Currently, I’m sitting in the living room of our airbnb in Baltimore. From this spot I can smell the food a few friends are cooking in the kitchen, hear laughter coming from upstairs, and see the connections being made through conversation right beside me. Throughout our time here so far, our group of 14 has truly experienced what community is. Not only have we traveled to various locations to learn and connect with others, but we have been learning and connecting with each other as well. This group has become a new family to me.
Every Sunday this semester our group met for our Food, Faith, and Justice class- yet I am just now getting to know everyone on a much closer level. Starting from the drive to Baltimore on Saturday, I began to get a better idea of who the people around me were through the music we shared. Now it is day 5 and we are continuing to grow community and an understanding of one other more each day. Living together has undeniably allowed us to work with one another, share music and laughter, listen to each other’s thoughts, and ultimately learn from others.
One aspect that allows us to foster community is through our nightly gatherings. At the end of each day, we gather together to enjoy the food that a few members of our group have prepared and end our meal with a reflection activity. Through these activities, we have the opportunity to reflect on our days, ourselves, what we are grateful for, how we are feeling, what we have been learning, etc. I have come to really appreciate these moments because this is when I feel most connected to everyone. From the reflections, we are able to hear each other’s perspectives and learn. Importantly, we have a very diverse group of people on this trip with different backgrounds, beliefs, and interests. Yet we have come to cherish this and discover what makes us similar at the same time. One saying that resonated with me from our visit to the Islamic Society of Baltimore yesterday was something along the lines of “we were made different so that we can know each other” and this changed my perspective entirely on how I view the differences found between people. Each person has unique characteristics and this allows us to have our own identity. Through this, we can see our differences as an opportunity to know one another rather than something that pushes us apart. Overall, I’m thankful to build community with everyone and continue learning from it!