Monday, March 19, 2012

It feels like July

Tomorrow starts the beginning of week 2 here in Youngstown, OH! Six weeks left. The Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation (YNDC) is a really cool organization, and it's obvious that they have a huge impact on this city.

http://www.yndc.org/news-media/americorps-nccc-team-arrives-youngstown

We spent the week working at the Iron Roots Urban Farm clearing the lot and helping to build the tables for the green house. We'll be back at the farm this week finishing up so that they can start planting seeds.

There was a community work day on Saturday, and we boarded up some vacant houses and cleared another lot. It's been unusually hot for March so it's been a huge challenge for me to spend 9 hours working outside.

The team also received chainsaw training, though only three of us will be thoroughly trained and able to actually use it - Dustyn, Jackie, and Santonio.

We're staying at a church rectory just outside of the city. It's pretty nice, there's wifi so I can't complain too much.

I've already exceeded my goal for media hits, and it's only been a week. The Vindicator (local newspaper) as well as WKBN-27 came out on Friday. We were on the news that night. It was pretty cool.

http://www.wkbn.com/content/news/local/story/YNDC-Getting-Help-from-AmeriCorps/9Q6HSaKZcE6fBwzgQ9e_4g.cspx#.T2Zv9hzS10Y

This past week was so draining, I hope that it calms down a little. It's exhausting to have to wake up before 5 to work out and then go to work by 8 until 5:30. And then to have stuff after work every day. I don't know if I can handle another week like that. This week is also going to be difficult because our team leader has to leave for a funeral, so she'll be gone Wed.-Sun. We're getting one of the STL's, but I still think it's going to be kind of chaotic.

I'm trying to set up an ISP for next weekend and/or the following weekend at the Playhouse. I miss theatre so any opportunity to help out there would probably make my week.

There's also a really cool park around here - Mill Creek Park. I can remember always seeing a picture for it, but I never realized where it was. I hope we can check it out a little more as well.

Yesterday we went to lunch downtown at a place called the Lemon Grove. Our waitress was a previous NCCC member from Iowa, Class 16. Small world. Today we checked out this coffee place downtown - Joe Maxx. I love independent coffee shops. I love coffee in general. xD

Not much else has been going on, just getting used to the idea of being in Ohio again and trying not to be super bummed about it. My mom and grandma will probably come visit, so that will be cool. I was hoping to maybe go home for a weekend, but our off days are Sunday and Monday so I don't know if it's going to be possible.

Looking forward to getting stuff done and heading back to Iowa next month. I'm still having trouble taking things day by day. I'm ready for the next part of the adventure. I think maybe if we were anywhere else I might feel differently, but I guess we'll see if anything's different when that's the case.

Until something exciting happens...
How did it get so late so soon?
It's night before it's afternoon.
December is here before it's June.
My goodness how the time has flewn.
How did it get so late so soon?
~Dr. Seuss

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