Week 7 (September 14 - September 20)

Monday morning Becca and I met up with one of her friends from church at the local coffee shop called Sugar Rush. The coffee shop was adorable and it made me remember how one of my many dreams in life is to one day open my own coffee shop. Afterwards Becca and I drove north to Montgomery to do a little shopping before we headed back to campus. Before shopping Becca and I stopped for lunch at Panera. Goodness did I miss Panera! As we were shopping I was surprised to see that each store was displaying their fall line of clothes. I didn’t expect the south to ever carry anything warmer than a long sleeve shirt! Becca however kindly reminded me that now that I have become used to the heat, I will probably be wanting to wear a sweater when it drops to 60 degrees. Goodness I’m turning more and more into a southerner! Watch out!! After our quick shopping spree we headed back to campus. Directly on our way back we passed the town where our good friend Salina is stationed for her first project. Becca and I decided that it was necessary to make a stop in the town and surprise her. Surprising her was an understatement. She literally jumped in the air when we surprised her in the kitchen while she was making dinner. It was so nice to spend an hour catching up with her even though it would have been nicer to have been able to stay longer than an hour. After enjoying our weekend thoroughly Becca and I came to the
conclusion that we need to take a mini road trip at least once each round. The weekend was a great refresher :D

Tuesday through Friday my team and I continued painting the curbs around Vicksburg. This past week the majority of homes that we painted were boarded up and abandoned. The sight of these homes definitely made me realize just how poor Mississippi is. I’m glad that there is finally an AmeriCorps campus in Vicksburg. Hopefully each upcoming class that is stationed in Vicksburg will continue to serve Mississippi and bring a sense of hope and strength with them that they can then pass on to the citizens of Mississippi.

Wednesday after work my team and I played soccer against one of the other teams that is also staying on campus. I hadn’t played soccer since gym class in
middle school yet I found myself having a lot of fun! Playing soccer made me realize that I should have joined a soccer team while I was growing up! Oh well, I guess I could join an intramural team once I figure out what I’m doing with my life.

Thursday after work the teams that are staying on campus were invited by the local theatre to see “The Best of Broadway III”. The show consisted of a variety of songs from musicals such as Music Man, Man of La Mancha, Annie Get Your Gun, and You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown. I felt like I was back in Michigan while I sat in the audience!! It was such a refreshing and familiar feeling that made ms so happy! I definitely felt in my element and couldn’t help myself

Friday ending up being an all around fun day! In the morning my team and I drove around trying to find more neighborhoods to paint. At lunch time my teammate Lan was surprised with an opportunity to ride in a fire truck! She was beyond excited to say the least. This whole round she has been talking about how she’d love the opportunity to ride in a fire truck. During our lunch break, my team and I headed over to one of the local fire stations and enjoyed personal pizzas that were purchased for us by our sponsor. It’s amazing how extra tasty pizzas can be when you’re used to eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich every day. While at the station, a few of us even tried on the fire fighter uniforms. Goodness their uniforms are hot and heavy!! After lunch our day was cut short due to a rain storm. Mother nature does work in our favor every once in awhile :D

Saturday was a typical ISP kind of a day. Instead of participating in an ISP I decided that an “Alleigh Day” was way overdue. I ended up watching a few chick flicks before going shopping with Jocelyn for “church clothes”. I ended up purchases a pair of cute wedges, and 4 shirts. What can I say, this girl likes to shop! Later on I accompanied Becca to the bar to cheer on Auburn.

Sunday I finally attended my first Catholic mass with Jocelyn. The church was gorgeous and quite large!! One whole wall was decorated with stained glass and the church had an upper balcony where the choir sang! Overall my experience was great and I was happy to feel a sense of familiarity. I hope that I’ll have the opportunity to go to the church again. Afterwards Jocelyn, Mike and I went to McAlisters for lunch. McAlisters is quite similar to Panera and is turning into one of my favorite places to eat. It may turn into a weekly place to eat lunch after church.