As the train travels south from Dallas Texas, the scenery becomes less and less familiar. I can no longer identify any of the deciduous trees, there are fields of strange shrubbery and cattle grazing instead of forests and corn crops, and the soil redder than I am used to. These observations are just the beginnings of all the things I do not know about my upcoming year.
I do not know what it is like to live in a city. I grew up in the trees and went to a college that lived outside of a small city.
I do not know the sounds of the dessert, the foliage, the wildlife, or what the land beneath my feet will feel like.
I know very little Spanish, and it makes me nervous to practice speaking.
I do not fully know what my work will look like at Casa Alitas.
I have not been keeping up to date with immigration politics which caries even more unknowns for my work.
I do not know what it is like to not be a student.
Amidst all these unknowns, I have a sense of peace. I am excited to learn and I know that making mistakes and being in new settings is the best way to learn a whole lot. In addition, what I do know is that there is a house, a job, and most importantly a community waiting for me in Tucson.
Over the past 80 hours on the train, the unfamiliar scenes are becoming familiar. I freaked out when I saw a wild cactus for the first time and now even the cactus and shrubbery speckled mountains feel comfortable outside my window. Some things will take a bit longer to feel truly comfortable, but in time all will feel like home.
I am finding joy in the newness becoming normal.
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