Support

Being away from home is amazing, you get to meet new people, immerse yourself into a new culture and way of life, learn a new language and experience more newness than you’ve ever imagined. When things are going well with both your personal life and professional life, everything is pure bliss. However, recent events have made me realize, that when things begin to go wrong, and you feel upset or sad about anything for any given reason, suddenly being far away from home becomes slightly excruciating. At the pre-departure orientation for this internship over 4 months ago, the interns were warned of a “breaking point”, this might be mine.

It’s strange to realize how much I rely on my support system at home; my family, fiancé, old friends, my neighbors and that familiar feeling of belonging exactly where I was. All of those things combined bring both comfort and encouragement to me, and I got so used to it, that I barely noticed how helpful and important my support system is in my day-to-day life. 

We all have a support system. They are the people that make sure we don't take things too seriously, or get too sad, too stressed or overwhelmed with life’s obstacles, challenges, and turmoil’s. They do this by simply making you feel like you’re not alone, that they are there for you, ready, and willing to help you with whatever it is that you need in order to turn your frown upside down. :(:

“You are not in this alone Cassie, we want to hear about the entire experience, both the good and the bad. Bad things do happen, it’s out of our control, but you can always get through it with the help of your support system…I wish that I could do more for you, please know that I am here for you every step of the way.” – Lesley Calvin, mentor

 The goal of this blog post is not to depress anyone, or wallow in my own sorrows by singing the blues while spreading the sadness. My goal is however, to help people deal with their “breaking point” with a few pointers that are currently helping me get through it as smoothly and painlessly as possible.

As negative as things may be right now, I always try to remember that this dark rainy cloud that seems to be following me around lately is in fact temporary. The length of these hard times depends on how I choose to deal with it. I personally had to get reminded that my “complaints” are not a burden to anyone, and that even from a distance people want to help me. The only way that they could do so is if I voiced them. I may physically be by myself in this country, but with the people that love and care for me in my life, I am never truly alone. Sometimes simply talking about things help, and I’m not one to complain much, I usually just deal with it quietly, so this was not easy for me. And it still isn’t, but when I finally told a few friends and mentors from the CIDA youth internship team, instead of being alone in this war, I suddenly had a little army that was fighting for my wellbeing and happiness here in Ecuador.

Emily and I in Banos (click on her name for her blog)

A friend of mine that I’ve met a few months ago, who happens to be Canadian as well, named Emily Stewart inspired me to write a thanksgiving blog to help get rid of my blues. She is a smart and insightful person who's opinion I value a lot, so I listened to her. This showed me that remembering the things that you're thankful for, and the positive things that are happening in your life makes a world of differences and helps a lot. It reminds you that though the negative always seems to blur your vision and consume your being, its "not that bad" and you can focus on other more positive things that are going for you. So here it is, in the name of the good old Canadian Thanksgiving day (this passed weekend), here are the things I am thankful for.

1. Though times have been difficult for me lately, I am so very thankful for the existence of Skype, Facebook and other social network and messaging web software. They have allowed me be to stay in touch with my support system from back home. It’s a good way to share photos, funny stories and videos.
2. I am thankful that my baby brother Steven didn’t kill my plants like I feared that he would have. I recently started an urban garden, and gardening from the city requires a bit more maintenance, but is very possible, not to mention beautiful. My little brother took great care of my plants, and continues to, despite his extremely short tutorial on how to do so before I left.
3. I’m thankful for the network I have built here for the organization, the community and for myself as well. I have met so many wonderful people that are helping me with several different things and making my job much easier and productive.
4. I’m also thankful for my mentors and in-country contacts and everything that they do for me. Recently, I’ve been having troubles with my Ecuadorian visa status, but they have been a tremendous help and the problem is being solved as we speak.
5. I'm thankful for all of the friends I have made here not only from Ecuador but also from France, Belgium, Switzerland, Spain, England, the US and Canada as well. I hope we stay in touch after this experience, and possibly reunite again in the future. Having shared such a unique experience together in a third world country creates a bond that is hard to explain but understood by all involved parties.
6. I'm thankful that in a short 56 days, the love of my life will join me here in Ecuador. 
7. And last, but definitely what I’m the most thankful for, is my mother’s health improvement. She was recently hospitalized, and being far away from her and my family was a very difficult thing to do. Thankfully she is doing much better, has been out of the hospital for a couple of days, and will be back at work in no time.

And thats all I can think about without getting too general (The sun, the moon, the stars, good food...)

Good friends, good food. I am thankful

So that's my advice for you my friends. You don’t have to be in another country to take this advice. Understanding that you are not alone, and that there are several people in your life that can help you get through any situation is both comforting and relieving. Life doesn't have to be so difficult.

“Make the best out of every situation, and be happy even when its not exactly what you expect. You gotta do your best and do well with what you do have. Make it work, find a way to achieve goals, problems are only problems if you make them problems. Don't focus on the issue, focus on the solution for the issue. It's much less stressful, and more productive too.” – Dylan Muileboom

When things go wrong I begin to self evaluate and reflect on myself, wondering what I can personally change to improve the situation. This experience abroad is much more than a professional experience in the field of international development, it has also given me the opportunity for personal growth as well.