Before I started Challenge Detroit, I had only been to Detroit a handful of times. It is safe to say that I did not “know” the city at all when I began as a fellow. I had done some volunteer work for the Duggan campaign and visited my fiance while he was working in the city – and that is about it.
Recently, I was driving down Woodward and passed an area that I remember driving before I really “met Detroit”. I reflected on how different this strip of land is to me now that I have become “acquainted” with the city. Unlike then, I now have a reference point for this strip of land. If I keep driving in this direction, I will eventually pass my grocery store and hit my apartment – places that I am now very familiar with.
I then thought about all of the other places that I have gotten to know at different times in my life and about how different they ended up being from my first impression. I usually have the same range of emotions – I feel lost, I feel a bit scared, I start to subconsciously get comfortable, I like it, I love it.
I know that I am starting to love Detroit. I have memories here, I have friends here and I am familiar with places here. I also know that there is a lot of Detroit I still don’t know. I have bonded with such a small piece of it. I am excited to continue to get to know Detroit. For those of you who have not met this city yet, I urge you to visit. Don’t let first impressions deter you.
