NEW ORLEANS!!!!!

Our first spike was revealed yesterday and we are going to New Orleans for two months!! My team will be working with Habitat for Humanity and staying at Camp Hope. I AM SO EXCITED!!! AHHHHH! each team gets placed in a different area. Some people are in NJ, some in Georgia, Connecticut, West Virginia, basically all over this side of the country. We were one of the lucky teams to go to New Orleans on the first round! I am pumped. We were kind of crazy all day. If you are unfamiliar with Habitat for Humanity, then look it up! It is working together to build houses for the local community. There are Habitats all over the country. There are many other programs in New Orleans that are geared toward this. For example, some of my roommates are going to work with a St. Bernard's project down there, doing similar stuff. We just happened to get placed with Habitat. and i am psyched!!!!!!!!

Yesterday day was a crazy and busy day. We also found out our specialty roles for our team. Each team member holds a role. There are a few different roles but i won't bore u with that. if u are really interested in knowing what they all are let me know! cuz i love talking about this stuff. Our Team Leader (TL) had us write a few paragraphs explaining why we wanted a certain role and what our second choice was. I'm the SLI (the LOVE the acronyms here at NCCC) Service Learning Initiator and working with my teammate Beth. Basically, i am coordinating service learning opportunities for the team while we are working on a project. We make sure everyone is understanding the purpose of what we are doing, how to look forward when done with the project and not just put it away and move on, and to just reflect on what we've learned or experienced etc. There is a good amount of written work, but it's definitely something I am very interested in. It's making sure that we look at the big perspective. This could be a long discussion but I will limit myself right now. : )
Also, each round there is a new Assistant Team Leader (ATL). Someone who just takes on a lil more to help out the TL. so i'll be doind that for the first round. My team is fun and we all have been getting along great. Once we go on spike we will be in very close quarters all the time. sleeping, eating, working, living together. but i think we all have the same idea of what we want out of this so as long as we keep an open communication we should do ok. There is a mixture of ages. about half are 19 and the other half are 22-24. AmeriCorps NCCC is definitely a program i wish i new about before i went off to college. i don't even know how i heard about it! i think just from searching online. Anyways, I am WICKED EXCITED!!! NEW ORLEANS IN LESS THAN A MONTH!!! (and i'll be there for my bday, woohoo!)

what am i even doing this month?

So i realized that alot of people are probably wondering what the heck i am doing down here besides PT and silly v-day parties. This whole month is a lil long because it is as if we are back in the classroom. We have training classes on a number of different topics each day. Once we cover everything we need then we will go on a mini spike with our team. I'm hoping our first official spike will be in the gulf somewhere doing construction. We have three focus cities for the year" baltimore, D.C., and Camden NJ. though we are not limited to those areas.

Sometimes it gets a lil long right now...waiting for us to just get started on our projects! but we need the training to be ready for everything. esp. if we get any sudden disaster relief calls. This is why the ISP (independent service projects) are good to do around this training month. It reminds us why we are here. Right now I am thinking about going to the local library and seeing if they can use my help there at all. Mulitple people can go on a planned ISP sooo we are all trying to help each other with finding projects that interest us. Everyone's tastes are different of course. Some people want to go help outside with the local parks and such while others would rather be in a school etc. u can guess what i'd like to do! but i am really up for anything.

talk to u all sometime soon. i hope u all had a wonderfuuuuul president's day! wooo!

Happy Valentine's weekend wooo

Happy Valentine's Day! even though it was yesterday.

hey Mike!! i'm excited for the package. i'll probably have it by monday. i'm excited!

We have a long weekend! well kinda. i didn't really because i went to the van driver training on saturday. basic and self-explanatory. but necessary...i guess haha. i mean it's kind of common sense. don't whip around corners unless u want to tip the van. don't be dumb when driving.

Training all week was long... diversity training, youth development, etc. i was familiar with alot of the topics they covered so it was a lil repetitive for me. but definitely needed, whether as a refresher for people or something completely new to them. they were long days in the same room though! especially the diversity training. In one month i will be on my first spike project!! (spikes are when we travel for our project and stay on site somewhere). Right now i am trying to get my ISPs (independent service projects) out of the way before we leave. we have to do 80 hours of service projects where we kind of organize a time to go help out anywhere we are interested in giving service. i'll explain more later.

Catrina's toilet overflowed for the second time this week. it ran down into the dining room and i believe her bedroom hahaha. it's great here. Catrina is from the Boston crew and i am sure u will see a lot of her when i get back.

We had another potluck this saturday. i think it's going to be a weekly thing. 

We also had an interesting Valentine's Day party here at the Point. everyone down here is crazy and know how to have a fun time.  Men were dressed as women and women as men. i don't know who thought of the theme but i have a whole bunch of hysterical pictures and a fashion show video. this was also surprisingly without any influence of alcohol. it was so funny. i became a pretty good guy. represented boston with my red sox hat of course.  This is a picture of Badger 5 all dressed up.  Julie K won Sexiest Boy Award. It was a GREAT way to celebrate Valentine's Day. 

Well i'm off to walk around the area. I have a driving hour later today and then i can officially be certified to drive! woo! i hope everything is going well at home. miss u all!

another day in The Point

PT again today... and i'm feeling the burn! i love it but it's definately a challenge. and i encourage anyone who wants to ever do NCCC to do Calisthenic training before coming hahaha. the "simple" sit-ups are anything but. hopefully by the end of the month, or program, i will be able to do all three sets no problem. The push-ups will coming a lil slower.

more training today! it definately feels like i'm back in the classroom again but i get it. it's all necessary before we take off with our teams. i know i already said this but it's refreshing to be around a mass amount of people with similar mindsets or goals. it's motivating. : ) k showah time!

so i don't think i can post comments on my own board. i'll just answer people through this.

MOM that's a pic of the sunrise and i will eventually be sending back a box to u (i dont know why i packed those heels. a moment of weakness when packing...) Hey CHRISTINE! : ) miss ya!
UNCLE K i haven't had the crab cakes yet. but i'll try to broaden my horizons with food while i'm down here. my friend mentioned that we should go crabbing actually! and i will NEVER lose wicked.

Rise and Shine!

Just got back from PT. it was an interesting experience to say the least. it's great to be up right now and already have a work out in before 7!! i LOVE structure! it makes me do things i wouldn't be motivated to do on my own haha. It was very watered down military style Calisthenics. The leg work outs i was OK with but the push ups were killing me. we did 3 rounds of the work out. so 3 sets of 15 push ups and for those of u that know my amazing upper body strength..well... u can imagine how well i did haha. By round 3 it was hard to finish a set of anything. that was so frustrating. i know after a week or two it will get better. We aren't really doing running with them so I'm just running on my own. There is a really nice path by the water. It's gorgeous when the sun is rising or setting. and yes, i am now getting up before the sunrise.

We have been spending time with our "pod" teams. these are temporary teams. it's a lil sad because we will be getting our official teams today. These teams will be who we are with for all of our projects and such. i'm kind of anxious cuz i like my pod team and TL (team leader). i'm hoping the permanent team will work out just as well since we will be together all year. I'll let ya know how it goes. There's a good mix of people here. i've been getting made fun of wicked bad for the boston accent. if i come back saying words like ya'll or hella, i apologize ahead of time. though there are a good amount of people from the northeast.

my housemates are the best. i know i'm bias but they really are awesome. They are.... Julie from Ohio, Melissa from Cali, Emma Chicago (also my roomie, and our room is decked out in red sox and cubs apparel. no yankees so thats great of course), Beth from Maryland, Danelle from Virginia, and Chloe from Pennsylvania (newbie roomate! she found out that she got accepted on Wed. when we were already here and got here by thursday. so sweet.) By the way it was 69 degrees here yesterday! that was unbelievable. K well i guess i should go get ready for the day. enjoy today : )

At The Point!

It has been a crazy past few days! Meeting new people, getting some shots (yeah, great...), going on a scavenger hunt, and lots more. The uniforms are everything i dreamed about and more. especially the pants. i feel like a real man now. but atleast we are all in it together haha. i will be sure to have a lil fashion shoot for all of u. LEE keep me posted on the Ralph Lauren uniforms. I hope the letter works haha. Everyone is great. It is so refreshing how everyone is on the same mindset. There are 7 of us in our house. We have a food budget of each person has $5 a day to spend haha. but u pool the money together and amazingly it somehow works out. Minimal but healthy and tastey! POTLUCK dinner tonight at our house! we invited some other houses. hopefully we get alot of people over.

OHHHH and my house name. we call our house the Chamber of Doom. I am sure u feel great about this MOM. i loved our phone conversation. "hows ur house?" "it's livable." haha i will get pics up when i can. its really ok, just wicked old! and it's name comes from our wonderful basement. We have the laundry machines downstairs and also a random toilet in the middle of the basement. doesn't work but it's there nontheless. u turn the corner and we have what looks like an interrogation room/torture room. there is a single light bulb and a single stool in this tiny room. it's hysterical.

We start PT on Monday... 5:30 wooo! can't wait! actually i really can't because it's just making me get in better shape. i think we are doing mostly strength training and we take care of the running on our own. Oh and DAD, of course the people i clicked with right away happen to be soccer players so i see lots of that in the future! already started passing a ball around. it felt good to finally "play" again. in quotes cuz i was tired in 10 minutes haha.

So i will work on the Skype thing ASH. and anyone else who has skype. i have it now! That's it for now. i could go on for days but i will spare u all that. it's funny seeing the different thoughts on weather. when it's nice out the west coasters and southerners are still freezing. though i think everyone is feeling good today. it's 51 degrees!!!!! i can't believe it! told u i wouldnt need my winter boots. and i am definately putting my black boots to use.

OHHH i can't stop writing cuz i just thought of something else that u all NEED to know. ok so we went to the local bar the other night. of course... 3 days in. haha leave to the boston crew. 75 cents a beer until 10pm!!!! AHHH it's like a buy one get 5 free sale down here. i can't believe it. i don't know if it's only on certain nights but it was exciting. just thought i would share. TAMRA i think that even beats your tims corner store place haha. ok i'm done now. talk to u soon!

These pictures are views of Perry Point

In Maryland

arrived safe in Maryland. The Boston crew is awesome. i love em all. Within 5 minutes we all could tell it was going to be a great trip.  Below is a picture of us all at the airport.  I can't wait for what's to come.

in less than 24 hours i will be at Logan Airport...

this is so weird. i can't believe it's already here. i'm leaving.... ahhh!

i just wanted to say a HUUUUGE THANK YOU to everyone that was able to come on Saturday to my parent's "gathering" [not a party for me!!! ; ) and i didn't really tell any friends so if u are reading this, just ignore it! ] it was great to see everyone right before i take off. if u received one of my amazingly creative mother's pencils with my info attached then then that's probably how u got to this site. i hope u enjoyed the USA mints as well. mom, u are too much. but i love u and, as much as i rebeled this party, i really appreciate everything u did. oh yeah u too, dad. haha ; ) love ya.

and now today is going to be a funfilled day of packing and grabbing my last minute things... Lee do u have my portable hamper? probably. haha ok i'm off to go pack. next post will be in MD!