Habitat For Humanity

On September 9th, myself and a handful of classmates spent the day volunteering for Habitat for Humanity at the Albion site. At the time of our visit, only the foundation had been constructed, and that had been done only a few days prior. Our day at the site was spent putting in drain tile. This involved moving a LOT of gravel. (Several tons, in fact.) Throughout the course of the day, most of my time was spent in the ditch surrounding the foundation directing gravel pouring and evening it out. 

The physical labor was actually somewhat enjoyable for me, as I hadn't done any "heavy lifting" so to speak since my summer job. While the progress that we made wasn't so readily evident like putting framing up would be, we certainly accomplished a lot throughout the day. 

When I was much younger, a housing development was constructed up the hill from my neighborhood. Since it was so close, my dad would often take me up to see the houses being built. Usually when we went, the framing had already been put up, so I had never really seen what really goes into a foundation. It was really interesting to be able to see and participate in the construction of a house before the walls go up.

Overall, this project was both enjoyable and rewarding, and it has made me consider volunteering for Spokane's Habitat for Humanity over the coming summer.

The Personal Sense of "Home"

Ideally, home is a place of relaxation, comfort, and self expression. For some, this is signified by a building or a place or a specific memory. Upon reflecting where my home is, I realized that I consider many places my home. The clearest connection between all of them is that they are all spaces that I share with my extended family on my dad's side. Growing up, my house served as the hub for family gatherings, and year after year, Christmas and Easter celebrations would be held in our living room. These family get-togethers are the root of some of my favorite memories in the house.

While it might be logical that the house I grew up in (and the house that my dad and his siblings grew up in) would be what I most strongly associate with home, it's not. What I most frequently think of when I imagine home is the family lake cabin on Deer Lake, which is shared between my grandpa, my family, and my dad's siblings and their families. It's here at the lake that I first experienced the freedom to spend my time as I pleased. It's where I learned how to waterski, where I caught my first fish, and where I got countless splinters on our old wooden dock as a small child. More recently, it's where my dad taught me to drive the boat, and it was where I spent most of my free time this last summer.
Most importantly, though, our lake cabin has always been a place where I get to be with my family, who truly make it home.

Above is a selection from in-class sketches which depict my home. On the left is my house in Spokane, and on the right is my family's lake cabin at Deer Lake. Below is a photo of our lake cabin, taken from the end of the dock.