So, a lot of them didn't turn out but this is what I have so far. More to come in a couple months!
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=31320855&l=b6ec1e4218&id=197103045
And if that one doesn't work try this one, there's no captions though:
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=9IZMWbVw5ZVs
Monday, June 29, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
River Rampage
I'm not sure where to start. I have a lot to say about many different things...It was an AWESOME week for a million different reasons. I might have to break this up into categories...
Details:
Ok, so quick recap. River Rampage is a program put on through the city of Phoenix which takes teenagers on a week long camping & river rafting trip. The kids earn this trip by doing volunteer work. Ideally about half of the teens would have a disability of some sort, and the other half would be at risk (low income, challenged in life in other ways). This doesn't always happen, sometimes it's typical teens who just happen to apply and are most definitely well deserving. Although if there's one thing I learned this week it's that even those people who appear to have few challenges have more going on than any one of us will ever know without getting to really know them. But that's for another category.
So, we left Monday morning on a big bus and headed north for a couple hours before stopping in Flagstaff for lunch and picking up a couple of guides. Then we loaded back on the bus and kept on going for a few more hours to Utah where we would hop on the San Juan River. We would camp out at this site where we met our other guides for the week. From this point, the trip consisted of hiking, rafting, and camping--among many other things. But you get the gist of it. On Saturday morning we rafted to our take out point, unloaded all the boats, got on a bus and headed to Flagstaff for a hotel stay. We came back to Phoenix this morning and here I sit...
So, onto my impressions of the trip I suppose!
I was excited for this trip, I knew it would be fun and interesting but I didn't fully appreciate all it would be when heading out. I think I was a little jaded actually. All the past participants I'd spoken with of course had many things to say about how life changing it is and all these things. I was thinking--yeah it probably was for you but I've had some pretty awesome experiences in my life so I think this'll be fun but I don't expect some big dramatic ah-ha moment ya know? Insert foot in mouth!
But let me back up. When we pulled up to the campsite I was a little like...uhh this is it? I haven't ever camped in a desert atmosphere. And in fact I haven't camped since I was like 8 or something. It just wasn't like any campsites I've known before. And the others started walking around staking claim of where they would be sleeping...meanwhile I'm thinking to myself--this is a campsite?? This just looks like a little space between some bushes. So anyway, then the adults talk about how they're not sleeping in tents...and I'm thinking what??! I'm supposed to just sleep outside? Isn't this place crawling with snakes, tarantulas, and scorpions?? A lot of the kids decided they'd just sleep out too so I sucked it up. Plus, they had cots for the adults so I was ok then because I would be raised off the ground. So that first night the guides made dinner and we just kinda hung out. By the way, this site was swarming with mosquitoes! I haven't really dealt with those since moving west so that was a rude awakening. Covered in bug spray, swatting & slapping all night. So when it was time for bed I put on long pants and a long shirt so no bugs could be in direct contact with my skin and basically crawled into my sleeping bag, tucked it over my head (I couldn't leave my head all vulnerable!) and sweat my ass off...which is not comfortable. Although before I tucked in I did check out the stars, which were amazing of course. I'm not gonna lie, in the morning I woke up thinking to myself...what the hell did I sign up for, this is going to be a long week. And I also realized I am way less of a morning person than I ever thought I was! haha
So anyway, after breakfast we went for a short hike to look at some petroglyphs which I think will never get old no matter how many times I see them. In case you're wondering-- these are the etchings that natives put on the rocks years & years ago. Pretty interesting to see. From here it was time to head to the boats for the first time.
Let me interject another detail right here--our trip had like 6 oar boats--these boats are like giant rafts which hold a lot of gear, have a guide rowing, and then holds 2 or 3 other people. Then there is a paddle boat--which is a small raft holding no gear, 1 guide, and 6 people. And then there were 3 ducky's--which are basically 2 seater kayaks. Each day we would get assigned to different boats. I never did the ducky though because I was little scared, no secrets here! I would much rather practice at something first and feel confident with it. Although I'm sure it was easy enough and everyone in them had a great time. So anyway my first day I was in an oar boat which is a really relaxing and peaceful time. The guide does all the work and you just get to soak in the sites, and often times have some great conversations with whoever you're on the boat with.
So that day happened to be a 'long' day on the river because every camp site we got to had other people already camping there so we just had to keep on heading down the river. When I say long day-I think we put in on the river at like 10 or 11 maybe, and got off about 4 maybe? We didn't have watches...so I'm just guessing! This day I don't think there were any rapids, just floating. Which was nice. Oooh, and I wanted to add that I've never seen water this color-- you know when you think of rivers you think the dark greenish color right? This river was light brown. So it wasn't scary at all-- I mean I couldn't see to the bottom obviously but it wasn't scary.
So anyway, we finally get to a campsite and make a bag line (like when firefighters pass the buckets of water--this is what we'd do every time we loaded or unloaded the boats, and let me tell you there was TONS of stuff to pack & unpack). This site didn't look like much. Just a slight little beach where all the boats could tie up to, and then you walk up this steep hill to a giant clearing where we set up camp. We saw some wild donkeys--so I guess technically they are called burrows, and others heard some coyotes at night too. It was pretty warm at this site, and the one from the first night, although we did see some lightning. Oh we also did a little bathing that night. When I saw bathing I mean, sit in the river in your swimsuit, life jacket, a bar of soap, and do your best! I didn't wash my hair all week and I was actually diggin' that. My hair was so dried out and it just felt healthy ya know? Weird...but I was a little disappointed when we got to the hotel and I realized I should wash my hair.
Everyone on the trip was divided up into teams of sidekicks & teens and we each had a different responsibility each day--camp, kitchen, loo, and morning talk. So I guess I'll add right here-- yes, we were using buckets with toilet seats on top for all of our toilet needs...and so yes someone had to clean and dispose of the stuff in the buckets each day...ick. For your #2 needs there was a steel can type thing which would get a cover on it each day and it would go with us on the boat to be emptied and cleaned by professionals at the end of the trip. Your #1 needs was just a bucket which we dumped and cleaned in the river. Or you just strapped on your life jacket and sat in the river...we all knew what was going on but you gotta do what you gotta do! I'm sure you wanted to know that right?? :) The camp crew was responsible for really making sure camp was set up & cleaned up. Kitchen crew did just that, helped in the kitchen. The guides made AMAZING food all week, and the kitchen peeps would help wash dishes and get everything put away. Then there's morning talk. This group would lead a small discussion in the morning-- it could be fun, thoughtful, motivational, etc. So the first morning our morning talk was one of our kids leading a song in Spanish that he knew so we could acknowledge all the different cultures there and have some fun.
I'm having a hard time remembering but I think that day I was on the paddle boat. That was fun because you actually get to do stuff and you get wet a lot. All throughout the week though there are water fights at all times! People are armed with water guns, buckets, and paddles to splash with. It's a lot of fun and if you're within splashing or shooting distance, it will happen :) That day we stopped at a pretty awesome site. We had a short day on the river and it was our first day some rapids, which were pretty tame I think but still a ton of fun. So this place was cool, just a big beach and we got to just sit in and swim on the river all day. The guides taught us how to float on the rapids and that's what we did. This was also the day the sidekicks took over. On each trip the sidekicks come up with a theme and an activity that goes along with it. Ours was the 60's. So we each brought a little something to dress up in that was 60's related and our activity was tie-dying t-shirts. This was so much fun and a big hit. We also cooked dinner that night so the guides hung out with all the kids while we did that. We welcomed them to the kitchen that night as the "Peace & Love Cafe." It was a great day, at that point, my favorite day. The only downside was ants! This beach was covered with ants, and so were you if you stayed still about 2 seconds. But I could think of much worse insects than ants, for sure! That night we all slept on the beach which was awesome--since we were right by a rapid we could hear the water rushing all night and of course, it was just so peaceful. And I slept in shorts that night (see how I was getting more comfortable :)
The next day was full of rapids. We floated awhile, it sprinkled, the day was overcast which was awesome. It was cool and comfortable. So, we floated awhile before pulling over to have a little pow wow about how each boat should approach the rapids. We were told there was a chance the boats could flip, etc so we needed to hold on tight, be prepared, and our guides studied a bit with each other. It was fun! We all made it through perfectly fine. We headed through another rapid after that (I was on an oar boat again this day) and pulled over to camp. My new favorite place, which is nicknamed "Ledge" because there is a ledge you can sit on if you swim across the river. So at this site we had a layover day-- meaning the following day we didn't get on the river, we just stayed at this same place and hung out all day. It was a big beach, no ants!, a great place to swim, and awesome places to sleep. We spent a lot of time in the water that day. And that night the adults all sat up talking, and laughing hysterically. The kids had all gone to their beds, like we had just switched places. You know when you get slap happy. Always a good time. I slept like a baby. Although it did sprinkle a bit over night. We all have tarps so we just pull those over the top of us and keep sleeping. The following day (Friday) was another one of my favorite days-- although everything past day 1 was really great--once I got through my adjustment period! We spent a lot of time under umbrellas on the beach just hanging out. Playing in the water, the sand, playing games, talking and laughing. And actually a lot of time just sitting in silence, watching. It was so ridiculously peaceful. I remember thinking...this is why tribes do so well. There's a small group of people who just work together to meet their basic needs and anything past that is just living life & fun. There's a leader who they respect and just accept as the leader and that's that. Nothing to worry about, nobody to impress, no money to make, just be happy, spend time with people, and do whatever you want to do. Want to hike? Go for a hike. Want to swim? Go for a swim. Want to nap? Take one. It was a beautiful thing and I thought for a moment, I could do this forever with these people. I guess I can't really explain how relaxing it was. When I would go to sleep at night I would try to think of things from home that needed thinking about--the house, the wedding, and I literally couldn't even envision it. Just had a blank mind. I didn't know I needed any relaxing until I was totally relaxed, if that makes sense.
The exciting things that happened on that day was that a couple of storms came through. We'd just be sitting there looking at this beautiful sunny sky and then suddenly it was-- GO GO GO! Strap down anything that could blow away, put things away, put on rain gear, sometimes hold onto things, and just wait. The wind was like no wind I've ever felt--because remember even in the worst winds you're usually just sitting in your house...we were standing on a beach ya know? But it was awesome. We just turned our backs and let the wind and sand pelt us, it rained, and thundered hard. I loved it because I hardly ever get to hear thunder anymore! So this was cool. Afterwards it all went sunny & calm again...for awhile. Before round 2 came through which we were much more prepared for.
That night was our last night so there was much to be done. On each trip they end with a sharing circle. We all sit in a circle and reflect on what the trip has meant for us-- we go around and say something we learned, something we'll be taking with us, or what our favorite thing was. Maybe you can imagine how emotional this can be. I haven't talked much yet about the amazing people on this trip, how close you get, the stories you hear, the bonds formed but that is what makes these trips. It's pretty incredible. So, the overall theme of circle was how people learned/and would take with them-- being positive, working hard, getting through a struggle, trusting each other and people we meet, feelings of acceptance, and just an overall appreciation for each other. I was the 6th or 7th person to talk in the circle and I had been biting my lip thinking I can't believe nobody else is crying yet! So when it was my turn I was the first to lose it. I was just overwhelmed, which you all probably don't know about me but I cry at everything! Humane Society commercials, abused kids, half of Oprah's shows, just stuff like that. I get kinda overwhelmed by what people live through. So anyway, what I shared was just that-- my favorite thing, the thing I learned, and the thing I hoped to take with me was to really listen to people. I had so many intense conversations with people and when I started thinking about it as I was talking it was just so sad and yet happy to think about the things many of them had been through and seeing the kind of person they were. Like I was saying earlier, the people walking down the street that look like they have everything going well--have histories (or current) struggles with addictions, disabilities, disease, injuries, abuse, etc... I just learned a lot by others' struggles and was also so happy by knowing them and seeing how completely happy they were. That's about as good as I can explain it at this point. I know there are people on this trip that I want to know the rest of my life, and probably people I feel closer to than friends I've had for years and years. We all hear that situations like this will do that to people but it's true. And we were only together a week. But you had the time to know people and little to no distractions. It just really be quite a wonderful world if life could be like that. So the point is I suppose to try and carry that with us and make life as much like the river as we possibly can. As many others said, I totally agree with, it just gives us a little time to put things in perspective. A little pick me up. Which I've definitely realized is totally necessary.
So after circle we had a great dinner and a talent show, which was so much fun :) The kids and adults alike had a great time and showed some great talents too! The next morning (Saturday) was time to pack it all up and head down the river. Once we unloaded everything we got on the bus once again and headed to Flagstaff for a night in the hotel to clean up, rest, and came back to Phoenix today.
So I think, or at least hope, I've made it pretty clear how emotionally awesome this trip was-- both for clearing my head, learning, and creating some crazy close bonds. Aside from that, it reinforced some things I want to add to my life-- I always think about and sometimes talk about wanting to get into hiking, camping, and kayaking and I definitely want to make an effort to do that. I think I had an awesome crash course and get out there and do it! Plus I have a lot of new friends now with those interests to try it all out with. Next week we have a pizza party to view all the pics that were taken by the city staff, and at the end of August we have a reunion camping trip, where we'll all get copies of those pics, and a copy of the journal which we've all doodled in and wrote in all week :) So, I don't have many pics at this point because I didn't take my digital for fear it would get hurt. I'm getting my disposable/waterproof one developed and will post those soon-- there's not many and I don't know what the quality will be but they're coming!
I might write some more about the trip as it comes to me, but I can tell you it was awesome and more then I expected for a million reasons!!
Details:
Ok, so quick recap. River Rampage is a program put on through the city of Phoenix which takes teenagers on a week long camping & river rafting trip. The kids earn this trip by doing volunteer work. Ideally about half of the teens would have a disability of some sort, and the other half would be at risk (low income, challenged in life in other ways). This doesn't always happen, sometimes it's typical teens who just happen to apply and are most definitely well deserving. Although if there's one thing I learned this week it's that even those people who appear to have few challenges have more going on than any one of us will ever know without getting to really know them. But that's for another category.
So, we left Monday morning on a big bus and headed north for a couple hours before stopping in Flagstaff for lunch and picking up a couple of guides. Then we loaded back on the bus and kept on going for a few more hours to Utah where we would hop on the San Juan River. We would camp out at this site where we met our other guides for the week. From this point, the trip consisted of hiking, rafting, and camping--among many other things. But you get the gist of it. On Saturday morning we rafted to our take out point, unloaded all the boats, got on a bus and headed to Flagstaff for a hotel stay. We came back to Phoenix this morning and here I sit...
So, onto my impressions of the trip I suppose!
I was excited for this trip, I knew it would be fun and interesting but I didn't fully appreciate all it would be when heading out. I think I was a little jaded actually. All the past participants I'd spoken with of course had many things to say about how life changing it is and all these things. I was thinking--yeah it probably was for you but I've had some pretty awesome experiences in my life so I think this'll be fun but I don't expect some big dramatic ah-ha moment ya know? Insert foot in mouth!
But let me back up. When we pulled up to the campsite I was a little like...uhh this is it? I haven't ever camped in a desert atmosphere. And in fact I haven't camped since I was like 8 or something. It just wasn't like any campsites I've known before. And the others started walking around staking claim of where they would be sleeping...meanwhile I'm thinking to myself--this is a campsite?? This just looks like a little space between some bushes. So anyway, then the adults talk about how they're not sleeping in tents...and I'm thinking what??! I'm supposed to just sleep outside? Isn't this place crawling with snakes, tarantulas, and scorpions?? A lot of the kids decided they'd just sleep out too so I sucked it up. Plus, they had cots for the adults so I was ok then because I would be raised off the ground. So that first night the guides made dinner and we just kinda hung out. By the way, this site was swarming with mosquitoes! I haven't really dealt with those since moving west so that was a rude awakening. Covered in bug spray, swatting & slapping all night. So when it was time for bed I put on long pants and a long shirt so no bugs could be in direct contact with my skin and basically crawled into my sleeping bag, tucked it over my head (I couldn't leave my head all vulnerable!) and sweat my ass off...which is not comfortable. Although before I tucked in I did check out the stars, which were amazing of course. I'm not gonna lie, in the morning I woke up thinking to myself...what the hell did I sign up for, this is going to be a long week. And I also realized I am way less of a morning person than I ever thought I was! haha
So anyway, after breakfast we went for a short hike to look at some petroglyphs which I think will never get old no matter how many times I see them. In case you're wondering-- these are the etchings that natives put on the rocks years & years ago. Pretty interesting to see. From here it was time to head to the boats for the first time.
Let me interject another detail right here--our trip had like 6 oar boats--these boats are like giant rafts which hold a lot of gear, have a guide rowing, and then holds 2 or 3 other people. Then there is a paddle boat--which is a small raft holding no gear, 1 guide, and 6 people. And then there were 3 ducky's--which are basically 2 seater kayaks. Each day we would get assigned to different boats. I never did the ducky though because I was little scared, no secrets here! I would much rather practice at something first and feel confident with it. Although I'm sure it was easy enough and everyone in them had a great time. So anyway my first day I was in an oar boat which is a really relaxing and peaceful time. The guide does all the work and you just get to soak in the sites, and often times have some great conversations with whoever you're on the boat with.
So that day happened to be a 'long' day on the river because every camp site we got to had other people already camping there so we just had to keep on heading down the river. When I say long day-I think we put in on the river at like 10 or 11 maybe, and got off about 4 maybe? We didn't have watches...so I'm just guessing! This day I don't think there were any rapids, just floating. Which was nice. Oooh, and I wanted to add that I've never seen water this color-- you know when you think of rivers you think the dark greenish color right? This river was light brown. So it wasn't scary at all-- I mean I couldn't see to the bottom obviously but it wasn't scary.
So anyway, we finally get to a campsite and make a bag line (like when firefighters pass the buckets of water--this is what we'd do every time we loaded or unloaded the boats, and let me tell you there was TONS of stuff to pack & unpack). This site didn't look like much. Just a slight little beach where all the boats could tie up to, and then you walk up this steep hill to a giant clearing where we set up camp. We saw some wild donkeys--so I guess technically they are called burrows, and others heard some coyotes at night too. It was pretty warm at this site, and the one from the first night, although we did see some lightning. Oh we also did a little bathing that night. When I saw bathing I mean, sit in the river in your swimsuit, life jacket, a bar of soap, and do your best! I didn't wash my hair all week and I was actually diggin' that. My hair was so dried out and it just felt healthy ya know? Weird...but I was a little disappointed when we got to the hotel and I realized I should wash my hair.
Everyone on the trip was divided up into teams of sidekicks & teens and we each had a different responsibility each day--camp, kitchen, loo, and morning talk. So I guess I'll add right here-- yes, we were using buckets with toilet seats on top for all of our toilet needs...and so yes someone had to clean and dispose of the stuff in the buckets each day...ick. For your #2 needs there was a steel can type thing which would get a cover on it each day and it would go with us on the boat to be emptied and cleaned by professionals at the end of the trip. Your #1 needs was just a bucket which we dumped and cleaned in the river. Or you just strapped on your life jacket and sat in the river...we all knew what was going on but you gotta do what you gotta do! I'm sure you wanted to know that right?? :) The camp crew was responsible for really making sure camp was set up & cleaned up. Kitchen crew did just that, helped in the kitchen. The guides made AMAZING food all week, and the kitchen peeps would help wash dishes and get everything put away. Then there's morning talk. This group would lead a small discussion in the morning-- it could be fun, thoughtful, motivational, etc. So the first morning our morning talk was one of our kids leading a song in Spanish that he knew so we could acknowledge all the different cultures there and have some fun.
I'm having a hard time remembering but I think that day I was on the paddle boat. That was fun because you actually get to do stuff and you get wet a lot. All throughout the week though there are water fights at all times! People are armed with water guns, buckets, and paddles to splash with. It's a lot of fun and if you're within splashing or shooting distance, it will happen :) That day we stopped at a pretty awesome site. We had a short day on the river and it was our first day some rapids, which were pretty tame I think but still a ton of fun. So this place was cool, just a big beach and we got to just sit in and swim on the river all day. The guides taught us how to float on the rapids and that's what we did. This was also the day the sidekicks took over. On each trip the sidekicks come up with a theme and an activity that goes along with it. Ours was the 60's. So we each brought a little something to dress up in that was 60's related and our activity was tie-dying t-shirts. This was so much fun and a big hit. We also cooked dinner that night so the guides hung out with all the kids while we did that. We welcomed them to the kitchen that night as the "Peace & Love Cafe." It was a great day, at that point, my favorite day. The only downside was ants! This beach was covered with ants, and so were you if you stayed still about 2 seconds. But I could think of much worse insects than ants, for sure! That night we all slept on the beach which was awesome--since we were right by a rapid we could hear the water rushing all night and of course, it was just so peaceful. And I slept in shorts that night (see how I was getting more comfortable :)
The next day was full of rapids. We floated awhile, it sprinkled, the day was overcast which was awesome. It was cool and comfortable. So, we floated awhile before pulling over to have a little pow wow about how each boat should approach the rapids. We were told there was a chance the boats could flip, etc so we needed to hold on tight, be prepared, and our guides studied a bit with each other. It was fun! We all made it through perfectly fine. We headed through another rapid after that (I was on an oar boat again this day) and pulled over to camp. My new favorite place, which is nicknamed "Ledge" because there is a ledge you can sit on if you swim across the river. So at this site we had a layover day-- meaning the following day we didn't get on the river, we just stayed at this same place and hung out all day. It was a big beach, no ants!, a great place to swim, and awesome places to sleep. We spent a lot of time in the water that day. And that night the adults all sat up talking, and laughing hysterically. The kids had all gone to their beds, like we had just switched places. You know when you get slap happy. Always a good time. I slept like a baby. Although it did sprinkle a bit over night. We all have tarps so we just pull those over the top of us and keep sleeping. The following day (Friday) was another one of my favorite days-- although everything past day 1 was really great--once I got through my adjustment period! We spent a lot of time under umbrellas on the beach just hanging out. Playing in the water, the sand, playing games, talking and laughing. And actually a lot of time just sitting in silence, watching. It was so ridiculously peaceful. I remember thinking...this is why tribes do so well. There's a small group of people who just work together to meet their basic needs and anything past that is just living life & fun. There's a leader who they respect and just accept as the leader and that's that. Nothing to worry about, nobody to impress, no money to make, just be happy, spend time with people, and do whatever you want to do. Want to hike? Go for a hike. Want to swim? Go for a swim. Want to nap? Take one. It was a beautiful thing and I thought for a moment, I could do this forever with these people. I guess I can't really explain how relaxing it was. When I would go to sleep at night I would try to think of things from home that needed thinking about--the house, the wedding, and I literally couldn't even envision it. Just had a blank mind. I didn't know I needed any relaxing until I was totally relaxed, if that makes sense.
The exciting things that happened on that day was that a couple of storms came through. We'd just be sitting there looking at this beautiful sunny sky and then suddenly it was-- GO GO GO! Strap down anything that could blow away, put things away, put on rain gear, sometimes hold onto things, and just wait. The wind was like no wind I've ever felt--because remember even in the worst winds you're usually just sitting in your house...we were standing on a beach ya know? But it was awesome. We just turned our backs and let the wind and sand pelt us, it rained, and thundered hard. I loved it because I hardly ever get to hear thunder anymore! So this was cool. Afterwards it all went sunny & calm again...for awhile. Before round 2 came through which we were much more prepared for.
That night was our last night so there was much to be done. On each trip they end with a sharing circle. We all sit in a circle and reflect on what the trip has meant for us-- we go around and say something we learned, something we'll be taking with us, or what our favorite thing was. Maybe you can imagine how emotional this can be. I haven't talked much yet about the amazing people on this trip, how close you get, the stories you hear, the bonds formed but that is what makes these trips. It's pretty incredible. So, the overall theme of circle was how people learned/and would take with them-- being positive, working hard, getting through a struggle, trusting each other and people we meet, feelings of acceptance, and just an overall appreciation for each other. I was the 6th or 7th person to talk in the circle and I had been biting my lip thinking I can't believe nobody else is crying yet! So when it was my turn I was the first to lose it. I was just overwhelmed, which you all probably don't know about me but I cry at everything! Humane Society commercials, abused kids, half of Oprah's shows, just stuff like that. I get kinda overwhelmed by what people live through. So anyway, what I shared was just that-- my favorite thing, the thing I learned, and the thing I hoped to take with me was to really listen to people. I had so many intense conversations with people and when I started thinking about it as I was talking it was just so sad and yet happy to think about the things many of them had been through and seeing the kind of person they were. Like I was saying earlier, the people walking down the street that look like they have everything going well--have histories (or current) struggles with addictions, disabilities, disease, injuries, abuse, etc... I just learned a lot by others' struggles and was also so happy by knowing them and seeing how completely happy they were. That's about as good as I can explain it at this point. I know there are people on this trip that I want to know the rest of my life, and probably people I feel closer to than friends I've had for years and years. We all hear that situations like this will do that to people but it's true. And we were only together a week. But you had the time to know people and little to no distractions. It just really be quite a wonderful world if life could be like that. So the point is I suppose to try and carry that with us and make life as much like the river as we possibly can. As many others said, I totally agree with, it just gives us a little time to put things in perspective. A little pick me up. Which I've definitely realized is totally necessary.
So after circle we had a great dinner and a talent show, which was so much fun :) The kids and adults alike had a great time and showed some great talents too! The next morning (Saturday) was time to pack it all up and head down the river. Once we unloaded everything we got on the bus once again and headed to Flagstaff for a night in the hotel to clean up, rest, and came back to Phoenix today.
So I think, or at least hope, I've made it pretty clear how emotionally awesome this trip was-- both for clearing my head, learning, and creating some crazy close bonds. Aside from that, it reinforced some things I want to add to my life-- I always think about and sometimes talk about wanting to get into hiking, camping, and kayaking and I definitely want to make an effort to do that. I think I had an awesome crash course and get out there and do it! Plus I have a lot of new friends now with those interests to try it all out with. Next week we have a pizza party to view all the pics that were taken by the city staff, and at the end of August we have a reunion camping trip, where we'll all get copies of those pics, and a copy of the journal which we've all doodled in and wrote in all week :) So, I don't have many pics at this point because I didn't take my digital for fear it would get hurt. I'm getting my disposable/waterproof one developed and will post those soon-- there's not many and I don't know what the quality will be but they're coming!
I might write some more about the trip as it comes to me, but I can tell you it was awesome and more then I expected for a million reasons!!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
What a year!
I was just talking to my mom and realizing it was a year ago that I was in South Africa. A year ago today I was grocery shopping, and probably buying my new camera, at Bayside mall, and then went out to Mama Africa's for the first time. Margarita's, alligator, kudu, ostrich, and Zwelly...(the lead singer of the band I became a groupie of). Like it was yesterday! Like it never happened! So weird. I busted out my planner which I write everything in for moments just like this. I have planners all the way back through high school saying who's house I spent the night at and everything. Good times.
If this were 2008, tomorrow I would be heading to Robben Island, then working for 3 days straight, followed by shopping for woven bags in the township with Ursula and Rachel, then my Cape Point tour, which was rainy but beautiful...at the southern most tip of the world! About a week from now I'd be diving with great white sharks, then spending a day at the water front--which is when I bought my Nelson Mandela book...A couple weeks from now I'd go wine tasting, and spend the evening at a gala. Yet a couple more weeks would entail visiting some jackass penguins, getting my tattoo, a 'brai' with all the volunteers, sandboarding with Steph, my anti-climb of Table Mountain, spending the night at Vicky's Bed & Breakfast, followed by a day with Gloria's kids...
Wow. Seems like yesterday and never all at the same time.
What did I do today, in 2009? Browsed save-the-dates. And tomorrow, in 2009? House hunting. What a difference a year makes!
If this were 2008, tomorrow I would be heading to Robben Island, then working for 3 days straight, followed by shopping for woven bags in the township with Ursula and Rachel, then my Cape Point tour, which was rainy but beautiful...at the southern most tip of the world! About a week from now I'd be diving with great white sharks, then spending a day at the water front--which is when I bought my Nelson Mandela book...A couple weeks from now I'd go wine tasting, and spend the evening at a gala. Yet a couple more weeks would entail visiting some jackass penguins, getting my tattoo, a 'brai' with all the volunteers, sandboarding with Steph, my anti-climb of Table Mountain, spending the night at Vicky's Bed & Breakfast, followed by a day with Gloria's kids...
Wow. Seems like yesterday and never all at the same time.
What did I do today, in 2009? Browsed save-the-dates. And tomorrow, in 2009? House hunting. What a difference a year makes!
I found it!
I think I found my favorite website ever. I think this accurately portrays how I'm feeling:
www.anotherfuckingwedding.com
haha I'm enjoying it :)
www.anotherfuckingwedding.com
haha I'm enjoying it :)
Thursday, June 04, 2009
Summer's here
So, now that I'm back from New York I feel like summer has really started, and by then I mean slowed way down! It's nice just doing whatever I want whenever I want, that is if it's free of course :) With no work of course comes no pay. And with trying to buy a house we're definitely trying to live on a pretty tight budget. Which shouldn't be too difficult, just boring more than anything. But I have my gym membership so I think I'll be working out more than ever since I have the time and I guess will use it as free entertainment?! We get Netflix so we have a steady stream of new movies coming in all the time. I am starting the Sex & The City series today :) haha After the tour in NYC I want to watch it from start to finish. I also have a pile of books to read. Sometimes I have book ADHD...I'll start one, see another two or three, start those, etc. I finished one yesterday but still have 2 others that I've started (Celebutantes which is like the Sex & the City of L.A. and Elizabeth Edward's book 'Resilience) and I have 3 on deck ('Love The One You're With--it's by that lady who writes the Something Borrowed, Something Blue books--Capote & this other book I can't think of the name of, which I bought in NYC). And I think I'm going to break down and read the Twilight series. I usually steer clear of the big hits-- never read Harry Potter or seen any of the movies, or Lord of the Rings...have never seen Star Wars either for that matter!) But, even I thought the preview for the new Twilight movie looked pretty good, and I'm spending more & more time with teenagers through the volunteering so I figure that will give us one more thing in common....we'll see! Oh, and I've got the pool to keep me occupied.
Aside from the free stuff I've got enough to fill my mind! So, we're back to house #1 that we bid on in March when my parents were here. The banks have yet again come back and said, "Ok if you want it, it's yours!" The listing realtor said he has approval from both banks but just needs to get it in the formal letter. We sought out a new lender which would approve Ivan on his own since my contract hasn't come through yet for next year, and are just waiting on full approval before I will get excited again. They pre-approved Ivan for more than what we need for this house but if there's one thing I've learned in these past 3 months, it's to not get excited too soon. So that's where it all stands--basically yes, we should have this house by mid-July, but I am not putting 100% truth into that quite yet! I'll let you know once we've signed all the papers and have the keys in hand. Then we can all celebrate!
Oh, the other free thing-- the volunteering with the kids. That is keeping me busy too. The other night a couple of my teens and I went to this place called the Luv Shack Ranch. This places runs completely on volunteers/donations and they take in neglected horses. They care for them and try to make them more adoptable. One of my teens wanted to check the place out so we went and are planning to go back every Tuesday night. They have the volunteers scooping out stalls, feeding, and grooming. As well as any other things that might pop up-- cleaning up the grounds, working on projects etc. It started out with the focus on the horses, and definitely still is, but they have also seen the good it does for the kids to learn about responsibility and respect etc. It was pretty neat. So we're still looking for more places to volunteer though. I'm waiting to hear back from the Salvation Army for a number of different things we can do there.
I'm still in class too. YUCK! My laptop has taken a turn for the worst yet again, so I'm using the neighbor's, or going up to the complex office, etc to get on the internet, or going on the Wii. It's slowly driving me crazy, because I am on the computer A LOT! Maybe God's trying to tell me something.... :)
Not too much else to say I guess. I'll let you know as soon as we know something FOR SURE about the house so sit tight.
Aside from the free stuff I've got enough to fill my mind! So, we're back to house #1 that we bid on in March when my parents were here. The banks have yet again come back and said, "Ok if you want it, it's yours!" The listing realtor said he has approval from both banks but just needs to get it in the formal letter. We sought out a new lender which would approve Ivan on his own since my contract hasn't come through yet for next year, and are just waiting on full approval before I will get excited again. They pre-approved Ivan for more than what we need for this house but if there's one thing I've learned in these past 3 months, it's to not get excited too soon. So that's where it all stands--basically yes, we should have this house by mid-July, but I am not putting 100% truth into that quite yet! I'll let you know once we've signed all the papers and have the keys in hand. Then we can all celebrate!
Oh, the other free thing-- the volunteering with the kids. That is keeping me busy too. The other night a couple of my teens and I went to this place called the Luv Shack Ranch. This places runs completely on volunteers/donations and they take in neglected horses. They care for them and try to make them more adoptable. One of my teens wanted to check the place out so we went and are planning to go back every Tuesday night. They have the volunteers scooping out stalls, feeding, and grooming. As well as any other things that might pop up-- cleaning up the grounds, working on projects etc. It started out with the focus on the horses, and definitely still is, but they have also seen the good it does for the kids to learn about responsibility and respect etc. It was pretty neat. So we're still looking for more places to volunteer though. I'm waiting to hear back from the Salvation Army for a number of different things we can do there.
I'm still in class too. YUCK! My laptop has taken a turn for the worst yet again, so I'm using the neighbor's, or going up to the complex office, etc to get on the internet, or going on the Wii. It's slowly driving me crazy, because I am on the computer A LOT! Maybe God's trying to tell me something.... :)
Not too much else to say I guess. I'll let you know as soon as we know something FOR SURE about the house so sit tight.
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