Maybe it’s just me, but I feel like the volunteer blog posts have been a little doom-and-gloom lately.
That’s probably not the right way to phrase it. But with friends moving away and darkness sweeping in, I think we’ve all been reflecting on the big ideas — what we’re really doing here in Nome, whether we’re contributing anything meaningful, how the nature of time affects our existence. That sort of thing.
And those thoughts aren’t going away anytime soon.
But in between moments contemplating the big picture, I think the little things are going really well — that we’re having fun when we just let ourselves be a bit.
We’re definitely still getting to know each other — still figuring out our household dynamic. There are moments when I can’t tell if Mitch is joking or not. And there are times when Emily and Maddie come home from the gym — looking intensely athletic and focused — while I wear sweatpants and wonder what we have in common.
But mostly, I find myself growing fond of these great people.
Emily baked an incredible cake for my birthday and made sure I finally saw Salmon Lake. Maddie updates me when puppies are for sale around town so we can wistfully imagine having a pet of our own. Mitch understands my desire to fillet fish as often as possible and lets me talk nonsense to him every morning at work.
I consider these great traits for housemates, coworkers, and burgeoning friends.
And with every family dinner and late-night movie watch, I’m more and more excited to know these people better. Because I can already tell that they’ll be there for me when I need a break or some perspective on the big picture.
