By Jordan Engel
This is something many in my generation are facing. Out of necessity, we move about from city to city wherever we can land opportunities that pay the rent. If we’re lucky, our jobs are also somewhat meaningful and fulfilling and maybe, just maybe, provide health care.. I’m privileged to be a part of ESC, a program which offers all of that.
Transience as a way of life is desirable for some folks, but personally, I prefer stability and long-term community. It’s ironic then that over the past three years, I’ve lived in as many states. With each transition comes the need to embed myself in a new community – to become a part of the new place I call home.
This is never any easy process, but moving to Baltimore was different. Maybe it’s the blue collar culture of the city that says “It’s okay if you’re on stipend. You can still love the city without money.” Or maybe it’s my job which takes me to every corner of the city, helping me to know it better. After a year of living in Chicago, I still didn’t know anyone on my block. In Baltimore, though, I knew most of my block by name in a month. People sit on their stoops through the warms months, greeting neighbors and talking local politics. On the weekends, folks from the neighborhood bring a bag of hot dogs and cook a communal supper on the grill in the vacant lot. This place feels like home.
Leave a Reply