Dear future Erin,

Yesterday was the first day of DCBRP and my first day at Chandler Park Conservancy.  Coming into this internship I have a lot of expectations and hopes for the next ten weeks.  The main things I’d like to accomplish this summer all revolve around connections.  First, I hope to make new friends with my fellow DCBRP students.  Since my best friends from high school are also my roommates in Ann Arbor, I hope to be able to connect with new people and come back to school in the fall with another group of friends.  Next, I want to be more than just a summer intern at CPC.  I hope at the end of the summer I’ve become really involved and invested in the work I do, and leave always feeling connected to Chandler Park.  Lastly, I want to feel connected to Detroit.  I’ve lived 30 minutes away from Detroit most of my life and have always felt slightly connected to the city, but in more of a superficial sense.  I’d come down here for Tigers games, concerts, and sometimes do some volunteering, but have never been able to really take advantage of all the city has to offer.  I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity I’ve been given to live and work in Detroit, and I hope I will leave feeling more connected to the city.

I was thrilled to be placed with CPC for the summer and can’t wait to really start my work.  Yesterday I met a ton of people in the office, hopefully future Erin has learned all of their names and fancy job titles.  I hope that the work I’m doing at CPC will positively impact the health of the community.  I’m excited to get involved with the healthy neighborhood initiative, and learn what CPC is doing to improve public health here in Detroit.  Also, I’m a little nervous but really looking forward to learning archery and teaching it to the kids in the community.  Lastly, what I’m most excited about at CPC is being able to interact with the community, especially kids, at Chandler Park.  I’m hoping to be able to spend a lot of time at the park, and get involved with a bunch of events outside of the office.

Hopefully you’re less awkward and better at writing blog posts now.
-EP