¡Hola Julia!
Welcome to Detroit, Michigan :). For the next ten weeks, I would like you to keep the following in your consciousness:
Breathe. It’s okay to be anxious and nervous about living in a new city. Just take a moment to pause, acknowledge any unsettling emotions that are lingering in the background of your mind. Extend grace towards yourself and this new adventure.
Be in the Moment. Try not to over think everything you do, just enjoy. Enjoy getting to know your cohorts, appreciating their blended personalities and humor, energy, and stories. Enjoy the new job. Take in each day with the various opportunities and experiences.
Learn. Be a student of the experiences that you are partaking in, and don’t allow the fear of mistakes to hinder your progress. You are going to learn so much this summer from your surroundings, community, and cohorts.
Celebrate. You are in a beautiful place this summer, with amazing people – celebrate one another victories, successes, and even on the hard days, be there for each other.
Connect. Be open to new adventures, experiences, and friendships. Beautiful things happen when you are in a place of openness.
Grow. You are surrounded by new beginnings filled with limitless potential, just go for it.
Laugh. Life is filled with too much seriousness, angst, and heartache – remember to take time in each day to share in the gift of laughter.
Be Kind, Be Well.
Julia
I really like the format of this blog post, especially since you not only writing to yourself but also giving yourself advice for how to enjoy the summer. I take it that its your first time being in Detroit for this duration, but I believe you will enjoy it very much 🙂 This is good advice not just for you but for others in the program as well, especially for native Detroiters such as myself, as we can all benefit from learning from each other and growing with each other.
Hi Alyson :-)! Thank you for reading my blog post :-). Yes, this is my first time experiencing Detroit, and I am loving it here! I am happy to hear that you find my advice helpful! :-).
Alyson, I am looking forward to growing and learning with you this summer.
Hugs,
Julia
I really welcomed every word of this post, especially the emphasis you place on the importance of actually being in the moment. I think a lot of us came into this program and really just hit the ground running. It’s a good reminder for me not to let the fear of missing out get in the way of me truly appreciating the fact that I am here, I am in Detroit, and I am here, as you so rightly said, to learn and grow.
Hi Jean :-)! Thank you for reading my blog post and getting so much from it! Jean, you’re an amazing individual with so much to offer each person you encounter. In the midst of our rigorous work days of planning events, research, giving presentations (so many strangers!!), meetings, etc., we have to remember within the challenges and fear that this is a learning opportunity for each of us. That mistakes will be made, but that’s okay – we have to allow ourselves grace and compassion. And also remember, no one is alone here :-).
You are always welcomed to 308, the place to chill, vent, eat, experience great coffee, and laugh.
Hugs,
Julia
I needed this! Sometimes I get caught up in the high expectations I set for myself, and it’s important to remember everything is an experience. We learn from both our successes and our failures. Perhaps as important as the work we our doing is the time we take to reflect on it. I really like what you said about taking advantage of all the unique opportunities we will get here, in our unique internships. There’s endless amounts to learn, from our nonprofits and coworkers, but also just from our own experiences when living in Detroit with new people. I’m excited to see how things go for you, and to get to know you more over these next 9 weeks!
Hi Elsa :-). Thank you for reading my blog post! I am really happy to read that my writing can assist you in some way :-)! Makes the writer in me so happy! Yes, our experiences are affording us unique opportunities… what a beautiful thought to reflect on each day, keeping us grounded above the stress/chaos of an eight hour work day ;-).
I am excited to hear your story unfold, too! We should grab some food/drinks together!
Hugs,
Julia
Julia, this post is so beautiful. I feel like this is the advice we all need, especially right now, during this time of change. This has been a time of a lot of change, and I’m so glad that the people I’ve been blessed to experience it with are so kind and friendly. I’m so excited to see where these next 9 weeks take us, because the first week has already been such a great experience.
Hi Ayat :-). Thank you for reading my post :-)!. I am glad you are able to get something from my writing. Yes, we are all in the middle of lots of change, new beginnings, and new challenges, but I am sure lots of amazing things will develop from each.
Hugs,
Julia
Hi Julia!
I really enjoyed reading your post due to its emphasis on enjoying the moment and taking care of one’s well being. I’m sure you will have a fantastic summer professionally and personally especially if you take into consideration some of the suggestions in your posts. Laugh. Live. Love.
Best,
Micah
Hi Micah :-). Thank you for taking the time to read my blog post. I am excited to be here in Detroit, and yes, I have to continually remind myself to just simply be in the here and now. My thoughts are always running so I have to pause and remind myself to take time to enjoy, breathe, and safe care.
Hugs,
Julia