Day 5

**Disclaimer.  My blog has nothing official to do with AmeriCorps and is completely my views and opinions, not theirs.

I made it! Oh my gosh... I can't believe that I have only been here for 5 days... technically only 4.5.

I love my roommate.  Her name is Courtney.  She's goofy and likes to laugh at herself and have a good time like me.  We get a long great.  She's from Indiana and has finished school too so we are similar ages.  A lot of people are around the 22-24 year age.  That surprised me.  I thought more people would be closer to the 20 year age.

Things have been crazy.  I have been going nonstop with meetings and trainings and busyness.  For now, and until Friday I have been put into a temporary group called a "pod".  This is just to keep track of us since there are about 160 corps members so it would be pretty easy to lose one of us among the giant VA campus.  I love my pod, they are great and I am going to be so sad when we are split up into other teams.  At least I can be in the same team with (hopefully) 1 or 2 of them, and I can stay in contact with everyone and hang out with them on off time.  But I will miss them. 

And PS. the campus is HUGE.  Perry Point is basically just the campus.  I'm basically living in Perryville.  So if anyone knows anything about Maryland, Perryville, off highway 40 is where I'm living.  Right on the Susquehanna River that leads into Chesapeake Bay.

I got my uniform.  It's cute...  I felt like I was going to my first day of kindergarten since I had my name tag and backpack.

I also am issued steel toed boots, but those were ordered and on their way.  For now I am still in regular shoes.

After my first PT aka Physical Training last Friday I went for a short run to "the point" (the park) just as the sun was coming up.  It was so beautiful.  Yes PT is at 6AM 3 times a week (5 if I make the fire team.  I will explain that in a minute).

I also took my pack test this morning to be on the fire team... Team Phoenix.  If I am placed on this team I still get my permanent team (ps I am on the Raven unit.  Which I think was meant to be since my mountaineer tattoo has a raven in it) than if I am placed on the fire team I get pulled from my permanent team to do a fire rotation with the Phoenix team.  This would not be structural firefighting.  AKA NOT in a building or city.  This is Wild land fire fighting, so fighting wild fires, bush fires etc... and setting prescribed burns! I think it sounds sooo fun!!! I would be sleeping in a tent, and in extreme weather, and having to do tick checks, etc. etc.

The test I had to do this morning was WALK, not run or jog 3 miles with a 45 lb vest in under 45 minutes...

It was snowing this morning.
I completed it in 39:36minutes!
Which happened to be the exact same time to the SECOND as my friend that I was trying to beat! AW, but that means that I passed! SO I'm qualified, and now all I have to do is wait and there is nothing left to do except find out if I get to be a fire corps member.

When I find out my permanent team on Friday I will find out if I also made the Phoenix team!
Only 30 people will make it and about 45 passed the pack test...

I really REALLY hope I make it.