Champagne from a Paper Cup

So the title...that's simplicity, not necessarily sustainability but perhaps I'm getting ahead of myself. I have now been in LVC for 3 weeks. One of those weeks was spent in Orientation. Half of the 2nd week was spent settling in, and the last week and a half have been the real deal: working, living in community, trying to make my lifestyle more simple and more sustainable.

So, let's break it down.

Orientation

Exciting! It was a ton of fun, and that's where I got to meet all my housemates. We found out that we all like coffee, among other things. I was trained in nonviolent personal safety techniques (which I got to use 48 hours later...but I'll get to that), as well as learned about living in intentional community, simplicity, and sustainability. I also went through a day and a half of anti-racism training. That training gave me a lot of thoughts, and a lot of interest in exploring my ideas, philosophies, etc. regarding my personal views on race. Essentially, I learned a lot more about white privilege. I knew it existed, but I had never really sat down to think how pervasive it was in our society. That makes me really sad, but hopeful that over 100 of us now have ways to fight it. Also, it helped me be more open to building community in a neighborhood in which I am racially in the minority.

Part 2: Delaware

Welcome to a neighborhood unlike any I've ever lived in before! We moved in, we picked rooms, we got a lot of free food. Our first full day in Wilmington, we found the library and the bank. We also got a tour of the city...and it really is a "small city with big city problems". Day 2 in Delaware, I don't really remember what we did...but it wasn't much. We started work on Day 3. I love my job! I am in a classroom with 12 one-year-olds, and I adore all of them. Each one has his/her own personality and it's going to be so amazing to see them continue to grow and learn what it is to be a person for the next year. I also love the community I'm living in. We went to the neighborhood church last weekend, where we were also in the minority (as in the only ones there who were white). Everyone was so welcoming and so excited that we were there. It was one of the best services I've ever been to because it had so much energy and excitement, and it was all completely dedicated to God. I want to find that enthusiasm in myself this year. I really am going to work on getting to know myself through exploring my faith. I also walk to work every day and say good morning to everyone meet. Most people probably just think I'm a lunatic, but some people tell me "God bless you" and to have a nice day. Phase 2 will be coming out of my shell more and telling people my name, asking how they are, and learning about them...it would be really nice to have a community of people on my way to work. We also are starting to get to know our neighbors. The pastor of the church came and sat on our porch this morning and talked to us. He's really dedicated to helping out the LVCers and promoting community in the neighborhood. He will be a good ally for us in the coming months.

Essentially, my experience is beginning to be life-changing, and I feel it will continue to be so throughout the year. I'm also learning about budgeting, grocery shopping, and cooking. We all eat as a community 4 nights a week, and almost every night is community night because we don't know anyone else our age. It's good that we're getting to know each other. Each night we eat together, 2 people cook and we share all the other jobs and weekly chores. It's a lot like a family at least in structure, and I know that we will be family by the end of the year, if not before. We get to meet our host families in a few weeks. We each get a family to ourselves, to kind of sponsor us and have us over for dinner or whatever every once in awhile. It will also be nice to know people outside the community.

Anywho, Labor Day weekend...Have a good one everybody! Be safe!

Summer Reading...Had Me a Blast

Okay, so I obviously am a nerd for the movie Grease judging from my title. Anywho, let's talk summer reading. So, here's me, no longer a student, but who hadn't had summer reading since freshman year of high school, who had a packet of summer reading this summer for the LVC. It's almost done. So far, I have completed the articles on Community and Social Justice, as well as the main focus article in Simplicity. Everything I've read has given me a lot of food for thought. Some topics I'm thinking on and re-examining are white privilege, segregation, what simplicity really and ideally means to me in living my life, the difference between charity and justice (and how I can work for both in my life) and how I can begin to be actively resistant instead of passively resistant. I've also learned some more interesting interpretations of the Bible...and I like them. I already knew that Jesus was one of the greatest liberal social activists of all time...but it's nice to know that there are scholars out there to back me up on that. So yeah...lots of thought and reflection before I head out (in less than 48 hours). I know that these thoughts will also be able to be discussed and reflected on further throughout Orientation and throughout my year in LVC. Color me excited!

Packing

So, I'm starting to pack for Delaware. I'm a little nervous, but extremely excited to go on the next great adventure. Since this is my first post, I'll do a little recap.

1. I graduated from Cornell College in June. I'm officially not in school for the next year or so.

2. I spent the summer at Starfish in Rindge, NH, a camp for the most amazing kids who've ever lived. They bring joy into my life, and make me realize just how amazingly simple it can be to enjoy the littlest things.

3. Delaware holds the LVC for me. I'll be a co-teacher/teacher's aide in a day care for children of working parents, with the one year olds.

I'm a little nervous to be so far away from the Midwest...and living with 5 people I've never met kind of reminds me of the real world...but I think it will be another amazing experience to have gone through, and I'll come out a better and stronger person. Wish me luck! and read the chronicles of my post-grad life here.