My first week as a grown-up

I’m home. I’m in Kennewick. I slept in my own bed last night and my two best friends from high school (Corrie and Shivyon) came over last night. It’s hard to believe I’ll be living in one place for more than a five month stretch. Since heading off to school four years ago I’ve been caught between Kennewick, Whitworth, South America, and Seattle. The funny thing is, as much as I’ve longed for more stability in my life, I find myself eager for the next adventure.

I started work on Wednesday at Habitat for Humanity. I took a tour of some of the homes that we’ve recently built with my boss Theresa and then got thrown into my job. There was no training, no time for training, no bulleted list of things to be done…just an office and the last Volunteer Coordinator’s sticky note filing system. The first two days were admittedly rough. I didn’t have any perception of what my priorities should be and I constantly was running between offices trying to get a feel for how things work. Friday felt so much better. I made phone calls, scheduled appointments, translated for a couple of women looking for help from Habitat, and got ready for my first day out at the construction site.

It’s an amazing and humbling experience to be working so closely with volunteers. On Thursday I realized that the women who had been working full time on a fundraising even right outside my office were UNPAID! Talk about a way to keep paid employees accountable.

Saturday is a work day for me but I’ll have Sundays and Mondays off. Hopefully next week will result in more understanding and better stories. I’m still hoping to get guitar lessons and a gym membership penciled into my week, but who knew how exhausting 9-5 could be? My mom, probably.