Team!

After a long day of training, the anticipation was killing everyone. The team leaders had known for a day who was on their team and chose to be as obnoxious as possible when talking to us about it--either denying that anyone was on their team or greeting us with an eager, "Hey! Of course you're on my team!"
I like to call today, "Arranged family day." The day when we would finally, finally would get to know who we living with, driving with, sleeping with, and becoming one giant 10-person dysfunctional family with. Looking around the room at the 72 potential new family members, new teammates I would be getting, I was filled with dispair and excitement. The chances of being placed with one of my new CTI friends was slim to none, but I was hopeful that I wouldn't be put on a team with too many of the socially-awkward misfits that will take slightly longer to befriend.

We all gathered on the 6th floor of the admin building, sitting in a makeshift circle facing inward. My eyes shifted from one person to the next, trying to sense some sort of connection as to our status come a few more minutes. Sandy, our awesome team leader, talked to us. And talked. And talked. And as much as I think she's amazing, during those minutes I wanted to strangle her. It's been a while since the anticipation of something occupied me completely, but this was surely one of those moments. Finally, finally, she stopped talking. And the team leaders passed around slips of paper with clues about a teammate that would link us eventually to the rest of our team.

My clue read, " _____ ____ Roth."

Hmm, I thought. What? Ohh...David Lee Roth?

David Lee!!

From my first makeshift team! Hurrah, a friend!

I shouted his name and was filled with relief. At least 1/10th of team would not be at all socially awkward.

But then David looked at me strangely. And handed me his slip. It read, "Her brother is in Americorps NCCC Sacramento."

Which is...me...

So basically we were now on a team with just the two of us. Which made it impossible to find the other people who would link us together with our complete team.

Huh.

Luckily we were pulled aside and told that apparently someone has screwed-up the chain of teammaking and that we were on Fire 3, Ryan's team.

That's the first team we were both on--so knowing our Team Leader, and liking him already...we were pumped.

Like lost children we went around to the piles of people trying to construct their message on the floor of who their team leader was repeating, "Do you need two people? Do you need two people?"

Eventually we found our team, of which I recognized 2 people. Not a great start.

After running down the street to our desitination to officially meet our TL and be given our project we collapse on the 2nd floor lounge and just gawked at each other. Here is my new family. Live it, learn it, (grow to) love it.