This time next week, I'll be in Australia!!! I can't stop saying that, it's like a song that gets stuck in your head and you just repeat it over and over and over again and it never gets old. It's sad to say goodbye to all those I have lived with in the past 4 weeks, but now it's time to move on into this Radical Journey and meet new people and make new friends. Life in Chicago has been good though. There is such a diverse group of people just walking down the street. You see people all dressed up, going to school and work, you see people chilling in front of a store, and then you also see homeless people sitting on the sidewalks. So many different people and different races. It's great that people can come together and live together in a community. Whether its the neighborhood or the Jesus People USA community. It seizes to amaze me how wonderful this place is.

Reflecting on the past 4 weeks, there have been times of laughter, crying, and mostly deep thoughts. Many topics have been discussed such as poverty, conflict, homosexuality, racism, hospitality, spiritual disciplines, and much more (these are the ones that stick out in my mind). Each one of these topics have brought deep conversation and thoughts even when it's days later. Sometimes it's just plain intense in the house... but there is always someone who brings in the comic relief to end the conversations on a good note. These past 4 weeks have been amazing... and if this has been amazing, then the next 10 months will be out of this world! I'm so excited to go and experience new things, and then come back and share everything I have learned and start having some deep, intense conversations.