KaBoom

top pic) i'm officially a MUSC volunteer. bottom pic) farmer's market at marion square in charleston

I'm on my third week here in the Navy Yard.  So far so good I must say.  Aside from a few kinks in the road i.e. my lawn growing well over knee length and constant spider invasions I'm feeling quite comfortable on Manley Avenue.  I should probably bite my tongue but I feel compelled to admit that sometimes I'd prefer having to deal with roaches and rats like I did at my old house.  But I guess it's a compromise I have to accept and appreciate if I'm going to live in a one story house in a tree shaded neighborhood with central air and plenty of parking!  But I digress...  To compensate for these obstacles, my house is slowly coming together, my AC has recently been fixed, I'm getting to know the neighborhood a little better, my jumps of fright have declined to an all time low (maybe only 2 feet high rather than 5) after hearing strange noises at night, and my living allowance plus moving reimbursement were deposited into my bank account $$ cha ching $$.  

This past weekend a few friends (Ashley, Erin, and Michelle) and I went to visit our other friend Becky.  She and her husband live in a beautifully decorated and perfectly located house on the Isle of Palms.  We relaxed on the beach while talking and watching a million adorable puppies trot by.  The sunshiny scenery and close proximity to the beach almost made it too difficult to return back to Spanish Mossy Manley Avenue.  But with some group effort we all made it back to our little neighborhood for a fun filled night of card games and beer.  I have to say, it's been extremely nice having weekends (as opposed to working).  I highly recommend having them ;)

My work week in general hasn't really changed a whole lot.  I'm still spending a portion of the week at Noisette and the other portion at MUSC.  HOWEVER, as you can see I'm finally an official volunteer at MUSC.  It took a lot of running back and forth on campus plus a Tuberculosis screening shot here and there but I now have clearance to act (kind of) important.  There are also a lot community activities coming up to look forward to.  For example, I'll be attending a "three day celebration of lowcountry cuisine" called "Taste of Charleston" at Boone Hall Plantation next month.  In the same week I'll also be going on a three day VISTA retreat in western? northern? SC.  A few interesting things that I've already done include a poverty simulation hosted by East Cooper Community Outreach (moultrienews.com/news/ECCO-to-hold-poverty-simulation-event-2009-09-09T06-24-54).  It was really interesting and surprisingly fun?  Kind of a potentially non pc way of describing it I suppose.  It was very eye-opening...is that better?  But basically it was a role playing event which was supposed to simulate living in poverty.  Another really cool thing I attended was a community planning of a sustainable KaBoom playground (kaboom.org).  KaBoom is a playground building inspiring non-profit.  They recently chose a neighborhood in N. Charleston to build their FIRST green and sustainable playground.  With the help of sponsors and volunteers KaBoom designs and builds amazing playgrounds in neighborhoods all around the country.  I should also mention that KaBoom uses playground ideas created by the children living in that community (which was the most fun part of attending the meeting).  I'm looking forward to "build day."  I'll make sure to post some pics...

All in all I'm doing well down here in SC though I do miss everyone in MD and NJ!  I hope you're all doing well and please come visit me whenever you feel the need for warmth!  I'm not opposed to sharing especially since there's enough to go around.

movin down south

top pic) one of my first nights. lacking a table, chairs, and the motivation to unpack my dishes doesn't prevent me from doing what I do best: eating and watchin my favorite ladies. 

bottom pic) my house :)   




When I returned from my Pre-Service Orientation (PSO) in Atlanta, GA I had about a week to pack up all of my belongings in Baltimore, MD and say my farewells.  I had such mixed feelings.  I was really excited to make a much needed change in my life but I was also really sad to say goodbye.  I am used to uprooting myself (i.e. college, studying abroad, etc.) and creating a home elsewhere but this time it felt different.  I had genuinely made a home in Bmore...afterall I had been there (off and on) for about seven years.  Other than my (then) current job situation I was quite content in Charm City.  I lived only three hours away from my parents, had wonderful friends, an endearing boyfriend, and fabulous roommates one of which being my best friend and sister.  Though it was sad, considering what I would be leaving behind, I couldn't overcome the intense and not too common feeling of total assurance that this is what I was meant to do.  After some major packing and a memorable goodbye party I was ready to head down south!

 On Friday the 28th of August, my parents and I finally arrived in North Charleston, SC.  I soon realized that the term "approximate location" used on the google maps street view option has complete validity.  The house I was assigned to was, well, not exactly what I pictured.  But hey, for $25o/mo. including utilities, I really couldn't complain.  After some serious cleaning and unloading I was ready to start a life in my very "humble" abode.  My parents left on Sunday the 30th...and that is when I finally asked myself, "Am I really doing this?"  I experienced sudden but short lived panic spells for maybe the first half of the day.  I couldn't understand why I was feeling this way.  It's not like I haven't been in a situation like this before.  But I just chalked it up to being a common feeling I've had in past/similar situations that I chose not to remember.

The next day I started work which was only two blocks away from my house!  Ok let's just take a minute and explain my work/living situation.  This gets kind of confusing (I'm still trying to understand it) so try to stay with me.  I, as well as a handful of other VISTAs, live in the Navy Yard http://www.navyyardsc.com/.  It's an old naval base that closed down in the 1990s.  Since then the property was sold to the Noisette Company  http://www.noisettesc.com/over_whatisnoisette.html.  The Noisette Company has turned the Navy Yard into a sustainable community (a.k.a. a model of The New American City) focusing on the idea that "cities must be equally responsive to social needs, environmental responsibility, and economic vitality."  The Noisette Company hopes to improve, perfect, and spread this concept to other communities.  Soo within this company there are non-profits helping to achieve these goals.  I work for the one of these non-profits called the Noisette Foundation http://www.noisettefoundation.org/.  Within the foundation I am working with the Community Wellness Initiative (CWI).  The Noisette Foundation has partnered with the Medical University of South Carolina - College of Nursing (MUSC- CON) to work with this initiative.  I will be working half of the week at the Noisette Foundation and the other half at the CON to, in essence,  prevent obesity and diabetes in the impoverished areas of North Charleston.  I will spare you the other details haha as if I haven't detailed enough already.  Anyway, I started work on the 31st and unfortunately it's been pretty anticlimactic.  I've done a whole lot of sitting at my computer (which I am so not used to) running odd and I mean odd errands, and occasionally (the most exciting part) going over to CON to be overwhelmed with information and future tasks I will be expected to complete.  But not to worry, I know things will change.  

I've been down in the Lowcountry (coastal counties of SC) for little over a week now.  Since then I have (surprisingly) already started to appreciate the distinct smell of the nearby paper mill, battled large hairy spiders in my living room eek!, encountered the cutest little frogs I ever did see, dodged a familiar "Carolina grocery store bagger incident", and began working in an office that belongs on a movie set.  Most importantly I've already met some amazing people.  I'm surrounded by people who are going through the same experiences that I am and who also share most of the same values and beliefs that I do.  This helps to reassure me that I will make it through my one year VISTA experience.