Just when I'm getting settled back into Schaumburg, and getting ready to resettle in Chicago for the school year, I suddenly get a chance to go to Virginia for a few days to work on a house with my first love, Appalachia Service Project! How random is that?
My mom had been insanely busy at work, so I was with her at our church last Friday helping her to set up for an event. There I ran into Howard, the Youth Minister (who organizes the ASP trips), and he introduced me to some people who are going on the upcoming adults-only trip, since they're going to Jonesville where I was once on staff. I started telling them about the area when one of them suddenly remembered that there was one spot left. I'm leaving tomorrow at three in the morning (so tonight, really) to drive down there.
So excited! The ASP center in Jonesville, VA, is one of those places I never thought I'd ever see again. But then, that's what I said after the summer of 2007, only to return in 2008 to do a random research project for a few weeks. At the end of that little trip, I remember Keith, the building manager at the time, telling me, "You'll be back, you'll be back!" He was sure of it. I guess he was right!
I have my "Welcome to Jonesvegas" tshirt all packed. And my work boots. And my overalls. Hawt :p
It will be interesting to see how my changing views on religion and whatnot affect my experience--ASP is very much a Christian organization, much more so than Habitat. I'm not as used to the "feel" of Christianity anymore--I was raised Catholic and was pretty active in my church in High School, so I used to be really comfortable with it, enjoy it even, despite my growing agnosticism. It was mostly a cultural thing for me even then, but I still very much appreciated the inspiration and spiritual growth that trips like this afforded me. Now I'm not so sure. We shall see!
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