It was a bright and beautiful morning as our Send Silence Packing truck pulled up to the sidewalk at University of California, Irvine. With a dedicated group of smiling volunteers, Active Minds chair Alexandria, and advisor Jasmine, we started setting up the display at 8AM on the dot. Though our allotted backpack spaces were a bit of a challenge, we nevertheless had a great event and spoke with hundreds of students, faculty, and visitors about Active Minds and mental health.

Homework can wait a few more minutes...

One case particularly struck me, and it was that of Owen, a local who happened upon the display and was brought to our resource tables by a volunteer. He really wanted to share his story, so before writing a long entry in our traveling journal (our large, bound book brought to each stop to capture the written reactions and thoughts of display visitors), he sat down and talked to me about his journey.

Owen explained that he had gone to UCLA in the 90s and had become depressed after a breakup with his long-term girlfriend. “I was depressed and felt I had no one to reach out to. I turned to substances, overusing alcohol and drugs to combat everything, but it only made it worse.“ He felt that he was alone, and that no one knew what he was going through.

Pondering the display

“Though I was a substance abuser, drugs only made everything harder…they were really just a temporary screen that actually made everything worse in the long run. I felt so isolated, and had no one to reach out to. I actually thought about suicide a lot just to stop the pain.”

Owen explained that he sought help with his school’s psychological services, which took him in. After more than five years of intense counseling, the depression lifted off of him. “I had counseling, and in addition, I learned to meditate, and I got clean and sober.” He now leads a normal, happy life, and is so thankful that awareness programs like Send Silence Packing exist. Owen only wishes such awareness had been around when he and his classmates needed it.

Reading before class

He showed amazing strength in asking for help when he knew he was in trouble. And when times were tough, he stuck through it, staying in counseling and reaching out to people who could help him. This story, along with quite a few others we heard at Irvine, really touched us all. In fact, groups of peer educators, counseling center interns, and many counseling staff members on duty all had interesting and valuable one-on-one conversations with students and others throughout the day. We even had help from the members of Spoken Word at Irvine, and they performed during the lunch hour right near the display.

Spoken Word performed some powerful speeches at the event

Volunteering and performing? Now that's dedication!

All of our help was great, but it was several of our dedicated volunteers who made the day so enjoyable. One had never heard of Active Minds until her friend, an Irvine chapter member, told her about it. “I’m volunteering today and now I really want to join!” she exclaimed. She ended up volunteering for the entire duration of the event. After so many sign-ups and so much new interest, we’re sure the chapter will continue to do more great work on campus.

Studying the display

We heard so many stories of struggle at Irvine, but for the thousands of students who pass through at each stop, and for all those who stop to learn more, we believe we’re working to make struggling alone a problem of the past. The folks at UCI are working hard to create an open dialogue about mental health issues, and they’re doing a fantastic job!

Owen truly summed up our Irvine day best.  “I got help, and I’m fine now,” he said. “There is hope.”

Mt. San Jacinto College welcomed the Send Silence Packing display to their beautiful campus this past Thursday. With a terrific mountain backdrop and plenty of enthusiasm, we set up a different sort of display. Rather than gathering the backpacks around a fountain or grassy area, we set up trails of them along several student walkways and stairs. Quite a few passersby commented on the visual impact made by displaying the bags over such a unique and wide area, and we’re glad we could use the space for such a different setup.

The mountains and palm trees made for a spectacular display backdrop

Funded by the Riverside Department of Mental Health, our Mt. San Jacinto stop was a unique one: There was no chapter, but Ana, our fearless leader-in-training, was determined to start a chapter if enough interest was shown. With over 30 students of all ages signing up to attend the first meeting, we all agreed the event was quite a success!

Many groups came out to make our display an event. The Army, the Student Government Association, and about 10 more groups representing local and national organizations came out with booths to complete the display.

Students gather to read a backpack

One of the booth volunteers, Ken, had a program on display that helps those who have made mistakes–including formerly incarcerated individuals—and want to get back on track and get educated. “The people we try to reach out to sometimes have too much pride to ask for help, or they’re scared, or sometimes they’re just tired of running from everything.”  Send Silence Packing is similar in that we’re trying to reach out to individuals who are too afraid to ask for help, or students who are tired of facing issues alone.

Volunteers get friends and strangers alike to stop and ponder the display

A matriculated student, “Pam,” stopped to talk about the display. “I think this is a terrific thing you’re doing, and I just wish Active Minds was here when I was a younger student. I went through suicidal thoughts myself and had no one to turn to. I’m one of the lucky ones who made it through.” Pam was unfortunately left to struggle alone back then, but today, with peer-to-peer outreach, access to treatment and counseling services, and—most importantly—open communication, Active Minds chapters and aware students aim to stop student suicide together.

We enjoy being able to park our truck right at the display--it definitely catches one's eye

Though impending rain caused us to pack up a bit early, our amazing volunteers, along with several viewers who offered to help, made packup a breeze. We left out several story backpacks near the end and were amazed to see a crowd around them for nearly an hour. It’s always great to see how just a few stories can impact so many people.

Even after packup, students kept visiting the display. We made sure they saw many of the personal story backpacks before it was time for us to leave

The Mt. San Jacinto stop, along with the College of the Desert stop, showed just how important it is to reach out to community college students young and old. At both displays we spoke with high schoolers, grandmothers, military students, and part-timers. No matter who they were, they were impacted by the display and got our message loud and clear. The response was amazing at Mt. San Jacinto, and we can’t wait for their new chapter to get up and running!

In case anyone was wondering, the desert is in fact quite warm. This past monday we brought the display to the scenic College of the Desert in Palm Desert. Temperatures soared into the high 90s early in the morning, which certainly feels strange for being October. Luckily, we recently got ahold of a shade canopy to keep ourselves and everyone stopping by the tables cooled off. The heat didn’t stop the students from coming down to the display—in fact we were lucky to to have so many great volunteers with the number of students coming through. Not only did we have the usual campus crowds, but several instructors brought their entire classes down to see the backpacks and read the stories as well.

Yes, there was actually a rainbow in the middle of the display

New backpacks were added to the display, including this one here. We met Alex's dad back in Chico and are happy to have his story--along with all the new stories--with us for the tour

Speaking of extra help, we were thrilled to be joined by Sonya Weisburd (one of the Regional Chapter Managers) from the national office for this display. For a few stops out of each tour we are lucky to have different members from the national office join us at the displays. Sonya made the trip out to California to meet up with some of her chapters face to face and to help out at two of the Send Silence Packing displays.

Students visiting the display

Because of the nature of class times, the crowds tend to come through in waves. During the slower times between classes we get to connect with the volunteers and with the visitors that spend more time in the display, and this is usually when the most stories come out. If there’s one thing I am constantly reminded of during these displays it’s that you never know who might have a story. So many people share their own experiences of where they are or have been through their journey with mental health.

Campus security took a few moments to stop by, read the story backpacks, and discuss the display

I spoke with one student who had started college, dropped out due to struggles with depression and stress (without knowing that any of this could be treatable at the time), hit a low point, and then eventually learned of resources to get the help he needed. After seeking help, he is now back to taking classes and living his life. We spoke about how different the world can feel when you’re dealing with a mental health issue, and about how being aware of it (and of options to treat it) are the first step to getting better. We talked about how these problems don’t need to be hidden and kept secret—that it is ok to feel and to feel openly. When we struggle it’s easy to associate pain with weakness and loneliness with unworthiness—It’s easy to feel guilty if you’re not loving college, a time that everyone says is supposed to be the best in your life. When these associations get made, it’s then easy to want to hide our struggles. We at Active Minds want people to know how important it is to not be silent about the different things we are feeling and experiencing while living—both the good and bad.

Students, families, and even grandparents are part of the fantastic College of the Desert Active Minds chapter, and all came out to volunteer or attend

In addition to the thousands of face to face interactions we have at each display, we also carry around a traveling journal where people can share their thoughts and reactions. There are so many messages of courage, strength, and hope from people that have struggled, are currently struggling, or have watched their friends and family struggle. One visitor was flipping through the journal and pointed out an entry to me that I hadn’t noticed before. It said “Seeing how much everyone misses them made me realize how much everyone would miss me.” After pointing it out she said that she feels the same way, and that before today she didn’t really realize how many options there were to manage these kinds of challenges of living. She also didn’t know there were so many people that cared—but she said she knows now, and she intends to make sure others know as well.

Despite the blistering heat, more than a thousand people came out to learn about the backpacks

Just when we thought we’d adjusted to the California heat, Chapman University delivered a sun-drenched day full of interesting conversations and enthusiastic students. Though many of the volunteers had to take frequent breaks under our campus canopies , we braved the heat and worked to bring our important message to the lovely Chapman campus. 

While setting up and working at these displays, it’s easy for people to think that our job is just to set up, hand out flyers, and leave, but in fact we do far more than that. While we’re at displays, Brandon and I take careful steps to educate but not interrupt, really showing the Active Minds presence wherever we go. But even more than that, we truly do care. We all have mental health, and mental health disorders effect so many people around us. While we’re there to connect people with necessary resources—and not to provide counseling services—we still have open ears and enjoy getting into meaningful conversations with volunteers, visitors, and students alike.

While at Chapman, we spoke with kids, older adults, staff, students, and more. I even spoke with a class being held in the middle of the display, and several professors spoke to Brandon about the display’s visual impact. I also met M.M., an amazing student who had a lot to say about the display, and about mental health and people in general. He brought up quite a few points: Do we listen to each other enough? Do we actually show concern and give useful advice? Are we there for friends, family members, or even strangers? It truly got me thinking. Though we usually only have 8 hours to meet people during any given 1-day display, we try so hard to reach out to people, and to have lasting conversations and help connect people to those who can be there for them. There are people out there who want to help! It may be challenging to find the right sets of ears, but a huge part of Send Silence Packing’s mission is to get people talking and communicating. Given the great response at Chapman and all our previous stops, we can see we’re doing that, but we always value your feedback. Join in on the conversation at https://www.facebook.com/activemindsinc, and tell us your thoughts!

We had hundreds of interested students pass through the display, and many of the students and faculty were already aware we were there due to great campus publicity from the Counseling Center. Send Silence Packing was even displayed on the college’s electronic marquee! Thankfully, we had plenty of volunteers helping with setup, flyering, and packup—everyone from youngsters who handed out SSP buttons to Campus Security, who helped flyer throughout the day. We couldn’t have done it without all the help, and to have a fraternity help load up the truck at the end of the day was the icing on the cake. 

We feel that each stop on our California Fall Tour leaves an impression , and we’ve been getting great help from our college campuses so that we’ll never forget a college! CSU Long Beach made a backpack, Pitzer gave us some keychain swag (as well as a terrific donated backpack filled with mental health advocacy statements inside), and Chapman gave us a school-emblazoned pack complete with a stuffed panther mascot. We’ve had many friends and family come to see backpacks, and more still who are interested in donating. In fact, we’ll be getting several new story backpacks in just a few days, when Sonya, our wonderful Western Regional Chapter Manager at  www.ActiveMinds.org, comes out for a few displays! We’re thankful that so many people have been donating packs in honor of their loved ones, and we’ll be adding their stories to the display immediately.

It’s off to the desert now for several displays out near Palm Springs. We’ll be working hard in the hot sun, but we urge you to get involved and do your part as well! Remember one thing as you go about your business this coming week: Talk to your friends, family, and even strangers about mental health. We must share our stories and listen to one another, and together, we can work to change the conversation on mental health.

This past Tuesday we headed East towards Claremont for our display at Pitzer College. Pitzer was one of the smaller schools (with around 1000 students) we’ve visited, but that didn’t stop the students from coming out and showing a huge amount of support for the cause. We pulled up bright (the amount of sunshine in southern California sure is impressive to someone who has grown up in Michigan) and early to find a group of volunteers ready to help unpack the truck. Many of the volunteers were just there to help despite not being part of the local Active Minds chapters themselves. We always love seeing when other members from the campus community give their time and energy to help support this effort, and these students and staff really showed they care (I later learned that Pitzer’s students donate over 100,000 hours to community service annually—that’s quite impressive for a student body of around 1000!).

The community at Pitzer was so attentive when asked if they’d like to hear about why we were out there. Other than the students that were on their way to class (I remember the feeling of leaving for class and arriving with about 10 seconds to spare), nearly everyone I talked to stopped, listened, and chatted with me about the program. And those students that were in a hurry? Most of them came back after their classes. This meant that we all had a lot of conversations throughout the day. One conversation in particular really stuck with me and I would like to share it with you. This one happened to be not with a student, but with a professor.

It’s important to remember that although we most often do our work on college campuses, our messages apply to anyone and everyone. I spoke with a professor (We’ll call him “Jack” for this story) about the issue of what people can do when they notice someone close to them is struggling. He told me a story about how when his son was thirteen, he began noticing what he thought were some warning signs. His son was struggling to adapt in middle school, and his behavior was changing as a result. Finally he told his dad “I’m not happy being here.” Jack asked what he meant by “here,” and the answer he got was “anywhere.”

When someone comes to you and tells you that they are struggling it can be difficult to know how to respond, sometimes even more so when the person is close to you. We at Active Minds really like to share the idea that seeking help is a sign of strength, not a sign of weakness. Jack’s son showed a lot of strength in sharing that he was struggling. I asked Jack how he responded to his son reaching out.

Jack said, “Well, we had to find how what was making him feel like that. I told [my son] ‘Well something has to go away, but it’s not you. let’s figure out what it is.’”

I really liked the way he put that—”something has to go away, but it’s not you.” Jack and his son ended up making a list of the things that were and weren’t working. Once they had that figured out, they gathered up items that represented all things that weren’t working. Jack then drove them out into the desert where they made a small bonfire and got rid of those things. This served as both a bonding moment and a symbolic act to turn things towards a positive direction.

Years later things are going great with Jack and his son.

I thought Jack’s story was a great example of how we can be aware of the needs of both ourselves and of each other. If we pay attention to the needs of ourselves and the needs of those around us, we all work towards making things better. Jack continued telling other stories of how helpful it can be to do small acts when you notice yourself or someone around you showing signs of struggling—going for a hike, taking a day to relax, trying something new. Jack had been doing all of these things but didn’t know there was a name for it. Jack has been a mental health advocate without even knowing it. Being a mental health advocate is something we call can do. There has been a lot of public conversation taking place about taking care of things in our lives—our planet, our communities, our bodies—and we need to remember that it’s just as important to take care of our minds as well.

It was a Send Silence Packing Tour first! While on tour we’ve only done college programs and the occasional city display since day one, the Alive & Running 5k Walk/Run for Suicide Prevention was our first time at, well, a running race. While it may sound out of place, it was in fact an extremely related–and impactful–event. The race was sponsored by Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services, and was part of the Health & Wellness Expo. This meant that throughout the race and awards ceremony, participants and spectators could find information on mental health, meander through the SSP backpack display set up on a grassy knoll, and try free samples of various foods and drinks, and more.

It was a different kind of event for Send Silence Packing. Here, many of the race participants had lost a loved one to suicide. There were cousins, mothers, sons, and friends who came out to walk, run, and support the cause. While Brandon and I usually educate at events, the hundreds of people who walked through and read the backpacks were already all too familiar with suicide statistics. We received many thanks for being there, but in fact we were the ones who felt lucky to interact with such a knowledgeable crowd. This time we were there for visual impact, and to share the stories of the backpacks.

Active Minds was honored to receive the Community Partnership award, presented to us by Todd Rubin (grandson of sponsor Nancy Rubin). We were also happy to see Cal State Long Beach representing at the race! CSULB employee Pam, ran the race wearing her SSP volunteer shirt, and Keishawn, the CSULB Active Minds President, participated in the race as well. We were so happy to see a number of the students and staff from our last display at the race, and truly appreciated Pam helping us set up in the early hours of the morning. Instead of just a few of us packing up all 1,100 backpacks and more, thanks to the race directors, we had about 40 young adult race volunteers help us pick up after the display finished, so cleanup was a breeze.

The Alive & Running 5k was surely a different kind of event, but we were quite happy to be there, share stories, and meet survivors and parents of several of our new story backpacks. To the Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services and Suicide Prevention Center: Thanks for having us, and perhaps we’ll see you again next year. Until then, keep up the amazing work!

After a slight mixup with our GPS (this isn’t the first time, back at Montana State University on the first tour it led us to the middle of a field instead of our hotel) we arrived on campus at California State University Long Beach and were greeted by over a dozen volunteers. Within minutes we had the truck unloaded and volunteers began spreading the bags among the grass and trees on the Speaker’s Platform Lawn.

Throughout the day we had thousands of students, faculty, and community members passing through this display. Luckily, we weren’t the only ones set up for the event. We were joined by several others, such as Project Ocean (which stands for On Campus Emergency Assistance Network), The Trevor Project, CSULB’s counseling and wellness services, and more. We are always thrilled to have others groups and organizations joining along for the day, especially when we can all help direct visitors to the most relevant places possible to have their questions answered.

One of those questions that comes up a lot is “what do I do now?” Although this is a one day event at each campus, the idea doesn’t end when we pack up for the day. I thought it’d be great to get some local ideas on what people could do, so I asked Keishawn Anderson, the chapter president for Active Minds at CSULB, what she hopes people “take home” from the event. She mentioned that she hopes people walk away from the day ready to be “ambassadors” for mental health. I thought that was a fantastic way of summing up a major part of what we are doing out here, and a way that anyone can become a part of this movement. Whether you’re currently struggling, have struggled in the past, or are feeling fine, we have opportunities every day to help take care of both ourselves and those around us.

Keishawn had a lot of fantastic thoughts about the display, so I ended up taking out my microphone to capture some of her thoughts:

Well, San Francisco, you brought it all to our September 20^th Send Silence Packing display! Our first California city event, held in the United Nations Plaza, kept us on our toes from morning ‘til night.

After our wonderful tour start in Chico, the Road Staff said a sad (but temporary) goodbye to Program/Tour Manager Candace, then picked up Active Minds Program Director Sara. Throughout the next couple of days we had business meetings, planned our first major California city display, and even squeezed in a bit of hiking in several of the surrounding parks.

Knowing our San Francisco display was going to be an endurance test—we had our display spot for a full 11 hours—we prepped the night before and arose early to set everything up. With most of our volunteers stuck in traffic, setup was a challenge with just a few of us! Because the U.N. Plaza is located right in the middle of several museums and government offices, we knew there would be a lot of foot traffic. But we couldn’t know just how much there would be! From executives to skateboarders and homeless people to tourists, we saw it all, talked to them all, and discovered an incredibly diverse San Francisco.

Our volunteers came from so many backgrounds. We had parents who had donated backpacks in the name of their sons and daughters. We had students from the Active Minds chapter at San Francisco State. A group of volunteers from Fresno City College had left their homes at 4AM just to come and help. We even had a suicide attempt survivor—a man who had jumped off a bridge, survived the attempt, and turned around his life to do motivational speeches—come out and help.

The people who came to talk with us were incredibly interesting, and had gone through so much in life. From those currently struggling with mental health disorders to people who had suffered family and friend losses due to suicide, San Francisco delivered it all. In the midst of handing out thousands of flyers and information packets, we were joined by Jade Chamness of Break Through the Static, a suicide support organization for teens, Mental Health America, and representatives from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. There were challenges throughout the long day, as many of the local residents presumed the backpacks to be for sale, so our terrific volunteers kept a tight watch on the bags all day.

Because of our record 11-hour display, we had a shortage of volunteers to help pack up. That’s when our recruiting skills came in handy! We had a skateboarder sitting by the side come help us pack up, and Clay, a local fellow who offered to carry the larger equipment, was a huge help indeed. San Franciscan residents didn’t stop or slow down throughout the entire day, and even throughout packing up, we were fielding many questions with just a few story bags left out for display. Dozens and dozens of passersby kept asking what the bags represented, and we had conversations with visitors from Africa, students from Germany, residents of California, and so many more.

All in all, San Francisco really brought the excitement! There was never a dull moment with this display, and we were happy that despite the challenges of the day, we reached out to thousands and thousands of people. With a splendid view of the magnificent city hall looming behind us, we couldn’t have asked for a better place to share our message.

Our first Send Silence Packing display of the California Fall 2011 tour was an incredible success! Held yesterday at California State University, Chico, it was viewed by thousands of students and visitors alike.

1,100 backpacks are laid out at in Chico to kick off the Fall 2011 tour

The wonderful people of Chico worked hard to have Send Silence Packing visit the campus, and we couldn’t have asked for a better kickoff event. We’d already met Active Minds Chapter President Ariel Ellis at the previous night’s pizza party, but we weren’t prepared for the large number of volunteers who came out to support her—and the chapter! With the help of chapter members, fraternities, friends, and locals, we were set up in under an hour and ready to show support.

Plenty of students stopped by the Rose Garden lawn to gaze at the backpacks, and several professors brought classes outside to experience the display. We spoke with locals, college tour groups, graduate students, area visitors, and more, and so many people from Chico told us how much the display meant to them. From local workmen to visiting parents, the display made a big impact on such a beautiful, sunny California day.

What really set the Chico display apart was that it was truly an event. In addition to the Send Silence Packing display, various organizations came out to support us and create awareness about their mental health-related causes. The Wellness Center had an interactive display, the fitness center came out, the Stonewall Alliance of Chico–supporting the LGBTTQQIA (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Transexual Questioning Queer Intersex and Ally) community—had a tent, and many more organizations had outdoor booths. What made the event even more unique was the presence of two very special tables.

One was a display by Dan Strauss, the father of Alex Strauss. Alex took his life just last year, and Dan (“Alex’s Dad,” as he likes to be called) is working hard to raise suicide awareness. Based on current studies that have found young adults better able to communicate via text messaging, he’s working hard to get suicide help lines to accept texts, not just calls. Alex’s dad will be sending a backpack to the display immediately, and we’ll be honored to display it with the tour. Dan was an inspiration to talk to and volunteered the entire day to help spread the word.

Alex's Dad helped out throughout the day while sharing his and Alex's story.

The other table that made a huge impact was that of Mike and Mary Gonzalez. Eight years ago their vibrant daughter, Suzy, became depressed while away at college. She looked for help on online suicide groups, and it was there that online predators convinced her to end her life. Suzy’s parents are lobbying for change, and are trying to get a new law (H.R. 1183) put in place that would make it a punishable crime to assist suicide online. Mr. and Mrs. Gonzalez were on hand promoting the upcoming Out of the Darkness Walk as well, but their story about Suzy really struck a chord.

Students show their support by signing a banner at the display

Though it was completely heartbreaking to speak with these supporters, having the parents of Alex Strauss and Suzy Gonzalez tell their personal stories really brought the display to a new level.  We’re so grateful that they came out, along with interns and counselors from the Wellness Center. Our volunteers were absolutely incredible, and many stayed all day to pass out flyers (more than 1,000 of them!), speak with people about the display, and help with setup and breakdown.

Volunteers help load up the truck at the end of the day

After everything was packed back up in the truck, we took a stroll around campus and enjoyed walking alongside the campus creek. The Road Staff, along with project manager Candace, then freshened up back at our hotel. We all walked into town for dinner with Ariel and Aaron, at The Bear, Chico’s local burger joint, which was soon followed by an outing to Schubert’s famous ice cream. Send Silence Packing would never have made it out to Chico if not for Ariel (whose chapter size has now quadrupled!), and yet she was the one who got us presents! We all received a Chico Bag, which is a locally made compact reusable bag, as well as a Chico Wildcats keychain that we’ve attached to the SSP truck key. Yes, we like our truck swag!

All in all, the CSU, Chico event was an absolutely incredible experience. We’re so happy to have been a part of it, and we can’t thank our awesome volunteers enough for making the display a huge success. The Fall 2011 Tour bar has been set high! Thank you for everything, and we hope to see you again soon.

Tomorrow morning is the official kickoff of the Send Silence Packing Fall 2011 California Tour! We’ll be starting our first display bright and early at California State University, Chico.

Welcome to San Francisco!

Before we get into that, you’re probably wondering what we’ve been doing for the past few days! As it turns out, we’ve been up to quite a bit. After Brandon and I flew to San Francisco and arrived at our hotel, we got organized and started going over tour materials. After picking up our California tour truck up the next morning and meeting our tour manager, Candace, we drove to Oakland and unloaded the moving truck. The Active Minds materials and backpacks had arrived after a long trip over from Washington, D.C., so we pulled up the new Send Silence Packing truck and started transferring everything over. The three of us made quick work of everything, but I had a few moments to catch several shots of us in action.

Candace moving bags out of the moving truck

Done with packing up the new SSP truck

Our on-the-road home for the next 40 days

The proud and determined Road Staff!

After admiring our packing job (and the roominess of our spacious truck!) we drove back to our hotel room. We went through more training and and worked out logistics, then drove into San Francisco for some free time. Though parking in the city was no easy feat, we found a spot and spent the next few hours exploring the city. We walked through the Mission, the Financial District, Chinatown, and more. After five miles of walking, we were fairly beat! It was time for a movie and some sleep.

Into the city

Today we said goodbye to hotel #1 and drove to the center of San Francisco. On Tuesday, September 20^th, we’ll be doing a city display at the U.N. Plaza, so this morning we went to scope out the space and meet with the park ranger. After that it was on the road to Chico, which is a 3-hour drive north of San Francisco. We drove past rolling hills and walnut farms, finally landing at our hotel rooms just in town.

On the road to Chico

After settling in, we walked to campus and had the opportunity to meet Ariel, the Chapter President for Active Minds, and Mimi, the Student Advisor. There were also quite a few members who came out to the meeting and pizza party to welcome us! After introductions and a brief look at the spot for our first display, we ended up walking to Chico’s popular Thursday Night Market for some fresh produce and exploration. It was really a terrific way to end the night.

That’s a bit about what we’ve been up to the past few days, and from here on out it will get quite busy. We’re truly looking forward to our first California display, so we’d better get some rest. Be on the lookout for our Chico blog post, and we’ll update you soon!