It's April?

I realize I have been very neglectful of my blog since January. I can't say that I haven't thought about it from time to time, because I have, I just have not turned those thoughts into action. Looking back over the past few months, I seem to be having a hard time actually remember what all has happened. I know there have been highs and I know there have been lows (mostly highs) and I can remember some of the more important things that I have been a part of, I apparently just cannot remember to put those memories/thoughts into type form. So here goes an attempted recap of the last couple months:

January: Was a busy time. Tax season was really getting into action and provided me with training after training after training. I also was able to participate in the MLK Day of Service and work as a Quik Cash owner in a poverty simulation. I was also snowed in at a hotel in Zanesville while there for a training that obviously was cancelled due to weather. Oh snow...

February: Way too far back to really remember...I know there were trainings, tax clinics, trainings in other regions, and volunteering for Honor Flight of Columbus, but I don't really remember a lot of clear details...

March: Really seemed to fly by. I know I was busy and had my hand in a number of different things, but I cannot believe the month is already over. March was definitely one of my most memorable months during my VISTA term. I have been granted many opportunities to experience many different programs & meet lots of new people. From learning what FCCLA is and judging the school projects that came from its members to learning about bicycle safety and how to navigate city streets to spending a week with people from all over the country working on different poverty initiatives and learning from professionals about every aspect of working within the non-profit world (more to come about the "Getting Things Done" conference later).

And now it is April...only two and a half months away from the end of my service and I have to say that I couldn't be happier with the decision I made almost a year ago to join AmeriCorps. I have learned so much from so many different sources, experienced so many things I would have never thought possible, and grown as a person more in the past ten months than I have in the past four years (in my opinion). Some of my outlooks and opinions have changed, some have remained intact, but all are mine and I am now more willing to stand by them.

Holidays are a time for thinking back....

...and that's just what I did over my holiday break. My break was a great chance to loosen up and think back to all that I have accomplished since I began in June. Then it hit me...my year of service is officially more than half over! At times I do feel like I have been in this office and out in Southeast Ohio for six months, but then there are times I feel as if I just started and still have a year ahead of me. Now that January is here I know that the next couple months are going to speed by me because of tax season. I am a little nervous about that, mostly because taxes intimidate me like no other. But it also makes me nervous because I'm not sure what I want to do after my year is over. I have the option of continuing for another year or possibly moving up to a leader position, but what about the rest of the professional world? There are plenty of opportunities out there too that could be a great start for me to follow my degree. Who knows where I could be in six months? Who knows where I could be in a year? Guess I will just have to find out exactly what all my options are and make a decision that best fits what I think will work best for me.