storm, no trees to break the wind, no land to try and calm the storm.
we also learned about the phoenix of new orleans. so many people have donated time and money in order to help rebuild new orleans but so much of the focus is going into the 9th ward. people don't really gravitate to the areas that were still affected but not as poor. the hurricane didn't distinguish between social classes. it affected everyone. and the good thing about pnola is that it is helping the people who have money but just not enough. so many people came in to new orleans after the storm saying they would help rebuild homes and they would charge the people right up front and then get their money and disappear, leaving these people without a home or money to rebuild. so, pnola comes into these peoples lives and finds out how much money they have, whether or not they have a job and can keep their house and then they work with the family and what money they do have in order to rebuild their house. so, the family pays for all of the supplies the houses need but pnola supplies the volunteers to do the work. i think this is awesome because when you think of tragedy you think of the people who had nothing and now have even less. those are the people that everyone wants to help. but these people have money just not enough. so now we're helping them. i love that.
overall, i think pnola is a wonderful organization and is doing a ton of great work. i can't wait to see all the good my team will do here!
i hope everyone is having a wonderful new year so far! i'll update again next sunday!
xoxo,
B
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
christmas break/ transition week/ travel
oh my goodness, i am so behind. i tried to update my blog during transition week but the internet was entirely too slow.
SO, here we are!
on december 18th i arrived at the denver international airport for my second time in order to fly back to sc. i spent two weeks at home enjoying being with my family and friends and just back in sc. i truly missed everyone and everything so much. it was wonderful.
transition week was relaxed. we only did a couple of things a day since everyone had to do the same things all in one week. there were about three inches of snow in places the whole time i was there. it was quite cold but beautiful. it was nice getting to see everyone back on campus and talk about our break and what we would be doing round two. and it was really exciting for my team to finally get to prepare to leave for a spike seeing as last round we were local.
i was in denver from sunday night until saturday morning. and then we left for spike travel! saturday morning we rode out at about 8:30 and stopped every two hours for a break. we drove through colorado, new mexico and into texas on saturday. we arrived in amarillo at seven that night at our hotel. we left early sunday morning and spent the whole day driving through texas until we arrived in tyler around four or so at our hotel. monday we drove the rest of the way through texas and through louisiana until we finally made it to new orleans around 4:30.
for now that's all yall get! :) i'll update my blog again on saturday with a weekly report!
xoxo,
B
SO, here we are!
on december 18th i arrived at the denver international airport for my second time in order to fly back to sc. i spent two weeks at home enjoying being with my family and friends and just back in sc. i truly missed everyone and everything so much. it was wonderful.
transition week was relaxed. we only did a couple of things a day since everyone had to do the same things all in one week. there were about three inches of snow in places the whole time i was there. it was quite cold but beautiful. it was nice getting to see everyone back on campus and talk about our break and what we would be doing round two. and it was really exciting for my team to finally get to prepare to leave for a spike seeing as last round we were local.
i was in denver from sunday night until saturday morning. and then we left for spike travel! saturday morning we rode out at about 8:30 and stopped every two hours for a break. we drove through colorado, new mexico and into texas on saturday. we arrived in amarillo at seven that night at our hotel. we left early sunday morning and spent the whole day driving through texas until we arrived in tyler around four or so at our hotel. monday we drove the rest of the way through texas and through louisiana until we finally made it to new orleans around 4:30.
for now that's all yall get! :) i'll update my blog again on saturday with a weekly report!
xoxo,
B
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