Mapping Impact

By: Jillian Medina

I began on my sphere titled “Myself” to list four behaviors I value to positively impact my daily life: waking up early, working on my crochet projects, practicing daily yoga or cardio, and reading a novel outside of my studies. Secondly, which I strongly tie to the actions for myself, I make sure to spend time with my friends, make them gifts, practice candor, and provide reassuring updates. I found it difficult to differentiate the routines I do for myself and my inner circle. When I check up on my friends, it is often because I miss them and also want a conversation or life update. Similarly, many of the presents I give my close friends and family are crocheted gifts I make myself. The strong connection between these two motivations is because of how close I am to a very tight inner circle: I hold their emotions, lifestyles, and goals a part of my daily life. If I can keep up with my family, my life will follow in productivity; if I weren’t able to talk to them, I would most likely feel unmotivated. 

For my community, I try to engage with local volunteering services, share my experiences, stay active in current events, and make an effort to familiarize myself with my surrounding peers. In these endeavors, I try to stay as involved as I can to leave every area I come into contact with better. This mindset allows me to pursue a more sustainable lifestyle, improve my global competency, become proficient in multiple languages, and practice open-mindedness to positively influence the world. 

This six-week program can help my independence and competency to live and travel alone. I expect that I will add more practices to the “Myself” sphere, and hopefully add more to the world. I’ve always wanted to gain more experience cooking, and if I were able to become close with my host family, I hope they’d teach me some local Argentinian dishes, as meals are included with the stay. Most importantly, I will become proficient in Spanish by the end of August. I am excited to practice my skills and learn applicable phrasing and jargon I can utilize in bilingual workplaces in the U.S.. I have been taking private tutoring Spanish classes three times a week to prepare for my experience, however, the exposure and involvement in Spanish-speaking culture will allow me to quickly improve my communication and writing skills. 

Additionally, I would love to try authentic Argentinian wine, take Tango classes, and visit nearby Springs and rivers. My Monday through Friday internship will allow me to continue my early mornings; if I cannot find nearby yoga classes, I would like to become familiar with the common cardio practices in Argentina. The area is described as a “college town”; therefore, I hope to find local exercise and well-being classes where I can engage with my peers. Overall, becoming involved with the surrounding area and Argentine culture is my main goal to improve my spheres of influence to better my environment.