Dark Blue

Well hello my lovely people who enjoy reading my thoughts, rants, and comments about life in Miami :)  I have waited a very long time (just over a week) to write a new blog... And I feel like, once again, I have so much to say!!

OK so lets hit the highlights shall we...
Last week I went to the First United Methodist Church of Miami with one of my roommates Callie.  The service was very lovely.  Pastor Cynthia was very poised and had a great message that corresponded very nicely with the 10th anniversary of 9/11.  The folks at the church were more than welcoming.... and I thought the organ was AMAZING.  It was absolutely stunning, and very well played.
Callie and I went to Riviera Presbyterian Church today.  She and I are both church hunting (which by the way is so exhausting).  The church was so awesome, the people were welcoming, and the message was great.  I am still on the search for a home church, and so is Callie.  She does not have a car so we are finding new churches every week that we alternate picking and go check them out.  So far, we have liked everywhere we have gone!  Thats a definite good sign...

Work is coming together very nicely.  It is a lot of paperwork, a lot of running around in the office.  But we did have TPS (Temporary Protected Status) clinic this past Thursday.  My supervisor (Janet) and my fellow co-worker (AmeriCorps Debbie) drove about an hour from our office to Bethesda church (one of many Haitian churches), where we had scheduled with Pastor Luc to have the church opened for any Haitian family or person to come and receive free help filling out their TPS form before the deadline in November.  We finally arrive, and Pastor Luc is no where to found.... He forgot we were coming!!
We eventually tracked him down.  Pastor Luc was helping at Hallendale Church passing out food to the community.  There were so many families and individuals there waiting for food, many of which were Haitian.  Pastor Luc had forgotten to tell us that Thursdays are his day off and he spends his time off helping distribute food.  He has a heart of gold!  Debbie and I are planning on going down on Wednesdays or Thursdays to help distribute food and to interact with the community, especially those who are part of the Haitian community, and both Debbie and I are so eager to start volunteering at this food pantry.
I like work very much... I can see it becoming emotionally draining.  I can predict that the more I learn, the more I am going realize that the government is really annoyingly difficult to work with.  I have always heard things about the legal system, but I have NEVER been this closely linked to it.  There will be more to come on this subject later in life.... I am not knowledgeable yet to really go in depth about it.... But I will be.

On a lighter note....
On Friday we had a house warming party... WOO HOO!  We had all of the DOOR people come over, and invited everyone in our community.  Naturally, people who lived on the farm were 1 1/2 hours early, and everyone from DOOR was 1 1/2 hours late.  Prior to the party... One of the folks who lives on the farm delivered 8 live crabs to our house that he caught earlier that day.  He said that they were birthday presents for my roommate Rebekah (whose birthday was on the 14th) and for mine (which is the 19th).  So we boiled ourselves some crabs... and for dinner had 2 crabs each.  I have never had crab in my life.... OK like one time.... But not the whole thing.  My housemates and I looked very primitive.  Crab shells, crab meat, and crab stuff was just shooting everywhere across the table.  I was more scared of the dead crab laying on my plate, than I was before it was boiled to a bright right. It was an experience thats for sure.... But back to the party!!
We eventually had about 20 people who came by.  We gave the tour of where we live.  Through my back porch of a room (which by the way is looking like a real room!) to the animals out in the back.  Too bad it was dark and no one could really see the goats, pig, emus, geese, chickens, or turkeys.  They were all in awe of the layout of the land.  I think no one truly believes us that we really live in a hippie community with live animals.  It was amazing to see their reactions.... So this is fair warning for anyone coming to visit me.... IT IS WAY COOLER THAN IT SOUNDS ON PAPER!
At night we had a huge fire out on the volleyball court... We find anything wood we can burn and just go at it.  We also bring out as many djembes (drums) as we can find.  Lydia and I break out guitars and we just sit and play music for hours.  This happens for us about every other night.  So chill, so relaxing, so zen.  Loveeeee.

Oh this next thought might surprise some of you....
I have made the vow to start reading books.  Yes, what a NOVEL idea :) haha that made me laugh!
I am just finishing up Nicholas Sparks book 'At First Sight'... and I must say, I am really 1) enjoying the book itself... and 2) enjoying actually spending time here and there throughout my day to sit and just read.  It is so therapeutic.  I think I'm convinced the read all of the Nicholas Sparks books... YAY! I am beginning to read 'The Princess Bride' tomorrow with a friend who is willing to read it with me!  I think it will be nice to have someone to discuss what I am reading with, and it will make me for sure not get behind on my reading!!  So if you have any suggestions on books... Let me know :)

Also, I would like to thank those who are sending me things in the mail.  I really love receiving notes, letters, boxes, whatever... You guys are too wonderful.

Yeah I realize this blog is really long... So I shall cut off my thought process here...
I have SO much more to say... but there is just not enough time, especially since Starbucks is closing very soon -- no internet at the house is very frustrating and very inconvenient, but I can't complain too much because at least I have the ability to access internet here... whereas I know some of my fellow MI's do not even have that luxury... Keeping myself in check--

Happy 22nd Birthday to me in 2 1/2 hours!!
I love you all and I will try to post more often!
Till next time...
<3 Rachel

A little bit of thunder and lightening never killed anyone....

Hiiiiiiiii :)

Well, the title of this blog is half true...  Thunder has not killed anyone, but lightening has.  And that is why I am INSIDE!  

I was driving home from work today and a huge thunder and lightening storm just popped out of no where.  It's weird because I am more or less getting used to these random storms.  They are so beautiful and terrifying at the same time.  My room does not muffle any of the noise, by the way.  It is pretty intense when I can feel the thunder rumble in my bed.... Anyway, I am slightly obsessed with the storms... CAN YOU TELL??

But when it comes to real life stuff (like my job, my house, my friends, my roommates...)  things are going pretty good.    My room is set up, for the most part.  I have learned (the hard way) that cement walls do not allow sticky hooks to permanently make a home on the walls.  I have broken 2 huge frames, 1 small frame, and everything has fallen off the wall.  Even my tension rod curtains find a way to fall off my windows in the middle of the night.  I have had 879890 heart attacks during the night because things just fall. 

The roaches in our kitchen have slowly been exterminated, thank you very much ACE hardware and momma and papa deBos.  If anyone has a roach problem..... call me up because I have become the ROACH KILLING MACHINE.  Those buggers have no chance against my lightening fast reflexes... 

Work is going good.  Still figuring out exactly what I will be doing.  Thus far, I have a partner in crime, her name is Debbie and she is an AmeriCorp.  She speaks fluent Creole, so she has a huge advantage over me when it comes to talking to the clients that come in the office.  Today we spent 3 1/2 hours helping a nice client fill out I-130... I think that is the name of the form.  I am learning the numbers and names of everything... THERE IS SO MUCH!  I definitely have some studying to do. 

But I have heard through my supervisor that I will be getting tasks to plan events for our clients.  Like Christmas banquets, get togethers, and events.  That is what I want to do!  Since Project HEAL is brand new, I am excited to help add some sparkle to the program!

I got the greatest comfort present just a few days ago.  My best friend Becca sent me a HUGE bowl full of notes from all of my loved ones back home.  So if you are reading this and wrote something in that bowl.... THANK YOU!  I know that Jamie, Andrew, Mrs. Rogers, and my momma wrote something.  They are happily taped in my journal.  I will never be home sick because I have this whole bowl of love notes to read :) And Becca, you are the greatest best friend ever.  I am happy to have you in my life <3

Speaking of home sick, I have yet to even still feel a little sad about moving out to Miami.  I am absolutely loving everything so far.  Well, maybe not LOVING every single moment, but I have nothing to complain about.  Everyone out here is so cool.  I am in Starbucks right now because the internet at our house does not work, and I am pretty sure I have made 10 friends just sitting here.  Actually, as we speak I am making friends with a 2nd grader.  Just had a 10 minutes conversation with her about school, storms, Miami, California, and what she learned today at school.  She said 'I learned that you should always help people, and when you do not want to help other you should still be nice to them.'  Uhhhh heck yes!  We also talked about how art is her favorite subject... Her and I would be best friends is I was a second grader!

Miami is totally cool, and I am so happy that I have been placed here.  The diversity out here is crazy awesome and everyone has really interesting stories.  Miami is a match made in heaven :)  Thank you GBGM for putting me somewhere that I can call home!

I miss EVERYONE so much... and I love that I have so many people to talk to always.  My sorority sisters, my best friends, my fellow US2's and MI's, my family, my camp friends, my church friends, and my 13 wonderful kiddies.... You are all so loved by me and I hope some of you eventually come and visit! I am slowly learning how to drive in Miami, and trust me when I say, I AM A PRO MIAMI DRIVER.  They drive like crazy people out here... I fit in just fine :)

OK that is all for now.  The Starbucks people keep looking at me like I am crazy, because I have been here for 2 hours haha

Till next time...

<3 Rachel

Whats up Miami

Oh man... SO much has happened since my last post.  This blog thing is so hard to keep track of!  I feel like I could write 12 pages each night about the kind of day I had.... So i guess it is a good thing I have no time, cuz anyone following me would be bored to death.  Ok so I take back what I said.  I AM THANKFUL FOR HAVING NO TIME!  (I think I have lost a bit of my mind since the drive out here and the constant go go go).

OK, so to the real deal of the blog.  My daddy and I drove across America in my beloved PT Cruiser.  Everyone knows that my Cruiser has never been 100%, so why would this trip be any different?  My car decided it did not want to go in reverse anymore.  So the entire road trip (all 4 days), my dad and i would either be pushing the car back into spots, or scoping out the slopes of the parking lot, and just rrooollliiinnnggggg back into spots.  It was pretty ridiculous, allowed people to give us strange looks, but it made for a good laugh every time we had to park.  And if anyone knows my dad, this was something he truly enjoyed.

So after a real easy drive across the states (had some good food, good company, and no drive felt like eternity).... We ended up in MIAMI!!  I am living in Little Haiti with three other housemates.  2 from Ohio, and 1 from California.  They are pretty cool thus far.  We actually met just yesterday (Wednesday) at the fingerprint place... I have NO IDEA how that even happened, but its was awesome.
I am living basically in an enclosed back porch.  4 cement walls, cement floor, and four walls with windows.  No airconditioning, one tiny light, one outlet, a gate like door, and bug infested.  Now after 3 days of straight work... the windows are replaced, the screens are replaced, there is a solid door in addition to the iron gate door, still no air, still one tiny light, and still one outlet..... the bugs are always going to our friends at the house.  Maybe not my room, but roaches, mice, and ants will find their way into the house.... Yuck. But anyway..... My room still need some TLC and a few posters, and colors, and pictures.... and its going to be SO COOL!  I can see it now.... oooooo it looks so good!

The community I am staying in (Little Haiti) is so legit.  We had a community meeting tonight, and the people I am surrounded with are so amazing.  They are all living together with the same ideas in mind... To live simply, peacefully, and in harmony.  It is great.  ALSO, the greatest most amazing thing about where I am living..... its called The Farm... wanna know why??  CUZ MY BACKYARD IS A FARM! There are geese, turkeys, roosters, chickens, ducks, emus, goats, and a pig!  It is so awesome!  The are loud, crazy, and eat everything.  I look outside of my window... and I see these beautiful creatures.  They are so wonderful. Of course, I LOVE THE PIG.  His name is Pumpkin, and he is miiiiiine.  The community just does not know it yet :]

I am so directionally challenged in Miami, that it is ridiculous.  Every street is a number... Grrrrr. Thank goodness I have a TomTom :]

Well... Tomorrow morning my daddy is leaving back to California.  It has been so great having him around.  He has been so helpful in so many ways, and he has also been relaxing company.  We get along so well!  So tomorrow I will officially be on my own.... It will be interesting, but I am so excited.

I am so happy.  Thank you Mother Father God, my friends, and everyone who is supporting me through this journey!  Off to bed.... :]

Till Next Time
Love always
Rachel