Challenge Accepted

I got the moves

Big Sean- Moves

Being home has had its challenges, especially in terms of my studies. It has been hard to focus during online classes, it has been hard to manage time effectively, and it is becoming even harder to stay consistent with my Spanish language skills (nadie en mi familia entiende ningun palabra de español). Yet despite these challenges, remote learning does present some interesting opportunities for growth. It forces me to be more introspective, and thoughtful about different ways to enhance my education. Though I am still struggling with finding a routine, there are times when I can gather myself to reach a goal. Sometimes, that goal is as simple as cleaning my room or reading a portion of an assignment, but other times, these goals can help me reflect on what I have learned abroad and give me the chance to teach those closest to me.

There is no better example than me teaching– or attempting to teach– my parents the basic steps of salsa. I put on a couple of songs, and show my father. My mother, in classic Mom fashion, pulls out her phone to record. Soon after, I reluctantly started to show her the steps, and soon after that, we were both smiling. What I thought would be another chore ended up being a lot of fun.

This impromptu instruction got me thinking about more ways I can bring home what I learned, and how that would pay proper honor to my time there. I now think of the card games I learned from my roommates and other students, and the songs they showed me. I think of converting the challenge of being home into an opportunity to teach those closest to me. Maybe teaching, be it dance moves, card games, and maybe just storytelling will help me become a better, more efficient home student. Without being reminded of what I learned while abroad, it is very easy to be discouraged.

That challenge, to remain encouraged, can be daunting, especially when you have much more time on your hands, and nowhere to go and spend it. I know I can only spend so much time reading from my computer screen, or staring longingly out of my window towards the warm Carolina skies without going crazy. And though my studies are demanding and incredibly interesting, this transition to online courses time has taken some joy out of learning.

In order to find that joy again, I think I will spend a lot more time reaching out to my roommates, the friends I made there, and even my professors. This tine of isolation has a funny habit of making us feel alone in our solitude, yet we must be vigilant. We are all in this together, and we can’t ever forget that.