¿dónde está el baño?
Hola and happy Monday mis amigos!
I have been in Puerto Rico for a little over two weeks and I sure have a lot to tell you about. I know that in the last post I wrote that I was working with the EHP (environmental historic preservation) team, but that did not last more than a week. When going out into the field with the EHP team for site inspections, everything is in Spanish, so I along with the members had no clue what was going on or being said. After talking with my supervisor and the other TL that is here, we decided it would be best for me to switch over to the IA (individual assistance) project and for her to join the EHP project because she is a…. SPANISH SPEAKER!!! If she was not here, I would probably be lost in the rainforest we visited last weekend. Seriously!
I knew that there was going to be a language barrier here, but I did not realize how discouraging and isolating it was going to be. I do feel very out of place here, but I realize that is okay and this opportunity will help me grow personally and professionally. Last week, I listened to an episode of the Prep Talk podcast where Marty Bahamonde was interviews on the importance of leadership during a crisis. I had the opportunity to work with Marty, the director of the disaster operations division for FEMA’s office of external affairs, while I was in DC. There were many ideas and practices that I learned from the interview, but there was something in particular that Marty said that really resonates with my time here in Puerto Rico thus far and that was, “To develop a calm and focused demeanor, you need to put yourself in uncomfortable positions. You need to challenge yourself to do new things in your daily life because it will always leave you feeling more empowered.” I have found this to be very true. Even if I do something as small as ordering food in Spanish or asking where the bathroom is (hence the title), I end up feeling empowered to try again, even if its uncomfortable.
Now I am sure you are wondering what life has been looking like when work is over. Not much… YET. The first weekend I was here we went to the rainforest and apparently the hike was going to lead us to natural rockslides, but two and a half miles hiking through the river and there were no slides to be found! I do wish we got to see them, but I really enjoyed getting outside, hiking and exploring such a beautiful place. I have spent some time reading and relaxing at the pool and even falling asleep and getting a gnarly sunburn! After workdays this week, I am hoping to go out and explore more of Old San Juan and all the hidden gems there and do some site seeing. I drove for the first time here yesterday and let me tell you, if you need an adrenaline rush, just drive in Puerto Rico. THE DRIVERS ARE NUTS. On most roads, there are no lines, so drivers really get the chance to be creative and DIY the road and it is so scary. Fun, but scary.
As for this week, work is very slow because things are slowing down here. The programs winter break starts on Friday, so I am flying home to Kentucky to spend the holidays with my family, and I could not be more excited. There might be a few long weekend trips so stay tuned because I am sure I will have stories from those!
On a very exciting note… I have been working to perfect my federal resume and have already scheduled some informational interviews to learn more about people’s experiences and explore what comes next for me career wise! I am so thankful to have such supportive people in my life that are willing to edit my resume, share resources that they used when going through this process, encourage me, and answer all my questions! I have met some incredibly empowering, outstanding, showstopping, and fascinating people over the past 6 months. Their drive and passion push me to keep going even on the frustrating days, because one day in the near future, I will be one of them. Manifest, manifest, manifest!
Instead of rose bud thorn this week, I wanted to share some other take aways from the podcast I was talking about earlier:
Leadership is empowering people to do their job by using their skills, mind and confidence to tap into their well-being.
Key traits of a successful leader are being able to listen, take suggestions and take advice.
It is NOT a weakness for a leader to ask for help.
There is no such thing as failure. It is called a lesson learned.
Do not be afraid of what’s in front of you.
When you can push through the fear and uncertainty, you will be met with confidence on the other side.
If you have some time, I urge you to listen to episode 46 of the Prep Talk podcast!
xo, L