tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92051879268250218142024-03-14T05:15:41.626-07:00Laura's Americorps NCCC AdventuresLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03757601700463734063noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9205187926825021814.post-88702238440486502292011-07-16T21:30:00.000-07:002011-07-16T21:30:08.202-07:00Final TransitionWe're back in Sacramento and boy are things boring here at base. We have all the usual meetings and check-ins but it seems like everyone is phoning it in because they're ready to leave. I've been trying to get a head start on packing in order to pass the time but it ends up being a little stressful because I've managed to accumulate a TON of stuff the past 10 months. I'm also taking lots and lots of naps. I'm hoping to do some fun things these next few days to counteract the transition blues and leave the program on a high note.<br />
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Our last week at Camp Nawakwa was a high point of the round. We were able to complete construction on a new roof for one of the bathroom buildings as well as restore/build elements for a low-ropes adventure course. Because we had been camp counselors for 2 weeks it was nice to go back to shorter days and getting to use power tools. I also felt much more at home after experiencing camp and getting to know the staff better. They saw how committed we were to working hard and I know they appreciated us. They were also wonderful people who love camp and wanted to make sure we were happy and having a good time. I'll always be grateful for the hospitality and kindness we received from them.<br />
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Tomorrow morning I'm running my first 5k! I've been training for the past month or so and it's been nice to have a goal to work towards. I am definitely not a born runner and I think it's something that will always be hard for me but I am learning to enjoy it more. Because I run super slow I'm not aiming to finish in a certain amount of time - my goals are to finish and to run the whole time. I feel kind of silly knowing how long it will take me but I'm trying to focus on how far I've personally come and not think about the people who can run 3.1 miles in 20 minutes.<br />
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That's all for now...<br />
Only 5 days left in NCCC!<br />
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LauraLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03757601700463734063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9205187926825021814.post-36750250154653223632011-07-03T14:57:00.000-07:002011-07-03T14:57:57.653-07:00Now that I'm a counselor, there's nothing I'd rather be...My two weeks of being a full-time camp counselor have come and gone and although it was exhausting and sometimes drove me crazy I'm so glad I got to have the experience.<br />
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The first week was especially for kids from military families - mostly with parents currently deployed who are about to come home. They're definitely facing some unique challenges so it was great to see them connect with each other and get the chance to have fun without worrying about their parents. I was with 7/8/9 year old girls during this week and they could be a handful. There was a lot of crying because of homesickness and bugs but they were also a lot of fun. I was with them all day and night except for a 2 hour break in the afternoon and was responsible for making sure all their basic needs were taken care of as well as getting them to their activities. During the week they got to climb the rock wall, go canoeing, do archery, swim in the pool, go on a nature hike, do drama, make crafts, and go to campfires every night. There were also special activities from the organization that funds the military camp to help the kids connect with each other and their role as a child in the military. Because of that there wasn't much free time and things often felt rushed. This past week was much more relaxed because there were fewer campers and I had a slightly older age group. We also started to feel more at home and got into the swing of things. It was more of the same activities, homesickness, and silly songs but the kids had a blast and so did I. <br />
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We have a long weekend for the 4th of July and we've already done some shopping, seen Transformers (it was crazy to see Chicago getting destroyed in it), and swam in the mountain snow-melt waters of the Santa Ana River. Tomorrow we're celebrating with fireworks in Big Bear (the closest city to our mountain home). This upcoming week we'll be doing some more maintenance including finishing a new roof and building some low-ropes course elements for the camp. We'll be around for a few days the following week then are packing up and heading back to Sacramento for the end of the year. It's crazy how time has flown and my AmeriLife is almost over... I'm starting to get antsy about what the next part of my life will look like. For now I'm just trying to make the most of each day and enjoy what's happening around me.Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03757601700463734063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9205187926825021814.post-31704449314913817952011-06-07T12:32:00.000-07:002011-06-07T12:32:58.357-07:00Camp Nawakwa, we hold you in our hearts...I'm writing from a hotel in San Diego where I'm enjoying my personal days with a visit from my mom. She flew in Friday then came to get me from the mountains and we drove down to San Diego together for a little vacation. It's been a really nice break from work (for both of us) and we've gotten to see a lot of this beautiful city!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Downtown San Diego from the ferry to Coronado Island</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mom as we arrived on Coronado</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me in front of the botanical building in Balboa Park</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPrq1RGyg4lsS-A5hv9iR_gYOSn7q9XuKkFJpvPhmzdWkSak81I-vqs4el-Qi49ij-fhfYFV0irawACKh8_FXmtVKY-LySp10OqlKDJUiOQept-8ytoTHwnvR53iu-oTztX0djTgqPgykE/s1600/101_0558.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPrq1RGyg4lsS-A5hv9iR_gYOSn7q9XuKkFJpvPhmzdWkSak81I-vqs4el-Qi49ij-fhfYFV0irawACKh8_FXmtVKY-LySp10OqlKDJUiOQept-8ytoTHwnvR53iu-oTztX0djTgqPgykE/s400/101_0558.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seals basking on a rock and the beautiful beaches of La Jolla</td></tr>
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Other than taking vacations my life right now consists of working at Camp Nawakwa in the San Bernadino National Forest (in between Redlands, CA and Big Bear, CA outside of a tiny town called Angelus Oaks). It's a summer camp run by a non-profit called Campfire USA and they have camps for kids from the LA area ages 7-17, most of who have never been to camp, the mountains, or even been out in the woods. My team is starting by working with the maintenance staff at Camp Nawakwa to do things like paint, clear trails, and remove debris to get things ready for the camp season. We've been doing this for 3 weeks already and it's been a little tedious. I definitely enjoy some things, like painting cabins, more than tasks that seem pretty redundant. For example, the fact that we live on a mountain means there's no way we can remove all the rocks from camp, which is something our sponsor has had us doing a LOT of. Moving rocks and sticks isn't the most exciting or glamorous work but we're doing it because the camp is in a national forest and the forest service does inspections every year to make sure there are no safety or fire hazards. I understand that our work is important to keep the camp running but it doesn't really change the day-to-day monotony of it. All of this is why I am so so so excited for the second portion of our time at camp when we will be acting as full-time camp counselors! It's always been a sort of secret dream of mine to be a camp counselor and I feel like it will probably never happen in the real world but in Ameriworld anything is possible. We have 3 full days of training this weekend and then we'll start having campers in week long sessions. I'm really looking forward to being around kids and getting the share nature and the camp experience with them. The fact that we get fed and won't have to cook our own meals when camp is in session is just a fringe benefit.<br />
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This round has been a bit challenging so far for a variety of reasons other than the rock moving. First of all, we've been living in very cramped quarters. Since there was another group using camp in the off-season, we've had to spend our first 3 weeks living in a one-bedroom cabin until they move out of the other housing. We had the 3 boys in the bedroom and the 6 of us girls got cozy in the living room.<br />
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</a></div>Our beds are literally inches from each other and there's not a lot of room for our belongings or even our bodies. We had some difficult housing at times in Oregon but we haven't had to deal with not having any personal space and it can be a little rough for everyone. The other group left this weekend and when I get back from my days off we'll be in the bigger house which should help a lot. It will be nice not to have one person's snoring, sleep talking, or getting up to go to the bathroom as the reason why the whole team didn't sleep well. Better times are definitely ahead, though. We'll all have more space and fewer sleep disturbances... that is until we're in cabins with campers and have to deal with homesickness and nightmares. I think we're also all starting to feel the AmeriCorps version of senior-itis. Everyone is getting their plans for life after the program in place and realizing that we'll be going back to the real world in less than 6 weeks. It's crazy the way this program becomes your whole life and it takes a lot to prepare for life after. We don't have regular internet access which makes it difficult to keep up with loved ones and world events let alone apply for school and/or jobs. Despite the challenges we have faced, my team has pretty much become my family and I know we'll get through whatever the rest of this project throws our way. Enough complaining, here's the good stuff!<br />
Like beautiful views!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVfTjrOP9RaeBmY173fneNREkB9meMeAqSaUHfOYMHhkvqKp8HqNimSmklmmVT_i9gNkdM0e61IGNJCVzUZqKvap1APfrxbDvsqze3ksC01xCt9M2de2xpUi0RTvm0EGWHVrSKG4ZzXGIM/s1600/101_0537.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVfTjrOP9RaeBmY173fneNREkB9meMeAqSaUHfOYMHhkvqKp8HqNimSmklmmVT_i9gNkdM0e61IGNJCVzUZqKvap1APfrxbDvsqze3ksC01xCt9M2de2xpUi0RTvm0EGWHVrSKG4ZzXGIM/s400/101_0537.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> Pretty yellow flowers in the woods<br />
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It's amazing how much I'm learning to love the outdoors and enjoy nature more than I ever have before. As the sign on the front of our cabin says, "Nature Knows Best"<br />
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So, about next year... er, this year. I'm officially going to University of Michigan in the fall to get my Masters in Social Work! I'm excited to have concrete plans and know that it's a great program where I'll learn a lot. I'll be living at home with my parents which will be a nice way to save money and be around my family but is definitely a change for me since I haven't been there for more than a few weeks since before college. I should be pretty busy with school, my field work, and hopefully a job (anyone have any leads?) and I know it will be nice to be able to go home after a long day to a place that actually feels like home. I'm really looking school and being able to learn about and practice the things I'm passionate about. My area of focus will be Interpersonal Practice with Children and Youth in Families and Society so I'm hoping to work directly with children and families while also doing outreach, advocacy, and education. It's kind of scary to think of myself as a grad student but as much as I don't want to think about the loans and pressure of being back in school I know I'm ready for the next step in my education.<br />
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That's what's going on around here. Lots of excitement! Lots of rocks! I'll post again once I experience a week of living the camp counselor dream.<br />
Thanks for reading!Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03757601700463734063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9205187926825021814.post-74449992224443873122011-05-22T13:14:00.000-07:002011-05-22T13:14:45.471-07:00The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rainIt's been a LONG time since I've blogged- I skipped a whole project round! I've decided to make more of an effort not only for my mother who has been requesting updates but also so that I have a record of my experiences to look back on.<br />
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Although I'm currently at 6,000 feet in the mountains of the San Bernadino National Forest, I spent March and April in a much different environment working for Oregon State Parks. We traveled to a new park almost every week and did work including removal of invasive species, trail building and maintenance, and planting of native species as part of a stream bed restoration project. Our time there included a lot of long rainy days and some interesting living arrangements (a mouse in our house, tent camping, and spending 2 weeks on the floor in a warehouse are the highlights). It was definitely a struggle at times but I loved getting the opportunity to connect with and appreciate a beautiful part of the country that I may have otherwise never seen. Whenever the rain cleared up it was absolutely gorgeous! We could see Mt. Hood in the distance at several parks and there were rivers and streams running through lush forests of ferns and douglas fir. I also got the chance to visit Portland a couple of times and realized what a great city it is. I could definitely see myself living there at some point in my life.<br />
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Here are some photos to wrap up my quick summary of the past 2 months of my life:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All the rain made this jacket an essential part of my uniform. Here I am raking out an area at Champoeg State Park</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We came back from work one day to a collapsed tent...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Building a trail at Stub Stewart State Park</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/208749_10100419236259057_8644586_62169643_6620398_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/208749_10100419236259057_8644586_62169643_6620398_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laying out flag lines for our large-scale planting project at Elijah Bristow State Park</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/215351_10100419233135317_8644586_62169614_6029575_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/215351_10100419233135317_8644586_62169614_6029575_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Planting Cottonwood trees with a 3rd grader from a local school</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/215629_536880920521_135000256_31099753_3255511_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/215629_536880920521_135000256_31099753_3255511_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pulling invasive Scotch Broom with my teammate Clarissa</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/225494_536880950461_135000256_31099754_622183_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/225494_536880950461_135000256_31099754_622183_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pulling invasive species takes a lot out of you! Resting a a big pile of Scotch Broom</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/225905_10100447214465507_8644586_62617701_5947643_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/225905_10100447214465507_8644586_62617701_5947643_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wading in the creek at Milo McIver State Park with teammate Elizabeth</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/222505_537228239491_135000256_31105691_6113707_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/222505_537228239491_135000256_31105691_6113707_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The team standing on "steps" we made through a muddy section of a previously closed trail at Milo McIver</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/229351_10100447219914587_8644586_62617816_6575986_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/229351_10100447219914587_8644586_62617816_6575986_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We visited Silver Falls, a beautiful park with 10 waterfalls</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/225272_10100447222399607_8644586_62617894_2984839_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/225272_10100447222399607_8644586_62617894_2984839_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We got the chance to relax at Oregon Brewfest, a festival at the Oregon Gardens with tastings of craft and microbrews</td></tr>
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<br />
I promise I'll be back soon with an update on what I'm doing now and my life/future... It's all very exciting!Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03757601700463734063noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9205187926825021814.post-66353663273921389812011-03-05T13:17:00.000-08:002011-03-05T13:17:18.317-08:00And onto the next oneWe had to say goodbye to Healdsburg and The Bishop's Ranch last week. The last half of the project was even better than the first and it was so hard to leave the place that had so quickly felt like home to me and my team.<br />
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Our sponsor had a special event at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco so we were able to spend the day there enjoying ourselves and worked the event for them that night. It was nice to be in a city for the day and we got to explore the beautiful cathedral.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/167395_528071190291_135000256_31056962_2017249_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/167395_528071190291_135000256_31056962_2017249_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silver 3 takes on San Fran!</td></tr>
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I was incredibly lucky to have Ashkon visit for a weekend. We enjoyed some time at the coast and spent a night in Bogeda Bay.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/184952_1343768914749_1247010297_31345226_8089259_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/184952_1343768914749_1247010297_31345226_8089259_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ashkon enjoying the coast</td></tr>
</tbody></table> We also went wine tasting with some of my teammates<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/180906_1343769194756_1247010297_31345230_4542054_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/180906_1343769194756_1247010297_31345230_4542054_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wine tasting</td></tr>
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The next weekend my mom and brother John came for a visit. We spent some nice time in the town of Healdsburg (which I actually hadn't been able to explore much before) and drove to the coast for sunset one night, stopping in several towns and Armstrong Redwood Forest on our way. John and I took advantage of the bike rentals offered by the hotel and rode around town and the surrounding areas. We also got the chance to do some wine tasting and check out Lake Sonoma before they left.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/180164_542015850934_220301444_31732481_3896699_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/180164_542015850934_220301444_31732481_3896699_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Mama at the ranch</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/182856_542103375534_220301444_31734568_1781903_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/182856_542103375534_220301444_31734568_1781903_n.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Biking through the vineyards</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/182407_1343769394761_1247010297_31345233_1137306_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/182407_1343769394761_1247010297_31345233_1137306_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking the scenic route to the coast</td></tr>
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<br />
Leaving The Bishop's Ranch was difficult, mostly because of how kind and caring all the staff had been. They truly made us feel like family and made sure we were getting the most out of our time there. I'll never forget Jack, Doug, Travis, Rick, Cass, and the rest of the staff and am so grateful for everything they did for us. They looked out for us, led hikes, made us dinner, told us jokes, and taught us SO much.<br />
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Our final projects included working on a suspension bridge, building new trails, finishing building the fence and painting the house, burning the rest of the brush that was left behind, sanding outdoor furniture, and working with compost. The variety was amazing and it meant I was rarely bored or frustrated with what I was doing. We also got the chance to learn from our supervisor Doug about blacksmithing and worked several afternoons in the forge doing metal work. It's something I would never just try on my own but it was a lot of fun and I made a wall hook to keep as well as some support bars for our suspension bridge.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/168408_528070237201_135000256_31056901_5454238_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/168408_528070237201_135000256_31056901_5454238_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh yeah... we also pulled giant logs with ropes. Hardcore.</td></tr>
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Now I'm back in Sacramento for transition. It's been a nice week of wrapping up the last project and getting ready for the next. The week has included doing our midyear PT baseline (my 1.5 mile time and push-ups have improved!), checking in with the staff, and having a Life After AmeriCorps day. Life After AmeriCorps day included some workshops that were pretty helpful as I think about next year. I've already applied to grad school for two MSW programs and am now waiting to hear back in order to make further plans. Thinking about the future after NCCC is strange but I know it will soon be a reality since we're more than halfway done.<br />
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On Tuesday we're heading to Salem, Oregon to work for Oregon State Parks. We'll be doing lots of trail work and invasive species removal and traveling to several parks in the area. Our main home will be a historic farmhouse in Salem but when we travel to parks during the week we will be staying in cabins or camping. I'm excited to get some camping experience but I know it will also be a challenge to live in tents and not have the best amenities. Doing things like camping that I would never do otherwise is part of the reason I joined this program so I'm looking forward to make the most of it. The work itself should also be challenging since we'll be doing physical labor outside all day in such a rainy climate. I'm ready with rain gear and a positive attitude so hopefully my spirits won't be dampened (literally). There was a team there last round and when we met with them it sounded like they had a great experience so hopefully we will too!<br />
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Thanks for reading!<br />
LauraLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03757601700463734063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9205187926825021814.post-16270014871058728582011-02-03T00:00:00.000-08:002011-02-03T00:00:32.554-08:00Home on the ranchObviously my plan to blog more regularly in 2011 isn't going so well. It's been hard to force myself to write and I don't want it to become a chore so I'll just be updating whenever the mood strikes.<br />
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It's Round 2! We're actually halfway thorough this project already so I'll have to backtrack a little. As I said in my last entry, Silver 3 is in Healdsburg, CA at a retreat center run by the Episcopal Diocese of California called The Bishop's Ranch (<a href="http://www.bishopsranch.org/">about the ranch</a>). It is absolutely beautiful here and I've liked this project way more than expected. Here are some pictures so you can be jealous of the beautiful place I get to live:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Relax and enjoy the view</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1359.snc4/163130_1330406460696_1247010297_31317534_7958211_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1359.snc4/163130_1330406460696_1247010297_31317534_7958211_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Chapel</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs900.ash1/180802_1330687907732_1247010297_31317965_1835434_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs900.ash1/180802_1330687907732_1247010297_31317965_1835434_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mount St. Helena and vineyards</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs764.ash1/165497_1330651466821_1247010297_31317953_1856444_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs764.ash1/165497_1330651466821_1247010297_31317953_1856444_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even the dairy farm next door is beautiful</td></tr>
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Since there are groups of various sizes coming and going all the time here at the ranch, we end up moving around quite a bit to whatever space is available. It can be a little stressful to have to pack and move several times a week but it also means we get to stay in almost all of the very cushy housing here. There are times when I get a room to myself but even when I have a roommate there's still plenty of space to spread out. The staff here are beyond accommodating and we get fresh sheets and towels provided by housekeeping each time we move. There are probably about 10 full-time people that we've gotten to know pretty well and I can't stop being amazed at how nice everyone is. They genuinely want to make sure we're having a good experience here and are also interested in getting to know us as individuals rather than just workers. I've felt incredibly at home here especially since they feed us lunch and dinner almost every day (whenever groups are here and the ranch is open) and the food AMAZING. They focus on using local and organic ingredients and everything is so tasty! I feel nourished and blissful after almost every meal and seeing the kitchen creativity has inspired me to cook more adventurously. Inspirational is really the way to describe this place. The scenery is gorgeous in so many ways. From the front porch of the house we're living in now I can see vineyards down in the valley and Mount St. Helena in the distance. There are also acres and acres of forest with trails and scenic lookout points and the rolling green hills of an organic dairy farm next door. We've been lucky to have great weather almost the whole time too so most days are clear and every time I look up from my work I'm in awe of the beauty all around me.<br />
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I'm so grateful to be surrounded by all this beauty because the work we're doing is pretty tough. The first few weeks we focused mostly on forest fire prevention by removing brush and logs from a canyon area behind the main ranch buildings. That way if a fire comes through the area, it won't be able to spread as quickly and may not climb to hill to destroy the buildings. Fuel reduction is an issue I hadn't thought much about before this project since there aren't a lot of forest fires in the midwest but it's been really interesting to learn about. One of our supervisors is training to be a wild-land firefighter so he has a ton of stuff to teach us. It's great to hear about why we're supposed to do things certain ways and what the benefit will be to the land. The work itself involves cutting down low tree limbs with chain saws and loppers, then dragging the brush out into a clearing and forming piles to be chipped or burned. It can be slow-going because there is a ton of area to clear and we've been mostly working on a very steep hill. Different fun days in the "canyon" as we call it have included getting to use a wood chipper to make chip for the trails and burning brush piles. We so manage to find some fun in almost every day either by entertaining each other with silliness, finding cool animals like lizards and scorpions, or stopping for impromptu lessons from our sponsors about things like tying knots, operating an excavator and a tractor, and fun facts about the area. They definitely make a point to mix things up for us and keep it fun, especially when it's clear we're dragging a little. Other than the canyon fuel reduction, I've also worked on building a fence around a pond, spreading wood chips on trails, painting a house, filling a culvert with rocks to slow the flow of water, removing invasive species, and pruning rose bushes and fruit trees (ps there are lemon, tangerine, and kiwi growing on them right now... it's so wonderful to grab a tangerine from a tree for a snack). The variety keeps things interesting and I've learned so much from working with our expert supervisors. It's also nice to be outside all day and working hard gives me such a sense of satisfaction when the day is over.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs049.snc6/167965_10100206926015487_8644586_60927136_7997842_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs049.snc6/167965_10100206926015487_8644586_60927136_7997842_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carrying logs on one of our first days</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs047.snc6/167787_527476696661_135000256_31043687_3428290_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs047.snc6/167787_527476696661_135000256_31043687_3428290_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We took a break from work to learn how to operate some heavy machinery. It was in the parking lot so I didn't actually get to dig anything but it was still amazing.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The burn crew tending fire</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs780.ash1/167050_527476147761_135000256_31043657_7942300_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs780.ash1/167050_527476147761_135000256_31043657_7942300_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silver 3 after a day of burning and wood chipping</td></tr>
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The past two weekends the ranch has been full with guests so we've gone to stay at St. Dorothy's Rest, a "sister" retreat center of sorts in the redwood forests of Camp Meeker, CA. It's only about 45 minutes away but the scenery is so different. Since we have weekends off I spent most of my time relaxing and but we also got the chance to do an ISP (AmeriAcronym for Independent Service Project which are our hours outside of normal work) and explore the area. This included a scenic drive to the coast and a visit to some interesting little towns including one with the most amazing bakery. Apparently this area is where a lot of people from San Francisco moved after the 60s and you can definitely tell there's a hippie vibe mixed in with the farmers and small town quirkiness. The coast is less than an hour away and the beaches are beautiful. I haven't spent a lot of time near the pacific but there's something so soothing about being near water that I loved it immediately.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sonoma State Beach near Goat Rock</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LOVING the beach</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs745.ash1/163775_527544236311_135000256_31044761_4993392_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs745.ash1/163775_527544236311_135000256_31044761_4993392_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alyssa, Clarissa, Georgie, Me, and Mike (with our van) in front of the Pacific</td></tr>
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The one not so great experience has been the recurring poison oak I've had for the past 3 weeks. Poison oak is everywhere while we're working in the canyon and there's really no way to avoid it but apparently I'm either more sensitive to it or less careful about avoiding it than my teammates. It all started when we burned a brush pile that had some poison oak mixed in. I was wearing short sleeves because it was so hot by the fire and I'm sure some of it got me then. My other teammate that got "THE OAK" and I were miserable for a few days but I finally caved and went to the doctor. I got steroids to treat the rash and it started getting better. It takes a long time (4-6 weeks) for it to fully go away but I was feeling good until last week when I used my gloves the day after dealing with tons of poison oak. I brushed against my face with my glove and used my gloved hand to pull up my socks and push up my sleeves. Thus I have it again on my hands, arms, legs, and face. It's been a pretty miserable experience since the itching keeps me from sleeping and the irritation and pain is pretty much constant during the day. It's upsetting to not have any control of what's happening to my body and not know where it will pop up next. Today I went to the doctor again and am hoping for some relief these next few days.<br />
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This weekend Ashkon is coming to visit and we're planning on doing some sightseeing and wine tasting in the area. It'll be great to have him here and be able to show him where I'm living and have him meet my team. Then next weekend my mom and brother are visiting. I'm so lucky to have visitors and am really looking forward to getting to spend time with all of them.<br />
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It's getting late and we're getting up early tomorrow to head to San Francisco to help set-up and work an event the ranch is holding at Grace Cathedral there. We'll also get some time to explore on our own and I'm excited to be in a city again.<br />
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Thanks for reading!<br />
LauraLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03757601700463734063noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9205187926825021814.post-77828503959504834402010-12-30T19:44:00.000-08:002010-12-30T19:44:11.596-08:00And into 2011...In addition to my obvious break from blogging, I'm also in the midst of NCCC's winter break. I consider myself lucky to be able to visit both Chicago and Ann Arbor along with a side trip to El Paso, IL to see my grandma and other relatives. I flew into Chicago and spent several days there with Ashkon and seeing friends while trying to adjust to what real winter feels like. I headed to Ann Arbor a few days before Christmas and really enjoyed catching up with lots of friends from high school and reuniting with some of my best friends. Christmas was relaxing and my family supplied me with some NCCC essentials, including warm socks and new running shoes. We spent a few days with my grandma and I'm posting this from Chicago where I've returned for New Year's Eve. It's been nice to have some time in the "real world" outside AmeriCorps but time is rushing by and I'll be heading back to Sacramento early Sunday morning.<br />
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I guess I need to backtrack a little and talk about the rest of our first round project at Larchmont Elementary. By the last few weeks at school I felt completely comfortable in the classroom environment and working with students. We had established routines in each classroom and the students knew what to expect and were able to make real progress with their work. I also was able to connect personally with several students who seemed to need extra emotional and social support in addition to help with schoolwork. I feel like I was able to make the most difference by taking time to talk with those students who were labeled as troublemakers or seen as lost causes. A lot of them just wanted someone to hear their frustrations with whatever was going on in their lives and had an amazing awareness of what they could do to succeed more in school. I only hope that some of what we talked about stuck with them and that they can move forward in a positive way. It was so hard to leave all the students and teachers at Larchmont. They truly made us feel like part of the community and it's hard to know we won't be going back after break. We were able to go out on a positive note by introducing the next team during the morning of our last day. I think the students were glad to see that they would have new AmeriCorps friends (a favorite word at Larchmont which is used instead of saying "boys and girls" or other ways of referring to students). We also returned to the school for a holiday concert on the students' last day of school. It was great to see them perform, especially since many of us worked with classes on their songs. They also sang us a special goodbye song and the teachers said their thanks and goodbyes. It was definitely a tear-jerking experience but it was nice to have closure. The good thing about having our first project be in Sacramento is that when we're back on transition we will hopefully be able to visit school and see the students. We also plan on writing postcards to classes to keep them updated on where we are and let them know we still think about them. <br />
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One of my favorite things about the end of the round was getting to hear from all the teams who were away on spike. It gave me a new perspective on how relatively easy we had it last round with our living situation and supportive sponsor. Many teams faced challenges that we may see in the future and it helped to hear about how they dealt with them. We also had a chance to celebrate our accomplishments with one another and check-in with NCCC staff about how the project went. While it was a bit of a shock to have everyone back on campus when we were used to having it to ourselves it ended up being really nice to reconnect and share experiences. <br />
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Now that our first round project is over it's time to start thinking about what comes next! My team is heading to Healdsburg, CA (in Sonoma County) to The Bishop's Ranch. It hosts retreats, conferences, and camps for religious groups and non-profit organizations. They are also focused on environmental education and cultural programs. We will be living at the ranch, which happens to be in the middle of wine country, and working on a variety of environmental stewardship and conservation tasks in addition to some infrastructure improvement. I'm not sure exactly what this will entail but I know we'll be doing some trail clearing, watershed restoration, and invasive species removal in addition to working on some of the educational aspects of the sponsor's mission. This kind of work isn't my favorite but I'll be looking for ways to get the most out of the experience anyway. I'm excited that our team will be working together in an outdoor environment because I think it will allow us to get to know each other a lot better and have some fun while we work. I'm also excited to see a different part of California (even though it's only about 2.5 hours away from where we are now) and be surrounded by beautiful scenery.<br />
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I'll post again once we're settled in Healdsburg, it should be another great adventure!<br />
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Thanks for reading and have a Happy New Year!<br />
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LauraLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03757601700463734063noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9205187926825021814.post-84453537383202637732010-11-22T21:59:00.000-08:002010-11-22T21:59:32.833-08:00Mixed nutsThere are quite a few things I've been meaning to blog about but haven't had the energy to devote a full post to. I'm enjoying a lazy Sunday so I thought it would be a good time to tackle all the leftover stuff I have floating around in my head.<br />
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Check out the blogs of two of my teammates! <a href="http://clarissanccc.blogspot.com/">Clarissa</a> and <a href="http://theamericorpsway.blogspot.com/">Elizabeth</a> have both been writing pretty regularly and might have some different perspectives on what our team has been doing. They're also both really cool so you should check out their photos and what they have to say.<br />
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Our project at the school is still going well. A few major things have happened since my last post though. First of all we found out that Larchmont (our school) is closing at the end of this year. There are a bunch of school board politics that seem to have impacted the decision but it basically comes down to the fact that the district is having serious financial problems. It's sad that a school with so much history and community support has to close and that the kids and teachers will all be split up. We were also hoping to do some work on their community garden but there doesn't seem to be much point anymore. For now we're hoping to make as much of a positive impact as we can during this project and then hope for the best when the students get split up into different schools.<br />
We also had a scary moment last week when the school went on lockdown because of a shooting a few blocks away. The shooting was gang related and it really brought home the type of environment the kids are growing up in. They seemed pretty unruffled by the whole thing which either means the teachers did a great job of keeping them calm or they're just used to things like that happening. <br />
I really enjoy working with the kids in the classroom and after school as well as talking to them at recces and around school. At times the school environment can be difficult because so much of it is dealing with behavior problems and treating the kids as a a group rather than individuals. I know so many of them would benefit from individual attention and need specialized services but it's just not possible to work one-on-one with all of them. I wish there was an agency like Family and Community Services at DePaul to do school-based and family counseling but there's no access to that type of thing in our area. I'm trying my best to give the students positive reinforcement and talk to them about how they're feeling each day, which I can tell makes them feel special and motivated to do well. They really are great and never fail to brighten up my day.<br />
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A lot of our weekends off are spent doing some sort of ISP (Independent Service Project). ISPs can be any community service that isn't related to our current project and we have to have a total of 80 ISP hours by the end of the program. So far some teammates and I have done things like set up, serve, and clean at a benefit dinner and worked at the Salvation Army to help low-income families apply to get Christmas presents for their kids. ISPs are a nice change of pace and a chance for us to get to know our community a bit better. I've really enjoyed the ones we've done so far and am looking forward to planning and doing more.<br />
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I definitely have more to say but as usual I'm running out of energy for writing and will have to pick back up another day.<br />
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As always, thanks for reading!Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03757601700463734063noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9205187926825021814.post-60685238006176296172010-11-13T16:43:00.000-08:002010-11-13T16:44:36.928-08:00We go to Larchmont every day. We go to Larchmont to learn and play!Training is officially over and our first-round project has been underway for the past week and a half. It feels great to finally be out in the field and putting all the things we've been talking about in training into action!<br />
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There are a few teams left on campus but for the most part we said goodbye to friends on other teams who were off to work on projects in places like Portland, rural Utah, and the Mexican border. It was nice not to have to worry about packing and I'm enjoying having access to all of the amenities on campus (some teams are camping and I'm extremely happy to have a bed this round). We won't find out details about our next project until probably early December but we will definitely be traveling somewhere for it.<br />
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For now it's all about Larchmont Elementary School!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1181.snc4/150320_525491250511_135000256_30997658_6955287_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1181.snc4/150320_525491250511_135000256_30997658_6955287_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Silver 3 on our first day of school!<br />
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We spent Thursday and Friday of last week getting to know the school and students by visiting classrooms and introducing ourselves. Some teachers asked us to observe or help out with things right away but for the most part we wandered around and received a lot of attention from the kids. Larchmont has had NCCC teams for the past few years so the students are familiar with the program and what to expect from us. We were greeted with cheers of "Americorps is here!" and lots of hugs.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs489.ash2/76217_10100160859173807_8644586_59728330_2432604_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs489.ash2/76217_10100160859173807_8644586_59728330_2432604_n.jpg" width="240" /></a> </div>Hugs from students on the first day... they mobbed us!<br />
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The first few days were kind of chaotic and we were definitely a distraction to the kids but it was also a lot of fun to see how excited they are to have us there. The principal and teachers are all very welcoming and excited to have us as well. <br />
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This week we've had a more regular schedule and are assigned to specific classrooms to help out during the day. I'm with a 4th/5th split class first thing in the morning while they're getting ready for the day and doing independent reading and journal writing. The teacher works will small groups and I walk around to have them tell me about what they're doing and sometimes read a few pages out loud. It's encouraging to see how excited so many of them are about reading and brings back memories from my own book filled childhood. The classroom is well organized and the teacher does a great job of teaching two grades at once considering how difficult it must be. I don't always feel very useful in that class but it's a nice way to start the day and a chance to get to know students one-on-one. The most interesting class I work with are 3rd/4th grade special ed students. There are only about 10 students in the class and there are huge differences in their individual abilities. I come in while they do math groups and usually lead a small group while the teacher and aid work with the others. Some students are working on multiplication while others are working on number recognition which means I really have to tailor the way I explain things depending on where they're at. The teacher is pretty amazing at keeping students on task while making the classroom a fun and nurturing place. In the afternoon I'm with a 3rd grade class then a 2nd grade class. It's making me realize that I enjoy working with older students a bit more but the younger kids keep me on my toes. In these classes I mostly try to keep the kids focused and work with students who are struggling to keep up. The teachers definitely have their hands full and seem glad to have me there to pitch in where needed. After school we work with students on their homework and get the chance to get to know them a little better. A lot of them have rough home situations and you can tell they really like the positive attention we give them. Overall the days are exhausting and sometimes frustrating but I think we have the ability to have a positive impact during this project<br />
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I could write forever about Larchmont but will save some things for my next entry. I'm renewing my blogging efforts and will try to update more often so it's not so overwhelming to have to write about everything at once.<br />
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Until later, thanks for reading!Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03757601700463734063noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9205187926825021814.post-20348501507195633502010-11-01T10:45:00.000-07:002010-11-01T10:47:07.406-07:00"If this isn't nice, I don't know what is"Written 10/26/10<br />
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Here's another entry started after morning PT before my "real" day starts and posted later.<br />
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I'm actually really enjoying getting up so early, working out, then being ready for my day by 7am. Being active in the morning just kickstarts everything and as much as I shudder about going out in the cold and having to sit on wet grass for stretching, I'm glad this program includes so much structured physical activity. I'll probably think differently when it starts getting really cold or I have a project somewhere freezing but for now I'll stick with the positive sentiments.<br />
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Speaking of positive sentiments, lots of great things have been happening over the past week. Sometimes it's easier for me to organize my thoughts by writing lists so that's what I'll do here:<br />
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- Camp Mendocino was everything I was hoping it would be. The redwood forest was beautiful and I really enjoyed being away from it all for a few days without technology or a whole lot of responsibility. There was plenty of time spent relaxing and playing volleyball and ultimate frisbee but we also packed a lot of structured things in. We did a full day service project doing maintenance for the camp and my team got to do things like split wood, dispose of old paint, sort metal, and move giant tractor tires. It was fun to do such a variety of things and it was great to see how well the team could work together. I also really enjoyed using the wood splitter to cut massive pieces of redwood and flexing my muscles a little. It was our first time doing actual physical work since getting here and it was so satisfying to finally feel like we were getting things done. We also did a lot of team bonding activities including the ropes course. I had a great time on my first ropes course and especially enjoyed the zip line through the forest and over the river at the end. At night we had some camp fires and games with other teams and on the last night we did skits which was pretty entertaining. The kids from the San Francisco Boys and Girls Club must love going to Mendocino during the summer and I'm glad we were able to pitch in to keep things nice for them while we were there. And now some photos!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs918.snc4/73145_1293417295990_1247010297_31237268_4534027_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs918.snc4/73145_1293417295990_1247010297_31237268_4534027_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Beautiful forest<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs928.snc4/74128_1293417896005_1247010297_31237271_7101641_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs928.snc4/74128_1293417896005_1247010297_31237271_7101641_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> Open air cabin I stayed in... it got so cold!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs792.snc4/67287_10100152223280207_8644586_59483326_2810233_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs792.snc4/67287_10100152223280207_8644586_59483326_2810233_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Splitting wood<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs926.snc4/73905_10100152223819127_8644586_59483333_1603934_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs926.snc4/73905_10100152223819127_8644586_59483333_1603934_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Disposing of paint wearing our nifty coveralls<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs399.ash2/67781_524975044991_135000256_30984545_3743095_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs399.ash2/67781_524975044991_135000256_30984545_3743095_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Dominating at the 4-legged race!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs838.snc4/69844_524974965151_135000256_30984539_720693_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs838.snc4/69844_524974965151_135000256_30984539_720693_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> My team on our last day at camp... a little worse for the wear but we made it!<br />
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- Getting to know my team at Mendocino erased a lot of the doubts I initially had about them. It was amazing to see how well we worked together during the service project and we were also able to have a lot of fun through it all. We have some differences but are all generally on the same wavelength about most things which I didn't expect to have happen. I'm hoping the good vibes continue throughout the year because right now things are going really well.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs096.snc4/36161_525140852711_135000256_30988926_7392358_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs096.snc4/36161_525140852711_135000256_30988926_7392358_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>My team (Silver 3) in downtown Sacramento during a Scavenger hunt<br />
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- The most exciting thing is... we found out our first project! My team is staying in Sacramento for the first round and will be at an elementary school that's only about 5 minutes away from campus. I had mixed feelings about not traveling yet but it will be nice to have the stability of being here and not having to deal with difficult housing situations quite yet. Ending training and starting our first project is already a big change without also having to pack to go somewhere completely different. Most teams will have a project in Sacramento this year and I think first round is a good time to have it. It will also give me the chance to get to know the area better and connect with the community. The school we'll be at has it's share of problems but also has a committed principal and engaged parents, which makes a huge difference. We will be working in the classrooms as aids as well as tutoring one-on-one and running recess and after-school programs. With the budget issues in California schools have had to let a lot of their non-teaching staff go which is why we're especially needed to supplement what the teachers do. I'm very excited to be working with kids and think this project will be a great start to the year.<br />
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Today we're doing tool training where we'll learn how to use tools common on construction projects. We also have several other trainings about working with project sponsors and stress management. The rest of the week is also full of training sessions. After the excitement of last week having to sit in a classroom all day might be difficult but I'm also really interested in some of the topics coming up.Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03757601700463734063noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9205187926825021814.post-17660617061755749472010-10-18T22:49:00.000-07:002010-10-18T22:49:03.728-07:00Who are we? Silver 3!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">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.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">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.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">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.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">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. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">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!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Laura</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">P.S If you're reading this please comment! Just want to know who's out there...</span></div>Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03757601700463734063noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9205187926825021814.post-88499296711654652662010-10-13T00:49:00.000-07:002013-06-02T21:15:08.454-07:00Who knew 5 days could feel like 5 weeks...So much has happened since my first post I almost don't know where to start!<br />
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Getting here on Thursday was a little bit overwhelming but since then I've really started to feel comfortable and more at home. <br />
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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. <br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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!<br />
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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).<br />
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For now please don't hesitate to send me mail! I feel a little disconnected from home so anything would be so appreciated.<br />
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My address here is:<br />
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Until later,<br />
LauraLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03757601700463734063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9205187926825021814.post-11285215686015054112010-10-08T22:49:00.000-07:002010-10-08T22:55:01.742-07:00I'm Blogging!*Note: I wrote this yesterday morning and a ton has changed since then but I wanted to post it anyway<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">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.</div><div class="MsoNormal">For those of you who don't know, I'm headed to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Sacramento</st1:place></st1:city> 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 - <a href="http://www.americorps.gov/about/programs/nccc.asp">Americorps NCCC</a>)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><blockquote><div class="MsoNormal">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. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">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. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Members live on one of five campuses, located in <st1:city w:st="on">Denver</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">Colo.</st1:state>; <st1:city w:st="on">Sacramento</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">Calif.</st1:state>; Perry Point, Md.; <st1:city w:st="on">Vinton</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">Iowa</st1:state>; and <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Vicksburg</st1:place></st1:city>, Miss. Members receive training in CPR, first aid, leadership, team building, and disaster services, in addition to many other topics throughout the year. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">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 <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">America</st1:place></st1:country-region>), AmeriCorps NCCC, and AmeriCorps State & National.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">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.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">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.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I've already experienced my first challenge of leaving <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Chicago</st1:place></st1:city>, 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 <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Ann Arbor</st1:place></st1:city> 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.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">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.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Before I head off for my first adventure of flying to <st1:city w:st="on">Sacramento</st1:city> by way off <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Phoenix</st1:place></st1:city> I'll leave you with the NCCC Mission Statement and AmeriCorps Pledge:</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><st1:place w:st="on">Mission</st1:place> Statement</div><div class="MsoNormal">The mission of AmeriCorps NCCC is to strengthen </div><div class="MsoNormal">communities and develop leaders through team-based </div><div class="MsoNormal">national and community service. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Pledge</div><div class="MsoNormal">I will get things done for <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">America</st1:place></st1:country-region>, to make our people safer, </div><div class="MsoNormal">smarter, and healthier. </div><div class="MsoNormal">I will bring Americans together to strengthen our </div><div class="MsoNormal">communities. </div><div class="MsoNormal">Faced with apathy, I will take action. </div><div class="MsoNormal">Faced with conflict, I will seek common ground. </div><div class="MsoNormal">Faced with adversity, I will persevere. </div><div class="MsoNormal">I will carry this commitment with me this year and beyond. </div><div class="MsoNormal">I am an AmeriCorps member, and I will get things done.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Thanks for reading!</div><div class="MsoNormal">Laura</div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><i><span style="font-family: TrebuchetMS-Italic; font-size: 7pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03757601700463734063noreply@blogger.com1