CTY Goodbye

Wow. I can't believe I have been in Santa Cruz for 6 weeks. The time out here has gone by so fast. It seems like just yesterday I took off from the east coast to go on a trip where I didn't know what to expect. This summer has been so much more than anything I ever thought it would be.

Last summer I wasn't happy with my work that I did at the hospital. Since it counted for my community service hours, it made me even more unhappy because I felt like I wasn't having some kind of an impact on other people. I knew I wanted something different this summer. I didn't know what to expect when I took this job. I had never really worked with kids before so I knew it was going to be somewhat challenging. So, I took it on a limb.

I came to California thinking that this job was gonna be easy. I have to be an RA for a group of well-behaved, intellectual, extremely smart young students. I was gonna get paid a good deal of money and I get to live in a beach town for 6 weeks...for free. What more could you ask for? Not much. Even though this sounded like a perfect way to spend my summer, I did have some hesitations. Was I going to be happy counting this as my community service. Is it really service to someone if you have so much fun and get paid a ton? This was a question that I struggled with at the beginning, but it was at the beginning that I realized that I was in for much more than I had originally bargained for.

This summer has been a life changing experience. I have learned new things about myself that I wouldn't have learned anywhere else. I feel like I've come to appreciate so much more since I have been out here. I am going to go home tomorrow changed. Not changed in a bad way, but changed in a way to where I am going to enjoy all of my time at Emory.

I can't even begin to talk about the people I have met out here. Everyone from students to my fellow co-workers have been amazing. You don't realize how well you get to know people until you live with the same one's for six weeks, and some only 3 weeks. We really are like a family. I don't know how it's gonna be at 6:30 in the morning when I get on the shuttle to go to the airport. It's gonna be hard to leave these people, a couple in particular.

This summer has been a big learning experience for me. I am bringing back to Virginia with me more knowledge about me, the world, kids, life in general, that I never expected to learn. I can't really imagine what I would have done better this summer had I not chosen to come to California.

I just want to thank all of the people that I've worked with this summer for this experience. It has been amazing. I'm excited about keeping in touch with them and I can't wait to get back to Southwest Virginia and tell about my summer.

I'm gonna leave you with my favorite picture from the summer. Even though it was taken between 4 and 5 weeks ago, I never put it on here because I wanted to save it for the end. Its most of the RA staff, on a hike, and we found this squiggly thing. I think it's awesome. It's a picture I'd like to keep forever.

You know, I kind of like this blogging thing. Maybe it's something I'll keep going after I get back home. I will be in Charlotte, North Carolina at 9:35 tomorrow night and Haysi around 12 on Sunday. I'm excited. Until next time, Zach will leave it at that.

Day Off/Awesomeness

Good morning everyone! Hope everything is good in Virginia and wherever else you are. The past two days have been great.

I left Santa Cruz around 7:15 on Sunday night. By the time I waited on the bus to San Jose then caught a train to my hotel is was 10:00. You would think since I haven't watched TV in 6 weeks that I would watch it all night. Well, it's really weird, but I just have no interest in watching TV anymore. I've done without it for 6 weeks so whats the use of watching it if I don't absolutely have to. So, I was in bed by 10:30. I got up yesterday morning and caught the 10:10 train to San Francisco. Once I got to the city I was utterly confused because their public transportation is confusing. I ended up catching two different streetcars to the Fisherman's Wharf. I knew one thing that I for sure wanted to do was ride a boat around the Bay. So, I paid $23 and got an hour long cruise. It was a lot of fun. It took me under the Golden Gate Bridge and around Alcatraz and gave me awesome views of the city. I was kind of disappointed that the fog was still around because I couldn't see the top of the bridge. It was also the coldest boat ride I have ever taken in my life.

I had lunch at In-N-Out. Since it is a California thing I figured I should take advantage of it while I can. It was very tasty. After lunch and the cruise I caught another street car back to the Museum of Modern Art. On the way there I was fortunate enough to see the San Francisco Police do their finest work. Four officers was tackling a man right where my street car was stopped. They had out their sticks to hit him and everything. His significant other, who was in a panic, was running around yelling, "don't taze him, don't taze him, he's got metal in his mouth." Even though it was a serious situation, it was quite comical.

I became sort of sick the day before I left, so I was feeling a little under the weather by the time I got to the Museum of Modern Art. I only spent about an hour in the Museum but it was really good. I really enjoyed the photography section. I caught the 5:56 train out of San Francisco and was back at the college at exactly 9:00.

We have a common room on my hall with couches and stuff for everyone to hang out in. I had my kids promise me before I left that they would clean the common room before I came back. Well, we walked back in the dorm...the common room was clean...but they were all rushing me to my room. I figured they were trying to pull a prank on me. So, I went to my room and there was a sign on the door that read, "Go to the right stall in the bathroom." So, I went to the stall and there was a sign that said, "Go to the common room." So, I went to the common room and on the table there was a paper that said, "Check both microwaves." So, I went to the first microwave and opened it up. I found a card that all my guys had bought me and signed just saying how much they missed me on my day off. There was also a sign that said, "don't forget to check the other microwave." So, I go to the other microwave and inside I find a giant stuffed Banana Slug, which is the mascot for the University here.

So, my day off was great. I needed it. Now I'm off to Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey on a field trip. I guess I'll have even more pics to post after this.

Day Off!

Hey everyone. Tomorrow is my day off so I am getting ready to leave in about 30 minutes. Be expecting pictures tomorrow night or Tuesday morning. Only 6 days 'til I'm back on the east coast!

Until next time, Zach will leave it at that.