So…Where Are We Headed Captain?

This entry has a lot to do with Guatemala and a lot to do with graduating college. 12 days. We leave in a meager 12 days. After spending about 115 days abroad, 12 days seems like no time at all. 14 days. We graduate in 14 days. Yikes!

I decided I would blog about what has been plaguing my mind as of late: the future. Ah yes. I mentioned how daunting the future can be in a previous blog post in January. However, on the brink of the unknown future it can be a tad bit scary and intimidating. Be forewarned that I am indeed a tedious planner and I do have some plans like living with my parents, graduate school in fall 2013, and working on fixing my parents’ house and minimizing their vast collection of stuff. However, I don’t have a source of income and have had trouble getting a job being 2,098 miles away from home.

I go through bouts of bitterness where I think “I paid for and have earned a 4 year degree and Olive Garden won’t even call me back?! What was I thinking choosing social work? How will I ever pay off these student loans?” But then my husband keeps me grounded. He reminds me of the cost of ignorance vs. the cost of education. He reminds me that our time abroad in Colombia, Cambodia, and Guatemala has taught us that education is invaluable. And of course we have some social welfare services in place should we meet financial hardship. He reminds me of the true joys in family, love, and community.

In retrospect I am SO very blessed and privileged to have a safety net and support system in my family. If there is anything I learned from my internship at Nuestros Ahijados, it is that the future is a luxury. Many of the clients I encountered practicing social work here have little idea of where they will sleep, what they will eat, how they will cope with the hardships of today, and how they will survive today.

My prayer is that I can put aside worry, focus on the present, and not be too busy worrying about life to actually live it.

Just some thoughts from a semester abroad soon-to-be graduate to you.

Once again, as I near the end of my journey in Guatemala, I would like to thank the Gilman Scholarship for funding my studies abroad. :)

Check out their website at http://www.iie.org/en/Programs/Gilman-Scholarship-Program.

Here is a fun photo to hold you over until next time! Volcan Agua.

Adios Amigos!