Adventure #17: Training Day Two!



Aeryn and Chuey were GONE!

It's official:  I'm part of something so much bigger than myself.  I've signed the contract.  I've begun the training.  I've become an 11-month volunteer with Americorp.  And I'm proud to state that fact and share it with the world.  On this Day Two of College Forward Training (AKA CoFo Training), I woke up before my alarm, looked to my right while lying in my hotel bed, and saw that Aeryn AND Chuey (her adorable pug) were GONE!  No worries, though.  They had just left and come back for a quick outside venture for Chuey.

But Training Day meant start time of 9a.m.--I had to get ready for the day and enjoy my hotel breakfast before leaving for St. Edward's University to meet up with the CoFo crew!

 Pretty impressive breakfast spread, if I do say so myself!



And I'd say Aeryn and I are ready to start our day
off to CoFo!



Mmmm!  Peanut butter oatmeal with an apple and tea!

CoFo Day Two in the morning brought forth some paperwork, some awesome presenters, and so much excitement for the weeks to come.  It was awesome to hear from the founder of CoFo, Lisa Fielder, who spoke to all of us coaches, inspired us further, and showed us the following video:  http://youtu.be/3AqRKJKdY84 (Definitely worth a watch!  Check it out!)

 I also got to actually share the Adventure Shoes with all of my CoFo co-workers as part of my Show & Tell.  It was fun to share the shoes with everyone, as it is a big part of my post-grad life, and I'm happy to make everyone aware of this yearlong goal that I have and intend to keep up with.

I believe with the above wholeheartedly.  I feel honored to serve with people who so passionately believe the same.

 After much time being trained, it was time for one of my favorite times of each day:  Lunchtime!  We got treated to Whole Foods' boxed lunches which meant a delicious veggie sub, fruit, and a freshly baked cookie.  (For those of you who don't know, I'm a foodie who typically goes into detail on my food consumption during each Adventure Day.  Get used to it.)

I've heard of Whole Foods on Food Network, and it was awesome to eat food from something so well-valued in the foodie world!

To the left, you'll see one of my new CoFo friends, Stephanie.  To the right, you will see another of my CoFo friends, coffee.  Somehow I have managed to have a cup of coffee each day of training.  Let's just say I've been quite a bit jittery...



One other perk to CoFo training:  We get awesome toys at each table to keep our hands busy while we listen intently to all things CoFo.  I also appreciated pink being used as a team color for an activity.  And the fact that I was on the pink team!

At the end of the day, it became time to drive home to the hotel and battle the rush hour traffic that I've come to realize is part of living in the city.  Lanes and lanes of vehicles and miles and miles of patience is something that I must get used to.  Ah well, it's all part of the growth process with this new chapter of my life, right?  (Would you believe that it was actually ME who drove yesterday?!  Yup, Aeryn and I have been switching off on drivers as we carpool, but I'm proud to say that I've held up my fair share of the bargain!)

 While driving (AKA while stopped in traffic), I had the opportunity to snap a pic of my newly-modified CoFo name tag.  I wrote on the back because the front had my full name, and I wanted to ensure that I would respond if someone yelled my name.  ('Allison' might not get an immediate response from me if someone were to call me by that.)

And then, we stopped at the gas station to the right so that Aeryn could pick up a quick energy boost for training the next day.  (Good to be well-stocked in caffeinated beverages!)  Luckily I was able to navigate the lovely roads of Austin enough to find a gas station for her.

Somehow I am missing an additional picture of my evening activities, but that's ok.  I really just ate dinner, felt the need to tune into some Cupcake Wars, and got some CoFo paperwork done.  And THEN I could reward myself with some Skype time with Fish, which was greatly appreciated.  I was very-much frustrated by the frequent interruption of our conversation due to ridiculous hotel internet, but that's ok.  Fish reassured me, and we were able to maintain somewhat of a normal conversation.

I am so excited to have shared a taste of CoFo with everyone, and I'm even more excited to share my future with CoFo in the coming weeks!  Enjoy, dear readers!