September 2014 has come and gone and left me with some major changes to digest. No longer is the 2014-2015 year an intangible thing in the distance that I “know-is-coming-but-don’t-really-believe-will-get-here.” I’m not a “new grad” but instead I’m entering my third year in the workforce. I’m not a teacher on the southeast side of Detroit anymore, but now I’m a Challenge Detroit fellow. My Detroit address is one of the few things that hasn’t changed from August to September.

The past 2 years in Detroit have been packed with highs and lows. The stresses of a demanding and overwhelming job paired with the fostering of lifelong friendships and memories left little time for anything else. I knew my students, the Southeastern High School community and staff, Midtown, my close friends and the bars/restaurants we frequented. Yet the grind of my weeks  made it way too easy to make excuses for my lack of a “real life” in Detroit. Sure, I knew about local beer and coffee shops. I also had an intimate view of the poverty and systemic racism most Detroiters face daily. But when asked the question “How do you like living in Detroit?” I could never seem to formulate an answer. How do I like working in Detroit? It’s hard, my staff is great, I love my kids. How’s my apartment? It’s great. How’s the food? So much good Mediterranean. How do I like living in Detroit? Well, I guess I didn’t feel like I lived here. I was just working here. I wasn’t building any kind of sustainable life for myself.

I am so thankful for Challenge Detroit for (hopefully) giving me a good answer to that tough question this year. I cannot wait to experience this city not with a fresh set of eyes, but from a new perspective.