Home for the Holidays

Made it home safe and sound last night after a few days of travel. We left our home of "Trailsville Trailer Park" Wednesday morning, which was our long day of travel (12 hours). Got the Salina Kansas and were all thrilled for a nice long HOT shower for the first time in weeks. Slept really good and started our drive to Denver Thursday morning. We got the Denver at about 4:00 p.m. and were greeted with all of the other cars and our friends also unpacking their vehicles. It was so wonderful to see everyone and if felt like just days since we had left and had to say goodbye. Yesterday was full of packing, meetings, and spending a few more hours with everyone before some of us headed for the airport. My flight home went really fast and my lovely parents were waiting for me at the baggage claim. It is so wonderful to be home, along with overwhelming. It's starting to feel more like Christmas which is exciting. I love this time of year.

I am really bummed I wasn't able to blog over my first project round. We had very little cell phone service at our trailers and internet once a week when we drove the hour to Mena, AR for laundry, groceries and to be in civilization for a bit. That was our big trip for the week... we loved Walmart and all it had to offer!! No Targets for miles so that was a big problem.

I'm going to try to do a few blogs of my amazing month spent in Wickes Arkansas, Cassatot State Park. It's so hard to sum up all that happened into a few blogs, but I'll try my best to mention the major parts. Our team lived in three camper trailers located right outside of the park we worked it. The Cassatot River was right down the road and was a favorite place for us to get away, listen to our ipods/the river and just relax. We were surrounded by beauty where we lived and worked. Being secluded and in such close quarters really made for some great group bonding. We really clicked as a team and get along wonderfully. We're basically like a family and I miss them all already (it's barely been 24 hours :-))

A day in the life of Water Three (unit-water, team number-3)

6:15 a.m. ready for work and out of the trailers

7:00ish arrive where we parked and begin the mile hike to the trail with some tools

10:30 lunch on the trail (sandwiches, lots of goldfish, and a granola bar on a good day)

1:30 time to pack up and hike back to the van

3:00 done unpacking the truck/trailer and done with work for the day

The we usually took a nap/played cards/ some people would drive the hour to town

Dinner time varied a lot depending on what time the cooking began and who went into town (any where between 5 and 9 p.m.)

A few times we watched a movie on our sponsors t.v. by jamming all of us into one of the VERY spacious campers. haha We also watched a movie on a projector on a sheet that was hanging in the shop area. It was a wee bit cold, but it was Christmas Vacation so the cold was fitting to get us into the Christmas spirit.

I'll have to finish later...

Love, Nicole