I never thought that my service year in Butte, MT would turn out the way it has so far. When I arrived in Butte, it was a super lovely day with breathtaking views and not a cloud in sight. Months later, the weather is below freezing most days, snow/ice on the ground, but the sun is still shining. I have explored only parts of its remarkable and exciting history that Butte has to offer, and I continuously look forward to when it is safe to go back outside. Serving during a pandemic has its challenges, but I can say that I served in a pandemic at the end of my service year.  

In the first few months of serving, I have had a slew of health issues. I have a heart condition that I have learned becomes much worse in higher elevations. You see, I usually live at about 75 ft above sea level, and if you didn’t know, Butte is approximately 5,538 ft above sea level. My heart condition has landed me in the emergency department twice. Now, if this sounds alarming to you, it was just as scary for me.

Imagine doing absolutely nothing, and seconds later, your heart starts racing at 240BPM or the feeling of your heart beating out of your chest. The first time it happens, panic sets in, but then survival mode comes racing in because you have no idea what’s going on. Being away from family, in a new environment, and hoping that everything will be just fine is still frightening to do alone. My heart condition is not dangerous or deadly, and now I have seen an electrophysiologist (a big word meaning someone who studies the heart’s electrical system). My heart condition makes me more cautious about what I am doing because of never knowing when I may have an episode, but that has yet to stop me from serving entirely.  

I recently started a new project, and not a day later, the place was closed due to Covid-19. I was not feeling well the day it shut down, so I went to get tested; low and behold, I tested positive for Covid-19; this was terrible news. I always wear a mask, I am always cleaning/sanitizing things, yet I tested positive. I will say that the positive aspect is that I had mild symptoms. I was still worried about what effects that it may have on my heart since covid-19 does, at some capacity, damage the heart.  

I still fight every day. I will be candid by saying that I also have depression, and that has its challenges where I never want to get out of bed or do anything, and it’s not easy. I will be truthful for a moment and say that sometimes I would love to pack up and head back to Washington, but I would then miss out on the reward of completing a service year. 

Although this stuff is going on, a considerable benefit of completing the year is the education award I’ll receive at the end. With the education award, I plan to use my education award to continue my education and get a master’s degree in education. Another strong motivation to continue my service year is because I want to see it through to the end, and even though my service year has not turned out quite the way I planned, I am excited to see where the rest of the year takes me. The students I am serving are lovely, and watching them learn, grow, and understand what they are learning has me come to serve every day. Sometimes the best adventures in life are the unexpected ones.