Over a month ago we made first drafts of “Vision Stands,” describing where we hope to be at the end of our Global Citizen Year experience. I’ve had some technical difficulties with posting, hence this being so late, and my opinions on some of these things have changed in the meantime, but I thought I’d post it here anyway. In-depth critique coming up next!
In April, I will have learned how to be alone, though I will not need to be. I will have become independent, able to work through challenges and adversity on my own, learning from it all. I will have learned how to entertain myself with imagination and resourcefulness, but I will not always need to. I will be living in the moment, able to be present without wondering what I should be doing or what others are doing. I will be more confident on my own and with others. Although I will be content with being alone, I will have built a group of friends and family so that I never have to be so. I will have host sisters and host parents who just feel like sisters and parents – or at least close cousins. I will know my way around a new town and I will have people I know to say hello to on my walk to and from work. I will feel comfortable striking up conversations with new people, even in a language that is not my own. I will have made friends and heard stories this way. I will have tried new foods because I want to, not because I don’t have the Spanish to politely explain that I’d rather not. I will have found my place in my apprenticeship, knowing what needs to be done without always having to ask. I will have learned from the people I work with, about the business, about the community, and about themselves. I will be excited to share my story when I return home, but I will be heartbroken to leave my new home. I will have learned a new language and laughed at my many mistakes. I will have asked questions and debated ideas and tried new things. In April, I will return to the United States feeling prepared for any next step and with a greater understanding of what I want out of life.
