putting your soul in what you do

I love the non profit sector. I love knowing that day in and day out I am actively engaged in making the world a better place. That said I continue to find myself in situations where I am giving so fully that I burn out, where the support is not built in, where I start to hit walls and don't have the energy to climb them. For over four years and 5 employers (that's not as bad as it sounds) I have contemplated moving into the for profit sector and continually think that I don't want to spend the largest chunk of my time each day not making a difference.

This month I have gone from feeling on top of the world to freaked out about unrealistic expectations to determined to make it work to crashed and thinking that everything I do is for nothing.

and these are the days where I start to think that money and not a better world might be a more realistic way to take my life.

This is simply another account of the document non-profit burn out that our sector faces. Much of mine come from overwhelming expectations so something is away undone with feeling a lack of control over my career mobility and advancement.

Housing Loans are being fixed!

Went to see if I would qualify for a home loan today and I am pleased to announce that after the absurd loaning practices of the 90's and early 2000's in the United Sates the system is being improved. That said the system is not perfect. Two years of the same employer are more important than credit score and assets value, and thus I was turned down before we even finished the paperwork.

#wanderingfails

Volunteering in East Texas

This blog started as a way to track our volunteering while overseas and volunteer we did, than returned to the US and started to work for non profits and really have had limited energy to write about volunteering when our lives have been consumed by the non profit sector. All that said I did want to make mention of the 6 month search I went on to find a volunteer opportunity in the Longview/ Kilgore area.

I e-mailed several leads, even stopped at the animal shelter but nothing really seemed to want me, that is until I approached the Kilgore Downtown Development team and they had me join with open arms. I am now trying to do what I can to launch a small business social media strategy to increase business in our historic down town. I did some support for our local comic store and am looking forward to continuing to build the project over the upcoming months!

Moral of the story is with lots of searching and trying you will find something that needs your talent and will give you a volunteer experience here in east Texas.

Day Canoe Trip, Caddo Lake

Feeling the need to do something summer we headed out to Caddo lake to rent a canoe and paddle for the afternoon. Uncertain Tx was our destination a town about an hour from Kilgore on the LA border.

There are two boat/ cabin rental places in Uncertain, Crips and Johnson, both within a mile of each-other and both easily found from the flea market. Crips was closed for lunch so we rented from Johnson and with no fanfare we had slightly misfitted paddles and a canoe that had seen its better day but would get the job done.

Caddo lake has a fairly high level of motor boat traffic along the open waterways. The lake is more like a swamp in many areas but once you get off the main ways its truly stunning, however the invasive plant that is taking over the lake gets a bit dense at times really slowing down your progress. We stayed fairly close to Johnsons and next time we might try starting at a different location but loved the overall experience. 

Road Trip North Dakota Summer

A Road Trip during the summer in North Dakota is an all american experience. I selected 3 photos from a road trip that I think give a viewer a snapshot of what such a road trip is bound to unveil. 

Atlanta Tx state park

I journey to Atlanta State Park in Atlanta TX. I had been warned that it was not worth my time, but I could not keep away.

The Pros:

• Lots of trails, you will not hike every trail in one day
• Great staff
• lovely forest
• has lake access

The Cons:

• Poorly marked trails, I went miles out of my way on the nature trail?!?!?!
• The lakefront is not very well maintained.
• Most of the trails are in the woods and lack wow factors.
• The rustic restrooms that I encountered were overrun by wasps.

Overall opinion, if your in the area and want to get away for a while its a lovely place to do that, however it is not worth a trip out to visit.

RC Comics

RC Comics in Kilgore Texas is a gem for sure.

https://www.facebook.com/rccomicshop

Ricky the owner is friendly, helpful and loves comics. They are one of the few businesses that have evening hours in Kilgore. The prices are great and really a comic book is such a great gift.

They have a 2 for $1 section and I raided it today while my clothes were in the wash. Soon family and a few friends are going to get some comic book gifts. If you are passing through or living in the area RC Comics is a must visit in Kilgore Tx