Last Leg of the AmeriRace

Our project in Minot is over. KAPUT! We have left North Dakota and returned to Iowa to finish up our last couple of weeks in NCCC before we head out into the great unknown. Let me just say for the record: Thank God. Don't get me wrong, I was very happy to help the people of Minot, but power washing, mucking and gutting is just not my bag, people. The other day, my nose was running inside my P100 mask, so I took it off, blew my nose in my hand, wiped it on my coveralls, put the glove back on and kept working. Daily, I sniff my socks to determine which are less horrible smelling, and therefore acceptable to wear again. There were a couple of occasions where I didn't feel the need to shower for over 48 hours. I shoveled poo water into buckets, and touched a 10 pound turkey that had been decomposing in a broken freezer for 5 months. Yes, this program has changed me.

In many ways I have become a stronger, more confidant person with skills I never thought I'd have a reason to obtain and priceless life experiences. At other times, I have felt like this program is the most frustrating thing I will ever undergo, unless I decide to become Octomon 2.0. And let me tell you, that sh*! is not going to happen. If you want to know more specifics of why doing hard manual labor for 10 months while also serving as the den mother to 8 young adults is ridonk, give me a call sometime and I will unload on you for 3 hours. But in all honesty, they are a good group of people. We were definitely like a family this year. We pissed each other off. We loved each other. We traveled the country together. We made a difference together. And now we will go our separate ways and see what the big man in the sky has in store for us back home. I will miss my crew.