This year has brought out many opinions, statements, revelations, and ponderings from writers of all kinds. My last blog entry was eight months ago and though I’ve had many thoughts and possibly a few worth writing down, I have not been inspired to write. It has a lot to do with my unfortunately powerful saboteur, Hyper-Achiever, with her familiar …
How did more than four months go by with no blogpost? I have missed writing but have had other things taking my energy and time since September, including getting a job in Boulder, and all the things that go with coming back into “responsible adult life” in a community I was away from for a long time. Since returning I’ve …
I first heard the term Growth Mindset during my certification training for teaching English as a foreign language. Our instructor was very thorough in not only introducing us to teaching methods and reviewing grammar but also sharing some current perspectives on school settings & learning styles in the US as well as abroad. In one class, she showed us this …
“Hi, yes, good morning, this is Whitney!”, I said preemptively enthusiastically to the person on the other end of the phone, who paused, a bit taken aback and then continued with their scripted greeting: “Hi I’m calling to speak with the decision-maker of the household regarding supplemental accident insurance; is Whitney Garcia available?” ….”I’m sorry, what?” Then I realized it …
At 22 years of age, I graduated college from Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo. That time of my life has been on my mind because I recently visited friends in San Luis Obispo (commonly called “SLO”). I haven’t spent any significant time there since graduating and therefore, being in SLO brought back many a memory, and some reflection. …
I feel like I’ve developed a relationship with you, dear readers, and to maintain the transparency in this relationship, I have to be honest with you. I struggled during December, and it’s not because I was lonely at Christmas (which I wasn’t). My move to a much smaller city in the coffee region of Colombia was a bit tough. Yes …
I arrived in Chinchiná, Caldas within the Eje Cafetero (coffee-growing) region of Colombia on Saturday. I chose this move in order to have a different experience particularly for the holiday season. The organization Minga House coordinates volunteers to help with a wide variety of community needs. Many of their volunteers are foreigners who come for a meaningful travel experience and …
Moving to any new place involves transition and discomfort – in a weird, maybe sadistic way, it’s part of the appeal of choosing to make a huge change. Accepting that there will be unknown challenges but believing you have sufficient tools to deal with them is like playing a “game” of adaptation. I want to share with you some of …