Good Hope

"Believe in a better world."

In Cape Town I made myself a little home out of the Cat and Moose Hostel which sits unobtrusively at the end of Long Street, the local center of nightlife and shopping. The rooms surround a courtyard with benches and a little dipping pool. This is where I met a few backpackers with whom I shared the next few days of adventures. Sebastian and Sebastian, a Canadian and German who had met the day before invited me to join them on a Cape Peninsula Tour the next day. I eagerly agreed and found myself thoroughly enjoying the company of these two strangers within minutes. I woke up (with much difficulty after a night of overindulgence) and found that German Sebastian had already rented the car and was waiting in the courtyard. After a quick stop for some much needed nourishment and coffee we began driving one of the most beautiful roads I have ever been on. The M65/ M4 wind around steep mountains with cliffs that drop right down into either white sand beaches or directly into the ocean. Our first stop was at Boulder Beach, just a few kilometers south of Simons Town. The boulders make the beach more like a child's playground forcing people to climb over, under and between them to get to the interspersed sandy spots. The main attraction though is the other beach guests. Hundreds of African Penguins (once called jack-ass penguins) share the space with bronzed/ burned tourists. I can't imagine there are many places in the world where you can see a human family playing right next to a penguin family. Both seem to enjoy the beach equally. After a few hours there we decided to head further south to the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa's most southeastern point. T

African Penguins at Boulder Beach

Cape of Good Hope

The Sebastians and I hiked around the Cape for a while and eventually climbed on top of a boulder from which we were nearly completely surrounded by ocean. From there it was easy to get lost in thoughts of the days of exploration. The first European to reach the cape over 500 years earlier was Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias in search for a way to India. Now the Dias Cross and Da Gama Cross stand as navigational points and monuments to the early explorers. We couldn't just look at the ocean without spending some time in it so we found a little path taking us down the mountainside to the beach below. Signs warned against swimming due to strong currents but we found a little alcove and enjoyed the surf for a while only leaving with enough time to exit the park before it closed. On the way back we stopped for seafood dinner: oysters, clams, calamari, prawns went down smoothly with beer and wine. It was the perfect way to wrap up a perfect day.

The next day we all got breakfast before German Sebastian headed home. The Canadian and I made plans to pack a picnic and hike Table Mountain for sunset and take the world class cable car down. Good plans but the execution went terribly wrong. The taxi driver took us to the mountain and pointed out a trail that he told us would take us up the mountain. A few kms in we realized that it was leading far past the peak we wanted to be at so decided to take a more direct looking side trail. The trail zigzagged up the steep mountain and it was often difficult to tell whether we were actually on a man made trail or just following a river bed. We hiked for nearly three hours up a pretty sketchy trail. We jumped over streams, climbed rock faces, avoided overgrown pricker bushes and reached the peak but somehow lost all signs of a trail when we were up there. The sun was setting and we were in the clouds, exhausted and hungry. Eventually, in a small clearing of clouds, we saw the cable car that we had intended to reach. It sat on the adjacent peak with two huge insurmountable cliffs standing in the way. Going down the way we came up wasn't an option so we walked around for a while before we eventually found a trail. We took it at a run and found ourselves climbing ladders that seemed to lead in the right direction. We finally reached the Table Mountain peak and got to the cable car just in time for the very last ride down. So much for the picnic but I were so thankful that we didn't have to spend the night on the mountain. The wine and cheese were equally enjoyable in the safety of our hostel.

The city itself has a lot to offer. Not long ago it was a place of black and white and signs of the apartheid are still very prominent.Surrounded by poor black townships, and rich white suburbs the inner city has become a much more agreeable pallet of colors over the past two decades. As slaves were only aloud to wear drab colors, after gaining freedom they reacted by painting homes brightly and wearing a multitude of patterns and colors. While some areas boast vibrant houses and close community others still suffer greatly. The area of District Six is one of them. In 1966 the government named this a "whites only area" and forcibly removed over 60,000 residents. Although many have since returned, the scars of the apartheid run deep there.

It was from the balcony of a clock tower in this city that Nelson Mandela made his famous speech after being released from captivity in 1990:

"Friends, Comrades and Fellow South Africans, I greet you all in the name of peace, democracy and freedom for all. I stand here before you not as a prophet, but as a humble servant of you, the people.

Your tireless and heroic sacrifices have made it possible for me to be here today. I therefore place the remaining years of my life in your hands.

..."I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have carried the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But, if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die."

Finally made it to the top of Table Mountain

I could have spent much longer in Cape Town but my departure date quickly caught up with me. After saying my goodbyes and leaving Cameron's Indian Jones hat (which I'd been minding since he left it on the bus a week earlier) at the hostel reception, I made my way to the airport to cross hemispheres and seasons. Next stop Munich, Germany!

Waka Waka

I just landed in Munich but had some interesting dreams on the flight. In one, I was driving a van full of TLs but was too tired to actually turn the wheel. We almost crashed into a tree and I shouted 'oh my god!' That’s when I woke up and realized I’d also woken up the people around me. Aparently the shouting was not just in my dream.

So, I almost feel a little bit guilty about the utter neglect that has been my blog. I should also note that on this strange German kezboard, the z button is where the y should be. I’m just going to go with it. Don’t mind the tzpos!

I departed JFK on November 29th and got to Frankfurt early the next morning. 8.5 hour layover! Rather than waste a day in the airport, I opted to take the train into the city for a few hours of exploration. Highlights included

• Occupy Frankfurt- I didn’t realize it was a global movement, but I guess I’d been living in the American bubble
• American Peepshow- happening place in what I assumed to be the local red light district. I put in an application in case my more reputable job falls through.
• Christmas stands - Oh my sweet Weinerschnitzel.... enough said I believe
• McDonalds- I can’t believe I stooped so low on my first day of travel but the McCafe is no joke and I needed some serious caffeine.

Another red-eye flight stood between me and Jo’burg. It was smooth sailing with some entertaining movies and delicious meals to help me pass the hours. From the airport I took the brand new Gautrain to a shopping center near Mibb’s house where she picked me up. It was cool to meet the girl who I’d heard so much about over the past few years. I spent the next 4 days with the Marsh family at their house outside of the city. They helped me get on my feet and figure out some sort of plan for the rest of the trip.

Miss Ashley Hodge graced us with her presence over the weekend. She's been living in the bush chasing jackles for a better part of the year. She showed up in a ghetto little truck (bucky) that is reminiscent of something that Fred Flinstone would have driven. We visited the Lion Park where we got to play with lion clubs. They were actually more like teenagers and I think they would have been quite capable of tearing my arm off if they decided it would please them. Luckily, I still have all my limbs and some great photos too. We also went to a market where Mibbs's brother Les sells his artwork.

The Baz Bus turned out to be the answer to any questions I may have had. This tourist based bus system travels from Jo’burg to Cape Town stopping at loads of hostels along the way. I literally spent two weeks jumping on and off wherever my heart desired. It was quite refreshing to have nobody to answer to and no plans to make.

In the Northern Drakensburg I layed low at the hostel, but the place was incredible. There was a swimming pool, hot tub, sauna, bar... the whole 9. This is where I met a number of fellow travelers who I wound up seeing off and on over the next few weeks.

Umtentweni was the home of an intimate little hostel that seemed to attract some strange characters. There was a little Brazilian guy who barely spoke English but didn’t stop talking. He thought everything I said was "reallly really really awesome." There was also a big feminine guy who sold crystals at a local market and gave me a lesson on the meaning of life.

Coffee Bay. There is so much I could say about this place, but in the end it's a place that has to be experienced. It was like a Mecca for backpackers but somehow maintained its small town charm. The Coffee Shack was an ideal base to experience the area from. Guided hikes through the mountains and villages, afternoons at the beach, and surf lessons were sandwiched between nights of good food and abundant drinks at the hostel.

On one of my lazier days, I decided to hit the beach with Cam, an Aussie who I'd met at the first hostel and had been generally on the same route since. We must have smelled like kibbles and bits because two of the local dogs decided to tag along with us. One of them we named Hermes (or H-dog/ H-dizzle when I had my way). He became our guard dog of sorts, chasing down men, children or other dogs he deemed threatening, sitting by our belongings and leading us to our destinations.

In the late afternoon while sitting on the beach a group of kids started sneaking up close to us then running away when I looked at them. After about ten minutes of this, one of the more daring kids came up and sat in front of me. We started talking and before I knew it I was surrounded by about 8 little girls. Somehow Cam managed to stay clear of the group. I got a lesson in Xosa, the language of the local tribes. It's quite unique because they have 3 clicking sounds which are pretty difficult to pronounce if you're a newbee. Eventually one of the girls touched my hair and the rest of them looked shocked. I told them it was ok if they wanted to touch my hair and before I could blink they had surrounded me, pulled out my ponytail, and started to braid three big chunks of hair. It was hard to hide the grimace on my face as they nearly pulled my scalp off my head but in the end I had a stylish new do (that I took out at soon as they were out of sight).

It was a sad day when my time at Coffee Bay was finished but there were a few more places that I wanted to visit. Wild Spirit Hostel in The Crags turned out to be a tonic for the soul. Situated high in the mountains yet remarkably near some of the most beautiful beaches in the country this hostel is a peaceful refuge from the party/ tourist atmosphere which seemed inescapable along the coastal route. A big log cabin full of different instruments, yoga room, recycle center, gardens, horses and waterfalls were all scattered around the property. I joined a few other people on a 12k hike to the beach. We passed a troop of curious baboons in the forest, climbed along steep rock faces and along a river. It was spectacular. Another success story in beautiful South Africa. Next on the agenda was Cape Town which is now one of my favorite cities in the world. As my fingers grow tired, I'll have to leave those stories for another day.

Just Last the Year

How do I begin to sum up the end?

Round 4

Our last day at Camp Letts

After the chaos that constantly surrounded life in Camden our fourth and final round seemed like a walk in the park. We were sent to YMCA Camp Letts which is about ten miles from Annapolis, MD. Situated on a beautiful peninsula, Camp Letts offered so many things to keep us occupied. There were trails, boats, fields, tennis courts and archery to help us pass the days. All of our meals were provided by the camp, and more specifically by the angel of the kitchen Miss Betsy. Our main project was to develop and install thirteen fitness stations along a two mile trail loop. We began by clearing the trail and in some places blazing a new one then we installed all of the information signs along the trail and finally installed the elements themselves. Working along a trail is a very visually satisfying project because every day you walk past the work you already did and then go a little further. We were constantly able to see the improvements we were making at camp.

We also had the opportunity to act as group facilitators at the high and low ropes courses. My favorite task was being the “eyes in the sky” at the high ropes course. From a platform high in the canopy, the “eyes in the sky” helped to encourage participants to face their fears and move through the obstacles suspended between trees.

The round was smooth sailing until I got hit with the perfect storm (coming in from all different directions) in the last week. The worst of the problems involved an ATV accident in which four of my Corps Members were stuck inside the vehicle that had flipped on its side. It was by far the most terrifying moment I experienced as a Team Leader but luckily everyone turned out to be fine. The last week’s drama left me funning on fumes and ready to recharge back a Perry Point.

Tough Mudder

Chris Quirk texts almost every day preceding the event: “tough mudder, tough mudder, tough mudder....”

Tough Mudders

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWTqQGNl8Cc

12 miles

30+ obstacles

26 team leaders at Hotel Hansen

a whole lot of booze

... yea we did that.

Graduation

My team, Raven 4, at Graduation

I have always been hopeless at goodbyes. It’s something that no matter how often I have to do it, doesn’t get easier with practice. The teams graduated on November 17th and the Corps Members were taken to the airport or left with family members immediately following the reception.

Almost every moment of every day for nearly ten months was spent with the group of ten Corps Members on my team, Raven 4. That’s a pretty substantial sum of time that I wouldn’t trade for the world. I learned to appreciate every one on my team in their own unique ways. They pushed me to my limits but I grew tremendously by going through this year with them.

After the Corps left the the Raven TLs and Jen spent the weekend at a house in the Poconos where a page of notebook paper on the fridge nobly kept track of each individual’s party foul count. My tallies quickly added up after knocking over drink, being partially responsible for a flooded and freezing hot tub and and proudest of all for creating a waterfall of Sailor Jerry mixed with stomach acids across the bathroom floor. Woops. It was a great weekend though. I may be biased but the Raven TLs and UL are some of my favorite people in the world. There's been a lot of well deserved pride in our unit this year and I'm sure that some of the relationships made will cross space and time.

Jen makes us proud!

On Tuesday, all of the team leaders had to go their separate ways. After dropping off Griff and Katrina at the airport I had to drive home through tears, rain, fog and traffic. It was probably the most miserable drive of my life. Luckily I was able to recover at the Hoffnagle’s house and the next day I made my way up to Boston. Things got a lot brighter once I was surrounded with family, food and wine on Thanksgiving.

So, what’s next? I’ve decided to do what I should have done a long time ago and live by the wise word of Shakira... waka waka it’s time for AFRICA! I’m heading to South Africa tomorrow where I will spend some much needed time with myself. Ashley is out there chasing jackals so I’ll probably spend a big of time chasing her as well but for the most part I’ll be flying solo. After three weeks of summer I’ll head to Austria where I’ll spend Christmas and New Years in the Alps with the family. We’ve been planning this trip for years and now it seems surreal that it’s actually here. After returning to the USA on January 3rd, I’ll have but a few moments of rest before starting another NCCC year in Maryland the next morning. Let the fun begin!

A Sensory Tour of Camden, NJ

There is a flowerbox in front of our house. From it, morning glories struggle to take hold of the wall and a few basil plants stand tall against the beating sun. This evening, I walked out to pick some fresh basil, smelling every leaf as I picked it. I have a thing for scents. Walking back in the door, I realized some guys in a car where watching with a seriously inquisitive look. In front of them, a young man in a white T-shit is selling dope. I can hear parents screaming at children and cars racing through the street. Camden is a city that immediately fills the senses, often putting them into overdrive. Here are some that have dominated my days.

Taste
Cookies: One of the team’s favorite parts of the projects is the culinary school that is run by Respond. Students create meals that are delivered to all of the schools for lunch and they also sell their baked goods from a display case in the center. We love the Camden Cookies: dark, milk and white chocolate chips baked in a cookie until perfection.

Touch
Soil: The difference between dirt and soil is the life that is contained in the later. Soil is warm and earthy, full of microorganisms. We have been working on gardens in schools and parks. We planted seeds in a grow lab, flowers and vegetables in a children’s garden and prepared beds in the local park.

Smell
Paint: We have been painting all over the city. Today the team was totally split up with two people painting signs in the Auto Shop, two decorating flowerpots with school children, and four more painting flower boxes to distribute in the area. Next week we will be painting a huge underwater mural in a school

Sound
Gunshots: Laying in my bed on the first night here I heard gunshots down the street followed by a child’s scream, a woman’s voice directing someone to call the police, and a car speeding down the road. It was a serious awakening to the environment that we had just entered. The volume of the city is disproportionately higher than most places. My heart breaks when I hear adults yelling profanities at young children, but I hear that every day.
Oscar: Our neighbor Oscar is a kind hearted man who sits on his porch and watches the world, or at least this little corner of it. He is part of an organization called My Brother’s Keeper which, from what I understand, is a home for recovering addicts. He wishes us good morning from a loudspeaker that he will later use to let the street know that food is ready. They pass out lunches and other treats to the local families.

Sights
Murals and Gardens: At first glance the area does not seem to have any aesthetical value. The streets are full of litter. Users and dealers stand on almost every corner and most houses are run down. There are however many beautiful sights under the surface that can only be seen after closer inspection. The garages on 4th street proudly display an elaborate mural painted by a previous AmeriCorps NCCC team. A row of houses on State Street were painted in a Cape May style, full of color and charm. A community garden is carefully tended by those who do not have such a space of their own.


It is easy to drive through a place like North Camden and quickly pass it off as a bad neighborhood, locking your doors as your search for the quickest way out. Perhaps you are headed to more inviting destinations like Philly or Atlantic City. If, however, you are lucky enough to spend some time here you will likely find Camden to be incredibly captivating. It’s the people that draw me in. Every day, they fight to take hold of the community that seems to be slipping away from them. It is a worthy fight, one that I am proud to be a part of.

Amelia in Wonderland

Raven 4

If you were to graph the amount of things I need to write about to the frequency of blog posts, you would assume they would correlate in a semi linear fashion. More events = more posts. Unfortunately this is not the case at all. I have found that with so much to say I have opted to say nothing at all. It was recently brought to my attention that this is bu hao (not good). Apparently there are people all over the world waiting at the edges of their seats just wonder what I’ll say next. That’s what I’ll tell myself at least. So here’s my personal contribution to world peace and happiness. You might want a hotdog and mustard to go with this catch up.....

We are now nearing the end of our second round which has proven to be a whirlwind of sorts. The team began working with Delaware State Parks where we waged war against an invasive species by the name of multi-flora rose. This formidable foe grows thorny and thick and we were charged to remove it with nothing more than muscles and shovels. After a few days we looked like we’d been fighting cats. Scratches everywhere. About a week into this grueling work I got a call from Jason, one of the Unit Leaders, telling me to walk away from the team. This always means big news and I’d been anticipating the call. “We’re going to send your team to Mississippi. You’ll fly out tomorrow with Moose 4.”

Now, I have to go backwards and tell you about our team’s hooting system. Last round, when Logan returned from firefighting training, he introduced the hoot. It’s pretty self explanatory... you just hoot really loud but it’s easily heard and recognized by people far away. Our team gobbled it up like thanksgiving dinner. We (and by we, I mean they) expanded the hoot into a series of hoots that mean different things. One hoot is a check in. Two hoots means come quick, I need help. Three hoots our version of a dinner bell. The double hoot has been taken very seriously. The only time it had been used before was when all of the chickens escaped from the coop and needed to be corralled... most of the team went running across the farm as soon as they heard it. I digress....

Hoot Hoot. The team ran over, obviously confused about why I would use the double hoot when I wasn’t in mortal peril. So I told them that we would sadly have to leave the thorny plants behind to work with Red Cross in Mississippi where flooding of the river was threatening to take over thousands of homes. After saying our goodbyes to Iron Hill Park, we went back to Perry Point to prepare for our departure in the morning.

The next day we met bright and early in the office, bags packed and spirits high. We were joined by our sister team, Moose 4, and a two other corps members who were chosen to be added onto our teams for the project. After a project overview and a long day of travel we found ourselves in Jackson Mississippi, enjoying the perks of the Red Cross staff card with a budget that over tripled our daily AmeriCorps budget. First stop: Waffle House. Second stop: bed.

At orientation, it was obvious that the staffing at headquarters were overwhelmed by the number of volunteers that had arrived. The two hundred volunteer that were supposed to arrive in waves over two weeks, all arrived in a tsunami on the same day. “Hurry up and wait” became the million dollar slogan. We were meant to work in sheltering but were leant out to different departments as needs arose. The volunteer demographic is largely consistent of retirees so they were more than happy to let us “kids” be the muscle behind the operation.
Our first major task was to move headquarters from the back of a church to a huge empty warehouse down the road. The transformation was mind-boggling. We set up offices, computer networks, and a snack station before heading to the back of the warehouse to help unload and organize pallets of donations. Over the next two weeks we shuffled from hotel to hotel while working on short-term tasks at headquarters. Due to the dynamic of the disaster, a slow rising flood, it was hard to predict how many people would seek shelter. The Red Cross was prepared to shelter over 2000 individuals but fewer than 150 ever stayed in one.

Sister teams in Mississippi

We returned from Mississippi in the middle of May and stayed at the campus for a week before heading up to Somerville. I was able to make a trip down to JMU to visit Kelly and Ashley before their trip to Africa. Driving down through the Shenandoah Valley made me quite nostalgic. I hadn’t been there in two years but Harrisonburg still had a stronghold on my heart. Kelly and I reunited over ukulele songs, journal reading, and beer. I was reminded of my new years resolution which I’d been failing miserable at: to rock the side pony. How could I forget such a noble pursuit?
The next day we met up with Ashley and continued our reunion. We supported many local establishments. Dave’s Taverna for dinner on the rooftop, the Artful Dodger for a quick dance party (which included a skype dance party with Becky in Ohio) and lastly a walk through the police parking lot (always tempting fate) to the Blue Nile where we were thrown into the middle of an 80s dance party. The only way the evening would have been better would be if our dream team could have been completed.

Me, Brittney, Kelly and Ashley (pre-80's dance party)

The next morning we met up with Jeremy, one of my nearest and dearest friends, for Skinny Pinks (amazing martinis) at Clementines. A nap on the quad completed my college throw back. The next day as I left for Maryland, Ashley and Kelly left for South Africa. I was green with envy but excited to make my way up to Somerville in a few days.

Fast forward two weeks to the present time. There is no way I could ask for a more perfect project than the one we have now. We are working with Groundwork Somerville in an attempt to rid the Mystic River an invasive plant species. The plant is a form of water chestnut that someone threw into their pond thinking it would look nice. From there it somehow wound up in the river system where it completely covers the surface blocking out sunlight outcompeting the local flora and fauna for space.

We remove the chestnuts by rowing around in canoes, pulling out the plants and piling them into laundry baskets which we empty into a dumpster on the shore. After finishing up on the river, there is the whole of Boston available for exploration. If that’s not enough I have the luxury of being surrounded by the mighty O’Connell family who I have not seen enough of in my adult life.

Enjoying a tour of the Mystic

So here I sit in our kitchen at Tufts University. Michael Jackson’s Black or White just made it’s way into the playlist. I’ve got three weeks before a beach vacation with some of the team leaders. Life is good. I am content.... for now.

Round 1 Reflection

Transplanting vegetables into the field

I am a farmer. I have planted a seed and watched it grow. I have helped transform a harsh wintered field into one ready to bring forth life. I have been captivated by the constant chatter of hens in a coop.

I am a teammate. I have proven that I can eat, sleep, work and with the same people without tiring of their company.

I am a leader. I have taken charge and pushed my team to perform great things. I have helped them to weather storms gracefully and watched them become an insatiable force.

I am an AmeriCorps member, and I am getting things done.

Aja, Logan and Morgan with their green thumbs

Isn't it obvious?

Happenings on the Farm

Steel-toed boots

Movable chicken coop

I woke up the other morning to gusts of wind threatening to rip my tent right off the platform, a fate that fell on two of the other tents. Soon the skies opened up and rain flooded down. Thunder and lightning took over the night sky as we lay protected from the elements by pieces of canvas and a flailing plastic tarp. Should I have been worried about sleeping on a metal-framed bunk in a metal framed tent? Raven shish kabobs could quite possibly have been on the menu. Luckily we were not charred or drowned in the storm. We woke up early the next morning and continued the farm chores that we've taken as our own.

One of these chores, which I've become somewhat attached to is the chicken care. There are currently 20 adult chickens and 52 baby chicks and 1 rooster. We're expecting 40 more adult laying hens this weekend. Every morning, we have to feed, water and collect eggs. I decided to have a go at doing chicken duty solo one morning... a little team leader time out if you will. As I opened the coop door to grab the waterer, one of the hens pulled a Houdini and flew the coop. Josh, the animal guy, happened to be walking toward the pasture just as the great escape happened causing me to pull the profanity train to an abrupt stop. The hen kept running over to the rooster cage and then running away as soon as we got close. After a while, I'd had enough of her games so I told her that if she didn't behave, I'd put her in the cage and let the rooster rape her until her eggs were scrambled. Sure enough, she turned right around and walked towards her own cage. I only had to open the door for her to hop right in. Behold, the power of persuasion.

Another fond chicken memory came a few days later during a team outing to a local event... "Night Out with the Chicks." Locals filled the aisles of the feed store to listen to a chicken expert give advice on everything chicken related. The event included a number of door prizes. My team members won feeders, waterers, T-shirts, and hats. The big winner that night was none other than myself. I won a heat lamp and 2 BABY CHICKS!!!! They were put in a box and sent home with me. Honey and Mustard, names inspired by their color and my love of condiments, have been integrated with the rest of the babies and are now the coolest little chicks in the crate.

Caring for the chicks

Yesterday we planted the year's first seeds outside of the green house. Beets, Spinach, and Peas will all be growing thanks to our dirty hands. We're all very relieved that our project at Kayam wasn't cut short due to the goings on in Washington. It has been a great experience for all of us.

Planting beets on the farm

Getting Things Done

Raven 4 and our sponsor at Rehoboth

The Game of Life has continued in a completely different direction than before. As an AmeriCorps team leader, I find myself wearing green and khaki to work every day but that is the only part of the job that is "uniform." After a moth of team leader training and another moth of corps member training, I have finally gotten the chance to begin "getting things done for America" with my fine team, Raven 4. We had our first opportunity to serve together at a black history month swim invitational in Washington D.C. The starting blocks swarmed with Corps Members who worked as the only time keepers for the entire event. The next week, we head down to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware where we rebuilt an old weathered boardwalk and replaced a fence that was in serious disrepair.

Black History Month Swim Invitational

Our cabin in the woods at Kayam Farm

I am currently sitting in a log cabin at a Jewish retreat center/ sustainable farm outside of Baltimore. In the past week, I have worked alongside my team to build a movable chicken coop, inoculate logs with mushroom spores, arrogate the roots of the trees in the orchard, transplant a number of different vegetables, and construct the canvas tents that we will soon move into. Today the much anticipated shipment of baby chicks came in the mail. The animal guy on staff, Josh, picked them up from the post office and walked down with a chirping box of future buffalo wings. We had to take them out and introduce them to their new home in the green house.

Vegetables growing in the green house

It is very peaceful here and I have finally had the chance to stop and sit with my own thoughts for the first time since beginning this program over two months ago. The staff members at Kayam Farm are easy going and knowledgeable with a passion that is inspiring. I find myself constantly learning things I never knew I never knew (as Pocahontas would so eloquently say it). I am becoming more comfortable and confident in my role as a team leader. After spending so much time abroad, I realized that I had become somewhat disconnected from the country that I still call home. I am grateful for this oportunity to coombine two of my biggest passions, travel and service. More updates on farm life to come!!!

Turning the field to prepare for planting

Wrap It Up

Time's not for wasting so I will continue where I left off....

We left Luang Prabang excited for our next destination, the Bokeo Province in the north of Laos, where we were planning to do The Gibbons Experience. After 4 hours of the scheduled 12 hour bus ride through windy mountain roads in the middle of the night, I realized that the bus had stopped. All the better to sleep, I figured so I curled up in my seat and conked out. As the sun began to rise about 4 hours later, I realized that we were still in the exact same place we were when I fell asleep. Stepping out of the bus, we saw a long line of cars, trucks, and busses that were all parked due to a big accident involving a few overturned trucks that left the road completely impassible. After hearing that we would probably be stuck for most of the day, Kelly and I took matters into our own hands. We grabbed our bags from the bus and walked up the mountain, around the accident and past the rest of the traffic. Eventually, a truck picked us up there and drove us to the nearest bus station. The daily bus to Huay Xai had already left but we decided to take another one that would at least get us closer. We had no idea what we were in for. After climbing onto the roof to attach our bags, we cramed ourselves into the bus. I grabbed a seat in the back between a few locals leaving Kelly stuck sitting on a bag of rice. The ride was long but entertaining. The man next to me kept falling asleep on my shoulder but the best part was the stop at a road-side market. Our bus gained a 6 squirrels and a monkey all of which would be that night's dinner for some lucky family.

We finally got to Huay Xai and were off to the jungle the next day for The Gibbons Expereince. What an experience. We spent three days literally living in the trees, ziplining across the valleys and sleeping in a bonafied treehouse. I'll let the videos do the talking

Asia's best "hotel"

Cribs: Jungle edition

Welcome to my home

Gibbons calling from the trees!

After a few days in northern Thailand with my friend Shannon from Canada/Taiwan, we made our way over to Cambodia. This country truley captured my heart. Our first stop was Siem Riep, the home the magnificent Angkor Wat complex. This place is the most architecturally intriging place I have ever seen. Every wall is literally covered with stories both religious and historical. We spent three days biking from ruin to ruin but I could have stayed for three weeks. I felt like a child again, playing on the big playground castles... only these were 10,000 year old ruins.

Huge banyon tree overtaking Angkor Thom

The Cambodian people are particularly facinating. Despite a tragic history, they are kind and gentle, even when they are trying to wring every last dollar from your pocket. They make up stories and beg for money, but they always do it with a genuine smile on their faces. When you turn them down, they'll just wave and say "good luck to you." We befriended a group of local kids who were selling postcards. After a few minutes of jokes we found out that they were actually talented little singers. Justin Beeber's ""Baby" creates a whole new image in my head now.

Next we head to the capital of Phnom Penh which, like many of our destinations, sits on the Mekong River. In the 1970s, following the Vietnam War, a local communist party called the Khmer Rouge wreaked havoc on the country. Over the course of a few years they killed over 1.5 million people, including nearly all of the educated or wealthy citizens of the capital. The scars still run deep and can be easily seen at places like S-21 and the Killing Fields. S-21 is a former school that was transformed into a prison. It was the last place many people saw before being transported to the Killing Fields where they were executed. The places were tragic and haunting, but I felt it was important to spend time learning about the history of the country that I had come to love.

The national palace in Phnom Penh

skulls dug up from the mass graves at the Killing Fields

After only a week in Cambodia, we returned to Thailand where we spent the next week on Koh Phangan island. The island was beautiful, but the weather on the other hand was less than ideal. It rained almost every day which gave us a lot of time to catch up on our reading and ukulele playing. We ended our holiday like we began it, scootering with all our belongings through waterfalls and puddles. Luckily, we were going to have a chance to warm up soon.... our next destination was Sweden after all.

Needless to say, we arrived at Farmor and Farfar's house in Gothenberg dirty, drenched and exhausted. Fortunately the agenda for the next week did not get much beyond playing cards, eating cheese and hanging out with the old folks. Perfection. We got babied beyond belief... bbb! Farfar (my grandfather) drove us to Denmark to visit some more family and from there we did a day trip to Germany with my cousin Jackeline. Ten days after we arrived in Sweden, we were in transit again, for the last time of this epic trip. The USA was calling, and I have to admit I was excited to come home for Christmas.

Me and Jackeline in Denmark

Although most of Europe and the US were under nearly a foot of fresh snow, I got to Boston only an hour later than expected. Kelly and I said our goodbyes at the baggage claim before she hurried off to (unsuccessfully) attempt to catch another flight and I came into the warm embrace of my cousin, Jen, who probably lost a bet and had to pick me up during the storm. (Thanks JENNN!!) It was a very warm reunion at the Fahey residence, my home away from home. Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol, eggs benedict, family caroling, and the Dbar were the perfect reintroduction to life in the USA.

Eggs Benedict, my favorite Christmas tradition

The Fahey/Hansen clan on Christmas morning

So here's the final count.....

2 wanderlust girls

2 months

11 countries

an unspecified number of pounds (I mostly blame Farmor)

even more dollars/ baht/ kip/ riel/ euro.....

1 ukulele

14+ continuous days of diarrhea (I mostly blame the rats in Kuala Lumpur)

loads of amazing friends

oodles of ramen noodles :)

1 goat head stew

.... it all adds up to a pretty amazing trip.

** Thanks Kelly Abbott for sharing the experience with me, making me laugh until I cried, and putting me in my place when I needed to be put there. We may need to get those colonoscopies together sooner than we anticipated. Love you!