Just in case you were curious:

No matter how many times you move, it's always a very difficult process. I've moved almost 20 times in the last five years. Five Cross Country Moves (Two to the north east and then of course to California and Back). I've even moved out of the country. I am not much better at moving now than I was when I first started. However, I am much better at packing and identifying junk vs necessities. (This isn't to say that I always throw the junk away, but over time I've eliminated more and more junk before each move).

Anyway, on this last move I packed the Fit, which my brother lovingly calls the Pocket Rocket, to the brim. Every inch of my car was filled to the brim with stuff. Here are the stats from my move:

Miles traveled - 1,047
Friends visited along the way -5
Amount spent in Gas - $80(ish)
Amount spent in Tolls - $29.70
Amount spent for road food - $127 (ish) - I should've stuck to the fifteen dollar a day budget for food.
Amount spent moving into a new apartment - $488(deposit)+$525(first month)
Amount spent on new furniture - 1,200+ (My mom picked up that tab thankfully, happy birthday and Merry Christmas to me).

Here are some tips that I came up with while I drove all that way by myself.
Before you move:
    
Make sure you have enough money for housing, changing your plates, id and insurance.
Also for gas and food duh.
Get rid of stuff you don't need, Sell it also sell anything that you can buy cheap or close to cheap because it will save you space to bring the more irreplaceable things.
Plan your trip (try and see friends and such)
Investigate your new city on the internet figure out where the places to go are, find volunteer groups, etc.
It helps to join Meetup.com for your new city before you go so you can have things to do when
you get there.
Network the heck out of your area, talk to your friends, tell everyone you know where you'removing (unless you're trying to get away from them of course). They probably know someone who knows someone or visited there once or can give you some kind of tip. You'll be surprised
by some of the connections you have, especially with all of the social networking.
If you're looking to moving up to the Northeast check out the EZpass system for your new state, it's sometimes better to order it before you go. It will save you time especially on the New Jersey Turnpike and traveling through NYC.
Make a good RoadTrip Playlist, or get books on tape especially if you drive by yourself. Otherwise you may end up talking to yourself for 12 hours.
Obviously, make sure your vehicle is safe for travel (enough air pressure, oil changed, good brakes, etc).

During your trip:
Make sure whatever you need for travel is easily accessible, pack snacks before you go (steal them from your parents if you're able, you'll save time and money).
Stay Hydrated and try to eat as healthy as you can (road food is so bad for you).
Lock your vehicle.
Stay with friends (this is a double bonus, you get to see friends and you don't have to pay for hotels).
Plan your stops, it will save you time, and it may help to avoid traffic.
DO NOT TRAVEL THROUGH NYC if you can help it. I've made this mistake several times it's taken me as long as an hour and a half to get from one side of the city to the other (on the interstate). The George Washington Bridge is awful. My friend told me later I should've taken the Tapenzee Bridge. Avoid the GW Bridge at all costs.
Also Virgina is a suck state. I hate it, this is a personal dislike but avoid Virginia too, if you can help it. Have some really good music planned for Virginia. You're whole trip, but VA especially.  

Once you arrive:
Community Map - AmeriCorps taught me this, basically it's just figuring out hot spots learning where things are, finding events, just try and explore your new city sooner rather than later, it will make you feel at home.
If you use CraigsList for anything - Always get the person's first and last name and google search them. Don't fall for scams. Don't send money in exchange for an item. The person needs to meet you in person, also don't accept checks from people who want you to cash it for more than the amount of the item and then send them a portion of the money. You're just going to get screwed.
Socialize early on, it will help you make friends quickly. Force yourself to talk to people if you don't normally do it. It is much easier to acclimate if you feel like you know people. Talk to your neighbors, the check out guy/girl at the grocery store, your new roommates, people at work, be friendly. They will also be able to give you advice for where to go and what to do, and neighborhood tips and tricks.

Bottom line is research is your best friend. Learn as much about your new city before you move it will help you in the long run. Keep a map in your car even if you have a gps. (Don't be afraid to ask for directions).

Also be safe, duh! Don't do anything that your kindergarten teacher told you not to, she/he's a usually a good source of information.

Looking for a place to hang my hat.

Life has done it again, it has handed me a deliciously sweet glass of ice cold lemonade. If you remember last year, I was offered an opportunity to join AmeriCorps NCCC. This year life has offered me a different opportunity, and my adventures as a vagabond are coming to an end. I am about to start a new chapter in my life. One where my drivers license will actually reflect where I live. I'm moving to Boston, Ma, more specifically somewhere near the Watertown/Waltham/Belmont area. The reason: I got a job! I'll be working in a residential facility for kids with disabilities. I will be assisting them with their day to day activities. It's as glamorous as it sounds, not at all. But it will be awesome for a few reasons: 1. I love kids, I love working with kids, I love helping kids. 2. There are plenty of opportunities for both personal and professional growth. 3. I get to live and work 9.8 miles away (or less depending on where I move to) from my favorite city in the entire world. I am unbelievably excited about this new adventure. It is one that I never really expected, but I am especially grateful for it.

I leave on Thursday at 5:30 am and am driving 1,047 miles north to my new home. I have one more day to pack and get my stuff together before I depart. I am still taking tips for living in the north.

I will still continue to write, I like chronicling my life. I just won't be discussing life in Podunk, Ga again. Perhaps, ever again. I'll miss my dad, but how could I say no to this?

Adventures in the Northeast organized by region. August 14-21, 2010

This past week, I continued my vagabond lifestyle by traveling the Northeast and staying with friends, and strangers. The experience was refreshing and potentially beneficial to my employment, it was also expensive and I have been reminded to review my Dave Ramsey books. I'm awful with money and probably spent a months paycheck at a regular job to complete my journey. I have been reminding myself and my mother of the YOLO way. You Only Live Once. Anyway, I'm wasting daylight so let's get started:


The Rochester Bike Kids: August 14-15
     I arrived at LaGuardia Airport rented a car, and tried to convince the attractive associate that even though I was under 25, I was only a month away and have proven myself a competent and safe driver in my previous rental experience. Enterprise and that guy was a stickler for the rules, or perhaps I should've opted for a low-cut blouse, some make up and a good bra. Unfortunately, I'm quite positive that even a false promise of promiscuity wouldn't have swayed this guy, so I loaded the White Nissan Versa with my oversized traveling bag and hit the road. I dropped off my Broseph in Brooklyn to begin his adventures exploring NYC, and I traveled north to Rochester. I arrived at my friend Laura's house and was greeted with southern hospitality, which was confusing because that is something that eludes some northern folks. I was offered a brew and some conversation. Her mom had just returned from her own adventures in New Orleans. Laura and I walked to Lake Ontario, which was the first of the great lakes I've ever been to. (Now, I'll have to collect them all). It was beautiful, and I kind of regretted not having more time in upstate New York. Laura and I continued our adventure's to Nate's house, from there we road bikes into the town to check out a bar. My exhaustion combined with my nervousness on a bike lead me to worry about being hit. But I was in luck, I was in the hands of the Rochester Bike Kids. There skill and my peddling as fast as I could to keep up prevented me from harm. We checked out a local bar with a band playing on the outside patio and cheap PBR's. It was great meeting Laura and Nate's friends, and hanging with locals. In fact, I think that possibly my favorite part of the overall experience was being shown my friends favorite places to go. Eventually, we made it back to Nate's place and crashed there for the night. I'm still a little unsure of how I carried a bike up the stairs without ruining anything, (considering I'm a klutz and once busted my knee open walking out my mom's backdoor). After sleeping in, and finally adjusting my internal clock to east coast time, we headed to a local diner that Nate and Laura had been interested in trying. I had the "Hotlanta" which was an egg scramble that was spicier than some Cajun foods.

Overall, I really enjoyed Rochester, it's small enough that you can easily manage driving around by bike and it isn't full of people. Also, driving in Rochester isn't as frustrating as driving in Brooklyn. The people were friendly, and there seems to be just enough to do to stay consistently busy, and it's not too far from some cool sites when you feel the need to escape. I probably wouldn't go looking for a job there but if I was transferred, I don't think I would mind it.

Western Taxachusetts (Northampton, Amherst and Surrounding Areas): August 15-17
    After saying goodbye to Nate, Laura and I headed to Amherst to hang out with Ian (from Blue 4). Our first night we hung out with Ian's friends and former roommates, and played Taboo. The boys dominated, unfortunately. It was cool to hang out and eat delicious food. I also ate my first White Hot which are hot dogs only found in Rochester. It was probably one of the best hot dogs I'd ever had. the next day Ian showed me and Laura around Amherst and Northampton. We learned about his college, walked the streets and checked out a pretty cool record store. We ate delicious jambalaya made with fresh seafood. It was awesome! Hung out at a local bar and Laura and Ian played pool with Ian's friends from Camp.  (His camp is very different from the camps I experienced. It's very progressive and instead of rules they have guidelines. They also don't wake up until like 11. Which is weird, just sayin'). On the 17th we woke up and went for breakfast and I took off to check out Waltham, Ma before my first ever couchsurfing experience.

Western Mass, is really cool and similar to Rochester with the small town feel it has, everything is relatively close together and it having so many nearby colleges is definitely a plus. There is always something to do in college towns. You just have to know where to look. It's really pretty up there and it was great to see Ian in his element.

Waltham, Ma and Couchsurfing in Greenville, NH: August 17-18
    Waltham is a cute town that is 9.8 miles from the center of Boston, Ma my favorite city in the world. I drove around and found the location for my interview and I wanted to check out the town more but I had brought the wrong pair of interview pants on my trip, and unfortunately had to by a new pair. I did refrain from refreshing my wardrobe. Reminding myself that I have enough clothes to outfit an entire village. I headed up north to Greenville, NH and hung out with my couchsurfing host. I had heard of couch surfing before and was interested in trying the experience out. This trip gave me a push because I didn’t have anywhere to stay near my interview site. My host, Alexa, showed me around her town. I learned about this artist retreat site. Where people live in these cabins for a number of months and develop their skills. It sounds like an awesome experience although I’m not sure if I qualify. She’s a really cool person, and I’m happy to have been connected to her.

            The next day I interviewed in Waltham which was more or less an explanation of the job and questioning on if I think I’d be able to handle it. The job seems very rewarding and I hope that I’m afforded the opportunity. Unfortunately, I’m still waiting to hear back. I did however receive a second interview. I had plans to leave for Annapolis so I left directly from my interview and drove 8 hours south to Maryland to hang out with Blue 4’s Meghan.

Karaoke in Naptown (Annapolis, MD): August 18-19

     I arrived at Meghan’s house to be greeted by potential buyers. I hope that I didn’t scare them out of the sale. The realtor didn’t look too happy about my comments on the house. Meghan returned from her errands and we headed out for delicious sushi. After Sushi we headed to Ram’s head followed by Stan and Joe’s for some Karaoke. I massacred Michael Jackson’s “I’m Bad,” it’s true I really was bad. I could make William Hung look like Ricky Martin. I will not let my dreams of being on American Idol be dashed. With some practice, I’m sure I can improve my stage presence; my singing however is beyond help. It was great to catch up with Meghan and finally get to see her and the Wolfman in action (singing Karaoke that is). 

I had been to Annapolis prior to this, but I enjoyed the hotspots Meghan had spent the year talking about.

Back to Waltham and then on to Brooklyn: August 19-21

      I spent most of the 19^th driving and trying to find a place to stay for the night. On the 20^th I went for my second interview, I felt confident and I hope to hear back soon. If it’s meant to be it will be and if it’s not I will hopefully find another opportunity. I’m trying to remain positive, as the process of looking for a job seems to put a dent in my happiness. I enjoyed lunch in Waltham, Ma and felt like I could be content to live there, which was very important to me. Then I traveled to LaGuardia to drop of the car. I tried again to reduce my under 25 fee. These people at Enterprise are not to be swayed on these fees. It’s unfortunate. I will probably continue to rent from them because in spite of the stupid fee. They still have lower prices and generally offer excellent customer service. They also put up with my jokes and my frustrations. I hung out with Rowdy Ron from Blue 5 in Queens. He expertly navigated to the Enterprise office. We had dinner and caught up. I appreciated the familiar face and conversation after being so frustrated by the roadblocks.

     On the final day of my adventure, my brother, his friend Andrea and I wandered Brooklyn before Broseph and I headed back south to Atlanta. I am not a fan of NYC or it’s surrounding suburbs. It’s just not my scene. I can’t see myself living there, which is unfortunate because I usually feel like I can adapt anywhere. I was happy to leave NYC but I can’t say the same for the rest of the Northeast. I hope to head back soon, pending this job offer of course.

Overall the experience was worthwhile. I enjoyed seeing friends, and parts of the Northeast I’d never seen before. 

The long road home

I am currently sitting at the same table in the same chair at the same Borders where I first found out that I was accepted to AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps. It feels awful. I am almost in tears as I look back on this year and feel empty. It's not as though I feel that this experience was a waste of my time. Quite the contrary, it was amazing. I was surrounded by people with the same drive for service that I have, I was able to help people, and I gained a plethora of skills that I am able to use on my resume. I'm empty because I miss the people, and I miss the service and the new skills. I'm trying to combat my depression with getting involved in service projects locally, but unfortunately I still need a job. I'm hoping that by becoming involved and volunteering I will be able to make friends and hopefully connections. But for now, I'm empty. I miss being surrounded by 300 other people who I choose to believe have a passion for service.

In Podunk, Ga I have very few friends. I live with my dad, whom is a hermit crab. I sleep on an air mattress, which the air is beginning to leak out of. I spend my days watching reruns of Degrassi: The Next Generation and True Blood (the latter more acceptable TV watching than the former) and applying for jobs, which has yielded little success. The only thing I really have going for me right now, other than my sometimes resilient personality, is that I am starting Grad School. Well, sort of. I'm in a Nonprofit Management Certificate program through American Humanics via LSUS (note the S). I am hoping to matriculate as a graduate student.

So, Life After AmeriCorps has lead me to feeling like my boyfriend whom I was very much in love with has dumped me and left me for a newer younger girlfriend. AmeriCorps NCCC Class XVII will take my place. A new Corps Member will blog periodically about their life traveling the country with nine other people getting things done for America. And I will continue where I left off with my Life in Podunk.

Podunk, feels stale now that I have lived in California. There are no hills with cows happily grazing in the greenest pastures I've ever seen. There are no ocean breezes. There is humidity, southern accents and cable television. While Cable Television doesn't sound so bad. I would never watch another episode of Degrassi if someone would give me a job in California doing something I loved, as long as I was financially stable enough to pay my mountain of bills. (I mean if that's what it took for me to live there, I really like Degrassi).

The point is this year changed my life. I don't know if it was for the better or what but I've come to realize three very important things:

First and Foremost: I am not an Island. (No man is an Island for that matter). I need people in my life. I thrive on being around people and spending this past year hanging out with people who have similar goals was one of the coolest things I could have every been allowed to experience. It allowed me to work harder knowing that I was with people who had similar ideals. Also, when you live in a house with 9 other people, you're never alone. Which at the time I thought wasn't the best thing, but now that it's over I'm happy they were right there with me. Furthermore, I sincerely doubt that I will ever have the same amount of camaraderie that I had in AmeriCorps NCCC.

Secondly: I am in love with the West Coast. I know this doesn't sound like a really big or important thing. But when I was fantasizing about being in NCCC, the Pacific Region was actually on the bottom of my list. I didn't want to live in California. I didn't think that it sounded all that great and I was wildly in love with the idea of one day moving to Boston. Now, after spending some time in California, it's hard to believe that I had no desire to go there. Which is really a two for one kind of lesson. The first being I now have a place where I want to end up and full intentions on moving out that way. Second, you can never know until you try. I shouldn't have shunned California without first checking it out. I hope that I will keep that in mind as I move forward in life.

Finally, and quite possibly the most important thing I learned this year: I have become a fool for service. I feel empty when I'm not working and helping others. I want to be able to continue my passion for service, by volunteering. I have made it a personal goal to obtain the lifetime volunteer service award. I also still intend to complete my life long goal of a leap year of service, (366 days worth of Volunteer work, 8,784 hours). I will greedily use the 1700 hours that I gained this year as part of that. I am excited to volunteer with KaBOOM! on the 11th of September and getting involved in the community here in Podunk. Before volunteering was something I enjoyed doing, now it has become something I don't feel full without doing.

In conclusion, although I currently feel empty. I CAN imagine what my life would have been like had I not completed my AmeriYear. I couldn't have made a better choice for myself, even if the experience wasn't always the most glamorous, it was completely and totally worth it!
So, now I guess that my life has come full circle it is time to explore new avenues and start my next adventure. I just have to figure out what it is first.

And the adventure ended

I'm at a Coffee Shop in Lake Wales, it's 8:35 and they close in 25 minutes. My final reflection about my time in AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps is forthcoming, but probably not until later this week. The guy at the coffee shop is starting to give me funny looks, like I'm detaining him from making it to his date to meet the girl he's been chatting with online, or something. Anyway, being home after AmeriCorps sucks. I'll talk more about that in my reflection piece. I'm gonna jump ahead to the future. I'm applying for jobs, it's hard. I have my heart set on working for a nonprofit but I fear that I will get desperate and apply for jobs that I'll hate. I really want to work for KaBOOM!, so much so, that I've taken to applying to pretty much everything for which I feel qualified. Hopefully, they'll hire me.

The guy is starting to give me really awful glares now. Maybe I have a booger hanging out of my nose, no that's not it.

I really should get out of here. I have to go back to my mom's house and pack and go through all of my belongings and get rid of the things I'll never use/wear, as well as things that I should've thrown away years ago, but couldn't manage to part with. I mean who really needs receipts from 2004 anymore.

Oh also, my mom got me a Honda FIT as an NCCC graduation/I feel bad because I helped your bro out and didn't want you to think I don't love you as much present. I tell everyone that it's because I graduated from NCCC though. It's awesome, I could practically live in it, and might have to if I can't find a job. Yikes!

Okay coffee guy, I'm out see you next time.

Sara

Reflection Round 4: 6 days with Saint Bernard Project.

So, my year is coming to a close. Blue 4 finished it’s final round with Saint Bernard Project (SBP). In my 6 days with SBP, I worked at a Care Fair, mowed lawns, ran errands and led volunteers to unpack lumber and supplies from moving trucks. Each day was a different experience, but overall I didn’t have enough time with them to declare this project as my favorite. I do however respect the organization immensely. Since the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina ravaged Saint Bernard Parish, Saint Bernard Project has rebuilt 291 homes, and 33 in 2010 alone. It’s amazing how much they’ve accomplished in such a little time. There is still a lot to do, lots are still empty; homes still stand damaged and tattered from the high water levels that swept through and washed away the lives and livelihoods of the Parish residents. Interest in New Orleans has waned as other disasters have taken precedence. The New Horizon rig has just been capped after almost 3 months of spewing oil into the Gulf of Mexico. Once again affecting a community that has not finished recovering from its last disaster.

I cannot sit here and write about how much I love New Orleans, as that is simply not true. I didn’t fall in love with this city, but its people did find a place in my heart. Never have I met friendlier people. Within an hour of arriving in the city my team and I were greeted with free food and smiles and hellos from everyone who passed us by. We were endlessly thanked for our efforts before we even had a chance to start working. My friends and I were offered rides home when we walked the streets late at night. I was given bug spray from a complete stranger and he even helped me and my friend Val chop down a jungle that had grown around what was once someone’s home. The people of New Orleans have a lot of pride for their city, its culture and history.

It has become important to me that New Orleans and its people are not forgotten. Rebuilding efforts should continue, even after AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps pulls three of its five regions from the gulf. Even after BP bought out the cities most important volunteer housing camp to host paid employees, leaving volunteer groups stranded at the last minute searching for a place to stay. I hope that this city and its people are never forgotten.

Disaster Relief Reflection

Music City will forever hold a place in my heart. This experience made my year; this will be what I bring up when talk about AmeriCorps NCCC. I will tell people about crawling underneath crawl spaces removing ductwork still wet from a flood that happened two months prior. I will talk of families endlessly thanking my teammates and I for our efforts. I will smile brightly as I recall being covered head to toe in what I like to think of as mud, although knowing it may have been more than that. I will tear slightly as I remember the homeowners telling me their stories of how they lost nearly everything to the rain. I will remember their resilience, their hospitality and their appreciation for our work. This was what I signed up for. This experience reminded me of why I wanted to be in AmeriCorps NCCC; I wanted to help people and I wanted to make a difference. I am proud to say that I was able to accomplish that.