Building Peace through a Peace Dove

Who would have thought that I would get to spend some of my time at my internship helping build a peace dove for Burlington. Now you probably are scratching your head trying to picture what a peace dove is. Well, the dove is going to be created from paper and some other pretty simple innovative material. The dove will be like a puppet and will be worn in the John Dewey parade by someone! 

By helping build the dove I also get to meet some pretty awesome people. Here in the picture is Frank who inspires and remind's me to be creative and think outside the box again. Frank tells the best stories and has done some pretty cool things like building over 100 of these birds along with other animals! The structure of the bird is mostly made from tightly rolled up newspaper. It is actually very sturdy! I love getting to meet past volunteers of VFP along with other people from the community who all bring something different and unique to the table when we come together to create the dove. 

Volunteers for Peace

This semester instead of taking a fourth class I chose to get an internship for credit. Being an Anthropology major I am not required to intern, but wanted experience in areas that I'm interested in so I chose a non-profit  in the area that did work that inspired and interested me greatly.

Volunteers for Peace allows individuals to volunteer in over eighty countries around the world from two weeks to up to a year! The volunteering is unique in that it allows people to interact with others from different regions of the world. Most trips do not have a volunteer from the same country together because this allows for a really valuable experience and way to make friends. The service projects range from working with kids, environmental work, hands on work, along with other kinds. One of the other really great things about VFP is that trips are affordable (especially for college age students)!

So far, I have gotten to learn more about the program and it's history as it turns 30 this year.To celebrate the anniversary, VFP is creating calendar of thirty years sharing pictures and quotes from volunteers. This is a project that I am working on right now. I'm really excited about what I am getting to do with VFP and everything I have learned so far! I will update ya'll as the semester progresses.

Welcome Home Leaf Peepers!

Fall is in the air and the leaves are starting to turn. This can only mean that leaf peeping season is just around the corner! One might ponder what is leaf peeping. Well, according to the dictionary leaf peeping is: an activity that one might partake in during autumn in areas where the foliage changes colors. It is the act of admiring autumn foliage for its beauty. 

I've never in my four years at SMC, driven around with a leaf peeping intent, but maybe this will be my year! Leaf peeping came to my mind when I opened this page because this past Sunday my roommate Julie and I went apple picking in Shelburne. On our way over to the farm, Shelburne Orchards, we got a glimpse at the foliage starting to change and got excited. Our immediate thought was how we must explore the foliage in Vermont during our senior year!

Fall is one of the best seasons in Vermont and is a great time to come and visit. I personally love starting school again and getting to catch up with my friends that I didn't get to see over the summer. I also enjoy getting to move back home. SMC and Vermont have really become my home away from home and this year is really going to be bitter sweet. So whether you love leaves, love SMC, or want an adventure plan a road trip and come say hi! 

Hi was wondering what kind of stuff like furniture and things like that come in the suites. is there stuff like couches, fridge, microwave, shower curtains, what comes in the bedrooms? things like that...and what type of things do you reccomend bringing?

Hey! In the suites they come with couches, chairs, a few little tables, one big fridge all in the common room. For the bedrooms they come with a desk, a bed with drawers underneath and an armour (dresser/closet). Microwaves and shower curtains are not included unfortunately. So I would recommend talking with your suitemates and planning who can bring a TV, microwave, shower curtain, etc. I suggest also bringing a mini fridge if you already own one for extra storage of food along with cleaning products for the bathroom.

Ask me anything

Thanks for introducing me to Seven Days! (:

I'm really glad you like it. I really enjoy the newspaper and love reading it weekly.

Ask me anything

Downtown lifestyle

Church Street

Living in downtown Burlington has many perks. First of all, I get to walk pretty much everywhere and if I need to leave the area then I reluctantly give up my parking space. Walking around has really familiarized myself with streets and new places I hadn't noticed before. Secondly, I'm so close to some of the best local food and coffee places in Vermont. My top favorite coffee spot is Speeder and Earls and my top restaurant is American Flatbread. 

I also really enjoy being able to visit my sister at work on a daily basis. She works at an awesome outdoor store called OGE (outdoor Gear Exchange). I always seem to find something that I want when I pass through!

Living in Burlington also means staying attuned to various events going on in the area. I read Seven Days newspaper weekly and try new restaurants they review and check out free events or classes in the area. It's a great source to really know what's going on!

So far I've gone to a free concert in Battery Park, the Farmers Market, two new restaurants that I had never tried before, and the fireworks show! Check out my pictures below!

Ben and Jerry's!

Battery Park free concert

Lake Champlain sunset....so beautiful!

View across the lake at New York. This view is one of the reasons I choose SMC!

Burlington Living

Hello Summertime!

It’s been way too long since I’ve blogged, but my apartment in downtown Burlington couldn’t get internet for a while because Comcast was so busy. The great thing is I have hot water and internet now and can keep ya’ll updated about living in Burlington for the summer!

Lake Champlain

This summer I got a job at a summer camp at Petra Cliffs climbing gym so I will be taking camper’s rock climbing, kayaking, sailing, and caving! I just started training and camp starts officially Monday! I’m really excited for all the activities I get to do and the other students I’m working with! I will keep you posted about fun things I do around the Burlington area!

Living downtown is a lot different from living on campus or at home, both of which I’ve done in the summer before. Downtown living means getting to walk everywhere, cooking all my meals, and getting to really live independently. It’s going to be practice for living in the 300’s townhouses next year. For seniors on campus at SMC they can live in townhouses. The townhouses include living room full kitchen and mostly single bedrooms. A lot of seniors end up taking themselves off the meal plan and cook all their meals. I love cooking so I’m excited to get to cook for myself and my house-mates.

Church Street

Burlington has so much going on in the summer time and is a fun place to walk around and explore. I plan on trying some new restaurants and finding great spots to relax or people watch. So stay tuned for summer adventures in Burlington!