August | 2015 | A Patient Scientist

Moving is hard after all. Its been three months since I graduated, got a job, and moved to Wichita to start a new life. At this time three months ago, I was expecting to move back home to start my summer. I had already come to terms with the fact that I probably would not have a job before I graduated. So much so that I had already made plans for what I was going to do when I made it back to my hometown in South Bend, IN. I planned on running in the mornings at Notre Dame, spending time with our new family puppy and maybe playing a few video games in the afternoon as I leisurely go about finding a job. I still have this plan on my phone and it serves as a reminder to me that life can change rapidly in the blink of an eye. Stupid excited, ecstatic, blissful, and full of anticipation filled me as I received my job offer from AccuWeather Enterprise Solutions right after seeing the new Avengers movie. I had literally just walked out of the movie theater when my new boss called me to give me the news. Not to mention that I had just finished my last final exam the day before. Needless to say, I could not think of a better time to get a job and life was good. I was unspeakably excited at the idea of this job and knew I was up to the challenges that would come along with it. The challenges ended up being a little more significant than I thought though. Throw all previous plans out the window, lets move to Wichita, Kansas!

The day after I graduated on May 18th, I moved out of the place that I called home for the last 5 years in Cary Quad at Purdue University and drove west to Kansas in search of a new home. The experience was surreal really. I was off to a place where I knew no one and I didn’t even have a place to sleep for that night. I did the only thing I could think to do which was to pray the rosary once every hour in between all the music I was listening to. Sooo much music. When I finally made it to Wichita after 12 hours of driving, I quickly came to the conclusion that there were and are a ton of apartments in Wichita. Wichita has a reputation for being a city where many people live in apartments. The city was booming with business in the 70s thanks to most major airline corporations being headquartered there. This led to many of the apartment complexes being built in the 70s. Many of the companies though have pulled out of the city which has hurt the local economy. So many of the apartment complexes are older, but also cheaper at the same time since there are so many. Anyway, over the course of 48 hours, I managed to visit close to 15 different apartment complexes. I took many things into account in choosing my new crib. I was honestly thinking too hard about my decision. My Dad reminded me though what was most important in choosing a new place. I was telling him all about the ins and outs of all the apartments I had visited before he stopped me to inform me that ultimately, you need to choose a home that will put you in the best position to be happy. This was wise advice from a wise old man (don’t tell him I said that). How does one experience true happiness though? What variables do I need to weigh to make sure that I experience happiness at my new place? This made my decision easier and I’m going to come back to the decision I made and happiness in a bit.

One of the largest obstacles I’ve run into out here is solitude. For the last 5 years, I’ve lived amongst my friends. People came into my room to talk. Whether it was for Bible study, video games, goonery, or to play music. I made friends by lounging in my room. It was that easy. That certainly is one of the reasons why college is awesome. You are exposed to so many people of different backgrounds allowing you to meet and to learn from each of their experiences. Now pull ALL those people out of your life, move nearly 700 miles away from home, change your lifestyle from student to employed and try to live the same life… Its not possible. Something has to and will change. I full well knew that the changes were going to be significant going into this new job, but didn’t adequately understand how truly difficult the transition to a new lifestyle would be. Thankfully I had/have my faith to get me through the transition.

I now live in a place with little distraction. No one (God willing) is going to come barging into my room at 2am to shoot me with a nerf gun or give me a hug. This is both a good thing and a bad thing in my opinion. Living on my own has allowed me to find out who I really am. To see how I live my life when there are no distractions. Just me, my thoughts, and I. It has allowed me to pray and read more which has encouraged me so much over the last two months. However, without distractions also leaves you entirely accountable for yourself. I can now see if you are not careful living on your own how you can fall into despair, to sin and depression. We were not meant to be alone and we are not called to just to get by. John R. Wood points out in his book “Ordinary Lives, Extraordinary Mission” that major cultural issues today stem from hedonism, individualism and minimalism. When living on your own, you are at particular risk of falling into all of these idealisms. Eating as much as you want, drinking as much as you want, sleeping with who you want, all whenever you want falls under hedonism and doing things only because they feel good. The philosophy of “What’s in it for me?” and putting our will above all others falls under individualism. Minimalism being the easiest to fall into which is simply doing the least you can do in any particular situation to get by. Falling into these idealisms does not yield happiness but rather pleasure which is temporary by nature and will leave one feeling lost. I make the simple case that happiness comes from the joy we receive in serving others. Is it not intriguing that we obtain joy when we hold the door open for someone? Return something that is lost to someone? Or in helping to build a house for a charity? God created us this way and than gave us the the most ultimate freedom which is free will to choose to serve others and ultimately Him.

Going back to my Dad’s piece of advice from earlier than, how am I to pick an apartment where I can be happy? I think you know the answer. I picked a place where I could have people over for a movie night, where I could host someone who needed a place to stay, where I could cook delicious food for not only myself, but for anyone who came over, where I could play music with others, where I felt needed. I picked a place where I could feel at home or in other words, a place where I was loved. My apartment complex is called Kingston Cove 🙂 My new home parish is St. Ann’s, just 2 blocks away.

I am so thankful for my experiences over the last 5 years. I have constantly been filled with the grace of God from the people around me. God built me up over the last 5 years so I would be ready this experience. Particularly this last year I have learned so much about being an evangelical Catholic. I couldn’t imagine coming out to Wichita without my experiences over just this last year. They have made me strong enough in my faith to stand on my own with the sword of the word of God and the shield of prayer.

I am happy to say that I have loved my time here in Wichita. I love my job at AccuWeather! Yay weather! I work with an awesome small group of 17 other people. There are no strict dress codes and you can listen to music while you work. KOBE! I wanted a job where I was communicating scientific information to people and we do exactly that for the entire country. I have met so many people too, SOOOO many people. Not just at Wichita either, but at the various weddings I’ve been to this summer in Fort Wayne and Chicago which have been awesome. Shout out to my buds Andrew and Markus. I have a beautiful apartment at Kingston Cove like I said earlier. Its on the 3rd floor of my building with a lake view. I ride my bike to work as much as I can along the river which is only a short ride from my place. I have a new home parish in St. Ann’s Catholic Church here on the south side. There is a new youth ministry starting here where I have been asked to help lead music for mass on Wednesday evenings. Its pretty much identical to what I was doing at Purdue which is awesome. Further, I look to leading a bible study at my new place starting this coming fall in my apartment. St. Ann’s was one of thee reasons that I choose the apartment that I did. Its not the nicest or biggest church in Wichita (Wichita is an AWESOME Catholic diocese), but it was a place where I thought I could PRACTICE my faith, where my skills were needed and ultimately a place where I could call home and be happy. And I am happy! Yay happiness. I said would come back to happiness and here we are. You want to live a life of happiness? True happiness comes from freedom, a basic American right which is awesome. Where does freedom come from? Freedom comes from God originally in this idea called free will. Freely choosing to do God’s will is the best thing you can do in this life and God created us to serve others. Therefore, it is in serving others where true joy and happiness comes from which is the idea I am building my new life in Wichita on. Moving and starting a new lifestyle turned out to be more difficult than I thought. But in being removed from the college lifestyle has shed some light on the more important aspects of life. Moving to a new place is hard, starting a new lifestyle takes time, but living your faith is the one thing we were created to do.

For you were called for freedom, brothers. But do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh; rather, serve one another through love. For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you go on biting and devouring one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another.

-Galatians 5:13-15

Joseph