Finding Yourself

Sorry for taking forever to blog! It has been a busy week and it just getting busier! Here is an update for you all!

Last Wednesday had an opportunity to meet Renee and she came to talked with us and after had a lunch at our bungalow with the staff and her. For those who do not know, Renee is how this whole organization started. Her story is about how people around her came to her and gave her hope and help she needed. I encourage you all to go read her story if you have not read it (TWLOHA.COM ). She was so real, raw, humble and shy but she was not afraid to express her thoughts and feelings and how she is and where she is at life. It was great for us to let her know how many e-mails we get about her and how she is such an inspiration to people still today. Everyone in the room cried, laughed, talked or sat in awe of her because her speaking was just so genuine and kind-hearted to us all. This was a perfect time for me to hear her speak because at that time I really needed someone’s encouragement about the e-mails we receive and she just said all the right words I needed to hear that day.

Work has been good. We been answering e-mails and starting new projects the staff assigned to us. We are getting more involved in other things within the organization and it is really exciting. We started training today for IMAlive which is going to be a place for people struggling with suicide to come online and talk with trained people to offer them help, someone to listen to them, and give them the words they need to hear at that time. I am truly excited about this program and really think it is going to help people who are going through hard times and need someone to talk to. The training is very intense and a lot of reading and knowing thing and to be honest it is a little overwhelming but in the same time I am so excited to see what I get out of this and how afterwards I will be able to help others in desperate need.

This weekend I went to the BEACH with Brandi and Erin and we all had a great time. This was an awesome experience where the three of us just talked about how: we are doing, anything we are having a hard time with, and how we can help each other. This is a great example of community for me this week, because I had a chance to get to know these two awesome girls and be vulnerable and have a honest conversation with them. For me opening us to people after only knowing them for 2 weeks is not my thing, but since I have been here I just keep stepping out my own comfort zone and opening up to more people and learning I can trust them with what I tell me. I feel this way with all my roommates, which honestly I didn’t think I would before I came here. I am really learning a lot about being a community of girls. In being proud of who we are and how we have such a powerful voice and story to tell other women and girls who don’t feel this way.

It is interesting to figure out you always are learning more and more about yourself. You think you have life figured out or know what and how you will be but I am finding out I am learning more about myself everyday especially since I have been in Florida. I think I am realizing whom I was.. helped make me who I am today but.. also where I am today is showing me who I need and want to be in my future..

Thanks for reading this and I would love to hear back for you all on how things are going for you! Miss everyone and love you all!!

With Hope,

Ashley

Who needs a HOME when you have 7 AWESOME new friends...

This week you can say has been eventful to say the least. After our busy weekend of arriving to Florida us interns had Monday off to enjoy the day and go explore the world of Cocoa. We were put into teams of 2 and went on a 3 hours long scavenger hunt through out Cocoa, Cocoa Beach, and Merritt Island. This helped us to become more familiar with our surroundings since we will be living here for the next few months. Brandi (one of my amazing roomies) and I got some good pictures and had a lot of fun doing this.

We started work on Tuesday and all of us were so excited to start working and get involved. We mostly answered e-mails all week. It is amazing how many people in this world are hurting, trying to find help, and seek to have hope in their life. It may sound bizarre but I loved being able to response to e-mails and offer them the hope they need. I cannot explain the feeling we get when we get an e-mail back saying thank you for the help and just listening to them. Of course we get the hard e-mails and people still do not accept the hope but for some reason in my heart I just know one day they will wake up and come back for the help we present to them.

There are not enough good words to describe the staff here. They all are very welcoming and care so much about each one of us. Many of them have even taken time out of their day to hang out with us and get to know us more. I think this is one of the best qualities about them. They have shown us how much they already appreciate us and are excited to work with us.

Well here is the action-packed part about our week. Our lovely "Bungalow" our home had some issues this week. First, our internet went out for some reason. The internet guy came out to look at it...well when he pulled out the cord and our house had a little fireworks shows and next thing you know they electricity went out. So then an electrician came out and is trying to fix it. Well, our staff went out of their way and put us in a really nice hotel for the weekend and is taking above and beyond great care of us. Which just gives me more reasons why to love this organization even more!

Over a week now I have lived in 3 different places. My home in AZ, our Bungalow, and a hotel. Three different types of places I lived within a community of people. One of the biggest things here the organization wants us to learn is community.

Kim (another one of my amazing roomies) explained what community means to us perfectly, "I’m nearly 20 and I’m slowly learning the true meaning of words. Words I thought I had memorized years ago. Words like “story” and “community” words that seem simple but mean so much more. Community sounds fine on paper, stories sound simple when presented as ideas. But when you’re faced with stories, when you find yourself living in a community, the words take on a new life. With a community like this you celebrate anniversaries bigger and bolder than those on cards, anniversaries that mark the testament of personal strength, anniversaries that deserve dance parties".

One, I just love how she writes. Two, I love hearing what others are getting from this experience. I think she explains so well how I feel about community. I am still today also learning what it really means to be in a community. Once you are taken out of your own personal comfort zone and put into a house with 6 other strangers it is so interesting how you learn and find new things about being in a community with people. Living together, working together, eating together, the list goes on. It is amazing how we are able to make this bond between each other in different ways but in the end all come together to still have “family time”. I love how in some way I relate, connect, and enjoy getting to know them everyday.

I think the next few months I am going to learn numerous things from these girls. I truly think each one of us are here together for a reason and I can not wait to get to know them more and become a moral support for each other through tough times but also enjoy, laugh, and cry over the great times.