So, I find myself currently sitting in my hotel in Omaha, Nebraska. Got here about four hours ago, went out to eat lunch with my other flight attendant and first officer, and now I'm just chillin waiting on the rapture to occur. What better way to wait than to get on my blog and tell a story?! There is no better way.
Picture it, Richmond...Wednesday morning. I have to work Thursday morning. I woke up, mowed my jungle of a lawn, and went out to eat lunch with my friend Jean (which has become a regular occurrence on the days I leave Richmond for work.) I got to the airport around 1:30 planning on catching the 2:45 US Airways flight to LaGuardia. As I'm sitting there, both the 2:45 and the 3:40 flights are delayed by one hour. I continue to wait. At 3:30, both flights cancel. In my mind I begin to say many choice words, but I'm trying to figure out my next step. "Ah-ha! There is a Delta flight that leaves at 3:15 for JFK! But it's currently 3:30...maybe it's delayed!" Turns out, the JFK flight was delayed. So I ran back to the other side of the airport, went through security all over again, and arrived at the Delta gate.
When I arrived, I saw a Delta ERJ-145 sitting on the taxiway. "Dammit," I think to myself..."I missed it!" I go up to a gate agent to ask if I missed the 3:15 departure to JFK. She said no, that was the 1:30pm departure still awaiting takeoff. Yes...you read correctly. The current time is 3:45 and the 1:30 is still awaiting takeoff. Even though I should never be happy about delays, I was excited because this delay was my ticket to work.
The 1:30 departure sat on the taxiway for nearly 2.5 hours then came back to the gate. Of course...the angry passengers came off to be rebooked on missed connections, etc. I was still waiting for the 3:15 plane so I could get to work. Both planes kept getting delayed. 6:00pm rolls around, and they decide to board both planes. "Ladies and gentlemen," I hear, "we are gonna begin the boarding process for both flights to JFK because both planes are going to take off right at the same time." So, we wait in line and finally board the plane. I am on a plane with about 20 other passengers...and the other Delta plane beside of me had 16 passengers. "Yay! We're finally going!" Or, so we all thought.
We sat on the plane for about 40 minutes, watched a rainbow come and go in the thunderstorm, then our captain informs us the other plane (original 1:30 departure that is now 5 hours late) has a mechanical issue. They planned on moving all those passengers onboard our plane so that we could all get to JFK. "That's fine," I thought. We had plenty of seats. I see the ramp guys pull a ladder up to the other plane and fix it. Yay! It's fixed!
Then, the rampers begin unloading our suitcases from our plane. "What is going on?" I thought. I am getting to New York today if I have to swim up the coast of the Atlantic! Our pilots come over the PA and tell us they have just hit the 16 hours of work mark and that we have to deplane and get on the other plane to JFK because they are now illegal to fly. Ok...not a big deal. There are 20 of us, 16 on the other plane...36 total, for a 50 seater plane. We gather our carry-ons and proceed to deplane. I stop to talk to the flight attendant before heading over to the other plane. I walk off of my plane to go get on the other one...and here it comes: the other plane was pushing back from the gate...with the door closed...and with only 16 people. None of the people from my plane was on there.
I am going to give a precursor to the following conversation: I was in my uniform going to work. I understand I am supposed to be respectful to everyone, but I lost it at this point. I was on my 6th hour and watching a plane leave to go to NYC without me and 20 other people who needed to go. This is how is went:
-Gate agent is standing at the bottom of the ramp.
-Zach: (throws carry ons onto the wet ground with an attitude) "Are you fucking kidding me right now?"
-Gate agent: "What?"
-Zach: "you have 20 people trying to get to JFK who were told we were gonna be on that plane and you're letting it push back?"
-Gate agent: "We couldn't help it."
-Zach: "What do you mean you couldn't help it? You've known for 10 minutes this plane is gonna leave because you hooked up the tug and now you're letting it go without all of us. You've got to be fucking kidding me."
-Gate agent: "The pilots closed the door and said they had to go."
-Zach: "I honestly don't know what to say right now. Are we gonna go on the 7:30 flight?"
-Gate agent: "It's cancelled."
At that point, I grabbed my bags and walked away. I had made friends with a United flight attendant named Katherine a few hours earlier and we were both trying to get to NYC. We spent this whole ordeal together. We immediately run inside the airport and hop onto a plane heading to Washington-Dulles. We were happy with anything that would get us closer to NYC.
We land in Dulles around 8:30, with only two options: one plane to JFK and one plane to LaGuardia. Both were oversold. We end up sitting on the taxiway for about 30 minutes because a thunderstorm wouldn't allow the ramp guys to marshal the plane to the gate. We run in the airport and run to the LaGuardia flight that is delayed until 10:50pm. Long story short, people missed their connections and we got on the plane. Landed in LaGuardia at 12:15am.
Yes, it took me 11 hours to get to work on Wednesday. It was a fabulous time. I'm not sure anything could be more fun...other than the impending Rapture. It's about that time.
Until next time, and if we make it through the Rapture, Zach will leave it at that.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
The Joys of Travel
Actually written on May 15th at approximately 830pm somewhere in the air between DC and Denver...
I find myself in the air pretty often. Yea, it's my job. As most of you know, I am a flight attendant now. It's pretty crazy how much my life has changed over the course of the past few months. In December I was driving to work in a bank every single day and I was miserable. At this moment, I'm on a plane headed to Denver, Colorado, then I'm gonna head down to Tucson, Arizona to visit my best friend Colton, his parents, and his girlfriend Alison.
I've not updated my blog in quite a while. Perhaps I should bring it back to life. I need to find something to do with my spare time. I used to sit on planes for hours and look out the window in amazement of where I was at (35,000 feet above the ground.) Now that I am on the go so often, I am pretty used to the sights out of the window, so blogging with my interesting airline stories may be the best way to pass my time.
I'll start with a brief synopsis of the past few months. I could write a book, but I'll spare you. I now work for Shuttle America, a regional airline that operates Delta Shuttle, Delta Connection, and United Express flights. I'm based out of New York City's LaGuardia Airport I love it. It's a ton of fun and I get to go places which is what I wanted. The people I work with are amazing. I've met some great friends through the job, although I do miss my friends from college and from Richmond. I have a very good schedule and sometimes I find it hard to believe that I actually have the job that I do.
I have a new appreciation for flight attendants. Before I start my story of the day, let me tell you about the past few hours of my life…
I ended a "trip" in LaGuardia last night and I along with the wonderful First Officer I had been flying with for the past few days headed over to JFK to head down to Washington, DC. I spent last night with my good friend Hunter with plans of leaving today to go to Tucson, Arizona for a few days. Even though I fly everywhere for free, I fly space available…so, if there are no seats on the plane I do not fly. I decided not to leave Washington, DC today until around 3PM because my flight to Tucson didn't leave Atlanta until 7:25 and I didn't want to sit there for four hours. I looked on my iPhone (my new favorite accessory) and saw that the 3PM flight to Atlanta was overbooked, so when Hunter dropped me off at the airport I ran to the AirTran gate to catch a flight to Atlanta. Long story short: AirTran had no seats, Delta's 3pm had no seats, Delta's 4pm had no seats, Frontier was delayed by 2 hours, and I really thought I was out of options. I ended up hoofing it over the United counter and getting a United flight to Denver. Once in Denver, I will connect to Tucson on Frontier Airlines. Yes, I know it's confusing, but it's what I have to go through to get where I'm going. In the end you may be sweaty, tired, frustrated, angry, hungry and look like you just ran a marathon through the Saharan Desert, but at least you make it.
I have to say that I'm very satisfied with life at this point. I like driving down the road with my windows down, sunroof open, blasting my music. The other day I was doing just that and I was thinking about how I honestly don't have any worries right now. I wouldn't complain if my life stayed like it is for a while. I love my family, I love my friends, I love my job, and I am very content. I hope I stay this way for a while.
For now, I'll just keep on flying and see what comes my way.
Until next time, Zach will leave it at that.
I find myself in the air pretty often. Yea, it's my job. As most of you know, I am a flight attendant now. It's pretty crazy how much my life has changed over the course of the past few months. In December I was driving to work in a bank every single day and I was miserable. At this moment, I'm on a plane headed to Denver, Colorado, then I'm gonna head down to Tucson, Arizona to visit my best friend Colton, his parents, and his girlfriend Alison.
I've not updated my blog in quite a while. Perhaps I should bring it back to life. I need to find something to do with my spare time. I used to sit on planes for hours and look out the window in amazement of where I was at (35,000 feet above the ground.) Now that I am on the go so often, I am pretty used to the sights out of the window, so blogging with my interesting airline stories may be the best way to pass my time.
I'll start with a brief synopsis of the past few months. I could write a book, but I'll spare you. I now work for Shuttle America, a regional airline that operates Delta Shuttle, Delta Connection, and United Express flights. I'm based out of New York City's LaGuardia Airport I love it. It's a ton of fun and I get to go places which is what I wanted. The people I work with are amazing. I've met some great friends through the job, although I do miss my friends from college and from Richmond. I have a very good schedule and sometimes I find it hard to believe that I actually have the job that I do.
I have a new appreciation for flight attendants. Before I start my story of the day, let me tell you about the past few hours of my life…
I ended a "trip" in LaGuardia last night and I along with the wonderful First Officer I had been flying with for the past few days headed over to JFK to head down to Washington, DC. I spent last night with my good friend Hunter with plans of leaving today to go to Tucson, Arizona for a few days. Even though I fly everywhere for free, I fly space available…so, if there are no seats on the plane I do not fly. I decided not to leave Washington, DC today until around 3PM because my flight to Tucson didn't leave Atlanta until 7:25 and I didn't want to sit there for four hours. I looked on my iPhone (my new favorite accessory) and saw that the 3PM flight to Atlanta was overbooked, so when Hunter dropped me off at the airport I ran to the AirTran gate to catch a flight to Atlanta. Long story short: AirTran had no seats, Delta's 3pm had no seats, Delta's 4pm had no seats, Frontier was delayed by 2 hours, and I really thought I was out of options. I ended up hoofing it over the United counter and getting a United flight to Denver. Once in Denver, I will connect to Tucson on Frontier Airlines. Yes, I know it's confusing, but it's what I have to go through to get where I'm going. In the end you may be sweaty, tired, frustrated, angry, hungry and look like you just ran a marathon through the Saharan Desert, but at least you make it.
I have to say that I'm very satisfied with life at this point. I like driving down the road with my windows down, sunroof open, blasting my music. The other day I was doing just that and I was thinking about how I honestly don't have any worries right now. I wouldn't complain if my life stayed like it is for a while. I love my family, I love my friends, I love my job, and I am very content. I hope I stay this way for a while.
For now, I'll just keep on flying and see what comes my way.
Until next time, Zach will leave it at that.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
The Power Behind a Story
People cease to amaze me...and I don't say that with anger. Diversity amazes me. Struggles amaze me. But most of all, stories amaze me.
I love stories. I want to hear them. When I am trying to get to know a person, I want to hear the stories they have. Whether it is stories about family, stories about friends, stories about happiness, stories about struggles...it doesn't matter. It is one's stories that make a person who they are.
For now, I work in a restaurant. I'm a server. I deal with people for probably about 95% of my job. And every single table I go to, I think about the stories they have. It is probably not noticeable at work, and the people I work with will not know this about me until (and if) they read this blog, but I think a lot at work about the people and environment around me. I had a table last night...two older men who have been partners for 28 years and recently became legally hitched. As I always try to instigate conversation among my tables, this conversation was inspiring. Twenty eight years...wow. And they have never been happier. It's sad that I only had a few minutes to talk with the gentlemen because I wanted to hear more. I wanted to hear the stories behind their lives, their struggles, their fears, and what has kept them going.
I think a lot of the motivation we get comes from stories. When we get depressed over something, many times we think of other people and say, "I'm not the first person who has ever faced this problem, and I won't be the last. If someone else made it through this, so can I" And many times, that keeps us going.
I've recently begun working the crisis hotline again. I've been doing it off and on for a year and a half now. Yea, a lot of times, it's not happy stories. After I hung up my phone from a 7:30am call this morning, I thought back...what kind of story lies behind the man who I just hung up with. It's ironic, but many times I find joy behind working a crisis/suicide hotline. I learn so much from the people I talk with, and maybe they learn from me. Although many times I find myself struggling to figure out what to say, hopefully what I do say inspires or helps them in some way.
If you're reading this, I want you to think of your stories. What stories do you have that make you who you are? I am lucky to have many people in my life...my family, friends from college, new friends in Richmond. But when I think about it, I don't think I have taken the right amount of time to sit down and listen to stories.
It doesn't matter who you are, I'll buy your coffee...as long as you provide me with your story.
Hopefully I'll see you around...
I love stories. I want to hear them. When I am trying to get to know a person, I want to hear the stories they have. Whether it is stories about family, stories about friends, stories about happiness, stories about struggles...it doesn't matter. It is one's stories that make a person who they are.
For now, I work in a restaurant. I'm a server. I deal with people for probably about 95% of my job. And every single table I go to, I think about the stories they have. It is probably not noticeable at work, and the people I work with will not know this about me until (and if) they read this blog, but I think a lot at work about the people and environment around me. I had a table last night...two older men who have been partners for 28 years and recently became legally hitched. As I always try to instigate conversation among my tables, this conversation was inspiring. Twenty eight years...wow. And they have never been happier. It's sad that I only had a few minutes to talk with the gentlemen because I wanted to hear more. I wanted to hear the stories behind their lives, their struggles, their fears, and what has kept them going.
I think a lot of the motivation we get comes from stories. When we get depressed over something, many times we think of other people and say, "I'm not the first person who has ever faced this problem, and I won't be the last. If someone else made it through this, so can I" And many times, that keeps us going.
I've recently begun working the crisis hotline again. I've been doing it off and on for a year and a half now. Yea, a lot of times, it's not happy stories. After I hung up my phone from a 7:30am call this morning, I thought back...what kind of story lies behind the man who I just hung up with. It's ironic, but many times I find joy behind working a crisis/suicide hotline. I learn so much from the people I talk with, and maybe they learn from me. Although many times I find myself struggling to figure out what to say, hopefully what I do say inspires or helps them in some way.
If you're reading this, I want you to think of your stories. What stories do you have that make you who you are? I am lucky to have many people in my life...my family, friends from college, new friends in Richmond. But when I think about it, I don't think I have taken the right amount of time to sit down and listen to stories.
It doesn't matter who you are, I'll buy your coffee...as long as you provide me with your story.
Hopefully I'll see you around...
Sunday, December 26, 2010
A White Christmas and a Little More
My blog went well for about...2 years. Then, it seemed to fall off the face of the earth. Or did the writer of it fall off? I know I didn't. So maybe my blog did. I just returned to Richmond from a white weekend in Southwest Virginia and it was wonderful. I was able to catch up with family that I hadn't seen in nearly seven months.
I haven't updated in quite a while, and figured I would let everyone in on the happenings in my life. I sent a mass email to all my family and friends in mid-August giving an update on myself. I will kind of-sort of recap on that, and tell what has happened since.
After traveling and working in an orphanage in the Dominican Republic for a month this past summer, I headed to California for my 3rd summer with CTY. It was fun, as always. After CTY, I relocated to Richmond, Virginia. That is where my email left off...
I was hired with Wachovia as a teller the day I arrived in Richmond but couldn't start training until September. In the later part of August, I began working at Red Robin as a server to make some easy cash. For those who live in Southwest Virginia and have only seen commercials for Red Robin, it is a nice burger restaurant that has become a rather large part of my life in Richmond.
I was not happy with Wachovia from the day I started. To keep things simple, I have to say that the people you work with and/or are supervised by make or break a job. Well, that kinda broke my job at Wachovia. Luckily, I have great managers at Red Robin who were willing to help me out and give me more hours if I gave up the bank. So, a few weeks ago, I made the decision to resign from Wachovia. I wasn't supposed to be working the bank. Everyone who knows me knows that I want to do something with airplanes. Whether it is become a pilot, flight attendant, plane watcher, custodian at the airport...I don't care. I just want to be around planes. I decided that by resigning from Wachovia, I would have some extra time on my hands I could use to pursue a career in aviation. And, that's just what has happened...
I have two job opportunities lined up. The first that came along...flight attendant with Republic Airways. I am attending a session that includes an interview in Washington, DC on January 6th. Republic Airways operates a number of regional airlines (US Airways Express, United Express, Frontier, etc.) but I would get to travel a ton! Being a flight attendant would be fun, but the pay is kind of bad.
The second opportunity is what I'm really hoping works out...last week, I was contacted by JetBlue. I had submitted my application around two months ago about a customer service position at the Richmond airport. I honestly thought they had sifted through applications and brushed mine to the side...but I guess not! This coming Wednesday, I have an interview for a customer service position with JetBlue at the airport. I am so excited! From what I've read and heard, they are the best airline to work for and I'm hoping it works out.
Other than that, I have to say I have made a few new friends in my move to Richmond and my travels this fall. Now that the bank is out of my life, I have more time to spend with them and I like it. It is making my time here in Richmond more enjoyable. Last Tuesday I fixed breakfast for about 15 or so of my Red Robin co-workers. I like to cook for people, and I like visitors. So, it was a joyous occasion.
Want me to cook for you? Let me know when you're coming and it'll be ready! Until next time, I'll leave it at that.
I haven't updated in quite a while, and figured I would let everyone in on the happenings in my life. I sent a mass email to all my family and friends in mid-August giving an update on myself. I will kind of-sort of recap on that, and tell what has happened since.
After traveling and working in an orphanage in the Dominican Republic for a month this past summer, I headed to California for my 3rd summer with CTY. It was fun, as always. After CTY, I relocated to Richmond, Virginia. That is where my email left off...
I was hired with Wachovia as a teller the day I arrived in Richmond but couldn't start training until September. In the later part of August, I began working at Red Robin as a server to make some easy cash. For those who live in Southwest Virginia and have only seen commercials for Red Robin, it is a nice burger restaurant that has become a rather large part of my life in Richmond.
I was not happy with Wachovia from the day I started. To keep things simple, I have to say that the people you work with and/or are supervised by make or break a job. Well, that kinda broke my job at Wachovia. Luckily, I have great managers at Red Robin who were willing to help me out and give me more hours if I gave up the bank. So, a few weeks ago, I made the decision to resign from Wachovia. I wasn't supposed to be working the bank. Everyone who knows me knows that I want to do something with airplanes. Whether it is become a pilot, flight attendant, plane watcher, custodian at the airport...I don't care. I just want to be around planes. I decided that by resigning from Wachovia, I would have some extra time on my hands I could use to pursue a career in aviation. And, that's just what has happened...
I have two job opportunities lined up. The first that came along...flight attendant with Republic Airways. I am attending a session that includes an interview in Washington, DC on January 6th. Republic Airways operates a number of regional airlines (US Airways Express, United Express, Frontier, etc.) but I would get to travel a ton! Being a flight attendant would be fun, but the pay is kind of bad.
The second opportunity is what I'm really hoping works out...last week, I was contacted by JetBlue. I had submitted my application around two months ago about a customer service position at the Richmond airport. I honestly thought they had sifted through applications and brushed mine to the side...but I guess not! This coming Wednesday, I have an interview for a customer service position with JetBlue at the airport. I am so excited! From what I've read and heard, they are the best airline to work for and I'm hoping it works out.
Other than that, I have to say I have made a few new friends in my move to Richmond and my travels this fall. Now that the bank is out of my life, I have more time to spend with them and I like it. It is making my time here in Richmond more enjoyable. Last Tuesday I fixed breakfast for about 15 or so of my Red Robin co-workers. I like to cook for people, and I like visitors. So, it was a joyous occasion.
Want me to cook for you? Let me know when you're coming and it'll be ready! Until next time, I'll leave it at that.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Hola!
I guess you can say I've failed. I promised a few weeks ago that I would keep everyone on top of what is going on in my life, but I haven't. I'm nearly three weeks into my 3.5 week stay in the Dominican Republic and I have yet to update my blog and let everyone know how my trip is going. I apologize.
I arrived here what seems like just yesterday. I have to say I enjoy this country much more than Ecuador. The people are, in my opinion, much nicer. I've been trying to think of the best way to do this post, so I think I'll divide it up into different aspects of my life here.
Where I live: I live in a home with around 20 other guys, and one lady. It is one of the two homes that make up Villa Bendicion, an orphanage in the city of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. Here at this home, the guys range in age from 12-25 or so. At the other home lives all the girls, and the younger boys. I share a room with two more awesome volunteers from Oklahoma, and one of the guys who live here. We have a bathroom which we share with Karen, the lady I would refer to as the house mom. On the toilet, there is no seat so I have become a pro at balancing myself on the rim of the commode while attempting to use the bathroom. There is no shower head, so water spurts from a hole in the wall. And, there is no hot water. It may sound rough, but it actually is not. It is part of life here. Even though there are these issues, the bathroom is kept extremely clean, which is awesome. We have wireless internet here, which was a big suprise to me. It is pretty awesome because there is an office with three computers so all of the guys here have access to the internet and stuff.
La Ciudad de Santo Domingo (the city of Santo Domingo): the city is great. The driving...not so great. I have begun to get a thrill out of running across the road and trying not to get hit by cars. The streets are dirty, but what can you expect in a city? There is a mixture of people. I can't really describe a Dominican person. Many are of African descent, while many others are Latino or Latina. The city is located right on the Caribbean Ocean. One of the routes we take to the other home each day is a sidewalk that runs along the coast. It is great to feel the ocean spray as we walk.
What I do each day: The first week or so varied. We spent those days cooking lunch for all the kids at the other home, which is where we do all of our work. We would leave here around 8 each morning, walk for 30 minutes (about 2 miles) to get to the other home, and then cook until around 1. After lunch, we would just spend time with the kids. Their school ended on June 3rd so since then we have been conducting a summer camp. Now I wake up around 8 and we leave here around 9 or 9:15. We get there and break up into our groups. I am a group leader for the youngest of the kids (2 years to 7 or 8). It is great. We do group activities (read a story out of a Spanish kids bible, dance, sing, etc.) then of the evenings we usually do a group activity. This past week we watched three movies and two days we had a water day which included water hoses, water balloons, and lots of getting wet.
Weather: it is in the low to mid 90s here each day. The humidity is insane. I sweat all the time. Not joking, I think I've lost anywhere between 15-20 pounds since I've been here. I drink a lot of water, but I don't pee hardly at all because I sweat out all of the water I take in. It rains once every two or so days. Sometimes it comes rather intense thunderstorms. The power goes out regularly (once every day or so.)
Non-categorized stuff:
-The theater here costs 50 pesos (around $1.25) on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so we go to the movies really often.
-I get angry when taxi drivers assume I want a taxi because I'm American.
-My Spanish is improving. I can actually have somewhat of a conversation with some of the kids.
-I like the people I work with.
-I like ice cream.
-We go to church on Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday evenings. The church services last anywhere from 2.5 to 4 hours. They are quite exhausting, but fun. I enjoy the music, but I can't understand any of what the preachers have to say.
Now that I've gotten this long post out of the way, maybe a few more will follow. Sorry there are not any pictures up, but the internet here is not fast enough to upload pictures. I will do so as soon as I get to California. I leave here at 7:15 on the morning of June 19th (a week from today)! I fly from here to Miami, where I have a stupid 5 hour layover, then I have a 6 hour flight from Miami to San Francisco. I am spending the night in San Jose, CA, on the night of the 19th, and meeting up with the CTY folks on the afternoon of the 20th. As you all know, spending my summers at the camp in California has become one of my favorite things to do, so I am really excited about that.
Until then, Zach will leave it at that.
I arrived here what seems like just yesterday. I have to say I enjoy this country much more than Ecuador. The people are, in my opinion, much nicer. I've been trying to think of the best way to do this post, so I think I'll divide it up into different aspects of my life here.
Where I live: I live in a home with around 20 other guys, and one lady. It is one of the two homes that make up Villa Bendicion, an orphanage in the city of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. Here at this home, the guys range in age from 12-25 or so. At the other home lives all the girls, and the younger boys. I share a room with two more awesome volunteers from Oklahoma, and one of the guys who live here. We have a bathroom which we share with Karen, the lady I would refer to as the house mom. On the toilet, there is no seat so I have become a pro at balancing myself on the rim of the commode while attempting to use the bathroom. There is no shower head, so water spurts from a hole in the wall. And, there is no hot water. It may sound rough, but it actually is not. It is part of life here. Even though there are these issues, the bathroom is kept extremely clean, which is awesome. We have wireless internet here, which was a big suprise to me. It is pretty awesome because there is an office with three computers so all of the guys here have access to the internet and stuff.
La Ciudad de Santo Domingo (the city of Santo Domingo): the city is great. The driving...not so great. I have begun to get a thrill out of running across the road and trying not to get hit by cars. The streets are dirty, but what can you expect in a city? There is a mixture of people. I can't really describe a Dominican person. Many are of African descent, while many others are Latino or Latina. The city is located right on the Caribbean Ocean. One of the routes we take to the other home each day is a sidewalk that runs along the coast. It is great to feel the ocean spray as we walk.
What I do each day: The first week or so varied. We spent those days cooking lunch for all the kids at the other home, which is where we do all of our work. We would leave here around 8 each morning, walk for 30 minutes (about 2 miles) to get to the other home, and then cook until around 1. After lunch, we would just spend time with the kids. Their school ended on June 3rd so since then we have been conducting a summer camp. Now I wake up around 8 and we leave here around 9 or 9:15. We get there and break up into our groups. I am a group leader for the youngest of the kids (2 years to 7 or 8). It is great. We do group activities (read a story out of a Spanish kids bible, dance, sing, etc.) then of the evenings we usually do a group activity. This past week we watched three movies and two days we had a water day which included water hoses, water balloons, and lots of getting wet.
Weather: it is in the low to mid 90s here each day. The humidity is insane. I sweat all the time. Not joking, I think I've lost anywhere between 15-20 pounds since I've been here. I drink a lot of water, but I don't pee hardly at all because I sweat out all of the water I take in. It rains once every two or so days. Sometimes it comes rather intense thunderstorms. The power goes out regularly (once every day or so.)
Non-categorized stuff:
-The theater here costs 50 pesos (around $1.25) on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so we go to the movies really often.
-I get angry when taxi drivers assume I want a taxi because I'm American.
-My Spanish is improving. I can actually have somewhat of a conversation with some of the kids.
-I like the people I work with.
-I like ice cream.
-We go to church on Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday evenings. The church services last anywhere from 2.5 to 4 hours. They are quite exhausting, but fun. I enjoy the music, but I can't understand any of what the preachers have to say.
Now that I've gotten this long post out of the way, maybe a few more will follow. Sorry there are not any pictures up, but the internet here is not fast enough to upload pictures. I will do so as soon as I get to California. I leave here at 7:15 on the morning of June 19th (a week from today)! I fly from here to Miami, where I have a stupid 5 hour layover, then I have a 6 hour flight from Miami to San Francisco. I am spending the night in San Jose, CA, on the night of the 19th, and meeting up with the CTY folks on the afternoon of the 20th. As you all know, spending my summers at the camp in California has become one of my favorite things to do, so I am really excited about that.
Until then, Zach will leave it at that.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
The Life of a Graduate
Yes...it's been a while. Many things have changed since I last updated this blog. Mainly, I am now a college graduate. I was sitting here in Myrtle Beach with some of my friends and a thought came to mind about my blog. Now that I am not in constant contact with many of the people who I regularly talked to, I figured it would be best if I started my blog back to keep people informed of what is going on in my life.
I have some extensive plans ahead. Currently, I am living out of my car...which is parked in Blacksburg, Virginia. My best friend Colton came from Arizona for my graduation. After exploring Virginia for a few days, doing graduation stuff, and then visiting some more of Virginia, we headed to Ohio. I spent a couple days in Columbus with some friends and then headed south to Virginia Tech. After attending the Virginia Tech graduation, we headed down here to Myrtle Beach.
I'm burned...I tend to be like every other person who has lighter skin and lays in the sun just hoping today is the day I will get a tan. I didn't. I just got red. I'm here until Friday.
A week from today (next Tuesday), I will be flying to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. It's kinda scary, but my plans are not in stone yet. I talked to a man in the DR today who is setting me up with a place to live and such. I should hear back from him sometime tomorrow about where I'm gonna be working and living and stuff.
I am flying on June 19th from the Dominican Republic to San Francisco to spend another wonderful summer in Santa Cruz working for CTY. After returning from California in August, I will be moving to Richmond and living with my friend Tarah. I will be working (hopefully a state or a federal job) for a while and saving money to attend flight school.
I will be keeping the blog up to date, especially while I'm in the Dominican!
Until next time, Zach will leave it at that.
I have some extensive plans ahead. Currently, I am living out of my car...which is parked in Blacksburg, Virginia. My best friend Colton came from Arizona for my graduation. After exploring Virginia for a few days, doing graduation stuff, and then visiting some more of Virginia, we headed to Ohio. I spent a couple days in Columbus with some friends and then headed south to Virginia Tech. After attending the Virginia Tech graduation, we headed down here to Myrtle Beach.
I'm burned...I tend to be like every other person who has lighter skin and lays in the sun just hoping today is the day I will get a tan. I didn't. I just got red. I'm here until Friday.
A week from today (next Tuesday), I will be flying to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. It's kinda scary, but my plans are not in stone yet. I talked to a man in the DR today who is setting me up with a place to live and such. I should hear back from him sometime tomorrow about where I'm gonna be working and living and stuff.
I am flying on June 19th from the Dominican Republic to San Francisco to spend another wonderful summer in Santa Cruz working for CTY. After returning from California in August, I will be moving to Richmond and living with my friend Tarah. I will be working (hopefully a state or a federal job) for a while and saving money to attend flight school.
I will be keeping the blog up to date, especially while I'm in the Dominican!
Until next time, Zach will leave it at that.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Breakeven, Twitter, and Volcanoes
It has been a couple of weeks since I last updated my blog so I figured I would give you an update. Weekend before last, I went to Virginia Tech to visit my friends there. On Saturday night, I shut the top of my computer. On Sunday, when I opened it, I had the blue screen of death. Being in college and trying to save money for pilot school, I decided not to buy a new computer just yet. I figured I would make a list of my thoughts because I no longer feel like typing in paragraph form.
-My computer in the Student Government office also contracted a virus...which makes me mad.
-I am sick of the snow. It is pretty, fun to play in, and relaxing, but it is ridiculous.
-I had an excellent weekend that consisted of sleigh riding, movie watching, good friend, and a lot of doing nothing. It was quite great.
-I have watched the movie Volcano twice in the past 18 hours.
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-I would like to experience a volcano eruption.
-I now have twitter. Click here to go to my page. You should make one too.
-I like my schedule this semester.
-I have a good song for you.
Take the time, listen to it, and enjoy your day. I know I'll enjoy mine.
Until next time, Zach will leave it at that.
-My computer in the Student Government office also contracted a virus...which makes me mad.
-I am sick of the snow. It is pretty, fun to play in, and relaxing, but it is ridiculous.
-I had an excellent weekend that consisted of sleigh riding, movie watching, good friend, and a lot of doing nothing. It was quite great.
-I have watched the movie Volcano twice in the past 18 hours.
-
-I would like to experience a volcano eruption.
-I now have twitter. Click here to go to my page. You should make one too.
-I like my schedule this semester.
-I have a good song for you.
Take the time, listen to it, and enjoy your day. I know I'll enjoy mine.
Until next time, Zach will leave it at that.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Life in My Hands
I sit there waiting. Sometimes I can sit there for hours on end and it not ring. Sometimes I can sit there and have five calls in a matter of three hours. Either way, it's a waiting game. Although in this situation, I don't know what I'm waiting for. Well...I do know what I'm waiting for. I'm waiting for the phone to ring. But, when it does ring, I don't know who will be on the other end of the line. Will it be a 20 something guy who feels like he has no purpose in life and is contemplating suicide? Will it be a 50 something lady who has just lost her husband and needs someone to talk to? Will it be a 16 year old girl who called to tell me that her dad just raped her? Honestly, I never know what to expect. I have to be prepared for everything.
Working a crisis hotline can be challenging, but sometimes I just can't explain how rewarding. Many times last semester I would ask myself, "Zach, why are you doing this?" I never could figure out the answer...as many questions I have are left unanswered. But I have figured out something about myself during my time at Emory & Henry. I have an earnest desire to help other people. I have to do it somehow...so why not help other people by helping them solve their various crises?
As I was driving back from my 8:30-12 crisis hotline shift a few minutes ago, I thought about the depth of our job. We look at doctors and others in the medical field and we talk about how they hold other peoples lives in their hands.
It didn't occur to me until tonight that when someone calls and tells me they're contemplating suicide and they have a gun sitting in front of them, I am holding their life in my hands.
It didn't occur to me until tonight that I may finally be comfortable with that. I may actually be able to help them.
Until next time, Zach will leave it at that.
Working a crisis hotline can be challenging, but sometimes I just can't explain how rewarding. Many times last semester I would ask myself, "Zach, why are you doing this?" I never could figure out the answer...as many questions I have are left unanswered. But I have figured out something about myself during my time at Emory & Henry. I have an earnest desire to help other people. I have to do it somehow...so why not help other people by helping them solve their various crises?
As I was driving back from my 8:30-12 crisis hotline shift a few minutes ago, I thought about the depth of our job. We look at doctors and others in the medical field and we talk about how they hold other peoples lives in their hands.
It didn't occur to me until tonight that when someone calls and tells me they're contemplating suicide and they have a gun sitting in front of them, I am holding their life in my hands.
It didn't occur to me until tonight that I may finally be comfortable with that. I may actually be able to help them.
Until next time, Zach will leave it at that.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Eli, The Barrow Boy
I have come to realize over my past years here at Emory & Henry how much stories mean to me. This is all kinds of stories...books, stories of my past, stories of my family, stories of strangers. All kinds of stories. I learn most from hearing and reading stories.
Listen to the story of Eli, the Barrow Boy.
Thanks to my best friend who had me listen to this song.
Until next time, Zach will leave it at that.
Listen to the story of Eli, the Barrow Boy.
Thanks to my best friend who had me listen to this song.
Until next time, Zach will leave it at that.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
I Just Haven't Met You Yet!
Yes. I've slacked once again. I updated on the 2nd of January about my New Years. My trip to England and Ireland was great. During the time we were in Ireland it came a massive ice storm and the public transportation system (buses, airport, etc.) completely shut down. It made for an interesting time but we ended up getting out of Ireland on time and getting back to the US.
The past week has been busy. I began my last semester of college. I actually have some great classes this semester. I have my senior seminar class for my major, Politics & Public Policy, Statistics, International Communication, and an independent study called Memory, History, and Place. I'm really gonna enjoy my work while at the same time looking forward to graduation and heading off to pilot school afterward.
Hopefully I'll have a more meaningful update in a couple days. I'm gonna be reading some great books this semester so I hope to let you in on some of my thoughts with those.
Until then, I'm gonna leave you with a little tune. I heard it the other day and I think it is funny as it kind of explains my love life I suppose. I've always been a fan of Michael Buble and this is one of the first upbeat songs I have heard from him. Enjoy it!
Until next time, Zach will leave it at that.
The past week has been busy. I began my last semester of college. I actually have some great classes this semester. I have my senior seminar class for my major, Politics & Public Policy, Statistics, International Communication, and an independent study called Memory, History, and Place. I'm really gonna enjoy my work while at the same time looking forward to graduation and heading off to pilot school afterward.
Hopefully I'll have a more meaningful update in a couple days. I'm gonna be reading some great books this semester so I hope to let you in on some of my thoughts with those.
Until then, I'm gonna leave you with a little tune. I heard it the other day and I think it is funny as it kind of explains my love life I suppose. I've always been a fan of Michael Buble and this is one of the first upbeat songs I have heard from him. Enjoy it!
Until next time, Zach will leave it at that.
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