It's been a while...

I know it has been a very long while since I've written. I took an extended break to: study for my MCATs, take my MCATs, recover from taking my MCATs, sleep, catch up on my TV shows, etc., etc., etc.... But I'm back!

The past few months have been jam packed with fun, work, more fun, and more work. Because I can't remember what happens from one day to the next, I'll just give you an update of the past week or so.

At the DMH the residents are all pretty stoked about summer. After hibernating for most of the winter more people are getting out for walks or just sitting on the porch catching a nice breeze from time to time. A couple weeks ago while playing croquet (I found the set burried in the garage) I discovered they have fireflies here! I can't remember the last time I saw fireflies, but I was so excited I made DB run around and try and catch them with me. She enjoyed the attempt at catching fireflies more than the attemp at hitting a ball through a gate with a mallet, go figure. We also welcomed a summer volunteer from University of Notre Dame last week. He is in charge of planning outings for the residents. Tomorrow will be the first one, we are going to the movies! I'm pretty excited, though I think it will be a challenge to get everyone to agree on one movie, but we'll give it a go. We've also been playing lots of games with prizes, which is fun, but quickly depleting me of my $85/month stipend. They are starting to request more extravagant prizes, which is taking a hit on my wallet, but well worth it for the laughs and fun we have.

Outside of work I've been struggling to stay hydrated in the hot, hot heat and humidity. I've been running quite a bit, which means I either need to get up early or make sure I double my fluid intake for the day to escape passing out somewhere along the road. Who knew that a place could have five feet of snow in February and then 90 degree weather with 80% humidity in May/June. The heat was most evident yesterday as I ran a seven mile race called the Survivor Harbor 7 representing my workplace in a heavy cotton neon green shirt. I didn't really notice the heat until my last mile when I looked down and noticed that my shirt had gone from neon green to forest green because of the copious amounts of sweat... gross! I also had quite the battle with heat later in the day at Hon Fest (think Hairspray)... the afternoon consisted of: walking 2 miles to get to the festival, drinking a gallon of lemonade that immediately seeped out of my pores in the form of sweat, watching old ladies belly dance, the crowing of the "best hon", and then walking back with a little help from some kids selling bottles of water. Let's just say it was a hot, sticky day!

Sorry this is short, but in these last few weeks of JVC, I will try to do a better job keeping you updated and sharing my experiences.

And, if you get a chance, check out this site and donate if you can!! Thanks! https://atl.etapestry.com/fundraiser/JesuitVolunteerCorps/hiketodis-o/individual.do?etapCacheBuster=1276040336622&participationRef=2315.0.113690765&shareMedium=label.facebook