Category: Asheville, NC

This semester has been flying by- it’s already spring break! I remember marking this trip on my calendar months ago, when it seemed impossibly far away.

I entered the program knowing virtually nothing about our topic or the town of Asheville, but I’ve learned quite a bit during our pre-trip group meetings and activities. The issue of environmental justice is and will continue to be relevant to many people’s lives, and I look forward to experiencing it hands-on. I’m definitely very excited to meet the people involved with Green Opportunities and the West North Carolina Alliance and to gain a clearer idea of exactly what our service will involve.

Last Saturday morning, our team completed pre-service by helping out in the garden at 1075 Lehigh Drive. While this was somewhat last-minute, participating in ASB-related service a week before the actual trip built up my level of anticipation for the trip. It was a great way to connect with nature, make a tangible difference, and gain perspective, especially since I had never been to the West Ward before. On that day and during the twelve-hour drive here, I’ve had the opportunity to get to know several members of the team, and I look forward to even more team bonding through reflection and throughout the trip.

After our cultural day tomorrow, service will start! This week is sure to be a cultural, educational, and fun experience :-)

Well, the time has finally come! It’s hard to believe how fast the time has flown that it’s already spring break. I’m very excited to head to Asheville tomorrow morning (!!) and begin our week of service. From what I’ve seen in pictures and read about the area’s history, Asheville seems like a really interesting place. I’m really intrigued to see what it’s like in person.

Before being assigned to this trip, I knew nothing about our social issue. The education preparation for this trip has opened my eyes to terms like “environmental racism” and “environmental justice.” Learning about North Carolina’s connections to these topics has been a really interesting part of preparing for this trip. I’m really interested to learn even more about environmental justice and the green movement as we perform our service work in Asheville. I’m always excited to learn new things, and I think this trip is going to be an unforgettable experience that will teach me about environmental issues and problems that I had never even heard of before. Plus, I’m sure we’re going to make a ton of memories and have some really cool stories to tell when we come back!

I’m still not sure about the specifics of the work we’ll be doing in Asheville. Then again, that’s part of the learning experience! I don’t really know exactly what to expect, but I do know that it’s going to be a really cool opportunity that I’ll use to its fullest extent to learn about our social issue.

It’s been great to bond with my team throughout our team meetings and pre-trip service, and I’m really looking forward to getting to know everyone better on the drive down as well as throughout the week during our service. As for right now, I better head off to sleep so I can wake up bright and early for our drive tomorrow!