Finally, transition week in Denver is over. Not gonna lie, I am super ready to leave. Even though I like everyone here individually, I can't deal with huge groups like this and I just want to start doing my job.

I'm really excited about being the team Peer Helper. I have to be a neutral listener for anyone who wants to talk to me, basically the ( Read more... )

SMA is an inherited genetic disease that results in loss ofnerves in the spinal cord and weakness of the muscles connected withthose nerves. It is the #1 genetic killer of children under the age of 2. There is no cure for it currently, but SMA has been selected as the disease closest to treatment out of more than 600 neurological disorders. It may ( Read more... )

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Every one of us needs a home. The world needs a home. There are so many young people who are homeless. They may have a building to live in, but they are homeless in their hearts. That is why the most important practice of our time is to give each person a home.

-Thich Nhat Hanh

Muckinghow easily the walls ( Read more... )

No mail came for me in the package from Denver. No mail for me here either. I feel like I fell off the face of the planet or something. When you spend a month (edit: oh god, it's been two) in a tent compound, it's like the outside world doesn't exist anymore.

... I don't really care about Christmas presents, but it would mean a lot to me if someone ( Read more... )

We went to Holy Rosary church in downtown Galveston to do orientation for our new project. Instead of needs assessment, we're working with The Jesse Tree, a non-profit organization that tries to organize and unite the services offered by ministries, medical providers, and federal and state social service programs and offer them to clients as a sort ( Read more... )

I'm keeping this LJ open to just post about my AmeriCorps experience, mostly for any future/interested members, but I'll be posting everything else about my life on my tabulas from now on: http://tonglen.tabulas.com . I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but I hope you keep reading my other ( Read more... )

I forgot to mention:

"Blue skies, a gentle rain has washed away yesterday worries.
No anger, there's no blame, the love in our hearts set us free again."

Once we got on the road, we put on a mix CD that another Fire unit team made for us. On it was "Life is Water" by the Sim Redmond Band. I found out about that band from my freshman year roommate, ( Read more... )

We're sitting in a hotel room in Austin, Texas and Obama is about to give his acceptance speech. He looks absolutely radiant. We're dead tired, but the future is shining and wide open.

I am so excited for our country and even happier about having the opportunity to do national service for a year.

We start our two day roadtrip to Texas tomorrow.

I am dead tired, but I feel like I should write something, especially since I don't know when I'm going to have internet again. I still don't even know what exactly I'm going to be doing in Texas. But I can't wait. This month flew by and I feel strange to be leaving Denver before I really got a chance ( Read more... )