Musings on Scranton thus far

When I moved to Scranton, PA this year to begin my year of service as a Jesuit Volunteer I expected many things. I expected to be challenged in ways that I'd never imagined. I expected weekly, if not daily, references to "The Office". I expected to hear about the history of Scranton's once booming coal mining industry. I expected trains, because it is, after all, the electric city. I did not expect the amount of hills we would be surrounded by, which has provided a challenge for my out of shape self as I walk around. I did not expect Poor Richards from Office fame to be placed in a bowling alley. I did not expect to find people with faith that could move mountains. I did not expect to meet my neighbors and find out that they are refugees from Bhutan. I did not expect that there is a right and wrong way to Scranton, and there is even a Scranton accent. I also did not expect our best friends here in Scranton to be a group of IHM nuns (well, honestly, who saw that one coming?) I'm not sure if this means that I set the bar too high or too low for this year. Maybe this just means that this year, thus far, has been beyond my wildest expectations. With about another 7 months to go on this journey I know that I shouldn't "expect" anything. I should know that this small, struggling city has a big enough heart that can warm even the biggest of cynics. I'm a little jaded with my New York City ways and tendencies to judge everything, but I must say with a full and gracious heart: I love Scranton. I love the hills. I love my different but amazing neighborhood. I love Scranton accents. I love nuns! To be quite honest I don't think I would have met this city with the open arms that I have if I didn't have the loving, honest, sometimes tedious, support of my community members in my house. Among all of my expectations for this year the one expectation I had this year that was accurate was that I would have roommates that would challenge and inspire me. These roommates would come to be my family and best friends over the course of the year. I did not expect this to happen through game nights with nuns though (once again, who honestly saw that one coming?) but it did, and I couldn't be more pleasantly surprised with this year and the city if Scranton because of it. -Candidly Catherine

Location:Moosic St,Scranton,United States