A Mindful Traveler

Second day is done and I am already wanting the time to slow down.  There is way too much to learn and I wish that I could stop time and absorb everything little thing I am learning from the people here and my professor. 

Today in class we talked about being a mindful traveler and begin aware of the impact that your adventures and experiences have on you.  Traveling abroad should not be an experience to boost your ego, but a chance for change.  It should be a chance for you to be changed by the people wherever you travel, not a chance for you to change the people you come in contact with. 

We also had a phenomenal guest speaker come and talk to us in class about leadership and risk.  Her name was Yolanda and she worked for the environmental conflict management department in Ecuador.  She made three very strong points that stuck out to me a lot. 

1. Take risks - don't think about it, just do it.  When you are too cautious of your choices you won't get anywhere.
2. Recognize your weakness and your mistakes in your experiences and professional life
3. If you're not absolutely passionate about what you are doing, then stop.

Never has anyone made as great of an impact as she has.  I came to Ecuador with a big decision to make regarding my future and her speech today pointed me in the right direction.  I have risks in my life that I have been wanting to take for years, and now is the time.  Now is the time to travel and explore places unknown.  Now is the time for me to find my passion and throw my self into situations where I can thrive on what I love. 

Then it was time for...

WORLD CUP!!

Now, yes USA lost, but it was still an amazing game and such a great experience to watch the game with the rest of my GlobalLEAD Team here in Ecuador and cheer for the country we are so proud of! I also made a friend with a local who bought me an Argentinian jersey, since they won today and he was so excited that he had to share his excitement with a fellow World Cup Fan.

Also, it was Rugby Tuesday!  So fun reaping the number 7 here in Quito. 

"You always find ways to overcome things you never thought you would." - Yolanda 

 Mi amigo Mikey!