Floors, Walls, and a Roof, Oh My!

Back of the home,
where we entered the space from

Surprise! I'm back at it again! 

I've been itching to get back to the house I was helping to build in Elizabethtown, PA (which is part of Lancaster County, E-Town for short), so I worked it out with the boss to get a day off. I decided to surprise you all with an extra post!

Let me tell you, a lot can happen in just a month.

When I arrived yesterday morning I was amazed. Before the basement was the only thing in place, and we had been putting in the joists to set the staff and volunteers up to put in the floors. Now there's an actual house structure there, and they've cemented the back patio. The inner skeleton of the house is underway, and all of the rooms have been laid out. The lower level has the windows put in and doors which lock now. It really is turning out to be a cute little house!

Today I was also excited to meet more volunteers! There were five or six gentleman who are pretty regular volunteers during the weekdays, and I was happy to be able to meet them and work alongside everyone.

Interior of the second level. I'm standing in
one of the bedrooms. To the left is another
bedroom and to the right is the bathroom.

We got right to work placing the styrofoam insulation material on the home's exterior. In comparison to other jobs I've done, it was much easier to nail the material into the plywood frame than what I've done in other projects. After awhile it started getting a little hairy though-once we did the bottom of the home, we had to start climbing higher to the top of the house. Tom, the staff member I usually tag along with, mentioned me going up on a 20 or 32 ft. ladder to keep working. I was, to say the least, less than enthusiastic. I'm all for conquering fears and breaking out of my comfort zone, but after seeing how rickety the ladders got at those heights and knowing I wasn't 

harnessed in to anything, I wasn't thrilled at the idea 

of going that high.

Me with volunteers
John (left) and Jim (right)

That's something that is super great about Habitat though. The people there always have something for you to do, and they are more than happy to accommodate your comfort level. Instead of going up on the ladder to continue the insulation, Tom had me tape along the edges of the boards we had already done. This seals them together so that water and air don't come through later on, affecting the frame of the home. Afterwards we also nailed some black matting to the corners of the house to seal them. I was a little bummed that so much of the day's work revolved around putting this insulation up, because I wound up standing around more than I'd like. However even the staff and more experienced volunteers recognized the danger in going up that high, so I felt good knowing that I made a wise decision to find safer alternative projects to do in the meantime.

After finishing this we broke for lunch, and I devoured a delicious Subway sandwich, my go to when I'm here. At the end of lunch a photographer they had come over asked to talk to me, after hearing about my 50 states goal. We went to the top floor of the house and he hooked up all his fancy mics and camera, and asked me about my experience with Habitat, working with the families, and advice I'd give to people thinking about volunteering with Habitat for Humanity (preview: I said ABSOLUTELY DO IT). I probably sounded like a goober, as I usually do, but hopefully they got a few sound bites that sounded decent. If I get a copy of whatever they use it in, I'll post it so you all can see! It's honestly been a little embarrassing getting all this attention. The people at this site love my goal, as do I. However I really didn't expect this kind of hullabaloo over it. I'm more than happy to talk about my experiences thus far, but my goal isn't to get noticed, it's to help families get a home of their own. I hope to use the platform that they are making for me to spread that message, and to get more people involved with this organization.

Insulation we were installing.
See how high the ladders were?!

Well enough of that sappy stuff, back to the story.

Once I was done interviewing we were right back at it. I helped drill some blocks into the wall frames near the roof so that the insulation would lay flat against the house (the walls for set back an inch or two high up so you'd notice it in the siding if the walls weren't even). After that I switched from that to working on the windows with Jim. He taught me how to install thin plastic window sill pans, which you just cut, overlap, and tape onto the bottom edge of the openings for the windows. This keeps water from seeping in later on once the windows are installed. We carried one of the windows up and attempted to install it too before the end of the day. However that backfired a bit, as the panes got stuck when we attempted to take them out, and the window opening in the house was slightly too large for the window. Thankfully we fixed the panes and the size of the window hole is fixable, but it was too much work to take on as we neared the end of the day. So we helped clean up the site and called it a day. 

I had yet another rewarding day on the job site. I'm leaving for Minnesota soon to visit family and friends over winter break, and I am ecstatic! But I must say, it'll be hard to leave this place for another month. I plan on coming back more often next semester so I can see more of the progress. Look out for more posts, if I can I'm planning on crossing off my third state by working on a site or two in Minnesota while I'm home!

Fitting a sill pan on a window

For now, I hope everyone has safe travels and has time to spend with family and friends this holiday season. During this time of year, I hope you all have time to give back to your community. Whether it be through Habitat for Humanity, volunteering with the Salvation Army, or some other project, just get out and spread the Christmas cheer!


Until Next Time,

Lisa

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

Brad and I having a
blast building!

Hey ya'll!

Sorry for the late post, the last few weeks of school have been crazy! But now I finally have a little while to recap my second day working in Lancaster, so here we go!

I was super excited for today, because not only was I going to work on this house again, but I got my boyfriend Brad to come along with me (aren't we precious??). We were both pumped up to help out the night before, but let me tell you.....neither of us are morning people so when we set out in the morning at the butt crack of dawn it was a bit of a struggle. However after stopping at Dunkin' Donuts for breakfast and caffeine we were on our way happy as clams!

We arrived at 8 and met up with the gang. It was just the project manager Jim today, and a staff employee named Tom working with us. Jim started us out right away with our task for the day: we were to install floor joists and ledgers into 2x4s that were already nailed onto the upper part of the wall. These are essential for installing the floor of the home: they will actually be what holds
the floor up. 

Ledgers (small) and floor joists (tall)
we put on today

We began by hanging the ledgers. This truly was a group effort. We first had to finish mounting the 2x4s on the walls, which requires careful measurement and ensuring that we cut the planks exactly the right lengths. After cutting the boards we then had to work together to hang them so that when we nailed or drilled into the board it ended up straight. That's one thing about construction that I'm learning quickly: it is NOT a task that you can ever use the phrase "it's good enough" in. If the boards are even a few centimeters or inches off the floors will not be straight, which could cause significant problems for the future home owners. I'm learning that one must think of the big picture when working on these small tasks. It doesn't seem like these items are that big of a deal when you think about all of the other materials that go into building an entire home. But if you don't build a solid foundation, the house will never last. 

Drilling ledgers into the wall

After mounting the boards we were finally able to start drilling the ledgers into the wall. It seems easy, but it proved to be very difficult for me. Behind the ledger is a metal plate that was hooked into the wall; the plate is there to ensure that the whole mechanism is stable when they continue building upon it. I could drill the screws through the 2x4 with a little muscle, but got frustrated when I couldn't muscle it through the metal plate on my own. Brad and Tom were stronger and had sturdier ladders for balance, so it was easier for them to put their body weight into it and force the screws through all in one motion. Tom was a great teacher though, and gave me tips on how to make it work for me. I had to stop drilling at hammer the screw through the plate, and afterwards I could put all of my body weight into forcing the screws through the wall.

This experience has definitely made me learn about myself, and this day was no different. I recognized my frustration, and I became aware that it is really hard for me to ask for help. I like to think I can do things all on my own and that I can keep up with other builders. This day I was taught that it's okay to ask for help, and that it is better to go slower and do the job right than speed through a project incorrectly and cause problems down the road. Once I finally got the first few screws through I was elated, and it felt like a accomplished way more than if it had been easy for me to do the first time. 

Waiting to climb back up
to keep working!

This day was also a great opportunity for Brad and I to work together and see how well we are at communicating with one another and collaborating with each other. At first I didn't want to ask him to help me, but he was great and it was nice having him around to help me when I was having a hard time doing something. He built me up rather than just jumping in and doing something for me, which was exactly what I needed in order to build some confidence in what we were doing. We were both able to laugh at ourselves and communicated really well; I'm so glad he was able to join me, and I can tell we both learned a lot about each other and about Habitat.

After lunch we finished with the ledgers and began working on the floor joists. This was a whole new challenge for Brad and I, and even for Tom who was helping us. As the picture showed, the joist is U-shaped and gets nailed into the 2x4. They had to be placed along pre-marked lines which were specifically measured to match the floor boards. Therefore when we nailed them into the wood it had to be precise, and the bottom had to be flat and even to the very bottom of the board. Let me tell you.....that is WAY easier said than done. First one must align the bottom of the U with the bottom of the board. Once you do this you have to maneuver your hand so that you can simultaneously hold the joist in place, hold the nail in the hole, and then hammer the nail into the hole to secure it. If it moves while you do this, you have to adjust it or do it all over again. Once I got one side started I could get two nails in the other side to secure it in place; however this too was challenging because you had to force the metal to shape to the correct measurements. If the joist was bent too much it wouldn't be straight, so event that had to be precise. We spent the rest of the day working on these joists.

Love building together for Habitat!

The moral of the story: things don't always come easy, but it's more rewarding once you get it in those moments than if you were always an expert. Not only that, but little things make a big difference, so take your time and do it right.

Brad and I had a great day and we are both planning on returning throughout the year to keep working on this house. I'm hoping to get out at least one or two more times before I leave for Minnesota for Christmas break (yippee!). I can't wait to see where the rest of the year takes us!


Until Next Time,

Lisa

Everything Beautiful

Walls braced, pipes for radon
piping in the middle of the structure

Hello friends!

After a brief hiatus, I am back at it again! I had a phenomenal time working with Habitat for Humanity in Monmouth County, NJ and I've been itching to start another project ever since I left. I've been so busy with graduate school and work that it's been hard to find a project that would work with my schedule, but I finally found a great fit with Habitat's chapter in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Today was the first of two scheduled days thus far for me, although I am hoping to continue working with this build site much longer than other projects since it is only an hour away from West Chester, where I'm attending school. This particular site is in Elizabethtown, which is a little more than an hour northwest of here. This marks my second state in my 50 state journey, woohoo! It's only fitting that I begin my second leg of the adventure in America's second state, don't you think?

Unlike the House That Youth Built in New Jersey, the Elizabethtown site is very new-they broke ground in mid September. I am so excited about this because I will be swapping perspectives-instead of working on a nearly completed build site, I'm starting at the very beginning. The site currently has the basement walls braced up, and that's about it. In a few days they will be pouring concrete for the basement. 

Using the saw to cut pipes

I arrived on the site and met with Jim, the project manager. I was introduced to other workers as well, some who are staff and one who is my age and is an AmeriCorps worker for Habitat. Everyone was incredibly friendly and easy to talk to, which made for a great day and an easy transition into this next project. I was relieved to find that everyone was very willing to teach me new things and also allow me to really immerse myself in the projects, even though I was completely new to the work we were doing. I was paired with a man named Tom, who has been recently added to Lancaster Habitat's staff. He was a fun partner to work with and made me feel like a competent part of the team.

The first challenge of the day was simply getting into the structure. I walked over to the structure and noticed the only way in was to cross a 2x4 across a deep moat, climb over the wall, step onto another 2x4 along the upper perimeter of the structure, and then climb down an extension ladder. For someone who has chronic balance issues, this was a nightmare. I was really wishing I hadn't turned in that liability waiver two seconds before. Tom was a great help though; he gave me tips on how to walk across the plank safely, and had me practice a few times to get comfortable. I'm still not completely at ease, but I was able to make it in and out of the structure all day without incident (uffda!).

Hanging out at the wall
after walking "the plank"

After that mini crisis, the real work began. Tom and I were tasked with measuring, cutting, gluing, and covering radon piping in the basement. There is radon gas that is present in the ground, and when a house is built on it the gas can build up and become very toxic. In order to prevent that from occurring, piping with small holes in it is laid on the very foundation of the home. More piping is then connected vertically at one spot so it gets routed to the top of the structure, which is then routed out of the home so it safely escapes without doing any damage.

Tom and I spent most of the day laying this pipe down. It sounds like a simple job, but there is a lot of precise measurements that must be done to ensure that the pipes fit exactly right, and are the correct lengths away from the walls of the home. The most fun part of the job was being able to use the saw to cut the pipe to the correct length (I know, I'm shocked too that they let me near power tools haha).

After lunch we hopped back into the structure and began putting wooden braces along portions of the walls. If the walls are not braced properly, the hydrolic pressure of the concrete we'll pour in will cause the walls to push outward, break and/or collapse. Obviously that is something we wish to avoid, so off to work we went! Tom taught me how to use the electric drill (I know, I know, two power tools in one day, geez) and showed me how to find the portions of the wall we needed to reinforce. Thankfully we started with the ones on the ground level so I could practice easily. After that we had to stand on 2x4 boards that were placed around the upper perimeter of the walls in order to brace the top portion of the walls. Again, balance is not my strong point so this seemed like a precarious situation. After awhile I got used to it though and went about my merry way. My one piece of advice when moving along these types of unstable conditions: move slowly, watch your step, and always have at least one hand on the wall for support. ALWAYS. 

Later in the day the volunteer coordinator Leigh came by to check on our progress. The people at the site were really interested in my goal to work at Habitats across the United States, and she asked to interview me! It was really just a brief video of me explaining my goal and why I'm choosing to work with Habitat, but it was fun and it was so nice that they thought it was worth filming. Leigh told me, "when you're famous I'll tell you where to find the video" so I'll be sure to post a link to whatever story or segment they put the video in! For now here is the link of the video they took: Habitat Interview.                                

Everything beautiful begins
with God

Overall it was a beautiful day working with wonderful people. One thing that struck me as I initially walked onto the site today was a sign the neighbor had in their lawn next to the adjoining fence to our lot. It said, "Everything beautiful begins with God". I was awed by this; clearly God is watching over this site and the work Habitat volunteers are doing for others. I couldn't think of a better message to govern my day, and every day for that matter. As I conquered some fears and learned new things on the work site, felt the breeze and the sun, and saw the colors on the trees around me changing today I remembered the words on this sign. God has the power to do wonders through all of us, and I truly feel like this is his calling for me right now. I am anxious to see what the next few months hold, and where God will lead me next. I ask him each day to lead my heart and to let me be a light to someone in the world. Maybe my light is through Habitat.


Until Next Time,

Lisa                              

Labor of Love

Bruce and Anna's Place,
forever and always

Today was my final day working with Habitat for Humanity in Monmouth County, and man was it hard to leave. Today was the most physically tasking day, but it was by far the most rewarding. Today I really understood how building these houses really is a labor of love for every single contractor, staff member, and volunteer.

I arrived knowing that I would have to tackle the most dreaded project: clearing out a shed that was filled with moldy, rotten, and reeking things. The shed had withstood Sandy, and at one point was filled with 10 feet of water. The belongings had been rotting there for years now, and most were water damaged. Boxes were disintegrated, glass was broken, and the shelves were warped so badly it looked like a roller coaster track. Others working inside often scoffed at the idea of tackling the shed, and they all warned me that I had to wear a mask to get anywhere near there. I thought of this as I walked onto the site, kind of hoping there'd be something else to do. But right away I saw Anna in the shed by herself, and I knew that's where I had to be. 

Shoveling gravel for
the driveway

I put my mask on and soon after a group of freshman from Brookdale Community College came to help (THANK GOODNESS). It took us two hours to clear it, and in that time we dumped multiple bins full of debri and stagnant water, took out a ton of boxes, and shoveled the rest of the belongings out. We thankfully only found one little critter in there, a baby 

mouse. I have to say, after it was all said and done it felt really good looking at the empty shed. We all worked together, and were all good sports regardless of the health hazard and unpleasant smell. When it was all said and done I realized that I kind of enjoyed it, because I knew that it meant a lot to Anna to help her clear it and find a few salvageable items. It isn't something I'd typically want to do, but I realized that these kinds of jobs are often the most helpful and mean the most to the homeowners. I think some people fail to remember that people like Anna lost everything in the storm, so even though it seems unreasonable to us, saving even one item is special. 

After that was done I got everyone started on finishing the driveway. The Brookdale students helped me dig out the rest of the dirt, and helped me haul gravel from the side of the house into the pit we made for the next 3 hours or so. They left early, so then there were two, and Anna and I got almost all of the rest of the gravel laid and raked out evenly over the driveway area. This was the most physically demanding part of the day. I'll tell you....that pile of gravel NEVER.SEEMED.TO. DWINDLE. But we got almost all of it done and I really enjoyed working closely with Anna. 

Driveway almost completely filled in 

I left the house feeling accomplished, and my only disappointment is that I can't be there on September 2nd for the big reveal. Little does Anna know, but she won a home makeover, so when the big reveal happens she'll be surprised to find that they've bought her furniture for her home. This woman is so deserving of this Habitat home. She showed me pictures of her family and her late husband today, and she talked to me about her past. It was these moments I cherished most, because I really got to know her and saw just how grateful she is for every single person that has set foot on the build site. She worked just as hard as anyone else, and it was really special to spend these last few days with her working, reminiscing, and laughing. 

Front of Habitat home

Though not every job is glamorous or easy, I can tell you without a doubt that every nail that is hammered down, every cabinet put up, and every rock moved is done out of love for people like Anna. Hurricane Sandy was truly devastating to this region, and it was surreal to see it with my own eyes instead of hearing about it on the news. But with every day, and every project, we are helping restore the shore and giving people a piece of their lives 

back to them. I will be forever changed by my Habitat experience in Monmouth County, and I will never forget the people that I've worked with and the lives we've helped change. 

I'm not sure where my arrow will take me next, but I'm positive I'll be working with Habitat for Humanity again somewhere in this country very soon. 

Until Next Time,

Lisa

Breaking A Sweat

Breaking ground for
the new driveway

Uff-da, today was exhausting! I arrived at the Habitat home at 9am, and immediately began breaking up the ground to make the driveway. A lot had been done the day before, but I had two other local high school ladies come help me make more progress on it. Even Anna came to help us! 

It was really tiring work; the ground was full of rocks, glass, and old brick from her old home so we had to use pick axes to break up the area, and then haul the dirt out to another area. It was hot, but the storm Minnesota had a few days ago must be rolling in since the clouds came and there was a light breeze to cool us down.

A little before noon the project manager (Andy) came out and said the bathrooms were ready to be tiled and that we could get out of the sun and help with that. THANK GOODNESS. I was excited to learn how to tile and it was really easy! We used the laminate tiles that are sticky on the back, so all you have to do is peel back the cover, and fit them together. We also had to cut a lot of the tile to fit around the wiring and the showers. We had fun doing that and working with another volunteer named Rich. He helped us a lot with measuring the tiles. We finished two bathrooms today, and it felt awesome being able to see the 

Tiling the bathroom

finished product. We moved on to the kitchen as well and got 

about 3/4 of that done too. 

Tomorrow we're supposed to get rain, so we'll see what project I get to do. It's planned that I have to remove a shed's worth of moldy/rotten belongings into a dumpster. The plan is to empty the one shed, so that items can be transferred from another shed into the first one. After that the second shed will be demolished. Hopefully I'll get to do something inside, perhaps starting on the slatted wood floors we'll put in! 

After all that work, I had dinner with my host family at one of their friends' homes. They have a beautiful yard and pool so we had pizza and then took a swim before the rain. We finally got a picture together as well, I'm so happy! Kathy and Simon have been the best hosts, and have shown me so many "Jersey" things. I couldn't have asked for a better family to stay with, and I'll be sad to leave them on Saturday.

Well, until tomorrow I suppose!

Until Next Time,

Me, Kathy, and Simon

Lisa

Habitat for Humanity: The First Day

Wow, I can't believe the day finally came when I could work with Habitat for Humanity! After 3.5 months of planning I was finally able to work with this amazing organization, and I can tell you they didn't disappoint. 

I started the day off working with Kate Nelson, who focuses on the region's A Brush With Kindness projects. These projects are under Habitat, but instead of constructing an entirely new home from scratch, they focus on renovating already existing homes and helping those do work that they otherwise cannot afford, or work that people physically aren't capable of doing themselves. Kate was absolutely awesome and it was interesting driving around with her today. As we got to know each other I actually found out she's from West Chester, where I'm going to grad school starting Monday! Such a small world!

Anyway, we started off the day driving to Union Beach and Keansburg, which were two areas that were hit the hardest by Hurricane Sandy. As we drove through the neighborhoods it was clear that there was still so much work to be done in the area. The three year anniversary of the storm will be in October, but even today there are many homes that are abandoned, rotting, or are really run-down. We saw many homes that were being raised-I learned this is now a requirement of every home in the area, to prevent damage if another storm were to hit and because insurers won't insure the homes otherwise. After that we did three projects today.

Project 1: Seal Decks at Keansburg Home

We made our first stop at a home in Keansburg, where we were to seal the family's decks (many people had decks before, but now every home pretty much has one since all the homes have been raised up high). We met a woman who was so friendly, who has a young son and an adorable dog named Smokey. It was a great project to start my Habitat experience with; something fairly easy to do and allowed us to all just talk and listen to what this woman is going through right now. Unfortunately after we left it rained, and we are praying that it didn't rain on this woman's decks or the whole project would be ruined and we'd have to start from scratch. However even if it didn't work out, I think the most important and impactful part of this stop was simply listening to this woman's story. She has a lot on her mind and I think it was therapeutic to simply talk to people who are willing to listen. 

  Power washing the deck in the rain

Project 2: Power Wash Decks at Keansburg Home

The next stop we made was at another woman's home in Keansburg. We didn't interact with her, but we power washed her front deck and a small stoop near the curb of her home. We also watered her bushes and plants. I can officially say I can use a power washer, which knowing me is a pretty cool thing! We were at this home when the rain started (it's hard to tell in the picture, but I'm drenched), and we hoped it would steer clear of the first home and instead go out towards the coast. 








Project 3: The House That Youth Built, Port Monmouth

Me, Anna, and Kate in front
of the Habitat home

After we were done, we drove to the new home that is being built in nearby Port Monmouth. This is the home I'll be working on the next two days. This project is unique in that area youth raised $75,000 to build this home, and are often the main volunteers working to build it, hence it's title as "The House That Youth Built". Originally we were there to just take a look at the progress and meet the project managers, but we wound up staying for quite a while! The house is really coming along, people were inside spackling the walls and were constructing a deck and stairs leading up to the front door outside. We ran into the recipient of the home, whose name is Anna. Anna and her granddaughter lost their entire home to Hurricane Sandy, and have been living in an apartment for the last year and a half. This woman just lit up my whole day- she was so excited for us to be there and she was really engaged in the whole process. She made us delicious homemade Mexican food and proudly showed off the progress of her new home. 

The yard before we got to work

The yard after we finished!

A big part of Habitat's mission is to be a hand up, not a hand-out. Therefore they require home owners to participate in the project, which is something I love about the organization. I think it gives people more pride in what the organization is doing for them, because they are helping too. Anna was the epitome of this. We decided to pull weeds out from along her fence line since they'd been overgrown since Sandy hit. Anna was there with us the whole time, laughing and telling us about how she loves to garden and which plants to not rip up. It felt really good helping her today-I can tell that she is so grateful for the work Habitat is doing, and she can finally see the end in sight! This home is to be completed by September 2nd of this year, and she can finally move back into a place that she can claim as her own. 

That was the major project we undertook there today, and as you can see in the pictures the yard already looks a lot better. Next week Kate is coming to landscape the entire yard, and this was a much needed first step to prepare for that. 




I am exhausted, am getting a great tan, and I could not be happier. I'm excited to start at Anna's home again tomorrow!

Until Next Time, 

Lisa

The Jersey Shore Experience: Point Pleasant Beach

You'd be crazy not to explore the shore while in Jersey, so today that's exactly what I did! Often times people think of Seaside Heights, which is where MTV's Jersey Shore was filmed, but I decided to go to an area that still has the boardwalk and beach but doesn't have quite as many people milling around. My host family suggested I go to Point Pleasant Beach, which is about 20 minutes north of where I'm staying. I tell you it was beautiful! It was extremely hot out though....definitely rocking some sick tan lines now (and wishing I was rocking that aloe).

I walked the entire boardwalk and then settled into the middle for a few hours, where all the main rides and attractions are. On the north end there are some cool little beach houses, there's even one that has speakers set up in the deck and plays Frank Sinatra constantly! This end also runs up to the inlet of the river so I watched the boats go in and out for awhile.
Back on the main drag, I had a blast playing some arcade games, and eating an absolutely delicious funnel cake (they get me every time). I also got to explore an aquarium they had there, and had fun looking at the marine life and watching the younger kids go on their tours.

I didn't win any big prizes or get a chance to swim in the ocean, but I had a great time just walking around and exploring the area. I'm glad I had the chance to visit the shore and relax a bit before I start with Habitat for Humanity tomorrow, but I am so pumped for this next part of my adventure!

I'll go into more detail tomorrow about my first day, but as an aside I'll be working with the A Brush With Kindness program through Habitat for Humanity tomorrow in Keansburg, NJ. Stay tuned for how it goes!


Until Next Time,

Lisa

Made It To Jersey!

Well it's official: I've made it to Jersey! The last few days have been a whirlwind and it'll only pick up from here, so I better start recapping now...

The drive out here was, well, how do I put it? LONG. Like longer than the last minute of the last class of the school year long. I played through my T Swift and M Train CD's at least 10 times over each, and a plethora of random old country CD's I found about half that. And then the trip STILL KEPT GOING. However on the bright side, it was a beautiful drive and once I made it out of the Midwest I was awestruck at how beautiful the mountains are.

As I got into New Jersey though, I had the most harrowing experience of my trip (even worse than Chicago in rush hour, during road construction). I had to enter onto the Garden State Parkway. Picture this: you crest over a massive hill onto a huge bridge running over a bay. Beautiful right? Except suddenly you see that you are entering what is now 7 lanes of traffic, of which all drivers are way more aggressive than what Ms. Minnesota Nice is used to, and to top it off, it's rush hour and my GPS doesn't specify which toll lane I need to be in. I kept saying, "I can't do this, I can't do this, nope nope nope I'm done". But clearly I can't just stop so I committed and miraculously got to the right lane without dying. 20 minutes after that I was at my new home for the week.

When I arrived I met my host family, which is absolutely wonderful! I'm staying with Kathy and Simon, who I'll try to get a picture of later. They are active members of the church I was originally going to stay at alone, and they graciously opened up their home to me and have been great company. My first night they invited people over from the community and the church and we had a great feast. Everyone was so kind, friendly, and were eager to tell me about the community and which part of the shore to hit up! They also shocked me with some facts, like it's illegal to pump your own gas here (still can't wrap my mind around that) and there are "Jersey jug handles" which make you turn right on roads in order to go left.

At the end of the night I was exhausted and was out as soon as my head hit the pillow.

In my next post I'll tell you about my Jersey Shore experience!


Until Next Time,

Lisa

Follow Your Arrow

I'm a Minnesota girl with a hankering for adventure. I've enjoyed traveling before, but I've finally decided to put seeing the world as a priority in my life. After deciding to take the plunge and go out of state for graduate school, I've made the choice to see as much of the world as I can with the years God's going to give me on this wonderful earth.

There's that saying that people use, saying they are "wandering, but not lost". I don't have a strict plan, but I know what I want to see, and I'll find a way to get there. That drive is my arrow- it'll be my compass and put me in the direction of where I need to go. To start, I want to travel to all 50 states. My adventure begins next week in New Jersey, where I'll put myself to work building and renovating houses damaged by hurricane Sandy with Habitat for Humanity. Might as well do some good while I'm traveling!

While I'm on this journey I figured I would keep record of it-I'll share with friends, family, and anyone else interested in my babbling about the people I meet, the places I see, and the opportunities that come my way as a result.

I hope you enjoy reading. One word of advice: start today, follow your arrow. If you never decide to start you'll never know where you'll end up :)

Until next time,

Lisa