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
Monday, January 10, 2011
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
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