Three months snow and Christmas

I've been here now for three months!  Wow I can't believe that 3 months ago I was at home moving or actually driving across the country.  Well let's see I spent Thanksgiving in New York City watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, which was amazing.  I went with my friend Morgan from Michigan and we adventured on the bus.  The bus was fun and it ended up being really worth it.  Plus I saw some friends from home, Andrea and Greg yay!  I've been a Christmas count down since before Thanksgiving, mostly because I'm just really excited to see everyone from home.  Right now all I have is Monday and Tuesday and then I fly home Christmas Eve!!!  Oh gosh I'm so excited!

Another exciting thing is that it's been snowing now since Friday.  I've been driving in my first major snow storm and so far I'm doing fabulously!  I've slipped a little but nothing to major has happened, so that's good.  To bad the four wheel drive doesn't work in the Explorer.  Oh well, it's good.  Oh I'm also going to be moving, I was going to try and get my stuff moved out this weekend but I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to with all the snow and working two jobs.  Have a mentioned that I got a second job at Victoria's Secret.  I like it.  It's fun.  And it also gives me an opportunity to meet new people.  Although sometimes I think it's really funny that I have a job there.

Well I'm going to save more for later, since I should go and see if someone can move her car so I can get out of my driveway and make it to work.... 

Two months

It's been two months since I arrived! Two months ago mom and I drove on the Mass Turnpike and paid lots of tolls! Well one toll but it was pretty big. I can't believe it because it honsetly feels like longer, not in a bad way, just longer. I've done two months of AmeriCorps service, and that's crazy!

A new one

Well, it's been a little bit since I last blogged, but I'm good.  It's been an uneventful time for the most part other than a few fun stories.  Where shall I begin, let's see a few weeks ago some high school students thought I was in high school or at least they asked me.  Yesterday, I got hit on/checked out by 3 men in a car while we were stopped.  They most definitely enjoyed making me feel awkward while I was talking to Hannah and then after I got of the phone.  It was  good couple of minutes of them waving, laughing and trying to get my attention.  Yes, it was quite fun and awkward, mostly awkward for me.  Oh last night I went out with some friends and had a beer (I'm becoming a Sam Adams fan, how would have thought) at a Chiles aka my new favorite hang out.  Well that was fun other than I was super tired this morning/all day because I didn't sleep very well and felt like such a light weight! =D  It was mostly the bad night sleep and being in the pool area of the Y most of the day.  Oh well, what can I say I'm not a heavy drinker, plus this was after one of the guys asked me if I didn't drink.  Apparently enjoying one beer slowly means you don't drink, I just didn't want to have more than one, then drive home, and then have to be at the Y the next morning at 9am.  I call that being responsible, but that's just me.  

Alright, so today I'm pretty sure I was flirted with by some fairly attractive high school students who work/volunteer at the Y.  I think I confuse them because they aren't sure that I'm older, not that I've told them other than I think they know.  It doesn't matter much.  But awkward moments are again everywhere for me, very typical.

Well I'm enjoying life still, it's getting cold.  I'm sure I will be fine but still a small part of me thinks oh goodness, I'm going to be in the cold.  I'm still a northwest girl through and through!  I miss mountains, and seeing the Olympics on one side and Mt Rainier on other.  Honestly, I can't believe that I've been here for almost 2 months!  I can't wait to go home at Christmas and see my family and friends!  

Life....

Well I'm getting an estimate on my car for someone hitting it.  It's really nothing, but yeah what can you do.  Today I spent my day walking around and enjoying the beauty of the Fall.  Have I mentioned that I love?  Last night, I went to the Chili's Bar and watched that Red Sox game and had a beer, Samuel Adams Octoberfest.  It was quite delicious, and super fun.  Although, I secretly hope that the Sox loose tonight (don't tell anyone in Boston).  But yes I had an uneventful weekend besides my call to the police station and talking to a somewhat cute officer.  Oh I even went to a church today that I enjoyed, and may actually go back too.  I'm very much craving some spiritual time!  Well I'm off to bed, since it's 10:22pm!

Missing home...

This week I'm missing home.  I'm the tiniest bit homesick.  Don't get me wrong I love it here, but I miss my living in community like have done for the past four years, and I miss my family.  So today I'm going to look at an apartment, part of me really hopes this will work out, because I'm having the need to decorate and create a living place for myself.  Also I would get the chance to live with someone else, which I've been craving.  I'm enjoying my time alone but I miss certain aspects of living with people.   

Everyday the fall becomes more and more beautiful, and I'm truly in love!  Alright so yesterday, two of the Y employees decided that they were going to try and hook me up with another AmeriCorps member.  Oh, I should probably say that the Y has a new AmeriCorps person, his name is Rick and he's been there now for three days.  He's from Jersey.  Ok to continue the story, one of the girls pops in "my office" (not really mine), closes the door, and I turn to her and say what's up.   She proceeds to say, "We're going to set up with Rick."  In the meantime the other Y lady comes in too and is pushing this on me.  While I'm saying no, for various reasons I won't explain, they're opening the door and pretty much set in their ways.  From this too because Rick is nice and I say no, they get the idea that I like bad boys.  Not completely true, but I like a little adventure.  

Well I thought I would share this lovely story with you, because it's starting all over again.....

Autumn.......

I love the autumn!  I must say that I love it, the colors are beautiful, they seem brighter here than home!  Funny, too is that I miss home and sometimes I feel like I complain too much about my living situation, when in fact I truly like it.  For every one thing that I don't like I feel like I can name 2 or 3 that I do like and am enjoying.  For example the Fall is huge in me liking New England!  Number two is that I'm enjoying what I'm doing even though I'm not 100% sure what I'm supposed to be doing (still) and if I have been doing what I was supposed to be doing.  But too be honest, I'd rather be helpful than a pain saying I can't do that because it's not in my job description.  So I'm pushing on and waiting for the go ahead from a few more people (higher than me), because I really feel and see that this drop-in center can be a good thing for middle schoolers as well as the YMCA.  It can be the starting point for other leadership programs for youth at the Y.  I may just be the person who lays the stones or the foundation.  We are not all the harvesters, and sometimes we don't see the fruits of our labor (prayer in post before).  

So it's been more than a months of me being here and sometimes that feels long, while other times it feel really short.  I can't believe that a month or so ago I was at home.  I really miss my family and friends, but life is still good.  This is what I needed right now, to spread my wings a little.  Last year at this time I really wanted to test the boundaries and see how I could do on my life as my own.  This year I'm doing that, God really listens and provides.  

As far as fun places and adventures that I've been on, I've gone to Salem and Lexington.  Salem was really fun because now is the time to go because, well all the witches and such!  I went with a few AmeriCorps people and that was good because I felt like I had some friends.  I went to Lexington by myself.  I liked Lexington, because of all the history and I saw a video on Paul Revers's ride.  It's just fascinating to be in some of the places where our country started.

Prayer from the weekend

So this weekend I hung out with  some friends from and had some fun.  But I have to share this prayer, it's called Prayer of Archbishop Oscar Romero:

The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision.  We accomplish in our lifetime only fractions of the magnificent enterprise that is the Lord's work.

Nothing we do is complete, which is another way of saying that the kingdom lies beyond us.  No statement says all that should be said.  No prayer fully expresses our faith.  No confession brings perfection.  No pastoral visit brings wholeness.  No program accomplishes the Church's mission.  No set of goals and objectives includes everything.

This is what we are all about.  We plan that seed that one day will grow.  We water the seeds already plants, knowing that they hold future promise.  We lay foundations that will need further development.  We provide yeast that produces effects far beyond our capabilities.  We cannot do everything and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.  This enables us to do something, and to do it well.  It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, and opportunity for the Lord's grace to enter and do the rest.  We may never see the end result, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker.  We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs.  We are prophets of future that is not our own.

I heard this prayer this weekend and I really just love it.  It's true we are here to plant the seeds  and water them.  Sometimes I think this is why I am here and why I have done so many service trips because I feel that often I'm just the seed planter and even water them.  Only God knows the results.

PS I just have to say this because the debate just ended, I'm so sick of politics!  I'm tired of all this attacking of character and everything from both sides.  Neither of them do anything it seems and will someone please just say what they are going to do.  That's all, and this has been building up for a while now.

Weekend

I can't write all about my weekend right now because it is almost 1am and well honestly I should be in bed! Yet I'm up and can't sleep. I do know that once I put my head down I will be able to sleep. I had a wonderful weekend, and have had a good thrid week here. It may be getting to me that I miss my family, and friends! But Ireally do feel like I am where I am supposed to be for now, who knows about next year or the next 10 years, but all I can do is work on today and trust that God will know best. Everything works for a purpose, and sometimes we may never know the meaning. Today I am at peace. I do need to write something I shared, but another time I'm going to go to bed, since well it's 8 minuets to 1.

PS I think my time is off it is still set for the west coast, becaue I know I did not write that post before at 3 in the afternoon!

Bad Shea

I'm at work and I have 15 minutes left and well I just needed to do something. So I'm being illegal and pretending to work and posting this. Everything is going well so far. I'm excited to be doing what I"m doing! I do wish that I had someplace I felt more at home in, it's getting better, but well I miss Weesner House. Currently I'm looking at furniture for the new teen room and trying to see what type I'd want or rather what a middle schooler would want. =D Last night I went to this sweet concert, I'll have to write about it later, since I should go and finish up here. I only have 20 minutes now!

Exciting and yikes!

I now know what I get to be doing this year and I'm really excited but also yikes!  They want to start a middle school program at the Y and well I get to be in charge of programing it and being creative!  In fact one whole room is my "baby"!  Oh boy, in a good way and in a scared way!  I'm more excited than scared, but at the same time is this is a lot of power.....

Falling in love with the fall....

I'm falling in love with the fall!  The trees are beginning to change color and well it is beautiful.  It's rained the past three days too, which has been nice for me a lover of the rain!  Now for everyone else, I don't think they appreciate the rain as much as I do.  Granted I've practically lived my whole life in the rain, between western Washington and Oregon, it can get pretty wet.  Therefore a little rain is like a little piece of home, which I need every now and then.  I'm still in that honeymoon state where everything is new and exciting, but reality is beginning to set place.  Possibly, the one thing I miss the most is my family and friends.  I really miss a community or a place of believers.  I've gone to two churches now and both have been very traditional.  Nothing is wrong with traditional in fact, I like it sometimes, but something is missing for me.  It might be that both places seemed full of older people or families with kids and not many my age.  Once again nothing wrong with that, other than sometimes it would be nice to find a place for single people like myself or some close to my age.  My hope is that I will find a place like that.  

As far as travels, Sundays are my favorite, because I've spent them adventuring about.  Today I didn't do anything all that exciting except for take a little drive.  Then I sat in the park by the lake, wrote, and watched some kids play.  It was a simple day, but I love days like this!  Now I just need to fill my time with reading, writing, and other such activities rather than the tv.  All in all I'm enjoying myself, looking forward to more and loving life!

week in the Y

It's Thursday of my first week at the YMCA.  Yay I think, I only say that because well it has been an interesting week.  My first day I showed up and found out the the woman that I am going to be working with, was away all week in training.  Therefore, that means that I was going to shadow a few people and see what they do.  My first day was at the front desk, where they do all the answering of phones, signing members up, and other office work that some others don't want to do.  That day was spent stuffing envelopes, handing out towels, and figuring out the postage machine.  The next day I did the same thing, again and have done that all week.  The best part is that yesterday, I actually learned how to answer the phones, and transfer so I felt a little more useful.  Oh a side note this is not complaining, just what happened.  

Other than that I've gotten home in the early evening, after going for a walk/jog around the lake, and picking up some groceries for dinner.  By then I've been really tired, so I've watched TV and basically been in my room.  I know that is the exciting life, but I'm finding it nice to be alone at times.  Somedays I'm really lonely, and I'm finding that I like to find the balance.  I really believe that God will show me something and use me.  I'm not sure what, but I know that there is a reason that I'm out in Massachusetts.

Side note, at the YMCA I really like the people there, although there is some fun drama.  The fun drama is about some inter-staff dating that took place, and is now over, this makes for some fun, well or I find it amusing.  Also I have my moments when I feel older than the other girls that have been there and times when I don't.  It's fairly split between women with children and some still in college.  In a way I connect better with the women who have the children, maybe that's just me growing up a little...

First week

It's been a week since my mom left me and I have been here on my own.  It's been a long, and fast and interesting week.  Training was long and at times boring, mostly because training is not always the most interesting time of serving... =D  But I have survived driving to Dorchester and back now won't have to do this except for once a month, yay!  I'm pretty sure I will never complain about that five minute back up in Bremerton again, let's just say taking 45 minutes to an hour to drive something that could take 20-30 minuets not that exciting.  Also going 25 on the freeway when it's really 55 or 65 slightly frustrating.  All in all, I'm done driving so much, starting tomorrow a 10 minute drive should be what happens!  Other than the driving and the training I'm looking forward to getting to know the people that I'm going to spend the next 9 months serving with because they all seem really nice.  It's funny though most of them are from the east coast and had about a 6 hour drive out here rather than a 4 day!  Let's see there are 6 girls or women and 5 guys/men.  I think a few more are starting later, so that will make  11-15  of us.  Most all of us are right around the ages of 22-24 and have all graduated from college in the past couple years.  They all seem really nice and like people who will be fun to serve with for the next year or so.  

I've been back to the lake now twice since I've found it.  It still is beautiful and such a peaceful and nice walk.  I've gone to dinner by myself a couple of times at the Chiles bar and watched the Red Sox play, I miss the mariners, somedays... The first time I did it I saw between these two middle aged men and one of them started talking to me.  He showed me a txt message from his friend who was at the Sox game in  Tampa it was funny.  On Friday, when I got to my training sight the police were on the street questioning a couple of guys.  I decided I would park in the parking lot then and wait until the police left so I could park on the street.  Well in the parking lot some guys were watching what was going on, and one of them came over to this pole and I couldn't see what he had in his hand or what he was doing.  My first thought was oh no something bad is going to happen and then I noticed the guy was just taking a pee.  That was pretty hilarious and cracked me up. 

Yesterday was my mom's birthday (happy birthday mom) and I went to neighborhood day in Woburn to get some service hours done.  This was really fun, a few of us went and pulled up some plants, met some people and hung out at a block party.  Neighborhood day is a day when neighborhoods get together and hang out to get to know each other.  It was great way to get to know the community.  Also it was fun getting to know my team members.

As for today I went to church which was different.  It was very traditional but the people were nice, so we'll see.  Then I took the train into Boston and the subway to Quincy market.  On the way I passed the monument to the Holocaust.  The market was fun with all the street performs and the nice weather!  There were lots of booths and things to buy.  The water is close by too and that was beautiful with all the ships.  Basically it was a beautiful trip and day, I'm suer I will go back sometime.  There were also some interesting pubs, restaurants and bars, that seemed to have live music.  Maybe I will hit those up sometime!  So that's my week in a nutshell or rather a long post.  I miss you all and would love for you to come and visit or be able to tell you all the stories!  

another day in the neighborhood...

First day of training, yay, well not really because training is not always the most exciting thing ever!  But I do think I will really like what I do once I start and I will like who I work with once I get to know them a bit more.  I did survive the traffic today it wasn't really that bad, soon though I'm going to test my luck on the public transportation realm....=D  

Best part of today was my walk or rather, a good work out.  I went to find the transit station, and found it, then only to walk to another town called Wakefield, literally right next door.  I heard there is a lake there, and it's beautiful! I was walking alongside this lake at sunset and it just brightened my day!  I love nature, mostly because it is the number one way that I see God.  Oh he just created this beautiful world that I/we get to enjoy!  Around the lake is 3 1/2 miles and yes I did walk to the whole way around, plus the 1/2 mile maybe to the lake and back.  Not so smart decision was doing it late, and it got dark....=(  But from now on I think I may make that part of my daily habit just go for a walk/jog, and possibly bring a book.  There are benches along the lake and I want to just sit there soaking in the beauty!  I'm really happy that I have found a place that I can go to that is gorgeous and relaxing!  That's my only adventure for today, but it just made me really happy and content!  I'll put some pictures up sometime of it.... Tomorrow is a new day!

First day on my own....

Today is my first day on my own, for reals.  My mom left me this morning on a plane home..... So today feels more like I think the rest of this adventure is going to be like, like I'm on my own, and not just on vacation.  Until today I felt like I was on vacation, but not as much today.  I moved into my room, that I'm renting weekly in the rain, which was like home other than the humidity!  Then I went to go find where I'm supposed to go tomorrow and got terribly lost in Boston.  Yep google directions are good but not when trees block street signs!  Somehow though I ended up on the street that I wanted to end of on, and found the place, reversed the directions.  Now I believe I know how to get there, but facing the Boston traffic is going to be awesome (sarcasm)! I think I'm going to figure out how to take the public transportation to this place tomorrow....=D  

So far I'm really enjoying myself.  I don't know how I feel about big cities but I do like all the history.  Yesterday my mom and I got lost and then ended up in Lexington which is where a battle in the Revolutionary War happened (thanks Beau and Lucas history geeks)!  From now on I'm going to takes my weekends and visit new places. I'm really looking forward to traveling and adventuring around in this area.  Look for more on these adventures and hopefully I can show some pictures too!  =D