Two Saturday’s ago, I left the comfort of my home (and bed) to make the trek to Indianapolis to start at ArtMix—a new, albeit short, chapter in my emerging adult life. While I was sad to cut my time short with friends and family, I was extremely excited to get going on this new adventure. At this point, we have likely all moved ourselves in or out of a space at least once—not the most fun part of the experience. Nevertheless, I packed the next nine weeks into one car and headed south. I am extremely fortunate that my parents and two best friends were spirited and supportive enough to help move me in; that made the transition much easier. From there, I said my goodbyes and looked around at what is now my space for the next nine weeks.
 
 

As quickly as I found myself moved into the apartment, my roommate Kate moved in. A few days later, my third roommate Regan joined us. If there is anything I have learned in the past week, it is that this experience would be drastically incomplete without people to come home and vent to. Whether it be about a terrible night’s sleep, first-day jitters, or exciting accomplishments, my roommates are proving to be vital resources in my reflection process. It may be our unique and laid-back dynamic, but I consider myself living with friends rather than having roommates. We give each other an open space to say everything there is to say about our days—the good, the bad, and the ugly—and quickly found genuine solace in having people who listen and engage.
 
 

On top of all of this, there is also a social component to the experience that cannot be overlooked. While I am here to embark on a new professional journey, I am also simultaneously and inseparably creating a social life with my roommates and with Indianapolis itself. I will say that the transition from small town to city is not a necessarily easy one—it’s surprisingly easy for the logistics of parking and one-ways and finding a grocery store to put a damper on diving into a city’s culture. As I reflect on the obstacles I have encountered trying to make Indy my place, I realize it is more an illustration of the growth I have yet to do as a person rather than the limitations of Indianapolis itself.
 
 

My first week at ArtMix has been relatively eventful; I have learned quite a great deal about the organization, the upcoming events and future plans, and the staff. One of my first tasks was to memorize the company’s mission: ArtMix transforms the lives of people with disabilities through the creation of art. This is, in a nut shell, what the organization does. Beneath that umbrella, there are many programs, events, and opportunities ArtMix organizes that helps them optimize their commitment to that mission. ArtMix provides community art classes, paid internships to young adults of all abilities that work on vocational skills through the production of art, and more. A large part of what I have been working on so far deals with outreach and development, including designing advertisements for an upcoming fundraiser, cross-checking donor and email lists, and placing phone calls to previous attendees at fundraisers to elicit their continued support. Through these tasks I have already gotten a large taste for what it means to be a nonprofit, from fundraising to community development to directly engaging with those we serve. I’m also getting the opportunity to be surrounded by art and artists every day, which I am so grateful for! There is a lot coming up quickly at my internship, but the staff is very supportive of myself and everyone around them, so I’m confident the coming weeks will be equally as rewarding as they are challenging–that’s the goal!