Leaving with a Bang!

Last day of work, last day of New York City, for a time at least. I cannot even tell you how much I love this place. I have made so many new friends In New York; I have had so many fantastic experiences here. Thank you God! It definitely will be hard to top New York City for our next spike. We are headed to back to Vicksburg, MS tomorrow, but we will stop in Lexington, KY, for a night, which is an hour away from my home. I cannot wait to see my family; my mother, cousin, my grandmother and grandfather will be having dinner with me. I am so happy for them to come and see me; definitely the most challenging thing is being away from my family. I am ready to see them and hug them. I never really appreciated my family, but I feel like I have a greater appreciation for them all. My father just visited me last week; I have to say it was a great visit together, we Saw Jersey Boys, went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Natural History, went on a boat tour around New York, had lunch at a fantastic Mexican restaurant Toloache 82 and went to a Jazz/soul concert at the Marble Church downtown. We have a 10 hour drive tomorrow, how excited I am to head to the South, I sure do miss it. We are trying to get to NOLA April 5th, so that will be fun. Thanks for all the love and support! Sarah ELizabeth New AmeriCorps video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bg7QNeos3Fc\ Nicole Zuraitis Jazz/soul concert at the Marble Church downtown: http://www.nicolezuraitis.com/videos.asp

Fried Duck and Noisella

Wonderful things have been happening these past weeks. I have been to so many amazing places, have served so many people, and best of all I have been served with an amazing slice of a New York City. I made it a priority to go to church about every Sunday, I really enjoy the services. It has helped me deal with team problems, let go of pent up emotions, to think about the person I want to be, and to just check in with myself. I look forward to my Sunday adventures! I am attending the Unity Church of New York for the second time and the service was on "Prosperity Bullsh**t and Other Spiritual Traps" which was hysterically perfect for this spike. The minister Paul Tengalia was right on the money, when he was talking about others, he said "send them love and let them go". I recently read "God Never blinks" by Regina Brett, by far the best book I have ever read. My favorite part of New York City by far is Central Park, it’s simply incredible. The trees are so tall and beautiful, many rock formations cover the park; I just can’t help but to whistle while I walk along the rocky path. The street performers also amaze me, doesn't matter if your homeless, doesn't matter what you look like, doesn’t matter what your talent is, you show your uniqueness to NYC and people love it. I love the drummers in the subway station and the singers on the train because they bring happiness and life to a smelly dingy train station. I saw Matt Vorzimer in a subway station, on the way to church, this man has talent, and this man put his soul into his music. He is a drummer that remixes popular songs and just gives the song a new sound. So I am standing in the subway station and just tapping along to the beat in amazement. A homeless woman comes up and smiles and dances like no one was watching, just dances and is completely absorbing and loving the new sound, and right before she leaves she pulled out the few coins from her pocket and put it in Matt's guitar bag. I love street performers because they play on the wild side, they do what they love, and they take risk. I have been to so many delicious restaurants lately; my new favorite food is Noisella, like Nutella but a little chocolatier. I found this fantastic spread at a French restuant I visited on a Sunday afternoon. I have been to many great Italian restaurants, a Thai/Japanese restaurant had some awesome fried Duck. The 911 Memorial was an incredible Service Learning Project that I was in charge of. I recently went to Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim exhibit was fantastic. I have seen a few musicals including Avenue Q, Chicago, and I am going to see Jersey Boys this Thursday. If you have any suggestions to go anywhere, please tell me!! Love, Sarah

Spike 2:)

Adventure time, round two, New Year, new experiences, new people, and a new adventure in my life!! I just want to thank all my family and friends for this journey, for the support, the love and everything in between. I haven’t blogged in a while, I know, but I needed time for the right blog, I didn't want to produce anything but the truth and what came from my heart. I am on this AmeriCorps journey and it’s the most exciting and terrifying thing I have done yet!! Spike #2, drum roll…….we are working in New York City. Oh my goodness and no my life couldn’t get any better. So our lodging at the moment will not be in the city but an hour and a half out of NYC. So Camp Hope is where we are lodged for the time being. It is very nice; it has beds, showers, central heat, an oven and four burners that actually work, also we have a washer and a dryer. The commute to work is long but we make due. I actually changed my work to Public Assistance instead of mission support FDRC, which is what I did in Denver, Colorado. I wanted something different than what I did in Denver and I actually know little about PA, so I’m sure it will be interesting. I am working with some great people in PA, they always want to help me out and I am the only FEMA Corps working with them. All of the FEMA Corps work 4 days a week, 8am-4:00pm Monday through Thursday. I bring my lunch about everyday but there is a deli across the street which might be the best sandwich shop I have ever been to! We work on Queens Blvd so the food choices are endless. I have to say that I am in love with NYC; it is filled with so many interesting and wonderful opportunities. Today we made it in the city to church and we were late so we just rode the Staten Island Ferry and saw lady Liberty and stuffed our faces with pizza! WOW is she beautiful! I also can’t get enough PIZZA; I think I have had it about four times since I have been here. Friday we went to time square which was incredible, I never knew how big it was and of course we went shopping at the four stories FOREVER 21. Earlier Friday we strolled through Central park, and Grand Central Station. I am in awe every time I go into the city. We have almost mastered the train station, and we have gotten lost many times. I also want to commend myself on driving in NYC down town traffic without killing anyone. The people are so different than the people from Louisville, KY or Vicksburg, MS they are much louder, a little angrier but I have met some wonderful people on my journey and the people wear a lot of black. I have to say this has been the best AmeriCorps adventure yet! This Tuesday we are scheduled to go to the show The Doctors, so look for me in the audience, it will be showing the 22nd of January. My three weeks home, was the best three weeks of my life, I got to see most of my friends and family. I am so thankful for the three weeks because it just shows me the support I have and the fact that I need to graduate this program to show myself I can do anything. I was so happy to be able to go to South Carolina to see my McAllister family as I only get to see them a few times a year. Thank you all for the love and support!

FEMA JFO Address:)

What is Sarah Mac Thankful for?

So in the spirit of thanksgiving and the fact that my mother begged me too blog about what I am thankful for, so here I go... I am Thankful for my sister, all the moments we fight, pull hair, cuss each other and laugh till we hurt I can say I have missed her the most. We have an inseparable bond that is worth fighting for and will last a lifetime. Then of course I am thankful for my family in Kentucky to South Carolina and everywhere in between, they have been my strength and their support has pushed me to stay in AmeriCorps and preserve in life. I am especially thankful for my mother always telling me how it is, and never sugar coating it even when I would like here to sugar coat a bit and her abundant love. I am thankful for my grandparents always supporting me and helping me out when I ever I am in need. I am thankful for my father, I am especially thankful for my father, I have not always have a great relationship but this year I can say it’s probably been the in the best form. I am thankful for my cousins, I thankfully have a great relationship with all of them and thankful for their support and encouragement. I am thankful for my friends and all the lessons they have taught me. I am thankful for all my members of my family that have passed, thankful for all their gifts they have given me and the mere fact I was in their life for just a short time. I am thankful for my precious pup Piper Louise McAllister and the times she has comforted me in times of sadness. I am thankful for the all the new experiences in my life! whoo! I am thankful for my family never going without anything! Most importantly I am thankful for my new healthy life, I recently have been learning a healthier way of life, healthier eating, exercising right, breathing right and have better mental stability. Thank you all who are reading my blog and for your support! I also am running a 5K today! WHOO! GO ME! Happy Thanksgiving, love you all! xoxo

The Truth

Every Monday our department Federal Disaster Recovery Coordination (FDRC) has four meetings discussing Cache/La Poudre Watershed, Greater S. Platte Watershed, St.Vrain/Boulder Creek Watershed and Arkansas Fountain Watershed. They are long and confusing and on a good Monday we have something to pull from the meetings that are worth something to focus on in the latter days of the week. My focus is the Watershed of ST.Vrain/Boulder and I work with a FEMA reservist on the Watershed. After the meetings I write up a summary of what happened in the meeting. On the days that I don’t have meetings I do whatever the reservist I work for ask me to do which could be filing paper work, and talking with other FEMA reservists on getting information etc.. I really enjoy the people I work with now, a few weeks ago one of our coworkers wasn't treating us FEMA CORPS right so week talked to our boss and of course it was settled. So true to my nature I will not sugar coat my last few weeks. I have been thinking of leaving the program, I was thinking the program was totally nothing like I expected, I thought most people would be compassionate and wanting to help others but a lot of people are only here for their career and are here to get a job which is fine but most people here lack respect for others. Two weeks ago my team leader left because of personal issues and the fact most of my team member’s didn't want him to be our team leader. So we got a new team leader and I know he’s a nice guy, I hope he will be a good leader. We are now staying in the extended stay in Centennial, CO and I love it!! Our gym is a 15 min walk from our housing. So I am spending Thanksgiving with a friend’s family and I hope to run a 5K Thanksgiving Day. Last weekend I went to The Church bar which was a bar and dance club and I had a Blast but the last hour I was their phone was stolen! Holy shit! I am leaving Denver, CO the 16th for Christmas and I have to say I have missed my sister the first time in a long time and I have not seen her in about 3 1/2 months and I am so ready to come home and recharge. "You never know how strong you are until being strong is your only choice" Bob Marley. I saw this quote today on Facebook and the quote is exactly how I feel about my AmeriCorps experience. I also wanted to mention our volunteer projects we do on Saturday and every time they are awesome, we have volunteered at the cystic Fibrosis foundation Gala set up, and my favorite is volunteering in Jamestown, CO. Jamestown is a special one road little town population of 250 and its nestled right in the mountains. Everyone of course was hit hard by the flood in the small community and our job was to remove debris, remove boulders and remove access dirt.

Sam's club living!