My Community Rocks (Yes, I can still have one on the road)

There’s so much I want to write about. It’s all starting to come together in my brain, finally. It must come OUT.

One of the questions I get all the stinkin’ time is “What do you do about socialization?” I’m not going to answer that question directly here, I think I wrote another post about it ages ago. The assumption, however, is that I don’t have a community. No friends, no buddies, no peoples. In reality, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

This last month has really sent that message home for me. I am so loved, so looked out for, so encouraged in my day-to-day life.

It’s been a really freaking difficult month. May into June, that is. I’ve dealt with a death, arguments, bad behavior, emotional family stuff, moving internationally, exams, prepping for another international move, and learning to adjust to my somewhat crummy physical abilities on the road. It’s been hard. But at every single turn, someone has had my back.

• My housemates helped me move out and get rid of my stuff. So did Will, my mom, my grandparents.
• My friends in Indiana and Texas and Iowa helped me to relax about exams, virtually.
• When I found out about my EDS, everyone immediately loved on me and offered support and information. I found a community of other EDSrs within a few days!
• My professor bent over backwards to help me with my exchange.
• My online network of friends, travelers, and folks I work with leapt to get me in touch with their Groningen contacts, suggested lodging ideas, gave me extra work.
• My Indiana grandparents hugged me hard when I found out about the death in the family and loved on me.
• My godparents went out of their way to spend time with me.
• My cousin/twin drove 3 HOURS just to spend 45 minutes with me. Happiness.
• Just a few days after I found out about the $10,000 crisis, friends from across my network, some of whom I’ve never met in person, came to me to say they’d lend me the money if I needed it (I don’t, figured out a temporary solution with my parents *embarrassed but grateful*)
• This is just the beginning of the list. I could go on, but you get the point.

I’m not going to lie, I’ve shed a few happy tears about this recently. I can’t get over how generous, loving, and incredible my community is. Whenever I need something, they have my back. Whenever they need something, I do my best to return the favour. I know that it’s a huge gift and that not everyone has this kind of backup and support. Who says that a travelling kid is going to end up alone?

Thanks to all of you out there who support me, even the readers who I’ve never talked to but that read my posts and offer advice or info every now and then. My life is so much better for having you in it!