Thoughts on: Kentucky

Sandy Hook/Grayson/Middle-of-Nowhere! Kentucky - July 2009.

At the beginning of this month I, as well as five of my class mates and three of my teachers, took a trip to Kentucky. When I first heard about the trip it was like an "Oh, cool! I can get all of my service hours for my senior year done before the year even starts!" reaction. Soon after departure it turned into something much more than that.

Originally, when I thought of Kentucky I thought of someplace that was full of people who didn't really have a clue. OK, maybe they farmed and they knew a thing or two about how to fix a truck. And it didn't help that the first day we were supposed to work, we arrived at this "worksite" (which, by the way, was a trailer up in the mountains...) and my immediate thought was ....Uh huh.

This place was a wreck. The gardens were all over grown. The pond was full of some foul smelling liquid that surely could never have been anything resembling water. The people all seemed to have this drawl in the way they spoke and acted. Not to mention the appalling odor coming from under the trailer (which we later found was caused by the genius idea to cut the sewer line RIGHT under the toilet. EW?!) and from the kitchen (which we later found was caused by the month old dishes and mouse poop found in small mountains.) Now I, being the modern woman that I am, was horrified.

I had the idea set in my mind that all I would do was do what I was asked and what was required of me. I did not even expect to get as much out of the experience as I did...

Some of the obvious things that I learned:

1. Boys really do like Dairy Queen, and will do treacherous things in large vehicles to get it.
2. Salamander eggs look like small rocks. And salamander mommies are very protective.
3. Some pond fountains have built in filters, and a whole bunch of bugs (like mosquitoes and black flies) are born from larvae that live in water.
4. Febreeze really is a lovely thing that can mask (destroy?) any odor you throw at it
5. Girls can have a very good time, even without a sense of direction.
6. Euchre is totally complicated, props to those who are good at it!
7. Kentucky is not full of hicks. While it is full of a people who live a different life than I (we) do here in NY, they really know what's going on, and I was super wrong to make any kind of judgment before I met them.
8. The best feeling in the world is country music, on a boat, with new friends, light rain, beautiful scenery and warm water just waiting for you to swim in it!
9. Waterfall doesn't always mean WATERFALL.

Some of the less obvious things that I learned:

1. Sometimes, all it takes is a little TLC to make someone feel "like it's Christmas." You can change someone's life drastically with only a few simple actions.
2. The greatest (and least expensive) gift you can give is love. Always.
3. There is always more to a person or to a place than meets the eye. The beauty of any situtation is in the time you take to familiarize yourself with it.
4. The most important things you have in your life are the things you have when you have nothing.
5. Knowledge is endless. Never think you know it all.
6. With your attitude, you can make any situtation a good situation or a bad situation.
7. Uncertainty is a gift from God. He gives it to us at times when we need to step back and take a look at the big picture. And if you can see it that way, I'm sure you can see everything in a different light.
8. The most heartbreaking of things can lead to the most beautiful of revelations.

While my back probably could have been spared a week of sleeping on a floor that was a step up from concrete, and my stomach could have been spared the intensity of Dr. Callan's driving, and my Snuffy could have been spared the stress she went through!!!, the Kentucky trip was just what the doctor ordered for my heart. Especially in a world like the world we live today, it was beautiful to almost take a step back in time and see the way that other people live.

This trip was revealing to me - it showed me that, while I may not always get cell phone signal, I can always get conversation that is ten times better with the people around me. It showed me that, while I may not always love being around my mom and my family at home, there will never be a time when coming home to them is unwanted. And most importantly, it showed me that, while something may not always be appealing on the outside, a judgment on it is never fair until you know it backwards and forwards.

Overall:

• Cut Sewer Line [FIXED] - thanks to the lovely plumbing skills and stomachs of Mr. Danforth, Dr. Callan, and Mark.
• Every Single Ceiling of the Trailier [PAINTED] - thanks to the lovely painting skills of Stephanie and AnneMarie and Emily
• Every Second of the Trip [DOCUMENTED] - massive props to Emily and her filming skills(z). I helped :]
• Every Garden Surrounding the Trailer [PERFECTED] - thanks to the amazing leadership and gardening skills of Ms. Hansen/Jessica/Kate
• Kitchen of the Trailer [CONQUERED!] - thank you Kate!
• Pond in the Back Yard [IT WORKS] - Mark rules
• Gravel aka Driveway/Back steps [SHOVELED, LAID and TAMPED] - the girls tried, the boys actually did it. Except for the tamping. Because Kate is a tamp MASTER.
• Newts [RETURNEDTONATURALHABITAT] - thanks to Chase... and the... creek... =D
• Holes Behind the Fridge [PATCHED] - Props to Dr. Callan for braving the ants :]

I really hope that I'm not forgetting anything that we did, because we did a lot.

So, end note being that Kentucky is a really great and beautiful state, full of life changing and exciting opportunities. If you ever come across the chance to do something like this, don't hesitate. You will be SO pleasantly surprised with what you learn.

Special Thanks To:

• Sally and Maritia and all the Sarah's Place volunteers: once again, you made us feel like we were at home even when we were thousands of miles away. You washed our laundry and let us use your showers and allowed us to make a mess of your kitchen repeatedly. The love and faith that you have for humanity is stifling and astounding. For what it's worth, every day that you guys work is a day that improve the lives of so many people. There will never be enough thanks for that. (For those who don't know what Sarah's Place is, find out at: http://www.sarahsplace.com/)

These were also great:

1. The Hiking-esque trip we took on Thursday. Who knew that Kentucky had such beautiful cliffs? I know that I didn't. That was truly unforgettable. http://www.kaht.com/multiple/tygartscreek/laurelgorgeculturalheritagecenter.htm
2. And of course, the Grayson Lake day trip, complete with AUTHENTIC Kentucky Fried Chicken :]

(And no, I don't know this man, I found this picture on Google. It just shows how pretty it was)