The Train Experience...

Our first train is from Tomah to Chicago...
HOWEVER, our train decides to hit a car!
YES! You read it right...our train clips either the front or back of a car.
I'm not sure which.
It occurs right outside of Milwaukee, in a town called Brookdale, or that's the name I recall.
So here we sit stuck at a complete stop for over an hour and a half...Me with Age by my side passed out! What a bore. The train finally starts leaving again at about 5 o' clock and we are suppose to be catching the 5:45 train in Chicago...which mind you is 90 minutes away!
We start thinking, oh man, what are we going to do?
Not that we are worried, just frustrated that things aren't going the way they are suppose to.
So we rush off the train in Chicago at around 6:40 and run to the next train that leaves at 7:05 and find out we can't check our baggage...so we have to haul it on yet another train.
With Age carrying a large suitcase, a small suitcase, a luggage bag, a laptop bag, and a backpack! What a site...
We get on the train...watch a movie, and prepare for the next 19 hours ahead of us.
This man was snoring the entire night...and his snoring sounds like farting, along with another guy talking on the phone until 1 a.m.
Let me tell you, not a very ideal place to get some z's.
Finally we fall asleep, but into a very restless sleep.
And wake up to the beautiful sites of these mountains, a river, and small quaint villages along side the tracks.
The scenic car seemed appealing then, where we meet a lady with her son.
She turns out to be the president of the Blind Children of Michigan, and she is taking her very intelligent adopted blind son to visit the senators in D.C.
She tells us her story, of how she put herself in foster car at age 15 because her mom was an alcholic and how she is now a foster mom to babies.
And has taken in 181 babies in 4 years, adopting 2 of them.
I sit there thinking how nice it is to meet such a caring person.
Then lunchtime...And let me tell you, you need talent to eat on a train...
We also had to sit with a stranger...she was nice, kind of cooky!
And the food was decent, but very expensive...We eavesdrop in on the conversation of some foreigners. Only able to make out bits and pieces of some Spanish. They are from Argentina and Brazil, some bored teenagers who came to the U.S. for some adventure.
During lunch, I notice all these broken down buses, rundown campers, some shelters, and such that you could tell people lived in. They weren't inhabited at the time...but it looked like they were planning to return. I'm picturing a bunch of gypsies living in these "shacks" alongside the river...what a life!
Then before we know it, we arrive in D.C., it still feels like Saturday night.
Our train to Aberdeen wasn't suppose to arrive until 8:30 so we catch an earlier train at 5:20.
Kind of disappointed now, that we made that choice, I would have liked to see D.C. but i'll get my chance...It's only an hour away from Perryville.
It was interesting people watching in the train station...just watching people and how different we midwesterners are from the rest of the country.
The train ride is a short hour, with a weird man and a BOX...
Getting off at the Aberdeen train station was odd, a man approaches us and asks us for a ride.
I look at Age, in shock, thinking what if he's a creep?
We say in unison, "We were going to just call a taxi."
This very rich looking man says, "I just dropped off my daughter and this is not a good neighborhood, I'll take you."
Age and I look at each other and decide with our eyes, that he looks trustable...we'll take the chance and skip out on the cab.
Little did we know that he has no idea where he is going...so he drops us off at a Holiday Inn where this energetic Lobby Attendent decides she wants to drive us to where we are going..."I need some cigarette money!" She says...
It's a 15 minute drive to Perryville, But Shari, the lobby attendent, is a hoot! She is cracking jokes left and right and telling us about her kids.
We arrive at the Ramada Inn....FINALLY a shower and a bed! RELIEF!
Strangers, I guess you just have to use your best judgement...I mean you can't close everyone in the world out...It's refreshing to know that people will go out of their way to help you, just when you need it!

Bon Voyage..

Age and I arrive at the Tomah train station at around 11 a.m.
To my surprise, there are at least 30 family members and friends ready to say their good-byes...
It's nice to see all of these loved ones behind our hopes and dreams.
We are rushed onto the train, in tears and filled with sooo many emotions.
I turn to look at Age and all I can do is cry, look at her and say, "I can't believe we are finally doing this." But behind my tears I can't help but let out my excited laughter...so it comes out as an akward sob/laugh...That quite honestly made my stomach churn.
It hits me, time flew, we are finally leaving!
But it still hasn't hit me that I won't be returning home for another 10 months.
It really only feels as if we'll be on vacation for, oh I don't know, a week.
The train passes by Oakdale, Camp Douglas, and Mauston in what seems like minutes.
We left our hometown, just like that, with one step on the train and all our family members behind us in tears and left with high hopes and worry I'm sure.

Morning Of...

It's the morning of...
The first day of the next chapter in my life,
The beginning of an adventure I hope will change my life.
It still hasn't set in yet & the train will be here in 3 hours!
I've been counting down since 136...Time really flew!
I have so much excitement right now....I might possibly explode!
However, my excitement goes right along side my fear, anxieties, happiness, and well every other emotion ever felt by another human being before!
One kind of feels numb when you have too much to feel at one time...
Well, Bon Voyage everyone...I will miss everyone, but you are in my thoughts and prayers.
See you in November, Enjoy life in the meantime:)
Don't forget to tell me all about it either...

My Motivational Statement

There are several reasons why I would love to be a part of Americorps. I have always had a passion for helping others. In fact I would go so far as to say that I always put others before myself. I am so passionate about helping others out because I know that I am extremely fortunate, despite the fact that I haven’t had the easiest life, and I know that there are so many people out there far less fortunate than I am. And there is something about enhancing someone else’s life that is so rewarding to me. I make every day of my life a challenge to make someone else’s life better, by listening to their problems, smiling and saying hello, giving a hand, and becoming a CNA. I may not have an outstanding record of volunteer work but I feel that I make up for it with a big heart, my ability to work well with others, and with the dreams I have for my future. My ideal future is to travel the world, be it with other charitable organizations or an organization I start, and help anyone and everyone in need. I don’t need the fancy house and the perfect high paying career that most Americans dream of. I want to better the lives of others through my hard work and generosity even if that means sacrificing luxuries in my own. And by hard work, I mean that when I have it set in my mind to accomplish a project, no matter how hard, I will not give up. I will do anything possible to accomplish the task and do it to the best of my ability. And I truly feel that since I have not had a chance to help out in a big way here in Tomah, Wisconsin, I believe Americorps will give me the foundation and encouragement to push myself towards my dreams of traveling the world to benefit the lives of the less fortunate. The Americorps would be the perfect way to expose myself to this life I dream of and to help many other people towards the life that they dream of.It would be an honor but more of a blessing to be a part of this program.