and so it goes...

Well. I guess it's June, huh? It's been a long time since I've visited this blog. As the students left campus and all the craziness of campus happenings came to a close, I guess it didn't seem like there was much to update about. However, today was the last day of our Close of Service retreat at the Cape and as I sit at my desk, still thinking about the last three days (and the past year) I feel like this is the perfect time to re-visit this space. The retreat was a three day, fun filled wrap up to our spectacular year together as a Corps. We spent a bit of time congregated, celebrating all of our individual accomplishments as well as the accomplishments we made together. It was perfect, albeit tough.

It's been a really busy, crazy year and the past couple months have been especially insane. I am leaving Framingham State to transition into the role of one of the AmeriCorps*VISTA Leaders for MACC next year and so for the past month or so I have been finishing up my work at FSC while also getting things ready for the new Corps to come in July. It's been a really exciting time for me and in all that, I kind of forgot that the end with this Corps was coming and today it hit me like a ton of bricks. As we sat in a circle and had our final wrap up meeting, it was wonderful to hear about what all my fellow AmeriCorps*VISTAs were going to be doing next year and to share with them what I got out of this year. Hearing everyone talk about their plans one after another was like somebody slowly but surely turning the faucet on and by the time it got to me, I was an inarticulate emotional mess. I couldn't get my thoughts together and I'm sure I had a lot more to say to the group but tried to stop speaking as I was pretty sure I was making very little sense.

I just need to express (once more, as I have so many times before) how thankful I am for everything that I have gotten out of this year. The professional and personal growth I have experienced will only grow deeper with the year ahead and the relationships that I have made have been life changing and I can't imagine my life had I not chosen to do a year with MACC. I'm sure, like this morning, I am not even writing very coherently now. So, with that, I'll leave you. It's been quite a year. Here's to one more.

- Dana