I still exist!
As where my Americorps life was once an array of exciting adventures I often feel week to week that I have little more to report to blogland aside from, "We ran a lot this week. We dropped a lot of trees". While it is true we do a lot more than that and exciting things have happened since April which was sadly my most recent blog, I guess I have let myself slide on the whole idea of updating my friends and family on what is going on in my Ameribubble.
I believe that when I will look back on my time in Eldorado National Forest I will say that it was the most difficult, frustrating, and challenging but most enriching of all of my service terms. At least I hope to look back and say that. As is I believe most of Silver 5 is pretty ready to get our plane tickets back home and mark this experience as being done. Increasingly difficult PT, a lack of meaningful project work, and the routine of being at the same project for two rounds will do that to a team I suppose. It is a touchy subject for me as my NCCC experience was so amazing in both Portland and Oakhurst. Those two experiences alone made joining the program worth it but I can't help but admit that Eldorado isn't the way I wanted to end my corps member year. These things happen for a reason though. I joined Americorps to gain more self-confidence. Well, Eldorado has provided me with that more than anything else I've ever done. I joined to get fit and sure enough Eldorado has made sure that I am meeting my goals in that area as well. So what can I say? It has been a lot of discomfort and frustration that has nonetheless paid off great dividends. I guess I just miss the whimsy and fun that pre-Eldorado Silver 5 provided.
Good or bad we will be departing from the Forest Service in five short weeks to spend our remaining ten days in the program at McClellan to tie up whatever loose ends there may be. When the work weeks are difficult I get really excited about that fact but I have a feeling that as we get closer to the end I will be wanting more and more to put the brakes on my remaining time. I can't imagine how it is going to feel leaving the people I have become so close with in these ten months.
Exciting things are on the horizon however. I have a great job waiting for me in Farragut, Tennessee. I believe it will be an experience just as important to my development and well being as this one was. Though moving just a few hours away from home to live alone varies greatly from the reality of moving to the other side of the country to live with a handful of strangers, I believe it will be just as much of an adventure that will provide me with a great stepping stone to the next big thing for Josh.
Here's to hoping we finish out these next few weeks strong.