Dear Kelsey,
What an incredible first week you’ve had! It has been so packed with adventure, and you’ve met so many wonderful people in such a short amount of time (shout out to the fam). Detroit has always been an inspirational place for you, and this week only reinforced that.
Over the course of the next 10 weeks, you’re going to be doing a lot of learning. There will be many opportunities to evaluate yourself, and your place within the context of this rapidly changing city, and within larger social structures. Don’t miss them.
The FoodLab family and the folks at Green Garage have already made you feel at home, which is quite exciting. The FoodLab community seems especially welcoming – definitely try to volunteer with a member business for the day, or lend a hand at a pop-up! Not only will you be able to give back to this new community and meet new people, but there is a good chance that awesome food will be involved.
The project you’ll be working on seems to be off to a great start already! As you conduct your interviews with good-food business owners in the city, listen carefully. I’m sure you’ll hear many inspirational stories from them, and with any luck you’ll be able to use those stories to inspire other local entrepreneurs to become change agents in their communities. Don’t let the day-to-day tasks slow you down on your mission to create a more sustainable and equitable food system!!
Every place you went, person you met, and mini-adventure you took made it even more evident that Detroit is a place where amazing things happen everyday. Though you live and work in a comfortable area, don’t be timid when it comes to exploring new neighborhoods. There is so much to see and be inspired by in this city! That being said, get your bike here ASAP so that you can partake in fun explorations of the city, and attend the next slow roll!
Love,
Yourself
P.S – Try not to be so critical of and annoyed by the M-1 rail construction every time you walk, bike, or drive by it. Even though you know it will primarily serve the privileged, and that Detroit’s bus system would have been a much more valuable investment for the city’s people.
You most definitely need to bring your bike, easily the most efficient form of transportation. The M-1 rail line is second in irritation right after the useless “trendy” stores on Cass and Woodword, but I totally think you should stay irritated by it. Helpful advice here haha.