Life After Connecticut College

I began my journey in New York looking for a job (how original is that). My Mom kept telling me to do something about the campaign. So one day I gave a call to Grassroots Campaigns Inc. a website I stumbled upon several times when looking for a way I could get paid to help out Obama. If I recall correctly I called on a Thursday and scheduled an interview for Friday the next day.

My interview that Friday went well (thanks to CELS training) and that night I got a call asking me if I was interested in flying out to Denver Colorado for special canvass director training.

I said “Yes, when do I have to be there.”

“The training begins Monday, you would fly out Sunday.”

“But it’s Friday night? Really?”

“At which airport should we book your flight?”

And from there the race to Nov. 4th began. I spent Saturday with the NY Office I’d interviewed with canvassing a Brooklyn neighborhood asking supporters for contributions to the DNC. I also called my Mom and family to tell them I was running off to Denver to learn how to be a “community organizer”. Sunday I was again with the NY Office on the streets of Manhattan flagging people down for contribution until I had to catch my flight to Denver.

What I knew:
In Denver I was going to be trained for four days as an Assistant Canvass Director and then shipped off to another swing state where I would open a canvassing office, hire and train staff to registration voters and coordinate volunteers.

What I did not know:
I would be sharing a hotel room with 6 or 7 other guys for four days of training. I would not know which swing state I’d be going to until midnight of the final night of training and had to be on a plane 6 hours later.

What else I did not know:
Once in my swing state I would work 7 days a week from 6:30 am till midnight, travelling 40minutes to the office. Every day I would spend four and a half hours on my fit walking in neighborhoods talking to voters. I would not sleep in a bed without another person snoring next to me for the next 64 days. If I was sleeping alone it would be on the floor or on a coach. I would be moved three times to other crucial swing states with only a 24 hour notice.

What I really did not know:
That I could learn and do so much in such a sort time.

Check in for more later! What was Ross’ first Swing State! Do Stressed out Directors have to Smoke! And how to put up 300 poster in one hour at midnight!