Enjoy the process of moving, not just the destination
Keeping this mantra on repeat over the next ten days as I prepare for my 14 week adventure on the other side of the globe.
The semester is coming to a close and I have only a few days in between now and when I leave to start my intercontinental summer journey. Without sounding whiny, how do I say "I have never been more stressed and feel like I have zero control of my life HELP" ??? As an extremely type-A planner, I usually have my whole day mapped out before I even wake up, so this past week or so has been quite a challenge and has even set off some triggers for me.
Preparing to go abroad
Out of everything that is hanging over my head, I am the most concerned about not having a job locked down for my time in Singapore. The UC Abroad office works through the Academic Internship Council (AIC) to place students in internship positions in various major cities around the globe. From my understanding, there were more students than usual participating in AIC programs. There are over 10 other universities sending students to Singapore alone, putting a lot of stress on the AIC placement team. Taking this all into consideration, I am doing my best to stay calm but it is getting a little bit harder each day.
Next week my first flight leaves from Cleveland to Bali. From there, my sister and I plan on spending the majority of our 8-day-stay by sitting on the beach, practicing lots of yoga, indulging in Balinese local eats, and taking a surfing lesson or two. As much as I would love to do all of these things stress and worry free, that most likely will not be the case. This is where my new favorite mantra comes in to remind me to consciously enjoy all that comes with this journey that I (very willingly) signed up for. At the end of the day, I get to spend over a week exploring a bucket list island with my best friend, I really don't have anything to complain about!
Traveling has recently become the best reality check for me. It has allowed me to witness crazy amounts of beauty that God created, while making all of my problems seem so minuscule, all with one swift kick in the butt.
Summer Intentions
1. Work goal: There were many reasons behind my decision to spend the summer abroad, and I'm sure I will touch on those later, but one of the most obvious was to gain experience is the global workforce. The excitement of college can be overwhelming and it is easy for late nights and drinks with friends to get all the attention. Its always important to check in and make sure I am purposeful in making choices that will align me up to where I want to be after graduation.
2. Dealing with anxiety: After a few months wrestling with a lot of buried anxiety, I have started to really get to the root of it and trying my best to be open about it. Hopefully being on my own will allow my mind to be free of other distractions and reflect a bit more, internally.