First Blog Sandy/ Nola

So I was initially very nervous about this trip because I got all four of my wisdom teeth out on Jan second and I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to fully enjoy all the food at fun. Luckily I was feeling fine! Going into our work at sandy I was excited yet hesitant because I wasn't sure of what we were going to be doing and if I would be able to help with what they needed. When we got to our site where a whole two roofs. and first floors of a two seperate houses were washed away by the storm and plopped into someone else's backyard. The task was daunting and it seemed like it would take at least a week to complete, but we set off just picking st uff up, breaking things down and chipping away bit by bit under the guidance of our we did americorp guy named Jake. It felt great being part of a team and we I felt wreally competent and strong lifting these big parts of roof toeghther with my group. That night it was great coming toeghther with the whole group for a delicious dinner of Spagetti and meatballs, and comparing stories and reflecting on our day. I was really sore the next day but it validated the fact that I worked hard. we did a lot of the same thing and we had more people from outside groups helping us it was really great talking to other people and seeing what motivated them to come and volunteer. More americorp volunteers came also all the way from Utah and they were telling me about conserving trees. To my amazement we finished the project in TWO DAYS :D So the next day all of the bonners got toegther on a ra iny day to move piles of debris wood and cement that was piled in another home ownokers backyard. At some point in the morning a branch I was trying to pull came up and smacked me in the head and I got alittle dizzy so I took it alittle easier for the rest of the day. After lunch while I was digging I found a plastic bag full of photos so I made it my personal project to take them apart and try to salvage as many as possible. Back at the first site I had gone into the roof and sorted through a lot of possessions and I found lots of photos and even and antique wedding photo. It was really sentmental and humbling to salvage pieces of these homeowners pasts so they could bring some new memories with them to their new house someday :) That was my favorite part of the project saving pieces of peoples lives, like the letters from jail kayla found and all of the photos I saved. The drive down to Nola was exciting and fun with kayla and Laura as chaprarones and my group talked alot and jammed out. The day we got to Nola it was sticky and hot and we were all alittle tired but we were happy to finally have arrived at our destination!! We took a tour of the lower ninth and saw all of the destruction the storm caused, and walked on the leyvee which in my opinion is still too thin. Then we had an amazingly delicious lunch at mothers. I had a classic po'boy and I ate every last bit