Friday, May 27, 2011

It's Friday!

I cannot believe that it is already Friday! I was just thinking about how I was a little homesick on Monday (and a little Tuesday) and now I am wishing that I could stay here and spend time with these incredible women for at least another two days.
Today was our last day onsite and it was HOT. I think it was hotter today than any of the other days that we spent out there. Today I helped a little in finishing the left side of the house but I mostly painted. Every time I take a trip like this I like to try to accomplish something that I didn’t think I could, so today Stephanie and I leaned extension ladders up against the back of the house and painted the siding. (I should note here how terrified of heights I am.) However, neither of us were even remotely injured and I feel so accomplished! We packed up early today to go to a Habitat house dedication in another part of the city. We got there just in time to hear the new homeowner say a few words, hear a blessing for the house and take a small tour through it. I think almost all of us were moved to tears being there. It is just such an incredible feeling to see the final product of what we were doing. I hope someday I can come back to NOLA and drive past the house I worked on just to see the final product.

We also got to go out to dinner tonight in the French Quarter. We all shopped for some souvenirs before regrouping at the restaurant. I had jambalaya—which was incredible. I feel like I could have eaten another whole serving of it! After dinner we drove around a bit to site see. We rode passed Tulane and Loyola and through the Garden District. It was incredibly beautiful. There were old houses and trees shading everything. We also saw a wedding and a graduation!

We are all leaving tomorrow and I am part of the first group going to the airport. While I am excited to get back home, I am pretty sad about that because I’d like to spend as much more time with these women as possible—even if it is just a couple more hours. I feel extremely blessed to have been a part of this wonderful experience. I can’t wait to get home and start brainstorming ideas and applying what I’ve learned here in all facets of my life. Hopefully I will be able to take another trip like this again. Or maybe I’ll even lead one someday! I am going to miss these ladies so much and it comforts me to know that some of them aren’t that far away from me when we get back home. I can’t wait to see what we all accomplish (which I know will be great!) in the future. I look forward to seeing them all again very soon.
Maddie Mann is a member of Phi Sigma Sigma and a eenior at Northern Kentucky University.

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