Resetting My Internal GPS
Sitting in the back of my mom’s car as a little kid, I could tell where we were by the way the car was turning, even with my eyes closed. It wasn’t until I started driving that I realized I didn’t need a GPS.
I have always had a specific lens on Frederick. It feels familiar, homey, and comfortable. I know my way around, I have a good grasp on the community, and I never questioned much about it. Even though I just started working as a PPR Strategies intern this month, I have already learned so much I never knew about Frederick, and that’s when I started to wonder how good my internal GPS really is.
First Day, Fresh Eyes: The Moment Frederick Changed
On my first day, I learned the finer points of zoning, specifically how each part of the city can be broken into smaller sections that fit together to create one larger area. Right then and there, a whole new way of viewing Frederick opened up before my eyes. Those turns I never paid attention to became “So that’s why this street is residential,, and that one has a mix of shops and homes,” and “Now I understand why there are restrictions on what can be built there.”
This new way of looking at things is exciting and, admittedly, a little intimidating. I had been navigating on autopilot for years, viewing the city as something that was already there rather than something that had been formed through time, discourse, and decisions. Now I was seeing it as a functioning machine built by decades of choices.
The Sweet Spot: When the Outsider Becomes the Insider
Working in this middle space, somewhere between the familiar Frederick I’ve known since childhood and the more tactical Frederick I’m learning through my internship, is proving to be my greatest strength in this role. Outsiders may grasp the mechanics of planning and zoning, but they won’t know the people of this community. Long-time residents, on the other hand, can get so set in their routines that they stop seeing the changes happening right before their eyes. Right now, I’m lucky enough to enjoy both advantages. While I can still vividly recall what Frederick feels like from behind the wheel, I’m becoming increasingly skilled at understanding why the city operates the way it does from the inside.
Finding My New Normal: Rerouting the Internal GPS
Finding the balance between what I knew and what I am learning has been something I never expected to navigate. But it has proven to be the most meaningful part of my PPR internship so far. Hearing how everyone on the team approaches their work has been truly inspiring, and it has absolutely reflected the spirit of “People and Places Reimagined” as the mission of PPR Strategies.
That idea has been evident since my very first day: in the outlooks, ideas, projects, and attitudes of every person I’ve had the pleasure of working with. Writing this, looking out the window onto downtown Frederick, my internal GPS is doing something new: it’s rerouting me back to myself.
Thanks for sharing your new lens on your community, Ellen! Have you made new discoveries about the community you thought you knew? Did these revelations make you love it that much more? If so, I’d love to hear about it!
