Who are we? Silver 3!

The night after I wrote my last post we were assigned to our permanent teams. The fact that is was happening was kept secret from the corps members and it was a bit of a shock to have it happen so fast. It was sad to say goodbye to my pod but it's great to know that I have a group of friends beyond my team. I'll get to see them on campus for the next few weeks and then whenever we're all back for transition weeks between projects. Since we lived with our pods for the first few days, getting permanent teams also meant moving rooms. Luckily I only had to move across the hall but lots of people had to go from the 3rd floor of one building to the 3rd floor of the other. Moving day was Friday and since then I've settled in with my new room and roommate/teammate. I'm liking my team so far and have high hopes for our 10 months together.

Since getting our teams training has been a lot more interesting and I feel like we're doing things that are relevant to our upcoming experiences. We had one on life after Americorps options and it gave me some motivation to get working on grad school apps. I don't know if I'll have internet access once we go out on spike (an Ameriword for off-site projects) so I need to get as much done as I can the next few weeks. Other training topics from last week were about Service Learning, Civic Engagement, and Alcohol Awareness. We usually have 4-5 sessions a day so it gets to be a lot of information to take in but I've enjoyed most of it so far. We've been able to have some good team discussions already and I'm looking forward to hearing my teammates' thoughts about other topics. After a long week of training we had most of the weekend off. I'm going to be one of the 15 passenger van drivers so I had a special training for that on Saturday. It was a little intimidating and I definitely still need to work on my parking skills but I think I did pretty well with driving and am glad I can fulfill that role on my team. That training took up about 4 hours on Saturday but the staff member we were with used it as an opportunity to show us Sacramento and point out interesting places and things to do. It gave me a better feel for where things were in relation to each other and made it easier to get around when I went out downtown Saturday night.

Yesterday my dad came from San Francisco where he was working and spent part of the day here. It was great to see him and we were able to explore some places and scope stuff out at our own pace. It was a test of my navigational abilities to get from campus to downtown and then figure out where we were once we got there, I didn't realize how much I really like Sacramento. The neighborhoods all blend together nicely and there's lots of independently owned shops and restaurants sprinkled throughout. It would be a great place to walk or bike to get around and the pace of life seems around my speed. I wish we lived closer to the city itself. Although it's only about a 20 minute drive to downtown and it's possible to get there by public transit it's not the safest to take at night and not many people have cars to drive. One of the team leaders gave a bunch of us a ride Saturday night but we still had to get a taxi for the ride home. I want to take the light rail train sometime soon during the day to figure out how it works and get comfortable with the system for the future.

I'm writing this during a break between morning PT (physical training) and our training for the day. PT has been going well so far. Besides the obvious misery of getting up at 5am to work out the exercise itself has been challenging but not too over the top. We were put in running groups based on a baseline test and it's nice to be running with people who keep the same pace I do. I know they'll try to push us to get better over the next few weeks but it should be just the right amount of pushing. It wakes me up to be active in the morning and I've noticed my energy levels have been higher.

Our training today is called Hands of Peace and is all about opening up to our teams and learning to work well together. I've heard good things from teams who have done it already so I'm excited for today. Tomorrow we're heading to Camp Mendecino which is run by the San Franciso Boys and Girls Club. We'll be there until Friday doing some mini service projects and team building activities. There are high/low ropes courses, a zip line, and lots of hiking trails through redwood forests. We'll be sleeping in open air cabins and taking minimal showers, which I'm actually pretty excited about. It should be a great change of pace and a chance to really get to know my team. I won't have cell phone reception so I'll be off the grid until Friday afternoon... until then send smoke signals!

Laura

P.S If you're reading this please comment! Just want to know who's out there...

Who knew 5 days could feel like 5 weeks...

So much has happened since my first post I almost don't know where to start!


Getting here on Thursday was a little bit overwhelming but since then I've really started to feel comfortable and more at home.

So far my fellow Corps Members (CMs) and I have been filling out paperwork and learning a lot about policy and how things work within the program. We have training pretty much all day everyday about things like safety and representing ourselves and the program when we come in contact with the media. Today we spent all day getting First Aid/CPR/AED certified, which I've done before but was glad to have a refresher on.

Training keeps us busy but there is also a decent amount of free time to get to know people and do fun things. A lot of times that involves throwing a frisbee around or sitting in the sun here on campus but I was able to go to downtown Sacramento over the weekend to get a taste of what that's like. McClellan, where we technically live, is a retired air force base so it's not always the most beautiful place to be but seeing downtown was a great way to get a taste for what a more interesting part of this area is like. I'm definitely hoping to do some more exploring soon and get a feel for what Sacramento is really like beyond the dorm buildings and meeting rooms that I see everyday.

Right now I'm in a temporary team called a pod and we all attend training, eat, and live together. I really like the other people in my pod and even though it's only been 5 days we've become super close. Our pod leader is awesome, which definitely helps make things more fun, and she has made sure we're getting the most out of everything. Unfortunately, the way the program works means that I'll be getting a new team and team leader sometime in the next few weeks. I feel like I really lucked out with my pod so hopefully I feel as positively about the team I'll actually be working with for the next 10 months.

I've also been getting to wear super cool uniforms the past few days. They are definitely not made to be attractive and are particularly unflattering on ladies but we are all united in our shared dorkiness and I'm sure they'll be useful when we're on projects. Don't laugh at this photo... or if you're laughing don't tell me about it!

I was hoping to give a more in-depth update with photos of my room and pod and all that but I'm exhausted (I'm up between 5-6am everyday and haven't quite gotten used to it).

For now please don't hesitate to send me mail! I feel a little disconnected from home so anything would be so appreciated.

My address here is:



Until later,
Laura

I'm Blogging!

*Note: I wrote this yesterday morning and a ton has changed since then but I wanted to post it anyway

I'm not sure when I'll have a chance to post this first entry but wanted to take advantage of being at the airport an hour early (thanks mom and dad!) by getting some of my thoughts about my upcoming experience in writing before it all starts.

For those of you who don't know, I'm headed to Sacramento for a 10 month program called AmeriCorps NCCC. Since I don't yet have my own perspective on what doing this program will be like for me, here's a blurb from the website (check out more info for yourself if you'd like - Americorps NCCC)

AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) is a residential national service program for men and women between the ages of 18 and 24.  Approximately 1,100 members participate nationwide each year.

For 10 months, members serve in teams to meet urgent community needs through service learning projects that improve the environment, enhance education, increase public safety, address unmet human needs, and provide rapid and continuing disaster relief and recovery.  AmeriCorps NCCC has responded to every national disaster since the program began in 1994.  Projects operate through partnerships with non-profit organizations, state and local agencies, and other community and faith- based groups.  Teams will work on a series of different projects allowing members to experience a variety of service experiences as well as different communities and cultures.  

Members live on one of five campuses, located in Denver, Colo.; Sacramento, Calif.; Perry Point, Md.; Vinton, Iowa; and Vicksburg, Miss.  Members receive training in CPR, first aid, leadership, team building, and disaster services, in addition to many other topics throughout the year.

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) oversees Learn and Serve America (LSA), Senior Corps, and all AmeriCorps programs.  The three branches of AmeriCorps are AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America), AmeriCorps NCCC, and AmeriCorps State & National.

Basically what this means for me is that I'll be training in Sacramento and using that campus as my home base but will be traveling throughout the Pacific Region (California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana Wyoming, Utah, Hawaii, Alaska) doing different service projects with a team of 10 other CMs (Corps Members - NCCC has a TON of abbreviations!) and a team leader. I won't know exactly where I'll be or what the projects will entail until a few weeks before each one but I should be in a variety of places doing a variety of project types. The projects could include anything from building houses with Habitat for Humanity to coordinating an after school program for kids or clearing trails in a National Park.

I'm really looking forward to meeting new people, both within the program as well as members of various communities, who are committed to service. I think this program will give me the opportunity to not only perform service myself but to learn from and be inspired by others. I'm also hoping to be pushed out of my comfort zone physically and mentally and am looking forward to being challenged in a variety of ways. Although it may be uncomfortable at times, I've learned through past experiences that the times I am most challenged are what end up being the most defining moments of my life and that challenges are necessary in order for me to grow as a person.

I've already experienced my first challenge of leaving Chicago, my home of 4 years. Saying goodbye to friends was difficult and I know I'll miss all of the unique things I love about the city. I've spent the past 2 weeks in Ann Arbor with my family and hometown friends trying to pack and prepare while getting increasingly excited and nervous. Thanks to the technology of a Facebook group I've been able to hear a little bit about some of the people I'll be serving with as well as having questions answered by staff and comparing packing tips. It was definitely encouraging to hear a little bit from the other 250 people who will be on campus with me but it's still a little nerve wracking to go into a situation where I don't know anyone. I'm excited to get to campus so there won't be so many unknowns and I can start getting to know people and experiencing whatever comes my way.

I don't have a specific schedule yet but the first few days should be mostly filling out paperwork and getting aquatinted with each other and NCCC. There should be lots of exciting things like uniform fittings and tetanus shots that I'll try to report back on regularly. I'm not sure yet how often I'll be updating this but I'll definitely try my hardest to keep it up.

Before I head off for my first adventure of flying to Sacramento by way off Phoenix I'll leave you with the NCCC Mission Statement and AmeriCorps Pledge:

Mission Statement

The mission of AmeriCorps NCCC is to strengthen

communities and develop leaders through team-based

national and community service.

Pledge

I will get things done for America, to make our people safer,

smarter, and healthier.

I will bring Americans together to strengthen our

communities.

Faced with apathy, I will take action.

Faced with conflict, I will seek common ground.

Faced with adversity, I will persevere.

I will carry this commitment with me this year and beyond.

I am an AmeriCorps member, and I will get things done.

Thanks for reading!

Laura