Wow! As usual, it has been awhile and I am pressed for time. Here are a few pictures to serve as updates on my life over the past month! Enjoy!
Fire Six team hike over transition week -- afterwards, we were officially sent back to our permanent teams! (so sad!)
Fire Six team hike over transition week -- afterwards, we were officially sent back to our permanent teams! (so sad!)
On the Tuesday of transition week, we had the annual "AmeriProm," held at the very classy (not) 4G's Mexican Restaurant across from campus. The goal was to dress as gaudy as possible. I wore a dress that MG got while in Arkansas, which was straight 80's.
Here are some of the lovely Fire Unit members in our dorm lobby before heading to the event! 
And the fabulous members of Fire One, happily reunited after shuffle round!
On Wednesday of transition week, we had an "All Corps Decathlon" around campus. Each team dressed up and competed at various events such as: frisbee, soccer, trivia, egg drop, obstacle course, etc. Our team spontaneously decided to be the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! 
On Thursday, we got free tickets to a Rockies game, and then we headed out for "ladies night" at this bar in Denver where ladies drink for free from 9-close (yes, I said free. Dangerous, I know!)
Over the weekend, I volunteered with the National Guard and spent time relaxing and cleaning. On Monday, May 17th I headed to Bayfield, CO with Fire One. But I wasn't there for long. On Wednesday morning, I flew to Georgia to spend time with Eric and attend his Officer School graduation. It was GREAT to see him and his family, and the graduation ceremony was really nice.
Here's me with Eric's family outside of the graduation.
Eric's mom and I pinning on his bars which signify his rank as a 2nd Lieutenant.
Ok, that last picture was posed. He's really tall, so we made him squat down!
After graduation on Thursday, we spent Friday exploring the area with his family. We went to a state park with a mini canyon area and hiked around. I was unprepared and didn't pack any tennis shoes for the trip (only flip flops and flats) so I did some barefoot hiking. I felt that after my two months in Arkansas trail building, I could hike in almost anything!
Another view of the canyon.
On Saturday morning, Eric and I began our roadtrip from Georgia to my team in Bayfield, CO. Eric's next stop for the military is in Arizona, so we decided to drive together so I could help him make it across the country. We stopped Saturday night in Memphis, TN and had an awesome dinner at Texas de Brazil. Afterwards, we walked around Beale Street, which is like a mini-Bourbon Street from New Orleans. There's live music, artists, and lots of drinking.
Eric thought this sign was hilarious, so of course I made him pose for a picture!
Not quite as crowded as Bourbon, but you can see the similarities!
Here's our team inside the basement on our first day. We are ready to learn tons of new construction skills and build this house!
My team installed the first level flooring while I was away visiting Eric. Here's a picture of us on my first day back. Jamie was the mastermind behind this picture. When asked why we were making a heart, she said "because we love each other!" Haha - it's a really cute picture nonetheless.
Here's a picture of Tim, Mary, and I using the circular saw to cut sections of OSB for the exterior of the house.
And here we are standing it up!
We were so excited to have the first wall up!
And now we have the entire first floor framed! We are working on the staircases up to the second floor and then we will be starting round two of framing. It's really exciting building a house because the progress we make each day is very noticeable!
So where are we living? We are staying in a church in Bayfield. We have lots of space and the congregation is very nice for housing our team. I sleep in a storage closet (haha, yes, weird I know) with Amanda and Marty. It sounds strange, but we are the only ones who don't have to pack up our cots on Sundays for church, so it worked out pretty well.
Bayfield is a small town with a population of about 1,500. It's sort of in the country so we are able to make bonfires in the evenings and have Smores, which is always fun!
We are about 20 minutes from downtown Durango, which has TONS of fun things to do. Last Sunday we all went white-water-rafting, which was a great experience. The water was FREEZING because it was run-off from the mountains, which also meant the river was moving pretty fast. When we went through the most rapid part of the river, I was asked to sit on the nose of the raft and keep the boat from flipping over backwards! I had to put my legs outside the boat, hold onto the rope, and ride for dear-life like I was riding a bull while the freezing cold 7 foot waves of water knocked into me! It was so intense, and I couldn't even scream because the cold water was knocking the wind out of me with every hit. I eventually fell backwards into the boat and nearly had a panic attack because I couldn't breathe, but afterwards I was really excited that I did it!
Durango has tons of great bars and restaurants. Here's Ross, Mary, and I out for sushi last weekend.
And here's Mary and I out at the Wild Horse Bar and Saloon on Saturday night.
Overall, I am having a great time finishing up my last round of AmeriCorps. Everyday I learn new skills and things about myself, and everyday is a new adventure. Even though I am anxious for my adult life to really get started, I cannot imagine if I hadn't done this program!
Best wishes for a safe and happy summer to all of you! I will be returning to Michigan on July 31st, and I can't wait to see and catch up with everyone! Take care!
Eric's mom and I pinning on his bars which signify his rank as a 2nd Lieutenant. 
Ok, that last picture was posed. He's really tall, so we made him squat down! 
After graduation on Thursday, we spent Friday exploring the area with his family. We went to a state park with a mini canyon area and hiked around. I was unprepared and didn't pack any tennis shoes for the trip (only flip flops and flats) so I did some barefoot hiking. I felt that after my two months in Arkansas trail building, I could hike in almost anything!
Another view of the canyon. 
On Saturday morning, Eric and I began our roadtrip from Georgia to my team in Bayfield, CO. Eric's next stop for the military is in Arizona, so we decided to drive together so I could help him make it across the country. We stopped Saturday night in Memphis, TN and had an awesome dinner at Texas de Brazil. Afterwards, we walked around Beale Street, which is like a mini-Bourbon Street from New Orleans. There's live music, artists, and lots of drinking.
Eric thought this sign was hilarious, so of course I made him pose for a picture!
Not quite as crowded as Bourbon, but you can see the similarities!
We spent Sunday night in Amarillo, TX and then arrived in Bayfield on Monday evening. We went into Durango and had dinner at the Steamworks Brewery, which was really nice. Eric got to meet my team and came over for dinner on Tuesday night. It was awesome to spent so much time with him and also for him to get a glimpse into what my AmeriLife is actually like!
Now for my project. We are building a two-family duplex in Bayfield. This is a picture of the lot from our first day. As you can see, it was just a cement crawlspace, so we are building from the ground up. You can see the beautiful mountains in the background. This area of Colorado is so pretty. It's always sunny, never rains, and it's hot (85-90' daily) but not humid because the altitude is around 7,000 feet.
Now for my project. We are building a two-family duplex in Bayfield. This is a picture of the lot from our first day. As you can see, it was just a cement crawlspace, so we are building from the ground up. You can see the beautiful mountains in the background. This area of Colorado is so pretty. It's always sunny, never rains, and it's hot (85-90' daily) but not humid because the altitude is around 7,000 feet.
Here's our team inside the basement on our first day. We are ready to learn tons of new construction skills and build this house!
My team installed the first level flooring while I was away visiting Eric. Here's a picture of us on my first day back. Jamie was the mastermind behind this picture. When asked why we were making a heart, she said "because we love each other!" Haha - it's a really cute picture nonetheless.
Here's a picture of Tim, Mary, and I using the circular saw to cut sections of OSB for the exterior of the house.
Since it was mostly girls who built the very first exterior wall, we decided we should have a "girls only" lift for the first wall. Here we are, showing off our muscles prior to lifting the wall!
And here we are standing it up!
We were so excited to have the first wall up! 
And now we have the entire first floor framed! We are working on the staircases up to the second floor and then we will be starting round two of framing. It's really exciting building a house because the progress we make each day is very noticeable! So where are we living? We are staying in a church in Bayfield. We have lots of space and the congregation is very nice for housing our team. I sleep in a storage closet (haha, yes, weird I know) with Amanda and Marty. It sounds strange, but we are the only ones who don't have to pack up our cots on Sundays for church, so it worked out pretty well.Bayfield is a small town with a population of about 1,500. It's sort of in the country so we are able to make bonfires in the evenings and have Smores, which is always fun!
We are about 20 minutes from downtown Durango, which has TONS of fun things to do. Last Sunday we all went white-water-rafting, which was a great experience. The water was FREEZING because it was run-off from the mountains, which also meant the river was moving pretty fast. When we went through the most rapid part of the river, I was asked to sit on the nose of the raft and keep the boat from flipping over backwards! I had to put my legs outside the boat, hold onto the rope, and ride for dear-life like I was riding a bull while the freezing cold 7 foot waves of water knocked into me! It was so intense, and I couldn't even scream because the cold water was knocking the wind out of me with every hit. I eventually fell backwards into the boat and nearly had a panic attack because I couldn't breathe, but afterwards I was really excited that I did it!Durango has tons of great bars and restaurants. Here's Ross, Mary, and I out for sushi last weekend.
And here's Mary and I out at the Wild Horse Bar and Saloon on Saturday night.Overall, I am having a great time finishing up my last round of AmeriCorps. Everyday I learn new skills and things about myself, and everyday is a new adventure. Even though I am anxious for my adult life to really get started, I cannot imagine if I hadn't done this program!Best wishes for a safe and happy summer to all of you! I will be returning to Michigan on July 31st, and I can't wait to see and catch up with everyone! Take care!
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