Mecca: yup

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