A Fastforward Kind of Winter

As many of you know this winter is a big time of transition for me and my schedule has filled up very quickly. I am off to explore Costa Rica next week with my best friend Jeanine :) Not only is this exciting because we'll be whitewater rafting and ziplining through the rainforest but we are staying with an old friend of mine from my first few years of college. I haven't seen Vanessa in about three years so I am very excited to get a visit with her. I'm also really looking forward to spending time with Jeanine. We haven't seen much of each other since she moved up to the U.P (upper peninsula) and I moved to the absolute opposite end of the country, New Orleans, this fall. We have done a lot of exciting things together--studying the Holocaust in Poland included--and I'm really excited to share this adventure with her :)

We get back from CR in the afternoon of the 23rd which means that I have to hurry home from Detroit so I can get some sleep before all of the Christmas Eve activities take up the day. Pray for good driving conditions. After being home for about three days my parents and I are heading down to Alabama to visit with some relatives. My grandparents go down that way for the winter-they're called snowbirds where I'm from-and this may be one of the last times they go so we have decided to visit them. We'll also get to see my Aunt, Uncle, and two younger cousins from Georgia while we're there.

We'll either get back from AL on the 2nd or 3rd. I have to be in Maryland on the 8th by 10am to start my new position as a Team Leader for AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC). I'm in a crunch already--not sure how I'm going to get the packing done. Yikes.
I think that most of you--whoever you are that reads this--know what NCCC is but if not... it's a government program modeled after the Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930's. It's a team based service program for 18-24 yr. olds who travel in 15 passenger vans and do service projects across the country. One of the main focuses of NCCC is disaster relief... seeing the connections now? I served with NCCC for a year between my sophomore and junior years in college and spent about 5-6 mos down south doing Disaster relief work.

I'm looking forward to a "new" experience doing something very familiar: leading people in service. Wish me luck for the packing situation, the tight schedule, and travel conditions. I'll surely post pictures after I enjoy the warmth of the sun and the rapids of Pacuare River :)