Alasaka Pictures

So I got these up even faster than I expected...I also forgot to mention that we saw a lot of bald eagle.s

Alaska

Hi everyone,

I apologize for not writing any blogs in over a month, i have been lazy and avoiding writing a blog because I wanted to put up pictures with it, but still don't have any to post right now, but maybe I'll get on that and post some soon.

Alaska was great, it was still off season so we found a lot of things were not open, but we saw a ton of beautiful mountains. I continuously took pictures of them because each one seemed more gorgeous than the last. We did quite a bit of driving, going all the way up to fairbanks from Anchorage and then down to the water (seward and Homer).

Fairbanks had absolutely nothing to offer besides the North Pole, Alaska a few miles away. We visited North Pole, AK and went to Santa's village and met some reindeer. The light poles in the town were all decorated like candycanes! It was quite exciting. It snowed quite a bit in alaska while we were there and when we were in north pole, ak it snowed too! It was pretty crazy.

We used Anchorage as our main stopping spot between towns. Anchorage is kind of like any other city, I enjoyed it but am pretty sure it does not have enough to offer to keep me there. There were some good restaurants and some cool bars. I ate reindeer sausage in Anchorage! It kind of tasted like kielbasa, but it was very exciting.

Finally we visited the water. The towns are popular fishing towns where tourists go on wildlife watches on boat cruises and fish for halibut and salmon. Seeing as we visited in the off season it was pretty quiet there, but we found a lot of great restaurants as well as enjoyed very scenic drives.

We did not see any wildlife in the actual wild besides a moose, however, we visited a marine life center and saw sea lions and puffins and some other sea creatures. We also went to a wildlife refuge center and saw bears, caribou, moose, and a black bear in a tree! I was thrilled to see a bear in the top of a tree just sitting there....definitely the highlight of the trip.

So that's Alaska, it was great, I'm glad I went, it was beautiful! One day when I have money to afford most everything there I will go back!

Another blog entry really soon!

Phase 3 Project

Ok, I know you all are anxiously waiting to hear where the next place Americorps is taking me. Our next Project is working with Recovery School district in New Orleans, LA. We will be living in downtown New Orleans on Magazine Street in a building with other volunteers. We are sleeping 6 to a room with bunk beds; I can’t tell you how excited I am to have a bed again…no more floor! Our project sounds really great. We are going to be helping the relief efforts with schools. We will be delivering supplies to schools, painting murals, building playgrounds with Kaboom, creating greenspace for the schools and much more. Basically we are going to be involved in improving the conditions of the schools and making them better places for kids to get an education! I have not read the project description quite yet so that is about the extent of the details I have to offer.

It sounds like a really great project. Everyone is really looking forward to it. We are driving back down to the gulf, leaving April 14 so our work will start shortly after that!

I am going to Alaska for my Spring break (leaving on April 4), so I will write when I return and share all my stories of Alaska and of course the wonderful road trip stories.

Goodbye Portland

Ok so I have been so kindly informed by my dear friend Jenn that I have not been writing nearly as often as I should in this blog. I must apologize for that by only saying that there really is very little to write about. Blackberry removal is boring and there is often very little to say about it. However, it’s donzo! We are done with our second phase project and now preparing for our third! I’m sure you are all wondering what that is…however, you have to read this thing in order, so first you have to read the reflections on my last days in Portland.

Portland is a lovely city. It’s not a tourist city (just ask Katy and Adrienne who visited last week, they found little to do). It’s a nice place to live, there is great tap water, a wonderful recycling program, pretty good public transportation, it’s clean, and just about everyone is ready and waiting to pass on a friendly smile. With that being said, I still don’t think that Portland all that much. It’s just not a city that interest me, but I can appreciate it and understand why so many people move out here. As for our project…I am glad to see it ending, removing blackberry roots has simply gotten old. It is hard to keep yourself excited about the work you are doing when you are just digging up roots and throwing them to on the ground next to you for eight hours each day. Now don’t get me wrong, we had fun some days playing games and coming up with ridiculous scenarios. We also did not always pull blackberry, some days we removed English Ivy, some days we planted, we laid plants, we spread mulch, and we even built a trail. It was nice when things were mixed up, but still I think the work wore on all of us. It’s most definitely time for this project to come to and end. I know more about plants now and I will never be able to look at a blackberry bush or ivy and think anything but negative thoughts…but that’s ok. They are bad, bad plants that choke natural, native plants and trees. JUST SAY NO TO BLACKBERRY PIE! … and Jam.

A little update, last entry I wrote about life after Americorps, I have gotten accepted into two universities so far and am waiting to hear from the rest…interviews were no fun, traveling to the East coast for two days is exhausting, but it will all be worth it in the end.

As a response to the mother’s question on the last entry: I will never be 100% independent of my parents...that’s the horror in having children I think

Life after americorps

So I was thinking that I hadn't written a blog in awhile, part of the reason is because there is very little to share. Things are still the same, we are still murdering blackberries each day and sometimes pulling out English Ivy (which is a nice change of pace). Today we worked with middle school kids and supervised their blackberry removal...we work with volunteers normally once a week.

So, seeing as I have very little to share about my Americorps experiences, I figure I will tell you all about my life after Americorps. I recently went on an interview at Spalding University for PsyD program, tomorrow I have a phone interview with Towson, and next Tuesday I have an interview at Western Carolina. So, this is good news that I have had the opportunity to interview with these schools, its very overwhelming to figure out travel and to interview with schools. It is becoming very clear that I am growing up and have serious life ahead of me...grad school will not be a walk in the park, no more fooling around and traveling the United States...it will be time to get serious.

That's my story. I am getting very excited because katy and Adrienne are coming to visit very soon! I am looking forward to experiencing Portland with them (I have not done much touristy things yet), introducing them to the team, showing them where I live, and of course spending time with some of my favorite people!

I hope all is well with my readers! Questions? post them in the comments, I will do a blog of answers!

Murdering Blackberries

So per usual I have been very lazy with this blog. I have raked my brain for a really great excuse for why I made promises of entries to come and have been terrible at fulfilling these promises…and the only excuse I could think of was the terrible internet we get in our house. It seems that just about every other computer can connect to the internet besides mine, but that is a bad excuse…so simply –I’m sorry!

Ok so what do we do for work? I am sure that the five people who still check this knowing that I will come through eventually are wondering. Our work consists of clearing blackberry bushes (which are very thorny), digging up the root, and planting trees. We work Tuesday through Saturday. On Saturdays we get to work with volunteer groups often consisting of boy scouts which are always a blast. It is not terrible work, sure the blackberries get monotonous after awhile, sure I have scratches all over my legs, and sure digging up roots is not my idea of a goodtime, but we get through it, it’s mixed up enough that it is just fine. I do not think I will have any interest in seeing blackberries after this project, but we get through it, we try to make the days fun sometimes. For example, last week we played the question game where you simply ask a teammate a question, they answer and then are able to ask another teammate a question and so forth. Today at work we “dared” people to eat weird things, we had people eat a worm, dirt, a fern, drink river water, eat pine needles, and of course a blackberry root. I ate the pine needles; they tasted like a lime rind.

To speak very honestly for a minute, I want to admit to everyone that this project can be quite difficult for me. There are some days where I just cannot understand why I am pulling blackberry bushes and what that has anything to do with why I chose to join Americorps. It is very easy to lose site of the overall goal and my own reasons for joining the program. However, there are also days that are fun and times when I look around and am able to see how much we have cleared and in those moments I remember just why we are here. The work we are doing may be tedious and boring but it could not be done without us, there is a lot of blackberry to clear and without our assistance they would be much worse off. Clearing blackberry is necessary because it is an invasive species to the region; therefore it affects the soil and kills native species. I don’t feel comfortable enough really trying to explain invasive species and why it is important to remove the, however if you are interested in more information regarding that check out solv’s website at www.solv.org

So that’s the work we do. In terms of our living situation it’s not bad at all. We are getting along just fine, I really love being in a house and there are very little problems with so many people living together!

I hope my loyal readers are doing well and haven’t given up on me yet, I promise I will keep up with this until the end!

Portland, Oregon

We had a much shorter road trip to Portland than our first project. Portland is about 10 hours from Sacramento, CA, so we broke the trip up into two days. We spent our first night in Ashland, OR. Ashland is a small town in South Oregon…it’s well known for the Shakespeare Festival, unfortunately we stayed in Ashland just a week prior to the opening of the festival, so no shows for me. The town itself is wonderful, it’s a small quaint town with a bunch of little shops and restaurants, there is a college in the town, and mountains surrounding it. I definitely would have enjoyed a full afternoon of exploration (we had an hour or two).

The drive to Portland was gorgeous; there were mountains on all sides of us. The mountains reached to the sky and were covered by untouched snow; it truly was a sight to see. Throughout the ride we also passed over rivers, the rivers paired with the mountains essentially left me speechless, I only wish I was good with words so I could describe to you people how beautiful this really was…but I’m not…so you all will just have to experience it for yourself!

Ok, so we arrive in Portland, we get to our house. Now you can imagine how nervous I am, I am about to spend two months in a small house living with people that although I may feel like I have gotten to know very well, we still don’t know nearly as much as I think we like to think we do about one another…so this is going to be interesting, living on top of one another for two months…no privacy. Although I am still a bit nervous about how this will all pane out, I have high hopes for our living situation, it is really nice to be in a house. Let me take you for a visual tour of the house…get your imaginations ready!

You pull into our driveway, park in front of our garage door, walk to our front door, ring the door bell...WHY HELLO! Welcome to my humble abode! On your left you will see a half-bath, not too shabby and on your right you may notice our kitchen with an islandesq counter top, enough drawers and cabinets to keep us happy, a working stove, refrigerator, and microwave. As you exit the front of our kitchen you find yourself standing in the living room which has a couch on either wall and a fold-up table set up in the center of the room, you see computer chairs all over the room, realizing that there are 13 people who live in this house that often need to sit down after a long day of work. The sliding glass door into the back yard (which does not seem inviting due to a mess of a compost pile, a broken fish tank, and a torn up yard) is to the right of the fire place which only purpose seems to be to hold a TV from the 1960’s. Don’t bother turning the television on, you will see nothing but snow, however, if you desire you may watch a dvd or vhs later, but first you should finish your tour by heading up the stairs on the left of the fireplace. Once your reach the landing at the top of the stairs you are looking straight into a full bathroom, shower/tub, sink, toilet. How delightful you think! Turn left at the top of the stairs and you will see the master bedroom which houses five girls on cots, walk down the hallway you will see the second girls bedroom which holds three girls, and finally at the end of the hallway is the boys spacious (because they know how to organize their things) room. You may wonder why you do not see clothes in the last two bedrooms hanging out in the open, well that is because those bedrooms have closets, while the first bedroom (where I live) only has a rod and shelf that spans the length of the longest wall for clothing to be hung. Well, that is about it, I hope you enjoyed the tour!

In terms of the City, I have not seen much of it, we have only been here for two nights, but it seems like a great city. We are walking distance from bars, restaurants, and shops. I have not been downtown yet, I will keep you all posted on that stuff.

We had our first day of work today, it seems like SOLV is a great company, and they are very organized and very happy to have us here, so I am looking forward to working with them.


I suppose you people should keep your eyes out for an update on the work and the City of Portland, because it will not be long before I have experienced both enough to write about them!

Sometimes I get the feeling that the only people reading this are my parents and maybe my grandparents…anyone else out there?

A Little Weekend Adventure

Although I wanted to spend our off weekend visiting Reno, NV it seems that none of my friends were that impressed with the idea of Reno. Apparently it is not a place worth visiting (I’m still not convinced of this fact…how could you not want to go to the biggest little city?). So after much debate we chose to spend our off weekend on the Coast of California in Monterey. This was probably a good choice seeing as it might be the most stunning place I have visited in the United States. The water looks like something you would see in a painting or on a movie, not something that truly exists. Driving into Carmel we took the 17-mile drive. The 17-mile drive is like driving through a nature reserve with stops along the way to see different natural wonders. We stopped and saw sea lions and birds laying on a rock, we met some crazy squirrels that wanted to jump into my arms, we saw the oldest standing cypress tree in the area, a bunch of golf courses, some very large houses, and gorgeous waves crashing upon the rocks. It was a visual overload it.

We spent the first half of our morning walking around Fisherman’s wharf in Monterrey, where we saw sea lions playing and a lot of sailboats! After the 17-mile drive we walked along a beach which was below Pebble beach golf course…I think that it might be one of the most beautiful golf courses ever…it’s literally on the ocean! Basically it was a great way to get away from Sactown and just relax! I highly suggest everyone visiting California’s coast, it is really something else!

Blue 3 and Lagniappe Staff

On our last night in Bay St. Louis Blue 3 presented the staff with a gift as well as presented them with our sign (each group that comes through Lagniappe leaves a sign).

Farewell Bay St. Louis

The final days spent in Bay St. Louis, MS were packed with goodbyes. Leaving here is bittersweet because in some ways it feels as if it is time to leave, however, Bay St. Louis and Lagniappe have become a home for us. We have been so welcomed by this incredible community and have made relationships with so many people that I am very sad to leave. Bay St. Louis has left an impression on me that will last a lifetime. I have learned so much about perseverance and resilience. The people within the community have gone through so much and have dealt with so many disappointments, yet they still find something to smile about every single day. Recently we helped a woman move out of her FEMA trailer into her new MEMA trailer…this is a bit larger, it is essentially a house in a box….everything you need is provided for you, it is two rooms, a little living area, and a kitchen. It is small, but it seems comfortable. This woman was incredibly happy to have this place, she felt blessed that she was able to move into a MEMA cottage. What is inspiring about her is she has found this incredible sense of joy out of something that she deserves, she is finally moving into a house which is nothing like the house she lived in pre-Katrina, yet, she feels like she is the lucky one, she feels like she is the blessed one to have been given this house. I see it as she deserves this house, she should have had this house two years ago…and that is really what makes all of these people so amazing, they can see the good in their situations, they can find something to be thankful for each and everyday, and they do their best to keep a smile on their face even though what they are going through might be the hardest thing they will ever face.

So, all in all leaving Bay St. Louis is a welcomed change, I am very much looking forward to Portland, OR and seeing a new area of the United States, however, I will miss the Gulf. It is a very special place and I am looking forward to being able to return to the Gulf to continue with the restoration efforts and visit with the people we have met at Lagniappe. Saying goodbye to them was difficult because they truly have welcomed us into their family, they always made us feel like we belonged there, but when we return to the gulf we do plan on visiting them…so that will be just lovely.

Currently we are back in Sacramento; we have 9 days of transition. We will be doing debriefs, briefings for our new project, and meeting with staff regarding our team positions. It’s going to be a long 9 days I predict. But the good news is I am living with my roommate from training! Hooray!

Our New Project

First I must apologize for being very MIA with the blog lately. I have no valid excuse besides laziness, but please if you feel angered refer to the disclaimer/the first blog entry ever written. However, I think you will all be happy to hear that I know where I am going for my next project! Woohoo. We are getting ready to leave Bay St. Louis on Friday, it is going to be bittersweet…I will write an entry regarding that at the end. Look forward to it.

My new project…drum roll please…Oregon! I will be about 25 miles outside of Portland (I think). We are working for an environmental company called solv. We will be removing invasive species in Forest Grove, Oregon. I know very little about the project. I have not done much research on the project yet, and we have not yet begun our briefings…so basically what I am saying is…that is all I know about my future. When we leave Bay St. Louis we are flying to Sacramento for 5 days of briefings and debriefings, then we will drive to Oregon and move into our new housing and find out all about our new lives in Oregon. Woohoo.

In closing please field all questions that you are dying to know about what is going on in my life in the comment section…I realize I have not been writing a whole lot of information so I figure there may be some curious readers out there. Hope everyone is doing well and I look forward to hearing from you all!

A Picture of Blue 3 Anacondas

This is my wonderful team!

Holidays are over and I am back to work…

Hi people, again it’s been awhile, but I did not think anyone cared too much about my Christmas break. It was good. Nice to be home, bla bla bla.

So we have been back now since Wednesday night. It is busy season down in the gulf, there are a ton of volunteers around. Langniappe is filled with volunteers. So, we have been doing a lot of work on the grounds, seeing as there are a ton of volunteers for the houses. We have spent our time tearing apart bunks, building bunks, delivering supplies to sites, and cleaning the tool shed. The work has been okay…it’s not nearly as fun as working on a house, but we are getting a lot done.

Being back with the team has been great. We all really missed each other and the excitement level was high when we were all together again. We had a lovely after Christmas party with Wisconsin cheese and a secret Santa grab bag event.

That’s really it, not a whole lot is going on here. Things are slow, nothing new and exciting, I’ll keep you posted when good stuff happens! Hope everyone is doing well.