MAJAKEL.

I can't believe I'm back in Gardena, CA in my parent's house in the little bedroom I share with my sister.

I can't believe the phase in my life where I lived with 6 MAJAKEL women in a high school home in Astoria, NY is over.

I wanted to do a shout out to my beautiful roommates Madeline, Alaina, Jess, Annie, Krystina and Liz but somehow I'm at a loss for words. I had thoughts of sharing some of the wacky and inspiring, ridiculous and emotional stories we shared this past year, but I'm not feeling that right now.

But Alaina's blog dedicated to our Astoria community is perfect. So I'm just going to link to her blog. She has always had a knack for articulating so eloquently what I feel so deeply.

Before that though, I will say briefly (what I said at Re-Orientation last weekend, our end-of-year retreat), when I think of our community, I think of HEART. Individually and together, our hearts are so special. Whenever I am in a room with MAJAKEL, I can feel their presence. I am so aware of their energies. Their hearts speak to mine. I have seen them. They have seen me.

Now that we are scattered, I still feel their energy. Our lives became so intertwined this past year and from now on, these women will always be a piece of home for me.

One of the questions on our end-of-year GSV evaluation asked what was the most memorable or most fulfilling experience living in community. I said that I couldn't pinpoint one specific experience, but that if loving people is an experience, then it is that. I have loved them and they have loved me. And that has been the most memorable and most fulfilling.

With that, here is Alaina's tribute to MAJAKEL. Love!