jewels.

as aforementioned, i think that i might just have the best job in baltimore. and not only because of what i get to do, but mostly because of who i get to do it with. le me esplain {channelling liberty house, here}.

here's the what and who.

in a nutshell, i am part of a project interested in reducing residential energy-use in the city of baltimore. this means lowering the carbon emissions of the city. this means reducing energy bills across the board and especially for residents for whom money is a minute-to-minute concern. this means i get to work alongside two neighborhoods in this charmed city as, together, we empower residents to increase the energy-efficiency of their homes by reducing the barriers {cost, inaccessible knowledge, time, habit, more pressing concerns} and increasing the benefits {lower utility costs, safer neighborhoods, interest and pride in one's community, connectedness to neighbors both locally and globally} of taking such steps.  now, this all sounds romantic, but it also means that most days i feel like an out-of-place over-privileged whitie {an infamous tran-ism}. more on all this one day...

and i am convinced that even though the nature of this work really excites me, i know that what makes this job more than a job is the folks that i am charmed to be surrounded by each day. our core group of 4 BNEC family members {and our newest recruit} are incredible human beings. filled with story, energy, humor, boldness, curiosity, compassion, knowledge these people are such jewels in my everyday-baltimore-affairs. and i am reminded that the 'success' of an experience is not measured by the meaningfulness of what you do or do not accomplish but by the meaningfulness of the relationships that carry you through and beyond the experience itself. 

here's to treasuring the jewels of your everyday-wherever-affairs.

and in other news, last weekend fin and i were just wandering around when we accidentally drove right into this place {too bad kate and the 8 weren't there also}...