Final Reflections

Signing up for Wartburg West, I really was not sure what I was getting myself into.  I knew that I wanted an off campus experience and I knew I wanted to do an internship in order to learn about what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I was looking for something different than taking classes on campus.  I always knew coming into Wartburg that I wanted to travel and this seemed like an awesome opportunity.  I knew I could have all of my required classes done before I came, so it seemed like an awesome way to finish out my college career.  I felt as if it would be a learning experience.  All of my friends graduated at the end of my junior year and I was not sure how my senior year would go, but I knew that no matter what, I could look forward to Denver.  I knew that when times got rough, and I wanted to quit, I could just focus on coming to Denver.  I knew that Denver would be something to challenge me in new ways and provide me with opportunities and memories to last a life time.  I used that to fuel me through fall semester.  Through the time in Denver, I have just thought of all the amazing things here and used that to remind me how privileged and lucky I am to be here. Now, preparing to leave, I can look back and always remember Denver.

When I was thinking about coming to Denver and getting ready to depart, I was worried that I would not be good at my internship.  I was worried that I would not be helpful to my internship site and would be more of a hindrance than a help.  Yet, I was looking forward to learning about the organization and having new experiences.  I was looking forward to getting some hands on experiences and learning more about the marketing field and what all comprised it. I was also scared about living at a higher, dryer altitude.  I was worried about the sickness that would come with it.  Yet, I learned quickly to adjust.  It meant drinking a lot more water and learning to rest and not always be going 100%.  This is an adjustment that I will need to make in life though as well.  Taking time to slow down and enjoy life is something I have not really done much.  Yet, being in Denver has taught me to slow down and smell the coffee so to speak; to take time to see the small things and appreciate the little known things.

Living in Iowa my whole life, we become so accustomed to the “simple” Iowa life.  We take note of the small things.  The sunsets.  The sunrises.  The quietness. The stars.  All things that I have yet to really experience in Denver.  When in a city, everyone is in a hurry and busy.  They have an agenda that they have to keep. It was strange getting used to this go-go-go lifestyle.  The coffee and sugar in the morning.  The working lunches. Being a commuter.  Yet, above everything else, it made me appreciate the Iowa life.  The slow pace and the being able to walk anywhere and everywhere. 

Coming out to Denver, I had this pre-conceived notion that the city would not be safe.  As much as my experiences have proven that true, they have proven that false.  Being safe in the city is all about learning to protect oneself and not go looking for trouble.  Obviously, being at one of the Boys & Girls Clubs at Night is a bad idea because of the neighborhoods their located in.  Yet, I was there at night and felt safe because I knew I would not be walking through the neighborhood and knew that I could drive a few blocks and be in a safer part of town

I made a “bucket list” of things to do in Denver upon coming out here.  Looking back on everything, I have accomplished the majority of things on my list.  The list consisted of eating a certain places, visiting places, seeing things, touring things.  And all but about two of them are done.  All my experiences that I have wanted to have, I have pretty much had.  It has been a journey of a life time doing things that I never would have done else wise. 

Coming out to Denver, I really hoped to figure out if I wanted to work in marketing or look into another area of business.  I was hoping that having an internship in Marketing would help me figure out what I really wanted to do with my life.  Do I want to stay in a big city?  Do I want to live in the Midwest?  These have been questions for reflection for me throughout my stay in Denver, yet, I am not sure I have come to any conclusions.  I am not sure any of these questions have been answered.  I am not sure if that is good, or bad.  I am not sure if I am okay with not having these answers.  Yet, I know that with time, answers will come.  With time, I will find something I love to do with my life.  My internship has provided something for me to look forward to day in and day out and to make connections to through my other experiences in Denver.  Denver has taught me that it is okay to not have answers about life.  It is okay to not know exactly what is going on.  What is not okay though, is not asking questions to get there.  I have learned that I need to ask questions to get to where I want to be. 

Living in the Wartburg West apartments is a community life unlike anything I have ever experienced before.  I was really hoping to become closer to all of the students and spend time exploring with them.  Yet, I cannot say that happened.  I become friends with a couple other people, but really, the community life in the apartments this semester was lacking.  There was clearly a divide between people.  The people who just wanted to drink and party, and the people who wanted to explore.  Everyone originally said they wanted to be included, yet those people who were so add emit, were the ones excluding others.  At first, it was annoying, yet learning to do things on my own and go off and do what I wanted to do was what got me out and about.  I learned that I could not wait to be invited places, and I could not always expect people to come with me places.  If I wanted to do something or go somewhere, I just had to go and do it and no wait for others because no one would come.  This hurt as I was hoping for a better community from this semester.  Yet, it prepared me for life after college.  A life when I may not have a roommate and will need to get out on my own and explore or make new friends.  I experienced searching for a church on my own and making that a church home.  I learned that I can really rely on the church I eventually choose to make friends and find a good, stable community.

Denver has provided me an opportunity to start thinking about life after Graduation, and life's return to Iowa.  Starting the long process of applying for jobs, thinking about where I want to move to, what kind of job I want, how life will be, how to keep in touch with people, etc.  Thinking about everything I have to do before I come back to Iowa and when I get back to Iowa.  It is so strange to think that in less than 2 months I will be an alumni of Wartburg College. It seems like just last week I was graduating high school and now the baby of the family is graduating college.  Crazy.  What will life bring?  What is next?  Where is next?  Only God knows.  But slowly and surely, he will reveal his plans to the rest of us.  Until then, it is time to sit back and enjoy the journey.

I have learned so much in this three month experience here outside of my internship.  I have learned to take life one day at a time and slow down, appreciate life.  And that is one big thing that I want to take out of this going forward. I learned that you can not live life in a box.  You have to get out of your comfort zone, experience new things.  Meet new people, learn new things.  You have to use the hard times in life to be able to fully appreciate the good times.  You have to use those job rejection letters to fuel you going forward.  Yet you have to be so happy that you are able to apply for jobs and that I was raised and brought up to keep trying.  I know that God has a plan and we just need to let his plan take shape.  I have so many excuses.  I have so many fears.  I say, “God, I can’t do it.  I’m too weak, I’m too pathetic.  It’s impossible.”  But God looks back at me and says, “But beloved, since when did it become all about you?  It’s about me.  It’s my promise.  I will guide you.  I’ll never leave you.”

And that is what I have learned.  “A person’s biggest challenge isn’t someone else.  It’s the ache in your lungs and the burning in your legs, and the voice inside you that yells, I CANT.”  But you don’t listen.  You just push harder.  And then you hear the voice whisper, “I can.”  And then you discover that person you thought you were is really no match for who you really are.”

I have learned that were here learn that there are no random acts.  That we are all connected.  That you can no more separate one life from another then you can separate a breeze from the wind.

From my internship, I have learned even more.  I have learned about the type of work environment I want.  I have learned the amount of pressure that I need to be put under.  I have learned that I need a busy work schedule, and not so busy life schedule.  This experience has given me so much insight into life that I can use to fuel me forward.  I only have a few weeks of classes left at Wartburg and then I will need to start a new journey as one ends.  Using what I have learned in Denver can fuel me forward into the new experiences of life after college.  Coming out to Denver has really prepared me for life after college.  It has taught me to budget, to live on my own, and to survive and thrive in a big city. 

When talking to others about the experience, I would tell them it is one of the best things that has happened to me.  I would tell students and professors on campus about the amazing experience that it is and how great of an opportunity it is to really be challenged and nurtured for lives of leadership and service as a spirited expression of our faith and learning. Denver really allows students to live their education through experiential learning but also provides them with opportunities and experiences that we would not otherwise get on campus.  Had I not come to Denver, I never would have done an internship for credit which would hold me back even more in my job search.  I would tell everyone that there is so much more to a college experience than just taking classes on campus.  Being able to get out and explore and really experience the world is what college is about, is it not?  The Wartburg West program really allows students to do that in a safe and nurturing environment.

            In the month that I am back on campus, I hope to really talk to my professors in the business department and encourage them to recommend this experience to all students.  I feel it is easy to fit into a schedule with the proper planning and also provides opportunities that the business department cannot give.  They can provide internships, yet there are so many more opportunities in Denver and I truly believe that there is something for everyone.  Everyone can find the perfect fit and find other things to get involved in that will allow for even more growth.  I do not know too many underclassmen, but those few that I do know will not hear anything but good things about the Wartburg West experience and how they all need to sign up.  Wartburg West really allows students of all majors’ great opportunities.  Some students in certain majors believe that they cannot complete an internship because there are not any available.  I believe after my experience here that that is a poor excuse and that there is truly an opportunity for everyone in Denver.