Long distance

Since moving away from home for college I have enjoyed packing up and moving to new places, or exploring familiar places more. I loved making a life for myself in St. Louis, then Syracuse, and most recently, Kansas City. I love getting involved in a city, meeting people at work, and engrossing myself in the soul of a city as much as possible. What is even more important than the sites, architectural marvels, unique coffee shops, community gardens/parks, or "claim-to-fame" historical events are the people.

I enjoyed taking the bus to work in Syracuse and seeing faces that became familiar. I would even worry if a regular bus-rider wasn't on in the morning and felt such relief when I saw them a day or two later. I loved the clients I worked with in Syracuse and Kansas City who shared their lives with me and allowed me to witness them in such vulnerable moments of their existence. I thrive when working with people, when building relationships, sharing life moments, and empathizing with one another. When I move to a new place my mom has said I "bloom" or I "make the best of it". So obviously, I make friends. :)

Friends are pretty much the most important facet of my life, okay not just pretty much, they are. (Family included people, no need for alarm.) I have lots of "best friends" because to me "best friend" is a category rather than a single individual. I have best friends from grade school, high school, college, Syracuse, Kansas City, etc. Lots of people in my life are my "best friends" and the category keeps increasing its occupancy as I get older.

As my friends know, my travel bug has been itching lately and my departure for Australia is now approaching at rapid speed. Before I go abroad for about a year I am spending time at home and trying to see friends and family to soak up some extra love that I can pack with me across the ocean. My small stints of US travel have blessed me with the opportunity and insight to truly appreciate the friends that I have. Although I don't know what it is like to have a long-distance romantic relationship I propose that long-distance friendships are just as challenging/wonderful. I am used to having to maintain friendships over long distances. I love writing letters, emails, sending song and quotes through Facebook, texting, phone calls, and video chats. I always seem to be communicating with more people not in my immediate proximity but rather a couple hundred miles away.

All of this being said, it is exceptionally hard for "everyone to get together" when best friends are dispersed throughout the world. The six of us contributing to this bloggy blog here haven't been together in over 2 years, probably closer to 3 now that I think about it. The chances of three of us getting together is generally pretty high but four, five, or all six of us together is something we undoubtedly have to plan for months/years in advanced. For instance, Meghan came to visit Ohio while for a few days this past week and it was great! Four of us could be together (no pictures to recount this since we are all very over looking nice in each other's presence and simply enjoy the presence of one another rather than our exterior appearances) and we thought there was a chance that even five of us could be together...but as fate would have it, another one of us went to visit family in Florida at the same time that Meghan came to Ohio from Florida. Ironic right?!

I love my best friends, I love having friends all over the US and the world and I do my best to keep up with everyone which can be tricky with the time zones. But sometimes I want to be selfish and have everyone, right here, right now, with me, no planning necessary. Is this too much to ask!? Dear universe, I believe that having best friends is a blessing but getting everyone together unfortunately seems to be cursed.

Learning to be, again

I am a college graduate, former Jesuit Volunteer who lived on $100 a month, Catholic, friend, family member, traveler (well, inside the US so far), employee, etc. When I left Dayton, Ohio for college in 2009 I told myself that I would no longer live at home except for the summers between Spring and Fall semesters. It's not that I don't like home or have issues with my family, in fact, it is the exact opposite, that I love home and my family. I know they love and support me no matter what, that they want me to be happy and follow my dreams. My Momma always told me to spread my wings and see the world. Since I know there is a bed waiting for me at home when I visit so I have taken her advice to heart.

I lived in St. Louis for four years and swear I will live there again. I had a tough time adjusting since I was living away from home for the first time ever, six hours to be exact. I knew two people when I moved there and clung to them for the first few weeks. I fought through being homesick and finally fully embraced what my school and new city had to offer. I loved spending the summer there between junior and senior year and made fun memories that only St. Louis has to offer. I cried when I left for that final time after I graduated and could no longer call St. Louis home. I still get chills each time I see the Arch when I drive through, or maybe even just seeing pictures that reflect the sunlight just right.

I moved to Syracuse, NY to live with six complete strangers in a part of the country that I had never been. I was nine hours away from home with no one to call on who had known be before. I figured how to to take the bus to work, to work with hundreds of volunteers and hundreds of hungry folks. I creatively figured out how to cook foods I had never heard of and make decisions that collaborated seven different perspectives regarding one bank account. I was drenched in summer sweat when the temperature was in the upper 90's and covered in blankets and layered clothing when the high temperature was in the negatives with a foot of snow on the ground. I once again fell in love with a city and a group of people that will forever be in my heart. And then my year was over there, and I moved again, just when the rhythm of life seemed normal.

Now I am living in Liberty, MO just north of Kansas City. I am living with an aunt, uncle and cousins as I work with adults with intellectual and development disabilities. I have paternal family all around me which makes being ten hours away from home not that bad. My life is mostly work and family schedule collaboration with splashes of sports and trips to Walgreens. I am learning to be me, again. Learning how to blend my experiences into those of my extended family members, new city, and new responsibilities. Learning how to grow and open myself to challenge, change and life in general, again. Oh, and loving it. :)

Peace,
Annie