My supervisor asked me to send her a few bullet points on the things I feel I gained or realized over this service year. This is what came from the tip of my fingers:

• I decided to devote my energy to and focus on education and literacy issues. This is a biggie! I met the Executive Director of Vision Literacy a couple weeks ago at the first tutor training session, and I stopped in today for an impromptu chat. (Their office is in the same business complex in Milpitas.) It turned into a meeting about how I might be able to help with assessments — a learning opportunity in the making. She was thrilled, said she felt like she’d gotten a windfall. We set up a time to meet on the 14th, and I have homework to do (sites to visit, material to read). I’m not certain how this will take shape, but we found we had a lot of common interests. Perhaps I have found a mentor.
• I was updating the agency accomplishments list, and as I did I noticed that I achieved a lot this year. I started nine new monthly projects in my regions. I organized 17 one-off projects that helped us establish new agency relationships and enhance existing ones as their needs arose. I did public speaking to youth and at college and company fairs. There’s more. I learned that I accomplished much more for the agency than I realized.
• I realized how much I resist All Things Corporate. I was not enthused about having to “be the face” of the agency at the projects we coordinated for corporations. Mostly this was because it required more travel to SF and my presence was superfluous, since the corporation had project leaders who communicated with the agency already. I need to change this attitude if I want to work in a larger non-profit role someday. But for now I’ll put it in my pocket as something I need to consider.
• I became ever more aware of a driving need to create and that it makes me happy, and that I try to sneak it into my work life any way I can: knitting projects, painting projects, making donation boxes and triptyches, etc.
• I am starting a life coach practice. I will focus on career coaching, “creativity for mortals,” and conversational English and cultural coaching for people working here from other countries. Depending on what happens with my family planning experiences, I may eventually coach or provide support for people dealing with fertility issues.
• I learned more about the Bay Area and actually got familiar with lots of places I had previously not explored. I also learned I don’t like long commutes for a job, though I don’t mind occasional day trip adventures.
• I decided I am ready to become more involved in an established community, in this case the Palo Alto UU Church. I want to start a “listening ministry” there, where I’ll train members to provide non-judgmental listening to fellow members in need of a good ear. We’ll see if I can get on board and how receptive folks are to the idea.
• I met some awesome people in the agency and out. I feel as though I truly live here now.

There’s more, but these are good epiphanies to start.