I am very excited about plans Paul and I have to travel to the East Coast next month. We'll be going to a good friend's wedding and stopping in Rochester, Ithica, New York City, and Hartford. We're both really looking forward to seeing friends we don't get to see often. I've mentioned here before that Paul and I met while we were serving in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps (JVC) program, a program for young people serving at non-profits and living in community. Paul lived in the Hartford house, and I lived in the Syracuse house - we met up at retreats and parties all across the East Coast. It was all very glamorous, except for the part where we were only making $85/month.
We're actually travelling for one of my JVC community mate's weddings, and thinking about being back East has me feeling all nostalgic about our service year - and the house journal.
During my year of service my roommates and I started a house journal - lovingly referred to as the house "gurnal." We each took turns writing our thoughts and reflections in it, and it became a great collection of our best memories together. After our service year was finished and we all moved on to our various cities, we decided to take turns with the journal. Six years later, the journal has made the rounds a few times and is looking well loved.
I love when the journal surprises me in the mail, and it's my turn to catch up on what everybody's doing in their lives and record my updates in the journal. I love that we can still have a way to stay connected - and also love that we have a communal record of our lives. It's a great way to continue to support each other in a simple way in our long distance friendships.
Sometimes the journal ends up forgotten under somebody's couch for a few months, and sometimes people write somewhat sarcastic entries (see above), but it all adds to the joy and adventure of the communal house journal. Looking forward to seeing who gets the journal next when it's passed off at the wedding in May. Probably won't be me since I may be the one who forgot the journal for a few months....I'll have to wait my turn until everybody else has another go at it :)