Coming into this year, I kind of expected to have it easy. I am a pretty easy-going person. I’m happy with a few friends, food, water, TV. I didn’t think moving 12 hours away would make that much of a difference in my life. But I was pretty off on that one.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I have had a lot of fun in New Orleans. But I have also faced many challenges. The challenges have included missing my family, not knowing anyone in the city, my job, and self-care. Missing my family is a pretty obvious one. I haven’t lived this far away from Raleigh, NC since I was born. I just miss having a familiar face almost anywhere I go in NC. And while I do miss my family and friends back home, I have made many new connections here, particularly through the Presbyterian Church. The church that I have been attending regularly, St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church, SCAPC for short, has many amazing church members. Many have been to Montreat. One of my friends from college grew up in this church. The families at SCAPC have welcomed me with open arms and made me feel at home.
Additionally, my roommates have been amazing. We are all very different, which can make some group activities hard, such as buying groceries. But overall, we have enjoyed each other’s company. We have lots of fun exploring the city, going to Halloween parades or church events. We also have been very open in conversation talking about many difficult topics that face society today. And we are all willing to listen and learn from each other.
The biggest obstacle so far has been my job. While I do believe the mission of the organization is great, the day-to-day job has been a struggle. The first few weeks were great, until my coworker, whom I shared my workload with, was let go. With only a few weeks of minimal training, I was thrown into a position I was not prepared for. Each day has been a learning curve. While a part of me enjoys the full schedule and productiveness, it can also be very difficult. I have been working my ass off. And I wanted to show that I was up for this job. That I could fill the need of the organization. But I started to burn out.
As I am sure many of you know, advocating for yourself takes a lot of strength. Personally, I struggle to not be a people pleaser all the time. However, to make it through this year of service, I had to make some changes. With the help of my site coordinator, family, and roommates, I had a conversation with my supervisor and was able to relieve some of the pressure. This was such an important lesson for me to learn. No one else is going to advocate for you. You are the only one that can relieve the pressure that you put on yourself. And each day, whatever work you don’t get done, there is always tomorrow.
Moving to a new city. Starting a new job. No one said it was going to be all sunshine and rainbows. Well, there are a few rainbows. To name a few:
- Swing dance classes on Thursday nights
- Fall retreat to Lafayette and learning how to dance Zydeco
- Wednesday Night Out at SCAPC
- Karaoke as the Mystery Gang Halloween Weekend
- Building relationships with the residents at Eden House
- Baking Christmas cookies with my Host family
Each day brings a new rainbow and sometimes a new challenge. And I am glad to have a lot of people both near and far to support me.