No Touching.

Hello to all my beautiful loves!!!! I miss you all very much but life is good on the Cape. We are leading simple yet wonderful lives, we work our butts off during the day doing training. This week we had a shellfish training and worked on oyster farming all day. I was actually in chest waders, in the muck and water, moving oysters around so they can continue to grow safely and then be used to add to the shellfishing activities. I learned more about shellfish then I ever knew existed. And we got to see baby scallops swimming around.
We also got our individual placements this week, even though we don't start at them until October. Mine is at the Red Cross, my official title is Disaster Services Building Capacity Project Manager. LONG I KNOW!!! But its so cool that I have a title, apparently I will be doing a lot of logistical work surrounding sheltering and locations. I think it will be a lot of fun and I can't wait to get started on it. I will be working there four days a week and the other I will be doing group projects with the corps. We actually did our first big service project on Friday, we put on this environmental education program at schools called Wet Fest. At Wet Fest all these kids flood into the gym and we are all at stations that deal with water resources and how to preserve them. Working with kids is awesome and it felt so good to realize that we are making an impact on these kids at such as young age. I really hope that we are able to make a lasting impression on them. Starting to educate at such a young age is vital to changing the way things are done in society and I am lucky to be able to be a part of that.
After Wet Fest we stayed up in Wellfleet and went out to a former Corps member house and had a party. It was our first real night out in a while and we had a blast. There are so many ridiculous qoutes and moments from that night, I can't even begin to tell you all about them. I feel like I have known all the corps people forever, it has been amazing and continues to be amazing. Other than that life continues to be filled with friendship bracelets and Friends episodes at night. Life is good.

LOVE YOU ALL

A Weekend of Festivals

So, the week flew by really fast and before I knew it the weekend was here, and as it was our first off we decided to fill it with many a fun activities. I was also very lucky to get a visit from two people I love (Tiff and Ben!) It was great to get to see them and show them my life here on the Cape. On Saturday we finished up our first batch of Friendship Bracelets (FB's), a craft we have recently become obsessed with, it's a good way to pass the time. Then a group of us volunteered a the Scallop Festival! It was really fun, even though this next part may not seem so fun, I spent the first part of the evening picking up trash with Greg and Amanda. It really way fun because of the conversations and joking that took place. Then I was placed on the chicken line (sanitary?) I worked with Jenny on that one with was very entertaining. After we finished up the service hours we were able to hang out and listen to the band that played. They were awesome (Entrain is the band) you all should check them out. On Sunday a group of us went to the Truro Vineyard Grape Stomping and Jazz Fest. It was such a beautiful day and place to just hang out for the day. And the wine was FANTASTIC (although I still have a bias for Finger Lakes wines). We also hung out in Provincetown and had dinner there so, over all it was a wonderful and busy weekend. Up this week is more training, TCHD peeps you will be happy to know that one of them is a shelter simulation! Until Next Time!!

LOVE YOU ALL!

How Awesome Is This?

So I just got back from an amazing weekend in Eastham. The weekend trip was for the Americorps team's first retreat, we were so amazingly lucky to stay where we did. The house that we stayed at was located right on the national seashore, literally you looked out the back porch and saw the ocean. Isn't it beautiful!!!!



The house belonged to the Coast Guard and is used for environmental education projects that are going on. All 30 of us stayed here for 3 days and bonded a lot. Everyone from both houses are amazing and wonderful, it was really great to get to know everyone a little more. There are already people who I really think I will know for a long time. There are so many things that I want to say about everyone so I will try to say a little something about most people. In my house there are some awesome people!!!! There is the A-Team that is a group of five of us that are getting really close and have a great time with each other. There is Jacs who is from Corning and is really funny and great to have heart to hearts with. Amanda, is from Michigan, whe is really sweet and kind and has had really interesting experiences. Jenny is from Rochester and is just as loud and crazy as all the Ithaca kids so its like being home. Finally in the A-Team is Maria, she is from South Dakota and is my bunk mate. She is also one of the coolest people that I have met here and we have a great time together. She also introduced me to saying BAM after things so be prepared. There is also Ashleigh who is one of my roommates, she is out of her shell now and is so fun to talk to. Christin is our program supervisor aka "house mom" she is so supportive and fun, she made us brownies for when we got back from the bar! Korinda is another really amazing person in the house, she has so many environmental eperiences that are really important to hear about, and is into talking about issues in the world. Then there is Davis who is realy awesome, he is like our Mr. Fix-it. He is also a good guy friend to joke around with and make fun of but he gives it right back to all of us so its cool. Also in the house is Megan who lives in my room, Harry who is from MA, and Phil who is a really nice, interesting guy to be around. And thats just my house! The Wellfleet kids are just as amazing! I haven't gotten to really know them all, but the I have are so cool. Brian, Tim, Alex, and Greg are all the boys in the Wellfleet house, they are all so amazing and I believe that they all have a lot to say about the world, I look foreward to getting to know them through the year. There are also a couple of girls that I have talked that I want to get to know more about, Abbey, Meg, and Sam seem so cool. There is so much to talk about with all the Americorps people and its going to be an amazing year!!! Until next time!

LOVE YOU ALL

Greetings from Cape Cod!!

Hello to all!

I have decided to create a blog for all those who want to stay up to date with what I am doing at the Cape.  I already miss everyone a lot but i am really excited and looking forward to all the things that i am going to be doing this year.  I got to the Cape yesterday and today was our first day, it was mostly paper work, but we got to meet the kids from the Wellfleet house.  All of this month is training for the most part, but most of them seem really interesting at least.  

The house I live in is really nice, I am sharing a room with three other girls and there are 14 people in the house total.  So its a little cramped, but fun.  Its not the same though as being in Ithaca and at school, yes I do not miss the classes and work but I miss everything else.  Its strange to not have all the things that I am familiar with and know like the back of my hand.  And no Wegmans.  But I am ready for new experiences and adventures.  

Until next time.  LOVE to ALL

Meredith