Hotlanta is really hot

I doubt if anyone actually tracks my blog, so I won't apologize for not writing in almost a month. But I've missed writing, so here goes.


The last month has been a whirlwind of small steps leading up to two big milestones: beginning my AmeriCorps VISTA job at Campbell (July 26) and marrying Elliot (October 16).


In the arena of marriage/wedding preparation, Elliot moved into a new two bedroom apartment in Raleigh that will be ours come October. We spent a weekend with some helpful friends moving furniture and boxes of odds and ends. Our biggest adventure so far was painting the master bedroom... which turned out great except we also painted part of the ceiling. But we're proud nonetheless.


I just returned from spending a few days in Atlanta (properly nicknamed "Hotlanta") participating in Pre-Service Orientation for my AmeriCorps position. The entire Southern Cluster of new VISTA volunteers met in Atlanta to learn about what we do and why we do it. It was great to meet so many other people from so many places in life and all over the world with have similar aspirations.


If your assumptions of AmeriCorps volunteers are anything like mine were before last week, you probably think it's a bunch of hippy college grads who don't want a corporate job. Well, like me, you'd be totally wrong. I met a lot of recent college grads, a few hippies, and a lot more parents and married people than I thought I would. More surprising was that a lot of the married volunteers are my age. Most of the volunteers have left great paying jobs to serve.


(Fun fact: AmeriCorps volunteers make $10,000 a year.)


I'm still processing everything I learned at PSO. It was information overload with lots of good food and great people. If I came away with anything from my time in Atlanta, it was that the projects we accomplish as VISTAs have a huge impact on our respective communities. (If you want to read more about my AmeriCorps project, check out whereserviceexcels.blogspot.com)


Summer 2010 is turning out to be one of preparation, a kind of spring board for the next few years of my life. The events of these hot and humid days give me excitement, anticipation, and joy for my future.