Never Settle: A New Adventure Begins: Off to Orientation

All good adventures start in an airport. At least, this is what I have discovered. Only a little over a year ago I was in a Chicago airport waiting to board my plane to France to study abroad, and here I am again waiting to leave for Orientation. While St. Paul, Minnesota doesn’t sound nearly as exciting as Aix-en-Provence, France, I know this journey will change my life, and my future, just as profoundly.

I decided to join the Lutheran Volunteer Corps for a year of service after graduation for a few reasons: I wanted to devote a year to community service. I wanted to meet new people while giving back to the community. I wanted to explore the nonprofit world outside of an internship atmosphere.

For the next year I will be living in a cute bungalow in Logan Square, a neighborhood of Chicago, with 6 other roommates. I will be working full-time as the Volunteer Coordinator at La Casa Norte, a small nonprofit focusing on homelessness amongst youth and families. During this time I expect to be challenged personally, professionally, and spiritually.

Right now I am most excited to meet my roommates. Here is what I know:

Four girls + two guys

From: the Midwest, Texas and Maryland

Majors: English, Theology, Spanish, French and Psychology (and more!)

One lived in Hawaii this summer
Another backpacked through Europe

One worked at a Christian youth camp

Another served in Selma
One served for a year in Detroit

And one worked at a publishing company

Learning how to live together and create our own community is going to be half the fun of this whole experience.

The nerves that I have come from both the unknown of this new adventure, and the expectations this year holds. I don’t know anyone personally who has done a year of service after college. My friends have gone onto graduate school, internships, or jobs, and some have lived abroad, but none have gone through this unique journey. I believe that what makes a year of service different from just another job is the commitment to social justice and change both in the workplace, and outside of it. All volunteers work at a nonprofit organization that is committed to social justice. As the LVC application notes, volunteers will be engaged “working directly with people to meet their immediate needs of food, shelter and education as well as working on the root causes of poverty, homelessness, and oppression.” The work we do has an immediate impact, while also addressing larger issues beyond the scope of daily activities. LVC also notes that taking charge of this mission includes both external work-at our jobs-and also internal awareness and action. Just completing our tasks at work from 9-5 will not meet these goals; one should live constantly with this mission at heart.

LVC also places an emphasis on living “simply and sustainably” which is open to the interpretation of each community. I anticipate this practice to be the most challenging for me, now that I am living in a city for the first time! After being in a small college town in the middle of Ohio for four years, I want to take advantage of all that the city has to offer. I want to go to museums and concerts and new bars and special exhibits. Of course, in Chicago this can definitely add up. Part of my adjustment to this program, and doing my part of the mission, will be to find balance in my life. I don’t want to be too stringent and not enjoy myself, but I can’t go too crazy either.

In addition, I think for me viewing my electronics (laptop, cell phone) as “luxury” items rather than “necessities” will be a big move in living sustainably, and will really have an impact on how I engage with my community. Chicago Public Library Card-here I come!

Building upon the core practices of “Social justice,” “Community” and “Simplicity/Sustainability” will be a unique part of the LVC experience. As I take this first step to Orientation, I am looking forward to learning more about these practices, the details of the program, and how I can become a committed member. Before I know it I will be back in Chicago, moving into a new house, and starting my first real job!

Thanks for coming along on this adventure with me. Please feel free to comment below with any advice, suggestions, or questions you may have. I am looking forward to sharing this journey with you.

SommerAnn

P.S. Since this post is very scarce on photos (airports aren't the most photogenic of places) I have added a little "summer in review" section below to add some fun to this post :)

Highlights from Summer 2013