A Week in the Life of an AmeriCorps NCCC Team Leader (In Training)

As some of you may have heard, "The most recent continuing resolution passed by the House would cut all federal funding for the agency that oversees [NCCC], the Corporation for National and Community Service, effectively wiping out AmeriCorps."

Source: An AmeriCorps Alum Defends The Program Against Republican Defunding Threats

Time and time again I have heard people refer to my life as a "permanent vacation." I suppose it's an easy assumption to make if you base your judgment on the photos that I post without ever actually having a conversation with me. Sadly, we're human and that's what we do - we judge without investigating, we stereotype, we assume and we put people in boxes.

But here's the thing - most of the time, we're wrong.

Yes, I travel, I travel a lot. Unfortunately, travel and vacation are not synonymous. I am, however, fortunate enough to have a job that allows me to explore new places on a monthly basis, acquire new skills, work with and learn from amazing individuals, and get unlimited satisfaction from helping those in need.

So, what exactly do I do for a living? Well, I suppose there is no better way of answering that question than recalling the last week (and a half) of my life.

Wednesday: Partnered with the American Red Cross and answered
phones at the Rocky Mountain PBS telethon, raising $1,066,061
to aid the victims of Colorado Flooding

Thursday: Chainsaw training to prepare for future
environmental projects

Friday: Helped out flood victims with Boulder CareConnect, mucking,
gutting, and cleaning out basements       

Saturday: Volunteered at the Denver River Sweep,
clearing out invasive weeds along the bank

Thursday: Teambuilding Ropes Course, helping my roomie
get over her fear of heights

Thursday: Teambuilding Ropes Course

Friday: Partnered with Operation Blessing to help clear debris in 
Lyons, CO, one of the hardest hit areas

Friday: Trailer park in Lyons, CO destroyed by the flood

Friday: Assisted in clearing mud from a home devastated by a
flash flood in Lyons, CO

Friday: Mucked and gutted a home of a flood victim in Lyons, CO

Yes, I am lucky enough to have a job that does not always feel like work. However, what AmeriCorps NCCC members get done for communities throughout the United States is priceless. If I could have a dollar for every time that I heard "Thank you AmeriCorps, this would not have been done without you," perhaps I could fund this program myself...

Ignorance is Bliss

My time as a Corps Member was slowly coming to an end. We spent the last three weeks of fourth round working at the Action Center, a human-service non-profit which provides food, clothing, household goods and counseling services to homeless and those in need. Our tasks included everything from unloading and sorting food and clothing donations to preparing food orders for the clients, from helping out at the clothing bank to preparing for the school supply drive.

A gift from the Action Center

Throughout my year in AmeriCorps, I truly enjoyed environmental projects for their calm, peaceful nature - after a year of working in international transportation and dealing with the stress US Customs and Border Protection brings, it was exactly what I needed.

However, it was the projects where I got to interact with those less fortunate, the projects where, if even for a second, I eased someone's pain, that made the biggest impact on my life. Listening to the heartbreaking story of an individual whose home was destroyed by the tornado; seeing tears and pain in the eyes of a person who lost a loved one in the elementary school that did not have a tornado shelter; handing fresh groceries to someone who has not eaten in days; giving a clean shirt to a person whose only possessions are the clothes on his back; rationing baby food to a mother who would otherwise be unable to feed her child; helping tornado victims locate donation centers which will help them begin to rebuild; presenting a homeless man with his very own bicycle, something he has dreamt about for almost 5 years.

"Ignorance is bliss."
"See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil."

The list of popular idioms and phrases that describe the idea of turning a blind eye to pain, suffering and evil in this world is endless. Of course, it is a lot easier for an individual to go through life in a worry-free bubble of happiness, rainbows and butterflies. However, what that bubble is missing is knowledge, and knowledge of suffering comes with a thick silver lining - a greater appreciation of your own life and all your blessings, and the incredible feeling of accomplishment that comes with the ability to help.

I would not trade my experience for the world.

Time to Shuffle

My ten weeks in Arkansas have come to an end, but this beautiful state gifted mewith many new experiences: using a chainsaw, eating venison, attempting to fell a tree (and accidentally creating a hazard zone while doing so, oops!), overcoming my fear of snakes, swimming my very first half mile, an MRI (which, sadly, still did not help identify what exactly is wrong with my knee), building firelines for a prescribed forest burn, playing Magic (a very addicting card game), building trail stairs and bridges, perfecting delicious recipes (if you want good spaghetti carbonara, I am your girl!), splunking (exploring caves), and above all, living in a wooden cabin in the gorgeous Ozark woods with eight amazing individuals.

Beautiful park in Arkansas, right before we went splunking (caving)!

LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL :)

It was now time for our second transition week, a week where all AmeriCorps members return to the gorgeous Colorado Height University to debrief, catch up with friends from other teams, watch some incredible sunsets up on the hill, frequent 4G's an average of... every evening, test their skills at the bowling alley, test their lungs at baselines in mile high elevation, and above all, RELAX.

Nature, however, decided to throw us a curve ball on our travels back to Texas. A huge snow storm which grounded all the vehicles right outside of Colorado due to poor road conditions. Thankfully the storm came and passed, but not before getting our van stuck in the snow (yes, I am blaming it ENTIRELY on the snow because I have already had enough people laugh at me for getting a 15 passenger van stuck in 2 feet of snow... Tip for future NCCC members: AmeriRumors spread fast!)


What can I say? Just because I am from Russia doesn't mean I know how to drive in snow!

At the Denver campus, the third round is something we refer to as "shuffle round," meaning all the corps members get shuffled from their original teams. It gives us the opportunity to pick a project based on our own personal preference rather than ranking them alongside our team. It also means that we will be taken out of the comfort zone of living and working with the people we have spent the last 4 months with and adjust to something new. This, of course, made me very nervous. This, of course, was very silly, because I got EXTREMELY lucky with my shuffle team!

Over transition week, we spent some of our days in meetings, some of our days catching some sun taking naps outside (my favorite!), and on Kat's (my AMAZING new teammate and girlfriend!) birthday we headed to Golden, CO, a beautiful town at the foothills of the Rockies to go on a hike and then check out the Coors Brewery. It was an amazing day full of friends, laughs, good FREE beer and a most delicious veggie burger (vegan for Lent once again)!

Out With the Old, In With the New

Seven weeks, three trail bridges, two sets of trail stairs, nine tent pads, a dozen fires, endless laughs and a whole lot of brush cleanup later, it was time to say goodbye to Lake Ouachita State Park. The staff held a farewell breakfast in our honor and I am proud to say that for the first time in this program, I did not cry. No, it had nothing to do with not being completely distraught about leaving - Kyle, our favorite trail crew friend, taught me a new trick: when you're about to cry, squeeze your butt cheeks!

Sunset over Lake Ouachita

 Our next destination, Hobbs State Park, was about five hours northwest. Upon our arrival we were welcomed with warmth and kindness - typical Arkansas. Our new home is a beautiful, five bedroom cabin in the middle of the woods. Fireplace, a living room with recliners, a laundry room inside the house. Did I mention that I have a room that I share with only one other person? With closet space? AND a door? AmeriCorps has completely redefined the word "spoiled" for me.

On our first day at Hobbs State Park, we attended a celebration held in honor of Aldo Leopold. For those of you unfamiliar with this brilliant man, Leopold was an American author, scientist, ecologist, forester, and environmentalist. He was a professor at the University of Wisconsin and is best known for his book A Sand County Almanac (1949). At the celebration, we honored the magnificent nature writer by reading passages from his book. My team was asked to participate, and I volunteered to be one of the readers.

“We abuse land because we see it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect,” ― Aldo Leopold

Inspirational, beautiful writing with a tragic twist that sought to remind us about the fragility of nature, the vitality of learning to appreciate it and the importance of preserving it. Being surrounded by dozens of people who all saw Leopold as a role model, who spent their lives fighting his cause made me realize that throughout my life I have not been doing enough to help preserve and protect our planet.

Yes, reading up on what can be done to help is important, but "it's effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum," ("Sunscreen Song" reference, please have a listen). The problem with today's society is that each day, fewer people are providing direct aid to causes. We get bombarded with offers from others to help out FOR us - money donations, petition signatures, Facebook "likes" (the latter is just silly if you ask me, yet you still see thousands of people "liking" photos to provide prayers for dying children).

Rather than donating money to Green Peace, why not go out and plant a tree? Trust me, the feeling of accomplishment you get when you give something life with your own two hands is worth the dirt under your fingernails. And who knows, if planting trees will make people feel a deeper appreciation for nature, maybe they will stop destroying it.

Planting my very first tree!

I probably do not say this enough, but I am thankful for AmeriCorps - it has given me the opportunity to feel not only a deeper connection with nature, but also a sense of purpose when it comes to helping it.

Sundays With Morrie

Sadly, our time at Lake Ouachita State Park was coming to an end. The last few work days were spent burning large piles of wood, putting finishing touches on tent pads that we built, and cleaning. On our last weekend at the park, I decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and make one last use of the marina - Sunday morning, I kayaked to an island to spend some time with one of my favorite books, Mitch Albom's "Tuesdays With Morrie."

For those of you familiar with the book, I am sure you understand my obsession; for those of you who are not, below are some of my favorite quotes from the story (and my favorite quotes of all time, for that matter) that will hopefully spark your interest.

“So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they're busy doing things they think are important. This is because they're chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning."

“Well, for one thing, the culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves. We're teaching the wrong things. And you have to be strong enough to say if the culture doesn't work, don't buy it. Create your own. Most people can't do it.”

“We've got a sort of brainwashing going on in our country, Morrie sighed. Do you know how they brainwash people? They repeat something over and over. And that's what we do in this country. Owning things is good. More money is good. More property is good. More commercialism is good. More is good. More is good. We repeat it--and have it repeated to us--over and over until nobody bothers to even think otherwise. The average person is so fogged up by all of this, he has no perspective on what's really important anymore.

Wherever I went in my life, I met people wanting to gobble up something new. Gobble up a new car. Gobble up a new piece of property. Gobble up the latest toy. And then they wanted to tell you about it. 'Guess what I got? Guess what I got?'

You know how I interpreted that? These were people so hungry for love that they were accepting substitutes. They were embracing material things and expecting a sort of hug back. But it never works. You can't substitute material things for love or for gentleness or for tenderness or for a sense of comradeship.

Money is not a substitute for tenderness, and power is not a substitute for tenderness. I can tell you, as I'm sitting here dying, when you most need it, neither money nor power will give you the feeling you're looking for, no matter how much of them you have.”

Weathering the Storm

One of my favorite things about AmeriCorps is, unsurprising to those who know me, the traveling. With every new project comes a new state, with every new state come new cities, and with every new city come dozens of cool places to explore.

Living in Mountain Pine, Arkansas, we're only about 100 miles away from Little Rock. We made out first trip to the city on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, where we got to visit Central High School, one of the first schools in the United States to become integrated. It was very overwhelming to walk on the same steps that the Little Rock Nine, the nine brave men and women who were the first black students at the school, once walked. Reading their stories was truly inspirational - faced with harassment from other students, protesting crowds and a complete lack of support from the National Guard, the nine heroes did not give up. Their fight for equality was incredibly difficult, but their victory proved worthy, serving as an example to schools nationwide.

Little Rock Central High School, one of the first integrated schools in the United States

Our second time in Little Rock was this past Monday, on President's Day. As some of you may know, President Bill Clinton was born and raised in Arkansas. He was born in a small town called Hope, but grew up in Hot Springs, our closest "big" city. Since we had the holiday off, the team and I decided to visit the William J. Clinton Presidential Center, located in downtown Little Rock. The museum, filled with everything from his daily schedules to presents from leaders of other nations, gave us an inside look into the life, campaign, and presidency of one of our nation's leaders. My favorite part of the museum, however, was the AmeriCorps display - AmeriCorps was founded in 1994 when President Bill Clinton signed the National and Community Service and Trust act into law.

AmeriCorps display at the William J. Clinton Presidential Center

For the remainder of the week, we truly got to experience why so many Arkansans say, "If you don't like the weather in Arkansas, wait an hour." Tuesday was a beautiful day, sunshine, warm breeze and not a cloud in sight. Come Wednesday, we were pulled off the work site three hours into our day. The reason? An ice storm. We were bound to the cabin the next two days but I cannot complain - it gave my knee injury much needed healing time. Once the storm passed, Casey and I went on a five mile hike and photographed the beautiful remnants of the storm. Just like rainbows after it rains, the beautiful, ice covered branches were yet another way of nature reminding us that things do get better, we just have to be strong enough to weather the storm, just like the Little Rock Nine once did.

Word of the Day: Ambition

The biggest difference between our projects in Arkansas and Texas is definitely the feeling of accomplishment that they bring. In Texas, we were basically told that our work is very much appreciated, but there are enough salt cedar trees to cut down to last the next 25 years. What we did for them was important, but when put in perspective, it was miniscule.

In Arkansas, on the other hand, we have a list of projects that, when completed, have tangible results. From building stairs on the trail to clearing park areas and starting giant fires, from building tent pads and bridges to cleaning up tools and the maintenance shop, our progress can be seen throughout the park. For the very first set of stairs that we completed, I was lucky to be there from beginning to end. When we finally finishes, I compared the feeling of accomplishment to having received my Bachelor's degree. I know it sounds pretty crazy, but building something from the ground up, something that people will use for years to come, something that I can point to and say "I made that," brings a great sense of accomplishment.

Our first staircase project at Lake Ouachita State Park

We spend the days working in a beautiful state park, the backdrop for our project sites ranging from views of Lake Ouachita to the parts of the forest that were destroyed by the 2010 tornado. Even then, it's still amazing to be outdoors, in the sunlight, making coal baked potatoes for a snack. In addition to having a variety of great projects to work on, we also have the best trail crew and maintenance crew I could have asked for. They're helpful, funny, and they have yet to judge me on how I have absolutely no idea what I am doing with power tools 95% of the time. However, five weeks into the project and I have used a chainsaw, chopped wood, used drills and a whole variety of saws, and am an expert on ensuring things are level!

Typical Sunday morning - chopping some firewood

The last few weeks have really made me realize how unfit I am for the cubicle lifestyle that seems to be shoved down our throats as the only option for success. It takes the people in the white collar workforce years to have an office with a window, and they will be lucky if the only thing they see is not the wall of another building. In the blue collar world on the other hand, you get to work in a relaxing environment, set your own pace, and avoid the stress that comes with your boss breathing down your neck.

Finishing up our first trail bridge :)

First bridge and second staircase, completed

Interestingly enough, making half in an entire day than I used to make in an hour, I am happier than I ever was. I suppose a part of it has to do with the absence of work-associated stress, but most of it can be credited to a constant shift in my priorities. Those who know me best know that I was never one to think that material things will bring happiness, but I never had a chance to truly attempt that lifestyle until now. Living on the strict AmeriCorps budget while paying student loans has brought my weekly allowed spending to around $20 - enough for a cup of good coffee in exchange for some free wi-fi, some sour patch kids, and one item I decide to splurge on. Last week, it was a yoga mat and a new deck of Magic cards (yes, I am now a nerd). This week? We'll see.

Another question that remains unanswered - why does society dictate our lives in a way that makes us believe that we have to be cubicle slaves to be successful? Why are so many people turned into zombies that go about their daily lives without experiencing all the beauty this world has to offer?

Namaste :)

Sweet Home Colorado

My new back yard, Rocky Mountain National Park

It’s 3:30 in the morning and the sound of my alarm brought me out of the daze of an attempted sleep. Three hours until my flight. Can’t I just hit the snooze button one too many times and miss it? I turned on the lights and looked around my room – photos of friends and family, post cards from around the globe, my favorite books, paintings of palm trees and the ocean… The mirror across the room reflected the sign above my bed – “La Vita è Bella,” “Life is Beautiful” in Italian.

Life is beautiful. Life is full of adventure, life is unpredictable, life is challenging, life is a roller coaster, life is terrifying, but beautiful nonetheless. Whatever life was about to bring, I was ready.

I climbed out of bed and gathered my belongings – 10 months of clothing packed up in one single suitcase. I sat down for my last breakfast at home with my mom and brother. I don’t remember much of what was said over breakfast, I don’t remember hugging my mama goodbye, I don’t remember the drive to the airport with my brother. All I remember from that morning is holding back tears and the woman charging me 90 dollars for my bag being 3 pounds overweight. I had lost the key to the lock on my suitcase on the way to the airport so I could not take anything out. Bummer. When I told her that she was charging me more than I would be making in a week, she told me that since I was doing community service, the money would eventually come back to me tenfold… Still waiting.

I got on the plane and was asleep before takeoff. When I opened my eyes, a beautiful panorama of the Rocky Mountains opened up before me. Even though only two months had passed since my last time in Denver, when I passed through on my cross-country road trip in July, seeing it from the sky was truly breathtaking.

When I got off the plane I was greeted by an AmeriCorps NCCC staff member who directed me to the check-in booth. I waited in line and made small talk with the people around me. “Where are you from? How old are you? What unit are you in?” Wait, unit? I suppose having been accepted only two weeks prior to the program’s start gave me a bit of a disadvantage, but nothing that wasn’t fixed within hours of my arrival.

I was assigned to the Sun Unit, and told to wait in the airport lobby alongside about fifty other people – people from all over the United States, ages 18 to 24, high school graduates and people with their bachelor’s degrees, a diverse group of people with the desire to serve, help others, and figure out the next step in life bringing them all together. Two hours of waiting, introductions and conversations later, we were on the bus heading to campus.

On the ride, I made my very first AmeriFriend  – Dylan, a fellow East Coaster who graduated from UConn, had an extensive travel resume and wanted to take the next year to figure out what he wanted in life. Yes, I was finally home.

Sunset over the Rocky Mountains - view from the dining hall of my new home, Colorado Heights University

Two Weeks Notice

Wounded Warriors Foundation fundraiser at the Intrepid - one of my last work nights with the Hart family

The two weeks following my decision were a blur – two weeks notice at a job I just started, errands, packing, goodbyes… Ah yes, did I mention how terrible I am at goodbyes? Because I am, and knowing that I am added a spritz (or, rather a waterfall) of anxiety into the mix, making things that much harder. By the time the one week countdown began, my angel of a mother had already put me on some Russian herbal medicine that was supposed to make me relax.

Relax? Impossible. I was leaving the comfort of my home, my friends and my family, and heading into the unknown. Interestingly enough, that sounded just like every trip I had ever taken, and there have been dozens. From traveling all over Europe to my yearly Russian summers, from spending a semester in Italy to a cross-country road trip this past summer, the only feelings I ever had prior to departure were excitement, happiness and the undying urge to explore. So why was it different this time around.

I was going alone, stripped of the comfort of either going with a friend or going to visit a friend. The only other time this had ever happened was when I moved to the United States when I was eleven. New country, new language, little idea of what to expect, and a complete lack of inner peace. Of course, I refer to it as inner peace from the high throne of a 24 year old – when I was eleven, it was known as not having any friends, not understanding what anyone around me was saying, not being able to tell the salesperson at the Christmas tree shop which one was my favorite, being away from my family and the country I once called home, etcetera.

I suppose that’s the fascinating thing about the way people develop, why people are the way they are, why they act the way they do – their background. I know, I know, a cliché fact known by all. However, it’s one of those well-known facts that often gets overlooked by people because, although we hate to admit it, we’re human, and we’re selfish. What we tend to forget is that every single person has a completely different outlook on life based on their experiences. Our experiences play a colossal role in shaping our personalities, beliefs, viewpoints, everything.

Yet somehow, time and time again, I find myself questioning why my grandmother reuses her tea bags until the "tea" that they brew is a yellowish water, and why all the gifts that I get her are saved, unwrapped, in the dresser "for a more difficult time of need." Well, that’s because she went through World War II and she remembers what it’s like to have absolutely nothing, to live in complete poverty, to starve, to ration. That stayed with her, and it will for as long as she lives. The examples of such behaviors are endless and I feel that if we all take a second to reflect on why people act the way they act, rather than lashing out on them for not acting the way you act, our society could finally experience some compassion and understanding.

So, going back to my experience of leaving for AmeriCorps, perhaps the reason why I was so scared was because the only other experience I had to compare it to was a very difficult time in my life. Luckily for me, history did not repeat itself, and beginning with the very first day, my time in the program has been nothing short of amazing.

That's me and some of the amazing ladies I am blessed to call my friends, on the eve before my departure. A wise word of advice - packing while saying your goodbyes is impossible, no matter how good at multitasking you think you may be.