... and we're back in New Orleans!
It's been over a month and a half since the last update. So much has happened. I'll attempt to summarize it.
We spent about ten days in New Orleans in November around Thanksgiving, gutting houses and being generally politically active.
After leaving New Orleans, we drove back to Arlington via Birmingham (couchsurfed) and Asheville (spent a few days at Warren Wilson College with Gia).
We then flew to San Fran and spent a few days there with Davi's cousin and family (Roque and Karen and the boys).
From there, we went down to Santa Cruz where we spent ten days taking our Wilderness First Responder course at UC-Santa Cruz. Davi was looking for somewhere for us to stay for free on craigslist and connected with some folks he'd already met in Eugene... we stayed with one of them in the UC-Santa Cruz on-campus RV/ trailer park. [Edit: Actually, I was looking for a ride to Santa Cruz, and found someone I knew from Maitreya going the other way. The place to stay was a bonus -Davi] It was very... earthy. Apparently awhile back, some folks parked RVs in a far-out lot and lived out of them so as to not have to pay rent anywhere (the campus is HUGE!!! lots of trees.). Anyway, the police refused to kick them out so the university eventually relocated them and built them a community center, complete with a study lounge, kitchen, bathrooms, and showers, and started charging them rent for their individual lots. Voila! On-campus housing!
Originally, our plan had been to drive west, to the course, spend Christmas with some of Davi's family, and wander back to Arlington. Since we got cold in Beloit and headed south and remained stationary for two full weeks or so, we lost the leisurely drive west. In Biloxi, we calculated mileage, approximate gas prices, and oil changes then looked for flights. It was within a $20 difference for us both to drive home and fly rather than drive there and all the way back. It was there when we decided to surprise my parents by being home for Christmas. Our plans remained rather vague (why would we need to know so far in advance where we were headed??) until we left New Orleans, by which time we had charted a route west and had places we could theoretically stay. Off to Birmingham! er, Dallas! It was really confusing to keep it all straight, being aware of the weather and approximate mileage... By our second night in San Francisco, we were back in realtime and it felt a lot better. But, while we were in San Francisco, my mom called and pretty much offered to fly us both home (especially since Daisy had died (within 36 hours of when I would be in my house to sneakily get things before flying west)), so Davi and I talked about it and decided that they had to know the story and that the surprise wouldn't exactly be able to happen in person.
So, shortly after the WFR course was over, he and I flew back east and spent Christmas on the east coast, I in North Carolina and he in Maryland.
In this time, too, I realized that I needed to start putting together my transfer apps (he'd been working on his apps, but transfers are due later) if I was planning on going back to New Orleans, which I was. It took us both awhile to get everything together and take care of stuff in town before we could head back south, but we left for N.O. on my birthday with a fellow previous Common Ground volunteer from craigslist. On the way back down, we couchsurfed in Knoxville with an Indian grad student at UT-Knoxville and shared our worldly philosophies.
So, we're back at St. Mary's, Common Ground Relief's HQ, gutting houses and generally being politically active again. I didn't really foresee it, but when I stepped in the door, it felt so good to be back. Now my mom's down here for nearly a week with her friend Sallie, gutting houses and also generally being politically active. There's so much good, radical, caring energy here! I hope my fired-up attitude will stick with me for awhile... until my next empowering experience, at least.
Aside from not being able to find Brett (who was supposed to fly in last night), all's well here!
STB
We spent about ten days in New Orleans in November around Thanksgiving, gutting houses and being generally politically active.
After leaving New Orleans, we drove back to Arlington via Birmingham (couchsurfed) and Asheville (spent a few days at Warren Wilson College with Gia).
We then flew to San Fran and spent a few days there with Davi's cousin and family (Roque and Karen and the boys).
From there, we went down to Santa Cruz where we spent ten days taking our Wilderness First Responder course at UC-Santa Cruz. Davi was looking for somewhere for us to stay for free on craigslist and connected with some folks he'd already met in Eugene... we stayed with one of them in the UC-Santa Cruz on-campus RV/ trailer park. [Edit: Actually, I was looking for a ride to Santa Cruz, and found someone I knew from Maitreya going the other way. The place to stay was a bonus -Davi] It was very... earthy. Apparently awhile back, some folks parked RVs in a far-out lot and lived out of them so as to not have to pay rent anywhere (the campus is HUGE!!! lots of trees.). Anyway, the police refused to kick them out so the university eventually relocated them and built them a community center, complete with a study lounge, kitchen, bathrooms, and showers, and started charging them rent for their individual lots. Voila! On-campus housing!
Originally, our plan had been to drive west, to the course, spend Christmas with some of Davi's family, and wander back to Arlington. Since we got cold in Beloit and headed south and remained stationary for two full weeks or so, we lost the leisurely drive west. In Biloxi, we calculated mileage, approximate gas prices, and oil changes then looked for flights. It was within a $20 difference for us both to drive home and fly rather than drive there and all the way back. It was there when we decided to surprise my parents by being home for Christmas. Our plans remained rather vague (why would we need to know so far in advance where we were headed??) until we left New Orleans, by which time we had charted a route west and had places we could theoretically stay. Off to Birmingham! er, Dallas! It was really confusing to keep it all straight, being aware of the weather and approximate mileage... By our second night in San Francisco, we were back in realtime and it felt a lot better. But, while we were in San Francisco, my mom called and pretty much offered to fly us both home (especially since Daisy had died (within 36 hours of when I would be in my house to sneakily get things before flying west)), so Davi and I talked about it and decided that they had to know the story and that the surprise wouldn't exactly be able to happen in person.
So, shortly after the WFR course was over, he and I flew back east and spent Christmas on the east coast, I in North Carolina and he in Maryland.
In this time, too, I realized that I needed to start putting together my transfer apps (he'd been working on his apps, but transfers are due later) if I was planning on going back to New Orleans, which I was. It took us both awhile to get everything together and take care of stuff in town before we could head back south, but we left for N.O. on my birthday with a fellow previous Common Ground volunteer from craigslist. On the way back down, we couchsurfed in Knoxville with an Indian grad student at UT-Knoxville and shared our worldly philosophies.
So, we're back at St. Mary's, Common Ground Relief's HQ, gutting houses and generally being politically active again. I didn't really foresee it, but when I stepped in the door, it felt so good to be back. Now my mom's down here for nearly a week with her friend Sallie, gutting houses and also generally being politically active. There's so much good, radical, caring energy here! I hope my fired-up attitude will stick with me for awhile... until my next empowering experience, at least.
Aside from not being able to find Brett (who was supposed to fly in last night), all's well here!
STB