The past two days have been filled with nothing but adventure. I expected this to be a week of fun and service, but I didn’t expect it to be as adventurous and spectacular as it’s been.
I definitely was not looking forward to the 12 hour carride, however my van (named the Swag Wagon) shared an appreciation of country music and we munched on Tulip cookies for a solid portion of the ride (thank you Adam!) Our whole North BEARolina crew shares a love of cheesy bear puns and food, which means we get along better than Taylor Swift and her “Bad Blood” squad. We are all so in love with the amazing views and sunsets that Asheville has to offer. Nothing has impressed us more than the friendly people here….seriously, this must be where the term “Southern Hospitality” must come from. I’ve honestly never met so many people who genuinely want to know about my day and who offer me something to eat or drink. Our only complaint is that the milk jugs are yellow (like, who does that!?)
Yesterday we voyaged into a treacherous stream and collected trash from the water. I only fell twice, so I think I was pretty successful. We found all sorts of crazy things such as some sweatshirts, a stove top, and some sort of bulldozer/sled thing. It was definitely a terrifying experience climbing through dark tunnels in waist high water, but it was well worth it. We then visited WNCAP, a project that dedicates itself to preventing the spreading of AIDS and HIV and supporting those who are living with it. We then made our way to Loving Food Resources, which is a food pantry for clients who use services from WNCAP. The people here are so amazing, and we are all so inspired about the service they do each and everyday. After our experience with these amazing people, we went on a hike. We expected this to be a nice, easy, and peacefully walk. We very soon realized that would not be these case when we were 10 minutes in and ready to just turn around and get some icecream. Seriously, I’ve never been so ready to quit something in my entire life. When we finally made it to the lookout, it was so easy to ignore our burning lungs and sweaty backs because the view was phenomenal. I’d love to describe how beautiful it was, however words do not exist that express the perfection of the view. In that moment, all the stress and worries of the world just slipped away: it was just us and the mountains.
Today was much less physically draining. We spent the morning at an amazing center that supports people who are homeless or food insecure. It was so spectacular to help this amazing place in such a simple way. The 12 of us were able to help with some organizational things that would help the whole place run a little smoother. We then went and explored downtown Asheville which was just as phenomenal as I expected. Did you know that chocolate lounges exist? Yeah, neither did we. But they do, and they are delicious. After exploring, we attempted to head home, but our van took an accidental detour through a cemetery where we met Ziggy, the land otter (ground hog). After finally making it home, Zach, the master chef, made us another delectable dinner of Sweet and Sour chicken with fried rice and crab rangoon.
I’ve never felt more at home in a place I’m visiting. It’s so crazy how we’ve only been here for two days and these people who used to be strangers now feel like my family. Thank you , North BEARolina squad, for laughing at my stupid jokes, making me smile, and for being my home away from home. (go bears!)
Peace out fellow bears,
Meagan