Not as introverted as I thought...

So, I've prided myself on being an introvert for awhile now. That may sounds strange, but it was like this twisted pride in being independent and not needing anyone. Yes, I realize that independent and introverted are not synonyms...that's why I said it's twisted.

I've lived in Seattle for 3 months and have kind of hidden out. I have gone to class, gone to work, and been minimally involved in a church and community group. By minimally involved, I mean that I attended. The end.

The lack of social interaction and authentic relationships started to wear on me and I found myself getting pretty depressed. Thanksgiving week, I hit rock bottom. Shades drawn, lights off. My mom passed away on November 23rd, 1997, so that 10 year anniversary only served to make the week stinkier.

One of the hardest things to do when you're feeling that low is to get out of bed. Even harder is to talk to other humans. You feel like you need them, but don't want to impose your misery on them...especially when you're new in town and don't know anyone well enough to impose your misery.

But the fabulous thing about Christian community is that you don't have to have known people for years to be able to lean on them. I prayed, God answered. I don't just mean that I said a prayer and everything miraculously improved. I mean that I prayed and God gave me the desire and strength to get out and risk relationship with those in this new and still strange city.

This is who I spent time with this week (which will also finally give you insight into who I have gotten to know in Seattle):

Ashley, a gal in my community group. Isn't it just wonderful when you meet people and seem to instantly click? That's been Ashley. She has reached out to me and made herself available. She has already proven herself trustworthy. She also challenges me to think beyond myself and my comfortable lifestyle...she works for WorldVision, a non-profit org, and helped organize a fundraiser for a homeless shelter called Operation NightWatch this weekend.

Jonathan, my community group leader. He's gone above & beyond the duty of a Bible study leader. He has reached out for real friendship and, like Ashley, just made himself available. We've talked about restoring family relationships, and he's really inspired me to work on some things in that area of my life. He's also taught me a lot about being myself, and really engaging in authentic conversation.

Meg, who I met randomly on a boat. Okay, it's not quite THAT random. I went to a wedding party on Tuesday evening, and met loads of wonderful people. In Seattle, they have a company called Argosy that has cruise ships and boats you can rent. Our friends got married recently and decided to invite all their friends to celebrate by touring the Puget Sound on one of these boats (I'm totally going to steal that idea). But, I digress...so I met Meg on the boat and she told me about her job, which is recruiting foster parents and tutors for African refugee kids that are here in Seattle. I don't think Val would appreciate me taking on a foster child in our 2 bedroom condo, but I did like the idea of tutoring. I've been praying about ways to volunteer and do something different, and with my Africa experience and interest in education and helping disadvantaged kids get access to college, this seems quite perfect. So, yay for chance meetings on random boats!

Speaking of Val, we haven't gotten to spend too much time together (2 doctoral students=2 busy people), I am blessed to have such a great roommate. Considering we chose each other from a few emails worth of contact, we have a pretty awesome set-up. Val is one of those people you're instantly comfortable around, which makes for a nice homey environment.

I met Paula through Melissa and Chrissy's visit back in September (they were college friends). Paula and I have gotten together irregularly since September, and every time I get to see her she blows me away. She's just genuine and one of the most encouraging people ever. I know every time I see her I will leave better than when I'd arrived. She works in higher ed, so she also is one of the few people outside of formal classes who understands that part of my life.

Community group has been a truly wonderful experience. It's the first and only one I have attended. I love the fact that answers are not churchy and super-spiritual...because I'm not either of those things. What CG is is a place of honesty and authentic searching for Truth. It's okay to have questions and doubts and fears. The people in the group are accepting and reach out to each other.

I just met Josephine a little over a week ago, and like Ashley, there's an instant click. Her father passed away this year, and this is always a point of bonding for me. She invited me to lunch today, which led to additional new friendships and conversation. Although a new friendship, Josephine is one of those people I've already had a really good, hearty laugh with.

I didn't see Gina this week, but can't NOT mention this amazing friendship. She's been on the blog before, my best friend in the 8th grade (that would be 1991) who found me on myspace and lives in Seattle that I stayed with when I visited in March. Our friendship has picked up, 11 years after we lost contact, and it's so fun to be around someone who can remember those horribly awkward days of wearing shirts that said NOT! and overalls with both straps unbuckled, loving Brian Adams "Everything I Do," and dealing with the oh-so-mature crushes we had.

Wow. All that happened this week. You know what didn't happen? School work. This is the last week of classes, with finals next week. I can't believe I've almost survived my first quarter of doctoral work. I say "almost" because I still have: a paper due tomorrow, a presentation on Tuesday, my (cumulative) Statistics final next Monday and my final proposal next Thursday.

No worries.