Anshu Vipparla
But I never really ever had time to think. On my first day I found myself lost in a sea of firefighters and policemen while trying to help a man and his mother recover from losing everything to flames. The next week I spoke alongside four other community partners at a military base camp about the unbelievable efforts of the Red Cross during a disaster. Then this Friday I had a swarm of 8 year old girls ask to touch my hair while we were talking about hurricane preparedness (that was awkward). At times it felt like I was lost in the deep end at work without really knowing how to swim. I guess it was because working with the Red Cross was nothing like what I expected so I kept diving into unfamiliar territory. I was thrown out of my comfort zone, but it didn't take me long to feel like a part of this incredible organization because of it (of course working with some pretty incredible people didn’t hurt). I’m pretty sure I’ve left more voicemails over the past two weeks then I ever have in my life, but I’ve also had the opportunity to speak to 650 people about hurricane safety; provide families affected by the many fires in the city with money for food, clothing, and hotel rooms; and feel as if I’ve made a difference in the community already. |
Trust me I am so far off from an erratic, unforeseen decision spree, but getting lost in the moment without the usual second glances was the best part of the past two weeks. I was in awe of my co-workers who treated me as one of them from the moment I first said "Hi" to them, I admired the strength of those at my presentations that shared their personal stories of Katrina with me, and I was in love with the city that I kept getting lost in (sometimes quite literally since I was left without a functional phone for a while). So I let myself get caught up in it all- my job, the people, the adventures, and the culture, without really thinking about it. I can't wait to get lost again.
- Anshu Vipparla
- Anshu Vipparla