i had a very very very very good week. i'm so glad i decided to do americorps; it's already been really great and we've only just been training. there are about 45 of us and everyone i have talked to seems incredibly nice and fun, which i guess would be a big part of the criteria the staff would look for in accepting applicants. it's been wonderful meeting so many new people, most of whom live in this area. i've really suprised myself by how social i've been-well social for me. i still feel rather shy and awkward, but compared to the way i felt when i was going through mission year orientation or even worse, adapting to public school after being home schooled, i have progressed by leaps and bounds!

something that has stood out to me this week is the fact that i have never worked with a group of people whose motivation for helping others and acting selflessly has not been rooted in faith. a few people in the group are obviously christians, but i would say only 10-15% at the most. so i wonder where the rest of the group gets their motivation to be so selfless and care so much about things that most people don't think about at all, let alone, spend their summer trying to make some kind of difference. i'm definitily not saying that i thought the only people who acted generously and selflessly were people of faith, i just have never personally worked alongside anyone who hasn't been, and i wonder what motivates them. i wonder what motivates me now.

yesterday we found out the sites we will be working at and i was placed at my second choice, a summer camp based out of a church in bloomfield. i have mixed feelings about this mostly because the interview was a little strange, but i think i can overlook that. i try not to form opinions based on first impression because i know i probably rarely give people a very good first impression, with how awkward i almost always manage to be! but regardless of the interview, it will be odd to be in an enviroment that is based in a church with mostly, if not completely with christian workers. (so maybe i won't get as good of a feel as to what motivates "regular" people to serve as i would like to!) i was very upfront in my interview in saying that while i do have a past in christianity, i'm not sure what i beleive anymore and i would have a problem if any of my duties involved me teaching children things that i personally am unsure about. she seemed to be ok with that. i'm interested in seeing how this all goes.

i'd probably be able to sit here and type and process my thougts from this week all day, but i want to get out and enjoy my weekend off! this is the first job i have ever had that i have a regular schedule, and i like it! even the getting up early aspect! i'll probably end up writing more today, but for now, i am off into the world!