We're here! In the desert! Living in migrant worker housing! And everyone stares at us when we drive around in our 15 passenger van!
But seriously, we arrived Monday evening after about an 8.5 hour drive. Our apartment is not too bad. 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a decent kitchen and plenty of room. The area is very interesting and very rural. There's sort of a main area with a gas station, a few stores, and a couple restaurants. The rest of Mecca is mainly low-income housing built by our sponsor, CVHC. The first full day, we had a tour from our sponsor and drove around the area. We were shown an illegal trailer park and it was very sad to see the living conditions of these people. I believe many of them are illegal residents so that is why they haven't applied to the CVHC program. I feel like I'm not in America. It's amazing that areas like this exist.
Then we drove farther northwest up the Coachella Valley area and it becomes much more affluent. We were shown several low-income housing projects and they really were beautiful. We would have never known these houses were occupied by many low-income migrant workers if we weren't told. The woman who was showing us around told us how low-income housing doesn't mean it has to be ugly or run-down. The CVHC is proving everyone wrong!
As for the work part of this project, it's pretty great. The houses are all the same size, with different porches. There are about 4 different designs. There are 4 bedrooms, including one master with a bathroom, another bathroom, a kitchen, a sitting/eating area, and a garage. Not too bad compared to where the families were living before. We've been working on the roofs of the houses and put up about 4 this week. It's hard work, but I feel like a real construction worker and have a sick farmer's tan. The first day we hammered nails into particle board on the roofs and after that, my wrist was incredibly sore. I decided to buy a wrist support and took it easy the next day, and voila! all better. We've done hammering, sheeting (laying boards on the roofs), some drilling, and cleaning up. I kinda feel like a badass in my hard hat and tool belt. Maybe I'll be a construction worker after AmeriCorps... Probably not. I hate peeing in the porta-potties.
This morning, we went on a hike in the mountains surrounding the Coachella Valley. There are two different ranges and we hiked the smaller, rockier one. We hiked up to the top and it was one of the most gorgeous views! It was incredible. Great idea team!
All in all, I'm ejoying myself. We have pretty great living conditions, and we're all getting along rather well. Living and working with 11 people forces me to be laid back. If someone irritates me, I just go into another room or read and let it brush off. I just have to let things go. It's probably a good way to be. Thanks AmeriCorps!
I have to go but I'll try and write sooner! Wednesday I leave for Fort Myers to spend Thanksgiving with the Reinhards!
Love you all! And happy Thanksgiving! Go America!
anne
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
On the Eve of Mecca
Well, the time has come. We leave for Mecca at 6 am tomorrow morning. I'm pretty excited to begin our first project. The drive is approximately 8.5 hours, and I get to drive 2 of them. Yeah!
We're all packed up and more or less ready to go, except for cleaning out our kitchen.
Tomorrow, we will arrive around 4 pm and check into our 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom, migrant worker housing apartment. Not too bad for the 11 of us, compared to another team in L.A. that has to take showers in a public park.... What? I hope we don't ever have to do that. We might have some stinky people sitting around.
Tuesday, we have our orientation all day, then Wednesday we officially start work. And then, a week later, Thanksgiving in Fort Meyers, FL with the Reinhards!! I'm so excited to see Dan! 6 weeks is a long time.
This weekend hasn't been much to write home about. Friday we were officially sworn in as AmeriCorps members. We had to raise our right hand and sign our lives away to the U.S. Government for the next 8.5 months. Hey, I signed up for it. I'm pretty excited to start helping people.
Saturday, I ran and did laundry in the morning and then we were on duty all day. Duty is essentially R.A. stuff (think college dorms). We usually clean and do rounds and make sure all the vans are locked and windows closed. Fortunately, we didn't have to do anything but stay on campus all day. So we all cleaned our rooms and I watched Project Runway and read Three Cups of Tea. It's a very good book, I recommend it. I'm about halfway through.
Today, my team went to a farmers market in downtown Sacramento and I bought 3 mandarin oranges, 2 apples, and an asian pear for $2. Not bad, not bad. The mandarin orange I had was superb. Then we went to Target to run more errands and I ended up buying this grey button down sweater vest with three big buttons and two little pockets. I think it's going to be my Thanksgiving outfit. Then we went to the grocery store to buy spices and fun things for Mecca.
The rest of the day consisted of packing and cleaning. We have to go clean out our kitchen at 8 pm. FUN.
Oh, and I'm supposed to give Jane (my sister) a shoutout! So, hey Janie!
ATTENTION: Once again, my internet access will be few and far between, so blogs may come only once a week or less. Just so everyone knows.
I hope everyone is doing well! I miss you!
<3 anne
We're all packed up and more or less ready to go, except for cleaning out our kitchen.
Tomorrow, we will arrive around 4 pm and check into our 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom, migrant worker housing apartment. Not too bad for the 11 of us, compared to another team in L.A. that has to take showers in a public park.... What? I hope we don't ever have to do that. We might have some stinky people sitting around.
Tuesday, we have our orientation all day, then Wednesday we officially start work. And then, a week later, Thanksgiving in Fort Meyers, FL with the Reinhards!! I'm so excited to see Dan! 6 weeks is a long time.
This weekend hasn't been much to write home about. Friday we were officially sworn in as AmeriCorps members. We had to raise our right hand and sign our lives away to the U.S. Government for the next 8.5 months. Hey, I signed up for it. I'm pretty excited to start helping people.
Saturday, I ran and did laundry in the morning and then we were on duty all day. Duty is essentially R.A. stuff (think college dorms). We usually clean and do rounds and make sure all the vans are locked and windows closed. Fortunately, we didn't have to do anything but stay on campus all day. So we all cleaned our rooms and I watched Project Runway and read Three Cups of Tea. It's a very good book, I recommend it. I'm about halfway through.
Today, my team went to a farmers market in downtown Sacramento and I bought 3 mandarin oranges, 2 apples, and an asian pear for $2. Not bad, not bad. The mandarin orange I had was superb. Then we went to Target to run more errands and I ended up buying this grey button down sweater vest with three big buttons and two little pockets. I think it's going to be my Thanksgiving outfit. Then we went to the grocery store to buy spices and fun things for Mecca.
The rest of the day consisted of packing and cleaning. We have to go clean out our kitchen at 8 pm. FUN.
Oh, and I'm supposed to give Jane (my sister) a shoutout! So, hey Janie!
ATTENTION: Once again, my internet access will be few and far between, so blogs may come only once a week or less. Just so everyone knows.
I hope everyone is doing well! I miss you!
<3 anne
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Beginning of the End (of training)
This week has been super busy. That's my excuse for not writing in 4 days ; ) It's the last week of CTI (Corps Training Institute) before we are deployed on our first project!
Monday evening beginning at 5, we all had to move rooms. It was pretty awful and inconvenient, but they wanted all of the teams to live near each other. I went from room 102 in building 946 to room 321 in building 947. It was like a cattle drive, but I just stayed in my zone and ignored the 299 other people around me and moved successfully. The room has less furniture than my old one, and the prior tenants told me that there has been an ant problem, but other than that, I enjoy seeing sky out my window, and it's much more peaceful.
Tuesday, we had our last training which include a Save the Children: building child-safe areas in disaster shelters, and tool and safety orientation. The children one was decent. They provided these shelter kits with toys and games and arts and crafts, and we practiced setting up a child-safe area. I played with plastic rhinos and matchbox cars; not a bad day. Then, for tool orientation, each team had to build a wooden box, and the people who have never used a circular saw before cut the wood. I was a woodcutter, along with my teammate, Katherine. I must say, it was quite enjoyable. Our box is pretty awesome and is supposed to sit in between the two front seats of our van. Educational AND practical. Man, how do they come up with this stuff??
Wednesday, we had our last one-day service project. We worked with Weed Warriors of Sacramento and removed invasive species from this wilderness water overflow basin area. We saw a bunch of tall white birds and geese and ducks and crawfish and some sort of speedy furry animal running around. The invasive specie was this bush from Argentina that was taking over the edges of the creek and destroying the natural ecosystem. It was quite the muddy job, but I had rubber boots on, so I was a-okay. And that was our project.
This morning, we had our second PT baseline test (1.5 mile run, situps, pushups, and sit and reach). Somehow I improved on everything but the situps! Yeah! I ran the 1.5 mile in 13:00 (compared to 13:35 last time), I did 60 girl pushups (42 last time), I reached 23.5 inches (22 last time) and sadly I did 51 situps (56 last time). All in all, it was a success.
Later today, we had our project briefing. This is where our team meets with some big wigs here on campus to present and discuss certain aspects of our upcoming project in Mecca. We had to wear our AmeriTux (black cargo pants, white men's polo, and steel-toed boots), so yes, this was a formal event. To prepare for this, we all had to do research about the community and check out the portfolios from past teams. As the Service Learning Initiator, I had to fill out our Service Learning Development Plan and figure out what activities to do with the team during our project. Activities include: visiting the Coachella Valley Museum and Cultural Center, attempt to learn Spanish, and get to know the homeowners/migrant workers well by planning lunches with them. Our briefing was at 2:30 today, and our team rocked it. The people thought we were extremely thorough and professional. Yeah Blue 6!! Tonight we're going out to dinner to celebrate. YUM.
Tomorrow morning is our induction ceremony. I will finally become a trained, official AmeriCorps member. It'll be AmeriTux time again. Wahoo!
We leave for Mecca Monday morning at 6am. I won't have as much internet access as I do here, so I will try to write at least once a week! I can't wait. My team is all pumped!
I miss you all!
<3 anne
Monday evening beginning at 5, we all had to move rooms. It was pretty awful and inconvenient, but they wanted all of the teams to live near each other. I went from room 102 in building 946 to room 321 in building 947. It was like a cattle drive, but I just stayed in my zone and ignored the 299 other people around me and moved successfully. The room has less furniture than my old one, and the prior tenants told me that there has been an ant problem, but other than that, I enjoy seeing sky out my window, and it's much more peaceful.
Tuesday, we had our last training which include a Save the Children: building child-safe areas in disaster shelters, and tool and safety orientation. The children one was decent. They provided these shelter kits with toys and games and arts and crafts, and we practiced setting up a child-safe area. I played with plastic rhinos and matchbox cars; not a bad day. Then, for tool orientation, each team had to build a wooden box, and the people who have never used a circular saw before cut the wood. I was a woodcutter, along with my teammate, Katherine. I must say, it was quite enjoyable. Our box is pretty awesome and is supposed to sit in between the two front seats of our van. Educational AND practical. Man, how do they come up with this stuff??
Wednesday, we had our last one-day service project. We worked with Weed Warriors of Sacramento and removed invasive species from this wilderness water overflow basin area. We saw a bunch of tall white birds and geese and ducks and crawfish and some sort of speedy furry animal running around. The invasive specie was this bush from Argentina that was taking over the edges of the creek and destroying the natural ecosystem. It was quite the muddy job, but I had rubber boots on, so I was a-okay. And that was our project.
This morning, we had our second PT baseline test (1.5 mile run, situps, pushups, and sit and reach). Somehow I improved on everything but the situps! Yeah! I ran the 1.5 mile in 13:00 (compared to 13:35 last time), I did 60 girl pushups (42 last time), I reached 23.5 inches (22 last time) and sadly I did 51 situps (56 last time). All in all, it was a success.
Later today, we had our project briefing. This is where our team meets with some big wigs here on campus to present and discuss certain aspects of our upcoming project in Mecca. We had to wear our AmeriTux (black cargo pants, white men's polo, and steel-toed boots), so yes, this was a formal event. To prepare for this, we all had to do research about the community and check out the portfolios from past teams. As the Service Learning Initiator, I had to fill out our Service Learning Development Plan and figure out what activities to do with the team during our project. Activities include: visiting the Coachella Valley Museum and Cultural Center, attempt to learn Spanish, and get to know the homeowners/migrant workers well by planning lunches with them. Our briefing was at 2:30 today, and our team rocked it. The people thought we were extremely thorough and professional. Yeah Blue 6!! Tonight we're going out to dinner to celebrate. YUM.
Tomorrow morning is our induction ceremony. I will finally become a trained, official AmeriCorps member. It'll be AmeriTux time again. Wahoo!
We leave for Mecca Monday morning at 6am. I won't have as much internet access as I do here, so I will try to write at least once a week! I can't wait. My team is all pumped!
I miss you all!
<3 anne
Monday, November 9, 2009
Lake Tahoe
This past weekend was our first whole weekend off, so 5 of my Pod 11 buddies drove to Lake Tahoe! Saturday morning, Dave, the driver, pulls up in a... silver PT Cruiser! Yes, I know, awesome, right? We head out around 11 pm, and drive through rolling hills and beautiful mountains. The drive takes about 2 hours; not bad! We aren't allowed to check into our hotel until 4 pm, so we check out the town. Now, if you don't know anything about South Lake Tahoe (the town we're in), the Nevada/California border runs right through the town. The Nevada side has four huge casinos. I didn't know about that one. Why is Nevada so into casinos??We had a midday snack at a pizza place, and then walked around for a little while. There isn't a cute little main street like I expected. Sad. But, there is a ski resort called Heavenly (4,800 acres and 95 runs!) which runs right into town. So, there are a bunch of stores and an ice skating rink and a bunch of restaurants all in nice, rustic, wooden, cabin-like buildings. It was pretty chilly; I was wearing my winter coat and a scarf. It gave me my dose of winter and started to get me into the holiday season. (Until I went back to sunny Sacramento...)
We checked into the hotel around 4:30 after grocery shopping for breakfast and lunch the next day. It was a very nice room with a king size bed and a pull-out-of-the-wall double bed. A perfect space for 5. We hung out and enjoyed watching tv (something that never happens in AmeriCorps) and then decided to watch the sunset over the lake. At this point, it was about 30-35 degrees outside. We only were able to see the tail-end of the sunset, but it was still beautiful! Then we had dinner at "The Brewery" across the street. Not bad, except they were out of the two beers I wanted. Boo. Then we went back and pretty much passed out.
Sunday, we woke up around 9 am (AmeriCorps time) and had breakfast and had to be out by 11. I bought a box of Cinnamon Harvest Kashi and I was in heaven with three bowls. Our original plan was to go hiking at Grover Hot Springs, but according to the concierge, it was an hour away. So we decided to hike at Emerald Bay. Well, this was one of the most breathtaking views I've ever seen. The picture is of Emerald Bay, with little Fannette Island and then Lake Tahoe in the background. It was sooooo gorgeous! Mountains and water everywhere! We hiked on a small loop off the side of the road called Eagle Falls (there were trails off the roads all over the area). It was lovely and rocky, and we had lunch overlooking the lake. Man, life is tough. Then we drove back, and it was back to reality for us five.
Lake Tahoe is one of the most gorgeous places I've ever been. I am DEFINITELY coming back to ski!!!!!! I can't wait!
This is the last week of training. I can't believe I've been here for an entire month already. We leave for our first project a week from today. Time is finally beginning to fly.
We'll be in touch.
<3 anne
Friday, November 6, 2009
Um?
Hey Everybody,
The last couple days were not the most exciting, but, I will share the details anyway, for those who really care.
Thursday, we had training for our team roles. Each team member is assigned certain jobs for the entire year. I am a co- PT coordinator, and the Service Learning Initiator. Sounds fancy. For PT, I get to pretty much be a health and fitness coach for the team alongside Andrew, my Jersey teammate.
For SLI (Service Learning Initiator) I get to initiate service learning activities. And, what exactly is service learning, one might ask. Well, I really can't tell you, because I still don't really get it. Apparently, we have to plan team activities to teach the team members more about the community and history and backgrounds of our project. For example: we will be in Mecca, CA for seven weeks. So, an activity would be to gather community newspapers, have each member read an article, and then report back to the team. But then, during training, they had us do activities such as: make a magazine collage about how you feel in AmeriCorps, and then another where we made an acrostic poem using all the letters from AmeriCorps (Ex: Awesome, Marvelous, Exciting, etc.). I don't really understand what those two activities have to do with anything, or service learning, so I'm just not going to do those. I'll spare my team from elementary exercises. We aren't seven.
Then came Friday. Today we had an all day service project from 7 am to 2 pm. Our assignment, along with 5 other teams, was to clear brush and thorny blackberry bushes from a biking trail through a suburban community, right near an elementary school. Now, you may recall, I have had a run-in with prickly bushes before. This time, I was prepared and ready as ever to tackle those thorns. It was a great, productive day.
This weekend we have Saturday and Sunday off! So that means.......I'm going to Lake Tahoe! Five people from good old Pod 11 are heading out there tomorrow morning (it's around 2 hours from Sacramento), spending the night in South Lake Tahoe, hiking on Sunday, then heading back. I'm very, very, very excited to get out of here! Can't wait to not wear a uniform, and do my hair, and look like a girl, and go somewhere new (and by choice!). It's going to be great! I will report back Sunday!
Have a great weekend everyone!
Anne
The last couple days were not the most exciting, but, I will share the details anyway, for those who really care.
Thursday, we had training for our team roles. Each team member is assigned certain jobs for the entire year. I am a co- PT coordinator, and the Service Learning Initiator. Sounds fancy. For PT, I get to pretty much be a health and fitness coach for the team alongside Andrew, my Jersey teammate.
For SLI (Service Learning Initiator) I get to initiate service learning activities. And, what exactly is service learning, one might ask. Well, I really can't tell you, because I still don't really get it. Apparently, we have to plan team activities to teach the team members more about the community and history and backgrounds of our project. For example: we will be in Mecca, CA for seven weeks. So, an activity would be to gather community newspapers, have each member read an article, and then report back to the team. But then, during training, they had us do activities such as: make a magazine collage about how you feel in AmeriCorps, and then another where we made an acrostic poem using all the letters from AmeriCorps (Ex: Awesome, Marvelous, Exciting, etc.). I don't really understand what those two activities have to do with anything, or service learning, so I'm just not going to do those. I'll spare my team from elementary exercises. We aren't seven.
Then came Friday. Today we had an all day service project from 7 am to 2 pm. Our assignment, along with 5 other teams, was to clear brush and thorny blackberry bushes from a biking trail through a suburban community, right near an elementary school. Now, you may recall, I have had a run-in with prickly bushes before. This time, I was prepared and ready as ever to tackle those thorns. It was a great, productive day.
This weekend we have Saturday and Sunday off! So that means.......I'm going to Lake Tahoe! Five people from good old Pod 11 are heading out there tomorrow morning (it's around 2 hours from Sacramento), spending the night in South Lake Tahoe, hiking on Sunday, then heading back. I'm very, very, very excited to get out of here! Can't wait to not wear a uniform, and do my hair, and look like a girl, and go somewhere new (and by choice!). It's going to be great! I will report back Sunday!
Have a great weekend everyone!
Anne
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Alive, Awake, Alert, Enthusiastic
Well, the flu has left me. Hooray!! I was able to go to training today. This morning, we discussed team relations and had to decide what kind of animal we were and how we would fit into team dynamics. I decided I was a fox, but then, who didn't know that?? But really, I guess foxes are creative and independent, and sometimes like to do their own thing. That's me, right?Then, we had a meeting about briefings and debriefings. The briefings are a team meeting pre-project, discussing questions about the upcoming SPIKE adventure. The debriefing is a formal presentation we give to the big whigs here at AmeriCorps at the conclusion of our SPIKE project. We get to wear our AmeriTux! This includes: white men's polo, black cargo pants, and our black steel-toed boots. Foxy. Then we watched a former team's debriefing video (we can be as creative as we want) who went to Mecca, CA and built homes for low-income families in the area.
In the afternoon, we all did a "community mapping" activity, which was essentially walking around downtown Sacramento. How fun! We had lunch in a park, and then split off into groups of 5 and explored. First, we all went to city hall to pick up these free Be the Change in Sacramento t-shirts, and I got to shake Mayor (and former NBA player) Kevin Johnson's hand! I must say, he had one of the nicest suit, shirt and tie combinations I've seen. Then we all went off and explored. First, we went to the capitol building. The lovely photo here is half of my team, Blue 6 (top step left to right: me, George, Rob, bottom step left to right: Kyla and Christie) in front of the California capitol building. It was lovely! Then we walked along a mall where the public transit trains go by, and then through an outdoor mall, and then to this area called Old Sacramento. It kind of just looked like a tourist trap with candy stores and tattoo parlors. I guess all the buildings were the restored original buildings on the river in Sacramento, but it just seemed like they were trying too hard. It could have had a much cooler atmosphere.
All in all, I thought Sacramento had a strange vibe to it. The architecture was unmemorable, the streets were wide and spread out, and no one was around except all the homeless people. Maybe I just need to spend more time downtown. Or, maybe it's just not for me!
Now for the exciting part of the day: we found out our first SPIKE project!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And the winner is....... MECCA, CALIFORNIA! (google it)
Sound familiar? Remember the video debriefing we watched today? The organization we are working with, the Coachella Valley Housing Coalition (www.cvhc.org) has been working with AmeriCorps for seven years and has had dozens of AmeriCorps teams help them out. So we will have the same project as many teams in the past and the future. Which means, they are very experienced with us and know what to do and will be very organized. My team leader said his roommate did this project last year and it was his favorite one. So, yay!
Here are the details: in the mornings, we will be doing home construction (oh yes, hard hats and power saws and everything) from about 7 am to 11 am. We will then have a siesta until 2, and some of us will continue with construction, while others rotate with an after school program in the community. The great thing about this CVHC program, is that the future owners and families of these homes have to help build them. So we will really get to know the homeowners and it will put more meaning into our work.
We arrive in Mecca on November 17th and end our work on the 28th of January. Spending winter in Southern California? Not too shabby.
<3
anne
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Sick Call
It's official: I have the flu, along with 4 other people on my team. I wasn't feeling too hot yesterday morning so I went to the doctor. Unfortunately, I had taken Advil for my headache, so if I had a slight fever, it was gone. So the murse practitioner sent me off with a mere "get out of PT" note.
Well, last night, I definitely became worse. I had a wicked fever, and I felt like death. It was pretty awful. This morning I felt a little better, but as I was at muster, I almost threw up. So I, along with my fellow teammate, Andrew, went to sick call again. I saw the same murse as yesterday and told him I was feeling worse and the only way I could lay in bed all day was if I came to sick call again. This time, he said he thinks I have some sort of flu, put me on Tamiflu, and swabbed my nose and throat. I'm getting tested for H1N1 and a bacterial infection. Oh, and I also have a small fever of 99 this morning (I'm gonna say last night my fever was around 101). The nurse said if I actually had H1N1 (which I probably don't), that by the time the results came back, I would be much worse and end up coming back before then.
Anywho, I'm taking the day to rest and drink fluids. I really hope I feel a lot better tomorrow!
Anne
Well, last night, I definitely became worse. I had a wicked fever, and I felt like death. It was pretty awful. This morning I felt a little better, but as I was at muster, I almost threw up. So I, along with my fellow teammate, Andrew, went to sick call again. I saw the same murse as yesterday and told him I was feeling worse and the only way I could lay in bed all day was if I came to sick call again. This time, he said he thinks I have some sort of flu, put me on Tamiflu, and swabbed my nose and throat. I'm getting tested for H1N1 and a bacterial infection. Oh, and I also have a small fever of 99 this morning (I'm gonna say last night my fever was around 101). The nurse said if I actually had H1N1 (which I probably don't), that by the time the results came back, I would be much worse and end up coming back before then.
Anywho, I'm taking the day to rest and drink fluids. I really hope I feel a lot better tomorrow!
Anne
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Camp Mendocino!
Background: This is a camp for the Boys and Girls Club of San Francisco, which brings underprivileged kids out of urban life and into nature every summer.
Day 1: Wednesday, we left Sacramento at about 8:30 am, and I was the driver for the first 2 hours. It was the most beautiful drive ever. We went through rolling grassy hills, mountain lakes, and redwood forests. We arrive 4 hours later and have a tour of the camp; it’s a typical summer camp smack dab in the middle of a redwood forest in the mountains. Thus, no internet, no cell phone, and very chilly! (But still beautiful.)
We watched a video called “Fish”, about the business philosophy of the successful Pike Place Market Fish Company in Seattle. The four principles of their philosophy were: play, make their day, be there, and choose your attitude (remember this for later).
Then, later that night we had free time and sat around a campfire and sang songs. Now, I’m not really into summer camp. I went in sixth grade and never went again. So, you can imagine, this isn’t really my scene. Also, we had just formed into new teams the night before, and didn’t really know anyone very well. Therefore, being freezing (it was in the low 40’s that night and we were sleeping in open-air cabins), alone, with no support and no cell phone to call people we’re close to, and doing camp things, was not my idea of a good time. I was thinking of quitting AmeriCorps that evening. In order to not freeze, I wore to bed: wool socks, thermal pants and shirt, sweatpants, t-shirt, sweatshirt, winter hat, hood, and I had a fleece blanket I put inside my sleeping bag. I still woke up several times chilled. It was rough.
Day 2: 5:15 am, wake up for PT. Yes, we had to do PT at 5:30 in the morning in the cold, dark, wet grass. This was pleasant. Luckily, we had a hot pancake and oatmeal breakfast. The food saved the day. In the first half of the day, my team did a service project for the camp. It consisted of sanding the stain off a cabin on the river. Although we used power sanders, we didn’t get very far. The stain was almost impossible to sand off. I maybe sanded a two-foot square area in 3 hours. But at least I felt I was helping out a little!
Then, in the afternoon, we had to fill out these Individual Learning Plans, which was pretty much a questionnaire about what you’re planning to do after AmeriCorps and how AmeriCorps is going to help fulfill those goals. Well, to make it more exciting, my Team Leader, Bryant, had us walk down the railroad tracks that ran through the camp (don’t worry, trains came maybe twice a day) to this little hiking trail on the side of a mountain and we all spread out and did our worksheets. It was quite lovely and peaceful. I was beginning to like AmeriCorps again.
Later that night, I had to meet with Bryant to do a one-on-one discussion of my goals. Although I thought filling out this goal sheet was not very exciting, writing everything out made me realize I’m doing AmeriCorps mainly for personal growth, rather than changing career goals. I want to be challenged, I want to work on my mental flexibility, and I want to have smoother transitions, such as moving around every 6 weeks and not freaking out about it.
Day 3: This was by far the best day. I showered after PT for the first time since Wednesday morning. It was glorious. In the morning, we did the usual team-building exercises. One particularly fun activity was, half our team was on one platform 6 inches off the ground, and the other half was on a smaller platform of the same height. There was a swinging rope in the middle, and about 25 plastic balls on the ground. We had to pick up all the balls and have everyone switch platforms with no one touching the ground. I must say, it was pretty enjoyable.
The second half of the day, we did the high ropes course. We climbed a big ladder up into the redwoods and walked tightropes and swinging logs to get from tree to tree. It was AWESOME. Don’t worry mom, we wore helmets and harnesses and were attached to the cables by ropes! Then, to get down, we ziplined down the hill. So much fun!!
That evening, as a final hurrah to Camp Mendocino, we were having a big bonfire and every team had to do a skit on stage. I, not being into camp things, was obviously not thrilled. Team Blue 6 (my team for the rest of the year), came up with a skit an hour before go time. We did a parody of the “Fish” movie, and called it “Boot”. Our four philosophies were: Be on time, Choose your boot size, Fantastic, and Make them safe. We were a steel-toed boot store and we had people on stage throwing boots and catching them in newspapers, just like the fish place. I was the narrator and held up signs and introduced everything. By the time we had done our skit, I have to admit, I was pretty into it. Then we all listened to music by the fire. It was a pretty great day. And, luckily, it warmed up a little, so the last two nights were about 49 degrees. Much more comfortable than say, 42!!
Day 4: This was the final day, and before we left, we had AmeriOlympics. I competed in the PPE race. I had to run across the field, put on a pair of coveralls, a hard hat and safety glasses, and run all the way back. I came in fourth place (out of 7), so hey, it’s better than last!
Then, on the drive home, not 4 miles from camp, on a winding, dirt road, we came across the green unit leader stuck on the side of the road. The green unit was arriving to camp this day. We tried jumping her car, but that didn’t help, so she was just going to wait for the green unit vans to arrive in about 15 minutes.
Then, about 5 minutes later after driving down the road, we hear this awful metal scraping sound coming from the right rear tire. So we pull over and jack the car up and take off the tire to find a rock lodged between the brake and the wheel and it was getting scraped down. So, we popped out the rock and put the tire back on and headed back to Sacramento. We arrived back at about 5:15 pm.
All in all, it was sort of fun, and would have been more enjoyable if it was warmer. Blue 6 is pretty awesome. We all get along, so far. We all really bonded at Camp Mendocino. I think it’s going to be a great year!!
Love you all.
anne
Day 1: Wednesday, we left Sacramento at about 8:30 am, and I was the driver for the first 2 hours. It was the most beautiful drive ever. We went through rolling grassy hills, mountain lakes, and redwood forests. We arrive 4 hours later and have a tour of the camp; it’s a typical summer camp smack dab in the middle of a redwood forest in the mountains. Thus, no internet, no cell phone, and very chilly! (But still beautiful.)
We watched a video called “Fish”, about the business philosophy of the successful Pike Place Market Fish Company in Seattle. The four principles of their philosophy were: play, make their day, be there, and choose your attitude (remember this for later).
Then, later that night we had free time and sat around a campfire and sang songs. Now, I’m not really into summer camp. I went in sixth grade and never went again. So, you can imagine, this isn’t really my scene. Also, we had just formed into new teams the night before, and didn’t really know anyone very well. Therefore, being freezing (it was in the low 40’s that night and we were sleeping in open-air cabins), alone, with no support and no cell phone to call people we’re close to, and doing camp things, was not my idea of a good time. I was thinking of quitting AmeriCorps that evening. In order to not freeze, I wore to bed: wool socks, thermal pants and shirt, sweatpants, t-shirt, sweatshirt, winter hat, hood, and I had a fleece blanket I put inside my sleeping bag. I still woke up several times chilled. It was rough.
Day 2: 5:15 am, wake up for PT. Yes, we had to do PT at 5:30 in the morning in the cold, dark, wet grass. This was pleasant. Luckily, we had a hot pancake and oatmeal breakfast. The food saved the day. In the first half of the day, my team did a service project for the camp. It consisted of sanding the stain off a cabin on the river. Although we used power sanders, we didn’t get very far. The stain was almost impossible to sand off. I maybe sanded a two-foot square area in 3 hours. But at least I felt I was helping out a little!
Then, in the afternoon, we had to fill out these Individual Learning Plans, which was pretty much a questionnaire about what you’re planning to do after AmeriCorps and how AmeriCorps is going to help fulfill those goals. Well, to make it more exciting, my Team Leader, Bryant, had us walk down the railroad tracks that ran through the camp (don’t worry, trains came maybe twice a day) to this little hiking trail on the side of a mountain and we all spread out and did our worksheets. It was quite lovely and peaceful. I was beginning to like AmeriCorps again.
Later that night, I had to meet with Bryant to do a one-on-one discussion of my goals. Although I thought filling out this goal sheet was not very exciting, writing everything out made me realize I’m doing AmeriCorps mainly for personal growth, rather than changing career goals. I want to be challenged, I want to work on my mental flexibility, and I want to have smoother transitions, such as moving around every 6 weeks and not freaking out about it.
Day 3: This was by far the best day. I showered after PT for the first time since Wednesday morning. It was glorious. In the morning, we did the usual team-building exercises. One particularly fun activity was, half our team was on one platform 6 inches off the ground, and the other half was on a smaller platform of the same height. There was a swinging rope in the middle, and about 25 plastic balls on the ground. We had to pick up all the balls and have everyone switch platforms with no one touching the ground. I must say, it was pretty enjoyable.
The second half of the day, we did the high ropes course. We climbed a big ladder up into the redwoods and walked tightropes and swinging logs to get from tree to tree. It was AWESOME. Don’t worry mom, we wore helmets and harnesses and were attached to the cables by ropes! Then, to get down, we ziplined down the hill. So much fun!!
That evening, as a final hurrah to Camp Mendocino, we were having a big bonfire and every team had to do a skit on stage. I, not being into camp things, was obviously not thrilled. Team Blue 6 (my team for the rest of the year), came up with a skit an hour before go time. We did a parody of the “Fish” movie, and called it “Boot”. Our four philosophies were: Be on time, Choose your boot size, Fantastic, and Make them safe. We were a steel-toed boot store and we had people on stage throwing boots and catching them in newspapers, just like the fish place. I was the narrator and held up signs and introduced everything. By the time we had done our skit, I have to admit, I was pretty into it. Then we all listened to music by the fire. It was a pretty great day. And, luckily, it warmed up a little, so the last two nights were about 49 degrees. Much more comfortable than say, 42!!
Day 4: This was the final day, and before we left, we had AmeriOlympics. I competed in the PPE race. I had to run across the field, put on a pair of coveralls, a hard hat and safety glasses, and run all the way back. I came in fourth place (out of 7), so hey, it’s better than last!
Then, on the drive home, not 4 miles from camp, on a winding, dirt road, we came across the green unit leader stuck on the side of the road. The green unit was arriving to camp this day. We tried jumping her car, but that didn’t help, so she was just going to wait for the green unit vans to arrive in about 15 minutes.
Then, about 5 minutes later after driving down the road, we hear this awful metal scraping sound coming from the right rear tire. So we pull over and jack the car up and take off the tire to find a rock lodged between the brake and the wheel and it was getting scraped down. So, we popped out the rock and put the tire back on and headed back to Sacramento. We arrived back at about 5:15 pm.
All in all, it was sort of fun, and would have been more enjoyable if it was warmer. Blue 6 is pretty awesome. We all get along, so far. We all really bonded at Camp Mendocino. I think it’s going to be a great year!!
Love you all.
anne
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