The End of One Thing is the Beginning of the Next

So I can't believe it. It's a little less than three weeks before the end of the school year. Time has flown by so fast. These last several weeks have probably flown by the fastest. I have no idea where the month of May went. I feel like June may end up wherever May seems to have gone too. It's crazy.

I last wrote in this blog on February 17th. FEBRUARY. 17TH. Around that time, I was having winter break. Around that time (well around the heavy winter weather time), I ended up going to a pond hockey tournament, ice skating, cross-country skiing, comedy show, and went country line dancing at a local venue.

I also went to a few concerts. USS (Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker) was really great and amazing; the two band members were very personable on stage and played great songs (I would absolutely go to another show!). Twenty One Pilots was also really great, and would be another show I'd be interested in going to as well. The lights and the two band members were all over the place, jumping from one spot to the next, playing the drums on top of the crowd, being RIDICULOUS and AMAZING at the same time! I would go to both of these bands' concerts in a heartbeat.

I ran a 5K Race and did pretty decent. I have another two that I signed up for coming up in the next couple weeks. One is a corporate challenge for work, and another is a fun colorful race. I'm excited for both of those.

I've also volunteered at several places. It feels great to volunteer, especially when it's nice out and it involves the community. I'm not going to lie, there was a spring clean-up day for my community that I partook in that had rainy weather for most of the day (minus the last hour) which was unfortunate. But I talked to some people while we were picking up litter, and it wasn't so bad. It was awesome to plant a couple trees too.

I've learned a lot about Buffalo's history. Regarding the Buffalo River and how it ended up being shaped to better navigate ships that were in the harbor during the boom that occurred here. There are old silos here for all the grain that was once stored still standing today. They're relics of the past and it's AMAZING to see how many of them were used back in the day and how large they were. I also visited the Central Terminal, which is the old train station (currently used for historical tours) that once had 200 trains visiting it EACH DAY. The architecture of the building is amazing. To stand in the middle of the terminal and imagine what it must've been like -- having all those people there, and all the goods passing by -- I would've very much liked to see what it was like back in the 60s before it shut down. You could almost hear all the bustling people moving around while at the terminal. I went to the Lockport Locks at the Erie Canal and learned about how ships carrying goods were transported from a lower portion of the river to a higher portion -- and was able to experience it. I also went to the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site in Buffalo and was able to go back in time while getting a tour of the house and how Theodore Roosevelt came to become president. So much history. So much of what is read in books. It's just amazing to imagine something as it was back in history and see what it is today based on decisions that were made at the time.

So as you have read, I've done a lot these past several months. I've met some new people and have enjoyed spending time with those that I met earlier in the school year. And it being much warmer weather has been great as well. I'm definitely enjoying the sun that has been shining more frequently, and hopefully will enjoy the vegetables that I've planted in the garden that I've created. There are lots of things that I am looking forward to this summer. I'll let you know what I end up doing.

In the City of Wild Wings

So I know you're thinking "What has this girl been doing? She hasn't written on here, or told me anything that's been going on. . .where is she?" Well. Let me TELL you.

I am in the city of wild wings.

Yes. The same city of wild wings that also smells of Cheerios within a 5 mile radius (figuratively) of downtown throughout the day. The same city that is right down the river from one of the most impressive waterfalls located on the eastern side of the U.S.. The same city that has chocolate covered sponge candy located in various stores throughout the area, and also has a very sweet (but oh so good) drink called the Logan Berry.

That's right Ladies and Gentlemen. The area I have described is Buffalo, New York.

I arrived here about mid-September, after I had gotten a job with AmeriCorps located right in the city. I didn't really know what I was getting myself into, come to think of it. The only thing I knew about Buffalo was that it was near Niagara Falls, and that Canada was literally across the river from it.

I am glad that I'm here. At first it was difficult, not going to lie. I didn't know ANYONE here, just moved into an apartment that I found on craigslist with 3 other people I hadn't met or known before, and with no idea of what it was like in the city. But after a few months of ups and downs (mostly ups) and great people that I serve with, I like it.

Maybe it's because it's a new place. Maybe it's because I can discover new things about myself and challenge myself. Maybe it's because I have some freedom that I never really had while working with outdoor/environmental education. I don't know. But I am enjoying the time that I do have right now, and am enjoying the people that I spend that time with. There are days where I do miss the people I've left and I do miss outdoor/environmental education -- but I know that in order to enjoy the present, I have to believe that I will get to see those things/people again in the future. And I will. I know it.

Anyways, I feel like I could write a bit more, but I don't want to explain. So I'll leave it at that. I'll update you on things that I've done or people I've met sometime later. Not too much later, but maybe in the next couple posts.

Until then. Ciao.