hellfire1876

God Bless NOLA! I went with a group of about 120 from the University of Northern Colorado, and it was quite an experience. Surprisingly, the Lower Ninth Ward (where we were stationed) is not as bad as I thought it would be. I would say 80% of the homes in that area are structurally intact, but 100% of the homes will need to be gutted and renovated (which we were there to do). After several days in the Ninth Ward, we were moved to City Park near Gormley Stadium and Delgado Community College. Again, the homes we saw weere devastated on the inside, but mostly structurally intact. The roads were fine, just crowded with debris from the inside of the homes.

We also had the opportunity to visit the French Quarter, Bourbon St. and Downtown. Bourbon St. was very pretty, but it was filled with bars and strip clubs (not exactly a family-friendly place). Frankly, the Mississippi River, just about 1000 feet to the south of Bourbon St. was more interesting!

After a week of service, we headed back to Colorado knowing a little more about the situation and having helped a few families. It made it all worth it to hear a neighbor say to us, “You’ll never know how much this means to us.” Amazing!

So, Tifton, GA, here we Coloradans (and one native Georgian) come! We want to experience what it means to live in the county seat of the smallest county in the world as well as stall our car on the railroad tracks. Main St, here we come a-wassailing (among the leaves so green). I desperately want to see the “Agrirama” – a living history museum from the 1800s from when the town was founded. Before I die, I must see the culture of the Deep South personified in the Agrirama (where little girls wear little bonnets when they go on field trips there). Peaches, peanuts and pralines, oh my!

To quote of my friends here at UNC, I bleed blue and gold (our school colors)! UNC has become my home, and I love the beautiful campus, amazing professors, encouraging staff, and down-to-earth people in Greeley

Having lived here for 16 years, I can honestly say I have never seen a more beautiful place in the world. I absolutely love our state! Colorado has gorgeous mountains, sweeping plains, and crystal-clear lakes…something for everbody. If you ever need help, don’t hesistate to ask one of our friendly locals! ;)

I took the photo while kayaking on North Catamount Reservoir, which is on the North Face of Pikes Peak. The “mountains” you see are actually all one mountain – Pikes Peak.

When my father was stationed at Offutt AFB, we often heard the joke, “once you get on it, you never get Offutt.” Very true! At times we felt trapped in NE, but it has great schools and a wonderful small-town feel with neighboring Omaha for the “big-city” stuff