Yay Bike!

So... over the last week, I went to Billings, survived a massive rain storm in my car, and had amazing conversations. And I've made some new friends... but they too, like Jordan, will be leaving Miles City in a few days.

Billings was pretty much the best adventure I've had so far. It was kind of chill, which was good. We got to catch up with the VISTAs there. They took us to the State Fair and a Farmers' Market. We also tried to go to a mall, but apparently it didn't open until noon on Sundays. Lame, right?

When I got home, I realized that my bike had a flat, and I'm lacking in the tools or know how to fix it. Of course, Bike Man's shop was closed on Monday, which made me feel kind of bad, as I had been wanting to spend time with the bike. I haven't been biking as much as I want to... :-( But, when I got back, Jordan was there, which was... also pretty cool.) But today, the Bike Man was able to make it better, with something called Cactus Juice or something. It's some sort of liquid that is put into a tire. It requires that one's tire be spun quickly and it magically becomes not holey.

Work's going alright, but I am already looking into opportunities for next year. I am thinking of the Peace Corps, as I have no real ambition to do much else. I am considering applying at a University here to pick up a BA in Education, and teach English and Sociology, but I feel that there's a lot of the world that I have yet to see... So why not go Peace Corps then go back to school when I return? (Got any ideas about what I should do with my life? Leave a comment!)

I'm also quite excited- my apartment also got repaired-- the inside windows got repaired, and hopefully the outside windows will have screens upon them when I get home. Tonight: Laundry and sleep. Tomorrow: more training in Helena! I'm really looking forward to a break from Miles City, even though I've just returned from Billings... (which again was amazing!)

I'm quite afraid that, as soon as I loose contact with the people I've been hanging out with, my brain will be turned into mush. I don't really feel like I'm learning or being challenged as much as I should/could be...

Work and Other (Possibly) Cool things

So I am beginning to feel more at ease with the whole living in a small town in the middle of nowhere thing. I've realized that there are some pretty cool things to do (like explore abandoned buildings, go on bike rides to nowhere and star watch at night or go to the open mics on Friday nights). I've also met some pretty cool people, like the guy who owns and operates Great Grains, similar to the co-op in Point, and Bike Man, who I'm hoping will give me guidance in bike repair. Not that there's anything wrong with mine- I just think bikes are interesting things, and people who ride them tend to be amazing.

This weekend, Susan and I are going to the Big Damn Band thing downtown, which should be fun. It sounds like there's going to be food, music and other exciting activities throughout the day. Also on Saturday, I'll hopefully be looking at (and maybe renting!!) my own place.

Tomorrow, I get to go to two hearings- should be quite the day.

Also, I've gotten accepted into the Montana VISTA Advisory Committee thing, which should help to keep me occupied for at least a little bit. I'm beginning to notice that I do the same stuff daily, and it's starting to get boring. I like the people I've been passing the time with (save one person...), but I wish there was more to do. Maybe a day trip to Billings (the next biggest town, which is roughly 2 hours away) will be in order. We're also planning a camping adventure to either the Black Hills or Yellowstone in the nearish future.
-Z

PS. More pictures on Facebook coming soon. I'm kind of lame and don't like dragging my laptop around.