My first month in Detroit has felt like one never-ending conversation. And, like anyone starting life again in a new city, it\u2019s really just a script. The standard Q &A that discloses ones abbreviated life story to a new acquaintance:<\/p>\n
\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n I grew up in San Diego.<\/em><\/p>\n \u2026<\/em><\/p>\n I studied architecture at Rice University in Houston, TX.<\/em><\/p>\n \u2026<\/em><\/p>\n I work for ROSSETTI, downtown. <\/em><\/p>\n \u2026<\/em><\/p>\n ROSSETTI designs sports stadiums…<\/em><\/p>\n \u2026<\/em><\/p>\n E.T.C.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n And then, somewhere around here, when I am breathless from talking about myself, it drops. THE question.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n So\u2026 why Detroit?<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The question is asked with genuine curiosity. And, suddenly, the conversation is elevated from casual small talk to something more.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Is it odd that such a simple question gives me anxiety?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I have answered it so many times its like I am listening to a record of myself. The root of my anxiety comes from my attempt to give the answer that people expect; an answer that mirrors the passion my counterparts have for making a difference. Yes, I do have similar sentiments. But, if I were to answer in complete honesty, I could say it in six single-syllable words.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I came to see what\u2019s good.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Pretty basic right? In my defense, seeing isn\u2019t implicitly passive. For this year in Detroit, seeing also comes with a responsibility to bare witness. I plan to use this space as a testament of what I see.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n However negatively the city is portrayed in national media, I don\u2019t go a single day without seeing something hopeful and beautiful. I leave my apartment each morning for a day that is full of listening and absorbing new information in a new environment. I breathe in the city and fall asleep each night with a full mind of exciting images.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I see Eastern market<\/a>\u00a0busy on a Sunday filled with produce seekers and at night transformed into an arts mecca. I see coffee shops filling the role of community gathering space. I see community leaders like Lauren Hood <\/a>listening to the people she serves and providing lasting solutions. I see non-profits like MACC Redevelopment<\/a> changing the lives of children everyday. I see organizations like Detroit Soup<\/a> creating a platform for people with inspiring ideas. I see visionaries like Maurice Cox<\/a> creating socially responsible and ambitious plans for the future of the city. I see the impact that 42 individuals can have working for a single afternoon at Recovery Park<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n So far, I have seen a lot. I will continue to bear witness and feel comfortable with the fact that my \u201cwhy Detroit\u201d is a work in progress. And, although this is just one small record, I hope that it may add to your perception of this complex place I now call home.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" My first month in Detroit has felt like one never-ending conversation. And, like anyone starting life again in a new city, it\u2019s really just a script. The standard Q &A that discloses ones abbreviated life story to a new acquaintance: \u2026 I grew up in San Diego. \u2026 I studied architecture at Rice University in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":116,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17501","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.challengedetroit.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17501","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.challengedetroit.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.challengedetroit.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.challengedetroit.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/116"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.challengedetroit.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17501"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.challengedetroit.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17501\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.challengedetroit.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17501"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.challengedetroit.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17501"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.challengedetroit.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17501"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}