Americorps Epilogue III: The End

Done! Finished!  N-C-C-C ya later!  Our last week with Americorps NCCC was full of cleaning and meetings, but that’s all over.  I’m as free as a bird now, and this bird you cannot cha-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-ange!  In retrospect, it’s been a truly powerful year, with lots of excitement, frustration and success.  I joined last year to serve, to see our country, and to meet new people.  Check, check and check.  (Plus $1.36 an hour! Mini check!)  Would I go back and do it over again? Absolutely.  Would I do it again a second time? HELL no.  

((Veterans Green Jobs))

We started our year with VGJ in Denver.  A nonprofit that does great work with military veterans and environmental stewardship.  We did lots of warehouse work and weatherized some homes too.  Right before we got deployed to Joplin, a few of us got to attend the grand opening of the warehouse where we'd spent our fall.  Lots of politicians and media were on hand and it was cool to see all the work that our team (and the 2 NCCC teams that came after us) come to fruition.  If you’re ever in Denver and need a donated couch or a vanity mirror…VGJ!

((New Orleans Habitat for Humanity))

Following our stint in Denver, we headed south to the South where we worked with Habitat.  A definite highlight of my year.  We spent our weeks working with volunteers from every corner of the country; hanging drywall and mixing cement.  We spent our weekends running around the Crescent city eating po-boys and listening to jazz.  A truly amazing city and really rewarding work.

((American Conservation Experience, Arizona))

After N’Awlins, I traveled to Flagstaff Arizona to work with ACE building barbed wire fence and marking trails.  Hard, hot work, but it was really scenic and all the employees and all the European volunteers with ACE were great to work with.  

Oh, and it was really scenic.  Did I say that?

((Joplin Tornado Relief))

Following our stint in Arizona, we responded to the F-5 tornado that ravaged Joplin MO.  We arrived 36 hours after the storm, and spent the next month running call centers, databases and leading volunteers in debris removal.  I was in the field leading volunteers, and it was the single best part of my year.  Americorps always talks about the “compelling need” of the places we do work, and Joplin was as compelling as it gets.  Working with homeowners who had lost everything, and actually having help to offer them was great.  We were kicking some ass at the front lines of the destruction, and it was a very powerful experience.  I worked in Joplin with more conviction, more pride and more IcyHot back patches than I have anywhere else.

Americorps is all done now, and I’m headed back to Washington. Thanks to everybody who made this year as great as it was.  Thanks to all the organizations and people we got to work with (VGJ, NOLA Habitat, ACE, St. Louis ERT).  Thanks to my family for supporting my decision to spend this year away from home and away from making any money.  And finally, a big big thanks to everybody I met in Americorps; especially my team: Water 4. (Good luck girls!)

All the goodbyes on Friday were one of the hardest things I had to do all year.  With all the amazing experiences and friendships from the last year, leaving Americorps is bittersweet, but I am looking forward to being home and searching out a new adventure.  Thanks for taking the time to read about my year.  It's hard to believe that it's over, but it's time to head home! Cue the "Peter, Paul and Mary." It's jet-plane time!

THE END

Americorps Epilogue II: The Postcards

And we're (sortof) done! We finished our work at Mt. Evans, and we've got a week of meetings before NCCC is done and I can retire my polo shirt and cargo pants for good. With the year wrapping up, I thought I'd dedicate a quick post to all the postcards from this past year.  A juvenile-(and pretty stupid)- facet of my year to be sure, but it was great to hear from home. Plus a donkey in sunglasses is just funny.  

If collecting tacky cat postcards is cool, then call me Miles Davis.

Here are some favorites that I received this year, in no particular order.  Many thanks to everybody who wrote.

((FROM))

(Ben Weiser)

(Katie V and Patrick)

(Hans Liezen)

(Kelsey Schill)

(Nick Ptacek)

(Olga Z)

(Anna and Patrick)

(Erika W and Sean Wolf)

(Jess Kaari)

(Tanner Lawrence)

(Aunt Barb)

(Anna, Patrick and Karla from Water 7)

Most of the postcards above have made an appearance here at some point this year, so here are a few pictures of some that I sent out.  NCCC involved a ton of road trips and travels through weird parts of the country, and looking for postcards made every rest stop a treasure hunt for awkward, mail-ready curios.  Once again, some favorites:
((TO))

Americorps Epilogue I: Colorado

Back in colorful Colorado!  Since being replaced in Joplin, I made a trip home to Spokane for some 3-on-3 basketball, and then returned to Colorado to wrap up my service year with some camping and conservation.  We’ve spent the last two weeks split between work at Mt Evans and work in the San Luis Valley. 

We started out at Mt. Evans, quarrying rocks to be used in rock steps along the trail to the summit.  It was gorgeous up there.  Mt. Evans is one of Colorado’s 14,000 ft peaks, and the views were pretty spectacular.

That weekend, my old Spokane buddy Sean Wolf joined us for some camping and for the hike to the summit. 

After Mt. Evans, we headed south, to the San Luis valley where we built barbed wire fence and did some invasive plant removal (fancy talk for weeding).  We also paid a visit to Great Sand Dunes national park:

We spent one night hiking from our campsite to an abandoned mine (dubbed the “glory hole”).  There we witnessed the outflight of some 250,000 bats (dubbed “night prowlers”).  The outflight lasts 25 minutes at dusk, during which time we used every Batman quote we could think of. 

I am the night! 

Tomorrow and throughout next week, we’re back at Mt. Evans, putting the rocks we quarried to use in the trail, and next Thursday is our LAST DAY OF WORK.  We do have another week or so of wrap-up before they release us into the wild.  Like Free Willy being released into the ocean.  Or like a colony of “night prowlers” being released from the “glory hole.”  As for me, I will be returning home to Washington to resume my duties as a stay-at-home son.  Those tortilla chips won’t eat themselves, mom and dad!  Two weeks left!!!