April 2011 Blog Posts (56)

What a week! On Thursday I only wrote a comment on the review of the article from the Bullet, but I wanted to go back to that day because it was by far the hardest day for me. By Thursday, I really ready to crash. I was extremely tired, running on far too many empty calories, and just overall out of it. The worst part was, I had a huge paper due on Friday. I spent my entire afternoon Thursday struggling to focus on my paper.. and it was not a success. I regret to say, it was possibly the…

Well, it's over.  I can say this is an experience I won't soon forget.  I learned a lot this week and feel I am much better for it. 

While I am very happy to shower again and start to return to my normal life, I am a little sad to say it's over.  As I walked past Ball Circle today I kept expecting to see our shelter there (even though I helped tear it down) and some of my newfound friends hanging around.  Already I miss our daily discussions about what we're doing, how to save the…

I was very glad for Friday evening to come around. It gave extra special meaning to "a Friday night". I get to sleep in my bed!!! Nice and warm and comfortable. Sometimes, it's the smallest things we take for granted. I learned a BIG lesson this week and am glad that I particapted in TDC as did my teens (for 2 days).  I don't think I will ever look at certain things the same way again and take them for granted.: most things!!

Congrats to everyone who made it completely through the week! It was tough, but we did it!

I'd definitely have to say that today was the toughest day for me mentally.  I was super exhausted and it definitely showed.  I was super sluggish, and for once, was glad that it rained so there wouldn't be rugby practice.  When it was finally time to shower though, I almost did a dance, and ended up using most of the hot water (didn't realize that could happen!).  After the shower, I…

Last night we heard a forecast that it was going to rain so Emily, Jeff, Ann, Ford, Inga and I had moved all our stuff over to the covered walkway next to Melchers. It was much more comfortable than sleeping in the grass because I actually wore all the layers I’d specifically set aside for sleeping. Emily said that someone had come by around 8 the other morning when it rained but no one came today.

I know I said this before, but I feel like one week for the Challenge isn’t quite long…

The clock has struck 4pm and my TDC week has come to an end. As soon as the challenge ended many of the participants scurried to the comfort of their homes. Surely by now all of us have showered, eaten a hot meal and changed into clean clothes. As it rains and the temperature drops, we immerse ourselves back into the reality from which we came from. Having finally sat down to relax, with no worries or responsibilities, I took time to reflect on this past week.

What has been brought to…

Yesterday went alright, I found out macaroni and cheese is more expensive than regular pasta so I went with the regular pasta last night.  I had cereal in the morning, which was a little more than the eggs I had the day before but saved me time.  I’ve been boiling quite a bit of water because I that’s pretty much the only thing I’ve been drinking with the exception of a small glass of milk with my dinner.  Today I went back to eating eggs and toast for breakfast.  I’ve had PB&J…

Today was the last full day of Two Dollar Challenge. I had about 4 dollars left, so I went to Bottom Dollar and bought some much needed fruit. I also shampooed my hair in the fountain, which was ice cold, ridiculous, and hilarious. I'm glad my hair is no longer so greasy, and it dried very fast because I whipped my hair back and forth.

On a more serious note, we spent a significant portion of the day focusing on an article in the UMW Bullet. Essentially, the article trashed…

Today, almost all of our discussion revolved around an article published in the Bullet, our school's newspaper. I think we were all very surprised by the author's ignorance of the subject which she was discussing, the $2 Challenge which we are participating in this week. The author accused us of "pretending to be poor", being "self-righteous", only learning sympathy by "living in a box" and "playing dress-up", amongst other condescending insults. I want to give her credit for raising some…

Today was the first day when the food thing really hit me-- I walked into my apartment, and saw tons of food lying everywhere.  Not only had my roommate made cookies, but there was popcorn sitting out, a bag of candy, a full fridge... you get the point.  I realized that that's what I'm surrounded by every day.  I didn't really expect to have that kind of realization again this year-- I arrogantly assumed that because I had done TDC before, I wouldn't be shocked by anything.  Which in some…

Day 4 was a peculiar day, one in which there was much debate and discussion, a full schedule of classes to attend, a never ending amount of homework and little time to relax. Although it was a hectic day, it was not a strenuous one. It seems as though the group is becoming more and more intimate as the hours pass. Getting to know one another, it is evident that there are good people here. We all help each other out, give each other good company and most importantly challenge one another…

After sleeping outside Wednesday night, my body took a while to recover this morning. It was such a nice day that we figured we’d sleep outside the shelter but it became really cold throughout the night. I didn’t wear all of the layers that I’d brought specifically for sleeping, so tomorrow I’m definitely figuring out how they’ll all fit. I also didn’t buy anything today so maybe I’ll splurge with some cookies tomorrow :)

This week, I haven’t had much time to spend with the other…

Today was our last full day of TDC, and I have to say, I think I might miss it.  Granted, I will not miss smelling bad and the empty calories, but I really liked the small family that we seemed to build.  It was fun to get to know lots of new people, and listen to the experiences they had during the Challenge.  

The Bullet article that came out today, basically bashing the members of TDC didn't really hurt my feelings, but it disappointed me that the author didn't really seem…

Today's discussions were really good.  I had a great time hearing about people's experiences as well as adding my own perspective to the conversation.  We also were able to discuss the article about us in the Bullet.  I thought at least half of what the writer said was accutate.  She mentioned that we are just playing poverty and why don't we donate our money instead?  Yes, it is playing poverty, but it is effective in the educational aspect of it as well as raising funds.  I would not have…