Last week in PA

         So I created this blog to chronicle all of my time down in New Orleans Louisiana. That's right I will be living down there for an entire year from August 2012 to July 2013. What will I be doing you ask, well as the title of the blog suggests, I will be volunteering. Where pray tell will I be doing this volunteering as so many have asked...with what organization?....do I get a stipend?....where will I be living?....well here is the skinny; I am working with the Episcopal Service Corps (http://www.episcopalservicecorps.org/) if you would like to know more follow the link. I will be spending one year down in New Orleans working with the Jericho Road Episcopal Housing Initiative (http://www.jerichohousing.org/) if you would like to know more about them follow this link. I will be living in simplicity (on a monthly stipend of a little over 300 dollars) in a house with 6 other "fellows" who will be working at other sites of their own. The program we are participating within ESC is the Living With Purpose Fellowship through the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana. What this means is we will be volunteering, finding ourselves spiritually, and walking with God.
         It sounds like a lot but it really isn't and equally it sounds like it is very religious and "jesusy" but I was promised by the program coordinator that it is not that bad, and I will benefit greatly from the experience. Honestly, I don't think I would be getting this great of an experience from Americorps, no offense to those who are serving, their work is truly doing great things for this country. This is something that I need to be doing right now, for several reasons;

1.  I am just out of college and I need a good stepping stone to provide a link into adulthood, which will also provide me with a resume building non-school related work opportunity. 
2. Religion is something that I have struggled with for a long time, and I have always had a underlying mistrust for Christians and Religion. So having a spiritual mentor and a regular church going experience, and weekly times to talk about God in a more grounded tone will give me the spiritual growth I am desperately in need.
3. Erie is getting way too small for me and I need to find who I am away from the constraints of my parents (I love them both dearly, but finding who I am as a person is hard with them around), and being across the country and taking many firsts is just the medicine I need to grow up.

      I have been spending all summer it seems gearing up trying to prepare myself in all dimensions for this new and I can't stress that word enough experience. It has only been within these past few weeks that I have started to finally get myself physically ready to leave. The time is fast approaching for me to board that plane on Saturday August 18th with all my stuff in hand, and being this grand journey of adulthood. This is truly my greatest leap of faith, the push away from my parents to start doing my own thing, my time to make my mark on the world, to start doing something that matters. This is what I have been waiting all of college for...my time to doing something meaningful.

So till next time, which will most likely be when I have landed in NOLA (New Orleans),

Peace