something to be said about transitioning
Earlier tonight, I attended a gathering for all the returning CPGC interns (Center for Peace & Global Citizenship). This Haverford College organization sponsored my internship in West Virginia and funded my internship this summer in Paris. This gathering was meant for us to talk about our summers, our transition back to Haverford and possible future initiatives for our work. It actually turned out to be a really good space for me - for the past few days I have definitely been grappling with being back at Haverford. When you go abroad, folks at Haverford give you a sheet explaining The U curve of adjustment or culture shock. There’s definitely something to be said about reentering a community, like Haverford, and experiencing the same thing. I feel that after three weeks of being back on Haverford’s campus, I’ve hit the low point on that curve. That isn’t to say that I wasn’t expecting adjustment of some kind, but at the same time I didn’t know exactly what to expect. I think most of all, I’ve come to appreciate Haverford and what it has to offer a lot more- especially after living outside of the bubble for a solid eight months. On the flip side, I definitely am feeling really overscheduled- feeling like my day is divided pretty sharply and I only have certain amounts of time where I can accomplish certain things. I’m questioning how much I actually get to enjoy the activities that I am involved with- given how much of that time is spent being stressed. I’m also feeling pretty ‘over’ the social scene- I don’t really feel like drinking as of late, and I’d much rather spend calmer evenings with people I really enjoy. Old grandma mode, possibly, but I don’t really care.
I think the next few weeks will be intense- but I just have to remember to reach out to those that care when I need them and to stay focused on what’s important to me.
My pep-talk to myself ends here :P
