The living and loving tour has officially begun! Monday was my first day of service with Saint Bernard Project and it's been tiring, but incredibly awesome. I reported for duty at the SBP office wearing a crisp new(!) men's Hanes white v-neck, or as it's otherwise known, my uniform, and was ready to go. Travelling alone has made me far more outgoing, but given that I also have a tendency to be awkward, I have molded into a creeper at times. Monty, a local volunteer, was sitting next to me at the new volunteer orientation and as soon as I found out that we would be working at the same site I proclaimed that we would be like family after that day (it's become a troubling theme during my travels.) I think he moved as far away from me as he possibly could. So basically I got off to an amazing start!
Saint Bernard Project was created soon after Katrina, when a teacher and a lawyer came down to New Orleans, saw a need and filled it. I'm not going to write out their whole elevator speech, but check them out at http://www.stbernardproject.org/. They gave me directions to the house I would working on and a short bio on the homeowner, Mrs. Mary Jones. Her and her ten year old son have been living all over since the hurricane hit with family members and friends, and SBP is trying to get their house ready by Christmas (her 20 year old daughter, who is in college, will also be living in the two bedroom house.) I liked that SBP had prepared a little background information about the homeowner, so that even if I didn't get to meet her I would still feel a connection with the project and the human behind the house. The only downside to all of this was that I would not be working in "The Parish" (according to the fam aka Rob and Jaime, St. Bernard Parish is known by this name) but instead in mid city New Orleans. But off I went.
Little did I know that I would be meeting my new bestie and site supervisor, Josh from Mizzou. SBP has Americorps members whom they train and station at each project to be the volunteer overseer. I haven't meet any of the other site supervisors yet (and they're probably great because, come on, they're Americorps), but I think I lucked out with Joshy, he's a solid dude. There were only two other volunteers on Monday, so it was a cozy, small crowd at Alexander St. that day. The house has been under construction for a while now, so by the time I arrived it was time to finish priming the walls and apply the paint. So for the last three days I've primed, painted and today, unfortunately, had the pleasure of sanding our painting mistakes.. My favorite part about all of this, besides the obvious pleasure of helping a deserving person return home, is that I get to meet interesting people from all over who come to volunteer. I've realized just how un-interesting I really am. Once I accumulate enough stories I'll write a blog post dedicated to everyone else's amazing lives.
I also got to meet Mrs. Jones yesterday, and after meeting her, I'm being completely sincere, it is a total honor that I get to work on her house. She is warm, inviting, grateful, funny and classy all at once. She has worked for the city of New Orleans for the last fifteen years, and her love for the city is obvious. She told us and showed us how high the water had reached in her house, and a little bit about where she's been. It is always a privilege to get to meet the person you're working for, and she is so deserving of all the help she is receiving. Her story is especially heartbreaking, and apparently not too uncommon, because she received $120,000 from the government to rebuild her home after Katrina only to have it stolen by a fradulant contractor. This is a such a common story around here that when I relayed this information on to Rob and Jaime they weren't even surprised, but told me other similar stories. I was completely unaware of how large a problem this was, and possibly still is. Though this trip overall is growing my faith in the human race, stories like that knock my optimism down a few pegs. But Mrs. Jones didn't even mention this (I heard from another volunteer,) and her resiliency was astounding. She's been so patient for the last six years, just waiting to move home. I damn well better make that sanding perfect.
Sidenote: Yesterday I worked with a group from E.W. Scripps, the group that sponsors the National Spelling Bee! "Spellbound" is one of my favorite movies, and I obviously watched the Bee this year (maybe not so obviously given my terrible spelling.) Some of them are front row fixtures at the Bee, this was like a celebrity encounter for me!
This is the soundtrack to my life:
Due to a lack of CD player at the work site my progress through my Cds has slowed a bit. Nonetheless, thanks to: Sar Car and BamBam's for providing me with music on my commute to and from Mrs. Jones'
Below is a link to a very recent MSNBC clip with Mrs. Jones and her son. They're standing in their house, so in addition to seeing who I'm working for, you'll get to catch a glimpse of my surroundings. Ch-ch-check it out.
http://ed.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/08/31/7548214-driving-progress-st-bernard-project
LOVE
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Welcome to the Dirty
Yesterday I arrived in New Orleans, or to be exact, Arabi, LA. What a two days it's been. As I drove through Alabama and then into Mississippi I found myself feeling incredibly nervous, but as the great Miley Cyrus puts it, "So I put my hands up, they're playing my song/ The butterflies fly away." I'm so glad I got to quote Miley, I can check that off my bucket list now.
Pulling up to my volunteer camp/my home for the next 3 weeks I was feeling excited. As fun as driving as been, my body was ready to take a break from sitting for 8 hours a day. Rob and Jaime greeted me at Camp Hope, they are locals who help the director of the facility. Camp Hope is an old school that was flooded and shut down, due to Katrina. It was cleaned up and transformed into volunteer housing shortly after the hurricane. As one can imagine, it's a HUGE facility, the largest volunteer housing facility in the US. As Rob was showing me around it seemed awfully quiet for a building that can house over 400 people. I casually asked him how many people were staying here at the moment. "You," was his answer. WAIT, WHAT?!... My stomach dropped when I heard this. I know I need to work on being alone, but living in a middle school by myself was not something I had envisioned when planning this trip. During my drive I was picturing an evening hanging out with all the new friends I planned on making at Camp Hope, not sitting alone in a cavernous bunk room. I was literally on the verge of tears as I got back into my car to grab something to eat.
It's a good thing I didn't do what I immediately wanted to do, which was find a hotel room in the city for last night until I could figure out where else I could stay. Instead, I got it together, grew up and drove myself back to Camp Hope. I spent the rest of the evening hanging with Rob, listening to his stories about his life, stories that, as he puts it, "would make a great movie." Like how he drove 100 mph on the shoulder of Interstate 10 to get out of New Orleans 12 hours before Katrina hit, and how he used to be the best underground fighter in NO. Now I don't know how many of these stories were true, but I appreciated hearing about the area and the storm from a local person who was and still is deeply affected by Katrina.
My feelings today when I woke up and drove around the area a bit more, hitting up the French Market and going on a swamp tour (!) were completely opposite from how I felt less than 24 hours ago. Camp Hope is in St. Bernard Parish, right on the line with the Lower Ninth Ward. I'm glad I'm staying in the area where I will be doing the volunteering, I want to meet my neighbors and the locals, not other tourists and boozebags from out of town here for bachelor/bachelorette parties. I won't be volunteering and then returning to higher ground (literally and figuratively.) I love where I'm staying, I love the southern way of life around here and I'm beginning to love this city. I'm enjoying my "single" room filled with 400 beds and (this probably freaks them out) I'm calling Rob and Jaime my new family.
As I returned home today from gator hunting I noticed the houses on CH's street still had the spray painted numbers from the searches after Katrina. There is still so much work to be done around here. I might never leave.
This is the soundtrack to my life:
Thanks to: Ryan W., Leah S., Miss Kelly C., Amy W., Sarah P.
Pulling up to my volunteer camp/my home for the next 3 weeks I was feeling excited. As fun as driving as been, my body was ready to take a break from sitting for 8 hours a day. Rob and Jaime greeted me at Camp Hope, they are locals who help the director of the facility. Camp Hope is an old school that was flooded and shut down, due to Katrina. It was cleaned up and transformed into volunteer housing shortly after the hurricane. As one can imagine, it's a HUGE facility, the largest volunteer housing facility in the US. As Rob was showing me around it seemed awfully quiet for a building that can house over 400 people. I casually asked him how many people were staying here at the moment. "You," was his answer. WAIT, WHAT?!... My stomach dropped when I heard this. I know I need to work on being alone, but living in a middle school by myself was not something I had envisioned when planning this trip. During my drive I was picturing an evening hanging out with all the new friends I planned on making at Camp Hope, not sitting alone in a cavernous bunk room. I was literally on the verge of tears as I got back into my car to grab something to eat.
It's a good thing I didn't do what I immediately wanted to do, which was find a hotel room in the city for last night until I could figure out where else I could stay. Instead, I got it together, grew up and drove myself back to Camp Hope. I spent the rest of the evening hanging with Rob, listening to his stories about his life, stories that, as he puts it, "would make a great movie." Like how he drove 100 mph on the shoulder of Interstate 10 to get out of New Orleans 12 hours before Katrina hit, and how he used to be the best underground fighter in NO. Now I don't know how many of these stories were true, but I appreciated hearing about the area and the storm from a local person who was and still is deeply affected by Katrina.
My feelings today when I woke up and drove around the area a bit more, hitting up the French Market and going on a swamp tour (!) were completely opposite from how I felt less than 24 hours ago. Camp Hope is in St. Bernard Parish, right on the line with the Lower Ninth Ward. I'm glad I'm staying in the area where I will be doing the volunteering, I want to meet my neighbors and the locals, not other tourists and boozebags from out of town here for bachelor/bachelorette parties. I won't be volunteering and then returning to higher ground (literally and figuratively.) I love where I'm staying, I love the southern way of life around here and I'm beginning to love this city. I'm enjoying my "single" room filled with 400 beds and (this probably freaks them out) I'm calling Rob and Jaime my new family.
As I returned home today from gator hunting I noticed the houses on CH's street still had the spray painted numbers from the searches after Katrina. There is still so much work to be done around here. I might never leave.
This is the soundtrack to my life:
Thanks to: Ryan W., Leah S., Miss Kelly C., Amy W., Sarah P.
Friday, September 23, 2011
It's getting real in the Whole Foods parking lot
Last night I spent the night in Asheville, NC with one of the most wonderful families I've ever met. So wonderful that I might turn down the Pitt-Jolie nanny offer with the slim hope that one day the Wortley family will take me in. I was treated to a fashion show, a live music performance and a tap-dancing recital all in the comfort of their awesome home tucked in the Candler (like someone who makes candles) woods. My experiences in the last 24 hours have shown me just how important this trip is to my development as a human being (hence the title to this post.)
This morning I took a break from driving and went for a short 3 mile hike along the Blue Ridge Parkway. The scenery along the parkway is breathtaking, and the hike up Mt. Pisgah was beautiful. It was the kind of beautiful where I wanted to take pictures the entire way up, but knew my amateur photography skills would never do the images justice. Hiking alone is one of my favorite things to do, which is funny because I have such a hard time being alone. There are a few reasons why I enjoy hiking solo. Mainly it's because I don't have to chat with anyone while I huff and puff through the inclines. But it's also a time when I can zone out completely and focus mostly on putting one foot in front of the other, at my own pace. It's a different state of being alone than solo driving is. While I've been driving I've been jamming out to tunes from my lovely friends and concentrating on the road, so I always have to be on alert. [Sidenote: I've found that I'm like Goldilocks when it comes to highways; a two laner with trucks merging on and off is too small, a eight laner with seemingly the entire East coast aggressively weaving is too big, three lanes is JUST right.] But today when I was hiking I actually did some reflection and thinking, and it was cool. There are just so many beautiful, fascinating and inspiring people and places in this country and I feel profoundly lucky that I am able to take time to allow myself to see/find some of this.
I spent the rest of the day cruising through South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama. I've found a bed in Greenville, AL and was greeted by an enormous "Palin" sign draped over the building, a sign that I'm certainly not in Cambridge/Jp anymore. I'm psyched to immerse myself in southern culture, even if that does mean tolerating/learning to understand Palin and Bachmann supporters, bring it on, I am, after all, in my loving receptive mode.
This is the soundtrack to my life:
I've been impressed by the musical selections of my friends thus far; mumford & sons and the avett bros are among the most popular, which I love. But Mike Snow's "animal" is far and away the people's choice. rock on. Sorry I missed a day shouting out to my inspirations, so here are two days worth:
Clark C., Linda C., Miss Gracie (gotta love JT), Jilly S, Jon G., Dom, Emily E., Anderson Godley P., Genardy C., Taji M. aka Dean of Dean and Ravo (check them out on iTunes!), Emily E., Colleen C.
Everyone's CDs have honestly kept me going, I promise I'm trying to re-gift all this love as I go along!
live
love
e
This morning I took a break from driving and went for a short 3 mile hike along the Blue Ridge Parkway. The scenery along the parkway is breathtaking, and the hike up Mt. Pisgah was beautiful. It was the kind of beautiful where I wanted to take pictures the entire way up, but knew my amateur photography skills would never do the images justice. Hiking alone is one of my favorite things to do, which is funny because I have such a hard time being alone. There are a few reasons why I enjoy hiking solo. Mainly it's because I don't have to chat with anyone while I huff and puff through the inclines. But it's also a time when I can zone out completely and focus mostly on putting one foot in front of the other, at my own pace. It's a different state of being alone than solo driving is. While I've been driving I've been jamming out to tunes from my lovely friends and concentrating on the road, so I always have to be on alert. [Sidenote: I've found that I'm like Goldilocks when it comes to highways; a two laner with trucks merging on and off is too small, a eight laner with seemingly the entire East coast aggressively weaving is too big, three lanes is JUST right.] But today when I was hiking I actually did some reflection and thinking, and it was cool. There are just so many beautiful, fascinating and inspiring people and places in this country and I feel profoundly lucky that I am able to take time to allow myself to see/find some of this.
I spent the rest of the day cruising through South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama. I've found a bed in Greenville, AL and was greeted by an enormous "Palin" sign draped over the building, a sign that I'm certainly not in Cambridge/Jp anymore. I'm psyched to immerse myself in southern culture, even if that does mean tolerating/learning to understand Palin and Bachmann supporters, bring it on, I am, after all, in my loving receptive mode.
This is the soundtrack to my life:
I've been impressed by the musical selections of my friends thus far; mumford & sons and the avett bros are among the most popular, which I love. But Mike Snow's "animal" is far and away the people's choice. rock on. Sorry I missed a day shouting out to my inspirations, so here are two days worth:
Clark C., Linda C., Miss Gracie (gotta love JT), Jilly S, Jon G., Dom, Emily E., Anderson Godley P., Genardy C., Taji M. aka Dean of Dean and Ravo (check them out on iTunes!), Emily E., Colleen C.
Everyone's CDs have honestly kept me going, I promise I'm trying to re-gift all this love as I go along!
live
love
e
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Take One
Day One: Jamaica Plain to Alexandria, VA
The idea for this trip is probably one of my better ideas ever. My past ideas include, but are not limited to:
-wanting to become an alcoholic so that I could go to AA because I missed group therapy;
-going two hours out of my way on a California coast road trip so that I could stop in Calabasas with the hopes I would be adopted by the Kardashians;
-starting a night out in PTown with two dirty martinis.
So clearly I am not holding my ideas to very high standards. But this trip will be different. This year will be different. I don't even have many expectations for this year, I simply want to BE; to LIVE. I want to learn how to be alone, and give myself a chance to think. I want to appreciate the amount of beauty in this country. And, amongst all this self-indulgence, I want to help others.
This is the first blog I've ever attempted to write and DISCLAIMER there will be typos and grammatically incorrect sentences (sorry t.e.s.), and it's because I went to a hippie school that did not teach grammar. But it will be one of many firsts this year. This will be the first time I travel alone, the first time I volunteer in New Orleans. As much as I could (and still possibly will) turn this blog into a run-on sentence of cliches, I'm going to try to keep it as light as possible.
Today was my first day on the road. 8 whole hours by myself. I had amazing music to keep me company, and tried to just cruise and enjoy the road. And for the most part I did, except living and loving does not exactly mesh with trying to drive through New York and New Jersey. Between keeping my eyes peeled for Snooki and trying to get out of the way of the Cubana bus line (which runs from New York to Miami! I must take this at some point) this drive gave me a run for my money. But the music kept me going. I knew the powers that be were smiling down on me when right after I crossed the Jersey line Miss Sue's CD came on (I'm methodically going through my CDs in the order the great Julia S. arranged them in my case.) Miss Sue is the biggest Bruce fan I know, and I'm not exaggerating when I say that her CD got me all the way through NJ, right up to the Delaware line. I would usually make something like this up, but this was serendipitous.
I thoroughly enjoyed my quiet, alone time today and am looking forward to more of it. But I was overjoyed when I saw my college roommate get off the Metro, and I cannot wait to meet interesting and dynamic people along the way! On to Asheville tomorrow.
This trip will be like therapy.. I guess I don't need to become an alcoholic after all.
This trip will be like therapy.. I guess I don't need to become an alcoholic after all.
This is the soundtrack to my life:
Lauren M.- great driving music, got my trip off to a jammin start; Will M.- Passion pit and Jackson 5 = genius; Katie S.- avett bros and lily allen; beautiful and talented Vineyard girls serenading me with their angelic voices; Miss Sue- see above; Bidou- how could I have forgotten how phenomenal the Beatles are?!; Emily B.-rad.
live
love
e
xo
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