Current City: Dallas, TX... my new home
Life has a funny way of taking turns when you least expect it. If anyone still follows this, you probably have noticed that it has taken me about 9 months to finally write. AmeriCorps has been over for about 7, and last I left you I was supposed to go back as a Team Leader. Well, as some of you know, if not all of you now know, that didn't quite happen the way I had intended. And it has taken me about 7 months to put back together the pieces that remained of me after hitting a brick wall.I am finally starting to feel like myself again. And as each day passes I am finding closure to every unraveled end that had left me in limbo.
I guess in a sense I was avoiding this blog. More or less because I was afraid of the wounds that it would reopen by posting on it or even rereading it. It made everything real again, and the fantasy that I had been living for months, forgetting that anything had ever happened would come to an end. But to be honest, the more I tried to push the memories away, the more AmeriCorps would come back. Like it or not, it changed me. I am no longer who I was the 10 months before I started on a journey that would change my life.
I am stronger, healthier, wiser, and my passion and love for people has grown in ways that I never thought it could have. I learned how to handle different situations- some learning what not to do in certain situations, but then again we all make mistakes. I learned that not all situations can be controlled, and sometimes you have to embrace change and just enjoy the ride. Most importantly, I learned how to forgive and accept, not only other people, but myself.
My team- 11 strangers- became my family. Like a typical family, we disagreed, fought, and sometimes even screamed at each other. But in the end we forgave each other and still loved and accepted one another for who they were. And although we do not talk a lot, some more than others, and everyone has started their own individual life, I still love and cherish each one of them. I think about them every day, and would still do anything for them. So thank you Water 6 for everything you have taught me and an amazing 10 months. I will never forget you.
So here's to a new chapter, amazing memories, and picking up the pieces and moving on....
Love always,
Kris
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
FIRE FIRE FIREEEE
Location: San Isabel/ Pueblo/ Canon City, CO
So, Let me explain where I have been the past month or so. Immediately starting our second round, we spent a week back in Lake George, then reported to San Isabel Lake in Southern CO. It is probably one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to. We are located in a work center right across the street from the lake, where get this, wild irises grow. Meant to be? I think so. But alas, we have no phone service nor internet, so my lack of updates is kind of explained.
At San Isabel we have been put to major work massacaring trees right and left, and doing burn prep work along a road. This entails cutting 20-30 feet from the road and then dragging the trees, limbs, everything else you cut a chain length, or 66 feet from the main road. In long pants, long sleeves, hard hats, gloves, etc, this gets pretty hot especially in 80 degree weather. Which isn't awful, but the dragging gets tiring. Especially when my squad likes to be macho and try to drag entire trees 66 feet up hill. It's awesome.... Slightly sarcastic, but you do feel pretty awesome after you drag a huge tree that distance.
We have been working alongside a fuels crew from Canon City during our time here. They are amazing! Alfonso, the leader of their squad, helped us with our training during second round. He is hysterical, and every time he is around the energy instantly increases. He starts the morning with "HEYYY GUYS!!! DID YOU DREAM ABOUT ME???" over the loud speaker in their truck. The crew consists of 3-4 other guys, depending on the day, all around our age. They have been a blast to work with, and have taught us so much about fires and being a fuels crew. I know we will all miss them terribly after this week, when we have to say goodbye and head to Leadville for 3 weeks.
An exciting thing that has happened was that WE GOT TO GO ON OUR FIRST FIRE!!! YAAAY! It was sooo amazing. We worked all day, and then at 4:30, when we were wrapping up, the fire call goes off on our radios, and we were called to be a first response crew to a fire up in Fairplay (about 2-3 hours away from our location). So we piled into our trucks and started our long journey up there. We got to the site around 8 PM, then our trucks couldn't make it up the steep hills, so we had to park, put on all our gear, grab our packs and our tools and start the mile hike up the steep hills to get to the actual meeting place to hike into the fire. An hour later, we finally made it up there, and started our inital attack on the fire. Of course, we basically had no idea what was going on. All we knew was that it was dark, there were flames and smoke everywhere, and we were to follow the fire line searching for hot spots, trying to put out some of the smaller flames. It was 10 PM by the time we were done for the night, 11 before we made it to our bunk houses, and 1 AM before we got dinner and went to bed. We were up the next morning at 6, ready to go. The fire had mostly put itself out except for the top left flank, where we concentrated our efforts on digging line and cold trailing/ putting out hot spots.
The rest of the days were spent mostly like that. Cold trailing, putting out hot spots, and checking for smoke. We were there for around 4 days. It was such an incredible experience. It was exhausting, but Alfonso's humor and the exciting atmosphere that the fire provided, made it an incredible experience. And I am so grateful I got to participate in a complete fire, from First Response to Mop Up. And we got to see a heletack, which even the fuels crew hadn't even ever seen before.
It was a wonderful reminder of why I wanted to be on this team, and I am so grateful to have had that experience.
That is about all for now. I wish I could go into more detail about the craziness of my life, but my computer is about to die. But! I will try to update soon, and if you want to know more just give me a call! I love to talk about it :)
I miss you all, and hope you are doing well,
Kris
PS! I GOT THE TEAM LEADER POSITION!!! I WILL BE IN DENVER NEXT YEAR AS THE MEDIA TL! So, another full year of blogs ;), this time with more chances to update! Get excited...
So, Let me explain where I have been the past month or so. Immediately starting our second round, we spent a week back in Lake George, then reported to San Isabel Lake in Southern CO. It is probably one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to. We are located in a work center right across the street from the lake, where get this, wild irises grow. Meant to be? I think so. But alas, we have no phone service nor internet, so my lack of updates is kind of explained.
At San Isabel we have been put to major work massacaring trees right and left, and doing burn prep work along a road. This entails cutting 20-30 feet from the road and then dragging the trees, limbs, everything else you cut a chain length, or 66 feet from the main road. In long pants, long sleeves, hard hats, gloves, etc, this gets pretty hot especially in 80 degree weather. Which isn't awful, but the dragging gets tiring. Especially when my squad likes to be macho and try to drag entire trees 66 feet up hill. It's awesome.... Slightly sarcastic, but you do feel pretty awesome after you drag a huge tree that distance.
We have been working alongside a fuels crew from Canon City during our time here. They are amazing! Alfonso, the leader of their squad, helped us with our training during second round. He is hysterical, and every time he is around the energy instantly increases. He starts the morning with "HEYYY GUYS!!! DID YOU DREAM ABOUT ME???" over the loud speaker in their truck. The crew consists of 3-4 other guys, depending on the day, all around our age. They have been a blast to work with, and have taught us so much about fires and being a fuels crew. I know we will all miss them terribly after this week, when we have to say goodbye and head to Leadville for 3 weeks.
An exciting thing that has happened was that WE GOT TO GO ON OUR FIRST FIRE!!! YAAAY! It was sooo amazing. We worked all day, and then at 4:30, when we were wrapping up, the fire call goes off on our radios, and we were called to be a first response crew to a fire up in Fairplay (about 2-3 hours away from our location). So we piled into our trucks and started our long journey up there. We got to the site around 8 PM, then our trucks couldn't make it up the steep hills, so we had to park, put on all our gear, grab our packs and our tools and start the mile hike up the steep hills to get to the actual meeting place to hike into the fire. An hour later, we finally made it up there, and started our inital attack on the fire. Of course, we basically had no idea what was going on. All we knew was that it was dark, there were flames and smoke everywhere, and we were to follow the fire line searching for hot spots, trying to put out some of the smaller flames. It was 10 PM by the time we were done for the night, 11 before we made it to our bunk houses, and 1 AM before we got dinner and went to bed. We were up the next morning at 6, ready to go. The fire had mostly put itself out except for the top left flank, where we concentrated our efforts on digging line and cold trailing/ putting out hot spots.
The rest of the days were spent mostly like that. Cold trailing, putting out hot spots, and checking for smoke. We were there for around 4 days. It was such an incredible experience. It was exhausting, but Alfonso's humor and the exciting atmosphere that the fire provided, made it an incredible experience. And I am so grateful I got to participate in a complete fire, from First Response to Mop Up. And we got to see a heletack, which even the fuels crew hadn't even ever seen before.
It was a wonderful reminder of why I wanted to be on this team, and I am so grateful to have had that experience.
That is about all for now. I wish I could go into more detail about the craziness of my life, but my computer is about to die. But! I will try to update soon, and if you want to know more just give me a call! I love to talk about it :)
I miss you all, and hope you are doing well,
Kris
PS! I GOT THE TEAM LEADER POSITION!!! I WILL BE IN DENVER NEXT YEAR AS THE MEDIA TL! So, another full year of blogs ;), this time with more chances to update! Get excited...
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
A tearful goodbye...
Location: Freeport, TX
Once upon a time, there lived an AmeriCorps NCCC corps member who was awful at updating her blog... And who is apologizing profusely about the lack of blog posts.
So this is no fairytale, and is real life... And I am truly sorry. Things got insanely crazy, and this round wrapped up much faster than I thought it was going to. And every time I sat down to update, something came up... or I was just busy every weekend. Which is true. Well I am currently sitting here on my last night in Freeport, reminiscing about the past month and a half, and I am reminded of how thankful I am for being able to be a part of AmeriCorps.
This project was completely different than any that I had had in the past. I was able to see the lives that I was touching. I knew from the get go that I was going to get attached to the kids that I was working with, but after a month and a half the day came that I had to say goodbye. That's when reality of this program hit me hard. For them it was just another Friday, and they would be back Monday, and everything would be normal. Life would go on just as it would have any day before that, but for me it was the last time that I would ever step foot into my club, see the map of the US painted on the ground as I walked the long path through the gym to the classroom, pour their apple juice, and talk to them about how their days went, and what their plans are for the weekend, and the last time I would ever see my kids. I wrote them a letter, and read it out loud to them, choking back tears, wondering if they actually cared, or if they were just excited for the candy that I was about to give them. When I was done I looked up and saw tearful eyes all around me. That's when I knew that I had affected many lives. And then Monday when I received a card from them, all signed, tears formed again. One particular note stood out. "Dear Ms. Kristyn, I hate that you are leaving us. But you will always have a place in my heart. Love always, Laura" It was from a 6th grader that I had become particularly close to over the past month and a half.
These projects have gone by so quickly. As I head back to Denver tomorrow, I am reminded that nothing is permanent, especially in AmeriCorps. You are so used to change and bouncing from one project to the next that sometimes you forget that the things you do really do matter to people, and you are afraid to become attached because eventually you will have to say goodbye. And in two short months I will be walking across the stage at graduation, saying goodbye to the people that have become my family over the past 10 months. We have lived together, worked together, played together, and relied on each other for everything, and I'm not sure what I am going to do without them.
The past month and a half has been trying. With the potential shut down that loomed over us, we knew that in an instant everything could have changed and we would have been jobless. The kids were, in a nice way... Challenging? I think would be the best word... but they helped me learn so much about myself and how to handle different conflicts. I have been so luck to have had this project, and I will miss the Boys and Girls Club of Brazoria County dearly. But I will take back the lessons that I have learned, and to quote Laura, they will always have a place in my heart.
Kris
Once upon a time, there lived an AmeriCorps NCCC corps member who was awful at updating her blog... And who is apologizing profusely about the lack of blog posts.
So this is no fairytale, and is real life... And I am truly sorry. Things got insanely crazy, and this round wrapped up much faster than I thought it was going to. And every time I sat down to update, something came up... or I was just busy every weekend. Which is true. Well I am currently sitting here on my last night in Freeport, reminiscing about the past month and a half, and I am reminded of how thankful I am for being able to be a part of AmeriCorps.
This project was completely different than any that I had had in the past. I was able to see the lives that I was touching. I knew from the get go that I was going to get attached to the kids that I was working with, but after a month and a half the day came that I had to say goodbye. That's when reality of this program hit me hard. For them it was just another Friday, and they would be back Monday, and everything would be normal. Life would go on just as it would have any day before that, but for me it was the last time that I would ever step foot into my club, see the map of the US painted on the ground as I walked the long path through the gym to the classroom, pour their apple juice, and talk to them about how their days went, and what their plans are for the weekend, and the last time I would ever see my kids. I wrote them a letter, and read it out loud to them, choking back tears, wondering if they actually cared, or if they were just excited for the candy that I was about to give them. When I was done I looked up and saw tearful eyes all around me. That's when I knew that I had affected many lives. And then Monday when I received a card from them, all signed, tears formed again. One particular note stood out. "Dear Ms. Kristyn, I hate that you are leaving us. But you will always have a place in my heart. Love always, Laura" It was from a 6th grader that I had become particularly close to over the past month and a half.
These projects have gone by so quickly. As I head back to Denver tomorrow, I am reminded that nothing is permanent, especially in AmeriCorps. You are so used to change and bouncing from one project to the next that sometimes you forget that the things you do really do matter to people, and you are afraid to become attached because eventually you will have to say goodbye. And in two short months I will be walking across the stage at graduation, saying goodbye to the people that have become my family over the past 10 months. We have lived together, worked together, played together, and relied on each other for everything, and I'm not sure what I am going to do without them.
The past month and a half has been trying. With the potential shut down that loomed over us, we knew that in an instant everything could have changed and we would have been jobless. The kids were, in a nice way... Challenging? I think would be the best word... but they helped me learn so much about myself and how to handle different conflicts. I have been so luck to have had this project, and I will miss the Boys and Girls Club of Brazoria County dearly. But I will take back the lessons that I have learned, and to quote Laura, they will always have a place in my heart.
Kris
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
"Miss B"
Location: Freeport, TX
Howdy from Texas! I have been here for almost a week, and am absolutely loving it! We are about 5 minutes away from the beach, and yes we have already spent a day there, and yes despite my wearing sun screen, I am already burned. I am living on a cot in the back of the administrative buildings with 9 other people. It has been quite the experience so far. I am always the first to go to bed, which is sad, but luckily I can sleep through a lot of things so that doesn't bother me. We shower in another club that is 2-3 blocks away. Another interesting experience. But so far so good!
We started work yesterday, and so far it is amazing. Anthony and I are at a traditional club about 20 minutes away from where we live. It is a little rural community, and the kids that come are mostly between the ages of 3rd-6th grade. They are adorable! Quite a handful, but I'm already in love with all of them. The second I walked in they nicknamed me "Miss B" because they think I look like Brittany Spears... hopefully before her downfall. And Anthony has been nicknamed "Elvis" cause of his poofy hair. I love it. :)
I had my TL interview the other day. It went well I think.../ I hope.... We'll see. I rambled a lot when I was nervous, but I hope they found it endearing. Haha I will let you know! I should know about May 23rd... so give me a few months.
The team is amazing still. Its been wonderful being on a normal team. Not that i don't miss my other team dearly, but I really do love my new team. We all are getting along wonderfully, so hopefully it will continue that way!
Well, that is all for now. I hope that everyone is doing well.
Update soon!
Kris
Howdy from Texas! I have been here for almost a week, and am absolutely loving it! We are about 5 minutes away from the beach, and yes we have already spent a day there, and yes despite my wearing sun screen, I am already burned. I am living on a cot in the back of the administrative buildings with 9 other people. It has been quite the experience so far. I am always the first to go to bed, which is sad, but luckily I can sleep through a lot of things so that doesn't bother me. We shower in another club that is 2-3 blocks away. Another interesting experience. But so far so good!
We started work yesterday, and so far it is amazing. Anthony and I are at a traditional club about 20 minutes away from where we live. It is a little rural community, and the kids that come are mostly between the ages of 3rd-6th grade. They are adorable! Quite a handful, but I'm already in love with all of them. The second I walked in they nicknamed me "Miss B" because they think I look like Brittany Spears... hopefully before her downfall. And Anthony has been nicknamed "Elvis" cause of his poofy hair. I love it. :)
I had my TL interview the other day. It went well I think.../ I hope.... We'll see. I rambled a lot when I was nervous, but I hope they found it endearing. Haha I will let you know! I should know about May 23rd... so give me a few months.
The team is amazing still. Its been wonderful being on a normal team. Not that i don't miss my other team dearly, but I really do love my new team. We all are getting along wonderfully, so hopefully it will continue that way!
Well, that is all for now. I hope that everyone is doing well.
Update soon!
Kris
Sunday, March 13, 2011
A New Beginning
Location: Denver, CO
So, it has been exactly a month since my last post. Sorry about That. Things became crazy the last 2 weeks of work and I honestly didn't have time this past week for an update. But here I am, back in my dorm room packing for my next adventure- Freeport, Texas where I will be working at the Boys and Girls Club!!! I am super excited. We are exactly 15 minutes away from the beach, where you can just guess, I will be spending all of my free time. We are 2 hours away from Houston and 4 hours away from San Antonio- so Road Trip!!! It will be an amazing experience being able to work with people again. Don't get me wrong, I love my fire management projects and have become a pretty decent sawyer, but I miss the interaction with people. It's easy to lose track of why you are doing what you are doing with environmental projects, where as you can actually see the difference you are making in the children's lives. I have heard that it is a challenging, but completely worth while project, and I can't wait.
My new team is absolutely amazing too. Everyone is thrilled to be going to Freeport. They all seem really nice and out going, so as a whole I feel like we are all going to get along very well. My new team leader is Heidi, the UDA for the Water Unit. We are the first team that she has had all year and she seems just as excited as we are to be going. It is funny seeing the difference between how Alex runs things and how Heidi does. Both have completely different leadership techniques, and I know I will learn a lot from each of them. It will be nice to have a few months away from my old team to regroup and refresh, but I will miss them dearly. It will be weird not seeing them everyday for the next 2 months. But I feel like it will make us appreciate each other much more when we are reunited!
I have officially applied to be a team leader next year, and I have my interview next week! I'm a little nervous because 18 people from the Water Unit alone applied, and only about 4-5 of them will become team leaders next year. So, wish me luck!
On a fun note, Denver had a HUGE St. Patrick's day parade yesterday downtown. So Meg and I went down early and watched about 2 hours of it- the thing lasted almost 4. It was hysterical people watching too. There were old men in kilts, children dressed as fairies, and lots and lots of drunk people wandering the streets cheering on the parade. It was a blast to watch. We ended up staying downtown for the rest of the day, enjoying the weather and the city before going out that night with everyone from campus. It really made me appreciate Denver, and realize how much I am going to miss it over the next few months. Who knows- maybe this is where I will end up after AmeriCorps!
Well, that is all. I start my 3 day van ride down to Freeport tomorrow, so I will try to update as soon as we get to the Boys and Girls club! I hope everyone is doing well.
Love,
Kris
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Timmmber!
Location: La Junta, CO
Lake George was filled with not doing a whole lot, and our sponsors trying to find busy work for us to do. I am now a pro at shortening blinds, sharpening tools, and cleaning the kitchen... Amazing isn't it? We started our real project this Monday with a trip to Picketwire. We are here for 10 days working on cutting down an invasive species... which is a lot more brutal than the honey suckle was back in Gray Summit. This stuff actually fights back... and I have the bruises and cuts to prove it. But I have become a lot more comfortable with a chainsaw and am now able to carry it/use it easily for a full tank of gas (which is about an hour or so). At first I was barely able to hold it long enough to cut down a tree, now I am demolishing them all over the place! Picketwire is absolutely beautiful. We are in the middle of a canyon and everywhere you turn there are picturesque landscapes. And what is even better? It is 50 degrees outside!!!! Feb 13th, and its 50 degrees. We went from -30 in Lake George to 50... it is like Heaven outside. I'm not even minding running at 8 AM since the weather isn't below freezing. I will be very sad to leave, but I am excited for the next part of our adventure in Lake George.
Shuffle round is approaching! For our third round, we get to choose our projects! This means our team will be split up and we will be mixed up with everyone, and even have a new TL. Which I am very excited about. I love my team, but it will be very nice to have a break for a few months. Our unit got projects that I am actually really excited about, though not everyone is... My top two are Boys and Girls clubs in both New Mexico and Houston. There is also a habitat project in Oklahoma City (Which sorry my Tulsa friends.. I didn't rank that number one), rebuilding a city in Kansas, and two other trail type projects... one in Arizona and one in southern Texas. I wanted to try to escape the outdoors for a project round before we start our firefighting in May. I will let you all know as soon as I find out my project!
We got to go camping and hiking this weekend! Which was so much fun... freezing at night, but amazing. We set up camp up on the top of one of the canyons and had the most beautiful view. It was great bonding with the team, and I am becoming relatively good at gracefully falling down mountains and avoiding cactus :).
I think that is all for now! I will be without phone service for another 5 days, but I will try to update once I get back to civilization :)
I hope you all are doing well! I miss you!
Love,
Kris
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Officially Red Carded!
Location: Lake George, CO
Well, the past two weeks have been absolutely crazy! We have been living in a classroom for 8 hours a day... I have not missed being in a class at all. We finished our S-130, S-190, and S-212 classes. Meaning, we now have our Red Cards for Wildland firefighters!!! We can work for the US Forest Service as Type 2 Hand Crews during fire season. We also received our A Sawyer certification. Meaning we can operate chain saws as long as there is a B Sawyer supervising. It is hard to believe that the first time I have ever touched a chain saw was on Thursday, and now I am certified to use them all the time for the next 3 years if I so choose. Though my body tells another story! Lifting those things for 8 hours a day is crazy. They way about 25-30 lbs and you are basically supporting them off of one arm.
For our certification, we had to successfully "fell" (or cut down) two trees, as well as limb them and buck them. Which is harder than it sounds. :) The way they teach you is to do a face cut (aka a horizontal cut into the tree the way you want it to fall) and then a 45 degree sloping cut to meet that (a diagonal cut that meets with the other side) that way you have something that looks like a mouth on the tree to help lay it where you want it to go. Then you have to put a back cut in there about 2 inches above your face cut. ... Let's just say it is a lot to think about under pressure.. as well as making sure that the tree doesn't fall early, nor will it land on anyone.
Ren, Megan, Jeremy and I went to explore the Garden of the Gods last weekend.... It was so beautiful. I have never seen anything close to it... well maybe Red Rocks in Denver, but this was everywhere. We had fun climbing up rocks and exploring around. Meg and I had an even better time watching all the puppies go exploring the Garden too. The views were so beautiful. It amazes me that places like that really exist. I could probably go back every weekend and not get sick of it.
That is about all for now... I will try to update soon about my first week of real work!
I miss you all..
<3
Kris
Well, the past two weeks have been absolutely crazy! We have been living in a classroom for 8 hours a day... I have not missed being in a class at all. We finished our S-130, S-190, and S-212 classes. Meaning, we now have our Red Cards for Wildland firefighters!!! We can work for the US Forest Service as Type 2 Hand Crews during fire season. We also received our A Sawyer certification. Meaning we can operate chain saws as long as there is a B Sawyer supervising. It is hard to believe that the first time I have ever touched a chain saw was on Thursday, and now I am certified to use them all the time for the next 3 years if I so choose. Though my body tells another story! Lifting those things for 8 hours a day is crazy. They way about 25-30 lbs and you are basically supporting them off of one arm.
For our certification, we had to successfully "fell" (or cut down) two trees, as well as limb them and buck them. Which is harder than it sounds. :) The way they teach you is to do a face cut (aka a horizontal cut into the tree the way you want it to fall) and then a 45 degree sloping cut to meet that (a diagonal cut that meets with the other side) that way you have something that looks like a mouth on the tree to help lay it where you want it to go. Then you have to put a back cut in there about 2 inches above your face cut. ... Let's just say it is a lot to think about under pressure.. as well as making sure that the tree doesn't fall early, nor will it land on anyone.
Ren, Megan, Jeremy and I went to explore the Garden of the Gods last weekend.... It was so beautiful. I have never seen anything close to it... well maybe Red Rocks in Denver, but this was everywhere. We had fun climbing up rocks and exploring around. Meg and I had an even better time watching all the puppies go exploring the Garden too. The views were so beautiful. It amazes me that places like that really exist. I could probably go back every weekend and not get sick of it.
That is about all for now... I will try to update soon about my first week of real work!
I miss you all..
<3
Kris
Monday, January 10, 2011
Firrrre!!!
Lake George, CO
Greetings from Lake George, CO! For those of you who don't know, Lake George is a small little town a little South (?) of Colorado Springs. It is located in Pikes Peak National Forest. This is where We will be spending the next 2 months of our lives doing fire training and fire mitigation work.
The last I talked to you, it was prior to my pack test... well... I passed!!! 43.25. 3 minutes under the required amount. It was so much harder than anticipated, and I was left with some pretty awesome blisters. But I passed. And I never planning on doing it again. Once was enough for me. The walking was fine, but you throw in 45 lbs of sand in a pack on your back and it creates major problems.... But it's finally over.
When we pulled into Lake George, it appeared to be something out of a postcard. Snow capped foothills with mountains in the background, and little wood cabins where we will be living. We have 7 people living in one house and then 3 living in the other. Meg and I are roommates! YAY! We got one of the biggest rooms in the house, which is really nice, but we have no curtains... which poses problems for people who have modesty issues. Luckily I do not. But none the less we didn't want people staring into our windows at night and watching us sleep, so we created some using duct tape and towels/ scraps of fabric.
It took getting here to realize how much I have truly missed my team. They have become my family over the past few months and I have missed being around them, playing games, and working with them. We are all so different in so many ways but some how we work. I am very thankful to have them. They have been especially wonderful the past week when I have been going through some personal issues... But no fear! I am getting better.. thanks to my team and for being away in Pikes. Hopefully the next two months will not only be challenging, but healing.
We started classes today, with our S-190 (intro to Wildland Fire Behavior/ intro to fire), and we will proceed to take classes and training for the next two weeks. It was very interesting, until after lunch when our teacher went off on tangents about weather and wind. The day ended with a test.. which I really hope I passed... wish me luck! :) After these two weeks, we will hopefully have our Red Card and be Type Two Wildfire fighters! Which.. let's be honest... is pretty awesome.
Well, that is all for now... I hope you all are doing well!
Love,
Kris
Greetings from Lake George, CO! For those of you who don't know, Lake George is a small little town a little South (?) of Colorado Springs. It is located in Pikes Peak National Forest. This is where We will be spending the next 2 months of our lives doing fire training and fire mitigation work.
The last I talked to you, it was prior to my pack test... well... I passed!!! 43.25. 3 minutes under the required amount. It was so much harder than anticipated, and I was left with some pretty awesome blisters. But I passed. And I never planning on doing it again. Once was enough for me. The walking was fine, but you throw in 45 lbs of sand in a pack on your back and it creates major problems.... But it's finally over.
When we pulled into Lake George, it appeared to be something out of a postcard. Snow capped foothills with mountains in the background, and little wood cabins where we will be living. We have 7 people living in one house and then 3 living in the other. Meg and I are roommates! YAY! We got one of the biggest rooms in the house, which is really nice, but we have no curtains... which poses problems for people who have modesty issues. Luckily I do not. But none the less we didn't want people staring into our windows at night and watching us sleep, so we created some using duct tape and towels/ scraps of fabric.
It took getting here to realize how much I have truly missed my team. They have become my family over the past few months and I have missed being around them, playing games, and working with them. We are all so different in so many ways but some how we work. I am very thankful to have them. They have been especially wonderful the past week when I have been going through some personal issues... But no fear! I am getting better.. thanks to my team and for being away in Pikes. Hopefully the next two months will not only be challenging, but healing.
We started classes today, with our S-190 (intro to Wildland Fire Behavior/ intro to fire), and we will proceed to take classes and training for the next two weeks. It was very interesting, until after lunch when our teacher went off on tangents about weather and wind. The day ended with a test.. which I really hope I passed... wish me luck! :) After these two weeks, we will hopefully have our Red Card and be Type Two Wildfire fighters! Which.. let's be honest... is pretty awesome.
Well, that is all for now... I hope you all are doing well!
Love,
Kris
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Transition Week #1
Denver, CO
Back on campus and half way through our first transition week. Spirits are off all around the corps, including my own. Some of the members didn't return after the break which has been a sad event for all. The transition week has been busy as always. We all thought that we were going to get to spend time with people that we will not get to see for the next months, which turns out not the be the case. After spending ours with our team on Monday working on the Debrief, presenting the Debrief Tuesday, starting the Brief Tuesday, as well as Wed, pack test Wed, Brief presentation Thursday then packing on Thursday and Friday with final prep... and leave Saturday for our next Spike. Throw some meetings in there, and you don't have a whole lot of time to spend with other people. It is really sad, especially for me not to be able to spend time with my "AmeriFamily".
Though I love having my team back together, I'm really not enjoying the reminder of the type of environment that AmeriCorps is. You make really close friends during CTI and then you have to leave them for months at a time. While each of you is having an amazing adventure, you still feel a slight awkwardness and distance when you return. Don't get me wrong, it is still an amazing experience and I wouldn't trade it for anything, it's just enough to put you in a funk.
I leave for Pikes Peak on Saturday for my second round project. I will be there from Jan 10th-March 4th. I am not sure about internet access, it seems the only type of computer that we have will be far away. But I will try to update when possible, and let you know how everything is going. Hopefully by then spirits will be raised, and we will all be excited and enthusiastic about our Fire training and project!
I should probably get back to working on the Brief, but I just wanted to update you all with how it is going!
I love you all and miss you,
Kris
Back on campus and half way through our first transition week. Spirits are off all around the corps, including my own. Some of the members didn't return after the break which has been a sad event for all. The transition week has been busy as always. We all thought that we were going to get to spend time with people that we will not get to see for the next months, which turns out not the be the case. After spending ours with our team on Monday working on the Debrief, presenting the Debrief Tuesday, starting the Brief Tuesday, as well as Wed, pack test Wed, Brief presentation Thursday then packing on Thursday and Friday with final prep... and leave Saturday for our next Spike. Throw some meetings in there, and you don't have a whole lot of time to spend with other people. It is really sad, especially for me not to be able to spend time with my "AmeriFamily".
Though I love having my team back together, I'm really not enjoying the reminder of the type of environment that AmeriCorps is. You make really close friends during CTI and then you have to leave them for months at a time. While each of you is having an amazing adventure, you still feel a slight awkwardness and distance when you return. Don't get me wrong, it is still an amazing experience and I wouldn't trade it for anything, it's just enough to put you in a funk.
I leave for Pikes Peak on Saturday for my second round project. I will be there from Jan 10th-March 4th. I am not sure about internet access, it seems the only type of computer that we have will be far away. But I will try to update when possible, and let you know how everything is going. Hopefully by then spirits will be raised, and we will all be excited and enthusiastic about our Fire training and project!
I should probably get back to working on the Brief, but I just wanted to update you all with how it is going!
I love you all and miss you,
Kris
Saturday, December 18, 2010
California Here We Come!
Location: Denver, CO
So I am currently sitting in my dorm room, praying my computer doesn't die on me before I finish this. The campus is almost completely dead. Everyone has left for home and it is eerily quiet in the halls. We got back on Thursday from our Spike projects, and were greeted to hundreds of hugs and small conversations. It was so weird but amazing to be reunited with everyone again, even if it was only for a day. I forgot about how much I love the energy and the dynamic of the corps as a whole. You become so used to those 9 other people that you are living with, that the amount of people can be overwhelming, but amazing at the same time. I got to see my roommate and the rest of my AmeriFamily.
We all traded stories about our adventures in different cities, and we got to hear about what was accomplished over the past month.The stories were truly amazing. Some of them were incredibly heartbreaking, but it was a firm reminder of why we are here, taking 10 months out of our lives to "Get Things Done" for America. I am so thankful for the experience that I am having. Parts have been challenging, but I know it has just begun. I have already began to feel myself changing slightly, and I can't wait to see what will happen for the rest of our time here.
It still amazes me on how attached I have become to my team. I thought Thanksgiving break was weird when Ren, Megan, and Alex were gone... it felt lonely. But now spending 2 weeks without them is going to be even more so. We were all saying goodbye last night, and it hit me how weird it is going to be not seeing these people 24/7 for the next 2 weeks, and then after graduation. We have become so close already, I cannot even imagine how hard of a goodbye it will be after 10 months of knowing these incredible people.
The project ended wonderfully. I will really miss John and James and their crazy antics at the Shaw Nature Reserve. As menial as the work was, I have learned to cherish and appreciate the small beauties in the world. Like waking up every morning and going to work outside in a prairie or in the woods, learning to embrace nature (even when the temperature is below freezing). It was such a great experience and I would not have changed it for anything!
So big news. 2 things really. 1st- NEXT PROJECT I WILL BE IN PIKES PEAK, CO doing fire management training and work. We will spend 2 weeks in Pikes Peak working with the fire service doing our training, and then we will be going to Kansas for a month working there doing cuttings and hopefully prescribed burns! The last month will be spent back in Pikes Peak. This project is going to be very intense and very hard, but totally worth it. Pikes is above 8000 ft high, meaning we will be super humans by the time we get back. Especially since our sponsor is making us to PT every morning before work. And then we will have to hike 2 miles or so in to and out of our work space. It will be nice to work outside again, but I am hoping for the 3rd round (our shuffle round) I will be able to actually work with people and children.
2nd piece- I get to be an Assistant Team Leader with Jeremy for the rest of our projects. This means we get to help Alex with paperwork/ get a taste of what it is going to be like as a Team Leader. I am very excited and honored to be able to do this position. The team got to vote on it, and they voted for me, something I didn't really expect. It will be a lot more work than we are used to, but I can't wait! :)
That is all for now! I need to finish getting ready/ packing so I can go sit in the Denver Airport for 7 hours! YAY! Ha. But returning to California tonight for the last time... Very mixed emotions about it. But I will make the most out of the 2 weeks that I am there.
I love you all and I will update soon! Have a happy holiday!
Kris
So I am currently sitting in my dorm room, praying my computer doesn't die on me before I finish this. The campus is almost completely dead. Everyone has left for home and it is eerily quiet in the halls. We got back on Thursday from our Spike projects, and were greeted to hundreds of hugs and small conversations. It was so weird but amazing to be reunited with everyone again, even if it was only for a day. I forgot about how much I love the energy and the dynamic of the corps as a whole. You become so used to those 9 other people that you are living with, that the amount of people can be overwhelming, but amazing at the same time. I got to see my roommate and the rest of my AmeriFamily.
We all traded stories about our adventures in different cities, and we got to hear about what was accomplished over the past month.The stories were truly amazing. Some of them were incredibly heartbreaking, but it was a firm reminder of why we are here, taking 10 months out of our lives to "Get Things Done" for America. I am so thankful for the experience that I am having. Parts have been challenging, but I know it has just begun. I have already began to feel myself changing slightly, and I can't wait to see what will happen for the rest of our time here.
It still amazes me on how attached I have become to my team. I thought Thanksgiving break was weird when Ren, Megan, and Alex were gone... it felt lonely. But now spending 2 weeks without them is going to be even more so. We were all saying goodbye last night, and it hit me how weird it is going to be not seeing these people 24/7 for the next 2 weeks, and then after graduation. We have become so close already, I cannot even imagine how hard of a goodbye it will be after 10 months of knowing these incredible people.
The project ended wonderfully. I will really miss John and James and their crazy antics at the Shaw Nature Reserve. As menial as the work was, I have learned to cherish and appreciate the small beauties in the world. Like waking up every morning and going to work outside in a prairie or in the woods, learning to embrace nature (even when the temperature is below freezing). It was such a great experience and I would not have changed it for anything!
So big news. 2 things really. 1st- NEXT PROJECT I WILL BE IN PIKES PEAK, CO doing fire management training and work. We will spend 2 weeks in Pikes Peak working with the fire service doing our training, and then we will be going to Kansas for a month working there doing cuttings and hopefully prescribed burns! The last month will be spent back in Pikes Peak. This project is going to be very intense and very hard, but totally worth it. Pikes is above 8000 ft high, meaning we will be super humans by the time we get back. Especially since our sponsor is making us to PT every morning before work. And then we will have to hike 2 miles or so in to and out of our work space. It will be nice to work outside again, but I am hoping for the 3rd round (our shuffle round) I will be able to actually work with people and children.
2nd piece- I get to be an Assistant Team Leader with Jeremy for the rest of our projects. This means we get to help Alex with paperwork/ get a taste of what it is going to be like as a Team Leader. I am very excited and honored to be able to do this position. The team got to vote on it, and they voted for me, something I didn't really expect. It will be a lot more work than we are used to, but I can't wait! :)
That is all for now! I need to finish getting ready/ packing so I can go sit in the Denver Airport for 7 hours! YAY! Ha. But returning to California tonight for the last time... Very mixed emotions about it. But I will make the most out of the 2 weeks that I am there.
I love you all and I will update soon! Have a happy holiday!
Kris
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Happy Thanksgiving from Gray Summit! It is FINALLY snowing. After a few weeks of gorgeous weather, snow decided to grace us with its presence.
Today has been incredibly nice. I woke up, and channeling my mom, watched the Thanksgiving Day Parade, wishing that I could watch it with her! It is one of my favorites and I always get excited because I know that Christmas is almost here! It also means, that it is officially okay to listen to Christmas music! (Despite Alex's, my team leader, wishes) So let the carols begin!!
Our sponsor, John, was nice enough to let the 7 of us (3 had gone home) join him and his family and friends for Thanksgiving lunch/dinner at the reserve. It was so much fun playing games and getting to know our sponsor on a different level. His family was so generous and funny! The girls and Chris played dominoes with Katy (our sponsor's daughter in law) while the others went for a 2 mile hike in the snow. I was not really in the mood to hike 2 miles in boots and a dress... a little too chilly for my taste :)
Around the dinner table we went around a shared what we were thankful for, so I decided that I am going to share that with you all. I am incredibly thankful for all my friends (old and new) and family who constantly support me in whatever adventures that I choose to pursue. This one included. It means so much to me that I have such a deep support system, and that even if they don't necessarily agree with what I am doing, they will still support me with whatever I choose to do.
I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving, filled with happiness and turkey!
I love you all,
Kris
Friday, November 19, 2010
Pictures Part 2!
Here are some pictures from our hiking trip to Boulder! Pictures of the reserve will be up soon!
<3
<3
"Just Around the Riverbend!!"
Location: Gray Summit, MO
Yes... yes I am still alive! I'm sorry it has been so long. The past few weeks have been INSANE. First off, I am an OFFICIAL AmeriCorps NCCC member. We had induction last Friday, where we took our "vows" to be the best member we could be... "We are AmeriCorps members, and we will GET THINGS DONE". Yes. With the emphasis on the last part.
It is hard to believe that CTI is over and that I am actually here in Gray Summit. Our long car trip started last Saturday, when we said goodbye to our Water Unit family and the rest of the corps, climbed into our two pickup trucks and headed out on our crazy car adventure back to the Midwest. Very much Deja Vu from earlier this year when my mom and I drove cross country from Kansas City. The car ride itself wasn't too bad. We had to stop every 2 hours (due to the rules) and change drivers. So the constant change and stretch breaks made the three people crammed in the backseat bearable. It was definitely a good way to get to know our team... drooling on each other and playing endless games of "Would You Rather?".
Finally on Sunday around 3:30- 4 pm we rolled into Gray Summit. ... Nothing like what we expected. There isn't a whole lot here. But, we are staying in a Travelodge hotel (SO NICE... continental breakfast every morning? Heck yes!) and our work place, Shaw Nature Reserve, is right across the street. Our sponsors are so nice too. The other day they invited us to a birthday party for everyone who had birthday's the past month. The funny thing is that they knew no one was going to be there, who had the birthday, but they threw it anyway to give us an opportunity to eat cake and ice cream! Delicious!!
The nature reserve is beautiful. Every day feels like a scene in Pocahontas. It is right on the Mermac River, with plenty of hiking trails down to the river and through the woods. I am truly grateful that I get to spend 9-10 hours a day outside exploring. Which now brings me to answer the question "What exactly are you doing?". Well, now that I finally know, at least for now, I will tell you! ... Drum roll please?....
Seed collecting! And invasive species removal... which includes playing with chain saws (no injuries yet!). We spend our mornings cutting down Honey Suckle and Privot bushes aka huge trees, and applying herbicide to the stems so they don't grow back. And in the afternoon we collect various types of prairie seeds to help with the regrowth of the reservation. It is very Zen. And nice for alone time. We have gotten pretty darn good at collecting seeds. One afternoon we collected over 20 lbs of Big Blue grass seed. Which, if you couldn't tell, is A LOT of seed. The projects have been fun, and it is a great way to spend the day... much better than being in a cubicle, but I can see it getting fairly monotonous in a week or so. However my team will help me keep going strong, and the reserve will hopefully be much better than it was before we got there.
...I think that is all for now! I will hopefully update sooner, now that I found someone who has the same power cable as I do so that I can actually charge my computer. I hope everyone is well!
Love,
Kris
Yes... yes I am still alive! I'm sorry it has been so long. The past few weeks have been INSANE. First off, I am an OFFICIAL AmeriCorps NCCC member. We had induction last Friday, where we took our "vows" to be the best member we could be... "We are AmeriCorps members, and we will GET THINGS DONE". Yes. With the emphasis on the last part.
It is hard to believe that CTI is over and that I am actually here in Gray Summit. Our long car trip started last Saturday, when we said goodbye to our Water Unit family and the rest of the corps, climbed into our two pickup trucks and headed out on our crazy car adventure back to the Midwest. Very much Deja Vu from earlier this year when my mom and I drove cross country from Kansas City. The car ride itself wasn't too bad. We had to stop every 2 hours (due to the rules) and change drivers. So the constant change and stretch breaks made the three people crammed in the backseat bearable. It was definitely a good way to get to know our team... drooling on each other and playing endless games of "Would You Rather?".
Finally on Sunday around 3:30- 4 pm we rolled into Gray Summit. ... Nothing like what we expected. There isn't a whole lot here. But, we are staying in a Travelodge hotel (SO NICE... continental breakfast every morning? Heck yes!) and our work place, Shaw Nature Reserve, is right across the street. Our sponsors are so nice too. The other day they invited us to a birthday party for everyone who had birthday's the past month. The funny thing is that they knew no one was going to be there, who had the birthday, but they threw it anyway to give us an opportunity to eat cake and ice cream! Delicious!!
The nature reserve is beautiful. Every day feels like a scene in Pocahontas. It is right on the Mermac River, with plenty of hiking trails down to the river and through the woods. I am truly grateful that I get to spend 9-10 hours a day outside exploring. Which now brings me to answer the question "What exactly are you doing?". Well, now that I finally know, at least for now, I will tell you! ... Drum roll please?....
Seed collecting! And invasive species removal... which includes playing with chain saws (no injuries yet!). We spend our mornings cutting down Honey Suckle and Privot bushes aka huge trees, and applying herbicide to the stems so they don't grow back. And in the afternoon we collect various types of prairie seeds to help with the regrowth of the reservation. It is very Zen. And nice for alone time. We have gotten pretty darn good at collecting seeds. One afternoon we collected over 20 lbs of Big Blue grass seed. Which, if you couldn't tell, is A LOT of seed. The projects have been fun, and it is a great way to spend the day... much better than being in a cubicle, but I can see it getting fairly monotonous in a week or so. However my team will help me keep going strong, and the reserve will hopefully be much better than it was before we got there.
...I think that is all for now! I will hopefully update sooner, now that I found someone who has the same power cable as I do so that I can actually charge my computer. I hope everyone is well!
Love,
Kris
Friday, November 5, 2010
"Cause when you're hot it's like your burnin up everyone elses cold"
Location: Denver, CO
The past week or so has been incredibly eventful. Training has consumed the majority of my life as well as working out/ weight lifting in the evenings. So by the time my day actually is over, I am completely ready for bed. Which is mostly the reason why I have not been able to update lately. But! I will do better in this coming week.
CTI is coming to an end, and the induction ceremony is Wednesday. I can then say that I am truly apart of AmeriCorps NCCC. It is very bitter sweet because I know that I will have to say goodbye to the majority of my unit and especially those that I have become very close to over the past few weeks. My AmeriFamily is splitting up for now, but we will be reunited soon during transitions. Over the past 2 weeks we have been completing hours and hours of lecture training. This includes anything from "Healthy Lifestyles" to American Red Cross CPR, AED and First Aid training! So if anyone is choking, unconscious, or has a wound I am certified to help. :) But... please don't... I would prefer not to use my skills....
Last weekend was filled with ISP (independent service projects). I spent my Saturday morning cleaning CPR mannequins at the American Red Cross. It was fitting for Halloween since we had to peel faces off of the adult and children mannequins and then laid the "bodies" out on the lawn. It was fitting for a horror movie... Sunday I got to put my acting skills to use at the Denver Children's Museum Trick or Treat Street. I was Curious George... full mascot costume, handler, and all. I have to give props to the men and women at Disney World. That thing was HOT! But it was so worth it seeing the excited look (at least what I could see through the mouth of the monkey) on the children's faces and getting hugged and pictures taken with. I felt like a genuine celebrity :). Despite the heat, it was a blast, and I couldn't imagine a better way to celebrate Halloween than helping kids make their Halloween magical.
So now the time that you all, and especially I have been waiting for! I found out yesterday who I will spending the next 9 months of my life with! WATER TEAM 6! Fire Management group. I MADE FIRE MANAGEMENT!!! Can you just sense my excitement?? The process for trying out for this team has been strenuous and tiring but in the end it will be totally worth it! We started out with an interview between the Team Leader and the Unit Leader. As well as wrote an essay on why we wanted to do Fire Management. Then a week later we did our baselines. Ran a mile and did as many push ups and sit ups in 2 minutes as we could. After that, the waiting began. And yesterday I found out that I actually made it! I kind of kept it on the down low cause I was worried that I was not going to make it. There were 4 spots for girls with 7-8 girls who tried out plus ones from a different Unit.
Yesterday we played games and were lead on a scavenger hunt to find out our teams. The team leader Alex, had been implying to me that I would not be in the fire group, so I could accept it. But when I got my final clue "Go Get Buff" I knew that something was up. I walked over to the gym and saw my team for the first time. I saw 4 of my good friends standing there (all who had tried out for fire) and as the other 4 walked through the door I had realized officially that they will be my family for the next 9 months. And thus the jumping, squealing, and giggling commenced. A huge group hug took place, then we continued on our quest to find Alex. We wandered around campus answering clues until we ended up at the AmeriCorps offices where we were supposed to meet him. In an Alex fashion, he was about 10 minutes late to show up, but we were all united at last! He told us that he got everyone he wanted on his team (not like he would say any different) and that it will be the most challenging months of our lives, but worth it in the end. We will be doing environmental type projects, prescribed burns, and even fight wild fires. By the time training is done and I pass the pack test (3 miles in 45 min with a 45 lb pack on my back) I will be a Red Card certified Type II wildland firefighter!!! What that means.. I'm not quite sure. But I will let you know as soon as I find out!!
So the count down begins!!! Next Saturday I leave for Gray Summit, MO to work for the Shaw Nature Reserve building trails! I am sooo excited! It is 35 minutes outside of STL and we will be staying in a hotel. Alex said that since we will most likely be in remote places for our 2nd and 4th projects he wanted to stay somewhere nice. :) It will be awesome. Water 6 is amazing and I cannot wait to see what will transpire in the coming months. I know that I will be pushed and challenged and will be tired and frustrated but in the end, I will be so incredibly proud of what I will have accomplished AND I will be completely in shape!!
Get excited for some gorgeous pictures coming up from future hiking trips, ISP's, and wild fires!! I will try to update soon!
Love you all,
Kris
Saturday, October 23, 2010
PICTURES!
So I promised a while ago that I would attach pictures. So here are some of the pictures that I have taken since I have been here.
The Colorado Heights Campus:
Red Rock Amphitheater:
Hiking at Rocky National Park in Boulder:
That is all the new pictures for now! I will post more later!!
<3
College... With a Twist
The past week has been absolutely crazy, but amazing none the less. Every day that I am here, I feel more and more like this is where I am supposed to be. Although it has only been 10 days since I arrived, I have really started to make this place my home.
The fall has come fast in Denver and the leaves were already changing. There was this beautiful tree that was completely red on the top, faded into orange and yellow and then green underneath. It is also fun watching the snow caps grow on the Rockies from our campus.
My week started out with a Water Unit trip to Boulder, where we went hiking. It was absolutely GORGEOUS! Cold and rainy... but fun none the less. The hike was really easy and when we got to the half way point, we were able to climb up these huge rocks to overlook a small stream that ran through. It was a great bonding experience for our entire unit, and I am really thankful for that. I have met most everyone in the Unit (70 people).
I have also become really close to people from my first group. We now consider ourselves a "family" with a few people added in there as distant cousins. Our family spends most weekday evenings watching Disney movies and going to parks. Which is awesome after a long day of lectures.
Tuesday was spent doing Driver's training. Yes, I got to drive the huge 15 passenger van, and guess what? I PASSED!! Yay! So now all I have to do is drive 2 more times with a Team Leader and I will be a certified driver. AWESOME. The day was spent driving around Denver. We went around downtown, to the Red Rock Amphitheater, up in the mountains to Buffalo Bill's supposed grave site, and back to campus. It was an experience to say the least. And what better way to get to know your temporary team than to spend 4 hours in a car with them.
The rest of the week was spent in the classrooms listening to lectures. Mostly about rules and what we will be doing for the next 10 months. However, we did have a presentation by the Red Cross about what we will be doing with disaster relief. I cannot wait. It seems like it will be very emotionally trying and physically exhausting, but it reminds me more and more of why I am here, and that this is what I am supposed to be doing. If I can make even the smallest differentness in one person's life, then I will be happy.
Yesterday we got to do our first service project. Our temporary teams were broken up into two groups and then assigned 10 6th graders (there was around 600 of them). However, my team's 6th graders didn't show up, so we stole 5 boys from another group and made them help us :). We went to a Cherry Creek National Park and was in charge of cutting down an invasive weed called Mullen. This involved using huge clippers, chopping off the seeds and then stabbing the roots with a shovel. It was right up the boys alley, and was a lot of fun for us to help and watch. The boys were fun until they lost interest about half way through and started chasing each other with tools and spitting on each other... a charming reminder of why I should not teach middle school aged children. By the end of the day we were happy to see them go, and very proud of all the work we accomplished. As a whole we managed to cut down 2500 pounds of Mullen. Go AmeriCorps!!
That is about all for my week! I am trying to convince the family to go to the aquarium with me this weekend! So wish me luck on that :)
I love you all and miss you! I will update again soon!!
Kris
Friday, October 15, 2010
Is This Really Happening?
Location: The Mile High City
So, I am finally here, and slowly but surely getting settled. In all honesty, I am in complete and utter denial that I am actually here. It still all seems like a dream. It actually reminds me a lot of TU during orientation, where they threw everyone together and forced us to become friends. It has only been 2 days and I am meeting some incredible people. I have made some great friends with my temporary team (though we sadly changed teams today). It is amazing how quickly people can bond. We have only known each other for 2 days and I feel like I have known them forever.
There are definitely some personalties and the population is very diverse, but I have a feeling that I will learn a lot about people and how to deal with those types of personalities. I am in the Water Unit, which doesn't mean much (just a way for them to break us up), but my unit seems AWESOME. Everyone is very welcoming, and the team leader are hysterical. I am greatly looking forward to the next 10 months.
For those of you who don't really know what I will be doing for the next 10 months, don't worry, I don't fully know either. So we will learn together! What I do know though, is that AmeriCorps NCCC is a government funded organization who hired 18-24 year olds to do community service for non profits.Our main focus will be disaster relief. Over the next 10 months I will complete probably well over 1700 hours of community service. I cannot wait!!! I already signed up to volunteer at the Denver Children's Museum during their Halloween Party on the 31st. It should be a lot of fun. We do not find out our permanent teams until November 4th, along with we will find out where we are going for the first time! Until then they are shuffling us around with team leaders and different people trying to figure out who works well with who and what personalities go with what.
The past two days have been kind of a blur, and to be honest, not that eventful (paperwork, lectures on rules, etc). Though it has all been very exciting! People have quickly come to realize that a) I am easily amused, b) I giggle a lot, and c) I am easily excitable and perky. Which is good. I guess I would rather be outgoing and friendly than shy and off putting. Half of me wonders when the energy is going to wear off and I am going to crash... I can feel it coming.
The campus itself is beautiful. We were driving around near Federal Blvd (where the campus is) earlier, and it just shined in the background. It sets on a hill overlooking the Rocky Mountains (pictures come soon). I have truly blessed to be in such a gorgeous location.
So, now the fun part... the uniforms.... How to describe them... There will be pictures eventually, once Benton, Kyleigh, and I do our fashion show. But they are to say the least, hideous... comfortable, but hideous. I think I can fit a small child or person in my pants/ shorts... My plan for no make up may not come true, since I need to find some way to look feminine... I had to say goodbye to my nose ring this morning, a sad time. It will take a lot to get used to, but that's okay.
That is about all for now. My roommate Kelly and I are about to have a movie night in our room :) EXCITING! She is another Disney fan... it's a start to a great friendship :) I love you all and will try to update soon. I do not have an internet cable so I am borrowing Kelly's. So please don't be offended if I do not update for a few days!!
OH! before I forget... If you plan to mail me something, PLEASE PLEASE call me or text me and let me know. We have a "Mail call" that we have to go to to get our mail, and they will not tell us other wise. So I need to know if I should start going to those :).
Thanks!!! Love you, Miss you and talk to you soon!!
Kris
So, I am finally here, and slowly but surely getting settled. In all honesty, I am in complete and utter denial that I am actually here. It still all seems like a dream. It actually reminds me a lot of TU during orientation, where they threw everyone together and forced us to become friends. It has only been 2 days and I am meeting some incredible people. I have made some great friends with my temporary team (though we sadly changed teams today). It is amazing how quickly people can bond. We have only known each other for 2 days and I feel like I have known them forever.
There are definitely some personalties and the population is very diverse, but I have a feeling that I will learn a lot about people and how to deal with those types of personalities. I am in the Water Unit, which doesn't mean much (just a way for them to break us up), but my unit seems AWESOME. Everyone is very welcoming, and the team leader are hysterical. I am greatly looking forward to the next 10 months.
For those of you who don't really know what I will be doing for the next 10 months, don't worry, I don't fully know either. So we will learn together! What I do know though, is that AmeriCorps NCCC is a government funded organization who hired 18-24 year olds to do community service for non profits.Our main focus will be disaster relief. Over the next 10 months I will complete probably well over 1700 hours of community service. I cannot wait!!! I already signed up to volunteer at the Denver Children's Museum during their Halloween Party on the 31st. It should be a lot of fun. We do not find out our permanent teams until November 4th, along with we will find out where we are going for the first time! Until then they are shuffling us around with team leaders and different people trying to figure out who works well with who and what personalities go with what.
The past two days have been kind of a blur, and to be honest, not that eventful (paperwork, lectures on rules, etc). Though it has all been very exciting! People have quickly come to realize that a) I am easily amused, b) I giggle a lot, and c) I am easily excitable and perky. Which is good. I guess I would rather be outgoing and friendly than shy and off putting. Half of me wonders when the energy is going to wear off and I am going to crash... I can feel it coming.
The campus itself is beautiful. We were driving around near Federal Blvd (where the campus is) earlier, and it just shined in the background. It sets on a hill overlooking the Rocky Mountains (pictures come soon). I have truly blessed to be in such a gorgeous location.
So, now the fun part... the uniforms.... How to describe them... There will be pictures eventually, once Benton, Kyleigh, and I do our fashion show. But they are to say the least, hideous... comfortable, but hideous. I think I can fit a small child or person in my pants/ shorts... My plan for no make up may not come true, since I need to find some way to look feminine... I had to say goodbye to my nose ring this morning, a sad time. It will take a lot to get used to, but that's okay.
That is about all for now. My roommate Kelly and I are about to have a movie night in our room :) EXCITING! She is another Disney fan... it's a start to a great friendship :) I love you all and will try to update soon. I do not have an internet cable so I am borrowing Kelly's. So please don't be offended if I do not update for a few days!!
OH! before I forget... If you plan to mail me something, PLEASE PLEASE call me or text me and let me know. We have a "Mail call" that we have to go to to get our mail, and they will not tell us other wise. So I need to know if I should start going to those :).
Thanks!!! Love you, Miss you and talk to you soon!!
Kris
Monday, October 11, 2010
"Leavin' On a Jet Plane..."
"I have an irrepressible desire to live till I can be assured that the world is a little better for my having lived in it."– Abraham Lincoln
Location: Danville, CA
It never ceases to amaze me how fast time really does go by. It seems like just yesterday that Elyse called me before our typical Wednesday lunch date with Deidra, to ask me if I wanted to go talk with "AmeriCorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps)" before we ate. I agreed, having never heard of them before, slightly intrigued, but more or less going along for moral support (plus normally the companies that came in to ACAC gave out free things... and what is more exciting to a college student that free stuff!) After talking to a rep from the NCCC program and after encouragement/ persuasion from Elyse, I decided to apply. And now, almost 7 months later, in less than 2 days, I begin my adventure of a lifetime.
The more time that has gone by, the more and more excited I have gotten. I have the opportunity to make a difference in someone's life: to give back to a community and a world that has given so much to me. This is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity. I get to travel all over the country. I will get to meet and befriend people from all over the country, each from different backgrounds and cultures.
At first when I started befriending fellow Corps members via Facebook, I was a little worried about having things in common. But when I started thinking about it, no matter how different we all are and where we come from, we are coming together to form a complete team. One that hopefully when our term is done, we will have left the world a little better than it was before we started.
The next 10 months will be challenging; both emotionally and phyiscally draining. My team and I will be pushed to our limits. And I have no doubt that at times (when I'm in the middle of a forest, freezing... tired... and grumpy :) ) I will wonder why the world I decided to do this, when I could be warm in my bed, curled up with my kitty. But hopefully my inner desire to make a difference and leave my mark on the world will carry me through.
When I board a plane in the Oakland Airport on October 13th, 2010 at 5:50 AM, starting a fresh and exciting chapter in my life, I am knowingly and willingly accepting, that I will not be the same person when I am finished.
So, I say bring it on!
Love you all,
Kris
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