Habitat!

And now, the long-awaited Habitat story. 

I thought that getting up at 4 am on a Saturday morning would have been a more difficult task, but it wasn't that hard when I never really fell asleep all night. I felt like a kid before the first day of school, excited but a little nervous! Everything was packed and ready to go, and I would be the primary driver of our Hyundai Sonata that we would be taking on the 23-hour trek to Palm Beach. (Sidenote: I cannot praise Hyundai cars enough. That thing was a DREAM to drive all the way down. It was comfortable, big and fast...and somehow got 38mpg.)

We were supposed to hit the road at 4:00, stop for gas and coffee and go- but inevitably we got a late start. Coordinating 20 people in 4 vehicles for gas, food, and bathroom breaks was a bit nuts! The first day of driving landed us in Columbia, SC. It was an adorable college town, and the people were so friendly. We ate at a sonic (it was just as fun as the commercials) and slept on the office floor of the Habitat Affiliate in the city. Then, the next day at 5 am- we were off again! This time, we painted our cars up and only had 9 hours to go. 

I can't describe how much I enjoyed the south. It was warm, friendly and beautiful. Everything I ate was delicious, and people look at you, smile and say hello. We drove from 81 to 77 south, and finally to 95 for the final stretch. Sunday night, we arrived at our campsite in Jonathan Dickenson State Park, just a 5 minute drive from the beach in Jupiter, Florida. We were set up in little cabins, complete with kitchenettes and full bathrooms. Not too shabby! 

The park was full of wildlife: deer, lizards, birds, alligators, and wild boar! There were always things scurrying around in the woods, but the bugs weren't too bad. As long as you didn't cross any fire ants or poisonous snakes, you were fine!

On Monday, we didn't go to our buildsite. We instead went to help clean and organize the local "Re-Store." Think of a Re-Store as a Goodwill for items that you would find in Home Depot. Lighting, paint, furniture, doors and cabinets, toilets and stoves and TV's- anything you could imagine you would need to build or furnish a home, you could buy here for 80% off its original price. Many materials and items are donated by contractors or families, and all the proceeds from the sale go to help support Habitat. The place was staffed by volunteers, employees, and future Habitat Homeowners, but they could really use our help, as you can see in the pictures! It was a sweaty, hot day and we were glad to get home and shower. 

That night we headed off to a Spring Training Baseball game! Nothing gets me going more than a warm, clear night, the sound of a crowd and the colors and feel of a game. I know it's corny, but I just LOVE it, it doesn't matter big or small park, good team or bad team. We saw the Marlins and Tigers play, and I loved the family atmosphere and beautiful park. It was a great evening and our group had a ball. Pun...intended. 

The rest of the week, we were on-site, making homes happen. We worked on a "blitz-build," where Habitat creates a neighborhood all in one place to conserve time and resources. This neighborhood had 27 homes going up, and our group worked on 5 of them in various stages. So we didn't build a house from the ground up, but we got a lot of work done. We did roofing, sodding, framework, painting, sawing, digging- you name it! I learned a lot of skills and had a lot of fun. We had excellent site managers named Donnie and Chuckie. If you've ever watched any Sunday-morning hunting shows, these guys fit the bill. Mustaches, dip and camo, they were a different breed then us New York and New England kids, but they had tremendous patience and great senses of humor. We couldn't have done it without them. 

Each day, we'd get up at 6:45- but we were off the site by 2:30, plenty of time to hit up the beach! Yes, I did get tan, and now I'm back in Syracuse where the forecast tomorrow is for snow. It was magic to sit under the sun, dive in huge waves to bodysurf, collect shells and peoplewatch. One day, we had a break from the worksite and got to hang out all day in the sand and sun, even barbecuing our dinner right there. Then, in the evenings we'd head off to a local bar to catch the Big East tournament. I don't know how we had the energy to go, go, go- maybe we didn't, because I think it's safe to say that by the last day of the trip, everyone was catching winks wherever they could!

Overall, the experience was wonderful and I'm glad I got to work on someones home. I do wish that the trip was a little more structured- planning meals for everyone and making the day's schedule on the fly always had me stressed, but that's just part of my personality. Also, I was bummed that we didn't meet any of the families that the houses will go to- but such is life. 

Here is the photoalbum from the trip: click here

This upcoming week is a crazy one. Relay is so close- and I got accepted to TFA in Washington, DC- so I will be making a decision about that (a different story for a different day!) Peace and Love to all.