Fall

It's been officially four months since I moved to Portland. So much has happened! I'm sitting at my desk in my room, listening to music, looking at pictures of family and friends, and as always, wondering what's next.

I spent the first 5-6 weeks getting to know the city, and meeting friends - and hosting visitors - and wondering when I would get another paycheck. Fortunately, my first meeting with a temp agency brought in a job with an architectural firm as their receptionist. Little did I know it would turn into a full-time job as their marketing director.

I also moved into a house with three other girls in a fun neighborhood on the north side of Portland. Last weekend, I picked up a car - it would seem like I have most of the basics covered.

A few things I'm figuring out along the way: it doesn't matter where you are, it's who you're with. I miss my family - especially my niece and nephew (and soon-to-be-here nephew!) and wish I were closer to them. And there are so many people back in Grand Rapids who I think about often.

But I also miss Chile, a lot. I read the journal I kept while I was there, I talk to my friends who I volunteered with - some who are still there - and I look through the pictures of my kids. I may start saving money in a Return to Chile for a While fund. We'll see how that goes...

I took my first boxing classes this week since I've been here - they were fantastic. I don't know what it is about that sport (if that's what you want to call it) but I love the feeling of hitting something hard, of feeling the impact I'm having. Maybe that's a sign.

I went to a grad school fair this morning - I don't know what I was hoping to find, and it's not that I'm thinking about leaving my job anytime soon, but I keep feeling like I can do something different. I struggle with wondering if there's something more I want to do and knowing that no matter where I am or what I'm doing, there are always opportunities to serve, to make a difference, no matter how small or insignificant it seems. Not every experience has to be thousands of miles away.

Today it rained on and off, with patches of sun in between. It's feeling like fall.