I think that the most difficult thing about my service term will not be living for ten and a half months on a modest living stipend or walking into communities where I am a complete outsider; it will be having to say goodbye to all of the friends I made this year.
I always flashback to the beginning when I walked into a room filled with twenty strangers. I wondered who I would get along with, and frankly, who I wouldn't. As I shook their hands and exchanged the awkward, painful, and painfully-awkward small talk, I kept failing to fit anyone into a box. We were all so different from one another. We had challenging backgrounds and unique viewpoints, which made me leave my first week of service confused about the year to come.
But it was this confusion that made my service term so fulfilling. As I continued with my year, I put my confusion aside and I went for it. I traveled across Chicago to explore new friendships. Whether it was over lunch or wandering around various neighborhoods, the times that I had with my Corps members always led to an adventure.
My time with National Service Corps has impacted my life by instilling the belief of adventure in other people. Now, when I meet new people, I don't try to draw limits on our relationship, I only can imagine how this new person can help me grow.
With our service year approaching its end, I know that the hard goodbyes are approaching as well. But when I remember what I have learned this year, I know that I will see my friends again, it will just be in new places to explore.
