Here We Go Again

As a child I loved being the boss. "They" say this is a typical characteristic for oldest children and I was not an exception. When my little sister and I were both under the age of ten I would often write up contracts and hold conferences with my sister in my room in order to create a treaty to end our adolescent bickering. I would have her sit on the other side of my desk (a stepping stool) as I read the terms of agreement and we would both sign at the bottom. As you would expect, these treaties never lasted long and there was soon yelling, crying, and two little girls being sent to their rooms.

Throughout the years I have begun to learn how to control my control problem. I can work under stressful conditions, step up to the plate, and do what I need to do. I can also relax and go with the flow. These two attributes don't always get along. It is hard to be flexible in some situations and others cannot be controlled, but I am slowly learning to recognize when to step up and when to let go.

I leave for Nicaragua in a matter of hours. I am going completely alone and will be doing internship work in communities with very few English speakers. The work I am doing there has a general objective, but I will have to figure most of it out as I go. I'm also not positive where I will being staying or where I will be going, and didn't know the dates of my trip until about a week ago. This has, and will continue to take a certain about of flexibility.

Preparing for a trip abroad requires work, especially when you're used to your parents being a support system during this process and they are out of the country. There are so many details that you have to remember and you have to check and recheck your packing list, itinerary, assorted affairs at home, etc. This takes planning and control.

What I am learning from this situation is that a simple signed treaty won't fix all of the problems. There must also be cooperation, compromise, and an open mind (it also helps if you aren't trying to compromise with a stubborn little sister). I hope I can continue to utilize each of these attributes during my trip to make it the best experience for myself and the people I encounter.