You’re Already Home When You Feel Loved

Its here. The end that is.  Somewhere between arriving at orientation last August and this moment my second year of JVC Northwest has passed me by.  I’m currently in the midst of my last day of work at the Y, my community is less a member as Molly G. flew home last night, and our house has been cleaned in preparation for the next JVs. 

As I look back on the many places I’ve been, the people I’ve met and the things I’ve done these past two years I am continuously amazed at how those stories have become my life.  I dreamed for a long time about leaving New York and doing volunteer work in another part of the country.  Now that I’ve done so, I realize that I have gotten so much more out of these two years than I had bargained for.  Many people have asked why I would “give up” two years of my life to work for little money and live far from home.  To them I say I haven’t given up anything, but rather have been incredibly blessed by the many things I have gained. 

In what will likely be our last musical obsession of the year, my community and I have discovered The Head and the Heart, a local Seattle band.  They have a song called “Lost in My Mind” that contains the lyric “You’re already home where you feel love.”  Above all, my JV years have taught me that home can be anywhere- from the vast landscape of rural Montana to the sprawling metropolis of Seattle and many points in between.  More than that the people, places and things I’ve encountered during my time with JVC Northwest have taught me the true meaning of love.  For that I am grateful.

So as I travel home next week, to a place where I certainly feel love, I will take with me all that I have gained.  I will always remember the love I’ve felt in my time as a JV, and no matter where I am will know that home encompasses much more than the place I grew up.

Disorientation

It’s hard to believe that this is the final week of my JVC Northwest adventure.  As you might imagine, there are lots of emotions that come along with the end.  There’s lots of excitement of moving forward and bringing everything that I’ve learned and experienced over the past two years home.  There’s also a bit of sadness of everything that I’ll leave behind- friendships, the young people I’ve worked with, the landscapes of the Pacific Northwest.  It is certainly a bittersweet moment in my journey.

This past weekend, our wonderful support people took my housemates and I on a “disorientation” or “dis-o” camping trip.  We travelled to the beautiful Olympic Peninsula, and camped just off the shores of the Pacific Ocean.  On our way we stopped in Olympia (Washington’s capital city) for lunch.  After arriving and setting up our tent (an adventure in itself) we headed to the beach where we played soccer and frisbee, Molly G. went swimming (!), and we buried Aimee in the sand.  Dinner quickly followed beach playtime, and we headed back to the sand after dinner to watch the sunset.  We finished the day around a camp fire, roasting marshmallows and sharing our favorite stories from the year gone by.

Sunday morning we packed up camp and began our trip home.  We travelled through Forks, WA (famous as the setting for the “Twilight” series.  We did not see any vampires…).  For lunch we had a mountaintop picnic at perhaps one of the most gorgeous places I have ever been to.  Hurricane Ridge overlooks Canada and most of the Olympic Peninsula.  There was still plenty of snow at the top, which of course led to a community snowball fight!   (This is the second July in a row that I’ve had a snowball fight.  I’m grateful for that opportunity while most of the country struggles through a heat wave). 

Now that we’ve been formally disoriented my community and I are tasked with going through one last week together.  Its an awkward time of continuing the routines we’ve come to rely on, while also recognizing that our time is running short, while also honoring the time we’ve spent together.  We have some fun things planned including a final dinner out at one of our favorite Seattle restaurants.  We’ll also do some not so fun things like cleaning the house.  But mostly we’ll just try to cherish the moments we have left together before we all head off to our next great adventures.

 

 

 

 

2 Months, One Post

Ok, so I’m a bit of a blog failure.  I apologize for not updating in a while, but you wouldn’t believe how busy the life of a JV who makes little money and has no car can actually be.  A quick summary:

I spent almost every weekend in June travelling.  First I went to Gray’s Harbor, WA to be with the lovely JVs there for the Relay for Life.  It was an exhausting 24-hour event that raised money for cancer research, but definitely worth it.  Highlight of that weekend: walking the track at Hoquiam HS from 4:30-6:30 am (my assigned Relay time), watching the sun rise, and sharing some great conversation.

June Weekend # 2 was spent at my last JVC Northwest retreat.  After getting over the finality of that, I had a terrific time catching up with the rest of the Cascades region JVs.  We retreated on Whidbey Island, WA.  Whidbey claims to be the longest island in the lower 48.  Those of us from Long Island know that claim to be false!  Trip highlight: Watching the sunset on the beach Saturday night in the company of three good friends who have been on this journey with me from the start.  (Sean, Teresa, and Megeen were also JVs in the Big Sky region last year.  There is little that solidifies friendships the way that doing two years of JVC Northwest together can). 

The third weekend in June was time for a retreat just for those of us who have spent two years serving with JVC Northwest.  After some very last minute planning (as in we didn’t have a place to stay until the day before we left…) we headed to the Oregon coast for a weekend of reflection.  Highlight of this trip: a Saturday afternoon hike through the woods during which we encountered an entire herd of elk.  Amazing!

As if that weren’t enough travelling, I made a quick trip home this past weekend for a friend’s wedding.  I returned to Seattle on Monday afternoon.  As I type this I’m looking at a calendar that shows there are only three weeks left of this adventure that has been my life for the past two years, and I can’t help but wonder where the time has gone.

On the Fly Productions

More proof that JVs can do anything!  Check out this video that fellow Seattle JV Lucas and I made for JVC Northwest’s annual fundraiser:

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

How about this for great job perks: Free tickets to professional baseball games! 

This past Tuesday I accompanied some of the wonderful young people I work with to see the Seattle Mariners take on the Texas Rangers.  Safeco Field is about a mile or a quick Light Rail ride from where I work in downtown Seattle.  Tuesday evening I set  out with Jess (no, I’m not speaking in third person, I have a co-worker also named Jess) and a few of the young people we work with for the game.

For me, the highlights of the game included not only some spectacular fielding feats, quality baserunning, and powerful batting, but also my first experience with west coast ball field food.  Jess insisted that we get hot dogs before entering the stadium.  This New Yorker was expecting the usual “dirty water dog” found all over Manhattan.  What I got was a fresh grilled, all beef hot dog made “Seattle Style.”  What is Seattle Style you wonder- its a hot dog topped with cream cheese and onions.  I’ll admit I was hesitant at first, but it is delicious!!  Definitely a combination I never would have thought of myself, but one I am glad to have been introduced to.  ( I also indulged in some garlic fries during the 7th inning stretch- the game was worth going to just for its culinary glory…but there was more!)

The actual game proceeded in usual baseball fashion.  When the Mariners were down 1-0 after only the first inning I was expecting another loss from a team that is less than mediocre.  What I witnessed, however, was a pretty good game.  The Mariners came back to tie it, lost the lead again, and eventually won 4-3! 

What’s more important than anything I ate that night or even the fact that the Mariners actually won is that I got to spend some quality time with the young people I work with.  A night out is something everyone looks forward to, our residents included.  As with when I was teaching and would take students on field trips, I have found that taking residents on outings is a great way to get to know who they really are.  They tend to be more relaxed and open when we’re away from the office.  I’m grateful not only for the free tickets and good food, but mostly for the opportunity to spend time with a great group of young adults!

Easter Traditions

If you’ve been reading my blog consistently since last year you may remember that I spent last Easter in Hays, MT with JVs from across the Big Sky region.  We hunted for Easter Eggs, attended the vigil mass, and ate lots and lots of fudge!  This year lack of clear plans here in the Emerald City and an impulse decision brought me back to Hays for the Easter celebration.

My vacation in Hays began with a nineteen hour journey via Amtrak to Havre, MT.  The train took me from Seattle, through all of Washington’s rural beauty,  across Idaho, and then into the beautifully state of Montana.  The highlight for me was certainly the time we spent passing through Glacier National Park.  Upon arriving in Havre I was met by Harry, Megan, Martha and Megeen (visiting Hays from Tacoma and on her way home).  After about two hours in the car, we were finally in Hays!

Saturday brought the Billings and Missoula JVs to Hays and also the return of the first Easter tradition – walking through “beautiful mission canyon.”  The seven inches of snow that had fallen the day before (yes, you read that right, snow in April) lingered and made the walk even better.  Later we shared a meal together (including the now infamous dessert item: fudge!) and attended the Easter vigil. 

Easter Sunday brought the real fun.  We started with a delicious breakfast of pancakes and eggs and of course some Easter candy.  Then it was time for the Easter Egg hunt and we were once again joined by the three nuns who call Hays home.  The team of nuns were victorious for the second year in a row, but that must be because they know the terrain well. 

By Sunday afternoon the Billings and Missoula communities had headed home and it was time for the five Hays JVs and myself to entertain ourselves.  Lucky for us by this time the snow had melted, the sun was shining, and it was about 60 degrees.   Wiffleball and frisbee in the old school play yard was the obvious choice for afternoon activity.  We spent the evening eating leftover ham and potatoes, watching “The Wizard of Oz” and playing a fantastic game called “Gotta Second?”  (Quick, name 3 famous aunts…)

When it was time to head back to Havre and the train  on Monday morning I was feeling grateful to have had the time to spend in MT continuing traditions we had started last year and also a bit sad knowing that it might be a very long time before I see my friends again.  We had one last bit of fun between Hays and Havre- stopping to see the elk farm (these things just don’t exist on Long Island) and having lunch in a fifties-themed diner (where you cannot shake for your shake…) 

After 19 more hours on the train, I was back in Seattle- glad I had made the journey to Hays to share Easter with some wonderful people!

Pictures of Easter snow and Easter sunset (there are few things more gorgeous):

Free Trip to Orcas Island?

A few weeks ago I received an email from Brendan, a fellow 2nd year JV living in the other Seattle house,  with the subject line “Free Trip to Orcas Island?”.  Being a JV for over eighteen months teaches you many things, one of which being: immediately pay attention to anything that says “free!”  It turned out that the organization Brendan works for, People for Puget Sound, was sponsoring a work party and was in need of volunteers.  All I had to do for a free weekend getaway was agree to spend three hours helping at a conservation site on Orcas Island.  I immediately replied to Brendan saying that I wanted in!

Orcas is an island located north of Seattle amongst the archipelago of the San Juan Islands.  As soon as we arrived Saturday evening I could tell the place was beautiful.  Just a few hours from the city, it seemed a world away.  There was a noticeable lack of noise, particularly traffic noise, the sunset we viewed on the ferry ride over was breathtaking, and within the first five minutes of our ride on the island we saw deer and sheep (we’ll return to the sheep later). 

I was joined for the weekend by Brendan (obviously) and three of his housemates: Kristina, Kate, and Maria as well as my housemate Allison.  We joked that we were on “JV spring break” and had a great time playing Bananagrams, hanging out in the hot tub (I told you it was spring break), and of course, working. 

Sunday was work day and after a leisurely morning complete with bacon, eggs and pancakes and a tour of the worksite it was time to get our hands (and everything else) dirty.  Much to my delight, the worksite was a muddy pond habitat.  Our job was to create clear  trails using wood chips.  Translation: shovel wood chips into the wheel barrow, push the wheel barrow to the trail site, dump, rake, return to the pile of woodchips, repeat.  It was hard work, but the weather was perfect, the company was excellent, and the cause was terrific. 

Top three things I learned during my weekend on Orcas:

1.  Orcas Island deer are inbred (because of the island habitat) and thus smaller than your average deer (some also argue they have inferior intelligence levels).

2.  Baby sheep are cuter than grown up sheep.  Furthermore, sheep jokes (ie: sheep sleep in the baaaaaarn) are not funny if you tell them 700 times in the course of 18 hours. 

3.  Planting shade trees at the edge of  a pond helps not only the aesthetic of a natural habitat, but also increases the food supply for the pond’s fish!

Pictures, so you know I really went:

The view from our bedroom window:

By mid-afternoon on Sunday the sun was shining:

Relay for Life

Despite the overcast, rainy, dreary late winter Seattle days I’m looking ahead to summer!  Not that I’m complaining- I’d much rather have the mild temperatures and light rain of Seattle than the winter mess the east coast has had this season.  It’s just good to know that the sun will be returning in only a few months, or hopefully weeks, time!

That said, I’m already making plans for the spring and summer seasons.  I’m hoping to go mushroom hunting with one of our support people, hit the hiking trails, enjoy the waterfront, and most concretely I’ll be participating in the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life in Gray’s Harbor June 3-4. 

Relay for Life is a fundraiser for cancer research, and I’ve joined the team of the lovely Gray’s Harbor JVs.  We’ll be camping out at the high school in Hoquiam, WA the night of June 3 and from 6pm Friday to 6pm Saturday a representative of our team will be walking the track on the “Sea Breeze Oval” (doesn’t that sound lovely?). 

I know you’re thinking “that sounds great!  How can I help?”  Well, you can follow this link to my personal page and make a donation to help my team reach its fundraising goal.  Or if you want to have your own Relay for Life adventure you can follow this link and find one near you (put your zip code in the upper right hand corner of the page). 

Thanks to everyone who has donated so far and thanks in advance to those who will donate.  Look for an update with pictures from the Relay the first week in June, and fear not, spring is on its way!

There’s Other JVs in Seattle!

There are sixteen JVs in Seattle this year.  Thankfully we don’t all live together.  (Trust me, eight people in one house is more than enough).  We’re split equally into two houses, and live about two miles from each other.  For the past few months we’ve been making an effort to see each other more often.  Last night was our turn to have “Mercy House” (as the other JV house in Seattle is called) over to our place for dinner. 

Molly G. cooked up a self-declared “Indian feast” that included rice and curry. Allison made her family’s now famous oatmeal cookies (with the added special ingredient of chocolate chips).  Mercy house brought over beet soup and apple and pumpkin pie.  Needless to say, no-one left hungry. 

We all managed to fit around our dining room table (I swear chairs materialized out of thin air…and some people sat on our bulk storage buckets).  Great conversation was the highlight of the night- we talked about books we are reading, movies we’ve seen, our jobs, plans for the big, bad future, and just about anything else you can think of.  There was talk of having a rematch of last month’s game of “Celebrity” (also known as “Salad Bowl” or “Bowl of Fun”), but I think Mercy house was just scared to lose again. 

It is good to have these evenings together.  To share our experiences as JVs in Seattle and to enjoy each other’s company.  While sixteen might be too many JVs for one house, Seattle is certainly a big enough city for all of us!

Special President’s Day Edition

Last weekend was our winter retreat weekend.  It was packed full of good times with friends, long walks (despite the rain), and lots of talk about social justice.  Retreat was held in Ariel, WA just a few miles from Mt. St. Helen’s.  I hear the mountain is beautiful, but unfortunately the weather last weekend did not cooperate and allow us to take in the gorgeous views. 

Highlights of the weekend included…a “second year trip” to the lovely town of Cougar, WA.  During a break between sessions I went with two other Big Sky second years in search of candy and fountain soda.  We found way more than we bargained for in Cougar.  There was no fountain soda, so we had to settle for bottles, but there was plenty of chips and candy and a plethora of interesting characters in the Cougar gas station.  After getting our sugar fix, the three of us headed to the nearby lake to enjoy our stash and time with each other.  

Sunday night’s coffee house was also a highlight.  It being Valentine’s Day weekend, the guys of the Cascades region had a surprise for all of us lovely ladies.  They serenaded (a cappella!) us to an oldie, but goodie- the Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way.”  You haven’t lived until you’ve  experienced the musical stylings of the men of JVC Northwest!  Also during the coffee house, the Tacoma community tried to convince everyone that their city is somehow superior to Seattle via a very clever re-write of “Under the Sea.”  As for me, and the rest of the Seattle JV’s, we remain unconvinced of how a town where they have a manuscript museum could possibly be better than the Emerald City!

The weather has been perfect here in Seattle the past few days, which has allowed for some outdoor urban adventures.  I began Saturday with an early morning (7:30am!) walk along Lake Washington.  The quiet and calm at that time of day made getting out of bed totally worthwhile.  Later I ventured downtown, walked along the waterfront, and visited the library. 

And today, while the rest of the world (and the rest of my community) has a day off for the President’s Day holiday I’m in the office, holding down the fort as they say so that the rest of the staff can have a vacation day. 

I just bought some new batteries for my camera…so hopefully there’ll be some pictures in future posts…