Blog 5: NYC & 1SE (Isaiah)

"How to Make a Vlog" 

This were pretty much the main thing I was looking up on our bus ride.

During our time here in DC, a couple of the other interns and I have been doing this thing called a "1SE" (One-Second-Everyday); an app that collects together a compilation of one second videos from each day for a certain time frame. As a way to keep track of our days here on the East Coast, there's that sense of anticipation of wondering how your video will turn out. It sounds cute, but due to my shortcomings as a person, I only remember to make a new clip like every third day.

Whenever I do remember to follow through with it, I usually say out loud something along the lines of, "I don't know if this is 'one-second-worthy'", mainly because I always wonder whether the video is a perfect encapsulation of the day. I have a feeling that my 1SE will be wildly inconsistent in terms of the energy of my clips: one second will just have be a boring clip of me working at my desk, and the next second I'll be screaming at the top of my lungs or something. It's going to be a mess.

This week was NYC week (what???)!! How crazy that we're already at this point of the calendar? I saw this exact point weeks ago thinking that it was going to be in ages, and yet, here we are. It's been awhile since I've been here; last time I was here was when the Knicks were good at basketball and Linsanity was still a thing. I lived here for a couple of years as I was born in Queens, but I haven't stayed here long enough to maintain my bearings of the place, so most everything was a new experience. We would always try to map out where we would go, what places to eat, and what events we should try and see. Before that though, me and a couple of the other interns decided to challenge ourselves to try and vlog our experience. It was a little difficult, fumbling through my phone to bring it out and having to sometimes subtract yourself from the moment to line up your camera. But I was able to get some really good footage! I have videos of us traveling through the subway, walking through Times Square, eating the farmers market, drinking boba (FINALLY) etc.

For me though, it wasn't really seeing the sights that made the NY trip enjoyable. It was instead the collection of little things and experiences we all shared. Times Square was fun, but what made it great was playing tag throughout the department stores. Walking under the rain really taught me the value of mooching off your friend's umbrella. The Tenement museum was nice and informative, but now we can laugh about the funny memory of sitting packed like sardines in that dimly-lit, humid space. Just walking through our YMCA gym and exploring the building was a blast. And there were even moments during our UN seminars where I couldn't stop laughing! I could go on and on with the new memories I made. I think what made NY the most enjoyable was not the sights itself, but the people that I came with.

NY is massive, and while we didn't get to do everything we wanted to do, I think just being able to experience these things with the EYA community was enough for me to leave the city satisfied. But as much as I enjoyed my time with the other EYAs, that was also the sad part about the trip. We were often never our complete group of eight. During our free-time on Saturday, we had to venture out with just a few of us since others were elsewhere due to scheduling conflicts. While it was still a good time, I couldn't help but think about what the others who weren't here were doing. I realized that I had taken for granted in the beginning the gift of having all of us EYAs together in one collective group. And from here on out, there will always be a day where someone will be missing. The community that we've built for ourselves has become very close knit that it's a little painful to not have everyone present to experience something all together.

A lot of this passive experience in NY ties actually back to me finding meaning as to why we were here in the first place. I want to recollect on my experience during our UN #ImmigrationReform Seminars. Immigration is a topic that hits close to home because I was born from immigrant parents. The story of immigration has never been a pretty one. The work of the UN and its multiple NGOs exists for the purpose of creating peace in the international spectrum. In engaging in that international spectrum, UN involvement also places a large focus on humanitarian needs such as quality global education, healthcare, basic human rights, and more. With the increasing globalization of the world, the number of refugees, migrants, and asylees continue to grow, and the topic of immigration becomes more relevant everyday. And yet somehow as a nation that so much prides themselves on freedom, we would still choose to turn out back on immigrants, our country's founding core foundations. I found it fascinating to listen to the vibrant energy that the speakers provided, and while I was proud at hearing the work of the NGO initiatives, it also reaffirmed my commitment that there's much advocacy and work still to be done.

I reflect on how blessed I am to live in the US, let alone being apart of this EYA cohort. Despite my immigrant background, I don't have to travel through war and famine, I always have a roof over my head, I have the luxury of choosing what food I want to eat, the list goes on and on. One of my first-world complaints in NY was that my feet were sore from walking so far to go to the Empire State Building. But what is my complaint compared to an immigrant who had been walking, with blistered feet, children in tow, twenty miles a day to seek basic human rights? To someone fleeing for their life? To those seeking a home? I may not have the same immigration story as others, but that doesn't mean I can't advocate for those who's voices have been silenced and neglected.

Being comfortable in my parent's success story doesn't excuse ignorance and inactivity to those in need.

At least, that was my main takeaway from the trip to bring home. The concept of home is a funny one. Especially after our NY visit, it was kind of surreal for me to even think about where home was. While it's just been our temporary stay, I've grown to find comfort in our place in DC. Sure, it's a little small for four people, and while Washington is my real home, there's a strange sense of familiarity that our DC place carries. Since moving in on the first day, it's had that fear and anxiety of doing something totally out of your comfort zone. But it's also the anticipation and excitement of a breath of fresh air.

For now, I'm back to work. When I finally arrive home in WA, one week later, one month later, one year later, and I rewatch my 1SE, or my vlog, maybe revisit our group chat, maybe I can use it as inspiration for myself to carry on a life of advocacy and service, and a reminder of my blessings, like the experiences with my loving GBCS community.

Isaiah Valera (Interfaith Council of Metropolitan Washington)