Monday, July 8, 2019
By:
Before this internship, my whole life was spent in rural areas. This means I had never had access to public transportation, or to the large array of social and political events on constant rotation in major cities. It has been incredibly rewarding to adjust to a life where there are people who look like me around every corner; a life where I am normal, and a life where I have room to discover new ways of living.
At this point we are well over half-way through the 10-week program. All I can think about is how sorely I will miss this place and this lifestyle. I’m scared that if I leave, I’ll get stuck in farmlands for the rest of my life. I’m scared that when this job ends, the next one won’t come. I’m scared that my new friends will build extravagant lives that do not wait for me. I’m scared that the world will end before I find my home.
During these moments of fear, gratitude is the only thing that makes sense to me. I am grateful to the American Institute of Physics for employing and housing me; I am grateful to the people I’ve met who have taken interest in my life; I am grateful to the Whole Foods employees that sell me my groceries; I am grateful to all my past educators, who showed me I was capable of landing an internship like this one. While I am scared for the future, I know that I have been incredibly privileged to even get where I am right now. While I do not want this internship to end, I know that the future is bursting with opportunities to grow and share joy. I cannot wait to see what these final three weeks have to show me.
Anna Perry