Badger 5 van rides

I just found this video the other day and it made me smile.  This is what happens on our van rides.  Billy Joel songs have become, along with many other songs, Badger 5 anthems for the year. 

 

in NOLA!

I don't know where to begin because so much has happened over this past week. It feels like months since we left Perry Point, MD. It was really only a week ago. haha. My team is living at Camp Hope in St.Bernard Parish. It's basically a middle school that was turned into a housing facility for volunteers and people serving like americorps nccc. I think this week coming is the largest group of volunteers, reaching around 1,000 living here. 40 of us are living co-ed bunk style. We share a room with 3 other AmeriCorps teams. two of the teams are from the sacramento, CA campus. it's cool to meet other campuses. The showers are nice and cold everyday and the food is always an adventure. This month is a huge spring break time for colleges which is why it is so crowded here right now. and will be for a few more weeks.

Given all that.... it's been AMAZING! We are working with Habitat for Humanity

in the Musician's village. if u don't know habitat, look it up. it's a great non-profit. i will prob explain more later but i am so so tired right now. It took us 2 10 hr days to drive here. Unfortunately i was sick from the day we left until now. Luckily, I am finally recovering! Camp Hope is probably not the best place to be sick in. I will definitely update again soon. It has been a crazy week. Hopefully everything will settle down a lil bit.

New Orleans has so many great things to see and there is always something new around every corner. the people here are all so interesting as well. it's just a great place to be. Though there is still soooo much that needs to be recovered. It's sad when Habitat, a non-profit, is the leading means of construction and re-building in the area. and that is over any profit based companies as well. I need to get some sleep, but it has been great so far. Roofing a house was a highlight from last week. i enjoyed it. So Dad if u ever need some help roofing anything... : ) love u all. miss u and talk to u soon hopefully!

New housemate!

Oh yeah, and i got another roomate about a week or two ago! forgot to mention that. Her name is Seven. yes, like the number. Just thought i would add that. There are now 8 of us in the house! and 5 of us are going to New Orleans! the others have cool projects in other places. We had our presentation today. it went well. and i just remembered i need to go finish an assignment for something. 

Above is a picture of everyone in our house.  Chloe also joined our house a few weeks after i made this post.  Now we have a full and crazy house. We are in our formals because this was at our official AmeriCorps Induction Ceremony. 

badger 5

This past week and weekend has been real crazy. We went on a mini spike for three days. this was to get an idea of what the spike trips are like and working together as a team. though it's kind of silly cuz 3 of our team members weren't there. one was at chain saw training and the other two were at fire fighter training. The rest of us went to a Girl Scout campsite that needed our help with lots of clearing of brush and logs. basically lots of manual labor. it was fun! and i got to ride the gator! (not EXACTLY a tractor A. Annie. its more of a mini dump truck hahaa but it was fun). wicked tiring but a good time. When we got back we had a TON of paperwork and power point presentation stuff to do.

There are 8 of us and a team leader on my team. we are called Badger 5. there are 3 units 

and all are named after animals; badger, raven, and wolf. then there are 6 teams in each unit.   My team consists of.... ( i do this stuff mainly for my own benefit later, i know many of u find this to be boring info haha) Tyler is our TL from Florida, Erik from Jersey (with family in the quincy area! and his mom is from dorchester! craaaazy), Andrew from Iowa, Tawna from Montana, Jordan from Minnesota, Julie from boston/brooklyn, and two of my roomates Beth from Maryland and Julie from Ohio. we are an interesting dynamic. we have a good time.

This weekend kind of frustrated me though. Lots of written work and it seemed to take forever. it is hard coordinating 9 people to put a slide presentation together. and other stuff as well. Oh well, my head will hopefully be cleared tomorrow after the presentation.  It's probably because I am getting sick.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO EVERYONE I KNOW THAT HAS HAD A BDAY RECENTLY! there are many of u, including my own sistah! i didnt forget about any of u! it is just impossible to find a quiet and isolated time to call anyone. I will get better at that.

If anyone has been to New Orleans and has suggestions of things to see then let me know!!!! it's going to be such a fun (and ridiculously long) van ride down. If there is anything i missed let me know! i'm getting some sweet music since being here. it's nice. okay i am exhausted! miss u all! i looked up my house on goodle maps the other day. made me say awwww i miss it. oh and i can't BELIEVE uncle mike made the pasta?! whaaaaat. of course when i am gone.