In the three months I’ve been here in Detroit, music has colored every step of the journey. As mentioned in my previous posts, it’s been a whirlwind of emotions, spinning through highs, lows, and everything in between.  There’s only one form of expression that can capture the full spectrum of human emotion in my opinion and that’s music. I realize music is deeply personal and that the way a song makes me feel might hit someone else in a totally different way.  That being said, I’ll share some of the songs that have filled out the edges and helped me define my Detroit experience so far.

First arriving in the city, naive and full of unbridled optimism:

Feeling lost and listless, longing for greener grass anywhere else:

Feeling so loved, and appreciative of the friendships formed here:

Mind-numbing boredom:

Self-doubt combined with dogged determination not to fail and to get where I need to be, smothered in a sauce of frustration:

Electric excitement in finding purpose and a challenge worth accepting:

And finally, a mantra similar to “just keep swimming”:

I’m incredibly fortunate in my placement within the fellowship at Rock Ventures.  I was nervous and a bit skeptical at first, but through a convoluted mix of luck, skill, charm possibly (?), and being in the right place, in proximity to the right people at just the right times, I’ve been entrusted with some fascinating and challenging projects that fill my daily life with meaningful purpose.  There’s something magical about being trusted to accomplish something for your community that each day you’re not sure how you’re going to do it, but deep down, you know you can and will.