My First Day on the Trail

Okay, I’m not really “on the trail,” but I thought that sounded cool as a header…I work at a local campaign office in Lansdale, PA, which is one of about 8 offices that the Obama campaign has in Montgomery County. The office used to be a car dealership, I think, or a warehouse maybe, but for us it’s a huge space where lots of cool stuff goes on.

Okay, not always. Anyone else might have thought my first day was pretty boring, in fact, but me with my West Wing fantasy was pretty stoked anyway. Tuesday was my first day, and it was kind of slow. I learned how to use the super voter database and did some data entry, made the “Issues Wall,” talked to some people who stopped in, and then made a few phone calls to voters. I went home for lunch (my mom is an angel who is contantly grocery shopping and packed the fridge with all our favorite things- mmmm ham sandwhiches!) and then finished up about 6pm. Debate night!! My friend Melissa lives in Philly and took the train out to the ‘burbs for the debate, so I picked her up from the train station, and she, Steve and I went out for Philly cheesesteaks before we settled in at my house to watch the debate. Of course, jet lag kicked in pretty much exactly as the two candidates shook hands, and I promptly fell into a dead sleep sitting on the couch, for the entire debate.

The Wanderlust Chronicles: Next Chapter

And so it begins! It's been about ten years now that I've been working internationally, and although my husband Steve and I have really enjoyed it (and just signed on for two more years, recently relocated to Thailand from Sri Lanka), we miss a lot of things, like family and friends (and good margaritas!). But another thing I've lately realized I've missed is my country...In my short little career I've worked on a few democratic governance programs in developing countries, and also lived in a number of places where people know nothing of the notion of liberty and democracy that we sometimes take for granted in the US. "We the people...." is what our country was founded on, and so I've decided that for a short few weeks, it's time for me to do something for my own country for a change. Especially during a period when I feel so strongly that our country needs a change, and that Barack Obama is the one to lead us to it. So I'm giving up most of my annual leave home (my work sends us home once a year for about a month) to volunteer on the Obama Presidential campaign. Since my home state of Pennsylvania is a "swing state" still for either candidate, I've been assigned to work in my hometown of Lansdale, PA, where I can stay with my folks, be overfed by my mom, mooch her car when I need it, and bug my best friend from high school and her husband regularly, who live down the road.

Over the years, Steve and I have been known to send email letters to friends and families called "The Wanderlust Chronicles." (okay fine, it's been a while since we've written one- good thing we've now discovered blogging!) Consider this a new chapter, only it's about my experience here at home, doing grass-roots volunteering. Read on, and enjoy!