St. Louis, Missouri! This place was nothing like what I expected. But that’s not a bad thing! My expectation of St. Louis was a city that pops up out of nowhere in the middle of a huge prairie. I was very wrong. St. Louis is a decent size city with close to a million people living in the metro area. This metro area is far from prairie lands. The lay of the land consists of many dense forests, deep hollows, crazy caves, high bluffs, and even some ski mountains! I loved our project and the project sponsor. Building wilderness trails allowed our team to work outside almost every day of work. I love being outside and working in the woods. Along with an ideal working situation, the project sponsor was beyond hospitable; after day one I felt right at home and that our work accomplishments would be greatly appreciated.
One aspect of our stay in St. Louis I found hard was managing our time well. Our team is a bunch of ‘go-getters’ and we wanted to do and see everything we possibly could in St. Lou. This go, go, go mentality really burned me out and I became very tired by the end of the project. For the future, I will need to learn how to manage my time better during our projects. Is Missouri a place I would go back to? For sure, I loved it! AmeriCorps NCCC has allowed me to see an awesome place that I would not have traveled to on my own. I hope this is the case for our projects to come.
Nick
What a long and eventful 5 weeks! This lifestyle is a little rough, sometimes. It's kind of like when you have a best friend spend the Friday night, and it was so much fun you decide to do it again Saturday. Sunday rolls around and you are more than ready for a break from said best friend. : ) Every facet of your life is completely different. The first week we had the chance to do a team challenge course. It was a tough day, but we were able to learn quite a bit about each other and how we would interact. We found out about our team strengths and weaknesses, and certainly about ourselves as individuals. I know that I like to think and act independently.
So, when the last task had me blindfolded and completely in the care and trust of my teammates, I was a little uncomfortable. When I stepped out onto the first plank, I was nervous until a teammate grabbed my hand. I felt at ease and knew I would be taken care of. This activity really set the tone of the first spike. As I learn to let go of the control I cling to, I find that I'm pleasantly rewarded with confidence in my team and others. It's very liberating and encouraging. 5 weeks of life at an accelerated pace, and I've learned things about myself that 22 years had not yet taught me. I can only wonder at what the next 8 months will bring.
Lyndsay
Round one turned into quite the adventure. Some of my favorite memories from our first spike have to be all of the team builders (especially the ropes course), constantly being outdoors, our Thanksgiving trip to Memphis, all of our ISP’s and the amazing hospitality and generosity of everyone we encountered in St. Louis.
Whether we were working on the trail, camping out for the REI garage sale, hiking, or just making a fire and sleeping in tents across the street from our housing, it seemed like we were spending the majority of our time outdoors which was definitely a huge bonus for me. Even being forced to go outside to get to the bathroom and showers was a fun experience. I learned a lot about how many luxuries I have taken advantage of for the last 23 years and I appreciate everything that I have so much more. I’m extremely excited to start our next project, and can’t wait for another amazing spike with our amazing team!
Carly
This picture really captures the fondest of memories for me during our time in Saint Louis. The funny stuff of course! We had such a blast spicing up our work attire with festive holiday sweaters. Time spent as an Amerifamily was definitely my favorite. Every night at dinner was like a rowdy family reunion. Talking, laughing, singing, other bodily noises, throwing food, spilling drinks and coloring the table were all part of the times spent together at dinner and I wouldn't have it any other way.
-Chris
My first round experience in Saint Louis was a challenging yet rewarding endeavor. Working on trail building with the Saint Louis County Parks and Recreation allowed our team to experience the beauty that lay beyond the city limits of Saint Louis. There is an abundance of bluffs, limestone cliffs, and hidden caves. In addition, it became apparent that Saint Louis locals are very friendly and inviting folks who are quick to make any outsider feel at home.
Secondly, it was a great experience to live in close quarters with a team of 10 without any television or internet. This allowed our team to interact more socially without the constant distraction of a television. Despite being in close proximity to each other, and despite living next to each other on small mats for one month, we only encountered minimal problems and we all left Saint Louis as better friends. I look forward to seeing how our team will continue to grow as we continue our journey in Crown King, Arizona for our second project.
Dustin
So this is the end of the first round. Having done NCCC last year, I’m used to this transition of starting to feel comfortable in an area and then leaving. Each project however has unique aspects about it that make it an ongoing and changing experience. Working on my first environmental project in NCCC was a great experience that further confirms my love for the outdoors. While my experience last year had me performing all types of different tasks, from construction to tax filing, this was the first project I could see myself trying to find a career path in.
As for my team, they completely exceeded my expectations (just look at how great this website looks!!!!!). Their work ethic is something that shocks not only the sponsors but me as well. They are always willing to go above and beyond just to get the job done. They deserve all the praise possible for their dedication to the completion of the project. My only hope is that they continue to excel for the next three projects.
Matt Frat
In this crazy program we signed up for, Martin Luther King Day is designated as “a day on, NOT a day off.” When you’re working as hard as we do out in the forest, the last thing I wanted was to give up my earned government holiday. Oh well. I was dragged two hours down the hill to Prescott to volunteer with the Vista branch of AmeriCorps at their Day of Service. There were many project sites to pick from and I ended up working at a youth home refurnishing kitchen cabinets. My teammates went out to different locations, so it was just myself with a crew of people that I did not know. To my great surprise, I ended up having a wonderful day. The event was kicked off with a few keynote speakers who shared their experiences about growing up in a segregated nation. After the introductory remarks, I headed to Turning Points Youth Inn. Here, I put some of my handy skills, like sanding and painting, to work. Quickly, people were looking to me as the point person on the project. It felt great to be able to put my leadership skills into action. At the end of the day, all the kitchen cabinets and drawers had a fresh coat of new paint on them and I had a couple new friends. I don’t think I could have spent my time in a better way that day. My teammates had equally good experiences and all the sponsors we worked with that day invited us back. It’s a great feeling to be appreciated and needed. I think I will try to spend all my MLK days like this. 
