tucson to me.

Tucson to me like a boiling pot of soup made from a recipe - A yummy mixture of both familiar and not-so-familiar ingredients.

I live in a small studio, one of ten small houses facing a courtyard of rocks, abandoned furniture, dry aloe plants, and rusty grills. It reminds me of Irvine Meadows West, the trailer park community I lived in during the latter years of undergrad. I was trailer #B2, one of many unique trailers that surrounded a grassy courtyard with a community garden and picnic benches.



Here, I am casetta #2.

They call these small rows of studios and 1-bedrooms, Casettas, a fancy Italian – turned – Tusconian - Spanish word for small house or cottage. Unlike the diverse range of trailers, they are not unique on the outside, having previously been a community for quarantined tuberculosis patients in the 1930’s. They remind me of the cookie-cutter government houses in South Africa. But similar to the inside of trailers, these casetta residents have uniquely transformed small spaces into very unique and cozy homes (I've been quite a successful voyeur these past couple of days). And Instead of a community garden and benches, there is a community laundry mat and plenty of doorsteps to sit on and story swap.


After empting out my pod yesterday I took a break in the shade with #9, a tatted chef who works at an exclusive clubhouse in town. Then #5 walked by with a Chemistry Orientation packet in hand and we got to talking about the millions of orientations U of A has lined up for us. Then #3 cut us off and offered us sugar cookies straight from the baking sheet. Quite suddenly, as if the cookie aroma overcame the heat, #8, a young nurse in the Southside (which she refers to as the ghetto), and #4 a substitute teacher who is very fond of everything Japanese joined us in the shade. We were a great group, odd numbers with even numbers, sitting on concrete stoops, plastic pots, and step stools all agreeing how priceless the shade could be.

Besides the extensive heat and crunchy-sounding gray rocks, I could have been in Irvine Meadows West all over again. Or, besides sharing a common language and sugar cookies, from one desert to another, I could have been in South Africa all over again.

Things I learned from summer camp...

What I learned at Zeum Camp.

I learned that children like me.
I learned that children need structure.
I learned that children still like me after I implement structure.
I learned that I could never be over-prepared.
I learned that alone time before the day starts is invaluable.
I learned that I could not do it alone, including receiving affirmation and encouragement from children, parents, and coworkers.
I learned that parents need affirmation and encouragement too.
I learned that every moment is important, even when it doesn’t seem inline with bigger picture goals. In the end it always is.
I learned that play is essential towards harnessing creativity.
I learned that I could be incredible productive, even when I’m tired.
I learned that I could be very bossy when I’m tired.


What I learned volunteering at Christian camp in my hometown.

I learned that I could easily be part of a community if I wanted to.
I learned that I could bond with young mothers and share their values.
I learned that I could bond with almost everyone over Starbucks runs and air-conditioning.
I learned that connecting over Starbucks and air-conditioning did not mean I was compromising my values.
I learned that at the end of the day, everyone needs a little bit of comfort bought and a little bit of air-conditioning.
I learned that I could be loved regardless of my background or what I looked like.
I learned that children need me.
I learned that children ‘get it’ when you take the time to explain it to them using lots of examples.
I learned that I want to help – sometimes too much.
I learned that I could feel incredibly lonely, even among hundreds of friendly faces.
I learned that I could tell others that God loved them even if I couldn’t tell myself.
I learned that summer camp is a temporary and quick bliss.
I learned that new faces are better than none at all.
I learned that new faces could become familiar and comforting faces as well.
I learned that God-stuff explained to children is much more simple than how it is explained to adults.
I learned that I could easily be part of a community if I wanted to.