long time no post!

It's been a busy stretch and I can't write much, but I'm overdue for a post.  Camp Mendocino last week was phenomenal, by far the best part of CTI.  We did a ton of team bonding, including a service project that involved moving GIANT tires full of black widow spiders and other nastiness, and a high and low ropes course!  Back at McClellan the lectures are dragging, but CTI ends this week, and I'm excited to work at our first project, which is at Larchmont Elementary school in North Highlands.  I'm hoping to work in special education class rooms and with younger kids, not so much the fifth and sixth graders though!  We'll see how that goes soon :)  My team is great so far, I have few concerns and as my teammate Rory said, we're all a bunch of squares.  We may or may not be the golden children of the Silver Unit, and I'm hoping that proves true and that others notice so maybe we can go to Hawaii or Alaska for our other projects.  Last night a bunch of us went out for Halloween and it was a blast, I'm excited to see what other shenanigans we can dig up for the next six to seven weeks while we're still here.  I'm also very excited to be going home in December for Christmas, I never thought I'd miss fall in NY so much!  And I miss everyone back home immensely.  But this has already been quite the experience, and I know it's only going to get better.

SILVER THREE

A lot has happened these past few days...  But most importantly, last night I found out which team and which team leader I'll have for the next ten months!  The leaders surprised everyone (well, at least me) and gave us all envelopes after dinner, which had a colored string indicating what unit we'd be in.  I found out I was in the Silver Unit, and upon meeting my unit, I was given another envelope, with a glow stick and puzzle piece in it.  After finding other people with similar envelope contents, we created the puzzle and followed a bunch of clues that led us to our team leader.  It was unexpected and chaotic, but overall I thought it was a pretty cool way to tell us, especially since I didn't think I'd know for another two weeks.  Plus, I love my group so far, especially my leader.  She seems like a very genuine and optimistic person.  I'm pretty pumped to see which projects we'll be given throughout the next ten months and where we might go, but for now I'm glad to have this information at least.  Tomorrow, everyone (as in, 320 people) will move from their current room to their new room, which will be surrounded by fellow teammates.  Unfortunately for me, I'm moving from the first floor of 947 to the third floor of 946.  We don't have elevators and my bags are prettyyyy heavy... should be quite eventful.  But nonetheless, I'm really excited about our new kitchen, which has a LOT more space than the one I shared with my pod, and It'll be nice to get a change of scenery.  I didn't have much in common with my last roommate...  It's been difficult with some of the younger Corps Members.  You can spot the underage members from a mile away, unfortunately.  Almost everyone that's 18 or 19 years old don't appear to have any experience away from home.  The differences in maturity and interests are overwhelming.  Example A:  We watched a SUPER interesting film on the Shrivers, who helped to create amazing programs including PeaceCorps, AmeriCorps, and the Special Olympics (aka my heroes).  I was sitting near several members who were either making obnoxious, inappropriate comments, sleeping, or texting their friends constantly.  They obviously never had to sit through a college lecture.  Amateurs.  Example B:  We had a Sexual Health lecture today and the questions that were asked... DEAR GOD.  It made me wonder if the last place of residence before here in Sacramento was under a rock or in their mom's basement doing nothing except make friends and future Ameribaby couples online.  Which I didn't just make up, unfortunately.  It's overwhelming at times.  In fact, our new teams came at the right time, because Wednesday was my breaking point with constant, repetitive lectures and too much contact with the same people.  I think part of my issue is that I honestly think I'd be happier as a team leader.  This finally dawned on me when I considered that for the last year of my life I have 1) been a captain of the Nazareth College tennis team, 2) been a student leader for the December 2009 service trip to New Orleans (had my own team, drove our own van, etc.), and 3) was a head counselor at Camp Wilton (led my own cabin).  In conclusion, it's hard for me to go back to following others and being on the same level as 18 or 19 year olds.  However, this is a minor detail and I think I'll get more used to it as time passes.  Besides, I would definitely consider coming back next year as a leader.  This will be explored in further detail in the future though, I have to get through this year first :)  Well, PT comes early, at 5:30 am.  I may or may not be running 4 miles with my T3 running group.  Get ittttt.

Training like it's my job... oh wait

So today was the second day in a row I spent the entire day in training.  Yesterday we were trained in CPR/ AED/First Aid, today was Natural Disaster training... contrary to popular belief, the CPR was more interesting.  It was extremely unfortunate.  However, the best part was a 20 minute video about how the team leaders of the Sacramento campus went to the American Samoa last year.  Almost exactly a year ago, before they had even completed their training, a group of team leaders were sent there to respond to the tsunami that occurred due to an earthquake.  They showed us footage from before, during, and after their work in the American Samoa.  Out of all of the hours of training I've already completed in less than a week, that was maybe the most informative part haha.  I think what really struck me was how flexible the TL's had to be... for one part of their crazy travel arrangements, they flew in a military aircraft carrier after something like a ten hour layover in Honolulu.  And while they were providing relief services, they were forced to evacuate to high ground after an 8.0 earthquake raised the possibility of another tsunami.  Seeing the work they did, the difference they made, and the people they connected with was really awesome though.  No one ever wants to have a natural disaster occur, but if there is one I hope I get to go and help, even though I'm sure it's very difficult emotionally and physically.  But still, just sayin'.
Also, today was my first day of PT.  I have a feeling that waking up at 4:50 am will get old quickly haha.  But I didn't mind it too much today.  We did the baseline test, which was a 1.5 mile run, sit and reach, and we had to see how many push ups and sit ups we could do in two minutes.  Since I'm doing this mostly to remember my time here, and possibly for those few brave friends and family that take a look, I'll be brave and post my results so I can remember them for the next time.  AmeriCorps is all about self-improvement haha.  So... 30 push-ups (and I mean MAN push ups, not that girly shenanigans!) 50 sit-ups, 22 sit-and-reach, and 13:50 (which is terrible but hey at least I can improve once I can figure out the allergy situation and actually breathe.)  So there's that.  I'm looking forward to seeing how good my physical fitness will be when I go home in December.  If I get home... this ticket situation is annoying.  I really need to get home in December, Gorham or bust.  I love it here but it's been an intense adjustment, especially given only a week to prepare.  It's more strict than I imagined.  I enjoy the challenge but it would be really nice to see everyone again.  Well, as per usual, my computer is dying.  Til next time...

Welcome to CTI

This is my first time blogging in months, but hopefully I'll be able to keep up with this one!  I just got into AmeriCorps NCCC a week before I had to report, and I arrived in "sunny Sacramento" on Thursday.  Never a dull moment I guess!  It's been great so far, different from what I was expecting, but I've learned that such is life in AmeriCorps.  I wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone, and I love traveling, so this is a great opportunity.  Plus I get to explore the Pacific region while helping people, and I think it'll open a ton of doors for me.  Win win win win...  I definitely had to get used to this lifestyle though.  Everything is pretty regimented, including room inspections and the uniform (although truth be told, I'm psyched to wear the uniform tomorrow).  And it'll sound strange I'm sure but having only a week to get ready didn't give me a lot of time to get mentally prepared for some things.  It didn't occur to me until I got here that I was starting from scratch...  for some reason the fact that I wouldn't know anyone didn't hit me until I was in a room with over 300 people and I realized I knew one person, Ed, from Fairport, NY, whom I met in the airport on the way here.  After establishing friends through all of the things I've done in the past, suddenly having that disappear was strange.  Making some new friends haha.  For the most part, everyone here seems pretty great.  I really like my neighbors in the dorms, and I've gone to Harvey's two nights in a row now, at the expense of my sleeping hours lol.  I'm anxious to find out who will be in my official team, who my team leader will be, and most of all.... where I'll go!!!  That's been a big challenge- being flexible and patient.  I was hoping for a little more structure right off the bat, but it took a few days to settle into the organized chaos of CTI (Corps Training Institute, which I'll be in for the next month).  My roommate is nice, but she's 19 so she can't join us at Harvey's and I think this is her first time out on her own... it's interesting to be brought back to those days hah.  I'm cheering on a few friends today at the 45 lb, 3 mile Pack Test for the FMT test, and then I'm going to go downtown later!  Winner, winner.  More will come later, I'm stealing internet from a cafe that is currently closed and ze battery, she is dying.  Later gators.