"You're My Good Luck Charm"

My lunch buddy, KM, said this to me when he was expressing how he was upset that I was leaving.

Sadly, this will be my final post.  I have completed My City Year with over 1790 hours of service, The President’s Volunteer Service Award, a Spirit Award, and most importantly amazing friendships and memories.  I had an emotional couple of weeks while everything was coming to an end.  First, the USC year ended, and many of the ultimate girls went off to do other things with their summer.  I went to a lovely final dinner at Monterrey with the girls.  By the way, I have come to really enjoy Mexican food.  We also had a little end of the season party and the girls kindly awarded me a “senior disc” even though I was not a senior, or even a student at USC.  I very much enjoyed all the moments with the USC women and men and I am so thankful for being able to play my favorite sport with such awesome people.

At Graduation

USC Scorch

 

            The last week of school for the kids was insane!  Not only did I put together gifts and a party for all of my kids, I also started and completed a mural at the middle school.  The time went by so quickly that I do not even remember what else I did that week.  Did I sleep?  I am not sure.  I know I played trivia at the Mellow Mushroom because Ms. Gay (the greatest literacy teacher/ CY liaison ever) gave me a gift card to Mellow Mushroom.  I also went to Mojitos because I had to try a half-price mojito before I left town.  Okay, so it wasn’t just kids and painting. 

            Bridget asked me to help her with the service project at the middle school and I could not resist.  She was doing a mural with the kids in a week and did not have a design yet.  I had one in my head, so I hurriedly sketched it out and she presented it to the principal.  The following Saturday we spent our own time putting the basic outlines up on the wall.  The kids helped paint one day, which was a great way to get to know them while involving them in service.  Then Bridget and I, with no help from the weather and a lot of help from our wonderful friends completed the mural in 3 days and 15 hours.  The last day was a Saturday and we needed to be out of the school by noon.  I put the last dab of paint on the wall at 11:58!  We did it!!!!  Putting a mural in the city was major goal of mine for My City Year, so I was really excited and happy that Bridget asked me to be her partner in that initiative.

            The city of Columbia was built on the shores of the Congaree river, probably for its cool–looking rocks and great tubing/kayaking activities.  A group of us decided to spend my last Saturday floating down the river on inner tubes.  It was a gorgeous day and the “rapids” were just as treacherous as the wild snakes that poked their heads out of the water.  We had a blast attempting to hook our tubes together and stopping in the middle of the trip on a pile of rocks just to spend more time on the river.  There were a few spots where we picked up speed, which was great.  Then, I saw a water snake and I am pretty sure people living in Greeneville heard me scream.  I am not scared of many things, but snakes (and caves) really creep me out. 

Roomies

            When I arrived for the first time to Apartment 111, my roommates and I went to Applebees and curiously talked about our lives, what we expect from the year and our fears.  The last weekend in Columbia, we repeated that night by returning to Applebees and sitting at the same table.  This time we discussed what went down this year, complaining about the crap we witnessed and all the triumphs we had with our kids.  We all agreed that we were lucky to live together, being completely different but getting along just fine.  I will miss our house!

            I set up a Memorial Day BBQ for the Corps at my apartment complex, by the pool.  I dressed up Usher, yet again, this time as a CY Graduate.  He helped us claim the good grills by the pool.  Everyone brought something to share.  We had plenty of food and sunshine.  It was fun to reminisce about the year and chill out in the cool water.  

Usher the CY Graduate

            So I had been living in the capital of South Carolina for 10 months and had not yet toured the State House (it was a free tour!).  On Graduation Day, Amanda and I arrived at the State House when it opened and got a nice tour while the Senators and House Representatives gathered for their last day of legislature.  It was so cool to be there while law-making was actually happening.  We learned a lot about the history of the building and the State.  Interesting facts – the State House has the largest monolithic columns in the country and it was raised at one point to put earthquake resistant shocks in the foundation.  Furthermore, the state flag has a Palmetto tree on it because when the British attacked Sullivan’s Island in 1776, the soldiers were in a fort made of Palmettos.  The cannon shots either bounced off of the rubbery trunks or got stuck in them.  Therefore, the Palmetto tree is the symbol for victory.  According to our tour guide, the crescent shape is not a moon, but it represents the shape of a part of the soldiers’ hats during the Revolutionary War. 

View from the State House stairs...yup, that's a Confederate flag

            I am so blessed.  I traveled to the faraway city, not knowing a single person.  I ended up in house with three wonderful girls.  I was united with 24 amazing people to complete my year.  I was placed on a team with 4 of the greatest people I have ever met.  I spent most of my year in a school that was mostly kind and welcoming to my being there.  I am not saying all of these things to brag about my life.  I am truly grateful for the moments I spent in Columbia.  It was not perfect.  I ended some days in tears, either from exhaustion or concern for my kids.  Yes, the constant interruption from trains pissed me off, the struggle that it was to recycle angered me, my kids getting suspended frustrated me, but the joy that I felt when a struggling reader checked out her first biography from the library made up for all of it. 

To KW:

            Thank you for the little moments when you made me laugh.  Your “Urkel” quotes always made me smile.  The time that you had the hiccups like crazy and I said, “Whoa you certainly have hiccups.” And then you responded with, “Yeah, I must be growing.”  I will never forget.  We had great times during lunch when we played Pictionary and I begged you to eat your vegetables and fruits.  I even tried the yams to show you that they weren’t that bad!  (They were awful)

To TH:

            Thank you for caring.  Somehow you always knew when I was having a bad day and somehow with your little 9-year-old smile, you cheered me up.  I loved writing poems and stories with you.  My favorite time was when you acted out the story we were reading with such enthusiasm.  You brought joy to others just by saying hello in the hallway.  You can read chapter books and biographies now.  You go girl!

To NR:

            I spent hours training you to read and become independent in your studies.  You have gone from not reading a word to reading at a 1.7.  When you wanted to, you got so much work done.  You have become a beautiful writer and I hope you can use your skills in 3^rd grade.  You have to be INDEPENDENT.  The word was posted above my desk, for you.  You can be such a great learner if you want to.  You are silly and sweet and I enjoyed the hours I spent when I tutored at your home with your brother too.

To RM:

            I never got you to walk fast.  I worked all year on trying to get you to walk from the classroom to the CY room in less than 3 minutes.  Even pushing you from behind did not work.  I am glad I could introduce Wheat Thins to you.  You are now a cracker-lover.  I am sorry you did not get enough sleep at night while sharing a bed with your brother, because sometimes our tutoring sessions were cut short when you fell asleep on my desk.  I let you sleep, because I think it was truly what you needed.

To MS:

            I will miss you and embarrassing you in front of your friends.  One of my favorite things to do was shout your name in the hallway while you were trying to be so cool with all your homegirls.  I caught you smiling though beneath your sparkly fingernails covering your mouth.  I am so proud of your hard work on raising your reading level from 2.4 to 3.8!  You worked so hard even when you had to take care of your little brothers.  You are a great sister and a great friend.

To Dee:

            I will miss you more than anyone.  You are my starfish, my friend and my reason for waking up in the morning.  You can go to college.  There is no stopping you now.  You have your multiplication facts down, you are a strong reader, a unique writer and a smart girl.  Stay away from those boys and that one girl I told you to stay away from and you will be fine.  I loved taking pictures in the courtyard and painting the birdhouse.  I loved our conversations over lunch and when we did the Cupid Shuffle.  I know I am a white girl, but I “got rhythm.”  

4th grader Dee took this!

Just so y’all know, I did not want to post pictures or names of my kids because I love them too much to have some creeper come on my blog and do something with them.  Yup, I said y’all. 

To Readers: 

Thank you for reading and following me on My City Year journey.  It is nice to share my experiences and have at least a few people interested in my crazy life.

I am looking forward to reading this in 10 years and laughing at my memories. I am moving into my “sophomore year of life” and I hope to create a life for myself that is entertaining enough to blog about.  So, look for my next blog sometime soon.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart, and I’m sorry for the lengthy posts.

Much Love,

Em Wilson 

Song of the day: “Make It Mine” by Jason Mraz

"Make A Virtue of Necessity"

As I quote Shakespeare, I think about how this has become a personal mantra.  I never liked reading Shakespeare simply because it made my head hurt.  Maybe my teachers did not make it fun for me, or maybe I just didn't take the time to truly understand it.  My feelings toward the brilliant man have finally changed, 8 years after reading Macbeth.
I have been reading Rafe Esquith’s Teach Like Your Hair’s On Fire and his fifth grade class performs a Shakespearean play, complete with popular songs and choreography every year.  The book not only taught me that Shakespeare can excite a young reader, but the act of putting on a play can teach the children hard work, responsibility and the value of working on a team.  Also, I recently watched a Shakespeare play, which I write about later in this blog, and I loved it! 

Rafe Esquith makes a virtue out of necessity by doing what he has to do to the best of his ability, amazing everyone with his methods and madness.  I make a virtue out of necessity by taking the random tasks that my job requires and making sure they are meaningful and rewarding.  Rafe Esquith said, “Any task worth doing is worth doing well.”  I believe that to be true and I give 100% to my team and my students.  We may not live a shimmering lifestyle with endless thank yous, but I certainly smile and laugh daily, joy brought to me by the kids and teammates.  

Usher Bunny

When several people were far away from home and only had one day off from work that week, they decided to put together an Easter Extravaganza with their closest friends around.  We had Easter baskets, eggs, chocolate and many potluck dishes.  Similar to our Christmas gift exchange, we had “secrets bunnies” for whom we put together $5 gifts.  I made Kenny a miniature painting and Bridget made me an awesome Easter bucket.  I planned an Extreme Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt, where I sent two teams all over the city in search of some colorful eggs.  It would have been a close game, but there were two other egg hunts going on at Olympia Park, one with dirty messages inside and one for the kids.  Poor Team A got stuck between the 4-year-olds, delaying their scavenging endeavors.  Team B pulled out the win, finding all 8 eggs and an extraordinary bunny trophy at the end!  While the others were out hunting, I held down the fort by watching the Flyers (win) and picking at the great spread of dips and desserts.  

Speaking of food and Flyers…I met some new people at the sports bar where Kristen and Franchell work.  I went by myself a couple of times to get a bite to eat and watch the games, because I could not watch them at home.  The regulars at the bar called me “hockey girl” and teased me while the miserable Flyers lost game after game.  Sad ending to a season that I barely got to enjoy.  There’s always next year!

Free Shakespeare in the park!

There are many aspects of city-life that I will miss after I leave here, and there are some aspects (trains and football) that I will not miss at all.  One of the best parts of Columbia is the art scene.   I have seen galleries and live music.  Recently, I watched a live Shakespeare play outside in Finlay Park.  The stage was set at the bottom of a concrete and brick amphitheatre, right next to the lake.  Amanda and I sat among small families and groups of friends.  They brought lawn chairs, blankets, wine and Which Wich.  We were not as prepared, but we had a great view and enjoyed Much Ado About Nothing.

This is a picture of Colleen and me in Wilmington, NC

Ok, so my future life plan is not very well written, but somewhere in there I will go back to school and play Ultimate.  A little while ago, one of my friends told me that Wilmington, NC would be a great place for me to live.  Next, I found out that the Ultimate Regionals were happening at the UNC campus in Wilmington.  Then, I was excited to hear that USC women and men would be playing.  Finally, I realized Towson men and women (my sister’s team) would be attending the same tournament!  With all of these things gloriously combined, I took a 3-hour road trip to Wilmington.  The weather was perfect, the city was beautiful, the campus was nice, the ultimate was fantastic and Colleen was there!  None of the teams went to watch made it to Nationals, but they played so well.  It was difficult to stand on the sidelines, being that I have never played in a Regionals tournament.  I still have a year of eligibility though if I want to go back to school and play ultimate!

A game of Ninja with the USC girls

            The storms have been rolling through Columbia pretty often lately.  You know those summer storms that break the humidity a bit?  Those kind of summer storms that make you want to sit outside on the porch and watch for lightning? You go from being really hot to getting some goose bumps from the chilly rain drops?  Since summer has already arrived, I am experiencing some of those storms.  Yesterday, after our final working Saturday, a storm rolled on through right when we were about to float down the river on tubes.  As the streets began to flood, I thought maybe we should postpone that $15 plan.  Instead, I ran through the rain and jumped in puddles like old times.  Then, very unsafely, my friends and I jumped into the warm pool.  We sat in the hot tub as it continued to rain, and we made a new plan for the day. 

Drive-in movie with Bessie

We decided on searching for a drive-in movie.  Out in the middle of nowhere, SC, sits a 51-year-old drive-in movie theatre.  We drove in Bessie, the van, filled with blankets, pillows, pizza and a fondue pot.  When we go to our spot in the drive-in, we popped the hatch, folded down the seats and created a theatre.  We made chocolate fondue and dipped strawberries and cake into the pot.  Other cars were having BBQ, setting up lawn chairs and having a great time.  When the sun set, it was time for the first of two movies to start.  They showed the old-fashioned commercials in the beginning, making me think of the “Oh, Sandy” scene in Grease.  We got very cozy in the van and watched Thor, followed by True Grit. I made it through both movies without falling asleep!  It was a fantastic experience.

Fondue!

 Song of the Day: Rolling In The Deep by Adele

"What Happens in Tennessee Stays in Tennessee"

I gave up sweets for Lent, but everywhere I turn, I see temptation.  The whole point is to not give in, but the whole point of traveling is to get to know the culture.  When I go into a place called “The Chocolate Lounge” I kind of have to get something.  I gave in and got a chocolate drink called the Jitterbug.  Since I am now writing about this on my blog, I guess the secret’s not all staying in Tennessee…or North Carolina…or South Carolina.

WARNING!  A LOT happened in the past two weeks.  You might need a cup of coffee to keep up.  You could get some from an underground coffee shop in Greenville, NC or a double-decker bus in Asheville, NC.  Either way, there’s lots to read!

1.)    When the children have Spring break, the teachers have Spring break, but the City Year volunteers do not.  We had multiple tasks to complete in the office and a couple of service projects.  My favorite service project that we have done so far is the time I spent at the local animal shelter.  We were told we were going to pick up poop, answer phones, and play with cats.  Surprisingly, when we arrived, they handed us leashes and asked us to walk and play with the dogs!  I took a full grown dog for a walk and he pulled me all over the park.  I decided to play with the puppies instead. I fell in love with the runt of a litter of part-Pitbull puppies.  She would be mine if I had a yard, the time, and some money.  

2.)    It is amazing that I have been here for eight months and I had not been to the Harbison State Forest just around the corner.  We went for a Corps bonding day during Spring Break.  I did some hiking/exploring with some of the girls and then we had a picnic.  We played some games that were kind of ridiculous. I spun around a bat and I was blindfolded and sent through a minefield.  On a beautiful day, it was so much better than sitting in the office.

3.)    I went on the Urban Tour on Main Street with Jeremy and Amanda.  We did not know what to expect; we just saw the word FREE in the newspaper and we came running.  We got a brochure and it sent us on a scavenger hunt down the road.  I think it was a great idea because we went in stores and galleries that we probably never would on our own.   

We saw a local artist who is called the Chicken Man and our friends from Alternacirque.  The Urban Tour sent us to The White Mule, an underground pub, to find out what the “white mule” really means.  This dark, quiet pub had some live music going on that night.  I asked a guy on the way out the door if he knew what “white mule” meant, and he said, “Actually, I do.”  It is the code word for moonshine.  This man then said, “I am performing next on stage.  You guys should stay and watch.”  He happened to be Ernie Halter, a musician from California.  He convinced us to stay.  He asked what kind of music we listen to and I told him I had been listening to Ben Harper all day, Jeremy said Paul Simon.  He said he will try to play us something.  A very kind couple scooted over on their bench seat and let us join them.  Chip and Tracy were huge Ernie Halter fans.  We ended up meeting a former City Year Corps Member, a drunk lady who told me about a Rockin’ Cruise with Sister Hazel, and Chip bought us $30 worth of Ernie Halter music.  The best part was that Ernie played Cecilia mixed with Steal My Kisses. (Check next blog post down for the video) Fantastic night!

4.)    We begged our Program Managers for a day off during the week but all they could give us was an all-expense paid trip to Charleston.  What a shame.  It is rare that we are allowed to do any CY activities out of our uniforms, so I was worried that we might be beaching in khakis and Timberland boots.  Thankfully, I put on my bathing suit, hopped in a van, an spent the day on the shore of Isle of Palms!

5.)    Amanda and I had a very random Friday night following our beach trip.  We went to a free opera presented by USC School of Music.  That’s right…opera.  The singing was in Spanish and the dialogue was in English, so it was quite a challenge.  Great experience!  Then we walked down a couple of blocks to “Planets to the People.”  The Astronomy Club from the State Museum brought their huge telescopes onto the sidewalk to show the public Saturn as it appeared in the sky.  While we waited for Saturn, Amanda and I went to Mojitos across the street for a piece of their famous Avocado Pie.  I didn’t know what to expect, but I love avocado and I love pie, so how could you go wrong?  It was amazing!  The owner said that she would give me the recipe when I leave town.  I will take her up on that.  We returned to our new 50-year-old astronomy friends.  Sadly, it was a very cloudy night and Saturn would not be visible.  We did get some cool views of the moon and we joined the email list to receive information about their stargazing adventures.

6.)    My team and I hosted a Family Literacy Night at our school last week.  It was called “Open Mic Night” and it was a poetry café night.  Panera donated a ton of bread and the Curriculum Director hosted a table for the parents.  We each ran a station for the children to learn a new kind of poetry.  I think the kids had a lot of fun writing their own pieces and adding some fun decorations.  At the end, we had the open mic time, where the students took turns reading poetry, rapping, stepping and snapping their fingers instead of clapping.  The parents seemed to enjoy themselves and even one of the teachers wrote an amazing poem and shared. Three of my kids shared poems we wrote and practiced together.  I was so proud of them.  We were exhausted by the end of the week, but it was worth it!

Now for the trip that I took: 3 states, 4 cities, 3 days.  Ambitious, I know.

Greenville, SC

Look closely and you can see Amanda and Kristen!

Kristen, Amanda and I set off northwest on Friday (a day off!) for a long trip filled with history and hiking.  Our first stop was Greenville, SC.  It was the perfect time for a cup of coffee and to stretch our legs.  We went to Coffee Underground on Coffee Street downtown.  There was a theater in the back and an art exhibit about the woman’s body image through the ages.  We got some coffee and strolled down Main Street to Falls Park, a great location for meeting strangers and playing in fountains.

Knoxville, TN

Theater on Gay Street, Knoxville

The longest leg of our trip landed us in Knoxville, Tennessee, a new state for all of us.  We arrived as the clouds were rolling in, and we drove down Gay Street.  It looked very historical and friendly.  We parked at our hotel (cheap thanks to Kristen’s employee discount!) and we walked downtown from there.  The Dogwood Arts Festival was happening in Market Square, so we headed toward the live banjo and tents full of local artwork.  It was drizzling while we walked in and out of the galleries and down to the visitor’s center.  A musician from NYC told us about a great place to eat, Tomato Head, where we could sit on the patio and get great sandwiches.  We followed his advice, sat on a covered patio, listened to a man play guitar across the street, an enjoyed some great food.  Then the rain really came.  Umbrellaless, we skipped through the streets in the pouring rain, ducking under awnings and covered bridges, making our way back to the hotel.  Determined to not let the rain ruin our evening, we scored the free shuttle from Holiday Inn to take us to another part of town. We had to run through the rain again to catch the shuttle back, but this time we had a hot tub waiting for us in the hotel!

We saw waterfalls everywhere we went!  Volunteers in Volunteer Landing

We explored Old City, Volunteer Landing (perhaps named after us), UT’s campus (where we almost could have possibly run into Jeremy on his accepted students tour), and The Ramsey House Plantation.  I learned a lot from the last experience: “Pop Goes the Weasel” is a toy/tune invented from the popping sound after 100 turns it takes to make a skein of yarn on a device called a weasel.  People in the late 1700s only took full baths twice a year.  Tea used to come in huge bricks and was locked away beside the sugar in a secret place.  The amount of keys a woman wore on her key-ring determined her social status; the noisier the better, I guess.

Sunsphere of Knoxville, where at the top, we could see the whole city!

 Asheville, NC

I should have worn a pedometer throughout the trip just to get a sense of how man miles we hiked, walked, jogged, ran through the rain.  We stopped for a hike off the highway on the way to Asheville. The Smokey Mountains out there a beautiful and the temperature was perfect for an easy hike.  It was called Big Creek and we followed the big creek up to a magnificent waterfall!

Asheville is weird.  It is a great kind of weird, where people wear what they want to wear and have unique shops and music.  We ate at a vegan restaurant where I tried vegan mac ‘n cheese.  I am very fond of cheese, so this was a step out of the box for me.  It was delicious!  Then, I broke down and got a chocolatey delight from The Chocolate Lounge.  Yum.  Saturday night we stayed in a hostel just outside of the downtown area.  There was a suit of armor in the living room, a couple of German girls in the room next door, a Star Wars comforter on the bed and best of all, another hot tub!  Another relaxing ending to a long day. 

Sunday morning I had coffee in a red double-decker bus.  Then, we set off for another hike and a trip back to Columbia.  We hit a couple of trails near the Appalachian Trail and the Blue Ridge Parkway.  There were some fantastic views and amazing mountain biking trails.  It was great to go to the mountains!

Check out my next post down to see the song of the day.

Ernie Halter video

"Arts and Draughts"

My life has been surrounded by art recently.  It is very exciting because I have not been focused on my art for a very long time.  My passion comes and goes, usually depending on how much time I have to even think about art.  Columbia’s weather went from chilly to about 2 weeks of Spring, which was really just two weeks of rain, and now it is summer.  So, during the rainy weeks I decided to paint like crazy.  I finished a painting for Ashley and I finished another for fun.  I touched up a painting from the winter too.  I also recently submitted a mural design for an area in Columbia.  Hopefully, one of our CY service days will be spent putting that design up on an actual city wall!  I will update later about this exciting possibility.  I met a local artist recently, Eric, and he told me about his idea for murals.  He wants to put inspiring phrases scattered across the city.  I told him I would be glad to help with that effort!  Either way, at some point before I leave this city I WILL leave my creative mark somewhere.

My recent artwork:

For Bridget

For Ashley

I have a short story to share:

A young girl was walking along a beach upon which thousands of starfish had been washed up during a terrible storm.  When she came to each starfish, she would pick it up and throw it back into the ocean.  People watched her with amusement. 

She had been doing this for some time when a man approached her and said, “Little girl, why are you doing this?  Look at this beach!  You can’t save all these starfish.  You can’t begin to make a difference!”

The girl seemed crushed, suddenly deflated.  But after a few moments, she bent down, picked up another starfish, and hurled it as far as she could into the ocean.  Then she looked up at the man and replied, “Well, I made a difference to that one!”

The old man looked at the girl inquisitively and thought about what she had done and said.  Inspired, he joined the little girl in throwing starfish back into the sea.  Soon, others joined, and all the starfish were saved.

                                                - Adapted from “The Star Thrower” by Loren Eiseley 

The reason I share this story is because it is the reason I made a decision to ink my body.  I have been thinking about it for a long time (like a year) so I finally did it.  I drew the starfish and Eric made it permanent.  

Yes!

Columbia Museum of Art had been hosting an event on the first Friday of the last few months.  They called it “Arts and Draughts” and it included live music, live art, beer tasting and give-aways.  April 1^st was the last of these fun nights.  I had to go!  Amanda and I ventured in the Art Museum and paid a small fee to hear the Capital City Playboys play rockin’ tunes and get some tasty treats.  We casually passed by the table with Savannah Bee Co. honey and other free foods several times.  A man dressed as Michael Jackson was upstairs, posing for some guests to draw him.  The “Who Shot Rock and Roll” gallery was open for us to walk through.  The roller derby girls were there, giving out free things and they asked us to go to their meets/games/matches (whatever they call it in roller derby terms).  The crowd was different; older business people, weird art people, and roller derby girls.  Then there was Amanda and me.  All of these people gathered together and danced to the Capital City Playboys.  It was a fun time!

Capital City Playboys

On Saturday, Amanda, Kenny and I went to the elementary school art teacher’s house on Lake Murray.  She has fabulous art, but more importantly a fantastic dock with kayaks.  We took turns paddling along, checking out the wildlife and enjoying the sunshine.  I took some pictures too, trying really hard to be creative with my photography.

 

My fun painting time last week became a not-so-fun painting time at the CY office this week.  We are doing a little “bridge building” while the kids don’t have school for Spring Break.  My way of passing on the love or building the bridge for the next CY Corps was to patch up the scratches and marks on the hallway walls.  It was a bit of a failure considering the paint we chose was glossy and now just highlights the messy spots in the office.  Oh well. 

I gave my “This I Believe Speech” the other day.  Feel free to read it:

I believe in the power of a challenge.  The only time I am going to grow is when I am out of my comfort zone.  When I was a child, my parents did not provide me with the high-tech toys that all of my neighbors had.  As much as I begged for the Barbie Power Wheels, my parents just gave me Hotwheels from their childhood.  What I did not realize back then was that I was being challenged to create my own fun.  I used scrap pieces of Blueprint paper from my father’s work to draw out streets, stores and stop signs for my toy cars.  I drew them each a house with a parking spot.  I wheeled them around the paper and even made them obey traffic laws.  I was beginning to grow into a creative person and I continue to use my creativity today.

            In college, my friends invited me on a hiking trip.  As I stood at the bottom of a mountain and squinted to see the top, where we were headed, I started to rethink the promise I made to attend.  We started the climb and clearly it was going to be a challenge.  My quads were beginning to burn at only ¼ -mile up the vertical slope.  I huffed and puffed another mile and a half, until I reached a gigantic pile of boulders.  At this point I was beyond exhausted and I now my destination seemed to be just blue sky.  Despite my fear of heights, I started the crawl up the boulders.  My pack pulled me backwards but I refused to quit.  I never looked down, or I could have seen the painful ending to a possible fall.  When I reached the top, tore off my pack, and looked out at the span of the world, I took a deep breath and smiled.  I just accomplished something grand for my abilities and my reward was the gorgeous view ahead of me.  I returned to that exact spot 3 more times.

            Currently, in my freshman year of life, I challenge myself daily.  People thought I was crazy to move to a place where I did not know a single person and I was a not guaranteed enough money to spend.  I thought of it as yet another time to be out of my comfort zone and grow as a person.  I have no idea what I will be dealing with when I wake each morning at 5:15 and spend the next 12 hours in a testing environment.  Each day I meet a new challenge and each phone call home I feel slightly more grown up. 

            In the future, I plan to surround myself with new faces and new places, knowing that I will not always feel comfortable.  I will try new things and push myself to the limit.  If I meet challenges with open arms and an open mind, knowing that I will not always reach the top of the mountain, I will always be learning, growing and changing.  This I believe to be true.

Song of the day: “Brown Eyed Blues” Ben Harper

"I Want Some of That Northern Swag"

            Marcus, my team leader, told me the other day that he wanted some northern swagger.  When I asked what that meant, he said, “y’all are cool.”  Apparently we don’t let things bother us, we can tell it like it is, we’re fast-paced, in shape, know how to eat healthy, we pronounce words properly, we understand geography, we’re travelers who are not scared of change, we “get paper,” we are open to diversity, and we’re not bogged down in religion.  Thank you, Marcus.  I will take that as a compliment and I can proudly say that I have some northern swag. I cannot wait to return to Yankee country.  I am definitely NOT a southerner.  (Just to clarify, I love all of the people I have met here).

Missing the North and the best friends I could ever ask for

            A couple of weeks ago, City Year hosted a retreat for our Middle School Heroes.  Besides sleeping on a gym floor surrounded by noisy 13-year-olds and waking up a 3AM to be on night watch for an hour, it was surprisingly fun.  I participated in the talent show, which is also surprising because I do not have a talent that can be seen on a stage.  Amanda and I performed a poetic skit about a friendship that went through some ups and downs.  One of my Heroes rocked out to Evanescence and that was pretty exciting.  I beat a few people in ping-pong and won at dodgeball.  Overall, the kids had fun and I didn’t think it was as terrible as I originally thought it would be.

            One of the benefits of being a volunteer is that you get a lot of free stuff.  I am a huge fan of free stuff!  One of the board members who supports City Year also works for or supports The Town Theatre, which has been in Columbia for 92 years.  It is the oldest community theatre building in continuous use in the United States.  This board member offered CY Corps members free tickets to a show a couple of weeks ago.  It was called “The Marvelous Wonderettes.”  The cast was four women and they sang popular songs from the fifties and sixties.  I went with Kelsey and Amanda and I think we were the youngest people there.  I still knew most of the music and we had a great time.  I believe the show is on Broadway too.

            Last Friday, CY took us to see two Montessori Schools in Columbia.  It was so interesting to see it in action.  We walked through the school, mostly amazed by what the children were able to do.  It was shockingly different than the school that I work in every day.  The kids were all working independently and they were truly working.  They were each doing different things and they make their own work plans.  They work at their own pace and once they master that lesson, they move on.  In an upper-elementary classroom (the grade levels are mixed), two kids were working on building an atom.  In another classroom, there were two bread machines making bread, and the kids were explaining to me what the yeast was doing.  In another classroom, two girls were sorting and matching pictures of famous artwork by Monet, Van Gough, and others…without a guide.  Meanwhile, two boys were researching and learning about horseshoe crabs (which they actually had sitting on the table).  In another room, the teacher was telling us that they just finished show-and-tell and she apologized for the noise.  I didn’t even notice it was “loud.”  She told us what kind of activities were going on and then said, “The children who are finished are out in the hallway doing Yoga.”  Seriously...wow.

            The next day, I volunteered in the morning to help set up the St. Patrick’s Day festivities downtown.  This celebration included everything; parade, a fun run, a children’s carnival, and plenty of live music.  They even dyed the fountains green!  This is a festival that brings in about 30,000 people from everywhere, and because I set up recycling bins and beer tables, I got in for free!  So, after a morning of setting up, I went back with Kristen to enjoy the festivities.  I went mostly just to see Carbon Leaf, a great band from Virginia, and to work on my tan in the beautiful 80-degree weather.  After the concert, which was way too short for my liking, Kristen and I got to meet Barry, the lead singer!!!!

            I decided to see what kind of concrete ideas are out there for how to motivate kids to learn.  When I Googled “how to motivate kids to learn,” several parenting sites came up with pages and pages of suggestions.  All of the websites are all geared toward parents and not toward the child’s Corps member mentor. I wonder how many parents try to research proven methods or actual ideas for ways to motivate their kids to learn.  I wonder how many parents care enough to try new ways to reach their children.  I wonder if I would have a job if all parents were motivated to motivate their children.  This is beginning to frustrate me because I know for sure that my job as a tutor/mentor, and my future job as a teacher, is not just going to be about getting the kids to learn the content.  I will have to be a nurse and a psychologist, and I will have to teach social skills, manners and life skills.  I am not sure how to do all of that and still make sure the children learn the content.  I am sure Google does not have the answer, but I am sure that learning needs to begin in the home!!

At CY we took a couple more personality tests and discussed again what "direction we are" (north, south, east, or west).  I am an ENFJ (Extraverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging) and I have become more north.  I am called a "smooth talking persuader" (shocker) and an "Idealist Teacher" too, which seems accurate to me.  Check out the Myers-Briggs personality test and tell me what you are!

Song of the day:  “Life Less Ordinary” by Carbon Leaf

Trivia of the day: It is impossible to "sweat like a pig" because pigs don't sweat.

"Wait, we need 40 onions?"

When cooking gumbo for 40 people, multiplying a recipe by 10 can be kind of daunting…and can be kind of incorrect. Yes, Sean accidentally missed the “will make 12 servings” part of the recipe.  No, I did not buy 40 onions. Yes, I bought all ingredients for a gumbo meal for 25  hungry men on my food stamps.


            It has been a long, stressful school year so far, accompanied by long hours on the weekends, all while figuring out what to do next year, and saving my pennies.  But, occasionally a girl has to kick back and enjoy a little fun.  We had a Corps Fun Day last week, where we got to go to the zoo, and I got to be a kid again!  Then I got to dress up as The Cat in the Hat for “Read Across America,” again channeling my inner child.  This past week, I took a few days off for the first time this year and truly relaxed in Savannah, GA with the Moose!

I love reading Dr. Seuss books with my kids!

            Corps Fun Day started with a Community Meeting brought to us by the Office Team.  Gordon and Caroline hosted a fiesta of fun and we got to swing at a piñata!  Woo-hoo!

            Then we visited the Riverbanks Zoo (on Free February Friday of course).  The red jackets wandered all over the zoo.  I got to see elephants, monkeys, lions, birds (including penguins) and giraffes!  The most interesting animal was the tortoise that had duct tape on his shell.  I wonder what the natural equivalent would be for duct tape in the wild.  How would that broken shell work out outside of the zoo?

           
I was “commissioned” to paint for Bridget.  I use my painting time for relaxation as well.  I am pretty happy about having one of my paintings in Bridget’s house/apartment wherever she is going in the world.  Next, I have to make one for Ashley so she won’t forget about me and our dream of opening up our own school!  A few of my friends and I went to Lake Murray again, this time exploring a new part of it.  We broke into the park, which was closed for some reason on a gorgeous weekend day.  It was nice to be by the water. :)

The closest I can get to a beach in Columbia...bare feet + sand = happiness

            March 2 was “Read Across America” and Dr. Seuss’ Birthday.  I remember in my elementary years celebrating the day with “Drop Everything and Read” and reading Dr. Seuss books.  In fourth grade Miss America came to my school to read to us, which was pretty awesome. 
            I asked the librarian what the school was doing to celebrate, and she said that nothing was going on.  I decided to take it on and plan something fun for the kids.  I created Dr. Seuss Trivia to play while the kids were at lunch, a Reader’s Oath for everyone to sign and hang in the cafeteria, Green Eggs and Ham play/video with my second graders, and best of all, three Cats in Hats.  It was a great day and the kids enjoyed the celebrations.  They kept calling me Dr. Seuss, even though I was dressed as a cat.  I think by the end of the day I explained to about 50 kids the difference between The Cat in the Hat and Dr. Seuss.

Cats in Hats

            We were given 10 personal days to use throughout the year, and I haven’t gotten sick enough yet to take a day off.  I saved up my days and decided to have a miniature spring break.  The Millersville men’s Ultimate team came to Georgia for an alternative spring break Frisbee tournament.  Many fans from school also made the 12 hour trip down.  Being 3 hours away, I could not resist the beach, ultimate, friends and fun. 

I HAD SO MUCH FUN!!!!!

            Saturday I spent a lot of the day reading on the beach and exploring Tybee Island, where we would be staying.  I witnessed a Mardi Gras parade on the main street of the island.  It seemed like a very hippie town with a lot of cool people and beautiful houses.  The boys left from PA at 3:00 AM, so they arrived around 3:00 PM.  I met them on the beach with hugs and a Frisbee.  We chilled out for the rest of the day and played some games.  Sunday I ran the southern end of the island and it was so relaxing and I enjoyed the scenery.  The island is only about 2 miles long.  Sean and I went to Savannah downtown, and it was so great to go again and share it with Sean.  It was a gorgeous day.  I also got to see Megan coach lacrosse in a game against SCAD!  What are the chances that two Moorestownians would be in Savannah on the same day!?

Pardon me while I save the world

            On Monday I got to play in the hat tournament.  My team was called Robust, based on the taste of wine, which matched the color of our t-shirts.  My teammates were from all over the northeast.  We made it to the bracket play, but we lost in the first round.  That’s okay, it was a blast!

Robust Merlot

            Tuesday and Wednesday I was able to watch Moose play in the real tournament.  They played so well and they kicked butt!!  On Tuesday, Wolfie and I explored the northern end of Tybee Island, in search for the famous lighthouse.  I found it, but of course the one day of the week that it is closed happens to be Tuesday.

Later, Sean and I cooked the gumbo meal that we promised.  Neither of us had ever made (I have never even eaten) gumbo.  But, we cooked for about 30 people and it turned out to be spectacular, thanks to all of our helpful chefs.  The food propelled the team to winning three games Tuesday night. Yes, I am taking partial credit for how well they played. 

#1 Fans!  Points for the best sideline!

Wednesday I was very upset to leave, but I felt guilty taking off more than 3 days of work.  After the boys won 3 more games, I headed back to SC, in the pouring rain (ugh).  While I was at work on Thursday, I received updates as the boys played the last few games of the tournament, still winning.  Wolf called me while I was catching up on work on the computer, announcing that the Millersville Moose won the whole tournament!!!!!!  They got a trophy and I am sure had a great celebration on the beach!  I was kicking myself for not taking that day off, but I was proudly cheering from afar.  High Tide...check!

 Go Millersville Moose!

Song of the day:  "Seaside" by The Kooks