On the Road Again

…just can’t wait to get on the road again. The journey ahead:

1,661 miles. 25 miles. Yikes, bros.

I've decided to go to Richmond, VA. Richmond has two Community Voter's Project offices with high goals; I've never been to Richmond, so I figured why not? I really wanted to stay in Colorado, but it just didn't work out.

I'm not looking forward to the 3-day trip, but I can't wait to get to know a new city and new people. Wish me luck on my trip and I will update soon. Be on the lookout for PEACE CORPS news and pictures from Colorado.

Talk to you soon.

Bergen Peak

Today Josh, Liz, Aunt Jackie, and I climbed Bergen Peak. This hike was much better than last weeks; higher elevation change, tougher climb, better view. Those are the things I like most about hikes. It was about a 4 hour hike up past 9,000 feet. The climb was full of Aspens, Birch, and various evergreens.



These hikes have been fun, but I enjoyed my hikes in Hawai'i better. I guess I just like seeing the water! The other difference is that there are mountain bikers and horse back riders that you share the trail with here.

So, unfortunately, my time in Colorado may be coming to an end much sooner than I had expected. It is going to take ACORN at least another month before they get the numbers for Pueblo, so we can't even open our office until then.

So our (Josh and me) options:

• Stay in Colorado Springs and work out of this office until then. This is what we have been doing, but its tough to live at someone else's place. Cheyne is totally cool with it, but sleeping on a couch and not really having your own place to do your own things is a bit frustrating.
• Open an office with Josh. This would be in one of the following locations: Grand Rapids, MI; Hampton, VA. I really wanted to get away from Michigan - especially West Michigan. Obviously it would be nice to be really close to family and home, but I was trying to get away for a while. I don't know anything about Hampton really.
• I could go be an Assistant Director away from Josh in Philadelphia. I've always wanted to go to Philly, but it is so nice to be with Josh and have a lot of options as far as being outside and active. Not sure I'd get that chance in Philly.

I really want to stay in Colorado. The one glimmer of hope left is the fact that the people from the Boulder office left for VA, so it is possible that Josh and I could go knock out that office and then go down to Pueblo. I just want to be settled somewhere. Its tough being a vagabond. But it's the nature of the work. The reason that The Fund and NPO's have so many young people working for them is because it is imperative to be flexible and mobile. In the end, it's all for the cause. If I have to move, I have to move.

Happy Father's Day Dad!

Lots of love.

Resigned to the couch...

...again. Here Liz, here Josh - take the bed.

For and Against: Volume 5 - Colorado

For: White-Capped Mountains

Without a hint of protest, I've had to get used to living life against the back drop of the Rockie Mountains. Josh and I have been playing basketball after work and each time we've got to see the sun set behind Pike's Peak. No matter where I am, the mountains are always anchored to my west - it's a beautiful thing.

I went on a hike today with Josh, Aunt Jackie, and her friend at Deer Creek Canyon. At the top of the hike (7200 ft) was a stack of boulders that Josh and I climbed. From the top you could see Denver in front of you and pine-dressed mountains behind you. Peaking over the shoulder of the pines were the white caps of taller mountains. Unfortunately I couldn't get a good picture because they were too far in the distance.

Against: Lack of Lakes

So I took for granted the fact that no matter where I was in TC, I was always within 5 minutes of a lake. There aren't lakes here - just large ponds. Obviously I'm being facetious, but it's hard to be completely land locked. I noticed boats on a reservoir ("lake") and they literally drove back and forth from one end of the "lake" to the other. I thought it was funny and then realized that I miss the water! I will just have to settle for laying by the pool when I can. I will dread the days in dry Pueblo with the temps near 100. Yuck.

Pioneer

Sunday morning I rose with the sun and prepared to chase it to Denver. As I left Illinois, I saw the Mississippi for the first time - not as wide as I had imagined. I rolled through the flat hills of Iowa and rode through Nebraska on the Pony Express (I-80), stopping periodically to fill my car with gas and my body with caffeine. I pioneered my way through hundreds of miles of flat, cow-dotted fields that nearly lulled me to sleep as the sun burned my left arm that sat out of the open window - the same window that was supposed to offer reprieve from the heat.

Finally I slipped through the corner of Colorado hoping to see -again for the first time - the snow-peaked Rockies, but, alas, more fields. Finally, out of nowhere, Denver and the Rockies. Where was the steep, laborious climb up the Rockies? I didn't care, and I'm sure my car appreciated it. 1,000 miles later I had finally reached my destination.

Everything has been great so far. Colorado is pretty cool, although flatter than I had expected - except for the Rockies of course. Josh and I didn't have any luck finding housing together; everything was pretty lousy. But I am now neighbors with Josh (Apartment #25 to his #24). This place is a million times better than any place we saw.

Looks like the lease for our office will be signed in the next few days. Until then, we are working in Colorado Springs. Now that I am a bit more settled, I should be able to update more! Look for one coming at my Pacific Blog.

My Manifest Destiny...

Actually, this really isn't my "Manifest Destiny"...just my move to Colorado.


Sorry I haven't updated in forever - I've been training in Ann Arbor. About my work in AA: I worked on a project that is working to mobilize public support for the Clean Water Restoration Act. Polluters have been dumping sewage and other crap into the wetlands that feed into the Great Lakes and have been getting away with it because of a recent Supreme Court ruling the term "navigable" water to broad of a term. So the Clean Water Restoration Act is simply seeking to get rid of that word. I canvassed door to door asking for money and public support.





I really enjoyed my time in Ann Arbor. The people at Environment Michigan were great! Very laid back, fun, and goofy.





I'm in Chicago for the night at my Aunt Kimiya's for some respite before my loooong drive to Denver. Here's what my trip looks like:

Two words: yikes, bro. I should be able to blog regularly once I'm out there. In the meantime:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

Suddenly...a job

All of a sudden I have a job. A real job. And I do mean "all of a sudden": I interviewed over the phone Sunday, whimsically drove to Ann Arbor Monday for a personal interview, and I am leaving Friday morning to start training. That hardly gives me time to pack and say my goodbyes! But I want to get my training in Ann Arbor over as fast as possible so I can get out to Colorado!

About the job...I will be working on a minority-voter registration project. The goal for each office is to register x amount of voters (not sure yet what the goal is) by October. I will be the Assistant Director of the office and my brother Josh is the Director. 60% of what I will do is managing, training, hiring, etc and the other 40% is hitting the streets to register voters.

I think this job is a perfect fit for me right now. It gives me a chance to do meaningful work - I was just going to work at 50's restaurant I've been at for years now. I will get a chance to see another part of the country, and I'm only committed through October. From there I can do what I want (Peace Corps). It is a lot of work for a little money, but, like I said, it is meaningful work and work that could possible make history (given a certain candidate - although this project has no ties with any political party).

I'm excited to live in Pueblo with my brother, but I am also sad that I have to leave so quickly!