Officially sworn in Part 1

Well folks, it’s official, last Friday we were officially sworn in. What a tremendous day it was! Staff were giving speeches, the foreign dignitaries, and even me and another volunteer gave speeches, I gave one in Spanish and the other did it in Kriol. Inspired by a fellow volunteer I have been using ALL OF THIS FREETIME to reflect on life here now, and what led me here.

For many years in high school, I worked on a farm with friends and had always said I would never want to work in a cubicle. There was something very free about just embracing nature for an entire day, it didn’t matter if we were dirty or sweaty because we had accepted that being that way was part of the job, plus we could just go swimming after work in the nearby pond. Into to university I studied Environmental Analysis & Policy for the first two years, but I couldn’t really understand what the end goal of those studies were. The classes were easy, all until I got to a class in sophomore year where we had to learn 2 semesters of statistics in one. I did fine, and for once, I could see an application of my studies thus far. One example being how studying key environmental statistics of the different states in Mexico could paint a picture of how to formulate policy to combat climate change. I had no clue how to even go about the policy part - which wasn’t part of that specific class - but intrigued me greatly.

At the same time I was also taking a class on U.S. Foreign Policy from 1945 onward. I had never particularly enjoyed history in school, but I found the policy documents and stories on how policy decisions were made to be fascinating. For once in college, I actually enjoyed (as much as you can enjoy it) the work. I could argue my own opinions (my friends and family say I am VERY stubborn and opinionated, even more now than before) as long as I could defend them with facts and theory. This prompted me to think about my major and if I really wanted to continue or change. I decided that I needed to combine that interest I found in arguing government and policy with the analytics.

Then, I found International Relations. I had friends already studying it, but had no clue that it was even something I was interested in until then, partly because I hadn’t understood it. The field itself it huge studying how nations and people interact on the global scale whether it be from economics to war. Occasionally, there is even a little bit of political science aspects thrown in such as how the contract between state and government works. It’s easier to think of it as a field for global minded people interested in participating in the world. I then got involved with a student organization on campus focused on U.S. foreign policy and really ran with that. I hosted events for senior policy experts, acted as a panel moderator for speakers, and participated in national conferences with senior officials and foreign diplomats. I took classes on border security, defense strategy, cyber development, the history of the Middle East, and economics. After graduation, I was hunting for jobs in Think Tanks in DC. However, the field was very saturated and nothing that piqued my interest was landing. I took a job at a pet store to make some money, and after enough time, I decided to work in Finance for a company that I really ended up liking. Although it wasn’t my desired field to work in Finance, I found a new passion for studying economics and discovered government relations jobs. The one caveat was that it was a cubicle job, something I had never wanted to do. I wanted to be out meeting people and making connections with others. What was I ever going to do? I could eventually work my way into their relations department, orrrrrrr…

The offer to become a volunteer in Belize finally came back… I had applied to the position more than half a year ago. How could I refuse? I’d get direct governmental/international relations work done, experience a new culture, have a life-changing story to tell, and learn new languages. It would be in my desired field of International Relations as well. But two years? Two years to live in a new country? Two years not being in a community with another American? I couldn’t know if I was prepared for it, because who would actually know that. But I did know I was ready to give it the ole college try. I still know I am ready to face what comes and give it my best. And that is what matters.

Part 2 to come soon.