WE ARE...Friends (Road Trip Day 68)

This is what we did today! We joined Anne at Canoe Creek State Park for a picnic with Arc of Blair County members and Penn State Altoona students from Anne’s classes. Anne is an Assistant professor of Special Education.  Arc provides information, education, and support for people with intellectual/developmental disabilities and for their families.

This collaborative social group call themselves “WE ARE…Friends.” The goal is to provide opportunities for social interaction between the college-aged Arc members and the Penn State students in the Special Education Teachers program at a monthly gathering.

Today there were about 10 Arc members, the Arc director, and Anne along with two of her students and their partners, and a few parents and siblings. Only a handful of us did not try kayaking. The Arc folks all went out and they LOVED it. Anne took a turn also and I was really impressed at her skill. It was easy to get caught up in everyone’s enthusiasm at kayaking.

Getting on life jackets and prepping for kayaking

Canoe Lake - the scene from my chair

We ate hamburgers, hotdogs, potato salad, chips, and Moon Pies that Anne had made. Everything worked today. The food was tasty, the people were having fun, and I got to sit in the sunshine and take it all in.

I think one of the benefits of this trip that I had not considered was all the additional people we were blessed to meet on this road trip. Joining WE ARE…Friends today reminded me once again of how generous natured our family and friends are as they have introduced us to their social circle whether it is made up of family or friends.

Joe and I are blessed.