Week 8: Two Month Recap

I've now been in Tucson, AZ for 57 days, just shy of two months. In this time I've acclimated to desert heat and welcomed the cooler mornings as we shift to fall. I've started a new job where, even if I'm not always busy, I'm learning a lot. I've learned to live with three new people in a new house with lots of support from a new community. I've found new ways to connect with people back home, by writing letters and sending postcards, talking on the phone, and, when WiFi cooperates, FaceTiming and Zooming. I've been on several hikes including last weekend's most recent trip to the Grand Canyon (which means I can check off another national park and one of the seven natural wonders of the world). And, to round out this incomplete list, I've seen roadrunners and javelinas in person and not at a zoo.

Digitally zoomed picture of our javelina neighbor because I was too nervous to get closer

I was inspired by our two days of Zoom meetings with other MVSers from San Francisco, Alamosa, CO, and Chicago and reminded that there are other people doing the same program as me, having similar experiences, and there are plenty of other people who did MVS before me. As a wrap up exercise from this weekend of gathering and sharing I reflected a bit by writing my future self a letter. When I write letters to my future self I like to include some goals. After two months, some of my goals for the rest of the year include:

1. Feeling confident doing hotline intakes in Spanish at work

2. Going contra dancing and bouldering once each (or more)

3. Finding times to host friends and family for visits in the next nine months

A fun thing from our Zoom weekend was a, "Which Tucson MVSer Are You?" quiz that Michaela put together to share about our house. Feel free to take it and find out who you are!

This weekend's meetings also reminded me that doing a year of voluntary service is both counter-cultural and a privilege. When I share that I'm volunteering for a year people are often surprised and wonder who's supporting me. And that's all of you, blog readers! Thank you for supporting me in the many ways that you do. :)

This year is also a privilege. I didn't have an extensive interview process to be accepted at the Florence Project and yet my resume will benefit just the same. I will have many opportunities to learn and network in ways that I wouldn't have without this year.

Finally, enjoy some javelina content:

• https://www.desertmuseum.org/kids/oz/long-fact-sheets/Javelina.php

  • Info about javelinas from the desert museum that we visited

• https://www.nps.gov/bibe/learn/nature/javelina.htm

  • This site describes the differences between pigs and javelinas

Thanks to Andrea for the video!