October was the “true” beginning
of my job with AmeriCorps. My team and I found out our first deployment
location….twice, we drove away from
the place we all began to call our home, and we were separated from the support
systems that were fostered throughout Team Leader Training and Corps Team
Institute. October was the month of big changes and even bigger challenges. But
October was also the month where Bayou 6 began its transformation from team to
family. As always, here are the highlights of the highlights from my month. I
am grateful for every last one of them.
Team Green
October was the last time I saw
Team Green its entirety. The last Friday night we all had together, we threw a
surprise birthday party for one of the Team Leaders. It was the most wonderful
night. You can read about it here…and check out
the wonderful pictures below J
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| Four of the wonderful women of Bayou :) |
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| This is Doug. He lets me dance silly with him. |
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| Team Green. Enough said. |
Bayou 6
As I mentioned earlier, this is
the month that my team finally began its transformation from teammates to
family. Bayou 6 was thrust into the middle of Iowa…alone…in the midst of the
disagreements we always found ourselves in. Anything Bayou 6 could disagree
about, they did: where to eat, what kind of music to listen to, the correct
temperature of the van…everything. Being the only team sent to Iowa caused a
change in all of us that I could never have seen coming. Because there weren’t
other friend options around, they spent time together. Instead of throwing fits
about how we do grocery shopping, we sat and had a constructive conversation to
come up with plausible (and successful) solutions. Instead of speaking every
negative thing on our minds, we held our tongues a little bit longer. Everyone,
whether they knew they were doing it or not, started respecting each other more…and
it was (and still is) beautiful.
Our First Day in the Office
During Corps Training Institute,
we were told to make some sort of PowerPoint or presentation to share with the
office upon our arrival. Because the disasters we were assigned to were so long
ago, everyone in the office was able to make time to listen to our Bayou 6
spiel. We shared with a room full of professional emergency management
strangers that we are a team of individuals between the ages of 18 and 24. We
told them that physical training is a part of our job, we volunteer throughout
the communities we live, a huge part of our program is to plan our Life After
AmeriCorps, and we shared bits about ourselves—educationally, personally,
professionally. When we completed our presentation we were met with smiles and
one particular comment that will always resonate with me. A woman expressed her
gratitude for us giving them this presentation. She said we were about her 6th
FEMA Corps team she would be working with and that she never knew how much
responsibility we have outside of our 9 to 5 emergency management gig. This
presentation gave FEMA employees the opportunity to start conversations on
topics we all had in common, some showed us a free exercise facility, and
others started forwarding us volunteer opportunities in the area. Not only did
this presentation break down a barrier that I, as a new Team Leader, did not
know existed…but it also made our lives as AmeriCorps members easier. All we
needed to do was start that conversation. We did and because of that…we
thrived.
I was and still am so proud of my
team for buckling down and doing what seemed (at the time) to be a silly
presentation. I think it was the most valuable work we could have done for
ourselves, for the FEMA employees, and for all future FEMA Corps teams.
Make a Difference Day
As AmeriCorps members, we are
required to volunteer on National Days of Service. The day of service that occurred
in October was called “Make a Difference Day”. On that day, my team and I drove
two hours north to help clean up after a tornado that occurred in Belmond, IA.
It was a very cold day—below freezing—when we were out picking up debris and hauling
mangled refrigerators and roofing to be disposed of or recycled. The work was
exhausting and cold…and unbelievably gratifying. Here is just a fraction of
what we helped pick up that day. This is a picture of a little river before and
after the debris removal occurred. I think it’s safe to say that Bayou 6 made
an impact in Belmond, IA that day.
Pre-Halloween Weekend
The weekend before Halloween, I
highly encouraged my team to make plans so we can all hang out together. We all
went to a Day of the Dead festival at the Des Moines Art Center to experience a
little Latino culture. We ate delicious food, listened to beautiful music, and
watched an Aztecan dance group perform. Right as we left the festival, we went
to a pumpkin patch where we rode in a pumpkin trolley, ran through corn mazes,
tossed bean bags, and pet little sheep. It was wonderful to be outside…and to
be enjoying the company of the people I am so lucky to call my team. It was a
great weekend.
The Simple Serendipities
And on to my favorite part: my
favorite moments of October that filled me with laughter, joy, and sometimes,
extreme pride.
We went to Camp Duncan Gray Again...
The Caramel Incident
On the last Team Leader extravaganza
night, something occurred that I like to call “The Caramel Incident”. That
night, one of the Team Leaders asked me to heat up some caramel so that we
could dip sliced apples into it. Unfortunately, the microwave downstairs didn’t
work. I took the caramel upstairs to the faculty lounge to heat it up
instead. After one minute, the caramel did not begin melting…at all…so of
course, I put it in for more time. This time around, I walked back down to the
party because I was getting a little bored waiting for the caramel to melt…it’s
kind of like “a watched pot never boils”…right? I went downstairs and ended up
in conversation with someone for a minute longer than I should have…
When I got upstairs there was
smoke trickling out of the sides of the microwave…and it stank like charred
marshmallows. I quickly ran downstairs to get the TL (Julie) who asked me to do
her this favor. She bolted back with me and we were in a panic. We opened the
windows and turned the fan on to blow the smoke out. That is when I had a stroke
of genius: Bring the microwave outside. Julie and I unplugged the microwave,
carried it outside, and then let the smoke out. It was a fool-proof solution.
No fire, no smoke, no alarm…and no fire department to ruin the festivities.
THANK GOODNESS. Julie and I returned the party laughing uncontrollably. While
everyone else was eating cake and making toasts…Julie and I put our emergency management
skills to the test. And if you ask me, I’d say that we succeeded.
Books
Upon arriving to Iowa, there was a huge book sale. I bought 8 books for $4.25. I was in heaven. Here is heaven:
Adult Ballet
A little bit over a year ago, I
wrote this on my bucket list: “25. Get good at some type of dance”. I’m not
sure that I will ever be considered “good” at dance to anyone else…but this
goal has at least encouraged me to pursue dance classes in my area. When my
team and I got to Urbandale, IA…we noticed a dance studio close to our office.
Out of interest and curiosity, a few of my Corps Members and I attended the
adult ballet class there. It was AMAZING. It wasn’t so much of a dance class as
much as it was a workout…but it didn’t matter to me. I had the opportunity to
set my body and mind free with the intoxicating music and movements of dance.
Tuesdays in Iowa will always be my favorite.
Dad’s Marathon
My dad, Pat Five Point Oh (Pat
5.0), is awesome. A few months ago, I
wrote that I surprised him at his first half marathon (13.1 miles) in May. And
now, just five months later, he has completed his first MARATHON (26.2 miles).
It’s not just any marathon, either.
It is the only marathon in the world
that starts in one country (The United States of America) and ends in another (Canada).
If there was some way that I could have surprised my dad at this event…now that
would have been epic. Unfortunately, the commute was a bit further and more
expensive this time. Even so, I want to make sure I take this time to express
how proud I am of him. He set a goal to start running half marathons, he
increased his goal to marathons, and now…he’s successfully completed both of those
goals. I admire him for his perseverance, his drive, and his desire to become
healthier. I am so proud of you Dad. Hopefully I’ll be running next to you in
one of these races in the next year…
October was awesome...and this is only month one of deployment. Yes, this month kicked my butt. But I write in my journal and I write this blog to give myself the opportunity to look back on each month with a clear, appreciative, and positive mindset. I'm very lucky to be here. I won't be forgetting that anytime soon.
Update on
right now:
My team and I
arrived in Jefferson City on November 18, 2013. We are scheduled to leave
(again) on Monday, November 25th for St. Robert, MO. We will be the
only team in St. Robert for about one week until another team from the Vicksburg
campus will be joining us. I absolutely can’t wait.
This past
week has been incredible. I got to hang out with two of my favorite Team
Leaders every day…and I watched Catching Fire on the night of its premiere. It
was so good…go see it! J
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