Week 10: A Frenzy of Activity

Good day! I sure have been cherishing these last few days of summer in Richmond- I can’t get over how fast the time has gone! Only one week remaining in Richmond, and what a week it will be. There will be lots of spending time with friends for the last time, not to mention friends visiting from Minnesota for what is sure to be a weekend for the ages. However, I do not to overshadow the week that has been, as it was memorable but passed quickly because of how busy things have been.

Especially at Boaz & Ruth, things are busier for me than they have been all summer. My attempts to finish many of the projects I have been working on throughout the summer, combined with a few new projects, has left me little time to even stop to think during the day. Luckily, that’s the way I like it. One of the most exciting pieces of the week was being heavily involved in the interview process for potential interns. Conducting interviews over the phone and evaluating applicants was a new and valuable experience for me. It is just another example of how much responsibility and trust is placed with all the interns at Boaz & Ruth. I believe this, more than anything, has pushed me to grow both personally and professionally.

One of the most enjoyable parts of the week was the “Intern Bash” we held at Martha’s (Founder & CEO) house on Monday. Most of the B&R summer and year-long interns gathered with some staff and volunteers for swimming, food, and fellowship. Martha prepared a family recipe that has been around since the time of the Native Americans- a pork roast baked covered in about 10 pounds of salt! Once cooked, the roast was removed from the salt, leaving a hollow space surrounded by the still-ridged shell of salt. It was quite a sight to behold!

At this party, and in just general conversations about leaving, I have come to realize just how hard it is going to be to leave Boaz & Ruth. For many reasons, it seems like saying goodbye there will be even harder than leaving more developed friendships outside of the organization. One, the lives of those at B&R are more fragile and unpredictable than others, and for that reason I can’t be sure that I’ll ever get to see some of these folks again. Second, many of these people don’t have cell phones or email, so I will be harder to stay in touch. Finally, no matter where I go, I’ll be able to make friends like those I made outside of B&R, but the opportunity to develop relationships with others from such a diverse and unique background may not present itself so readily in the future.

Another one of the joys of the week has been welcoming John into our apartment for the week. John is the boyfriend of Laura, one of my good friends in Richmond, and is visiting from Birmingham, Alabama for the week. He will be leaving Richmond to go back to UNC-Chapel Hill. I am excited to get to know him and talk to him about his summer, which he spent in Peru with an organization that does microfinancing and lending to the poor. This is very similar to what I’ll be studying and learning about when I’m in Ecuador.

Speaking of Ecuador, I am growing anxious and excited for my next adventure. I am glad to be going there right after my Richmond experience because it has given me something to look forward and will make the departure from Richmond less bittersweet. In preparation for speaking Spanish, I have been trying to expose myself to more of the language on a daily basis by reading Ecuadorian newspapers or listening to Spanish radio stations. Another great experience for me was speaking Spanish for an entire meal with a friend who had studied a semester each in Panama and Mexico!

As if all that wasn’t enough to fill a week, I had quite the weekend becoming even more familiar with the intricacies and history of Richmond. Saturday morning, I strapped on my roller blades and headed for Hollywood Cemetery a few miles down the road. So why would I ever be excited about visiting a cemetery, you might ask. Well, besides the fact that President Monroe, President Tyler, and Jefferson Davis (President of the Confederate States of America) are buried there, I heard it was quite a spectacle to see with views overlooking the downtown skyline and the James River. And indeed, it was a spectacle not only for the views it provided, but also for the magnificent and unfathomable marble tombs , monuments, and headstones that covered the rolling landscape. I never thought I’d be so in awe and at peace in a cemetery of all places!

Jefferson Davis

A 90 foot pyramid commemorating the Confederate soldiers



President Monroe

President Tyler

The afternoon on Saturday was also an event I had been looking forward to for quite a while- the wedding of two Boaz & Ruth graduates. In a sort, simple, and beautiful ceremony, Geraldine and Kelvin tied the knot after meeting at Boaz & Ruth just over two years ago. Everybody was in their best attire for the occasion!

Kelvin & Geraldine

Albert & I

Kevin & I

Block & I

Finally, Sunday afternoon was the much awaited Watermelon Festival in the Carytown restaurant and shopping district of Richmond! A nearly 8-block stretch of Cary Street was blocked off and packed with vendors and mobs of people, not to mention countless watermelon stands where you could buy a small cup of watermelon cubes for $1. Sights of cucumbers and pronto pups on a stick, along with oppressive sun and heat, were particularly reminiscent of the Minnesota State Fair.

My friend Kathryn

Street Performers

Well, like I said, this upcoming week is going to be a fast and fitting end to my time in Richmond. I will be sure to keep you all informed! Have a stellar week!