After five exhausting months with AmeriCorps,
I got to spend the weekend with some of the best people I’ve ever met…the Team
Leaders of the Southern RegionAmeriCorps campus. Hearing about everyone’s
struggles and growth in our time apart was sometimes hilarious and mostly
inspiring. We did it. We made it through our first SPIKE…in mostly one piece.
Being with everyone caused a lot of reminiscing over the past couple months:
Corps Team Institute, Team Leader Training, and the collegiate months leading
up to my first post-graduate job. Through our many walks down memory lane, I realized
an incredible truth: 2013 has been the best year of my life thus far.
I feel like every year I’m certain that this year is the best…and I am totally
okay with that. I hope I think that the current year is always the best year.
That just means I’m always moving forward, loving life more and more fully, and
growing into an even better version of me constantly. I am fully convinced that
I learned more in the past year than I have all the other years of my life
combined. A college Professor of mine once said that when you are 20, you are
essentially a new born. Every year after you turn 20 you are constantly consuming
an overload of information. When you’re 22, you know twice as much as you did
when you were 20…and 4 times more when you’re 24…and so on. This kind of seems
like a tangent now that I’ve written it out…but I guess I’m just trying to say
that my Professor was completely correct and that being a professional is more educational
than being a student any day. What a wonderful revelation. J
So here are just a few of the many things
that made 2013 the best year…ever.
You know what rocks even more than knowing
that 2013 was awesome? Knowing that 2014 is going to be even better. I will be
spending the first 6 months of the year finishing up my time with AmeriCorps…and
I already have a bunch of half-baked ideas about what I want to do with the rest
of the year: move to a big city with fellow TLs, work for a marketing company,
travel across Spain, start planning a possibly bakery opening…etc. I have never
been full of so much hope or promise in my life. I am so grateful that I work
for AmeriCorps for the obvious growth and love that is constantly surrounding
me…but also because these are the people I am going to start the rest of my
life with! I cannot begin to describe just how excited I am. Oh, 2013…and the
excitement of 2014!! This has been a wonderful year. Thank you to every last
one of you that supported me in my many crazy, stupid, impulsive, irrational,
and intelligent decisions this year. Your support means the world.
In exactly seven days, I will be home for 13
whole days. While there, I will be…
Sleeping in my own bed
Baking gluten-free cookies
Celebrating Christmas
Playing my piano
Singing to myself
Reading books all day
Giving On
the Road another go…
Talking non-stop with Mom
Hanging out with my “baby” brother
Running with Dad
Socializing!!
Enjoying California weather
Frequenting coffee shops
Volunteering at homeless shelters
Watching sappy Christmas movies with my
parents
Recording songs with Aaron
Driving around to see muh frands J
Putting my toes in the Pacific Ocean
It has been a long time since I’ve been looking
for adventure in Orange County (or LA or San Diego). If you have any fun,
creative, sober ideas…shoot! I want to use my time at home to its absolute
fullest. The way I see it…this may be my last time in my hometown for an extended
amount of time. After AmeriCorps graduation I will either be moving to some
yet-to-be-determined location for work…or traveling. Either way—after these 5
non-stop stressful months’ work—I’m craving a little irresponsibility and
self-indulgence. Let’s make trouble!
Okay,
okay…for those of you that know me…you know I actually hate getting into
trouble. You also know that I’m perfectly satisfied with little things like leaving
chalk messages on peoples’ driveways. I just want silly memories and wonderful
company. I’ll be home December 23rd – January 5th. Come
play with me! J
This post, wow, what good timing
to start this post. Lately, I have been really down about my team…about our
work…and about the general lack of effort surrounding (and drowning) me.
Usually, I can pull through and be positive and encouraging for everyone…but
lately, that just hasn’t been happening. But luckily, that is where this post
comes in. Every day I write in my journal and then every month, I go through
and pick out my TOP highlights from the month. After experiencing the last
couple days with a negative veil over my eyes, this is the activity I needed to
start truly appreciating the incredible individuals I surround myself with
every day. Of the top highlights from this month, half (literally half—14 out
of 28) are about my team. There is absolutely no reason that this cannot be a
trend that happens every month. I just need to remember to try a little harder
even when I don’t want to.
So let’s talk about how awesome
Bayou 6 is…
Our Last Day in the Iowa Office
As I have mentioned in previous
posts, our last day in the office in Iowa was incredible. The staff threw us a
pizza party since they think it’s outrageous we only get $4.75 per day for
food, the State of Iowa Homeland Security gave us beautiful State emblem coins
to express their gratitude, and we left with dozens of hugs and well-wishings.
Our first deployment assignment was a hit and everyone there truly knew how to
express their gratitude. After being in Missouri for 3 weeks, I think it’s safe
to say we miss everyone at that office very much.
We Finally Learned How to Work
Out Together
So…because of the varying levels
of athletic ability on the team, it is very challenging to enjoy or enforce
group physical training. I do, however, enforce group physical training to
occur at least once of the three mandatory times per week. Well, we finally figured
out a system that works. Every person on the team comes up with a 5 minute
exercise (ie. Jogging, sit-ups, push-ups, stretching—anything really) and then
we rotate. This system allows for everyone to be in control of the difficulty
and type of workout they want to have AND everyone gets to participate. One
week we played “Jigalo”—you know, the game where you say “My hands are high my feet
are low and this is how I Jigalo” and then you do some silly dance move?
Another activity was practicing our runway walk, skipping around a building
(significantly more exhausting than it sounds on paper), and more challenging
and dreaded activities like burpees. So far, it’s been a hit…and a wonderful
opportunity for all of us to laugh together.
Carpe Diem
I learned quickly that the“Can You Help Me?”activity all the Team Leaders
participated in during TLT is not only meant to be shared among Team Green. I
was at the absolute end of my rope this past month when two Corps Members quit
on the same day. I cried—a lot—and talked with just about everyone BUT my team
about the disintegration that was occurring. What a mistake that was. It was a
mistake, however, that I needed make. It helped me understand just how elating
it is to be vulnerable, honest, and ask for help…from those who can actually
help. Two of my Corps Members responded to my “How can I help you guys through
this?” question with “Just hang out with us more”. Was it that easy? It was
definitely worth the try and I was desperate. Over the following two weeks, I
went on artistic picture adventures with my CMs, surprised my team with hot
cocoa, planned a Bayou 6 talent show, tried on prom dresses, went to 5am boot
camp workouts, and cooked breakfast…all with my team. And guess what? It worked. Morale was through the
roof—even with people leaving—and there was a huge sense of hope in the air.
Our Honorary Bayou 6 Member, Lady
Gaga
One of my Corps Members is a HUGE
Gaga fan and purchased her new album “ARTPOP” on its first day of release. We,
of course, listened to the CD here and there…especially on our long trek to the
new living location. On our first day in the Missouri office, everyone was a
bit tired, a little bit grumpy, and a-lot-a-bit unmotivated. In order to lift
our spirits, someone asked Jacob “Which song on Gaga’s CD would be a good pump
up jam?” Immediately, he said #10: Donatella. This song has become our Anthem,
seriously. We blast it on our way to work, on our way to Physical Training, and
on our way to anywhere really. Check it out. It’s the best and it
will forever remind me of this team. I love that J
New Goals of November
Taking Advantage of Celiac Disease
While I was in the middle of
reading The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell, I
had an epiphany. [I think] I figured out what I wanted to do with my life!
Open a
Gluten Free Bakery that offers parent-child cooking classes!
The main reason I want to start
this—truly— is for my some-day children. Celiac disease is genetic. I want my
kids to have the same chance to sink their teeth into a delectable piece of
chocolate cake on their birthday as every other child. The reason for the cooking
classes? I might want to study Developmental Psychology…so it would be an
interesting way to observe parent-child interaction and learning. And, well, a
lot of people have told me I should teach. So that’s part of it too J
HOT AIR BALLOONS!
Add fly in a hot air balloon to
my bucket list! My friend told me there is an event called “The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta” that happens every
October. I want to go…Fiesta 2014, here I come!
TED Talk
Since starting my job with
AmeriCorps…I have listened to a lot of TED talks—probably
like 50, seriously. From these talks I have learned more than I’ve learned in
most my years of college (oops), gotten extremely helpful advice, and been
inspired to rock this world. I’ve also been inspired to get my butt up on one
of those stages to give one of my very own TED talks. Between now and then…I
just need to find something worth talking about. Maybe that thing is AmeriCorps…or
young people volunteering in general? We’ll see J
Just a Little Encouragement
It is very rare—unfortunately—that
I am told that I am doing a good job by anyone (other than my mother). I say
this…not to complain…but rather to express my exhaustion. My job is to keep my
team motivated, happy, healthy, and safe. There is nothing easy about this. What
many of my team members don’t understand is that putting them first every day is
exhausting. The bigger problem, though, is that my energy is rarely externally
replenished. I give the team my energy…and I rarely get any back. My strength is
internal (which I’m proud of) but, like I said, exhausting. This does make the
occasional compliment, job well-done, or simple thank you mean so more...
During our time in Iowa, work was
slow. I learned that a bored team is the most challenging kind of team. Despite this
setback, everyone still got their work done…and with a relatively good
attitude. I didn’t really understand just how well we were doing until two FEMA
employees told me…
On two separate occasions from
two different employees, Bayou 6 was complimented. It was one thing to hear
others talk highly of my team—I was proud of them too—but it was more to hear
the next thing they said. In the past year of the FEMA/AmeriCorps partnership,
these employees have worked with a handful of FEMA Corps teams—some good, some
bad. They said that when it came down to it—whether the team was motivated,
doing the work correctly, and the like—it was all about the leadership. The most successful teams had excellent
leaders. For the first time since leaving for SPIKE—despite members
quitting, the team’s occasional bitterness, and my many crazy spells—someone told
me that I was doing an excellent job.
I cherish these conversations every day.
The Simple Serendipities
Ah, the little things that might
go unnoticed if I didn’t write them down. This month’s simply induced smiles…
Inspirational Speech: When the
rumors of Bayou 6 members dropping like flies drifted to me…I took action. I
spent an entire day typing, editing, re-editing, and practicing aloud a “speech”
I wrote for my team. I still read this speech to my team occasionally. At the
last team meeting of November one of my Corps Members asked me to send it to
all of them so they can read it for inspiration. She called it the “Inspirational
Speech”. My effort was worth it. It made me unbelievably joyful…and proud.
Kristen Winston: My Corps Member
and I were trying to pick out a movie the other day and we are both TERRIBLE at
knowing actor’s and actress’s names. She was trying to think of Kate Winslet’s
name when referencing The Titanic…and she called her “Kristen Winston”. I
nearly died laughing.
SNOW! The first snow of
AmeriCorps occurred on November 11, 2013. It was cold and beautiful. I smiled
when I thought of the last snow I encountered… the last day in Dusseldorf,
Germany with Dave J
Being an Editor: As you all can
tell…I love love love writing. And guess what? I love editing too. My friend Davehas this kick-ass travel blog-- The Quest for Awesome-- and has been
writing guest posts for some other travel blogs, too. He has asked me to help
him edit a couple posts. It’s been awesome to do something I love for someone I
care so deeply about. Win win J
Mini Team Green Reunion: I was in
Jefferson City for 7 glorious days. Embracing Sarah and Mike on my first day in
Jeff City (November 18th) flooded me with oceans of euphoria. This
had to be the most joyful, emotional moment I had all of November.
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