10/16-10/20: Albany

Albany, New York is a place I (Nicole) have been visiting since I was a child. It was fun to return as an adult to see it from a different perspective. We stayed with some of my family friends who my parents have known since before I was born! I loved being able to connect with them myself and not as "the daughter;" although it did feel strange to not have the rest of my family around!

My friends took us on an amazing hike. The fall foliage was at it's peak, so the views of the hills were absolutely breath-taking! As we were pulling into the parking lot, it began to snow (for the second time that day). The snow was round and made us feel as though we were in a snow globe. ;) It never stuck on the ground, but it was fun to see landing on my black jacket.

We also had the chance to meet up with one of Alyssa's friends from California that she hadn't seen in years. She enjoyed being able to catch up with an old friend after years apart. :) It was an evening well spent.

The morning of our last day we spent volunteering at Capitol City Rescue Mission. We stuffed thank you letters into envelopes and folded programs for their upcoming fundraising event. During our time volunteering we met a wonderful fellow envelope-stuffer/program-folder and had a delightful conversation sharing about our trip and learning about her life. After we had finished folding the programs, the volunteer coordinator said it was time for a tour. I expected a 10 minute tour of the building we were in, but instead we went on a 30 minute tour, walking between multiple buildings! They have an incredible set of programs for men, women, and children, including short-term sleeping arrangements (men only), addiction recovery programs, and transitional housing. We were amazed at how complex and well-thought out the programs were..and they are working on expanding even now!! So amazing.