Crazy Life

It has been awhile since I have updated, but things have been outrageous. We have been working 9 hour days and by the time we get home, do PT, and eat dinner I am just so exhausted that I don't want to do anything. Doing things for Graduate school as well as study for the GRE is really difficult with only the weekends to work on it.

Our project hasn't been the greatest, as we have been doing a lot of side jobs and work that we do not necessarily enjoy. We have been doing a lot of cleaning, painting, grouting, caulking, and other touch up work...Just yesterday we dug 30 holes for a playground that was being built today, but were not allowed to attend the playground build today. The Saints football players were there with many volunteers. It's frustrating to feel as if we are not being appreciated or valued for the training and work that we are capable of doing. On the bright side, it is really nice to be in New Orleans, and the weather is just starting to get cold (although I wore shorts to work today!) We have been working a couple days a week with the deconstruction team, which works to salvage material from houses slated for demolition. It is cool to see the historical wood they pull from homes, but it is very dirty and at time tedious work.

In terms of the team, we are having a tough time lately, as some people got in trouble for underage drinking, and one member of our team went home :(. I really miss him, and it seems like the dynamic of our team has been off ever since. I'm starting to realize that this experience is not exactly what I wanted it to be, which is frustrating and disappointing at times. I also find it tough to relate to many of the people on my team, so having alone time is hard and being with them 24/7 is really difficult. I'm hoping that the Thanksgiving break and Christmas break will give me a new sense of motivation and hope for the last 5 months of this program. I really love the nonprofit sector and the work that we are doing, but am having a hard time relating to the people.

ALSO. Jilisa came to visit this past weekend and we had a GREAT time. I was really excited to show her the city and introduce her to the culture. It was a nice getaway.

Will post pictures soon, but it is hard to take pictures, as we are all on different sites.