Back in Biloxi
So there I was, on the morning of December 20th, watching the Dartmouth vans headed to the New Orleans airport pull out of the parking lot of Hands On USA. My last chance to leave with the rest of the group and meet my parents at the airport as planned was driving slowly away. What was I doing? Why was I considering giving up a comfortable Christmas with my family in order to stay in a warehouse in the middle of a disaster zone? That's what I've been trying to explain to everyone who hasn't been down here, to everyone who must think I've gone absolutely crazy. But I can't really explain it myself.
I did end up spending Christmas with my family; I caught a ride about a day later with a group driving up to Greenville, SC where I met my parents. I spent the next seven days in Savannah, GA and Asheville, NC wrapping Christmas presents, making cookies, and catching up with relatives-- but I couldn't get Biloxi out of my head. I kept sneaking away to go online and look for cheap flights or bus rides back down to Mississippi, and I went as far as emailing Hands On to find out if they could pick me up at 5 AM at the bus station if I came back. Finally it was the day before my parents and I were due to fly back home to Connecticut, and I had to make a decision. It would have been easier and probably less stressful for everyone if I'd just gotten on the plane with them, but something was pulling me back to Biloxi. I tried to explain this to my parents and justify to them a $100, overnight bus trip to Mississippi-- and instead of flipping out, my mom told me she'd like to come back with me. I could not have been more surprised when I realized that she was completely serious.
Long story short, Mom and I rented a car for ten hours and drove from Asheville, NC to Biloxi, Mississippi, arriving at about 4 PM on December 30th. And man, it's GREAT to be back. The past two days we've spent cleaning up the city streets and a local historical cemetary, getting sweaty and scratched up clearing away debris, and hearing from locals who couldn't be happier to have their parks and public streets back in order. Already I feel completely at home again, and my mom's having a wonderful time meeting all of the incredible people at Hands On. Today we visited Main Street Baptist Church again for services, and I had the opportunity to get up in front of the congregation and thank them for welcoming us all into their community. And tomorrow I plan to head out as part of the "Mold Revolution" that is taking Biloxi by storm and beating all those spores into submission so that we can start rebuilding.
Last night was New Year's Eve, and a bunch of us headed over to the Buddhist Temple on Oak Street to gather with other volunteers around the bonfire and count down to 2006 together. Just before midnight, I took a walk away from the fire and down a side street, where a few FEMA trailers sat quietly amongst piles of debris and empty foundations. Everything was half-hidden in the thick fog that's been covering the city since Friday evening, and in any other situation, in any other place, I might have been nervous or scared. But I wasn't. I was a little bit sad, a little bit hopeful, a little bit confused-- kind of the way I've felt the whole time I've been in Biloxi. And also, I was awed. By the people at Hands On, by the community members I've met; by all that I've seen in Biloxi, by all that I've heard about but still haven't seen; by the work we've already done here, and by all the work that still needs doing. I've never had a stranger, better New Year's Eve.
So long story short: I'm back here and I'm still feeling the same way I felt that last morning when I watched the Dartmouth vans pull out. Thinking logically, I shouldn't want to stay here-- I have a wonderful, comfortable life to go home to. But logic doesn't work here, and all I know is I'm still not ready to leave. I want to get in touch with all the locals I met when we were all here before, to check in on how they're doing. I want to talk to everyone at Hands On, to find out how they ended up here. I want to go to Pass Christian, to Waveland, to Bay St. Louis, to see how we can help out there. There are still so many more pictures I want to take, so many more conversations I want to have, so many more people I want to meet.
So we'll see what happens. Probably I'll leave on the 5th, like I'm supposed to. But I hope more than anything that I'll be back.
-Sarah "Scrooge" Hughes
I did end up spending Christmas with my family; I caught a ride about a day later with a group driving up to Greenville, SC where I met my parents. I spent the next seven days in Savannah, GA and Asheville, NC wrapping Christmas presents, making cookies, and catching up with relatives-- but I couldn't get Biloxi out of my head. I kept sneaking away to go online and look for cheap flights or bus rides back down to Mississippi, and I went as far as emailing Hands On to find out if they could pick me up at 5 AM at the bus station if I came back. Finally it was the day before my parents and I were due to fly back home to Connecticut, and I had to make a decision. It would have been easier and probably less stressful for everyone if I'd just gotten on the plane with them, but something was pulling me back to Biloxi. I tried to explain this to my parents and justify to them a $100, overnight bus trip to Mississippi-- and instead of flipping out, my mom told me she'd like to come back with me. I could not have been more surprised when I realized that she was completely serious.
Long story short, Mom and I rented a car for ten hours and drove from Asheville, NC to Biloxi, Mississippi, arriving at about 4 PM on December 30th. And man, it's GREAT to be back. The past two days we've spent cleaning up the city streets and a local historical cemetary, getting sweaty and scratched up clearing away debris, and hearing from locals who couldn't be happier to have their parks and public streets back in order. Already I feel completely at home again, and my mom's having a wonderful time meeting all of the incredible people at Hands On. Today we visited Main Street Baptist Church again for services, and I had the opportunity to get up in front of the congregation and thank them for welcoming us all into their community. And tomorrow I plan to head out as part of the "Mold Revolution" that is taking Biloxi by storm and beating all those spores into submission so that we can start rebuilding.
Last night was New Year's Eve, and a bunch of us headed over to the Buddhist Temple on Oak Street to gather with other volunteers around the bonfire and count down to 2006 together. Just before midnight, I took a walk away from the fire and down a side street, where a few FEMA trailers sat quietly amongst piles of debris and empty foundations. Everything was half-hidden in the thick fog that's been covering the city since Friday evening, and in any other situation, in any other place, I might have been nervous or scared. But I wasn't. I was a little bit sad, a little bit hopeful, a little bit confused-- kind of the way I've felt the whole time I've been in Biloxi. And also, I was awed. By the people at Hands On, by the community members I've met; by all that I've seen in Biloxi, by all that I've heard about but still haven't seen; by the work we've already done here, and by all the work that still needs doing. I've never had a stranger, better New Year's Eve.
So long story short: I'm back here and I'm still feeling the same way I felt that last morning when I watched the Dartmouth vans pull out. Thinking logically, I shouldn't want to stay here-- I have a wonderful, comfortable life to go home to. But logic doesn't work here, and all I know is I'm still not ready to leave. I want to get in touch with all the locals I met when we were all here before, to check in on how they're doing. I want to talk to everyone at Hands On, to find out how they ended up here. I want to go to Pass Christian, to Waveland, to Bay St. Louis, to see how we can help out there. There are still so many more pictures I want to take, so many more conversations I want to have, so many more people I want to meet.
So we'll see what happens. Probably I'll leave on the 5th, like I'm supposed to. But I hope more than anything that I'll be back.
-Sarah "Scrooge" Hughes
posted by Dartmouth in Biloxi at 1:29 PM
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