If you ask any ASP summer staffer what kind of emotions they feel the night before they travel to "The Porch" in Jonesville, VA I don't think I would be going out in a limb guessing that you will get a response similar to that of a five year old the night before they go to Disney World. There is something magical about the Appalachian Mountain Range that will steal the breath from any staffer. As a staffer gets closer and closer to Jonesville, you would think that they would feel further and further away from home...but for many it is the complete opposite. Coming to the mountains, for most staffers, is like coming home. They are leaving their lives that are already overflowing with responsibility only to take on more than any 19/20/21 year old should ever be given. To someone who hasn't experienced ASP I know this may seem a little backwards. Doesn't every college student look forward to a summer of relaxing? A summer of no responsibility except putting on suntan lotion before heading to the beach? 

But, before I take the opportunity to give my two cents about how amazing the summer staff experience is, I want to touch on something that happened to me today. All summer staffers and volunteers have experienced the Disney-like majestic existence of the Appalachian Mountains. The sheer size of the mountains is humbling. When driving in a valley in West Virginia the mountains are so big and so encompassing you could almost swear they are hugging you...and they definitely provide that kind of comfort. 

When I first arrived in Johnson City, Tennessee in January of 2011 to fulfill the position of Program Manager I was taken aback by the lack of kudzu, and big, dominant mountains. Instead of homes that were nestled back in the hollers, they were exposed by the lack of leaves on the trees that once hid them. The mountains that had once given me the goosebumps were brown, and...quite honestly boring! (for lack of better wording) I realized that the fantasy world that I had been working in for the past three summers is actually what my life always returned to after the summer...a reality. 

During the fall the Appalachian Mountain Range is like anything else in nature. It turns extreme pretty colors, then the leaves fall off the trees and everything seems to turn brown for the winter. It is actually quite depressing. Another absolutely shocking (and extremely obvious) reality that I faced is that it gets cold...very cold in Appalachia in the wintertime. All those insulation projects that seemed unnecessary in the summertime, and the family members that told me their windows were drafty...they were all suddenly too real to me. My (acquired) family members were freezing and I should have thought twice about sealing their home for the winter. I was feeling guilty. 

Now, I have the power redeem myself...a little. I can tell my Center Directors that yes, insulation is one of the BEST projects you can do for a family. Yes, it is expensive and yes, it will hit your budget hard. But, it will have benefits beyond measure for the families. 

So, back to what I experienced today. As I traveled my usual route out west on I40 I got my first glimpse of the season of the fully bloomed green mountains. I have been in Appalachia for six years now (including the four that I spent in the northern Appalachians in Lock Haven, PA) and I have not felt as excited to see the mountains at their full bloom as I did today. Riding through Oak Ridge TN to Sunbright TN to Winfield TN the scenery was amazing. I am not sure how else to describe it (hint: come visit and see for yourself). 

The magic is back. Although I had to work today, it definitely didn't feel like it. I took a mental picture with every turn I made in this wonderful area of the country. I would have taken a picture but it just wouldn't have done justice for the beauty that I get to live in everyday. 

Come home to the mountains. 

MISS ya LOVE ya MEG.

Country song of the day: Wide Open Spaces by the Dixie Chicks. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dom7VlltBUc