Camp Week :)

 Incredible Busy week! So this Monday we drove to a Camp in Mississippi and worked on their trails. We cleaned, picked, and sawed trees down. Monday night we put tents up in a big field and slept in the tents we pitched. Tuesday morning we had some class and then we were on our way to Camp Lake Stephens. At Camp lake Stephens we were put to work on cleaning up a trail once again. Might I say that OUR TEAM MADE THAT PATH BEAUTIFUL! That day was the first physically challenging because we were hauling logs the size of me. It was a great team effort and it was a lot of hard work that was totally worth it. My first thought going to camps doing free labor, made me so happy. All the fun I have had at camp made me so happy to pay it forward. I hope all kids have as much fun as I did at all the camps I went to! Thanks Mom! We all went to bed and slept like bears, I didn't move a hand the whole night. I love physical labor it makes me so happy because I feel so good after wards. In the week we did a Ropes Course in Oxford, Mississippi home of Ole Miss. We saw Ole Miss and were super surprised on how beautiful it was. I have fallen in love with the south once again. So Friday we headed home back to Vicksburg and had a SLI meeting which is one of my positions in my group. SLI (Service Leadership Initiator) we are in charge of creating learning experiences based on our jobs, we make our group reflect. Friday night was an el Sombrero night, Pj and movie night. Saturday I went to the mall and got a haircut and color. Sunday went to my first Baptist service and had dinner with a Vicksburgian Margie. Had a great and tiring weekend!

September 22, 2013

Great Weekend!

So my dad just left  awhile ago and I am feeling a little down. It was so good to see him, I felt the visit was so quick and yet it was almost three days. So this week we are going to a camp, somewhere in Mississippi. Our team leader said it would be a "team building" experience. I am excited and at the same time nervous. So recently I was given the title NDRS, and I am still in the dark about my specific role. I read about it but still a little confused. So a recap from this week; Hands of Peace Training. Hands of Peace was training about listening and personal skills. We were trained in First aid, and CPR.   We were given a training session about Diversity which was a great session. So the weekend started off from my dad picking me up at 6:30pm we had dinner at Rusty's, which was awesome! Saturday I started off with a run in the morning and then we went to the military park and did a 16 mile driving tour about the Vicksburg battle ground. Also visited the USS Cairo Museum. We went to the Vicksburg  Lower Mississippi River Museum and toured the massive ship connected to the museum. Ate lunch at Rowdy's and had a mean catfish salad. Went to see the movie The Butler and had a great dinner with dad and Julie at Newk's! Sunday we went to the First Christian Church of Vicksburg for the second time. We had lunch with one of the congregation members and his daughter. They were so kind and compassionate, they are truly selfless people. Then dad dropped me back off at Americorps. Sad to have him leave but, life goes on.

Fun

Sunday Funday......Sept. 8, 2013

Best day yet! Ran 2 miles with my running gals. My friend and I were driving the 15 passenger van. We went to the First Christian Church Vicksburg. It made me think of the church in Abbeville, South Carolina that my family attended when I was younger. We then went to a dinner called Rowdy's. I had some great catfish, greens, fried Okra, peach cobbler, and finally maybe the best red velvet cake I have ever had in my life. We went to the mall, Outlet malls and picked a few things up, which were inexpensive. Such a fun day and we were in such food coma's napping was the only solution to our problem. :)

New group, new room, new sadness, new happiness!

Yesterday we change rooms, changed teams, Forever team 17! I became so close to my temporary group, we got along so well. I loved team 17 because we were all so different, we each brought a new zestyness to the table. I love them all! So our new group met and the first impression was not very positive, but we are all getting along okay. So I will just give it time and I hope that we can all grow to be friends. I have changed rooms to the 4th floor to the 1st, not too bad! My roomies are awesome though! I am ready to go on spike. I am tired of the 8-5 training stuff, but I am always learning something that I didnt know.

Why are you here?

I was asked today at the end of the end of the day, "Why are you here?” I responded to the question simply "I wanted to get an idea of what I wanted to do for a career". That was the simple truth. My real answer, to help, to learn, to learn to live selflessly, to make new friends, to not sit in a classroom for another year of my life and wish I were somewhere else, to live simply in the moment, to get away from the negative, to find love, to share and give love, the list is endless. I am so grateful to be in Americorps. Thank you mom!

September 10, 2013

Disclaimer:"Comments and Opinions expressed on this blog are my personal view only and do not reflect the official stance of FEMA or Americorps."

Adventure awaits! -Up

Jackson art meuseum

Sept 5, 2013

So we trained all day on FEMA ...so tired! Though last night I slept for 8ish hours and was thoroughly proud of myself. I ran two miles today, it was very hard today because I ate yesterday unhealthy food. Studied a little tonight, and going to bed. In this blog I want to say how great team 17 is! I have so many great friends in my group, everyone of them are so incredible .  I Love everyone of them and I am so lucky to have such great people in my life. 

Jackson art meuseum

So much training! Sept. 4, 2013

So today was tiring, but a good day over all. We got up at 5:30 am! Yes I did just say 5:30am! So we did PT, showered, and ate breakfast. Roll call was at 7:45, and training  for FEMA was right after that. We had lunch at 12 ish. Then right back to training until 6pm. Dinner was a Mexican dish one of my team Mates made. Delicious! Going to write for a while, then bed time.

Sept 3, 2013

So woke up bright and early to run with a new group of runners. Ran/walked 2 miles! Whoo! Then roll call at 8:10, training till lunch and after lunch was more training then we were let out at 5. We then went and frolicked around. Ate a fabulous dinner of chicken Alfredo and a kale salad. Watched a few movies and went to bed. Great day! 

Sept. 2, 2013

Labor  day!!!! Just a chill day washed clothes, ran and made a Wal mart visit. :)

Sept 1, 2013

So I started off the morning sleeping in. We left Johnson at noon and headed to Jackson, Mississippi . So we ate in Jackson at Two Sisters. Wonderful soul food!! Yum! The  we went to the art museum in Jackson. We headed back and got back, then I slept for about two hours. Got up and did Laundry and watched UP with my fabulous room mates. Then went to bed! Great day! 

The burp...aug 31, 2013

2 miles sat. morning. whooo!!So we started off Saturday afternoon going into Vicksburg. We went to the Coca-Cola meuseum, then the doll meuseum, a coffe shop, and art gallery.  We walked along the yazoo river, looking at the beautiful murals painted by the locals. Then we one of our team mates made dinner! OMFG!! Ginger chicken, curried veggies and jasmine rice, with a killer goat cheese poppy seed dressing! Love the good food! Then we went on the ghost tour of Vicksburg. On the tour our tour guide let out a huge man burp, mind that she is a 100lbs old white haired woman. I couldn't hold it told it together! Then we went to Sonic and had a great time! What a great night! 

August 30, 2013

So we woke up at 5:30 am. Holy crap. Yah I'm not sure when I ever woke up that early. We went running in the military park for 1.5 miles. I was so impressed by myself, because I finish like a pro with a sprained ankle. I am able to run at least 3 miles easy, but idk if I could do it! I was about to cry I was so proud of myself! So we came back and showered and got clean clothes on and started our van training. We had lunch then did our drivers test. Which weren't hard at all, I actually really enjoyed it. Then we went out swimming. Then we went dancing in Vicksburg. Which was a ball! What a great night!