My Future's Looking Bright... Too Bad I've Lost My Sunglasses

The "rainy" days in Florida have moved on, at least for now. I'm feeling better than I did since my last post; it's one of those peculiar feelings, like when you clip your toenails just a little too short. You know soon enough it'll be fine and you won't even notice, but in the meantime, it's weird and hurts a little bit. Nothing a pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks can't fix... mmm, I love fall. Even when it's just "fall" down south, I love the idea of different colored leaves, crisp mornings, and all the delicious "seasonal" foods that seem to come around when corporate America deems the market ready for autumn (hello maple donuts from Dunkin'!).

Well, I've made it through 2 1/2 weeks of pre-service and department of health training, plus almost a week at my host site. Training was fairly straightforward, if not a little repetitive and a tad boring (almost got me back on the coffee!), but it gave me a good chance to ask questions and hang out with the other AmeriCorps members. Training topics ranged from fairly standard to "seriously?" For instance, we had a few sessions about health disparities, balancing a budget on a stipend, and exercises about how to deal with difficult/different people. Then we had topics like "email etiquette" and sexual harassment - both which we reinforced with PSA/training videos from 1985. (Email's that old?) And really - it's hard to take anything seriously with a full grown man donning a Giraldo mustache and a plaid suit - especially when he reminds us bedroom talk is not appropriate in the work place. Oiy!

Luckily my site's not nearly as rough, at least not yet. I'm the volunteer coordinator for all of our YMCA's School Age Services initiatives, plus the nutrition & fitness planner for our after-school programs. I deal primarily with Clay County (Jacksonville is in Duval County; think of it like Lexington to Columbia), so it's a 30min drive to my site every day. But it's really neat because I get to run around to all the 26 different sites my division works with -- read: less time stuck in the office! I also get to travel around the area to give presentations at local church groups, university/college groups, and community organizations to attract volunteer support. PLUS, our office is so busy and a little small, so my site mentor (I guess in AmeriCorps we don't say "boss" because we're not "working" -- again, we "serve"!) let's me get out and meet interested volunteers for a follow-up interview outside of the office, too. I have my first interview with a high school girl tomorrow at the Starbucks around the corner. Sweet! I plan on making a post of a "typical" day, but it hasn't been regular just yet - so look out for that soon!

I had my first night "out on the town" in Jacksonville this past weekend. And BOY did I choose an interesting Friday night to head out downtown! One of the other AmeriCorps members and I decided we wanted to check out the Manhattan Short Film Festival; well, right in the same area, there happened to be a big (free!) Lonestar concert and a big bash for the FSU vs. Colorado game. So lots of crazy folk were stumbling around after we got out from the festival (which was amazing! I'm so glad I went!); aka, they were drunk and very loud. Well, not to "call it a night" at 10pm, my pal and I decide to grab dinner at "The Landing"... which is like this big, two-story Broadway at the Beach, if you've ever been there. Certainly there were many sites to behold, but too many to list here... if there's enough demand, I'll do a video reenactment. PS. I saved a man trapped in an elevator that night - that was an interesting 20min of my life, all by itself.

So, not a whole heck of a lot to report right now... just in a "getting used to it" phase. I'm taking the GRE in a couple of weeks, so my plan is to attack it as best as I can until that dreaded day - then I'll be a little free-er to get out there and meet people. I hope. I guess it's hard when you're not in a real "work" or university setting - there aren't any interest groups or classes to meet different people with similar interests (if that makes sense).

And it's hard with John being 18 hours away going to law school in Texas. I knew I would miss him, but I didn't think this much. It's hard being totally by myself sometimes; but it's (oddly) comforting knowing that he's missing me just as badly. We may be alone - but at least we're alone together! (Sounds like a Winnie the Pooh quote.)

Lastly, the title of this blog wasn't kidding. I've lost my dearest, favorite-ist pair of sunglasses. I got them for $5 bucks at Charlotte Russe (or maybe Wet Seal... could've been Forever 21) about a year ago and I'm crazy about them! Well, between the move and unpacking and all the what-have-you's, I've completely misplaced them (very uncharacteristic of me) about a week ago, and I'm beyond sad.... Here's a tribute to my dear, sweet sunglasses, wherever you are...:

Here we are, enjoying a lovely brunch at Cafe Strudel with some great pals.

Hanging by my side (or around my neck, rather) in Cherokee, NC.

Sharing our first experience in Disney!

Now, because I really hate going blindly into the sun, especially while driving, I've been using a pair that I thought was cool for about 2minutes (just long enough for my sister and mother to talk me into buying them because "They were soooo cute!"). I'll let you decide...

*PS. Thank you to Tracy H. for the great "Texas" shirt. ;)

((Also, I appreciate all the great comments, too, you guys... I don't think you understand just what it means to me!!))

Being the Change I see in the World... I'll Start By Changing My Underwear

It's going on Week 3 in Jacksonville, and I'm beginning to wonder if I'll ever have that sense of peace with myself and my decision to move here. I've still got 44 weeks to go. It's funny: it's easy to say you can "do anything for a year", but then it comes and you choke on the thought of it - 365 days is a long time. Babies are even made in less time than that! I guess it's just weird... what made me ultimately decide to come here is that I would be surrounded by people who shared, at the very least, a common goal and a vigor for life. Goodness knows we all can't have my witty sense of humor and naturally blonde hair; but we can all want to help change the world and see that change through the actions we do. Well. I haven't had much action yet. And again, I've only been here all of 16 days - it's silly to expect a lot to have happened in just over two weeks. But what happens next week, the week after... and I'm still left wondering if I'm secretly on the world's most boring reality show? Seriously, the most hilarious moments of my life in Jacksonville occur when I'm with Audrey... and a 4lb Chihuahua with a goofy underbite can only be so much of a best friend. (She never writes me Thank You cards for all the gifts I buy her... tramp.)

Speaking of which, I have another addition to the Apartmento De La Celia; Sean Luca, Audrey's first born, joined us two nights ago. I felt bad leaving Audrey to her own devices for 8-10hrs a day, so I asked my parents if I could "rent" Sean Luca for a while to see if having another one would help Audrey with her recent bout of separation anxiety. My Dad practically packaged Sean Luca in a box and overnighted him via FedEx when I asked him. Luckily, Dad had a meeting in Savannah a couple of hours away, so the transfer went far more humane friendly.

I guess the hardest part of being here is simply not knowing anyone. I'm fairly good at entertaining myself, but there are times I wish I had someone to chat with, see a movie, or walk to the river and make fun of the "artsy" kids being "hip" at the Riverside Memorial Park (I mean, really, sitting with your back against the statue in your skinny jeans and drinking your Starbucks - that's cool now?). And I haven't had Happy Hour in months -- apparently it's not socially acceptable to drink by yourself, especially in public.

Anyhow, I know it's easy to say "Why not your AmeriCorps members?" "Why not your neighbors?" "Why not one of the thousands of senior citizens homes?!" Well, it's complicated. You see, most, if not all, of the AmeriCorps members are from Jacksonville, or have been in Jax for quite a while now. I'm literally the only one who up and moved to Jacksonville only a few days prior to our orientation. They all have their own lives going on: their own friends, their own extracurriculars, their own things to do. And when I suggest activities to do or "Oh hey, we should all _insert something fun here!_ this weekend!", I get a half-hearted, "Uh, yeah, that would be a lot of fun..." And it's not as though they're being mean, they just have vested interests elsewhere. And I'm sure if I asked to hang out with one of them, they wouldn't refuse - but who likes feeling like a third wheel? And my neighbors definitely keep to themselves. Jacksonville as a whole just isn't really a melting-pot of people looking for something new. While it seems a little more progressive than Columbia, it hasn't been overall as friendly..... I suppose it makes it even harder when you realize your bestest pals are tailgating at Gamecock games, carousing 5Pts, attending USC events, and the like. Sometimes I wish I'd shut down my Facebook account so I couldn't read people's statuses and see their pictures...

Not to mention, I'm trying to "study" for the GRE (I bought the fancy pants Kaplan books and online study accessories), and it makes me feel stupid.

I'm waiting to get attached to my new life, and it just surprises me I haven't. But, tomorrow's a new day, and every day I try my hardest to put myself out there. I think I'm a likable gal. (I haven't resorted to bribing just yet, but I might have to if I spend another Friday night alone.) I still feel I've made the right decision to be here, despite being lonely and anxious. Being the change you see in the world starts with little changes in your life - those ridiculous baby steps where you wobble and look for the couch seats to prop you up. But at the same time, you always have that somebody watching over you, first, making sure you don't fall; and second, beaming with joy as you take that initiative. I don't know who that somebody is, but I'm trying to stay motivated with the thought.

Final note: When I first moved down here, I was driving along by myself down Highway 378, this horribly long, windy, 2-lane road cutting across South Carolina's finest boonies (it's actually fairly scenic at some parts of the day, but certainly not 7:30 in the morning being stuck behind a dump truck doing 45pmh). I was crying my eyes out, scared to really be "doing it" and just overwhelmed with the big move. As I began to question my motives and start getting that creepy feeling like I should just turn back and forget the whole thing, I passed this very old and very rural little church, pretty much standing on it's own in the middle of nowhere. On the old, rusty marquee, the sign read: "God never puts us in the wrong place to serve." I stopped crying, and I took this to be my motto for this year.

Unless, of course, I end up getting a job at King Burger asking, "Can I take your order?" I don't think I'd do so well serving there... Although I do have fries to go with my shake. Ow, ow.

This Is the AmeriCorps, not Marine Corps!

I've only been in AmeriCorps for one solid week and a day, but I swear I've been here a month. Always seems to work like that, huh? I'm not as settled in my apartment, or really Jacksonville as a whole, as I would like to be; but I'm feeling very comfortable with my group and what we aim to accomplish. I suppose that's better than the other way around!

I've had several notable adventures over the last week, and I intend to write posts about all of them. First up, and lucky for you (it includes pictures!), the following makes a wild attempt to describe my team building experience with my other AmeriCorps group members. It was actually a lot of fun, and I'd rather be doing that than sit an office all day anyhow. *Note: there are actually lots of pictures that my coordinator took, I'm just not sure who's comfortable with me letting them be displayed all over my blog. I'll add more as I get permission. :)

The cord challenge. Basically, we were "handcuffed" with these cords, and had to work together to untangle ourselves without splitting the cords. With me is Cara! She and I got about 85% of the way, but never figured out how to execute that last little part. Luckily, no one really figured it out. We totally got an "A" for effort.

The duck tape trollies. We had to take long strips of duck tape and attach our feet to it, like a train. We couldn't break the tape or we had to start over. Our group pretty much rocked.

This exercise was actually a weird creativity exercise that's kind of hard to explain; anywho, we decided to do a pyramid as part of the challenge. It was the first time I've ever done one -- and I didn't end up on top!
Aaaannd....

The Alpine Tower.


50 feet of pure madness. Oddly enough, I wasn't scared of it in the beginning. I was excited to finally get to scale some heights, and the challenge seemed worthwhile (you know, the whole "I Did It!" factor). There were 3 different routes you could take on the tower: easy-to-medium, medium-to-hard, and what-the-crap-was-I-thinking. I opted for the middle way. As we climbed, we had a team of two belayers - people who hold your rope tight as you go up, and so you don't plunge to your death - and I "belayed" for two other girls, so I watched carefully to see what they did. One girl was a like a freakin' spider monkey - she got to the top like a corporate madman. The next girl got about 20ft and decided that was as far off the ground as the dear Lord intended her to go; I assumed so because she said, "Oh Jesus!" quite a bit.

With Jennifer!

Cara, me, Karissia, and Jennifer - check out those sexy harnesses.

Then, my turn. I strapped on the ole helmet, fastened my rope, and took off. Well, sort of:

That sheit is no joke! And terribly deceptive. My stupid feet never seemed to get in the holds like they should have, and I had to use my muscles in weird places to hold myself up... very uncomfortable. I managed to get the hang of it for a little while....

Check out those haunches! By this point, my legs and arms were starting to shake, but I suddenly had this untapped determination to get to the top as best as I could. I started having some serious trouble getting my fat feet onto the holds, and I had to throw a lot of my weight into my upper body to try to get up. I don't know if you've ever tried to put all your weight into your chest and shoulders, but it hurts! (Especially since I never had much there to get used to, to begin with.) Just a little bit more...

AND I'M SPENT.

Seriously, I got to about where the logs cross (about 2 more feet about my hands in the picture), and my body totally took over. The height didn't scare me, at least not consciously. But I think somewhere, subconsciously, my body saw I was about 35ft off the ground and realized my muscles were working over time -- and my legs and arms completely locked up! That was the scary part. I've never had that happen before - it's scary being suspended high up on a stupid log and you can't move anything! I started shaking uncontrollably and crying like whoa. I eventually got down, but I was mad at myself (and terribly confused as to what happened). I wanted to get to the top!

But all in all, I'm glad we went out there and did our super duper "team building." The few, the proud... ;)

Little Miss Sunshine State

Finally! After months of anticipation, I've got this show on the road.

Summer is over, and goodness knows this past one has proved to be more emotional, personally challenging, ironic, and flat out crazier than I ever would've expected it to be. Most of you know the story (stories?), and I'll make a special post recalling such events should the demand arise. Or you can always call me and I'll be happy to catch you up. =)

Fughit' living in the past. I've got far more to think about with my current situation and my soon-to-be fast moving future!

Welcome to my life in the AmeriCorps (click the link to visit the official site!). I just started my official training/orientation this past Tuesday, and everyday that passes confirms more and more I've made the right decision. When I graduated school in South Carolina in May '08, like many other of my peers, was left wondering, "Dear lawd. What am I good for now?" While I had my B.A. degree in hand (well, okay, we had a piece of paper saying our diploma would be mailed to us in the near future - which ended up being 3 months), I hadn't a clue as what to do with it. College developed all the necessary skills I would essentially need for a job - but it sure didn't tell me how to get there. I knew I wanted to get back to grad school, but certainly not right away. At 22, I was completely burnt out. I was tired of trying to prove myself. The goal was to take a year off, interning or working, and come back around the following fall. Well, a few failed attempts to use my newly found freedom from school left me stranded and ultimately with no back-up. Luckily, I realized it sooner than later.

I applied for the AmeriCorps in July, was accepted in August, and moved to Jacksonville, Florida last week. (Go Jags! - Hey, with Brett Favre being crazy lately, I feel I need to look for another NFL team.) I'm actually with a State & National program of the AmeriCorps called the North Florida Health Corps. Our particular branch deals with community health and wellness, both with practice and policy, in the north Florida area. My particular site is the YMCA in Orange Park, a suburb of Jacksonville (think Lexington to Columbia for you SC kids). I'll be assisting in the School Age Services Division with the Nutrition & Fitness planning and recruitment. I'll also be helping out with mentoring and the YMCA camps, but maybe not as directly. Actually, I'm not 100% of what I'll be doing just yet, particularly because I won't meet with my site until Wednesday of next week! But hey, that's what this blog is for -- to keep you updated! Along with my site, I'll also be serving with 12 other AmeriCorps members of the NFHC (North Florida Health Corps), and we'll do trainings and service projects together through the year. Their sites range from HIV/AIDs prevention, infant and mother nutrition, health education in the schools, teen pregnancy aid and prevention, homeless shelters and clinics, etc.

So what -exactly- is AmeriCorps? Most of you may have heard of it; and for those who have not, the best way to think about it is "a domestic Peace Corps." You know how you always hear "Why do you need to go abroad to help - there are plenty of people in need here." Well, we're here to serve those right in our own neighborhoods. Oddly enough, I really wanted to do the Peace Corps, and had planned on it a long time. But I slowly discovered I wasn't mentally prepared for something like that just yet, and it's certainly not going anywhere - it'll be there when I'm ready.

Why the AmeriCorps, you may ask? Funny - I can't see why more people aren't doing it, or at least thinking about it. Again, I wanted something that would fit into my "gap year" between undergrad and grad school. I investigated a few random internships, but nothing ever seemed to be exactly what I wanted. And who wants to hire somebody for a year? I didn't think going back to Ann Taylor for a year would look as appealing on a resume - but it should be look appealing on me (helloooo discounts!). I had heard of the AmeriCorps, but didn't really investigate it until everything else started to fall through. I wish I worked harder at it sooner! Some of the benefits include: a living allowance, or stipend; an education award good for either a scholarship at grad school or paying off student loans; student loan deferment with some of the interest paid off; and, of course, a term of service that only expects your commitment for 10mths-1 year. Also (and this isn't with every AmeriCorps position, but with a good majority of them), I'll be handling duties equivalent to a job that requires 2-3yrs experience. I don't pick up people's coffee, I don't answer telephones, and I get to set a lot of my own hours. I even get my own "office"! (It's really a huge cubicle divided in 2 between me and one other girl, but who cares - it's MY space!)

Some things to remember: AmeriCorps is not a job. We "serve" the community. We don't get "paid a salary" or "wage." We are not employees, but rather members; and each member receives a bi-weekly stipend/living allowance that never changes during your time of service, no matter how many hours you've put in (did I mention it's not much? Don't even think about AmeriCorps if you plan on making money). You must maintain at least 100 hours a month (I'm expecting to do at least 130) to meet requirements, and you must complete 1,700 hours by the end of your 10mths, especially if you expect to get your education award. Most members complete more than that. And you are expected to attend required trainings, service projects, etc., with your other AmeriCorps members. We're also on a kind of "active duty" during our term -- we are often called in for relief efforts and to work shelters, etc., in times of national crises. Neat!

As for Jacksonville, I'm really settling in well! I'm living by myself - okay, I have Audrey - in a really cute section of town a few blocks from the river: very eclectic and neighbor-y. It actually reminds me a lot of Shandon (you Columbia kids know what I'm talking about!), and there's actually a section called "5 Points" a 5min drive down the street. It was meant to be! I've met a lot of people from S.C. down here; even my landlord is from Charleston. I met another lady in the Health Dept from Irmo who gave me a few pointers about Jax; my favorite piece of advice: "Watch out for the critta's (critters)!" She wasn't kidding! The dragonflys are the size of Jack Russell puppies, and the spiderwebs cover some serious space. And the lizards - OH my! I swear Jacksonville is the lizard sanctuary of the world. They scurry on the side walks and walls of houses like the plague of 1899 (B.C., that is). In fact, one got in my house last night, and after several attempts to catch him, I was finally able to get him -- only when I put him outside through the window, he freaked out and run right back in my apartment. Maybe he's hiding from the lizard mob....

Well, all in all, I'm glad I'm here. It's hard being so far away from everyone (especially with John in TX), but I think everyone needs at least a good year on their own to really understand what they're capable of... which is one of the big things I hope to get out of this.

Sorry this post is so lame! There's just not a whole lot to report yet; but once there is, you'd better believe I'm bringing the pizazz! =D

I'm not sure how often I'll update, but I'm aiming for once a week, maybe Sundays. We'll see. =)

Happy Sunday!
-C

P.S. You can subscribe to the blog by clicking the link below! Also, if you have a blog or a suggestion for one you're reading, please send me the link so I can add it to my list. Thanks!