Hello and welcome to my blog! Currently, I am writing from mi cuarto in Quito where I will spending the next
Hello and welcome to my blog! Currently, I am writing from mi cuarto in Quito where I will spending the next 3 weeks with a lovely host couple before moving to my placement site elsewhere in Ecuador.
Here I will be practicing the art of storytelling by sharing my thoughts, experiences, and (you guessed it) stories throughout my year.
After a week in the Alliance Redwoods and at Stanford University for Pre-Departure Training (PDT), I feel as prepared as one can for an experience that promises to utterly re-shape their worldview. Among the valuable philosophies and pieces of advice spoken at PDT, one simple idea sticks out to me: positive change is orchestrated through discomfort.
One speaker shared her experience with this idea as her overcoming the challenge of getting home when lost in a foreign country left her confident in her ability to do anything (IICDTICDA). Another speaker shared how he deliberately made himself uncomfortable in order to overcome his fear of the forest. Whether unavoidable or self-imposed, experiencing a level of discomfort perpetrates growth in an individual.
In order to benefit fully from this experience then, I intend to embrace (and hopefully overcome) the inevitable incidents of discomfort throughout this year. In some cases discomfort will come naturally, such as the struggle to adapt to foreign language and culture; in others, I will have the option to avoid discomfort or deliberately seek it out. In such cases, I think back to the film “Yes Man” starring Jim Carrey, where an acceptance of all invitations leads to a life of intrigue and passion; a life with a story worth sharing.
My goal for the year is to have such a story, comprised of the greatest discomforts of my life, and defined by the adventure that comes with saying ‘yes’. This blog will be the platform on which that story will be shared and I can only imagine the personal growth that will arise from it.
Thanks for reading and be sure to stay tuned by subscribing on the right side of the page! I want to give a shout out to all who have supported me with donations, advice, and words of encouragement; and of course a very special thanks to my family for their undying love, support, and their willingness to let me go on this incredible, crazy adventure.
Hasta la próxima vez,
Ian
Live look at me in Ecuador:
