I'm not really sure if anyone still reads this, but to those of you who do, I'm very sorry for not posting. I can't believe my last post was in May! It would be very difficult to recount everything that has happened between then and now, but it is safe to say that it has been a very busy few months. Filled with work, fundraisers, socializing and some salsa dancing thrown in there.
It is 8:30 in the morning and I'm trying to take advantage of the calm around me as I know that the next week may be busier and more emotional than all of the last several months combined. This is my last week of work and I move out on Monday!
For those of you who don't know, I have a job next year with Catholic Volunteer Network as a Recruitment Associate. It is a four month position based out of DC, where I get to travel around the country to college campuses, promoting CVN programs (like Project SERVE and Bethlehem Farm) and encouraging students to take on volunteer experiences similar to my own.
I am so excited for this opportunity to continue reflecting on these incredible experiences and share them with others. But that excitement is coupled with a great deal of sadness when I think about leaving Project SERVE. My work has challenged me in ways that I did not know were possible and from that I have gained skills that will stay with me for a life time. I still have a few clients at Sarah's House that will have a new caseworker when I leave. It is difficult, knowing that I cannot see them through 'til the end, but I know that they are being left in very capable hands and will be taken care of.
The most difficult part of ending this year will undoubtably be saying goodbye to the four wonderful women who have become like sisters to me this year. Kelly, Rebecca, Faith and Bethany are some of the most beautiful people I know, inside and out. They have been of unfailing support to me this year and we have grown together in so many ways as individuals and a community. Of course we will all keep in touch and plan annual reunions, but we will never get to have this year back. So we are trying to take advantage of the time we have left.
Bethany will be moving to Tennessee and Kelly is still working on figuring things out, but Rebecca and Faith are staying in Baltimore, living together. I plan to visit with them often and I am so glad that they will be staying in the area.
So how are we taking advantage of the next week? Well... Faith and I actually share the same birthday, but because we will not be living in the house anymore when it happens, we are going to celebrate it tonight by going out to dinner with the community and then getting drinks with friends in the area at a bar in town. Tomorrow, I'm to excuse myself for the day to move some of my things out to Fairfax, VA where I'll be living with my cousin. (I am very excited about this move- to spend more time with my cousin and be closer to Aaron as well)
We typically cook/eat dinner as a community twice a week, but this week we are going to do a "best of PServe meals week" and cook some of our favorite meals and eat together each night of the week. On Tuesday night, Allison is coming over for our last ever community night and on Thursday, I'll have my last family literacy class at Sarah's House. Next weekend, we're going to celebrate Bethany's birthday and all that we've learned and accomplished this year.
Some of you may be wondering, is Caitlin coming home to New England? The answer is yes. On Monday, July 25th, I'll fly back to MA and spend the next two weeks in a combination of Chelmsford, Boston, Maine and New Hampshire. It will be a pretty crazy couple of weeks, but if you'd like to get together please let me know. Then, at the beginning of August, my parents will drive with me down to Baltimore and help me move the last of my things to VA.
Despite my sadness of leaving this year behind, I am really looking forward to seeing my family and friends and transitioning into the next great adventure of my life. I know that my job in the fall will challenge me to continue reflecting on this past year's experiences and also help me realize how such experiences have integrated themselves into my daily life and future. Because of that, I'm going to try to continue posting on this blog as a way for me to process these reflections and also make up for all that I did not post during this past year.
I'm going to sign off now. I have a busy day ahead of me, filled with packing, cleaning, attending an arts festival and partying tonight. More to come at a later date.
Peace,
Caitlin
