Obviousment, c'est Casey!: Never Too Young for Nostalgia

Things are going well here at Upstation, and I'm beginning to think that my integration here is a very real possibility. But for this post I want to instead talk about the year that was 2013 (the abbreviated version) and how humbled I am by the number of things that have worked out well this year.

Midwinter ball stylin'

A year ago, some of my college friends and I hatched an elaborate New Years Eve plan centered around Milwaukee, WI. One of our recently graduated friends was (and still is) living there working with College Possible, and we all thought it would be fun to ring the new year in there before heading back to Northfield for winter term. So my roommate Laura and I flew out to Milwaukee and some of our friends set out by car from Colorado. It turns out that Colorado is pretty far from Milwaukee, and they weren't slated to arrive there until almost a full day after us. So after Laura and I arrived in Milwaukee we made the suggestion to cut their drive by a few hours and meet instead in Northfield. I don't know what NYE in Milwaukee looks like, but I have no regrets as to this decision. I got to ring in the New Year with some of my favorite people in the place that had become my home these past few years, and it was exactly the kind of celebration I wanted. And the New Years Day that followed was a winter vacation filled with hot cocoa and Ice Kuub. What more could you want? But as Rivers and Roads, my favorite song by The Head and the Heart promises, "a year from now, we'll all be gone, all our friends will move away". The people that I spent NYE 2013 with are currently scattered across the globe, in California, Wisconsin, Connecticut, China, and even a few still in Northfield. They're quite a bunch and I'm missing them like crazy. But more on that later.

Sometimes finals got a little rough.

I think all of the people with whom I celebrated last year were well aware that this would be an important year for us. We all (or at least most of us) graduated from college and headed off to pursue new challenges. And while I knew in December 2012 that I would most likely be celebrating this year's NYE across the globe, I definitely didn't know about all the times that my life would change between then and now. I ended up deciding to graduate from Carleton a trimester early without any real plan of how to spend those 10 weeks. I knew that I wanted to stay in Northfield and celebrate all that is spring term (little did I know that there would be no spring this year in Minnesota), but that was as far as my plan went. Enter Richard, who told me about an AmeriCorps job based in Northfield that was slated to end in October. Perfect. By the time all was said and done, the job was at Faribault High School working with the academic support and college access programs. And after a marathon spring break road trip that included upwards of 13 states, my first speeding ticket, wild horses, Colonial Williamsburg, the extend Silver clan, and an exchange of co-pilots, I began my first post-college job. I can't say I ever see myself working in education long-term, but it was the perfect way to transition out of my life as a student and into the role of (essentially) a volunteer. I met some incredible students that showed me a new perspective on life in Rice County, and I surely learned more from them than they ever learned from me. Many of them were recent Somali refugees and were still adjusting to life in Minnesota. A notable moment was when as I attempted to explain my vegetarian lifestyle, one of my students looked at me in disbelief and asked "Does that mean you don't eat camel?!?"

Minnesota love.

And even though I wasn't attending classes at Carleton anymore, I was still able to have some college fun, and there's no time like spring term for fun. My friends and I danced to Smash Mouth in the cold at Spring Concert, progressed across campus and town, and drove to Madison and back in one day to watch our friends compete in the National College Ultimate Finals. We donned corsages for prom, relaxed on the Bald Spot, and played our final games of True American for a while. And then it was over. They handed us our diplomas, we sung the alma mater, and then we processed through a tunnel formed of our professors into our lives as college graduates. And as much as I have my friends to thank for keeping me going through many of the challenges that college brought, the biggest thank-you of all belongs to my parents, who really made my graduation from Carleton possible. I know that they might sometimes wish that I had chosen a post-graduate path a little closer to home and I am incredibly grateful that they supported me throughout the process leading up to my departure and continue to encourage me (and send me care packages!) from afar.

Senior week playtime. Who are these fools?

My job in Faribault was slated to continue throughout the summer and morphed a few times as the school year ended and summer programming came and went. A summer highlight was my first road trip out west, when Teddy and I headed out to Yellowstone by way of the Corn Palace, Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Wind Cave National Park, and more bison than I could count. I ate my first huckleberry bar and got mistaken for a motorcyclist for the first time. (Here that happens on an almost daily basis.) But sooner than I would have liked, it was time to leave my life in the Midwest and head back to the East Coast. Luckily, that also meant that it was time for two of my favorite weeks of the year at Camp AmeriKids. The people that I meet there have amazed me for the past two years, and this summer was no exception. I have them to thank for encouraging me to dream big and be open to the possibility of miracles.

America's a pretty cool place.

The time between camp and Cameroon passed in something of a blur-a month that only felt like a week or two. I spent as much time as possible with family and friends and somehow attempted to prepare both logistically and mentally for this new life step. it turns out that packing for two years in a new part of the world is an adventure it it of itself. And then the next thing I knew, it was September 11th and time to head to Philadelphia. And (if you've been following along) you know the highlights since then. I met some incredible people that are going through this with me (albeit throughout the country). We made it through training and life with our host families together. And then we swore in as Volunteers and headed to our posts. So that's where I am now, a month into life as Volunteer and amazed that 2013 has come and (almost) gone.

And as for 2014? I have high hopes for how it will turn out, although I can't possibly dream of another year filled with the amount of changes and love that 2013 brought. I'm settling into my role as a new community member, and have a lot still left to learn both professionally and culturally to maximize my time here. But Upstation is already feeling like home and I know that time will only bring me more comfort with my neighborhood and my life here. And I want to thank all my family and friends (near and far) for sticking with me throughout this crazy year. It turns out that we're never too young for nostalgia, and I'm missing you all and the times that we shared terribly. But wherever the past year has brought you, I hope this next year is filled with smiles, laughs, and more than your fair share of adventures (if that's your thing). And I'd love to hear how things are going, so send me an update whenever you get the chance.

TL,DR: 2013 was pretty great and I'm looking back fondly. Only time will tell what 2014 will bring, but I'm looking forward to what it has in store.

P.S. Yesterday I bought a Babar towel outside Main Market. Some days Bamenda is a great place.