...in a yellow wood
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back...
Life, as it tends to do, has once again changed and become something different entirely. After graduation in May, I decided that I wanted to take a year off from 'the real world' and volunteer with the Christian Appalachian Project (http://www.christianapp.org/), or CAP, in Eastern Kentucky.
My decision to volunteer instead of getting a job in nursing was met with a wide spectrum of responses from family, friends, peers, and co-workers. I have heard everything from "why on earth would you want to do that?" to "how wonderful, you'll never regret it". I understand both perspectives and believe me when I say that I have argued both sides with myself at various times before I finally committed to my year of service with CAP. My reasons for deciding to committ to volunteering are varied and many, but now that I am here I am sure that I am where I am supposed to be.
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back...
Life, as it tends to do, has once again changed and become something different entirely. After graduation in May, I decided that I wanted to take a year off from 'the real world' and volunteer with the Christian Appalachian Project (http://www.christianapp.org/), or CAP, in Eastern Kentucky.
My decision to volunteer instead of getting a job in nursing was met with a wide spectrum of responses from family, friends, peers, and co-workers. I have heard everything from "why on earth would you want to do that?" to "how wonderful, you'll never regret it". I understand both perspectives and believe me when I say that I have argued both sides with myself at various times before I finally committed to my year of service with CAP. My reasons for deciding to committ to volunteering are varied and many, but now that I am here I am sure that I am where I am supposed to be.
And its the best feeling in the world.
I have thought often about how to document this year not only for my friends and family, but also for myself, and have realized a blog would most likely be the best way. This way I can update as much as I want and those who want to know what I am doing will be able to check in as regularly as they are able.
And here is the overview of my adventures so far:
I moved to Kentucky on July 19th, but I didn't officially start my time as a volunteer until July 24th when I moved into the Floyd Volunteer House in Martin, KY. My housing is provided by CAP as part of the benefits they offer to volunteers. These benefits include a monthly stipend of $150, health insurance, and room & board to name the basics. I am currently working in the Housing Program which does major repairs on homes throughout the area. I plan on staying in this program all the way through the end of spring next year and then transitioning into CAP's Camp Shawnee which I have volunteered with for two summers previously.
The above is the quick overview of what I am doing here, but there are so many little things that are hard to express through this blog - the intricacies of living in community with upwards of 13 people, learning to drive a truck through back 'hollers', and having people ask you how many children you have and then be amazed when you say none. I will try with time to properly express all of these stories and more, but for now this is the beginning of my journey in Kentucky.
...I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Robert Frost
The above is the quick overview of what I am doing here, but there are so many little things that are hard to express through this blog - the intricacies of living in community with upwards of 13 people, learning to drive a truck through back 'hollers', and having people ask you how many children you have and then be amazed when you say none. I will try with time to properly express all of these stories and more, but for now this is the beginning of my journey in Kentucky.
...I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Robert Frost
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