Take Me Home, Country Roads

Last week I was fortunate to have the opportunity to participate in my alma mater Saint Joseph's University's Appalachian Experience. Now, seeing as that I currently have a big ol' diploma hanging on my bedroom wall, and I'm pretty sure I still have my graduation gown, you might be wondering, "Hey, I believe Scott graduated. How can it be that he believes he has not?"

Well, my shining stars, I was able to partake in yet another Spring Break due to the fact that I served as an adult facilitator for this trip. Each year, SJU sends around 10-13 groups to different sites in the Appalachian region, where they participate in a week's worth of home building and renovation. I participated in this trip 3 times as a college student, and I led a group last year (so you might deduce that I have a strong affinity for this whole service in Appalachia thing). Anyway, in addition to the student leaders that organize the group, SJU also sends 2-3 "adults" along to act as responsible voices of reason among the cacophony of collegiate chaos. And somehow, I was asked to be that voice of reason. Go figure.

This was my third trip in a row to Franklin, WV, to work with the Habitat for Humanity site there called "Almost Heaven." And let me tell you, it is almost heaven. The drive in never gets old; I still get inspired and amazed at the view of Germany Valley as we make our descent into Almost Heaven. The people of this region are special- everyone looks you in the eye and with every word they speak, they are trying to get the most authentic person out of you. Four years ago I made my first trip to Appalachia, and each time I go back, I am reminded of the impact it has had on my life.

The group and I spent the week working on two 2-story houses located near the main street of Franklin, and there was always plenty of work to go around. I'd have to say that this was one of the best work sites I've ever been on because there was such a variety of work to be done. On any day, we had people digging trenches, working with mortar (or "goose grease", as our foreman referred to it as), nailing braces into walls, and using a circular saw to cut wood. We had perfect weather until Friday, and with a group of 38 college students, humor abounded (to which I contributed my share, of course...hey, you can make me responsible, but you can't make me serious!)

Aside from the work, we also had plenty of opportunities to explore our surroundings. On our first night, a number of students and I thought it would be a good idea to climb the mountain behind our lodgings; we ended up getting to where we could get no higher, and turned around because of the falling darkness. Later, we would learn that the mountain is called Spruce Knob, and is the highest in West Virginia. Go figure! We made another ascent the next day as we climbed to the top of Seneca Rocks- words fail to describe the exhilarating view from the jagged perch atop the mountain. We also took a tour of caverns, experienced an Aikido class, and went bowling and roller skating with some of the locals. Again, humor abounded.

Though physically taxing, this trip was a true vacation for me. It allowed me to reinvigorate the ol' mind and spirit by placing me back in the same setting that inspired me to pursue a year of service after graduation (hey Appalachia, JVC says thanks!). It allowed me to take in the beauty of the natural world, one with mountains instead of skyscrapers and rivers instead of gutters. It allowed me to get my hands dirty and use the energy I have to make something useful. It helped put this year of service in Baltimore into perspective, and it helped me refocus on what I want to do with my remaining time here. It also allowed me to reconnect with my school, and made me feel like a kid again (although when someone said something about studying for a quiz, I almost dropped the power drills I was juggling blindfolded whilst standing on a 3-story scaffold from the sheer hilarity of that statement...oh, to be young and in college).

I am so very lucky to have been able to pay homage to the experience that set my life on its current path, and I can only hope that I will be able to do what I can to continue to stay involved in these trips. These are the kind of real-world vacations I can get used to.



Pictures from my week can be found here. The website for Almost Heaven Habitat for Humanity can be found here.