7-10 million Americans live abroad

I could be using my extra hour for sleep, but no, you guys come first. Also, I’m still a little hyped up on the sugar I’ve been consuming at an alarming rate to stay functional. Note to self – go for a run. After the election.

Today was super. The field organizer I’ve been working under sent me out to manage my own canvass staging site, which basically meant she set me up with packets of turf (doors to be knocked) and sent me volunteers. The staging site was the precinct captain’s house, but she was getting ready to go out of town, so I was pretty much on my own. That’s another thing I love about this campaign – it’s so easy to be given instant responsibility, very much getting thrown in the water to sink or swim. I tend to work well in that kind of environment, with people counting on me and very little room or time for error. You just do what you have to do, and move on to the next thing.

It’s not that training volunteers on how to canvass is hard, but I’ve never done it before, and there certainly wasn’t anyone more experienced who could be spared to watch over my shoulder. It was a bit frazzling when the volunteers arrived in droves and we ran out of canvassing packets, but ultimately we got all of the packets out and back, and I didn’t hear from anyone who said they had a bad time. And luckily Mike, one of the DNC summer interns, was with me, and he was a wizard at organizing the information and numbers we had to report to HQ, so I could concentrate on giving the volunteers the information they needed.

There was some down time in the morning after the first wave, so I got to canvass a pack myself, which was great. It was the perfect day – warm at 66 degrees, bright sunshine, a little bit of a breeze, what more could I ask for? Unfortunately, I only made three voter contacts. The rest of my packet wasn’t home, probably enjoying the amazing weather themselves. Being outside instead of being cooped up at the DNC or in the VA field office was so refreshing. Have I mentioned how much I love canvassing?

And the best part is, I get to do it again tomorrow! I’ll be working with one of field organizers who apparently got swamped today at a different staging location. Hopefully I’ll be able to walk another packet or two in between trainings. At some point tomorrow, I’ll try to interrupt your regularly scheduled gushing about field work with a post about good old Dems Abroad, but we’ll see if that actually happens

In other news, I bought my bus ticket home for Thanksgiving today, before they all sell out. I can’t believe how close this is to being over.

Guys, I am thriving.

I love field work. It’s a thousand times better than sitting at a desk all day, answering e-mails from CRAZY expats. (Like one of the ones I got today, from a woman who wants to donate a PUPPY to the Obama family. A golden retriever, to be precise. She breeds them. I’m telling you – it’s impossible to make this stuff up.)

Anyway – there’s so much excitement at the field office, it’s like the air itself is vibrating. There’s a constant feeling of tension, but the good kind. Like when you have a crush on someone you see just often enough to convince you that every time you turn a corner, they might be there. It’s exhilarating.

The schedule is my kind of schedule, at least during the week. Since canvassing (going door to door) and phone banking have the highest rate of contact from 5-9pm, there’s no reason to be at the office at 9AM. Both days the head field organizer told me she didn’t need me until 11:30, and things don’t really start to get busy until around 3 or so. Of course, after phone banking and canvassing are done, all the data has to be entered, and everything has to be set up for the next day. Which means late nights, perfect for the night owl in me.

I can’t wait for Sunday and Monday. Sunday night we’re doing door hanging (hanging flyers on doors reminding people to vote) starting at 10PM, into the wee hours of Monday. Monday night, we’re going basically all night. I’m so excited, you guys have no idea. Have I mentioned I’m at my best when I’m sufficiently sleep-deprived? I’m well on my way – I’m getting two hours tonight before I wake up for Saturday morning canvassing.

What else? Oh, being around kids my own age again is great. Don’t get me wrong, I have a lot of fun with Lindsey and the other DNC staff, but since my group of the summer interns went home, it’s been a little lonely. I’m sure the fall interns are nice, but I never really got to know any of them. Working such long hours in such close proximity to other college(ish) aged kids is a really nice change, and so far it’s been a blast. There’s such a sense of camaraderie, especially in these final days.

Also (I had to save the best for last) they FEED us. Ali (who’s been on the campaign since literally the beginning) says that’s unique to northern VA, but as far as I can see, we have the best volunteers donating amazing food, 24/7. Of course, there’s all the junk food a girl could want (I personally loved the cake shaped like Obama’s head that came in today, complete with matching cupcakes), but there’s also fresh fruit, muffins, last night there was jambalaya and chicken, tonight there was turkey casserole and some kind of stew…the list goes on.

I tell ya, this is the life. Next time around, I really want to work on a campaign, on the ground. I love talking to voters, meeting real people, telling people why I support Obama, convincing them if they need convincing, recruiting volunteers…everything. I mean, I’m sure I’m being idealistic, and a lot of the excitement just comes from the fact that it’s this candidate, this election, this campaign – but still, I think it’s an experience I’d enjoy a lot, whether it’s working for Obama’s reelection, or Steve Israel’s.