*Here is a blog I started writing a good while ago but never finished. Thought I would post it & add some photos.
7th November 2010
I find it a little frustrating in my life how easy it is to get caught up in daily routine and forget about what is really important to me. Stating the obvious I know. In these last two weeks I have been reminded of the many personal goals & ambitions I held prior to my arrival in Chile I wanted to accomplish in my time here, that I have let slide due to getting caught up in those little things.
I will start by talking about Jornada. Last weekend everyone from VE went away for the weekend to Cajon de Maipo for a retreat. We spent the weekend reflecting on what we do with VE, our work in our institutions and why we are in Chile including what brought us here. I think I was definitely a little skeptical of the whole idea at first, but it didn't take long for me to forget about life in crazy Santiago for a few days and throw myself into it. This was actually addressed almost immediately as we shared in a group setting what we were bringing with us to Jornada, and what we were leaving behind in Santiago. I said that I was leaving behind the guilty clutter in my head of all the things I should have accomplished by this halfway milestone. With me to Jornada, I decided to consciously make the effort to live in the moment, to enjoy and focus only on what was around me.
The last month I have been so busy between Spanish classes & work, that I've felt a little alien from everyone at VE. I really enjoyed this weekend when we were broken into smaller groups so I had the chance to get know some people I haven't had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with. Together each of us shared what had brought us to Chile in the first place. Apart from the common theme of taking an overseas trip after completing studies, the alternative seemed to be coming to a certain crossroad in life with the desire for change. It was comforting & somewhat inspiring to hear a couple stories in particular, probably because I felt myself relating as they spoke.
The last 3 years I have spent working on cruise ships as a dancer and I feel lucky to be able to honestly say I love my job. But like many others I was starting to feel a strong pull for a change of scenery, as it had definitely become too easy to continue accepting contracts. I always knew that I wanted to volunteer sometime during my life, and finally I had reached the point where either I was going to do it now or I never would. If I look back to the 3 months prior to me arriving in Santiago there seemed to be so many different paths I could have gone down rather than the one I chose to Chile. I was in a long term relationship, unsure of where I wanted it to go. I just felt like being on my own. I also remember the sick panicky feeling I felt when I turned down a ship contract I was offered when I didn't even know if I'd been accepted into VE yet. But at the same time I felt a distant sense of excitement because me saying no was forcing that change to happen in my life even though I wasn't sure at that moment what it was going to be! Thank god two weeks later I found out my last minute application had been accepted so I promptly booked myself a ticket to Chile for a departure in four weeks time. And here you find me two months later.
Another thing that I have somewhat avoided since I have been in Chile is skyping people from 'home'. After talking to 2 in particular today, I traveled back in time to where my head was at right before I left New Zealand, which to be fair was pretty all over the place. I was newly single, about to embark on an adventure that felt slightly irrational but at the same time very right and just what I was craving. The excitement that came with the prospect of a new beginning alongside all the possibilities, expectations & hopes felt like it was about to burst through my skin I was that amped for it. And when I got here I was not disappointed! But I am frustrated with myself as back to what I was saying at the beginning of this blog, I've let some things off my list sadly be neglected and not given them the precedence & effort they deserve. Time is passing by so fast here it is incredible. What I'm trying to say is that those conversations today gave me a reality check to get myself back on track and endeavor to do better! I do realise how vague I sound when I write this as obviously I'm not sharing these publicly here.
Back to Jornada, it turned out to be more than I expected from a retreat and I know it will remain one of my fondest memories that I leave Chile with. A weekend full of conversation contemplating life, some re-assessment of my time already spent here, plus maybe a few too many activities consisting of saying nice things about one another left a general warm feeling of contentment to return to Santiago with. And to top that all off, under a beautiful clear night sky I saw my first ever shooting star. In that moment maybe it was possible to wonder if I even needed to make a wish for something more. Yup.
7th November 2010
I find it a little frustrating in my life how easy it is to get caught up in daily routine and forget about what is really important to me. Stating the obvious I know. In these last two weeks I have been reminded of the many personal goals & ambitions I held prior to my arrival in Chile I wanted to accomplish in my time here, that I have let slide due to getting caught up in those little things.
I will start by talking about Jornada. Last weekend everyone from VE went away for the weekend to Cajon de Maipo for a retreat. We spent the weekend reflecting on what we do with VE, our work in our institutions and why we are in Chile including what brought us here. I think I was definitely a little skeptical of the whole idea at first, but it didn't take long for me to forget about life in crazy Santiago for a few days and throw myself into it. This was actually addressed almost immediately as we shared in a group setting what we were bringing with us to Jornada, and what we were leaving behind in Santiago. I said that I was leaving behind the guilty clutter in my head of all the things I should have accomplished by this halfway milestone. With me to Jornada, I decided to consciously make the effort to live in the moment, to enjoy and focus only on what was around me.
The last month I have been so busy between Spanish classes & work, that I've felt a little alien from everyone at VE. I really enjoyed this weekend when we were broken into smaller groups so I had the chance to get know some people I haven't had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with. Together each of us shared what had brought us to Chile in the first place. Apart from the common theme of taking an overseas trip after completing studies, the alternative seemed to be coming to a certain crossroad in life with the desire for change. It was comforting & somewhat inspiring to hear a couple stories in particular, probably because I felt myself relating as they spoke.
The last 3 years I have spent working on cruise ships as a dancer and I feel lucky to be able to honestly say I love my job. But like many others I was starting to feel a strong pull for a change of scenery, as it had definitely become too easy to continue accepting contracts. I always knew that I wanted to volunteer sometime during my life, and finally I had reached the point where either I was going to do it now or I never would. If I look back to the 3 months prior to me arriving in Santiago there seemed to be so many different paths I could have gone down rather than the one I chose to Chile. I was in a long term relationship, unsure of where I wanted it to go. I just felt like being on my own. I also remember the sick panicky feeling I felt when I turned down a ship contract I was offered when I didn't even know if I'd been accepted into VE yet. But at the same time I felt a distant sense of excitement because me saying no was forcing that change to happen in my life even though I wasn't sure at that moment what it was going to be! Thank god two weeks later I found out my last minute application had been accepted so I promptly booked myself a ticket to Chile for a departure in four weeks time. And here you find me two months later.
Another thing that I have somewhat avoided since I have been in Chile is skyping people from 'home'. After talking to 2 in particular today, I traveled back in time to where my head was at right before I left New Zealand, which to be fair was pretty all over the place. I was newly single, about to embark on an adventure that felt slightly irrational but at the same time very right and just what I was craving. The excitement that came with the prospect of a new beginning alongside all the possibilities, expectations & hopes felt like it was about to burst through my skin I was that amped for it. And when I got here I was not disappointed! But I am frustrated with myself as back to what I was saying at the beginning of this blog, I've let some things off my list sadly be neglected and not given them the precedence & effort they deserve. Time is passing by so fast here it is incredible. What I'm trying to say is that those conversations today gave me a reality check to get myself back on track and endeavor to do better! I do realise how vague I sound when I write this as obviously I'm not sharing these publicly here.
Back to Jornada, it turned out to be more than I expected from a retreat and I know it will remain one of my fondest memories that I leave Chile with. A weekend full of conversation contemplating life, some re-assessment of my time already spent here, plus maybe a few too many activities consisting of saying nice things about one another left a general warm feeling of contentment to return to Santiago with. And to top that all off, under a beautiful clear night sky I saw my first ever shooting star. In that moment maybe it was possible to wonder if I even needed to make a wish for something more. Yup.
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| Trying to the master the wire game... |
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| Applause for succeeding! |
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| September class group shot in the theme of the Halloween weekend |
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| Pretty nice back drop for the weekend away |
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