No Gang Wars

This morning, Wesley, Bridget, and I set out early in the morning for the National Conservation Training Center (NCTC) in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, to attend Sc3, which is the Student Climate and Conservation Congress. We took the LIRR to Penn Station where we sat and waited for our Amtrak train for a little over an hour. We met up with some kids that were attending Sc3 with us, but when we were split up once we got on the train because it was so crowded. I sat with a stranger the entire three and a half hour ride...at least I got some reading done.

We arrived at Union Station in D.C. around 1:30. The plan was to meet a bunch more people and some staff at Yo! Sushi and from there to take a shuttle another two hours to NCTC. We did just that. I spent most of the bus ride talking to Irina and Woogie about what we should expect in the coming week.

We pulled up to NCTC at around 4:00. We signed in inside the main lobby and got to see Isabella! She rode down a day early to help prepare. After signing up for a community service project and two smaller lectures, we were showed to our dorms. I stayed in Aldo Leopold lodge with some of the most amazing kids at Sc3. After settling in, we were herded towards the Commons for dinner. There, I met Maddi and Soumya, and we hit it off immediately.

After dinner, we all walked to the auditorium to be welcomed to Sc3. Pete Dominick, a comedian, told us about his environmental activism while telling some jokes to lighten the mood.

My roommate had arrived after dinner, so I didn't meet him until we returned to the dorms later at night. His name is Gerod and he's from the Navajo Nation. He's awesome. More to come about him later in the week.

I'M JUST SO EXCITED.