Alamosa - Habitat (6)

MAB Blog- 4^th Day- Gerard Edic

             The fourth day in Alamosa, Colorado was surely a solemn one on one hand, a happy one on the other hand. Being the second to last day until we leave back for Columbia, there was certainly a backdrop feeling of melancholy, as our awesome week would come to an end.

            First off, the basic routine: as usual, we all got up around 8 am (more or less) to get ready for our third day of work at the Habitat for Humanity house. Continuing on from Tuesday, I resumed working on placing the drywall inside the bathroom of the habitat house. I worked with my same crew- Joe, Summer, Immani, and Mallory. We took measurements, cut drywall, and drilled them in. The hardest part was getting the exact measurements down for the drywall to make sure the pieces would fit in correctly. As a result I'd end up having to sand off some of the drywall to ensure a good fit.
            The best part though came when Lawrence, our Habitat guide, introduced me to the "saw", a fairly heavy but effective tool that can cut straight through drywall without any effort. I had to get up on a ladder to cut off some drywall there so that scared me, but I managed to pull through (somehow), with no fingers missing.
            After our stint working in the house, even more fun came afterwards. While half of our group came back to rest for our upcoming dinner, I tagged along with a few others to walk through downtown Alamosa, checking out the antique stores to see what's offered and marveling at the small town American life that still's existent in Alamosa, amidst the towering mountains that surround the city.
            For our first three days in town, we ate our meals at the church we were lodging at. But tonight, we decided to spice things up a bit by eating out at a local, popular burger joint in Alamosa, dubbed Wize Apples. Getting into the quaint, dim lit restaurant, we checked out the menus to see a variety of burgers with a variety of toppings: bacon, eggs, chili, etc.
            The burgers were certainly bigger than I imagined, and not to mention, the endless fries, I had enough trouble trying to finish, toppings falling out notwithstanding. But just like about everyone else, I managed to fight my over stuffed stomach and continue on, finishing the burger.
            What's the best way to fight the immense amount of calories you've just earned at Wize Apples? Sleeping it off? Walking it off? How about hiking through the sand dunes national park at night? Our night of fun clearly wasn't over yet.
            After a quick retreat back to the church to change into more fitting and warm clothes, we almost immediately headed back out on the road, off to the great sand dunes that we've been eagerly awaiting to see ever since the beginning of our trip.
            We got to the park around 9 or so and for once, I adequately packed for the cold. Entering the park, we reached the part where water meets sand, and therefore where our feet became nearly frozen. Disregarding the cold water, we all found it best to walk across the water in our bare feet to avoid getting our shoes and socks wet. Unfortunately, I didn't get the memo that we were supposed to carry our shoes across the water with us, so like a moron, I left them back at the entrance. Not seeing how my bare feet could stand the cold of the night and the sand, I quickly ran back and forth to retrieve my shoes and socks to continue on our night hike.
            It was sometime after this that some of our group decided to depart back to the entrance of the park. Though there were still other members in our group, myself included, who decided to continue to bravely trek through the sand dunes at night, facing aching uphill walks and the chill of the night.
            Finally our small group of nighttime hikers found a great spot amidst the dunes to set "camp"- and by camp I mean laid down blankets and an impromptu cuddle fest. The site was great for stargazing and we all decided to fight the cold of the night by laying down some blankets and getting warm and cozy with each other through some friendly snuggling and cuddling. The sky was a bit cloudy, but we were still able to see more stars than anywhere else due to the park not having any light pollution. We laid there, gazing at the stars, listening to subtle, ambient music to help accompany our mood. Through some miraculous manner, I managed to fall asleep through the cold night and small chatter that came up as we sat and watched the stars.
            But like all good things, everything has to come to an end and soon I found myself woken up and eventually trekking down the sand dunes and getting back inside our MAB van.
            The car ride back to the church was a quiet one as everyone was exhausted from a day of work and a nigh of fun. As I sat in the van, gazing at the passing scenery of Colorado and the mountains, I thought about how I soon wouldn't see these mountains no more and the depressing afterthoughts of having to go back to the real world and continue school. I'm sure everyone was feeling a bit bittersweet and sad as our second to last day came to an end and our last one would be coming up, probably too quickly. But like everyone else, I managed to hold onto to those sweet moments and enjoy the night as much as I could.

With gratitude and joy,

Gerard Edic, future author extraordinaire ​