I like waking up to rain on the window pane. There's something about the novelty of a gray day in South Florida, and the pattering is soothing. On a cold day, a warm body, a snuggle and a kiss. (Hmm make that any day...)

I'm getting used to the idea of being a college graduate without my education setting the pace of my day-to-day/year-to-year life. It's freeing and a little intimidating, but I'm working full-time now and have an idea of what I'll be doing over the next year.

After graduating this summer I started looking into community service programs.  I applied to the Americorps NCCC, a government-funded service program that sends teams of 18-24 year olds around the country to provide hurricane relief in the Gulf regions, teaching kids in areas of need, and working locally from the program's bases in 5 different regions. It's a competitive program that's expanded since the Clinton administration, and it provides housing, a living stipend, and an education grant at the end of one term of service to team members. I applied and right now I'm on the waiting list.

The other day a recruiter from City Year, a different Americorps organization, emailed me some info on their Los Angeles program.  The organization deals mainly in tutoring and mentoring young inner city kids, with some community cleanup projects.  I've been considering teaching for a while now and think this would be a great opportunity to get hands-on experience. One of the big differences is that there's no housing provided and a small stipend to cover living expenses, so I've been talking to a lot of City Year alumni to see what they did to make ends meet. The program has been going for at least 15 years, so people have learned to make it work.  They live together in the city, shop at farmer's markets, and are eligible for food stamps.  The program also gives the same $5,000 education grant at the end of the term (about 10 months), which some graduate programs will then double.  It would be a good jumping off point for grad school.

And the location is ideal.  It's an hour or so outside Riverside, and it will be nice to live near some of the people I love.

So I'm working on the application essays and reference letters this week. I want to get everything in by the early deadline.  This January I'm moving to California, and the program starts in the fall. I'm really looking forward to it!

http://cityyear.org/

in the night he awoke
before the storm
touched by the calm

he felt

unlearning man's ignorance
with the   r
                   e
                        l
                               e
                                      a

                                                s

                                                       e

                                                           of
                                                           rain


                                                                       he is god
                                                                 in nature's climax

hidden by the light
a three ring circus
 beneath
the big top
with light and lies
more frightening
than the deepest night
and dreams
the only
reality

                ________
                |              |
                | vision   |
                |_______|

                         sees not