The morning continued with a game of Hive (more on that latter), a little knitting, correspondence, bill paying, bookshelf-building, and organizing. It's been a great day so far, and it only promises to improve with a meeting of the artistic/scientific minds and a few games of pool later in the evening. Aside from the fact I only got to see the sun peek through the clouds for an hour or so, I'm enjoying my life. I know that it's been more than a month since I last wrote (and I owe you!) so let's see what I've been up to:
A month of the job and I'm learning my place. I feel more competent every day and I'm learning a lot. I'm also starting to make sense of how to communicate professionally with people that are.... hard to work with. I'm learning to set boundaries for myself in the workplace (aka: "I understand you would like me to put together another 100 packets for your presentation next week before I go, but since I have another obligation at 3:00, you've been aware of this fact all day, and you're choosing to ask me 5 minutes before I leave, I'm going to have to simply apologize and offer to do that work for you when I come in on Monday."), and am finding more and more niches that my skills and passions will allow me to fill (aka: I started my own 4-H club for a variety of projects in different art forms like knitting, sewing, cooking, horticulture, robotics, fine arts, and performance arts!).
I also finally got word back from a callback for a play, "The Wrestling Season", that I'd auditioned for when I first arrived in Olympia. I will be playing the part of Nicole and the show will open in February. More on that after auditions have started in January.
I attended a weeklong conference for AmeriCorps members working in Washington and had the opportunity to get trained in Psychological First Aid, Personal Disaster Preparedness, and Basic Shelter Operations. There is a river here, The Green River, that has a series of levees up and down it. However, only one of these is still under certification, and it is expected to be the first to go the next time the river floods. Even worse, many large cities have been built up on the Green River's banks. They say it isn't a question of "if", but "when" the river will flood and displace thousands of people, putting their homes and communities underwater. The purpose of all this training was so that the state of Washington can call upon their pre-trained AmeriCorps volunteers in the event of a natural disaster to take on leadership positions at shelters, sandbagging locations, etc. alongside Red Cross volunteers and help to organize citizen volunteers. Of course, I hope that no natural (or otherwise) disasters occur while I'm living here. On the other hand, it is nice to know I have basic knowledge that could be used for the greater good in the event of such a catastrophe.
I was also able to go to Washington's 4-H forum and learn about the Learning Community model of Experiential Learning. Essentially, this model encourages a sense of place and membership within groups like classrooms and 4-H clubs through the creation of a nurturing environment... of course there are prescriptions about how this is to be done. It was a surprisingly helpful workshop and I'm considering taking a more in-depth training in the Experiential Learning and Learning Community models that could prove very helpful later in life.
In the apartment, Caleb and I have gotten in the habit of playing a game of either Chess or Hive (a similar game in goal and theory, but played with hexagonal pieces laid out sort of like dominoes) every evening with either dinner or tea. Caleb is the decisive winner in Chess (I've only beaten him once, but I'm certainly improving every time we play), but we're fairly evenly matched in Hive. I'm excited to share Hive with everyone in the Midwest next time I'm around.
The bicycle commuting has continued with the addition of my beautiful "little black rain cloud"... a single-speed Trek SoHo in matte black (don't worry, I have a crazy-flashy-bright tail light for it when I have to ride home after dark! I've even had co-workers compliment me on how visible I am when they drive up behind me at night). The rain has been a semi-unwelcome companion on these morning commutes, but I have some wonderful rain gear coming that will vastly improve the experience. Some mornings, it would be much easier to stay in bed and pretend the gloomy skies aren't out there (or at least not have to get soaked while cycling up a big hill!), but I've really come to value the exercise and time outside. I don't think I'd have as good of an understanding of my surroundings were I driving. I get to notice the smells of certain houses (you can tell which ones use more curry or garlic just driving past sometimes!), where the warm patches of air settle, where water pools due to piles of fallen yellow leaves (that don't get crispy here, just soggy!), and even the increase of decay in the roadkill I pass daily. Of course, there are nicer parts to the trip and less-nice parts, but I do feel more connection with this area and I do appreciate the stress-relief after a long day of work.
I think that is about the extent of what I have to share. Perhaps I'll post my last two "weekly updates" I have to write to the county commissioners for work so you can see what I've been up to there. Until next time, write me and tell me what you're up to!
Love, love, love!
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