Life in the Corps: Corps Training Institute (CTI) Continued.

Everything seems to be happening very fast. The Team Leaders who were in American Samoa working on a tsunami relief project with the American Red Cross finally came back. They have been there since before the corps members got here, and it’s good to have them finally here and see all of Class XVI together. They came back on Friday. Last night we were split into our units and today we were spent into teams and on Wednesday we’re off to Camp Mendocino. It’s a camp run by the Boys and Girls Club, where we will do team building exercises as well as work on projects to maintain and fix the camp. I’m pretty excited to finally know who is on my team for the next 9 ½ months.

There are four Units Gold, Green, Silver and Blue. Each unit has 7 teams, and I am on Blue 4. I have mixed emotions because of course I would’ve rather hand pick my team, but I’m happy to meet people that I haven’t seen before today. I also lucked out and was put on a team with one of the guys I met from day one. My team as a whole seems pretty great, and individually I feel that I will be able to connect with everyone on some level or another. I can for see the inevitable bad, but I can also for see the inevitable good. I do happen to be older than my Team Leader, which is a little awkward for me although she is younger than a good majority of our team. She seems pretty nice, and hopefully will warm up as she gets to know us all better. All in all everyone seems, excited about going on projects and finally get out and do what we came out here for.

It will be good to come back and be able to share stories with the people I met during my first 2 weeks of CTI. The past couple of days have been pretty crazy. I completed Disaster Relief training, which unfortunately one of the only positive things I can say about it is that I’m happy to have completed it. I also am recertified for First Aid/CPR and AED. I really like the American Red Cross as a whole, they do really great work for the communities they serve and I’m happy to be able to have a chance to work with them.

My favorite day this past week was probably Saturday because we spent the morning at the Sacramento Theatre and we listened to a panel that discussed homelessness. It was really interesting; I didn’t know that the mayor of Sacramento, former NBA basketball star, Kevin Johnson had such cool initiatives for his city. His top three issues in no particular order are eliminating/reducing homelessness, emphasis on the arts, and volunteerism. He took a picture with all 300 of us. You can probably find it online somewhere but I have yet to look for it. I was in the way back so you probably can’t even see me. The panel was really awesome, we heard about different aspects of homelessness; there was a guy who told us the story of how he turned his life around. The whole panel was pretty inspiring and it was such a good start, because we went straight from there to our project.

My pod, or temporary team harvested, Apples, walnuts, persimmons and plums from an abandoned orchard that is about to be turned into a levee. It was really cool because they let us pick trees, and we also harvested like no one’s ever seen before. We were allowed to destroy the trees. That must sound awful, but they’re going to destroy the orchard anyway. The great part was we got so much more fruit than we would’ve been able to normally. We were also allowed to try out the fruit we picked which was a lot of fun. Aside from my intense fear of getting poison oak, the day went really well. We worked with Soil Born farms which is a non profit that focuses on ensuring people have access to more fruit, and also educates people in the area on environmental concerns. I am hoping to go back and do an Independent Service Project with them, and a couple more of the organizations I learned about that day.

Sunday was pretty chill, I hung around campus with my new found friends and picked up a sweet speakers for my iPod for five dollars from Target. Then Sunday night, I went for a final dinner with my pod, which was separated shortly after into units. I liked the people from my Pod but I am happy to have the chance to work with different people for the rest of my time here.

Monday was a day of diversity training, which was led by some former NCCC members who were pretty awesome. They really seemed to know what they were talking about it, and did their best to make seven hours of training seem like fun. I also found out today that because of the type of work and projects we do, that I will be able to add some college credits to my degree, even if they are Post-Baccalaureate credits. Diversity training is something nice to have on a resume.

I’m looking forward to Camp Mendocino on Wednesday, but unfortunately I won’t have anyway to contact the outside world until after I return on Saturday. Well, it’s 11pm here and sunny California and I have PT in 6 hours so I’m off to bed. Night world.

Corps Training Institute CTI Part One

Since Wednesday, I have received my uniforms and the majority of my gear for the next ten months, and I’m excited to get started. I don’t know when or where my first spike will be, I don’t even know who will be on my team. We haven’t done very much in the first couple of days, mostly because we can’t really get started until we finish our physicals, and complete Baseline. Baseline is where they measure how fast you can run a mile and half, how many sit ups and pushups you can do in two minutes and how far you can reach in a sit and reach box. Luckily we’re allowed to do modified pushups, I can do a lot more modified pushups then I can regular pushups.

I have met so many different people, and kind of settled into a group that I spend most of my time hanging out with, I still bounce around from group to group. I like knowing that there are about 264 different people that I can hang out with. Everyone here is different, but we all have at least one thing in common. So it’s not hard to start conversations. For the most part I’ve never had trouble making friends; I’ve always been pretty outgoing. I am really excited about getting to work side by side with some of these people, but I know that I won’t get to hand pick who’s on my team.

I feel like I don’t have much to talk about, and I think that’s because so much has happened and I’m still processing it. My Pod, temporary team, had our first Project day, my team cleaned up a land park, we raked a pathway laid new composite gravel, pulled weeds, laid mulch, and cleared up some fallen limbs from the storm they just had. It was pretty fun getting our hands dirty, and I was happy that they had us jump right into the community. Our next project is either Friday or Saturday but I can’t say for sure. I don’t know what we’ll be doing but I’m excited to start.

About 6 of us from went to the grocery store to shop for two Pods, which is about 25 people, we bought over $400 dollars worth of groceries to last us a little over 3 days. I didn’t realize how much food it took to feed 25 people. There were other Pods shopping as well, so I’m sure WinCo was happy about the $2000 dollars it made in a little over an hour. They must love our business.

Last night me and another girl from my pod cooked for 25 people. We made stuffed bell peppers, and mashed potatoes, and better than sex cake. She was in charge of the better than sex cake, while I focused on the stuffed peppers. We had a few other girls come help us with chopping and prepping. I was pretty happy with them, although I do wish I would have added more flavors to the rice, but everyone seemed pretty happy with them in the end. Even the people who don’t like peppers at least liked the insides. We definitely cooked way more than we needed to. We’ll have leftovers for like a week.

Today my POD, minus a few, is going to Sacramento. Some have to stay behind for the Pack test. I didn’t want to be on the Fuel Reduction Team. As much fun as trail clearing, and lighting fires sounds, it’s not my thing. They light small fires to help reduce larger fires. There’s a name for it but I can’t tell you what it is. So on the pack test they have to walk 3 miles in 45 minutes with 45 pounds of weight on their back. Although I think I could do it, I don’t really want to try. So luckily I have a day off.

Wireless Unconnected

The wireless isn't working on my computer, so I have to find my Flash drive before I can post anything new. I just wrote an entry, but I thought I'd let you know I'm still alive, and as soon as I either find wireless or my flash drive I'll post pictures and an entry. Today I'm going to Sacramento, so I'm hoping to have some more exciting stuff to talk about. Lame post, I know. Sorry.

I have 24 minutes til Muster!

Muster is when our team meets up.

I checked in On Wednesday at the Sacramento campus. It was pretty cool getting to meet everyone. Overall everyone I've met have been really nice, and so very different. It's such an amalgamation of so many different personalities and types. I can see that there will be difficulties working together. But there will also be some amazing experiences to come. There are over 300 people on this campus, so it's hard to meet everyone. But I feel like I've made a lot of friends already. Mostly the days are long and boring, a lot of meetings, and a lot of waiting around. Although between meetings and at the end of the day it's a lot of fun. It's just hard to be really excited about paperwork, and rules and regulations. I don't mind filling it out because I know it's moving us closer to actually doing hands on work.

Today is our first Service project we're going to work on some community gardens in the Sacramento area. I'm really excited, I've never been a fan of gardening so I think this is great first project for me. I'm hoping to learn and get to meet some really great people from the area. I didn't realize how much the people that know about Americorps, love Americorps. The first night here a group of us went to the local bar, and as soon as we walked through the door the locals cheered for us. It makes you feel like a celebrity. I'm so excited to see the impact we have in the communities on the West Coast.

We aren't in our official teams yet, that's not until after they pick the Fuel Reduction Teams (FRT). I thought about doing the pack test for fun, but I really don't want to be on an FRT because it limits my chance of doing a variety of different projects. I respect the work that the FRT's do because it's very important and I'd love to be able to camp out for weeks at a time, but I'm pretty content not knowing what I'll be doing in the next week, month or even year. It's cool to finally live in the now and be forced to live in the now. Especially since I'm such a planner.

Although, I am excited to see what team I'm on and who I'm grouped with. I'm hoping to get at least one other person that I already know, but with a group this large and only 40 FRT members there is a good chance I won't know anybody on my team. Regardless of what team I'm on, I'm sure that I'll make friends. I'm pretty happy go lucky and can make friends easily, even though I usually stick out in the group as the loud absurd one.

On another note I was encouraged to take pictures, so I'm so happy about that. I was worried they would tell me that I needed to focus on the project, and if they would consider taking pictures slacking off. So I hope to post those in later today. I'm typing this up on the lab computer so I won't be able to update until later tonight. I'm hoping to type up a better reflection of the last few days as well. I feel like it's important to keep a record of what happened throughout this experience.

I do have a feeling that I won't be able to post regularly. I've been trying to keep up with people in the outside world, but every time I get a phone call it's harder to answer it, because I like being able to enjoy every minute of this experience. Although I do miss my friends and family, but if I don't call you guys, it's not because I don't miss you it's because I really want to savor what I have now, and I hope that you will be patient with me.

Anyway, I'm off to do some service. I have ten minutes left, but I'm gonna go make some phone calls.

See ya next time,
Sara

Zipping down the Crooked Street, in the Rain

Every trip has a bad day. It’s bound to happen, you have to have a best day and a day that doesn’t live up to the best day; unless you go on a day trip, but in that case you just compare it to past day trips. Well, today was that day. My friend had to leave early in the morning to get back to school. Which meant I had to say goodbye, even in my groggy four am haze I was sad to see her go. It’s hard to imagine that after four years of having her around all the time now she’s on the opposite side of the country. So my day of course went from sad to worst.

My mom always in a hurry, to get a move on, she woke us up as early as possible. Understandably, we did have to move the car, but San Francisco decided to change its cool breeze to cold wet, wind-whipping weather. We drove through the rain my mom urging us to find something to do, and even though there was plenty we missed out on, it was hard to want to do anything in the dreary rainstorm. My brother drove to Lombardi street and we trolled slowly down the crooked street, which wasn’t as much fun as I had imagined it would be. Perhaps, if my mom had been behind the wheel, her blood pressure would have made her face turn purple as she agonized over every turn. That would have at least been slightly entertaining. So I snapped photos out the window and my family commented on the number of images I captured. It seems as though every bit of today was irritating.

We had to pick up some last minute supplies, during which I felt like I was bothering my brother. How irritating it must be to stand around while your little sister picks out long johns, mess kits and power cords. Thankfully, he didn’t complain about the annoying stops and just kind of went with the flow. Then we went to wine country, another point of interest he didn’t want to be a part of. It was cool to participate in a wine tasting, but I feel like the murkiness of the day, kind of made me feel like it wasn’t worth it. It was hard to enjoy the rolling hills covered in rows upon rows of grapes when the dark clouds loomed over us and the rain beat steadily against our windshield.

Sonoma is a quiet little town with kitch shops filled with overpriced merchandise and interesting wares. If it weren’t grey and wet out I might have even enjoyed poking in the stores playing with things that I’d never buy. We did find the Cheese Factory and purchased cheese and crackers to go with our wine tasting, but my cheese threshold is always smaller when I ride in cars. So I slept from Sonoma to Sacramento, where I had to say goodbye to my family. My mom cried, my brother gave me a hug and said “glad you got to see me” as per usual. Then they were off, and I was left alone to ponder what the next ten months of my life would be like. All in all the general attitude of today was just overwhelmingly sad.

I think perhaps, I was sad that I had to say goodbye to them, or perhaps that I am so anxious about tomorrow, I just wanted to get closer to campus so that it would all feel real. I have 8 hours before I check-in and somewhere in my head I still feel like this is all just a cruel joke. Like I’ll get there and they will turn me away, or Ashton Kutcher pops out laughing yelling “you’ve been PUNKED!” I don’t know why even after collecting all my documents, talking to my POD leader, and flying all the way out here, I still have some lingering doubt, but I do. As time progresses, I will get more and more used to the idea that yes this is real, and yes I am this fortunate. I also know that I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for certain people who have helped me along the way by either encouraging/reminding/urging me to finish the application, or writing my recommendation letter, or by just being there while I agonized over the whole process. So if I haven’t said it already. To those people, thank you.

Riding Through Bay Side

Day 2 in San Francisco we rented bikes and rode 9 miles or more to Sausalito. I huffed and puffed up the hills, usually having to get off half way up. I’m originally from the flat lands of Florida where anything above sea level makes my ears pop. The ride was refreshing though, we pointed at houses we’d love to own, someday. Took many a pictures of the skyline and dinged our bells as we passed pedestrians on the sidewalk. In San Francisco, and probably any city, you’re supposed to ride your bike on the street. I don’t trust cars, or myself for that matter so it has always been one of those rules that I’ve ignored, until a local told us off and we ended up spending the rest of the day in bike lanes. It was breathtaking to finally see the Bridge. It really is a marvelous piece of architecture, although it didn’t do anything to change my fear of heights or crossing bridges. I freaked out half way across when my brother came up behind me and started dinging his bell at me. Every time I looked over I’d hyperventilate. Like I said, I’m a flatlander, and Golden Gate is way above Sea Level for me. Some how I managed to make it all the way across and then I screamed all the way down the rolling hills into Sausalito. Pedestrians gawked, jumped in surprise, and chuckled to themselves as I passed them by.

Sausalito was a beautiful seaside town. As much as I hate the ocean I love seaside towns. Boston is my favorite city, I love the way it smells, tastes, looks and the way it makes me feel inside. I’ve never felt more at home then when I’m in Boston Commons spinning in circles with my arms wide open. I feel such a deep connection with that place that I’ve been bound to like anything that reminds me of it. With its sailboats and yachts tied off in the marina and the cool sea breeze gently waving by I very much enjoyed wandering through this quaint town. After we caught up to my mom who had zipped ahead trying to see as many of the shops as she could before we had to go back to San Francisco, we caught the Ferry across. Again, I have to say that Golden Gate is just a beautiful piece of architecture that adds nicely to the cityscape of the Bay. However when we got off the boat, I realized that I had some how lost my tickets in the twenty minutes of getting on to the ferry, and had to buy a new ticket. Looking back now I think I must have thrown it away, not understanding that you show your ticket at the end, not the beginning. I was aggravated and in a rush to get to Alcatraz but I begrudgingly paid for my mistake and we went on our way. And we rushed on, speeding through the Wharf trying to get to the bike shop, and then speed walking all the way to Pier 33 for our Alcatraz tour.

Alcatraz is one of those things that everyone says you have to see while you’re here. I don’t know if I could say the same. I think if you like history, old buildings, and typical museums, check it out. If that’s not your cup of tea don’t waste your time or money, as there is so much else to do. Overall, I’m happy I did it, but I don’t think I’d go back. It could have been that I was already miffed about looking like a dope in front of my family for losing my ticket.

In their eyes I’ve never been the put together one, they always seem so surprised when I come prepared to something. To the rest of the world, I may say crazy things but I generally have everything together. When I was a stage manager, people would come to me first because I always had a first aid kit, tools, or decent impromptu quick fix ideas. It’s kind of funny the stark contrast of the way my family views me to the way the rest of the world views me. Even if in general it makes me feel like the uninformed, useless one of the group amongst the people I’m related too.

After Alcatraz we walked a mile and half to this Restaurant called Chaya, deliciously expensive restaurant that happens to have a sushi happy hour. I’m sure it had other food but we stuck mostly with Sushi, which I didn’t regret. I had been craving San Francisco Sushi since before we arrived on the other side of the country. The Red Dragon Roll was delicious and the spicy tuna roll tasted like spicy tuna. After dinner we were lost as to what to do. Since my mom didn’t want to deal with car rentals in the morning and the group was having trouble once again on making decisions we hopped in a cab. I chatted up the cab driver while the backseat gossiped among themselves. My mom threw comments up my way. “Sara, do you just talk to everyone?” then to my friend “Is she always this friendly,” “She will just talk to anyone won’t she?” And on it went. I hate uncomfortable silence and when faced with having to sit in a cab with a man I’ve never met before, I’d rather make idle conversation then sit by quietly waiting impatiently to hop out of the car because of my discomfort.

My new Nigerian friend told us about how he loves this city and it’s nicer than Africa, that there was always something to do. Among the people I’ve polled on this trip, it seems that people in San Francisco are much happier with their city than those I’ve polled back east. He scammed a few more dollars out of my mom claiming to be confused as to where to go to rent a car. My mom rented the car for $150 more than she should have paid, and we drove back of course getting lost along the way. Finally back at the hotel, we ran into the sweet china man who had slipped information about the Peace Corps under my door. He didn’t understand the difference between Americorps and Peace corps, but it’s cool to see the impact that organization had on his life in his younger years. It makes me proud of what I’m about to do.

Dungeness Crabs are delicious, if not smelly.

San Francisco, is an amazing City, it’s now in my top five places I’d like to end up. I love places where there is no possible way to see everything in just one weekend. Although, we didn’t see everything we did see a lot. On our first full day we bought some Kara’s Cupcakes, delicious, although mine are way better. Yeah, I said it. We then hit up the cable cars and rode them from Fisherman’s Wharf to Lombardi Street; the view from the crooked street is so gorgeous. The city is gorgeous from wherever you view it, but probably one of my favorite picture spots. I love the way San Francisco is laid out it’s such a change from the straight rows and cookie cutter houses of Florida’s subdivision communities. Although we couldn’t drive down Lombardi Street until later, we did enjoy watching the cars trying to maneuver the wicked curves. I would never want to live on that street, especially with my driving record. We hiked up the steep hill and hopped back on the cable car to Chinatown.

Overpriced and hokey, Chinatown was filled with many an angry Asian. Maybe they’re irritated by all of the tourists or unhappy about the poorly decorated streets, or they just don’t like it when people take pictures. We wandered the streets until we found the Fortune Cookie Factory, which was quaint, but unfortunately took away the mystery of how they get the little cookies into such an odd shape. I have to say that fortune cookies taste better hot. Hungry, and not satisfied by our china crackers we went in search for some local cuisine. Luckily, there were some nice ladies handing out coupons for lunch and so on my suggested we headed for the specials. Unfortunately, it was probably the most overpriced restaurant in all of Chinatown. The service was awful, but we entertained ourselves with conversation and discussions of what to do next. We decided that we’d look at a few more stores and try and find the front gates. On our way we stopped in a store filled from top to bottom with Asian themed souvenirs, including animal hats. We decided to take pictures and were ushered out of the store due to a ridiculous no picture policy. After some encouragement by my bro, I decided it would only be appropriate for me to go back and take a picture of the shopkeeper with a bad attitude. He flicked me off, we chuckled and made our way to the gates. I have to say that all in all Chinatown is my second least favorite part of San Francisco, after Haight-Ashbury.

Here is the shopkeeper that flicked me off

I think I expected too much out of the artsy-hippie side of town. I thought that the place where the free love movement was started, and home to many famous 60’s personas would be the best part of this crazy city. Unfortunately, head shops aren’t any fun if you’re not going to partake in illegal substances. I mean they had really pretty looking pipes, but the smell of pot, incense and week old body odor made my stomach churn. This dirty grungy part of San Francisco was not appealing. It’s filled with bums and stoners and the two of them combined is the second most foul smell I’ve ever encountered, second only to the Tazo Wild Orange Tea at Starbucks. We wandered up and down Haight trying to find something interesting, but once you’ve seen one head shop you’ve seen them all. I never got into tie-dye and peace signs, and my brother was more than happy to get out of there. So we headed toward what we thought was going to be beautiful Golden Gate Park, and although it was Golden Gate Park, it was filled with drum circles, homeless people talking to themselves and the distinct smell of weed. We had imagined this park with beautiful flowers and an unforgettable view of the famous bridge. We learned later that we were at the wrong end of the park, but after walking several miles we decided it was best to find a view of the city.

My mom suggested the Fairmont, which she heard from a friend that from the top it was the best view of the city San Francisco had to offer, and I’m sure if we were allowed to the top it would have been. When we sat in the pirate style Tonga room down below drinking overpriced cocktails she revealed to us that her friend was a resident of San Francisco 10 years ago. In that 10 years the Fairmont decided that it would rather host private parties than cheap tourists trying to find a good view. In the end, I didn’t mind trading an awesome view of the city for a deliciously overpriced scorpion bowl, and a bar filled with all things pirate. After $50 worth of drinks (4 drinks in total, and no not per person), we headed for dinner at Cioppino’s at Fisherman’s Wharf.

This place had some delicious seafood, my mom and I ordered the signature dish which was a soup filled with Dungeness crab, muscles, scallops, fish and all the other delicious creatures of the ocean. Filled with Seafood and warmed by locally brewed beer we headed to a Martini bar near our hotel and scoped out some men for my mom. She was too shy to really talk to anyone, but my friend and I made friends with an Irishman named Patrick, not spelled Padraig, just in case you were wondering. Still shifted from the time zone difference we headed back to the hotel for sleep, and sweetly dreamed of the busy day ahead.

Wandering Through the Wharf

We woke up early today to fly to San Francisco, traveling with my family has always been an adventure. We are three very different people. My brother is the smart, sane constant one. While my mother, the worrywart has to know anything and everything. Then there’s me. The very loud, rarely politically correct and socially appropriate one. Don’t get me wrong, when it’s necessary I can tone down my personality and keep it G for the kids. It’s just that when I’m on vacation I like to throw caution to the wind. Which often gets me in trouble with the worrywart and the always-constant one. So far, this trip has been really great, and there hasn’t been too much chaos.

It could have something to do with being on the other side of the world, so when I get excited or distracted they don’t seem to mind as much. I’m not trying to push my luck, and I’m also toning it down for them, because the last thing I want to do is irritate anyone before they leave me in California. My mom is kind of going crazy though, because we don’t have a plan and she lives for plans. So far this seeing San Francisco without a set plan has been pretty cool. We happened to catch some of the Blue Angel Air show, we took pictures with Darth Vader and friends in Ghirardelli Square, and we wandered through pier 39 and saw a ton of Sea lions (not seals, I've been corrected). They’re adorable, funny and all around freaking cute. As a whole, I really enjoy this city. Although it still hasn’t trumped Boston, my all time favorite city, but it’s a lot of fun and I feel so fortunate that I had the opportunity to take this trip with my family.

The only thing that I can complain about is that San Francisco is a walking city and my pinkie toe is swollen to twice its normal size. I don’t mind the walking; I actually much prefer it because you get to see so much more. I injured my toe last month when I fell out the back door at my mom’s house trying to put the cat out. I really wish I had a better story then that. In the process of tripping outside onto the cool cement porch I ended up busting my knee open and requiring stitches, as well as spraining my toe. I guess I’ll just have to suck it up because PT is going to be a lot more physical than leisurely strolls through the bay area. Other than that everything has been smooth sailing so far.

Although, I’m tired and my stomach is turning because the garlic that is currently residing there. We ate at the Stinking Rose for dinner, it was delicious pretty expensive so if you’re on a tight budget not a recommended splurge. Note to any future San Francisco visitors, while their food is delicious, stay away from the Garlic Wine. It sounds better than it taste if you can imagine that. We called it a night early because all of us have been up since early this morning, and we’re also all east coasters, so the 3 hour time difference is kind of kicking in on us. So pleasant dreams wherever you are.

I found these rocks in one of the souvenir shops, my mom asked me what a cunning linguist was, I said me. Har Har Har just kidding.

And So It Begins

California awaits, it is 11:18pm the night before my flight to San Francisco and I am hanging out in a hotel near the Orlando Airport. It’s hard to believe that this is all really happening. I talked to Patrick today; he is my team leader for the first couple of weeks, until we are placed on our real teams. I told him that I was a fatty and that I was nervous about baseline, and he told me that I could walk the whole thing if I really wanted to. Actually, first he told me that I had to run the mile and a half in under 10 minutes. What a jokester. I’m of course not going to walk the whole thing. I really wish I were in shape enough to try out for the fuel reduction team. Walking three miles in under 45 minutes isn’t a problem. The problem is adding 45 pounds of weight to my body, and then walking that far. Patrick seemed really cool, and from the looks of it everyone seems to have similar desires despite coming from all walks of life. My nerves are starting to be replaced by excitement, but it has put me in this state of annoyance anytime someone brings up potential problems. It could be that, my mom hasn’t stopped asking me questions since last Wednesday, or it could be that every time I think abut these potential hazards on my journey the fear strikes me again.

I am very fortunate to keep having one good thing after another happen for me. It’s been kind of awesome, but I feel like it’s unfair to the people around me. It seems as though every time I hear good news, someone close to me gets horrible news. It’s weird how life works sometimes, but I’m trying to go with the flow. Especially since I will be expected to do that over the next year. We won’t know our first spike project site until about a week or two before we go. Of course they train us before each project but it’s still crazy that over the next year I will be traveling across the west coast and I can’t tell you where I will be. This is a thrilling sense of adventure but it makes it hard to plan, and I am a planner. I think over all this whole experience will be great for me.

The whole purpose of the NCCC is to help communities in need while training leaders. I like the way that the program works two fold. Not only do communities across the country benefit from our efforts but the Corps members benefit from an experience they couldn’t get anywhere else. There will be a lot of training and workshops that I will have to attend and I will also have to take part in presentations with my team after each project. It’s great practice for the work force.

I need to get some sleep seeing as my adventure starts early tomorrow morning. I’m hoping to be able to write often even if I won’t always be able to post right away.

The Americorps Profile Questions, Answered

I had to answer these questions for the Americorps Member Profile, I figured it might help answer some of your questions. Also if you want to know more about what I will be doing click here. If you have any more questions, I'd be happy to answer them. Leave them in comments or send them to sara@sarapens.com, I'm a compulsive email checker, although that should change soon.

How did you hear about the National Civilian Community Corps?

In my last semester of college I was undecided in what to do after graduation. I was taking a class in British Contemporary Theatre and researching Blasted by Sarah Kane. Certain scenes in her play mirrored images of the Bosnian Rape Camps that were happening at the time she penned it. I had found myself in a state of turmoil; I was angry that things like this could happen and I felt helpless that nothing could be done to help. Seeing my sincerity and my strong desire to make the world better, my instructor told me about different programs where I could fulfill my need to help others. After researching a variety of programs the National Civilian Community Corps was the most appealing, so I applied. I’m not sure if my time with Americorps will allow me to change the world, but I do think that this program will help me gain the skills I need to make an impact.

Why did you choose to do a term of National Service?

I applied for the program and the opportunity to help people in need and to get to travel while doing it. I honestly didn’t think about the fact that Americorps was a term of National Service. I am excited that I get to serve my country in some way, but I originally did it for the opportunity to help others, to step out of my comfort zone and push myself to the limit. I think that this program is by far one of the best government sponsored programs, not only does it help communities in need but it also builds leaders while doing it.

What were you doing before you decided to do NCCC?

I was in my last semester of college at Florida State University, when I started the researching and application process. I was also working full time at a Living History Museum, as a receptionist. I spent a couple hours a week volunteering for two local organizations in Tallahassee the Council on Culture and Arts and Big Bend Cares, Tallahassee’s AIDS service organization.

What do you plan to do after you have completed your term of service?

Unfortunately, I don’t know for certain. I am undecided between a few different career paths, including: pursuing a degree in nonprofit management so that I can start a traveling arts education program for under privileged schools, going back to college for a degree in child psychology, or embarking on a career as a high school theatre teacher who happens to write on the side. Fortunately, NCCC gives me ten months to develop skills so that I can either make up my mind or fall in love with something completely different.

California is calling.

I’m in Lake Wales hanging out, biding my time until I hop on a flight to San Francisco, Saturday. I am most fortunate to have a supportive family who is willing to rearrange their schedules to enjoy life with me before I embark on one of the most exciting, yet nerve racking adventures of my life. When my mom found out that I was accepted, after her initial excitement, she decided that she and my brother had to go out to California with me. They needed to scope it out to make sure I’d have a good time. AKA all of us especially my brother and her need something to celebrate right now. I’m excited to get to spend quality time with my family before starting my term of national service. The farthest west I’ve ever been was Las Vegas, and that trip was probably my least favorite. It’s just not my scene. I can’t wait to dip my feet into cool waters of the Pacific, and to be able to say that I’ve seen both coasts of the United States. My sense of adventure is strong, although fear still waivers in and out daily as I contemplate what my life will be like over the next year.

I’ve spent the last few days preparing filling out paperwork, I received my welcome packet yesterday and my mom opened my mail before I could get the chance. “I just had to know everything,” she said. I was disappointed that she would open the packet, but thinking about it, she has often lived vicariously through me. This is something if she had the chance to do she would have done in a heartbeat. So I guess it’s not a big deal, that she opened it. Although, I did make her tape back up my package so I could have the pleasure of opening it. It’s stupid but for me this is a present that life gave me. My mom is so proud of me right now. She made me drive her to work today so she could show off me and my NCCC booklet. I love how supportive she has been throughout the whole process, and I’m so thankful for that. My dad was kind of skeptical but my mom has been balls to wall about the whole thing.

She went with me to get things that I need: toiletries, thick socks, and to look for a dinnerware set, apparently we have to supply our own plates. She also helped me pick out a new camera the Olympus Stylus Tough. It’s shockproof and waterproof. My Cannon decided to break within the hour of me arriving to Lake Wales. It’s kind of cool though because the old one I received as a present right before I went off to London. She has just been a big help, and I don’t know what I would do if she wasn’t so supportive.

Sleep calls, as I have a lot to do tomorrow: go to my banks, pick up last minute items, spend time with friends before moving across the country, etc. We are now entering that phase of limited contact, get use to the less than frequent posting and more than frequent twitter updates: sarapens.

We are approaching lift off.

The days are closing in around me and I’m less than a week away from my first day in NCCC. I can’t wait; I’m nervous and excited, but I don’t mind the mixed feelings. It would be weird if I were completely comfortable with what I’m about to do. Honestly, I’m not. I have my reservations: am I going to make it through training? How much of an issue will it be that I’m not very fast or strong? Will my weaknesses be too big an interference for this program? Is it going to be too stressful for me to handle? Will I ever be ready for this?

Ultimately, I know that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and that if this wasn’t where I was supposed to be right now, I wouldn’t have been allowed in. I am of the mindset that if something is meant to be it will happen, and if it isn’t it’s just not going to work out no matter how hard you try. Don’t be confused, I don’t think life is easy, you have to work for certain opportunities. I did not get handed this opportunity on a silver platter and I’m proud of the work and effort I put into getting here. I also think you shouldn’t give up when the going gets tough, but I do believe if I wasn’t supposed to be in this program, I wouldn’t have been accepted. I’ve never prayed so hard or for so long about a decision in my life before this one. I truly believe that I have God behind me for this next year.

Before I even applied to Americorps, I had researched NCCC pretty thoroughly and I knew that this program would put me out of my comfort zone. That’s what I wanted, a challenge. I want my life to be unpredictable, I want to be forced into flexibility and I want to gain skills I can’t gain anywhere else. I’m so excited for this opportunity, the chance impact the lives of others, and to really help communities in need. I know that I have a tough road ahead but with all that I have been through in my life, and in my own head, this is something that I will ultimately be successful at.

Apparently, This is NOT a Joke

I called Americorps again on Friday, and the guy on the phone remembered me from my phone call on Thursday. He kind of laughed when I asked to talk to the NCCC office to confirm that I am in fact going to Sacramento. The lady from the NCCC office seemed kind of aggravated, like she should probably be dealing with someone with a more serious issue. However, my issue is serious. I’m about to give up a job offer, albeit a job I don’t want, to move across the country, okay so I’ve been wanting to get out of my dad’s house since I got there, to participate in a program which I applied to 6 months ago. I just want to make sure it’s real; that this isn’t some kind of cruel joke. Apparently, it’s not a joke and Fed Ex is going to be delivering my packet to my mom’s house by Wednesday. This is amazing. I’m waiting for the complete shock to wash over me, to be free of it, but it seems that it’s not going away any time soon. I will probably be in this state of disbelief until I get to Sacramento and they give me my uniform.

I’m anxious, excited and nervous about all the possibilities that lie ahead of me. I’ve packed up my clothes and the basic necessities from my dad’s house and I am leaving for Lake Wales, in the morning to go spend time with my mom. My mom is one of the most important people in my life. I’m excited that I actually get to spend time with her, even though the drama from our family never seems to stop, it will be good to be able to spend time with just her. We have gone through a lot this past year, and its great that good news has once again entered our lives. This next week, I will be spending time getting my affairs in order as well as hopefully, spending time with some friends.

My mom, my brother and I will be leaving for San Francisco on Saturday for a family vacation. We haven’t had one of those in a while, so it will be great to just get to hang out together and enjoy the sites. I’m excited about the grand adventure ahead, and hopefully regaining my ability to focus, as it seems to be lost on me at the moment. Here’s to adventure.

Sometimes, Life Hands You Deliciously Sweet Lemonade

I am in a state of shock, and awe. I’m anxious, excited and nervous about the possibilities that are going to arise out of the next year of my life. For the first time since I’ve arrived in Podunk, I feel alive. I received an email last night saying that I had been accepted to a program that I applied to in March. I didn’t think that they would actually accept me, so I had moved on. I started applying for jobs and tried to settle in Podunk, but it looks as though my life in Podunk isn’t going to be in Podunk anymore. I’m going to be in California, in 13 days. Less than that, even.

I’ve been accepted into the Americorps NCCC program’s Pacific Campus in Sacramento. I will be spending the next month of my life training for the 9 months of service that follow. I will be building houses, tutoring children, clearing trails, feeding the hungry and so much more. Not only that but I will be traveling throughout the West Coast to different communities to help with projects. It is the opportunity of a lifetime and even though I’m going to be up to my ears in debt after I get out, I’m going to grab this thing by the horns and embrace it. Of course I’m going to have to record my adventures and I plan to do so here. So I will be deleting a few of these entries to make this blog friendly for everyone.

I’m still waiting on my welcome packet and I have a lot of to do before I can even set foot on the plane. I have to find all of my paperwork. Get my bills in order and pack for 4 seasons. After I start my service, I won’t be able to update as frequently, but I want to document as much of my journey as I can. This is my chance to give back to the world, and I look forward to every second. Wish me luck as I embark on this grand adventure.