I write this last post with sadness because instead of writing it from the floor of a church with my 5 new best friends, I’m writing it alone on my couch. This week has changed all of us more than we can put into words and it was beyond any of my expectations. Not only has this trip opened my mind to so many things but Julie Miller has also changed my laugh. That’s when you know you’re with someone too much.
Our final day of work started at the Global Market. It was a food court type restaurant that featured global fare. Residents of Minneapolis are able to rent out these spaces at a cheaper rate because they all share one building so it keeps cost low. This is ideal for newcomers to America because it allows them to conduct business in a manageable way.
After we ate (the most wonderful gordita you ever saw) we got to drive around Minneapolis for a few hours putting up fliers for the Shot Clinic and the Needle exchange, two services offered by the Minnesota Transgendered Health Coalition. This was easy work but hopefully it made a big impact on at least a few lives.
After riding in a car for a few hours we came back to the church to get ready to go out to see the Hunger Games and to watch the big KU game. After such a short week my groups kindness really came out when they offered to help me out when I found myself in a bad situation. It’s things like that that really show a person’s good side. Although sometimes we were annoyed with one another, we bonded more quickly than I ever thought was possible.
Winning the game was a good way to end our evening… except our night had merely begun.
On our way back from the Mall of America we made a decision to drive back to Kansas. Right then. At 1 am. We were all filled with too much excitement to go to sleep so we drove all through the night and arrived bright in early in Lawrence.
The first thing I noticed when we returned was how much the trees had changed. They are all starting to bloom again, but maybe that’s just my new positive outlook on life coming through. J
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