Last but definitey not least

If they have told me a year ago that I would be traveling with people I do not know, working for an amazing organization like Human Connections and going to a leadership week at EntreAmigos I would have said that that was not possible. But it was, I got blessed. I met an awesome and diverse  group of people and ended up learning so many things about myself through these encounters.

After spending three weeks in Bucerias, we moved to San Pacho, a smaller town north where we stayed for a week at a community center called Entreamigos. This organization is dedicated to the education of kids and the awareness of the town about trash. Their building is 80% made with recycle material, plus they have a huge warehouse on the back with all kind of workshop areas to build objects out of the trash picked up from different points around the town.

This week was, for sure, the most challenging because many factors added up to make this stay as one that would push me out of my comfort zone every second of it.
First, the loft where we slept was very hot during the night and open to the outside so bugs easily could come in. Personally, I have been in similar situations however more than half other members of the group would express how uncomfortable they were hourly and in some way bringing everybody's mood down, thereby these were five nights were all about learning how to be patient, empathetic and to motivate the group. Second, the program involved a very busy schedule of comprehending ourselves as unique human beings and the best way to communicate with others regardless differences. In my opinion, this entailed constant thinking about ourselves and how are we relating with the world, both things that we do not do just because we are tied to strict routines at school. Thus, at the end it was extremely helpful to have a better understanding of our paths but at the same time it required energy and courage to recognize facts and moreover share them with others. Also, the majority of us have rough past, that even if nobody forced us to share it, the circumstances incite reflecting about it.

Definitely, learning was the protagonist of this last week. I learned the value of diversity and recognizing that everybody has a talent and something to contribute. Also, how to best communicate based on four social styles, how to give feedback, how to use the most of our visual and vocal capacities to give an speech, and the importance of listening. Furthermore, and what most impacted me, I learned about myself. I learned that loyalty, trust and forgiveness are crucial values that have shaped who I am today found on what I have lived the last twenty years. Specifically from Entreamigos as an organization, I learned that there is infinite ways to use recycled material, and that any kind of community or society can adopt environmentally friendly lifestyles.

In my future career, I know I am going to be working with people that I ambition to inspire, by showing them their own potential and using their own dreams to power their day to day activities. Furthermore, I will apply all the team work skills that I gain by understanding that every individual communicates and feels differently but that there is forms to transmit ideas beyond possible barriers. In addition, I envision working in something related to recycling education and innovative forms of eliminating plastic use.