As overwhelmed as I was during my first week or two, I am so incredibly thankful that this is my first time in New York City.

Despite the fact that it has always been my dream to see Rockefeller Center at Christmas, be in Times Square on New Years, see a show on Broadway, skate in Central Park, and otherwise enjoy the cliche "touristy" parts of the Big Apple, I love that the city I know and love now, includes the parts of the city most people ignore.

I love wandering 149th in the Bronx with my delicious piece of Hawaiian pizza being called "blondie" and being asked if I'm lost....

I love the sense of time travel (haha ;) when you go below ground in midtown and come above ground in Harlem.

I love waking up at 5:30am (well....) and working with "the less of these" first thing in the morning.

I love looking people in the eye who try so hard to look away.

I love the continuity of working with the same ministry sites all of Brooklyn and Manhattan.

I love packing food in a warehouse before lunch and loving on kids after lunch.

I love giving the alcoholic on the corner my undivided attention - even if only for a few minutes.

I love being surrounded by excited, passionate students alllll day.

I love teaching English to Chinese factory workers who spend their only day off trying to make a better life for themselves.

I love smiling at every person who comes through a soup kitchen line in midtown, Brooklyn, or the East Village.

I love praying for people in the poorest part of the city RIGHT before praying for those in the wealthiest part.

I love ignoring everything my parents ever told me by approaching the total stranger on the street corner. ;)

I LOVE the "underground" culture of the MTA.

I love the LES... :)

And above all, I love having my dream job right after college, and being able to share my love for students and youth, while sharing my PASSION for service and urban life with them.

Yup, as all out exhausted as I am, its pretty much all amazing.



But not as amazing as breaking the Food Bank for NYC repacking record by..... {drum roll please} ..... 4,000 POUNDS!!!

That's right folks. The previous all time record for unpacking, sorting, and repacking at the Food Bank Warehouse was 14,000 pounds in about 4 hours. With (a LOT) of help from the Big Man Upstairs, my CSM crew from App State sorted 18, 142 pounds of food in just over 3 hours... might I add that 14 of the 18 people were GIRLS!?!?! When the volunteer coordinator saw us come in, you could see him kind of sigh. Especially when he expected to have 25 people - not 18. He said we completed more than double the number of flats that he expected us to! Such an incredible feeling, to exceed expectations and defy all sense of logic!