Be.

So I have had a lot of time to consider what I would like to be the title of my blog. I was sitting at Starbucks one day pondering this question and reading a poem they have painted on the wall at the shop in Rock Springs. The last few lines say: "Linger, daydream, talk, meet, sit, think, work, be". The last word caught my eye not just because it is bold-faced, but also because this is something I struggle with. As you know, I tend to maintain a pretty busy lifestyle, and I usually like being busy but sometimes having a hectic schedule can hinder my ability to pursue meaningful relationships. On more than one occasion I have sacrificed spending time with friends for a date with my book in the library. Or even if I am with someone, at times my mind is not fully there but thinking about the things I need to do. The idea of just "being" rather than always "doing" is appealing...but a goal that has been difficult for me to achieve.


There is a line of a Julieta Venegas song that says "El presente es lo único que tengo, el presente es lo único que hay" meaning- the present is all that I have and all that there is. I have spent quite a bit of time thinking about this, and it has been a good reminder for me.It can be easy to fall into the trap of living for something in the future. It was almost a year ago that I began my application for JVC and after waiting to find out I had been accepted in the late spring, thus began another period of waiting. I have known that I will be leaving in November for quite some time, and there were moments where I felt like I was just hanging in limbo here at home, waiting to depart. This type of mindset however, is problematic both for me and for those around me. If we are merely living for a different time or moment in our lives then we are missing the beauty and possibility that lies in the present.

I have given a valient effort to just "be" at home and live in this present moment instead of simply waiting to depart and it has made this time better than I could have ever imagined. I have had the opportunity to relax, to have fun, to read something other than a textbook, to research Peru, to reconnect with people in Rock Springs, and most importantly- to bond with my parents. This time of being at home has been a blessing, and I am grateful for it!

So this is my goal for the next two years...to learn to just Be. To appreciate the present moment and recognize (as one of the speakers explained to us during orientation) that our mission is to be fully present to the person in front of us...at that moment we should treat them as if they are the most important person in the world and thus deserving of our undivided attention. I know that home and all those back in the U.S. will be constantly on my mind, but I also want to be present to those around me...my future students, my community mates, my neighbors and anyone else I come in contact with. To live in the present moment....to just Be.