What I know so far…

The AmeriCorps (AC) program that I signed myself up for begins on October 17, so I still have a month to go before I will really know what I’ve gotten myself into.  I have gained some insight through all of the paperwork that has been sent my way over the last six months, so I thought I would post what I think I know and then compare that to the reality I experience when I get out there.  Just to see how far off I really was.

I’ll be flying out to Sacramento where I’ll be picked up and shuttled to the main campus, which is a former military base just north of the city.  The first day will be like going back to college; check-in, room assignment, orientation meetings and speakers, and all-around exhaustion.  They won’t throw us into any long-term assignments immediately, but will have us go through a three week training program, where I will be certified in First-Aid/ First-Response, CPR, and any other potentially useful certification process sanctioned by the Red Cross.  I am looking forward to this, because I’ve always wanted to get these certifications, but never had the chance.  And, since we will likely be doing fairly rigorous labor throughout the year, we will also be given a regular dose of Physical Training (PT) to get us into shape.  This will continue for the duration of the program and, again, I am looking forward to it.

After completing these first three weeks, we’ll be divided into teams of about 15-20, and these people will become my extended family for the next 10 months.  With them, I’ll be traveling around completing various long-term projects that last on average 6-8 weeks.  Of course, nothing is guaranteed, and if there is a national or natural disaster that requires evacuation, clean-up, recovery, etc, we are removed from the project we were working on and used as auxiliary help for whatever purpose necessary. 

In all, it will be quasi-militaristic in structure, but I am excited to get out and see what I can see.  I am going with few expectations.  I hope only to see some of the country that I haven’t before, meet some new and interesting people, use the time to determine what is next for my life, and hopefully do some good along the way.  Anything else that happens along the way will only add to the adventure of it. 

For now, however, it is a waiting game.  So, if anyone has some odd jobs they need done, I am for hire until the middle of October…