UPDATE

HELLO PEOPLE! 
i'm officially in alderson, wv. 

after a near perfect few days in southern illinois (family, baths, food, swimming), mom and i hit the road. we left late sunday afternoon and drove to lexington, kentucky, where we ate cracker barrel and stayed in a hotel across the street from the hustler hollywood "adult shop". it was lovely. on monday we made our way to pipestem state park, just an hour's drive from alderson. we hiked, ate, sat on the balcony, and had a great last night. then on tuesday we drove in to alderson and found the house! after some good meals and blueberry picking, mom left me alone in west virginia!!!

everything is so very different from home and chicago, but i like it. 

first of all, i have down time...without anything that i have to do. i'm sure that part of this is owed to being done with school, but it is also because of where i am. the people around me prioritize what they actually find important. coming out of school, where so much was decided for me or demanded from me, it's really exciting to be making such simple decisions about my time. 

next, i don't think anyone sleeps. everyone is always busy; running from meeting to meeting, sweeping up the floor before picking herbs from the garden, or getting dinner on the table while taking phone calls. so far i've really just been going through the motions, trying to figure out the routines and where i'll fit in this organized whirlwind. it is a bit intimidating because there is so much happening, but i'm figuring it out.

a quick introduction to the people that might be mentioned: brian and kathleen - they are the directors of the hospitality house. they are married and live just off the house grounds, about a quarter of a block away. they are super full of love and eager to do just about everything, including teach me A LOT. catherine - she is a volunteer/worker for the summer. she is about to be a senior at virginia tech and spent last summer here as well. she focuses mostly on gardening and agriculture and lives in the house with me. She also is very willing to lead me through the routines!!

wednesday night, i stayed in the house with my first guest! the prison camp had an immediate release, someone that cannot legally stay another night because their sentence has changed or they are overdue. this individual's sentence was cut in half and she had already served past that time. she was headed home on thursday morning, but needed a place to stay wednesday night. it was awesome to help welcome her and talk with her about self-confidence of young girls, making the gym a priority, and horoscopes (some of my favorite topics!!). 

thursday night and friday night we had families and individuals as guests. the highlight was friday night dinner. not only was the food incredibly delicious (pasta, homemade bread, spiced up green beans, and blueberry cobbler), but the community felt like a family. the meal was loud and interactive. while most of these people don't know each other well, and i certainly don't know them at all, you would never have guessed that by watching at dinner. 

overall, i'm doing well. working to find my place here, a tad intimidated by all the changes, and missing everyone back home, but still happy to be here and excited for everything ahead. 
XOXOXO