As promised, I ended my last blog post about the time I
spent as a Language and Cultural Assistant with the premonition that there were
still some adventures left to come. I’m happy to announce that this premonition
has seemed to come true.
A lot has changed since I last wrote on this blog. First
off, I am not longer in La Mancha and now call San Diego, California home,
where I’m working on a dual master’s degree Public Health and Latin American
Studies. I am also no longer a man…I’m now THE MAN! Ok, well perhaps not.
Even though I am no longer living in the wind-swept plains
of La Mancha, I have maintained that sense of curiosity and adventure that was nurtured
by my experience in Spain. This drive has continued to influence my decisions
ever since. Since coming back from Spain, I spent a couple year working with
gang and foster youth in San José. I have snuck back to Spain for a couple
short visits, spent a week in Cali, Colombia, and was lucky to have the
opportunity to spend four weeks in Oaxaca last summer, and another week in Managua,
Nicaragua.
Now that you’ve been caught up, that brings us to the
present. I am now, as of this past Monday spending two months in Colombia. I
was fortunate to be provided the Mundt Scholarship, which funds international
experiences related to peace and security. Through this scholarship, I am now
spending two months with the public health organization, CiSalva, in Cali,
Colombia as a research intern, where I will be supporting a study that aims to
intervene with gang-involved youth in the city and divert them from this
lifestyle. With my time here, I hope to get hands on experience in
international public health work, while at the same time develop a potential
thesis project.
In Cali for the 1st time, March 2017
So once again, I have packed my bags, said my goodbyes, and headed
a new place with a new set of challenges. I have only been here a few days and am
at the point where I begin to wonder why I keep uprooting myself and throwing
myself into these new, unique, and at times challenging situations. This also
happened in Chile, as it did in Spain and Oaxaca. And while they had their
challenges, each proved to be an experience that led to personal growth in many
ways.
Only after two days, I have had the chance meet with some of
the youth that are participated in the study, and even go to one of the
communities for a meeting. Having these experiences has helped me remember that
this is where I belong and that I am working through challenges that I am passionate
about addressing. Although my role here is still unclear, I know that I will be
doing work that I can be excited about.
This short post is hopefully the first of many that
documents the challenges and triumph of this current experience in Colomiba. The
Man in La Mancha (though no longer in the land of Don Quixote) is at it again.
Another experience, another adventure and another opportunity to grow!
