After the first weekend, we went on a retreat in rural Indiana. It was a week of getting to know each other, getting to know our program, and deciding what we want our year to look like. I was impressed with how willing all of my housemates are to sharing of themselves and being vulnerable. This retreat made it very clear that we are all 15 very different people with different backgrounds and interests, but at least we are able and willing to try to meet each other where we are. Sometimes we aren't as successful as we'd like to be, but it is in these moments that I think I am learning the most about myself.
After retreat, we returned to the city and began training and shadowing for our positions. We all will be working at the Mercy Home for Boys and Girls, but each of us have different (yet similar) positions. I will be working in Sheil Home with 17-20 year old young men. The young men who live in Sheil are all very different and are coming from different walks of life, but each of them has immense potential. Some of the guys are harder to connect with than others, but its a learning process (as it should be), and all ten deserve the best that I can give them. This year will be challenging for me and them, but I am looking forward to working with the young men of Sheil so that they can become the best versions of themselves and so that I can too.
I am beginning to feel like a local, but I still cannot truly call Chicago home yet. My days are filled with long runs, shouts down the hallway, popcorn, coffee, and journaling which have made this place seem comfortable to me. However, there are things about Omaha that I miss that I did not expect. I miss silence and stars. I miss the smell of cut grass and long trails where it is just me, the noise of the bugs and the birds, and the wind. I miss talking to my grandma everyday and running to bars 20 minutes before closing time with Julianna. I really just miss what is normal and natural, but soon enough Chicago will become that place. Lake Michigan will eventually become as natural as lake Zorinski and the sounds of cars and sirens will be as welcomed as the birds. The strangeness will fade away and this place will feel like home.
Luckily, I have the support of my community, friends in the city, and friends far away. It is much needed and much appreciated.
Living with 14 people in a new city while trying to grow as a person and make my own way is much more challenging than I could have ever imagined. It isn't really something that I could have ever prepared enough for and I am learning the importance of patience, grace, and compassion. I have learned so much about myself in the past 5 weeks and am looking forward to the next 11 months.
P.S. PLEASE donate to my marathon page :D http://mercyhomehero.com/i/sarah-kelly#.VdEsBf7bIdU
