First Days Back

Peer Leader Training!
I have officially have been living in Kalamazoo for over a week. And it’s been a whirlwind. Last Monday, my family helped me move in. In the afternoon one of my friends from study abroad showed up on her long drive to college, so we took her out to lunch and to shop with us. How unbelievable that my family got to meet someone I’d met on the other side of the planet! She was also helpful when it came to pushing the cart. And goofing off with my older brother, distracting me. Thanks guys.

After all my stuff was in place in the enormous house I’d finally come to rent with my friends from both study abroad and earlier in my college career, my family and I said farewell. It was difficult to see them go since we’d been together a month and it felt like summer should just be taking off. I’d had a wonderful month at home after my REU, and last weekend was the best all summer.
After my goodbyes, though, AM and I got down to business catching up and meeting up with other friends who had lived in Beijing with us. It was meaningful and super fun to have her here, and put me in a different social setting than I would normally find myself in. Neat how someone from Minnesota who goes to school in Maine can throw off the K dynamic of things. I dig it.

Unfortunately AM had to leave the next morning, which was when I got down to business unpacking and setting up my room. The house has been super empty all week (until yesterday). I’m accustomed to either living without any neighbors or living in an apartment building in a big, big city; Kzoo is definitely the epitome of in-between my comfort zones. I had a lot of down-time while waiting for roommates to arrive and training to start. Finally, however, I got out of the house by beginning peer leader training.