In my role with my Host company, Rock Ventures, I have been extended the opportunity to be a blog contributor. I write for Opportunity Detroit, our blog featuring city wide coverage. Surprisingly I haven’t been bitten by the bloggers bug and suffered blog fatigue but can I admit something…..I’m having a bit of writer’s block for Challenge Detroit. Every day I am on the edge of amazing things occurring in the city. When it comes to my personal blog I realize that my life isn’t as fascinating as the City of Detroit. I mean how can I compare to a place that within the last week alone just received a bid for $100 million in investment, just wrapped up a fabulous party with tens of thousands in attendance, a sold out football game at a local high school, and created a plan to solve its biggest problem…..blight. See I’m competing with all of that but hey I’m excited to share the little victories and happenings that occurred this month.

I kicked my case of the winter blues in the Kahunas. As a transplant, I was having a really hard time adjusting to the winter climate in Michigan. Winter in the Midwest was really tough on this girl originally born on a Caribbean island and raised in the mid-Atlantic as wells as the south. I believe I had a serious case of the Winter Blues, undiagnosed, but very much impacted my normally upbeat moods. For the life of me I could not understand why I was so down, withdrawn and lacked energy. After a regular check up at the doctor, I found out my Vitamin D levels were critically low. Like to the point I had to get an emergency prescription for Vitamin D. My mother, a nurse practitioner, and doctor explained that my lack of exposure to the sun probably had a major impact on my levels. It also doesn’t help that I’m not a big fan of milk, cheese, and other forms of diary. So yes I’m pill popping and my mood is no longer dropping. Now that is Spring-Summerish in the city I can see a total difference with how I’m approaching the day and more importantly my mood. I’m normally not an emotional or moody person but this winter I learned how the climate and lack of sun can really alter one’s mood.

I overcame my fear of what’s next. Since I’m being honest here I don’t mind sharing a little fear and insecurity that I’ve been carrying for the past few months. I was really scared for a few months because I just really didn’t know or understand what’s next for me here in Detroit. I didn’t feel like I was quite fitting in. I felt I came with a mission to tackle Detroit’s challenges as well as pursue my personal career interest. Challenges are very real, resources very limited, red tape very existent, willing and able spirits wide spread, talent opportunities in my area of interest very few. That in itself was a hard pill for me to swallow. I had no idea where to start as a change agent as well as move up my career path. Participating in Challenge Detroit really helps but I feared how I can be a part of the social change network outside of the fellowship. What happens when the year ends? Will I have a job? Where am I going to live? Will I move back to the south? During the past month I’ve come to realize my personal strengths and learned the importance of building connections. Now over the past few months I have learned the importance of fostering and developing relationships rather than just network in vain. I now have a new outlook in developing relationships with people. Through blog writing as well as engaging with city residents as wells as outside residents I’ve learned everyone has a voice and perspective to be shared. Even my small voice needs to be heard. I now thrive in conversations about social change and have now identified ample opportunities in Detroit, even within my host company. I no longer fear not having a bright future in Detroit. I am now taking my first steps in being an effective change agent.