The Health & Wellness program has been very focused on obvious aspects of health – namely, physical this semester. But in between exercise class in the community, soccer and sports program, water testing and health seminars about preventative medicine and dental hygiene, we’ve also been focused on improving wellness through other mediums and in other senses, such as mental and spiritual health or setting personal goals. Each intern this week wrote on a few of those goals, and the challenges faced or how they are progressing with them…
Portia: One of my personal goals was to learn to live outside of my comfort zone. Though it continues to be tough, I’ve managed to do it and I’m proud of myself for accepting the challenge.
Ann: One of my personal goals was to become better at Spanish. Although I still face many obstacles, I have been able to learn so much by working with and interviewing members of the community.
Brenda: Anxiety is something that has plagued my life throughout my high school and college years. To cope, I have relied heavily on my friends, family, and especially my boyfriend. I realized that by coming to Panama, I would no longer be able to rely on my familiar support system. Being away from “home” has helped me become more independent in overcoming my anxieties, which has proven to be one of my greatest challenges living and working abroad.
Cristina: My personal goal this summer was to be able to use resources other than the internet. After living in Panama for about 2 months now, I have realized just how easy this goal is. In a community with no internet or ever phone satellite, I realized just how much people rely on trial-and-error/word of mouth. I have come to see how much more convenient it can actually be to just ask someone a questions and get a response based off of actual experience. It can even be more reliable than just punching something into Google; sometimes someone’s own experiences about something can be much more applicable than a textbook answer. I plan to use this method in the future in order to expand my horizons and find alternate ways of approaching and thinking about situations.
Morgan: The main personal change that I have focused on this summer is becoming more independent. Taking charge of my projects and making my own plan on what needs to be done in order for them to be successful has helped me to do that.
Johana:
Haiku:
Working really hard
On a new personal change
Not quite finished yet
My personal goal this summer is to not have any goals. I wanted to just go with the flow. I wasn’t looking for anything specific to change but I knew somehow something would. But I wanted to see what would happen naturally without having a specific goal in mind.
Leave a Reply