Evolution of the House on Miro (Part 1)

Beginning of Day 1 on Miro

End of Day 1 on Miro (Blocks have been laid.)

Day 3 (Front chain wall is almost completed.)

Day 4 (Beams have been put up.)

Day 5 (The floor has been put in.)

Day 6 (The walls are up!!!)

End of Day 6 (Interior walls are being placed.)

Yay for pictures!  I decided to do a post like this one so all of you can see the progress of a Habitat home as well as read my ramblings.  So this is my and Andrew (Catfish)'s first house together; I'll be able to see the house from start to finish which is pretty exciting.

The volunteers who have come and worked on the house with us have been amazing.  We've had a sorority from Southeastern University, high schoolers from a Jewish private school in San Diego, a pair of lottery winners from Pittsburgh, a group of friends who grew up together from New York, a farmer from Indiana, a Tar Heel fan from Washington D.C., a "jack-of-all-trades" from Nashville, and a man named Mark from San Jose who volunteered with Habitat for a whole month.  I list all of them knowing that they each played a small role in getting this house to where it is now.  Whether it was by pouring concrete mix in cement blocks or building walls, the house is closer to becoming a home for one lucky family. 

I'm Really Bad About Updating This...

Yea, it's been a while, huh? Well I'll just give y'all a basic run down of what's happened since my last post.

I have: turned a year older, had a visit from my dear friend Leanne,  had visit from my father, eaten my first raw oyster, learned how to put siding on a house, learned how to build walls for a house, had a 24 foot ladder fall on top of me (I was just bruised, no "real" injuries), been to a Budweiser party (and was treated to free drinks!), seen Steven Tyler in Jackson Square, cheered on the Saints even though they win some and lose some, been to Memphis and walked around Graceland, been homesick, gotten in a car accident (no "real" injuries again, Carl the Cobalt was just bruised), consumed a portion of the world's largest mac and cheese, put in baseboards in a few houses, swam in Lake Pontchartrain, run a Habitat site all by myself for an afternoon, gotten one hell of a crazy sock tan, seen Charlie Daniels play "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" live, and danced the night away on Frenchmen Street.

So there are the highlights (and some lowlights?) of the past month and a half.

I'm still loving it down here despite the pangs of homesickness that come from time to time. I really miss all my friends back in Raleigh, the rowdiness of home games at Carter Finley and cheering on the Wolfpack, working indoors and relishing the A/C, and most importantly, I miss the beach. I never realized how much salt air soothes my soul. I plan on driving to Biloxi once my car is fixed and soaking in as much salt air as humanly possible. Also, my family is coming here for Thanksgiving and that'll cure some of the homesickness as well.

New Orleans is really amazing and the people here are so gracious. When the group from Budweiser came to volunteer last weekend (they brought 260 volunteers!) I led neighborhood cleanup. Basically I just walked around the neighborhood and chatted with all the locals and Budweiser people. The people in the neighborhood were so grateful that we were not only building houses but helping clean up the area as well. They shared stories of their experience with the Katrina disaster and their die hard love for the Saints. The Budweiser people were so eager to clean up and help out in any way that they could. They did joke about not wanting to pick up any competition's products (i.e. Miller High Lifes and Heiniken) but they knew that what they were doing was meaningful to the community and they couldn't have been better sports about it.

I love days like that.  Days where the volunteers are eager, the sun is shining and there's a gentle breeze, hard work gets done, and I can end the day by celebrating with the wonderful people I've met or just peacefully drifting off to sleep.  On a side note, I no longer work with my other AmeriCorps friends.  We've all been split up and are working with our own site leaders, so now the training is over and the "real" work begins.  I am paired up with Catfish, aka Andrew, who was my house leader for the Katrina Anniversary Build in August.  We're quite the pair and I've already been dubbed with the nickname Nemo because of my small stature and constant struggling on the worksite. Haha. I'll be the only AmeriCorps to help build a two-story house which is exciting and daunting. I'm not really bragging about it because at some point I'll have to roof that two-story house and we all know how terrified I am of that.  (If you don't know, see my last blog entry.)

In a nutshell, that's my life here in the Big Easy so far. Living free, working hard, and loving (just about) every minute of it.

Roofing, Roommates, and Realizations

So I've been pretty awful about updating this thing since I got down here.  I promise I'll try and be better about it; starting the new job and the five day build kept me pretty busy.

The build was awesome.  I loved having Mom here and being able to show her New Orleans (post-Katrina) and she worked damn hard during the build.  She said that when she got home that she understood how I felt when I came back from my first ASB trip; that desire to come back and help finished what you started.

I think that doing the five day build was great preparation for my job, which funnily enough is titled as Construction Assistant.  I really never thought I would do construction but I'm starting to enjoy certain things about it here and there.  I'm pretty handy with power tools and a hammer but roofing is a whole other story.

I'm such a whimp when it comes to roofing.  It's not the height that bothers me but more so the fear of falling off the roof to an imminent death or terrible spine injury.  I think it's pretty normal to have that fear, right? All I have to say is that feeling when you slip on a piece of tar paper on a 6 x 12 roof is not pleasant and makes you want to scurry down that ladder at a high rate of speed.  

Also, the roof gets pretty dang hot down here, I mean our weather wizard back home on the OBX would sometimes register that the roof was like 140 degrees, I can't imagine what the temperature is on roofs down here.  Last Friday I was gingerly walking around on the roof, nailing in some tar paper here and there, feeling a little light headed from the heat and went down for lunch.  During lunch I realized that the tread on my sneakers had melted and moved to a whole other position, so I wasn't encouraged to go back on the roof for the rest of the day, which I took no offense to.  

In summary, roofs are scary but I'm starting to get the hang of it.  I helped finished shingle a whole roof today, which I consider a large accomplishment on my part.  Tomorrow we'll be starting to lay some blocking down at a different site.  Should be interesting.

That's about all the exciting stuff about the job thus far.  My roomies/co-AmeriCorps Directs are awesome.  We're from all over the United States from all different backgrounds so it's been fun learning about each other and our histories and what brought us to this point.  We know how to have a good time as well, making the weekends and time off enjoyable.

On a random side note; here are my addresses.  The first one is for letters and the other is for packages.

Elissa Trotman

4320 D'Hemecourt

New Orleans, LA 70119

Elissa Trotman 

Habitat for Humanity

c/o Cynthia White

7100 St. Charles Ave.

New Orleans, LA 70118

I have to say that I really love this city.  Everyone I've talked to here about working for Habitat has been so thankful.  From Harry Connick, Jr. (swoon) to a shop owner in the French Quarter, the response has been the same, "Thanks. We're so grateful that you're here."  

A lot of things comprise my love of this city: the food, the jazz music that you can hear most anywhere you go, the pride for the Saints, the people, Bourbon Street with all it's craziness and vomit/beer/urine odor, the Southern Decadence parade (which is absolutely wild and entertaining), the view of the Mississippi from the river walk in the Quarter, and lastly (for now, there will be more as the year goes on) driving to work on I-10 East and looking to my right and seeing the sun shine on St. Louis Cathedral in the distance and knowing that I'm a part of the rebuilding of this city that means so much to so many people.

I'll post some pictures soon. Come visit if you get a chance!

I love and miss you all. :)

Elissa & Laura's Adventure to the Big Easy

Oh South of the Border

Bridges in Alabama

Biloxi, Mississippi

The Habitat House Jungle Room! (not mine obviously) 

So to sum up the pictures I'll just say that Mom and I had a wonderful drive down here with lots of laughs and good times.  We made it to New Orleans safe and sound.  We're currently sitting in a McDonalds off of Canal Street eating a greasy albeit delicious breakfast and watching the trolley cars go up and down the street.  There isn't internet at the house yet but hopefully that will be up soon.  Our plans for the day are to finish getting my house set up and then head into the Quarter and be tourists for the afternoon.  Maybe we'll eat a beignet or two. :)

Excitement and Nerves.

Tomorrow morning my mom and I begin the drive to my new home in New Orleans.  As I leave the comfort of my home in its idyllic beach setting, I'll be headed for new adventures, friends, and memories.

Although I know I'm leaving, it still hasn't hit me yet.  While we drive towards I-95 in Rocky Mount tomorrow I'm sure I'll feel like I'm headed to Raleigh to begin a new year at NC State.  I'll get the urge to call my girlfriends and plan a night out or see what everyone else is up to. But then we'll take the 95 exit and head south and I'll feel like we're headed to Columbia, SC to see Hunter, my little brother, at college and spend some time with him.  But then once we pass the exits for USC, I know it'll hit me.  I'll be smiling from ear to ear knowing that the next chapter is beginning right there and then.

Lately everyone I've bumped into back home has asked me if I'm excited about the move and the job and yes, I am. I'm also a little nervous about it.  I'm plenty social, always have been (my report cards every year said that I talked too much in class), so making new friends and meeting new people isn't daunting to me.  I think it's simply that I'm moving to a place far from home and that I won't know anyone right off the bat. My excitement certainly outweighs the nerves.  I kind of enjoy pushing my comfort zone and nerves are just something that comes with that.

So for now I am all packed and ready to go.

Get ready New Orleans, I'm on my way.

:)

It's a bittersweet symphony, this life.

As the most recent chapter in my life comes to an end, I couldn't be more excited about where the next one begins. Like I said in the last post, living in New Orleans and working for an organization like Habitat has been a dream of mine for some time now. How lucky am I that at only 21 years of age, one of my dreams is coming true.

Leaving Raleigh is definitely bittersweet. The people I have met in the last four or so years have truly shaped the person I am now. My co-workers, friends, teachers and everyone in between have impacted my life in ways that they probably aren't even aware of. I couldn't imagine my life without them. Which is making this whole "big move" thing a little sad.

The beginning of my junior year at State felt like my slate was wiped clean. I had moved on from a relationship and some friends that I had grown a part from. I was no longer living in the dorm and got my first job outside of working for my parents. My job was a courier/office assistant at a law firm and boy did I luck out. My co-workers were fun, witty, and all around wonderful people. I knew within the first week that I would love working there. And I did for two years. Saying goodbye to them is probably one of the harder things about leaving Raleigh. Work felt like being a part of a big, goofy family.

Now my friends, they are my saving grace. Each one of the them means the world to me and I would be there in heartbeat if they ever needed me. They all are so vibrant and fun and a joy to be around. While saying goodbye to them is hard as well, I leave knowing that many of them are moving on to new things in their lives as well. They're following their own dreams and I can't wait to see where they all end up. Many of them have promised numerous visits to New Orleans and I'll be holding them to that, even though I have a feeling they'll all end up coming at Mardi Gras. :)

Although my heart feels like it is breaking a bit here and there having to leave, it also feels warm and fuzzy at the same time. People do come into your life for a reason and they teach you things and whether they left a fingerprint or a footprint, they've made an impact. So now it's time to head home to the OBX for a few weeks for some R & R before I head off to the Big Easy.

I guess I could have just simplified this post by saying, my cup runneth over. :)

For the next ten and a half months...

I will be working as an AmeriCorps Direct member with the New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity. My term begins September 1st but I will be moving there at the end of August. I will also be volunteering for the organization's five day Build-a-thon. In commemoration of Hurricane Katrina's five year anniversary, we will be building five homes in five days. I can't wait to be thrown into the mix of things as soon as I get there!

My living accommodations will very minimal but exciting nonetheless. I will be living in Habitat type homes with 8 other people. There are two homes for the group of us, so one person will end up having a roommate. Probably one my favorite things about where we are living is that it is right in the heart of New Orleans and only a short walk to Canal Street (one of the main drags in NOLA).

I think I should clarify how all of this happened since many of you have asked, prior to this news, what was I going to do now that I graduated? What AmeriCorps program was I applying to? Where would I be? I'm pretty sure everyone got varied answers from me because I had no idea, until last Friday, what my future for at least the next year was going to look like. I happened upon this opportunity with extreme luck. I looked up the New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity (NOAHH) website just to see if they had any kind of job openings and it just so happened they were looking for new AmeriCorps members. I immediately sent an e-mail that I was interested in this and got a quick reply with an attached application. I got the application packet out in the mail the next day, had interviews a week later and found out Friday that I had gotten the position. I blame it all on luck!

I'm so excited to get down there and get to work and explore the city some more. I fell in love with New Orleans when I went down there with my first Alternative Service Break trip back in March of 2009. The culture and lifestyle drew me in and when I came back I swore that one day I would live there. Mom would tell me almost every time I brought up living in New Orleans that I would have frizzy, curly hair all the time because of the humidity (as if it was a threat). Haha. To me, having frizzy, wild, lion-like hair is a small price to pay to live in a place as enchanting as New Orleans.

Another reason of why I feel so tied to New Orleans is Hurricane Katrina. Looking back, five years ago, I was so wrapped up in starting my senior year of high school and still boy crazy that I barely remember the news coverage of what happened. I knew it was bad and, ignorantly, I thought it was all the storm's fault for what happened to the city. It just never really phased me what had really gone on and how people's lives were completely changed.

When I went to New Orleans last year we took a tour around the city and St. Bernard Parish (where a lot of the damage was) and saw the effects of Hurricane Katrina. It was on that tour that I learned that the flooding of New Orleans was a man-made disaster. Something that had been years in the making and it took just the right kind of hurricane to make the faulty levees break. (I compare the levee system in New Orleans pre-Katrina to the Oregon Inlet Bridge and its safety rating.) While on the tour we saw where the levees broke and the remnants of the houses that were directly behind them. There were houses that we passed that still had markings on them indicating if anyone had been found there and some had water lines up to the roof indicating the water level. I was taking it all in and became so frustrated that this had even happened.

Coming from an area that has had its fair share of hurricanes and seeing plenty of destruction, what happened in New Orleans hit home. All I could think was "Why hasn't more been done?" and "What can I do to help rebuild this city?".

I now know what I can do to serve the city of New Orleans and I recognize that a lot has been done and the city as whole has come along way in the past five years. NOAHH alone has built homes for over 300 families. I hear that Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest, along with the Saints winning the Superbowl have helped New Orleans stay alive.

So to keep in touch with me, just follow my blog and I promise to keep it updated as frequently as possible.

39 days until I arrive in New Orleans!

Laissez les bon temps roules!!!

Don't listen to them when they say you're just a fool to believe you can change the world...

I'm moving to New Orleans at the end of September to begin a year of service with Habitat for Humanity!!!!!

Thanks everyone for all the good wishes, prayers, vibes, etc. I couldn't do it without all of your support!

I wouldn't change a thing that changed my life...

So I left Alaska four days ago and obviously its taken me a while to write this entry. Life has been a little chaotic since returning but tonight I finally got to reflect about my time in Alaska,

Be ready for a long post. :)

Friday, our last day in Hoonah, was much different than any other. First being that I didn't go to Headstart because they kids were let out a day early for spring break. I really missed them and wished I could have spent at least one more day with them. Before any of us went off to our service sites for the day we went to Grandma Nina's, a local coffee shop, and got some java and muffins. It was also Jeff's 19th birthday so I made sure to give him a party hat and birthday pin to wear all day. It wouldn't be a real birthday if there wasn't some embarrassment involved with it, right?

Jeff's birthday attire.

When we finished holding court at Grandma Nina's, we all headed over to the school. Some socialized in the cafeteria, others played games with students in the gym, and some (myself included) caught up on homework. At 9am a group of us was expected at a local church to finish the painting some other team members had started that week. A wedding is supposed to happen there in a few weeks and I'm really happy we got to finish the church so the mother of the bride didn't have do it, like she thought she was going to before we came into town.

The church

We all had different schedules and after a few hours I was left alone, painting in the church. It was a moment I really enjoyed. There was no talking, no radio, no noise except for the gentle sound of snow/rain falling outside. My experience in Hoonah, and the impact of the group that I traveled with, began to hit me then. In a town of about 860 people, 14 people from 14 different backgrounds with 14 different goals in life from one university came together to serve that town in whatever way they needed. We planted a garden, we fixed a leaky toilet, we helped with an engineering project, we were someone to talk to, we were a hand to hold, we were a shoulder to cry on, we were teachers, and we were students.

With those thoughts storming my brain, I decided to take a walk back to the school and think about the week some more. I wasn't at the school long before Roger came and whisked me away to lunch at Grandma Nina's. Yes, the coffee shop from that morning. Lunch was on the house for our group so a good number of us showed up. Then it was time for me and Marc to go to the Hoonah Indian Association to do some more legal type work.

While there, I began to feel lightheaded and naeusous. When I woke up that morning I was really congested and had a slight cough, but this hit me like a truck. The nausea would come in waves and after a while it was hard to concentrate on much. So Rory, Roger's sister, decided to take me back to her cabin and let me rest, she also set up an appointment for me at the local clinic. After the most wonderful nap I've ever had, Rory came rushing in to whisk me away to the clinic where I found out I only had a terrible cold, which I had figured. Being around those pesky preschoolers and not sleeping much can really compromise your immune system.

I came back to the bunk house and started to help things get ready for the potluck dinner the community was holding for us. When the other team members trickled in I noticed a sign was posted up in the living room. It was from the K-2 class thanking the team members who worked with them that week. Reading it, the emotions I felt earlier about our team and what we'd done in the community came flooding back to me. Let's be real, that's just a poetic way to say that the note made me cry. I dried my tears and got back to work setting up the kitchen and living room for company.

The note

We had heard that a good number of people would be showing up and that there would be native food, singing, and dancing. At 7pm, the bottom level of the bunk house was filling up with members of the community. I wasn't at all what I had expected but I was pleasantly surprised. Our entire group loved watching the dancing and singing and we got to dance too. Soon after that was over, Jeff, Morgan, and Kimberly were presented with bear claws from the "chief" of the Tlingit tribe. Apparently, this wasn't something that they do often and they wanted to recognize those individuals for their service to the community.

Our group with members of the Tlingit tribe.

With all that going on, the smell of salmon, seal meat, and seaweed fried rice began to waft in from the kitchen. I decided to be adventurous and tried all of the above plus smoked octopus and halibut pizza. I mostly enjoyed everything except the seal meat and rice. I'll just say that those weren't my cup of tea. If you want a more descriptive reason, ask me later.

Clockwise from the bottom: Smoked salmon, seal meat, halibut pizza, smoked octopus, seaweed fried rice, taco meat, and venison in the center.

The excitement died down after most of the food was eaten and conversations were exhausted. It was time for our final reflection. I had a feeling I would end up crying again, as the last night on ASB is always a powerful one. We started off making a web out of yarn by throwing the yarn to someone who had impacted us on the trip. Once it made it to everyone, we continued it until we ran out of yarn. Standing in the circle holding our strings, we each described how this week had changed or challenged us. Everyone's answers were different and enlightening in their own ways.

When it was my turn to speak, I thought I was going to cry...again, but I found no lump in my throat. Instead of sobbing and making a barely audible statement, I simply said, "You all have changed me." And it's true. They did. I said that Nadeem and I had spent a significant amount of time picking the best team we could for this trip and what they did far exceeded the expectations we had set. I told them about how I felt earlier and that I was so proud and they should be proud of themselves as well. It's good to recognize how different we all are and that we come from different experiences but that we can come together for a week of service and get so much done. It's inspiring. We're not really sure if we've made a fingerprint or a footprint in Hoonah, and we'll really never now but we'll never forget what we did there and what we learned about ourselves.

I learned that I am extremely privileged. I have a family and friends who love me, a job that pays well for a college student, a great education, and much more. This isn't to say that the people in Hoonah don't have these privileges but they may be harder to come by.

This trip also reaffirmed to me that I HAVE to do Americorps next year. Notice the word "have", meaning that I haven't been accepted just yet but that I am dying to get in that program. I want to travel and experience new things and serve whatever community needs me. To me, a life without service isn't a life well lived. If I could be a vegabond and just do service the rest of my life, I would. Unfortunately that isn't very realistic so I've decided to devote a year or two of my life to Americorps, if they accept me that is.

So for now that is all about my ASB trip to Hoonah, Alaska. I'm still adjusting to going back to school and living in a city again. Living in a remote town in Alaska for a week can really affect your perceptions on those things. You forget there are such things as massive highways, fast food restaurants by the hundreds, and Target.

Also, if I get into Americorps, know that I will post that on here ASAP and that this blog will be used for that experience as well.

On that note, thanks again for all of your support through the years; it is noted and appreciated. I love you all.

(These two photos were taken by Susannah Brinkley)

"Service rests on the basic premise that the nature of life is sacred, that life is a holy mystery, which has an unknown purpose. When we serve, we know that we belong to life and to that purpose." -Rachel Naomi Remen

"Gracias! And 'Gracias' means 'I am going to the bathroom!'"-Jozlyn

Yesterday was my last day at Headstart because the kids were getting a one day start on spring break. So I woke up feeling sad about it being my last day with the kids but I was excited because the kids were going on a field trip to the beach across from the building where Headstart is. But before we went to Headstart we met with the new school counselor, Renee, who wanted to talk to us about life in Hoonah and the kids. She graduated last spring with the masters degree in social work and felt called to serve the people in Alaska. She offered an insightful perspective on the kids and their behavior and they way the community responds to problems.

Finally it was time to go to Headstart and soon after getting there we headed off to the beach. The kids absolutely loved it! They especially enjoyed flipping over the rocks and seeing the small crabs and starfish that hide underneath them.

Mrs. Edna lifting up the rocks for the kids.

Alona with her baby crab.

We had our fill for the beach and went back to Headstart where we had lunch and played more games and did activities. This is where the title for this entry becomes relevant. Jozlyn, one of the girls at Headstart, had to use the restroom and just like a pre-k kid would do, left the stall door open for everyone to see her do her business. From her spot on the commode, she yelled to Mrs. Edna "Gracias!" and obviously not really knowing the meaning of the word, she said that gracias meant she was using the bathroom. Of course this was one those "kids say the darndest things" moments. These kids are so happy all of the time and I really enjoyed the time I got to spend with them. So we said goodbye and I headed back to the school to blog and get some work done.

It wasn't long after I got to the school that I got an invitation, along with a few other team members, to go get some crab pots with Keith, Mrs. Edna's husband. So Morgan, Nadeem, Jeff, Marc and I went out with Keith on his skiff to get some dungeness crab. We loved seeing the surrounding area from the water and we even saw some bald eagles. Our catch was about 12-15 crabs and Keith let us bring them back to the bunkhouse and eat them. So yummy!

Kissin' a Dungeness!

Jeff and an Alaskan King Crab.

The team at Tlingit class.

After feasting on the crab we went back to the Hoonah Senior Center for Tlingit class. We got to learn some sweet nothing type phrases and really enjoyed that. When we got back we did reflection, something we have done every night here as you can tell. It was another powerful night. I'll probably end up discussing that with most of you on my return as the activity we did was pretty personal from some of the students and I don't find it really appropriate to discuss all of that here on the worldwide web.

So today is our last day here and we've gotten a good bit of work done. A lot of us feel reluctant to leave so soon but we are ready for some normalcy again. I won't lie, I am ready for some warmer weather. :)

Thanks for reading this blog and I will update tomorrow with an outline of what we did on our last day here.

"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others."-Ghandi

So yesterday morning Nadeem and I were interviewed for the radio via the high school journalism class. I swear we're celebrities here in this small town. It was really exciting being that I have never been on the radio before (unlike my little brother).

Once I was done with my celebrity duties I headed over to Headstart and was swarmed with hugs when I walked in the door. The kids have truly grown on me, most people who know me know that I don't really like kids so this has been a learning experience for me. I've found myself loving to play with them and just act young again. I did a lot of drawing and made more zoo animals out of play-doh! and even did some coloring. Yes mom, I colored-colored-colored. I drew some castles for some pretty princesses in my class who loved them and were so excited.

We left Headstart early so our whole group could go on a hike back to Icy Strait Point. Another local, Chris Budke, who works with the forest service lead us on the hike and discussed environmental issues here in Hoonah. Then it began to rain a good bit and we headed back to the bunk house where we had good discussions on being a team leader and the class you have to take along with it. Nadeem and I kept getting complimented by our team for having this trip so well planned, even when it seemed to us that it wasn't. That was really nice to hear especially since we have been working on it for so long.

Not long after we got back to the bunk house, Moto, our Japanese friend who kind of shadows us here came and made us a traditional meal of curry rice. It was delicious! We all really enjoyed it and it was the first time some of the team members ever used chopsticks, and that was fun to watch.

When we had finished dinner we went to the senior center for our Tlingit language class. Now that was a good time. Some of the words felt really strange today and others you couldn't help laugh while saying them. Don't be surprised if I start incorporating some of these phrases in conversations when I get back. Our teacher, Genevieve, used to be beaten when she was younger for speaking Tlingit in school so she has been trying to relearn the language. So it impressed her that we, and previous groups, have shown in interest in learning her native language.

After our class we came back and had reflection just like every night. Reflection always goes well and everyone enjoys learning each other's experiences during the day. We all were feeling pretty tired and delirious after reflection but we stayed up for a while serenading each other with old 90's songs. That should have been caught on tape.

More pictures will be posted tomorrow. I love and miss you all.

The one with play-doh and a carnival.

Yesterday morning at school I sat down at a table in the cafeteria full of 2^nd grade boys. The boy sitting on my right immediately put his head down when I sat beside him. He whispered something to his friend and then his friend yelled out, “I DON’T WANT TO TRADE PLACES WITH YOU!” Nice, right? Ha. The teacher then said to him, “In a few years you’ll look at this as a missed opportunity, having a pretty girl sitting next to you.” I knew then what was going on, as the boy, Robert, got up to leave I made sure to tell him bye, which only made him blush.

So that was a good start to the day. We headed off to Headstart and I was greeted with hugs from some of the children instantly. The best part of the morning was getting to play with play-doh!. I decided to make a walrus and a shark out of it and that led to the kids basically wanting me to make a zoo of play-doh! animals. I was decently good at it and think I may have found my next calling in life.

My play-doh! walrus.

Around lunchtime I got to go with the main teacher for Headstart, Edna, and 5 kids who will be kindergarteners next year to the cafeteria at school for lunch. It was good to see some of the other team members there with their kids and interact with them a little bit. After lunch we went back and played with play-doh! some more.

Jozlyn with her play-doh and dinosaurs.

I got a call from Roger’s sister, Rory (our connection to Hoonah), saying that Marc and I had gotten approval from the Hoonah Indian Association to work with them on some legal files for child custody and services cases. The work is extremely confidential so I am not allowed to discuss any of work we’ve done there. Which I’m pretty much used to having worked in a law firm for almost two years.

Being sassy with our food gloves.

When our work done there for the day Marc and I headed back to the school to get things started for the carnival that night. We worked in the kitchen with 3 other team members producing mass quantities of hamburgers, hot dogs, nachos, and tacos. There were tons of people here for carnival, they said about half the town came out (which for here is a lot). After slaving over nacho cheese I decided to go check out our booth in the gym (where the main part of carnival was) and see how we were doing. Our booth was a bean bag toss game and we were pretty popular if I do say so.

The ladies at carnival.

Carnival was quite the experience. They even had a dunking booth outside in this 30 degree weather! We had so much fun interacting with the community and the kids we have gotten to know. I even saw Robert, from earlier that morning, in fact he dragged me to the carnival jail 8 eights, with me kicking and screaming. I would be standing around talking to the team and he would creep up behind me, grab me around the waist, and pull me all the way to jail. My ribs may be a little bruised but it was all in good fun.

From one of the eight times I was put in jail. As you can see, Robert napped a few of my team members as well.

When we got our fill of the carnival activities we went back to the bunk house and had reflection. I just have to say that I am so impressed with the team and how they are letting this experience challenge them. We talked a lot about recognizing our privileges back home and how that influences the experience for us. A reflection activity we did was A-HA! moments, which is basically saying a thought that you had during the day that makes you recognize your privilege or a new way of thinking. A lot of us talked about family, myself included. I said that I am so fortunate to come from a family where our love is forefront. We constantly tell each other "I love you" and "I'm proud of you". I am so grateful for that and I recognize that there are children in this community and all over the world that may never hear those things from their parents/siblings/grandparents, etc. My parents have always wanted me to pursue my dreams and have said that the world is my oyster and I can do anything that I put my mind to. For that, I am forever grateful.

"And when you dream, dream big

As big as the ocean blue

'Cause when you dream it might come true

And when you dream, dream big."

-Ryan Shupe

"We're so glad you're here!"

When I woke up yesterday morning, I was so excited, anxious, and nervous at the same time. It was our first day of service in Hoonah and our team was ready. I was looking forward to seeing how this day was going to affect them and how it would challenge their opinions and thoughts on service. I knew the day would bring touching moments for all of us and I was surprised when the first moment came for me when we got to the school.

The first thing we did when we got to the school, which is a K-12 program, we went to the cafeteria. Roger told us to go ahead and make friends with the kids and try to disperse ourselves. This intimidated me already but our team walked right into the cafeteria and immediately became friends with the students in there. I was so impressed with my team; they had no hesitation with a task that seemed daunting to me.

After some open gym time, we all headed off to our respective placements. Three other team members and I headed over to the Headstart program. Headstart is a pre-K program and those kids are bounding with energy! I immediately went over to the reading corner and started reading some books to one girl and soon after I was surrounded. I probably read about 7 or 8 books in 30 minutes and I could tell my voice was getting hoarse. We basically just spent the morning with them, playing and horsing around. They're learning about eggs this week and how many animals hatch from eggs not just birds. I even learned that octopi lay eggs!

Something our group thought was interesting about the program was that they let the kids serve themselves at lunchtime. Food is served family style and they have to eat something from every bowl/plate. They were very neat and didn't even make a mess.

A little while after lunch, Roger came to pick me up and we left to meet the local grandma of the community. Deborah Dalton is treasured by the community and even the kids love her. She is invited to the basketball games and given her own special seat. Our reason for meeting her was that she has a leaky toilet. Hopefully, it will be fixed today by one of our team members who has done some plumbing work before.

Last night we went to the Hoonah Indian Association and met with Mary Beth Moss, Owen James' wife. She told us all about the tribal council and the basic history of the Tlingit tribe here in Hoonah. It was all very enlightening. Another team member and I may be working with her with some legal work towards the end of the week but that is still up in the air as of current.

When we came back from the Hoonah Indian Association we had reflection. The comments we got from the team about the people we are serving here were profound. They recognize the need here and want to do what is possible to aid the community in whatever they want us to do. I think it should be recognized that there are people in my generation who want to make the world a better place and know that service is important in every community, no matter what the need/problem is. With that, I want to share this quote:

"I realize this may be a shock but, I can change the world, and I refuse to believe that I am part of a lost generation."

That particular quote means a lot to me and to the life I have chosen.

Right now, we are at school, waiting to go to class and my group is about to head back over to Headstart. Tonight there will be a carnival and we have our own booth! It seems like we're celebrities in this small tonight. Most of the people we've met have instantly said, "We're so glad you're here!" It is reassuring that the community here recognizes us and commends us for our work.

On that note, it's time for more storytelling and games!! And, I'm sorry there are no pictures in this post, I promise to post more soon.

Alaska-The Final Frontier

Okay, so we made it and I have two days for you to catch up on.

On Saturday we caught an early flight to Juneau. The flight in was beautiful and landing on a runway surrounded by mountains was amazing. The scenery here in Alaska is absolutely breathtaking. If you haven't been here yet, you should definitely make it a priority.

After settling in at the hotel and grabbing some lunch, at a Subway that I think we overwhelmed, we headed out to Mendenhall Glacier. I never thought I would see an actual glacier in my life but the opportunity presented itself and I am so glad I got to see it. The pictures I took of it and the surrounding area don't do it justice.

The Mendenhall Glacier

The whole team (minus Roger) at the glacier.

Once we had finished taking in all the sights at the glacier we went back to the hotel and got some rest. We drove into the town of Juneau that night for dinner and ate at a restaurant that was known for its seafood, but me being me ordered the ribs instead of the local catch. The ribs were kind of tough and now I'm wishing I had gotten the salmon or halibut (oh well, you live you learn). After dinner we had reflection and went to bed.

The view from the ferry before we left.

The next morning we had to get up early again to catch the ferry to Hoonah, our final destination in Alaska. We all scattered around the boat taking pictures of the scenery and at some point a number of us ended on a part of the deck that was supposed to be off limits and we got yelled at. Funnily enough, the getting yelled out lead to us being invited into to meet the captain and go to the front of the boat. While there, we got to meet the first engineer who decided to give us the "whole-meal-deal" tour of the boat. We saw the engine room, the septic room, and the very back part of the boat. It ended up being the highlight of most everyone's day.

Some of the group on the tour of the boat, here we were on the back of the boat and first engineer, Matt, was discussing propellers and what not.

Coming into Hoonah on the ferry.

When the tour ended we pretty much prepared for our arrival into Hoonah. We took lots more pictures and took it all in. Coming into Hoonah we were met by Roger's brother-in-law and he took our luggage back to the bunk house, where we will be staying for the week. It was about a mile long walk to the bunk house and soon after we got there a local, Owen James, met with us and talked to us about hunting and trapping in the area. I felt a sea otter pelt for the first time in my life and it was one of the softest things I have ever felt. Then we went on a hike with Owen at the old cannery and to Icy Strait Point. Along the hike we got to see a sea lion poke his head out of the water and growl/make those sea lion noises at us, so that was pretty exciting/terrifying especially after we found out that that particular sea lion was around 1200 lbs.

The part of the forest we saw on our hike to Icy Strait Point.

The beach on our hike at Icy Strait Point.

We ended the hike by throwing snowballs at each other and just enjoying each other's company. Back at the bunk house we made dinner, played a competitive round of Battle of the Sexes, and had reflection. Our schedules for today were set out for us and we finally got a decent night of sleep.

I'll try and update tomorrow on today and all the activities we've done because I have to wrap this up. The school day is over and I need a nap, horsing around with pre-k kids will wear you out. :)

Airports, the Light Rail, a Space Needle, and an Olympian

So the day of traveling to Alaska did not go according to plan, but what came out of it was worth it.

We didn't arrive in Juneau at 9:40pm as previously stated; in fact, we didn't make it to Juneau at all. Due to snow and poor visibility, our flight to Juneau was canceled and we spent the night in Seattle.

To tell the story accurately I guess I should make it clear that our whole group was not traveling together yesterday. Roger and Nadeem flew out with about two-thirds of our team yesterday morning around 6am. I then flew out with the remaining members at 9am. The entire group ended up together in Seattle, but we were still supposed to be on two different routes. My group had two more connections to make before reaching Juneau and they only had one.

Before my group had to start boarding the plane and we were all just hanging out with the rest of our team, I ran to the bathroom so I wouldn't have to deal with the gross ones on the plane. When I came back to the gate a few members came up to me saying that my flight to Juneau had been canceled. At first, I thought this is some sort of really cruel joke they're playing on me just to see me freak out and brushed it off. Unfortunately, it wasn't a joke and I did slip into a slight panic mode, seeing as our luggage for the week was about to end up in some remote town in Alaska and the next flight Juneau appeared to be filling up. We ended up finding out that all flights to Juneau were canceled and thus began our scramble to find lodging for the night.

Roger was able to book us on a morning flight to Juneau for the next day and we would all be able to travel together. I then spent a good hour to 45 minutes with a Priceline representative and hotel manager in Juneau to cancel our reservations there for the night (I am no longer a fan of Priceline; William Shatner you have failed me). Our luggage ended up not being lost and we found a hotel in Seattle for the night. So after a mini-crisis with the flights, we were able to get everything together fairly smoothy for a night in Seattle.

On a side note: while waiting to hear if all flights to Juneau were going to be canceled that night, a team member came back from getting food in the terminal and said that Apolo Anton Ohno (the Olympic Speed Skater and former Dancing with the Stars Champion, for those of you who may not know) was here in our terminal. Needless to say we all jumped to our feet and ran to find Apolo. We found him handing out leis to passengers going on a flight to Hawaii; he's the new face/spokesperson for Alaska Airlines. We played paparazzi for a bit and even managed to get a picture with him as well!

So after all kinds of excitement taking place at the Seattle airport, we left for our hotel. En route, the team collectively decided that we should take the Light Rail system to see the famous Space Needle building downtown. The trip on the Light Rail was an adventure on its own and far too expansive a story to tell on here, so just ask me about when you hear from/see me.

The Space Needle was pretty awesome. We all enjoyed the views and took an ungodly amount of pictures of the Seattle skyline. Once we all got our fill of the experience, we headed back to the hotel.

We woke up super early this morning to catch our flight to Juneau and we are anticipating the adventures that wait for us there.

And I'll upload those pictures of Apolo soon. :)

The time has come!

The planning is done. I am, for the most part, packed. Now, I just have to wait a few more hours before we leave.

The journey to Alaska begins tomorrow morning and we will all arrive in Juneau around 9:40pm Alaskan time. We're hoping for smooth flights and no crying babies on the airplanes (or at least I am).

I am filled with anxiousness and excitement. We have been building up to this point since May of last year, when Nadeem and I found out we were going to be team leaders. Which brings me to my next thought. Getting to know all the other team leaders for Alternative Spring Break has been amazing. I feel fortunate to have found a group of people here, at a school with 30,000+ students, who feel the way I do about service. I wish them all luck as they and their own teams head out this weekend to serve other parts of the world and I can only hope that their trips will be as meaningful as I feel mine will be.

On that note I leave you with this quote from Margaret Mead:

"Never underestimate the ability of a small group of committed individuals to change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

P.S. Yes, Mom, I did remember to pack socks for the plane ride. You've taught me well. :)

The "Photo" Post has arrived!!!

Alright I finally got my computer after waiting about a month, blah!

So I am currently in the process of transferring all my old junk from my dinosaur-like laptop to my new, pretty macbook :) and I have promised you all a picture post. Here are some pictures from our service retreat:

My co-leader, Nadeem, is the one pulling apart the log and team member, Marc, is on the right in the flannel. We spent the morning portion of our retreat cutting logs and then transporting them to a nearby Habitat for Humanity village, where at least one family relies on the wood for heat in the winter.

Here are some more team members, from left to right: Jeff, Morgan, Emmie, and Kimberly.

On the left is Kent, another team member, and on the right is our Faculty Advisor, Roger. Kent decided that he'd rather split logs the old fashioned way.

Keena and Susannah about to deliver the second set of wood.

Me with a truckload of wood.

So there are a few faces to put with names at this point. I will be updating this thing the whole trip so be looking for more pictures!

On a similar note, ASB (Alternative Service Break, if you haven't caught on yet, ha) was in the news twice this week. The program was outlined in an article for the newspaper here at NC State called "The Technician". The article can be found here:

http://www.technicianonline.com/features/alternative-spring-break-offers-service-based-alternatives-1.2183340

I'm sure you all can find a familiar name in there. ;)

ASB was also on the local news this past Monday as well. My co-leader Nadeem was interview for it. Watch the news segment here:

ASB on TV!

This should keep you all busy for the time being and make sure to check in again soon for more posts!!

Only two days until we venture off to the beautiful state of ALASKA!!!!

Service Retreat

Part of going on an Alternative Service Break trip is that you are required to participate in the team service retreat in January-February. Our service retreat took place over this past weekend.

On Saturday morning our team traveled from NC State to Hillsborough, NC (which is only about 45 minutes away) where our faculty advisor, Roger, lives. The morning portion of the retreat was spent cutting logs of wood and putting them in the back of pickup trucks. The trucks were then driven by members of our team to a local Habitat for Humanity village. A man named Mr. Williams lives there and has family members who rely on wood for their source of warmth in the winter. So all of the wood that we were able to cut went to him and his family.

The majority of the team helped cut the logs and stack them and a few got to travel to the community and meet Mr. Williams. They said he was quite a character and extremely appreciative of our service. I feel like this was a great experience for our team and they all worked really well together.

After we were all tired of cutting and delivering wood, we had lasagna for lunch which was made by Roger's wife for us. It was delicious! We all sat at the same table and had good conversation. It was great to see some team members come out of their shells and get to know one another.

Once lunch was over it was time to do some team building activities. The first of which was a "trust walk". Our team was divided into pairs, one member was to be blindfolded and the other was going to lead them on a walk around Roger's home. Sounds easy enough right? Well, the person who isn't blindfold can only help the other member by nonverbal cues. No talking is allowed. Each member did that for about ten minutes and then switched positions. I had never done this activity before and I think it worked really well for our team. Being able to trust each other is very important on a service trip. Some of the members may have never flown before, some may be skittish about traveling in general, and others may have not done a service trip before. It is good to know that you have people on the trip with you that you can trust and have your best interests at heart.

We had an excellent discussion about the trust walk with the team members and they seemed to really enjoy the activity. Next, Roger surprised us by saying that we were all going to be blindfolded and he would lead us on a trust walk. We all held hands and he lead us around his property. He then stopped everyone and pulled me to the front of the line and took off my blindfold. I had to lead my entire blindfolded team through the woods without speaking to them. So I did that for a little while and then Roger laid down in the woods and instructed me to have the team step over him. I had no idea how well this was going to turn out. Well my suspicions were confirmed when the first member I tried to help step over Roger stepped right on Roger's crotch. I was mortified to say the least but eventually I got everyone over without too much trouble.

When the walk was over we had another good discussion with the team. I told them how this activity was particularly challenging for me, feeling totally responsible for each member and making sure they don't get hurt or fall. I also explained that Nadeem, Roger, and I are so enthusiastic about the trip because we want them to have the same meaningful experiences we have had on ASB trips. We recognize not everyone will feel the same way about the experience and others may gain more from it than others but no matter what we want them to enjoy it and embrace whatever comes from it.

Next we did some more team building and awareness activities and went over the logistics of the trip. The team got into it and seemed even more excited about the trip. Roger, Nadeem, and I all feel that this team is amazing and we're really going to have an impact while in Alaska.

I am so very fortunate to be working with this group of people and can't wait to get the trip started. I feel that this trip will be another growing experience for me and I am looking forward to it. I know I said that this post would hopefully contain some pictures of our day but sadly it doesn't. My laptop is on the fritz and I'm trying to get a new one sometime this week. So be looking for a picture post soon!

Only 18 more days until 13 amazing individuals and I head off to Alaska!

Ok So Here It Goes...

So I have been thinking and I have decided that it might be a neat idea to write a blog about my upcoming service trip to Alaska. This way friends and family can keep up with what my group and I will be doing there.

First off, I feel like I should give you all a little background as to how I got involved with this trip. My junior year at NC State I heard about a program called Alternative Service Break and decided to look into it and see what it was all about. Essentially, it gives NC State students a chance to give up their spring break (or fall or winter) and do a week of service instead. There are currently 16 different trips with varying types of projects.

My junior year I applied to the program and was put on the Gulf Coast trip to work with Habitat for Humanity. We ended up going to the town of Thibodaux, Louisiana and worked with the Bayou Area Habitat for Humanity. They were mainly focused on Hurricane Katrina relief and I enjoyed being able give back to that community.

After coming back to Raleigh from Louisiana, I felt that I needed to do more service. I felt depressed about being back in school and getting caught up in the rat race of life. So I decided to put off law school for a year and apply to Americorps NCCC. Then, another opportunity showed up. My team leader from the Gulf Coast trip, Brittany, encouraged me to apply to be a team leader for next year's Alternative Service Break. So I went through the process and was lucky enough to be assigned to the Alaska trip.

I have always wanted to go to Alaska and this gave me the perfect reason to go. I am also working with another team leader, Nadeem. I am extremely fortunate that I got paired with him, we make quite the enthusiastic team. We also have a faculty advisor going with us. Roger is laid back and really encouraging. Nadeem and I are very blessed to have him as our advisor.

Nadeem, Roger, and I will be going to Hoonah, Alaska with eleven other NC State students. While we are there we will be volunteering at a the local school, a HeadStart program, a senior center, and the Boys & Girls club. Not only will we be focused on youth education, we will also be spending time learning the native Tlingit (pronouced like 'klink-it') culture.

We've been planning the trip together since the beginning of October and have finalized all our plans within the few last weeks. Our team seems to be pretty eager about going and I feel they will be even more excited after our team retreat tomorrow. I am going to try to update this after the retreat, hopefully with some pictures of our team so you all can put some faces with names.

On that note, thanks so much for all of your support over the years. It really means a lot and is truly appreciated.

Only 21 more days until we leave!

In service & love,

Elissa