Sorry it's been so long!

So right now I'm blogging to you from DC! It' pretty cool here! Went to the Smithsonian, attended a rally, exciting stuff! This week has been so weird! So far I've discovered I actually like cheescake I've been drinking actual coffee, and yesterday I enjoyed an energy drink! What is going on? Ah but this why I love Americorps, I've begun a motto that says to say yes to any new opportunity, I'm really excited to see where that takes me =)
   Also, I've put into motion that my one of my workout goals for the end of this program is to do an 8 minute plank! It'll be pretty intense! Oh! We're also finally done with organizing doors! Now on to other fun projects!  Well that's all for now! I'll update more as things happen!

                                                                           Until then,
                                                                        <3 Heather G

Doors, doors, and more doors!

Yep, you read correct! This week has consisted of moving and organizing doors in the warehouse! It's been taking a lot of time, but progress is to be seen and made! I'm having a blast here in Baltimore! It's gorgeous here! Just a year ago I would have never imagined that I would get a chance at this oppurtunity! It's really humbling when a stranger thanks you for service. It's unbelievable how big an issue poverty is here, it's definitley widened my perspective of things.

        So, I've found that I really enjoy doing planks in PT, I would have never thought that!
    2 of our 3 firefighters come back Saturday night, so we will have a more normalish team!
 Hmm, I probably have more to tell you, but I can't think of those things at the moment haha. We definitly have a lot of good work coming with this project! I'll update again soon!
                              
                                                                            Until Then,
                                                                         <3 Heather G

About to begin the work I signed up for!

Training month is now over! I'm in Baltimore with my team! (though not everyone is here at the moment, we have 3 firefighters on my team and two are gone for this first week of spike but one is gone for the whole round) Our house is really cool! My team lleader says it'll probably be the best living situation we'll be in all yea. There's a backyard in the back that doesn't look like much right now, but as a team we're planning on fixing it up and I'm so excited for that! It has so much potential! Our work start at 9am on Monday and the first couple days will just kind of be an orientation of the warehouse. Lots of things will be going on these next two months! The good thing is that finding internet access won't be hard at all, so I'll be able to update you guys fairly regularly! (at least for this round)
         Lasy Friday was the last night at 9h dorms,  I hadn't expected to do much more than pack and sleep but then I got invited to go bowling! Something else to cross off my list, I've never been in a position where i could say yes to go do something without putting much thought into it. Being spontaneous is awesome! haha 
         Well that's all for now! I'm having an awesome time and hope all you guys are doing fantastic!! I also have been able to photos up! Alright well gotta go, update soon!
                          
                                                                 Until then,
                                                             <3 Heather G

Spike is in Baltimore!

            Yesterday  had been one eventful day! (oh and we’ve had like another three fire alarm malfunctions two were late at night and one was like 8 in the morning it’s pretty annoying!) Anyways, back to today, my team and I did an ISP (independent serve project) yesterday at a facility that helps poverty stricken and homeless girls and such so today we were organizing a room to be a store for the facility’s new website that will be a site that lets these girls get a bunch of things for free (via donations from sponsors like bath and body, Macy’s and other random volunteers) It was pretty cool knowing that we could actually see where we were making a change by doing this project. (And yes I finally took some pictures!)  The place was in Baltimore so that’s about an hour away from the dorms Perry Point. After this ISP, our team leader took us down some random roads and we were all wondering why things didn’t look familiar and finally we were all really excited because we realized our spike project was about to be revealed! So eventually we park somewhere and our team leader says for all of us to hop out of the van. So we do finding ourselves at a loading dock, our team leader hands an envelope to one of my teammates, revealing our first ATL (Assistant Team Leader). As it turns out the loading dock will be our spike and we will do a lot of logistic things and such. (I’ll get more info to you when we actually go on spike and know more of what we’ll be doing) Our housing arrangement will be a 3 bed/2 bath house with a washer/dryer, not sure if there’s wi-fi at that spot, but since we will be in the city it shouldn’t be hard to find a close place with wi-fi!  And that is where we will be for 8 weeks.

            Ah, but we were not done yet! We climbed back in the van and about another 10 or so minutes later arrived at a different location. This one had a sign that said “Rebuilding Together”. So what we will be doing is helping with low income households which includes things such as; demolition, building, carpentry, helping to sort out people’s clutter and much, much, much more! we will be there for about the remainder of the two months. Of course this means that our team will not be coming back for transition week when everyone else does except for one day I think. (we end up coming back on May 4^th, my b-day heh So that means we really won’t see any of the other teams until like the end of June! It’s a little sad, but I’m super excited for all the good, hard work that we will be tasked with! =)          

            I am super excited that we will be in Baltimore for so long!! I can’t wait to explore! Also, Baltimore has FROZEN CUSTARD!!!! I’ve been waiting forever to eat that stuff again! haha

            Also, Baltimore has CHIPOTLE! haha me and my other teammate who is from Sacramento as well were pretty hyped about that.

            A bunch will be going on this week so I probably won’t be updating this for a week or so probably. (But if you send me a letter, I’ll write one back! hehe)

            So that’s what’s been going on lately, pretty exciting since CTI is just about over and now we’re moving into transition week. I may possibly have the chance to go to disaster but I’m not truly counting on it this early in the year heh. Anyways, I hope everything is going well with you guys! Send letters! I’d love to hear from you!

For letters:

 Heather Gorman

Americorps NCCC/ Moose 3

VA medical center

PO box 209

Perry Point, MD 21902

For Packages:

Heather Gorman

Americorps NCCC/Moose 3

VA Medical Center

15 Boiler House Road

Perry Point, MD 21902

                                                Until then,

                                             <3 Heather G