Culture Shock
Monday, April 28, 2008
I made it up to Grace safe and sound on Friday, my car was packed using every inch of space! I was very proud of my fabulous packing precision! :) I met my new roommates and got settled a little bit, well settled as much as you can when you're only living there for three weeks. :) AKA - putting everything underneath my bed. Saturday was a busy day, we finished our work... and then came the unexpected: the down time, the quiet, and the loneliness. One of my roommates went home for the weekend and the other was out and about, I was left alone in this trailer wondering what am I supposed to do now? I know that sounds a little silly, but to me camp is busy and people and I forgot that it won't be busy and people for a few more weeks. And unlike living in the city, there is no Barnes and Noble, or local coffee shops I can go hang out in. I know, I know Grand Rapids is not a huge city, but after spending a few days up here, I feel like it was NYC. :) I am so used to always having something to do, and if nothing else, I've got Blockbuster down the road, movies on TV, the internet, or I can pick up my phone to call a friend. When all of your usual options are taken away, you're left with an awkward silence. The first night I fell asleep at 7:45 pm. It's like a whole different culture up here and it surprised me. I feel so disconnected from reality, with no familiar food, people, radio stations, running spots, etc. It's so foreign almost like I'm in another country even though I know that if I got in my car and drove an hour south, I could be back in familiar Grand Rapids. But with little to no cell phone reception and access to internet only through dial-up, everyone seems so far away. I also have a lot of time on my hands yesterday and today. I worked Saturday, and when you work on the weekends, you get Monday off. Hmmm... so I worked one day and got two days off. On Saturday night when I had nothing to do, the next two days seemed a bit overwhelming to try and fill my days with... something. Also, while I told people that I won't have very good cell phone reception or a lot of time to talk, it's weird to hardly ever have my phone ring. On top of that, our heat "wasn't working"/we didn't know how to turn it up so it was between 52-58 degrees in our trailer all day yesterday. When you're a little homesick and trying to find something to do, the last thing you want is to walk around with a blanket wrapped around you because you live in a freezer! Hence the picture. :) I was all ready for bed, with two pairs of pants on, two pairs of socks, two sweatshirts, my hat, and of course my snap and snuggle! I woke up halfway through the night and realized that our heat had been "fixed" and so it is now a toasty 70 degrees. :) Thank goodness!
All that to say - I'm doing great! I'm currently sitting in a Big Apple Bagel up in Ludington, and am loving the speedy wireless internet connection! I am enjoying a little bit of civilization (I know I'm exaggerating) and will probably go riding later today weather pending. Apparently I am also going to learn how to drive the tractor!! Wish me luck!
