it's a lullaby, it's a beautiful life

there is something so soothing about talks in the car on a bright sunny day.

I took a coworker into the city to buy some craft supplies today.

I don't really get along with girls most of the time. I like to tell myself it's because I'm so awesome and they're all jealous. But really it's probably because I'm intimidating and kind of full of myself.

 I've always found this to be a big struggle. The fact that I only really get along with guys just accentuates the problem, because now, not only am I obnoxious, I'm stealing their time with their guy friends. But at the end of the day, I really want people to like me.

So, as this is a struggle in all aspects in my life, this is also a struggle here at L'Arche. To make it even worse, there are only 4 people my age on staff, and two of them are female.

Each female also lives with one of the German boys. So, I am the beautiful, awkward fifth wheel.

This was an incredibly tough situation for me to face as I took this job. I felt so isolated and alone for the first month, spending my time off in my room watching a variety of lame tv shows (don't judge, but i managed to get myself addicted to The Real Housewives of Orange County... I was that lonely...). Then, I developed a relationship with Max, which meant I sometimes enjoyed his company on my time off, and then a friendship formed with Florian, the other german boy, who took me on that sweet adventure a couple weeks ago.

But the girls, never seemed interested.

I just accepted this fact. Although, it took some tears and angry calls to my friends back home, I learned that, I would have to spend the four months of this term without any real contact with women my age.

But then, a miracle happened.

Katie, who lives with Max, asked me to show her how to do a craft I've made. She asked me to take her into the city to get the supplies. Maybe, I was just being used for my artistic skills and my car. But in a lonely job like this, sometimes that's enough.

So we went today. The sun was out, it was 13 degrees, and we had a blast! We chatted, and laughed. It was so refreshing to just enjoy the company of another University student from my own country!

Never underestimate the value of your peers. It took me being away from them to realize how much I thrive being surrounded by people my age, or who have similar backgrounds to myself.

We live our whole lives surrounded by our peers. From kindergarten through university graduation, we have our classes, our friends, our coworkers at the mall. Even when we graduate, most of us will move on to jobs where we continue to work with our peers. Don't take them for granted! Connect with people! Make the time to enjoy the company you are given!

When I get back to Waterloo, I won't forget to enjoy the people I live with. Sometimes, the social needs to come before school! Sometimes it's good to enjoy the company we are blessed with!

- ella faye