The first days!!!

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Hey all!!! So I made it to Perry Point!! It was a long and tedious trip! My flight from Cedar Rapids was delayed, causing me to miss my flight in Chicago, then causing me to spend 12 hours waiting for the next flight which was delayed multiple times! But I got to meet some great people from Iowa and Minnesota who were all headed to the same place as me! So due to my delay, I missed the first day of "In-Processing," but I soon caught up and have met some fabulous people. We have been working on ice breakers, team bonding and leadership activities, physicals, etc., etc. That sounds boring, but I'll put up some pics that will hopefully spark your interest!! But before we get that far, I have a great story for the day....it goes like this:

We as corps members have the oportunity to be wildland forest firefighters. Today was our first test! We had to carry 45 pounds on our backs for 3 miles in under 45 minutes, but we had to walk, no running. Now my group ended up being the last group to go, and know some of you know how I get so nervous and anxious about things...we'll just say this wasn't pretty! There were many people coming in just in the nick of time. Even some guys with 10ft long legs were finishing in 42 minutes. Yikes was I scared!!! So by the time I started, my heartrate was so high I didn't even need a warm up...but my group ended up doing awesome and I finished in a time of 38minutes and 35seconds!! I was soooooo stoked that I ran all the way back to my dorm, (which really isn't that far 😊 ), and took a walk along the coast. It was really a great feeling, and I must thank Kathy Kahn for her amazing workouts that got me into the shape I needed for this challenge, but I won't find out if I made the fire squad for a couple more weeks.


So there is my great story for the day, but I must cut it short because there is quite the line for the computers in this lab. I will definitely keep you posted as much as possible, and I will soon post some pictures from our going away gatherings!! I miss you all soooooo much! Oh yeah, today it was 50 degrees today and I didn't even wear a jacket!!! ;o)

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Photos

Last night with the family
Derrick took this photo for us when we were in the hotel the night before I left for AmeriCorps. I love my family!!!

Body and Balance Girls
This was my last night out with the girls in Iowa City. Oh how I miss these girlies!!

Chicago Airport
While waiting in the airport, my new friend Lace taught me how to adjust my shutter speed to take a shot of these fabulous lights......We were bored!!