Trying this whole blog thing out...

Hello friends!

In a little less than a month, I will be traveling to Vinton, IA to begin my training for AmeriCorps NCCC.  The program that I am working with is partnered with FEMA, and is focused on disaster relief, education, and preparedness.  I will be serving a ten state region in the Midwestern US for the next ten months, so I certainly won't be in one place for too long.  As for the rest, there is still much I don't know.  A few months ago, I joined a Facebook group for Corps members that will also be serving the North Central region, and that has been helpful in providing some information on what it will actually be like, but I suppose it's hard to know, since I have done nothing like this in my entire life.  The summer has so far been an amazing one.  The day we finished finals, Joe and I embarked on a road trip through Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and then back up to Washington.  We have some wonderful pictures, stories, and only minimal battle scars that we have shared with many of you already.  Upon our return to Bellingham, I started my summer job as an Instructional Assistant at a camp called F.A.C.E.S Northwest (Families for Autistic Children's Education and Support) and it has so far been an unbelievably amazing experience.  Our group is the youngest in the program, so there are always things to smile about every day.  Summer in Bellingham is beautiful!  It is the first summer I have spent here (I have been in Glacier Park for the past three summers) and I never thought I would be able to say this, but I think I found another place that is acceptable to be in the Summer, aside from Glacier.  The weather has been pristine (knock on wood) and I am spending it with some of the best people I know.  After F.A.C.E.S is over, my parents and Joe are planning on hauling me out to the magical land of Iowa...at this point in time, I'm wondering how shocking this will actually be haha.  There are many things I don't know, and the unexpected with most certainly happen, but I hope to be able to keep up with this blog as much as possible, because I want to keep in contact with as many people as I can while I am chasing tornadoes :-)  (or whatever I end up doing).  I am not sure about the availability of internet, or how much writing time we are going to have, but I will find little moments here and there to record things hopefully, even if they prove to be mundane, morbid, crazy, ridiculous, unbelievable, etc...etc....Seriously though, I actually have no idea what to expect.  Insanely busy with camp/work/friends/wine/avidly reading every book I can get my hands on, so this may be the last post for awhile, but I wanted to let everyone know that I will be documenting my adventures to the best of my abilities!  I love you all and I hope you are having amazing summers wherever you are in the world!
Love,
Maya