Thursday, September 8, 2011

sea level to 14,000 Feet! SAY WHAT!

So once again it has been way to long since I have blogged and I apologize for that! So let me give you a quick update on what has been going on.




I finished my year in New Orleans and Moved out on the 8th after our closing retreat. My year in New Orleans was amazing, difficult, surprising and rewarding all at the same time. I met great people who I hope will stay in my life forever. I was pushed mentally and physically past my breaking point. I am a different person now than I was a year ago



I was able to go back to Texas for about two weeks before I had to leave for orientation for my second YAV year. Even though my time at home was short a lot happened. I had to unpack and repack my entire life. I had friends and family to catch up with. Doctors appointments and trips to the DPS office.

Saturday before I left at about 9pm I got a call from my dad. His mother passed away. This was earth shattering. My mom's mom had passed away at the beginning of April so I was still not through the grieving process. I still have not had time to fully grasp either one of their deaths



I left early Monday morning (2am) to catch my 7 am flight in Austin to head to Orientation in Stony Point New York. I was excited to see Friends from placement and YAVA (YAV Alum.)

I loved Orientation. The fellowship was amazing. I met new Friends and had small group discussions about how to put my faith into practice.

While I was in NY I survived an earth quake and a hurricane. (Never thought I would experience a hurricane right after I left New Orleans!) It was amazing to see the way the YAV community came together with the Stony Point Staff to help make the grounds secure. The Hurricane hit late Saturday afternoon which caused a few disruptions to the schedule. The room that I was staying in leaked so I got to change a room which was a good thing because I went from sharing a room with a twin bed to having a single room with a queen bed.



Many of the flights to the placement sites were canceled or delayed. Fortunately mine was on time and I arrived in Denver around 4pm Mountain time on Monday the 29th. Chad, a fellow YAV, met the other three people we would be living with in Denver. One of the aspects of the Denver site is that it is partnered with the Mennonite Program DOOR (Discovering Opportunities for Outreach and Reflection). Their year long program is called Dwell. So technically I am a Dweller and a YAV (I may refer to one or the other but I am both)



I live with 4 other people. Chad (the lone male) Johanna, Sarah and Megan (she goes by Meg to make life easier) everyone arrived by Tuesday. We began to settle into our new house on the Westside of Denver. Since it was a new Community in a new house there was a lot of work to be done. First off was deciding who would share rooms. Chad obviously got his own room and Johanna brought her dog Hawkeye with her. Meg has her own room and Sarah and I share a room. The house is bi level. The upstairs will be somewhat of the community outreach center. We will tutor the neighborhood kids, teach /learn to cook and basically be a resource for our neighborhood. Downstairs will be the Dwell community space. We will have community time down there and it will be where we go to be together as a community. As a house we had to unpack the house (dishes, furniture exct.)

Thursday our house, Antonio (our coordinator), his family and the DOOR National director and his family all went camping in Bueno Vista. (About 2 hours outside of Denver.) Once we got into the mountains I could feel my spirit sort of breathe a little.

I had never really been camping before (in a tent without running water and outside). I had to learn how to set up tents and our camp which in itself was a challenge. I also quickly discovered the elevation difference. By the time night fell it had become cold. Most of the nights we were there the temperature was between 40 and 50 after sunset. Being from Texas (via New Orleans) I was not prepared for such cool temperatures in August/September.

Friday we met for the first time as a site and told our faith/life stories to each other. This was a time for us as a house to come together and really begin to get to know each other. After lunch and a nap we went to the continental divide (where the water goes to the pacific or the Atlantic) we drove to 12,000 feet and then hiked to the top.

I have never been much of an athletic person so the hiking along with the altitude caused problems for me. I fell within the first few feet and skinned my knee. I was short of breath and light headed. I wanted to give up. I tried to give up. Johanna and Sarah kept with me encouraging me. About halfway up the rest of my community was waiting for me. I stayed behind and caught my breath with Antonio .once again I tried to give up. Antonio Pushed me. He literally pulled me the last few feet up to the top. I am so great full that he did. Once I got to the top I was greeted with hugs and congratulations form the rest of my community. I have never been so proud of myself. It was not long hike but for me it felt like I had just hiked 10 or 15 miles. We stood around and took some pictures and then we started the hike back down (which was much MUCH easier).

Saturday Antonio, Sarah, Johanna, Chad and Meg Woke up early (5 am) to start the hike up Mount Yale, a 14,000 foot mountain. I bowed out of this one. I was nervous about how the community would react to me not participating in this hike but they were all supportive of my choice.

Sunday we all went to The Mount Princeton Hot Springs to relax and take a shower (Running Water!) Monday we packed up and headed back into Denver. I can now say that I know (somewhat) how to camp. I actually think that I enjoyed it (okay I know I enjoyed it and cannot wait to do it again)

That's all for this post. I will post later (hopefully within the next few days about how my first week of work and using public transportation is going) I will also add pictures of the mountains (I took over 100 so be ready)

Till next time

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