United Way Alternative Spring Break sponsored by Deloitte

Well, as I end my Journey (Get it??) here in New Orleans I have a terrible amount of time to reflect before I'll make it home. I've been gone for 13 days as of today and not one of them worth regret. Seeing as how I've been blogging vicariously through my c0-leader and more importantly friend Alicynn, I feel it's time to lay down a few words of my own. Every year since the Storm Corps year of '06 I always wonder how can the next year possibly out do this one? How can I meet people and work on projects that will be better than what I just went through? Every year I say this and then the next year it feels like the previous year has been out done. Well folks, I hate to say it, but every year from now on that I'm involved in the program will be compared to this one.

This was, by far, my favorite year with the ASB program. The people were amazing to say the least and I felt a real sense of passion with my project this year. I feel bad saying this was my favorite year because I've met some amazing people the past years as well and worked on some very worthwhile projects. So no, it wasn't just the people or project that made this the best year ever. My team was great this year, very dependable and hard working. Always there with a laugh and a smile. Then again I think, I've had some great teams the past years and it's like picking a favorite child, you just can't. So no, it wasn't just my team that made this week the best ever. I had a great time working with the local UW and the UWA staff, but I've worked with them all before so no, couldn't be them that made this the best week. My site hosts (Ms. Jackie and Ms. Andrian) were so great and I actually feel like I"ll get updates on the work we did, but I've worked with some great people in the past. Again, couln'd be JUST that to make this the best week yet. I got to see and spend a great time with some old friends and some new ones in New Orleans, but I got to do that last year, so not that either.

I can't help but stuggle to see why I will tell people this was my favorite week out of all them. It wasn't just the combination of people and project. It wasn't just the local and national staff. I'm finding way too many common denominators and not any outlayers. (yeah those are math terms I just used, be impressed) So in the time I've taken to write this blog, it kind of dawns on me what it was that made this year best two weeks of my ASB career. It Just Was. How simple is that? This week you couldn't find me without a smile on my face, I was so happy every second I spent there. I cried in front of people, something I never do, because I was so happy with them and sad to see them leave. I can only hope I'm writing something to this effect next year, but I highly doubt it. So I'm about to jump on this midnight plane heading anywhere and I say, thank you people, thank you for making this the best week ever.