The Big Move

A couple of days ago my family (including my mom, dad, and brother, not sister) left our home in Worcester, MA to drive a total of 16 hours to Evanston, IL. The trip was not actually as bad as I thought it would be. We broke it up into two days, staying overnight in Cleveland, OH. Most of the driving was filled with farms: corn, soy, and grapes. We only hit bad weather once and made it on time to check into my apartment.

Once we finally reached Evanston, I went to the housing office at Garrett, my new seminary. I signed my first lease (nerve-wracking) and went over to admissions to say hello. When I entered the admissions office, I was immediately reminded of why I love Garrett. I was welcomed warmly with excitement and hugs as my dad tried to understand what was going on. After being a little stressed about moving halfway across the country, the welcome was exactly what I needed. It was genuine Christian hospitality and I am so thankful it was there when I needed it most.

We then headed to my new apartment on Noyes Street, which is right above a coffee shop, pizza place (with amazing homemade Italian ice), and a few other stores I need to check out. I trekked up to the third floor, opened my apartment door, and immediately fell in love. The apartment was huge; complete with a bedroom, living room, two closets, bathroom, kitchen, and dining room. It was clean and bright with hardwood floors. You could tell the building was old with the way the floor creaked, but luckily I was on the top floor. I will definitely have to get used to the sound of the "El"(elevated train) going by and stopping near my window.

After we moved everything in (with no elevator), we walked through Evanston to the Davis Street Fish Market. We had a delicious dinner and walked back to my apartment on the lakeshore (which is so big it looks like the ocean). My brother noticed the pizza/Italian ice place downstairs, so we concludes our first evening with some delicious Italian ice.

I have to say it is still surreal that I am here. I have been looking forward to this journey for quite some time and I still can't believe it's actually happening now. It hasn't hit me yet that I will be staying here once my family leaves (it still feels like a family vacation). School doesn't start until September, so I'm trying to find ways to keep myself busy once my family leaves. I am so excited to be here, but I'm also nervous. However, I know God brought me to this seminary for a reason and I look forward to all the knowledge (social, academic, and spiritual) that I will gain.