I’ve been in Baltimore for nearly four weeks now and I will admit that the dreamlike state I’ve been drifting about in has started to vanish. Public transportation is not as exciting as it once was—especially considering the heatwave. Though I will admit there is still something magical about the way the Charm City Circulator (the free bus I ride to and from work every day) can accommodate a crush of people that nearly defy the laws of physics. I should also admit that living in the city isn’t all charm either. The view is great, but the noise is nonstop. And all the surrounding grocery stores criminally overcharge for cereal. And chocolate chips, surprisingly.
But I’m not complaining. I’m just acknowledging that my dreamlike state is vanishing into reality. Suddenly, I feel like I’m settling in. I sleep just fine at night in spite of the car alarms and noisy trucks. I don’t have to constantly watch for my bus stop; I am perfectly content to listen to music or watch something on Netflix until the circulator shudders to a stop on Biddle Street. Sometimes I’ll even enjoy a walk home from work on the days that aren’t too humid. It’s a little over a mile and a half, but seeing those buildings from the street—towering over you, pitching things into odd geometric shadows, it’s a strange kind of beautiful. Especially during the late afternoon.
I have grown to appreciate the smells of my neighborhood. The short walks I take when I’m going out to dinner or the bus stop. I appreciate the wind here, which unlike the wind in Valparaiso, actually does not continue forever. It’s also pretty great that I can now walk in to the coffee shop by my apartment and the baristas just know exactly what I’m going to order—Jamoca Almond Fudge Iced Coffee, small—with cream.
There are some things though that I do not think I will ever grow used to. Since my first day at Lutheran World Relief, I have been consistently overwhelmed with the kindness of my coworkers and colleagues and wholly inspired. When I look at these people every day, I cannot imagine better role models. I cannot imagine anything I would like to do more than to one day stand and work with them on the incredible projects they do, and share their incredible and unwavering passion. Yes, I am busy. But I want to be. I see people who have come in to work long before me when I arrive at 8:30 and stay long after I leave at 4:30. They don’t drink coffee or take long lunch breaks. They don’t find secret corners of the office to go waste time in when they are bored. And their dedication makes me want to work just as hard as they do. People don’t work like that because they want overtime hours. Money is not a big enough motivator for that kind of continual, rigorous effort. When I think specifically of the women I work with in the New Business Development unit, I know it is not money that drives them to do the work they do. These incredible women are driven by a contagious passion for what they do, and they do it very well.
My colleagues are gracious, hospitable, and warm—and I have the deepest admiration for them personally and professionally. The work itself is also something that inspires and energizes me. There have been days when I have been *nearly* moved to tears at work from reading some of the truly astounding projects LWR does around the world. Recently, I was reading about Niger and was struck by how imperative it is at Lutheran World Relief that they help communities to help themselves. LWR trains communities to be resilient to climate change and disasters so that they can make their community stronger. Relief work isn’t about giving money or food to people who don’t have it, not completely anyway, it’s really about empowering people to improve their own lives and communities. That’s something that I personally think is pretty awesome. Overall, I’m learning a lot and growing a lot and I can’t wait to see what happens in the next four weeks.
Until next time,
Caprice
The views expressed in this post are mine and do not necessarily reflect the views of Lutheran World Relief.