Last Post

Hello!

     I am writing my last post today, from my home in Michigan.  I arrived home late Friday night, and was welcomed at the airport by Chris and my family.

     My last week in Denver wrapped up well.  We had a lot of cleaning to do and some meetings to attend, but we also got time to celebrate and say goodbye to each other.  I got to go on one last hike, go downtown one last time, and have a beach day at Boulder Reservoir.  We also had a dinner banquet and a graduation ceremony.  I felt sad to say goodbye to Denver, the mountains, and the friends I've made, but I know I'll see them all again someday.  Plus, I was so happy to come home, and I'm excited for my next adventure... college.

     Here's a video that my teammate Láni made to show our time in Brazos Bend and Oklahoma City.

   
     And here's a slideshow created by Alisa Hills that played at our graduation, showing snippets from the whole year.  I'm in it a few times.

   
    And here's the before and after picture of my work boots that I promised at the beginning of the year. =)

     Not as bad as I thought they'd be!  But they've seen a lot.  For people finding this blog who are thinking about NCCC, I hope my posts are helpful to you.  And if you have any questions, please feel free to email me at rachel_poole123@hotmail.com .  Thanks to everybody who followed my adventures and offered love and support this year. =) You guys are awesome, and made my experience so much better.

Where I've Been and What I've Learned

Hello!

This is the first of a few wrap up posts I plan on doing.  I want this blog to be helpful for anyone who's considering doing NCCC, so I thought some overview of my year as a whole would be helpful.

That said, here's a map I made of where I got to go this year: http://www.zeemaps.com/view?group=555318&x=-92.781123&y=37.704285&z=13 .  Woohoo!  :) It was the most travelling I've ever done, and I had a lot of fun doing it... for free!

And here's a pretty cheesy list of things I've learned/new experiences gained/things I've gotten better at this year, in no particular order!

Technical Skills:
painting
caulking
using a nail gun and staple gun
walking on roofs
reading maps
CPR & First Aid
using a hammer and shovel (effectively)
mold suppression
framing a house
putting on snow chains
changing a flat tire
using a circular saw, reciprocating saw, chain saw and pole saw
making double sided copies
sending faxes
using a mccloud, tamper and rock bar
using a hand frame drill
using loppers
driving gators
driving 15 passenger vans
using a sledgehammer
administrative skills
Google Docs

Life Skills:
living on a budget
being a good roommate
taking quick showers
making contacts with nonprofits
setting up volunteer opportunities for myself and others
facilitating service learning
living minimally
knowing what I really need
use the restroom every time you stop the car. even if you don't think you need to.  you do.
becoming a better cook
grocery shopping and cooking for 8-10 people
finding the cheapest, cutest postcards and souvenirs
free sticker hunting
hiking!
adjusting to different altitudes, attitudes, time zones and cultures
dorm life
baking bread from Lani
yoga from Erin
navigating public transportation
standing on the subway
exercising regularly
putting my hair in a bun
the cup game
packing and flying efficiently

Abstract Skills Improved/Knowledge Gained About:
communicating
listening
being honest about feelings
managing long-distance friendships and relationships
embracing diversity
peer-helping
construction
the non-profit world
disaster relief
humane societies
education
poverty
state parks
wildfires
Hanukkah
being flexible
exploring where you are, taking advantage of what's around you
introducing yourself
tea @ Celestial Seasonings factory
Habitat for Humanity
patience
tutoring
mentoring
surviving wildlife
professional meetings

Miscellaneous New Experiences/Silly Stuff:
corn hole (Oklahoma game)
rosebud thorn debriefs
parkour
Dunkin Donuts
Sonic
Braums
Ethiopian food
Senegalese food
New York pizza and Bagels

It's not to say that I wouldn't have gained any of these things without NCCC.  I think this being my first year away from home played a big part.  However, I got to interact with so many different people, places and organizations.  Every day was an opportunity to learn, and I'm so thankful for that.

I'll finish out with a few pictures Audra took during our time in Oklahoma.  I kind of slacked in that department.  Thanks Audra!

Cubicle life! haha.  Audra was right across from me, and we felt like the neighbors in Home Improvement when we peeked over the wall to talk to eachother. She caught me when I wasn't looking.

I didn't know she took this one. I like how you can see the water tower. :)

     It's been a nice few days relaxing, and tomorrow things will pick up a bit and meetings will start.  It's been so good to have time to catch up with my friends here I haven't seen in 8 weeks.  And in 9 days, I'll get to catch up with loved ones I haven't seen in 7 months!  That's all I have for now.

Back in Denver, One Last Time

Hello!

My team and I spent two whirlwind weeks in Oklahoma City, left on Thursday and arrived back in Denver on Friday.  I regret not posting more while I was in OKC, but we were kept pretty busy and my laptop crashed.

Overall, I enjoyed our time there.  When we arrived, the AmeriCorps team we were replacing only had a few hours to train us before they had to leave.  It was a pretty crazy transition, but I think we hit the ground running.  Luckily we weren't alone; we had the help of a Coconino Rural Environmental Corps (CREC) team that arrived around the same time we did.

I was placed working in FEMA's Joint Field Office, and me and two of the CREC folks took over as the new data management team.  We helped manage a database that connects homeowners with needs after the tornadoes to volunteer organizations who want to help.  It involved a lot of data entry, phone calls and dispatching work orders.  It was hard to be in front of a computer screen all day, but I did feel good about what we were doing.  Plus, I was glad to gain some new administrative skills. 

It wasn't until out last day there that I got out to see some of the wreckage.  Specifically, we visited the memorial at Plaza Towers Elementary School.

It was awesome to end my year in the same place I began it: Oklahoma City.  Plus, by chance I had half of my original team, Fire 1, with me!  Láni, Bruce and Nadav.  It felt very full circle.

Now I'm back in Denver for two weeks of out-processing.  It will involve a lot of debriefs, cleaning, packing, paperwork, celebrating, and saying goodbyes.  I'm really looking forward to coming home, and I'm glad I have this time to transition.  

That's all for now!  Hopefully I'll take lots of pictures this week.

Change of Plans

     So it turns out there has been a change of plans! Yesterday around lunch time, my team and I were informed that we needed to leave Brazos Bend and head to Oklahoma City to help with tornado recovery efforts. Federal agencies are only slated to be in Oklahoma City until July 9, and we are needed to help with this transition period of federal agencies handing over relief and long term recovery efforts to local organizations. So we packed up yesterday, drove to Oklahoma today, and here I am!

     It was a little sad to leave Brazos Bend, especially on such short notice. We had finished a gravel project for them the day before, but yesterday morning (not yet knowing about disaster) got a bridge project going that we couldn't stay to finish. We also didn't get to say goodbye in person to everyone we worked with, or spend time with Fire 2, a team near Austin who was going to come visit us in just a few days.

     However, I am excited about this new project! It seems like it will be a whirlwind of change, travel and activity, which should help my last month of service go by very quickly. Tonight we are staying in a dorm at Oklahoma University, but tomorrow we will have to move into a gymnasium where we will set up cots. I don't know a lot about our work yet, but it seems we will work long days 6 days a week, and do mostly administrative work.  Tomorrow I will begin work at the Joint Field Office.

     It's funny how much can change in just 24 hours. Like my teammate Audra said, "it wouldn't be AmeriCorps without one last twist at the end!". This should be the last twist she's talking about... right? :) You never know.

     I'm not sure if my next housing will have wifi, but I will post updates when I can. Bye for now!

BBSP

Hello!

     A lot has happened since my last update.  It took us a few weeks, but we finished clearing the vegetation in the potential trail area.  The park likely won't know whether or not it will become a trail until long after we leave, but it was still a good feeling to reach the finish line. 

 

Here's most of us with our supervisor at the end of our "trail".  You can't tell through the trees, but the end of where we cleared was this bluff that overlooks a small river.

 It took blood, sweat and tears to get there.  But mostly sweat.  Lots of sweat.

     Since we finished clearing the trail area, we have started spreading gravel onto an existing trail that needs some TLC.  It is nice to not have to wear long sleeves to work anymore (we wore those in the denser area to protect us from poison ivy and poison oak).  It's also great to be out and about in the park, interacting with other volunteers. We will continue to spread gravel and hope to build a few bridges during the remainder of our time here.  Only 3 more weeks before we head back to Denver!  I'll have about 2 weeks there of out-processing, debriefs and goodbyes, and then I'll head home. =)

     The location of our project has given me some really fun opportunities on the weekends.  My aunt and uncle who live in Houston took me out to lunch recently.  It was great to see them!  

Another weekend, my team and I went downtown and saw a USA vs. Ireland rugby game.  I had never experienced rugby before, and it was pretty cool to watch!  Before the game, we got to explore Rice Village, a cute part of Houston near Rice University.  Can you see the photobomber behind us? Haha.

We had a great view of Houston's skyline over the BBVA Compass Stadium.

Then this weekend I got to travel around eastern Texas visiting relatives from my dad's side of the family whom I hadn't seen since I was a toddler.  It was so wonderful to see them and get to know them better!

     Well, that's all for now!  I'll leave you with some alligator glamour shots I got to take last week. 

Most often, I just see their eyes above the water like this before they slowly, silently sink out of sight.

So I was surprised when I saw this lil mama!  She was the first one I had seen completely out of the water.

She surprised me further by laying down and posing in the black-eyed susans.  Work it, work it girl!

    

First Week at BBSP

Hey!

     My first week of work at Brazos Bend went pretty well.  After enjoying Memorial Day weekend, we spent 3 days clearing vegetation from the area where we hope we will be able to put the new trail.  It is a little odd to be doing this work while not knowing whether or not we will be allowed to put a trail there.  However, even if we don't, having the vegetation cleared will benefit the park.  The trail is right by their property line, and it is always good to have access to that.  That cleared space can also serve as a fire line.  We have our fingers crossed that we will get to build, though!

 This is what we faced on our first day.  For the first few hundred yards, all we had to do was trim the branches on both sides of the path.  It was already mostly cleared here because BBSP used to be a cattle ranch, and this was one of the cattle paths.  That was just 25 years ago, the park is fairly young.  However, a few hundred yards down, the path disappeared and we faced young trees and dense vegetation.  It will get denser and denser until we reach our end goal, about 3 miles away.

 

That's where the chainsaws came in! I was really glad to learn to chainsaw this week.

     Clearing the vegetation is enjoyable, but it is hot, hard work.  I got poison ivy and insect bites, along with many other members of my team.  Taking all that into account, we were given some lighter work for Friday.  I painted some signs and replaced old fire rings.  It was a nice break!

 A beautiful view at Elm Lake, one of the many lakes in the park.

     This weekend I got my hair cut to shoulder length to combat the Texas heat, and today we are in town to grocery shop.  I got some good medicine for the bug bites and poison ivy!  Thanks Hanna. =) Hopefully I'll be able to post again next weekend.

Arrival to Brazos Bend

Hello!

     I had a safe journey down to Brazos Bend State Park.  It took us 3 days and 2 nights.  It was a smooth ride, and very pretty, too... it was nice to see everything become green as we went farther south.

 

We enjoyed Texas shaped waffles at a hotel on the way down.  Awesome!

     

     When we arrived at the park on Wednesday, we were immediately greeted by friendly staff and volunteers.  They've been awesome to us... showing us around the park, telling us about nearby attractions, and even hosting a welcome lunch for us, complete with brisket. =) We spent Thursday and Friday getting to know everyone, talking to our supervisors about our work, and receiving safety training.  Then we had the long Memorial Day weekend to relax and explore.  I'm excited to begin working tomorrow!

     Speaking of work.. it turns out the trail we were going to build here has to be put off for awhile.  BBSP has to wait for approval from Texas Parks and Wildlife before they can construct new trail, and they've run into a little red tape.  In the meantime, we will still prepare that area for construction as much as we can, and help with other things.  It sounds like we'll be doing fun, varied work!  We can work in the headquarters, Nature Center, and an observatory run by the Houston Museum of Natural Science.  There's plenty to be done outside, too.  The park is always doing electrical work and welding, adding gravel to make trails more accessible and repairing signs.  They are also hoping to build a few new bridges and a self-composting toilet with our help. 

I am learning to geocache!  There are almost 100 caches in the park. I've also been doing a lot of reading in the shade. =)  This weekend has felt like a vacation.

 We checked out the nature center, where we got to touch a baby alligator.  BBSP is home to over 300 American Alligators! It also has wild hogs, white tail deer, great blue herons and a ton of other awesome wildlife.

The park is soooo beautiful.  Everywhere you look, you see different shades of green.  There's Spanish Moss hanging off the trees.  There are a few lakes, rivers and 37 miles of trail to explore!

   

This is my home during our stay.  It is an empty dining hall, with an industrial kitchen and plenty of room for our cots.  It's quite nice, and also air-conditioned!  Thank goodness.  It's very hot here; it should be in the 90s every day.

     That's all I have for now.  I'll have more to share once we start working!  =)