circular motions in finding the Lani in La-la-land...

I have a new job... Youth Worker.

I actually kinda have to smirk, not at the job but rather at the self who's taken the job after finding means to avoiding it. That said, I was never going to avoid it forever. I guess after a two year break, it often becomes a matter of when rather than if. I always knew I'd go back to it, I just didn't know when...

...But then opportunities arose and I apprehensively grabbed them by the horns (with one hand of course). Now I just signed on as a full-time youth worker to Rolleston. I'm freakin' out slightly but I'm also really excited. People are like, "wow, you're first full-time job!" "yay, full-time salary!" "It's like an actual career Lani!"
At the end of the day, it's not just a job, or just a career, or just a salary. I get to do something I really love doing. I get to help people and be involved in peoples lives. And I get to do it under a huge umbrella of one massive awesome vision for people and communities.
AHHH! Excitement!

SO yeah... I've done full circle back to the young. Two years ago, I was working with kids and then I wanted to experience something different. So I tried my hand with the elderly. It was cool in terms of learning from the elderly and their life experiences but it wasn't really my thing.

I spent two years wanting to affect whole communities, not just a small sector of it. I became slightly disillusioned by the fact that I felt like I was only helping just one part of it. But each part adds to a bigger something.
I think living in Samoa made me realise something. Our achievements are never our own. Our families own them, our friends own them, all the people we love own them. When a young person achieves, the whole community gets to own that achievement. When they fall, we all stoop down to pick them up. I love pictures of community. I love them a lot.

And with that said... bedtime... like perhaps a few hours ago... haha

With love,
Lani