Bam! Update

I am in the middle-of-nowhere Bluff City, Arkansas.  My team and I are working with the State Parks here.  We have a variety of assignments: painting park structures, repairing trail, facilitating curriculum during park events, and more.

My earlier hopes (of sharing videos and other BBB-related materials) have been restricted by my travels and my access to internet/tech.

I am in the Chidester library today.  A small brick room in the town hall (a now-renovated school building).  It is a modest setting, in which I find myself writing of grande dreams.

The top ten people being considered for the BBB contest will be announced in less than a week.

Whether or not I am among those incredibly lucky people, a traveler and writer I shall always remain.  If I am selected, I will continue to update you on the adventure and my development of the ultimate Biggest Baddest Bucket List.  If I am not selected, I will write back one final time to update you with final reflections and future plans before retiring the site.

Thank you for your time and attention!

Lot of Love,
Samantha

Distracting Place, Insufficient Tech

AmeriCorps transition week in Denver is exhausting and incredibly bad for my dedication to this contest. After a 8-9hr set of back to back presentations on how went the projects of everyone in my unit, my mind was gone and my body was pissed.

With no laptop and no teammates to borrow computer access from, I have had to rely solely on my smartphone, which has its limitations. I have an excellent video to share with you.

Days left in the contest are shrinking. Fingers crossed and dreaming hard.

Wish my plan was one composed of greater self-determination.

I've missed two days, what's going on?!

I've moved out of jail!

So nice to no longer be housed in an active work-release program detention center.

My AmeriCorps crew is back on campus (base camp equivalent) in Denver, CO. So nice to be back in the dorms. We are transitioning from our last projects to our next projects. I'm waiting to meet my roommate.

The transitioning has taken up a great deal of my time and attention. Expect more compensatory posts from me today to make up for the posts that I missed. I will be posting a video, a blogpost about a trip to the zoo, and another "researching the competition" post. If I have time, you can soon expect a post and reflection on how the upon-return $50,000 will help my educational goals or a post about some of biggest baddest bucket list dreams.

Garden of the Gods

Follow up on MyDestination video submission for Colorado Springs, CO. A recent return trip to Garden of the Gods yielded many great photos. Be sure to visit this location if you're ever in the Colorado Springs, CO area. It's a free park with plenty of opportunity for rock climbing, strolling, running, picture taking, strenuous and family friendly hiking, and more.

I didn't forget about you.

I am currently working on a video.  It takes absurd amounts of energy and patience with staring at a computer screen.  Who doesn't love listening to the same background song over and over and over again?

I am also working on getting my s*** together.  Moving from Colorado Springs in two days.  Life moves fast.

Not sharing much brilliance with you tonight, but know that I am out in the world, dreaming of my Biggest Baddest Bucket List.

A Letter to Ben Southall

Dear Ben,

     I know you're not a priest, but it's okay, because I'm not really a Catholic.  I have a confession.  I invite you to my present moment.  It is 11:27pm.  I am in a jail.  My body is tired.  I need to post this before the clock strikes 12:01am.  I have posted every day.  I spent the workday chipping ponderosa pine tree piles of brush in order to mitigate wildfire risk.  Wildfire season in the U.S. west is a big threat to many homes and hundreds of thousands of acres of forest lands.  My confession is that I fear I have not made enough noise.

     How did you win 'Best Job In The World'?  I fear I have not had enough time to demonstrate my passion for winning this contest.  To be considered a part of the top ten and flown to the UK - it would be the start of a travel dream I never imagined to be affordable and within my means.  I didn't grow up in a home where traveling was a part of the norm... but dreaming was.  I dream of winning this and with 13 days left, I fear I have not done enough.

  My time has been spent honoring the commitment to community service that I made.  Who will ever see this post?  Without the right level of networking and attention, what good are my words?  My hopes?  How do I make demonstration of it?!

     I should really like to go out for tea with you.  We can stand beside eachother and pose for a photo with our thumbs up.

     In all your life, what did you ever want most for yourself?  What drove you to depths of unimaginable thirst and hope and passion?  What do your days consist of now?  Was your contest the inspiration for this contest by MyDestination and its partners?  What is the best job in the world?

     I have spent too much time looking at entries tonight.  Veronique Morrisette has a great commentary feed on her YouTube video.  It gave me the names of all the people w/ biggest numbers of votes... people to keep an eye on.  I kept thinking how massive their numbers were... and yet how small compared to the presidential elections and American Idol...

     With what seems like so few days left, I am starting to feel desperation grow inside me.  I tug at the attention spans of those responsible for allowing me a shot at this beautiful opportunity.  Please pick me.  Please and thank you,

and thank you for hearing my confession.

I suspect you are a good man.

Good Night & Good Luck,

Samantha

Tired

So tired.

2 full days of volunteering with the library, the zoo, and the nima (mental health alliance).

Tired. But ready to dream.

How can I make this contest my reality????????????!!!!