it's true. i am a resident of massachusetts again! what started as an exodus to boston to try & find work turned into employment on the cape.....with AMERICORPS! again. it's a crazy story (kinda) but the short version is: i decided to take a chance & move to boston to try & find a job (2 months of doing nothing is sheboygan was getting to me). i moved on sept. 26th to beantown & set up shop on my cousin, meghan's, fancy, new fold down couch. i enjoyed being back on the east coast and being back in a big city! nothing was really happening in the job-searching area, until one friday in early october when my old americorps supervisor, mary, called me up with an "interesting proposition". they unfortunately (maybe fortunately for me) had to ask one of their current members to leave because she had already served 2 americorps terms (rules right now for americorps state & national (what our program is) are that you can only do 2) so....they needed to fill the spot -- & FAST, so the staff all thought of ME doing nothing up in boston & asked me if i would want to come back & fill the position. i thought about it for the weekend & called back the next tuesday & said YES! i then spent most of october getting ready for the big move which included packing up all my stuff & SHIPPING my RAV out to me on the east coast! (i had left it at home when i moved). everything mostly went according to plan & i now type this latest blog entry from my new bed in my new bedroom in WELLFLEET!
i have been here for a week now. i moved in on sunday, nov. 1st. it has been strangely wonderful to be back. wonderful in that i love this program & this place & this house....strange in that i do not recognize all these new faces! the first night i almost walked into my old room 3 times. for the first couple days i expected my old housemates to be cooking in the kitchen or sitting in the living room and it made me feel almost lonely to be in this great place with all these strangers. HOWEVER, i was not lonely because everyone has been so great & welcoming to me! we had a big potluck dinner on sunday night & had some "house bonding" by playing some charades. the group is definitely a lively bunch....& active! lots of runners........but also active in that they have different house "clubs".....like the "masterpiece theater society" where they rent series from pbs/bbc on netflix & watch them. i partook in one such viewing & fell asleep during it. at least i tried. they also have a few book clubs. i have decided to start a CRIBBAGE club & have some people interested in joining.
as for what i am doing this year. WELL....my week is set up like last year. group service on mondays & fridays. an individual placement (IP) 2 days a week. & a COD (community outreach & development) day at the office. i actually have 2 IPs this year. one day i am with the brewster DNR helping with their ponds and lakes stewardship (PALS) program. i will be gathering info on the different ponds in brewster (ie water quality, how it has been impacted by pollution) & making a website (!!!) so the info can be accessed by the public. i am hopefully going to be helping with sampling water in the spring with their volunteer sampling group. the other day i am with the chatham conservation foundation. i am working with craig, who is contracted through CCF just a few days a week, so i work with him @ his house in harwich....which is interesting, but fun. basically ccf has been acquiring green space in chatham through purchasing it or having it gifted since the 1970s. thats really all they have been doing.....acquiring land & then not doing much with it or keeping track on what is going on with the land. SO.....my project will be helping craig go out to the individual parcels of land & to document what exactly is going on. mostly they want to check on surrounding homes that might be encroaching on the land & letting them know that its not their property to dump on/clear trees & shrubs, etc. for cod day i am helping to plan americorps week again in may!
so far everything has really been great & i love being back in this atmosphere & dealing with the absurdities that arise in our daily lives. just tonight i helped remove an embedded tick on my housemate, margaret's leg. i also found some ticks on me on wednesday after frolicking in the woods with craig for 3 hours. i may have also gotten poison ivy that day on my thigh. its hard to tell....but its red & itchy. i am also all cut up on my legs from green briar (a nasty, thorny plant).
i am also attempting to be a little more domestic this time around. last night i made HOMEMADE BUTTER!! from cream. it was awesome. i also found a book shelf at the chatham swap shop....brought it home, cleaned it, sanded it down & painted it. it is now sitting proudly in my room! i hope to attempt to make my own cheese @ some point & have been really big into buying seasonally.......(more) organically......more locally.......& more socially aware of who i am giving my money to (kraft & all its affliates are the devil). i also read "omnivore's dilemma" & "in the defense of food" both by michael pollan during my 3 month hiatus. READ THEM. they make you think. "a better world shopping guide" is also wonderful!
so, i am attempting americorps cape cod, ROUND TWO! i am excited & eager for the year (9 months, technically) ahead. i know that it will be hard to top last year, but i am confident that this year will be just as rewarding with new experiences with my new housemates!
this is me sitting on top of a dune.....ocean side....in truro!
GORGEOUS!
i am living in the "girls quad" this year. yes.....i am sharing a room with 3 other people!
on the bright side....no more top bunk!
the 2nd photo is a close-up of my little corner of the room....it's pretty cozy!
