Vacation Journal Entries

Make sure to have one be about service and your project.

During vacation, my mom and I saw the opportunity to do yard work now that I was on break; apart from working just the two of us she highered a few locals. While we all worked outside we began to discuss my aquaponics project and which lead me to introduce my CAS project as a whole to them. We had many long discussions about my project and they would go home and do research and tell me thinks they found out about it. I spoke to them about the importance of the diabetes crisis in Costa Rica and more specifically in the area of Guanacaste. Not surprisingly, they shared stories about relatives and their struggles with diabetes and how that has had such an impact on they’re families (this not only being super useful information to continue my project with but great intlell for my EE). They explained to me how it was too costly to provide nutritious food for a large family on a low income, as I discussed with them I gave them a few ideas on how they could do small things such as herb gardens and a couple basic vegetables to add some freshness to they’re meals. I gave them instructions on how to use cut water bottles to grow their crops, I also told them how I want to move forward with my project this following year and hopefully have a prolonged impact on the community. We of course exchanged contracts but this interaction inspired someone else to take action and being hydroponic on a small scale themselves, which is the overarching goal of my project: to inspire and combat this crisis. Everything counts and with this spark that began in one of the workers is one that I hope to ignite in many other lives to create and promote a cycle of sustainable living, I also went to a few free tuba class in matapalo and was thinking that targeting the woman that attend them would be great, considering they are taking initiative for themselves and creating a more balanced life by attending those classes that its through people like that where I can get my message across. 

Make sure to show creativity in one. 

This break for me was all about finding balance and peace within myself, I want to be dedicated come 12th grade and I was feeling very nervous at first, yet after finding positive and beneficial outlets to de stress I became much less worried and filled with excitement. The outlets I used  included exercising and painting/doing art. I would constantly take paints to the beach and listen to music,While at the beach I would not only paint my surroundings like the plants in the ocean. But I would also paint what the music I was listening to inspire me to paint. Whatever came to mind just flowed out onto my paper. Previous to this break I didn’t make art as often as I would like. I’m definitely going to make an effort to continue making art in the future. My other outlet was exercise. At least three times a week I would wake up early and go out into the morning sun and do some yoga. I think is very important to start your day on a positive note. After finishing my yoga i would sit peacefully and list 5 things I’m grateful for. This not only inspired me to journal it also helped me to evolve into someone whom I believe is ready to work hard throughout the rest of IB in order to achieve the score I want. 

Make sure to create that balance in life with some activity in one.

I took a week to go visit my dear friend Sibley in California, during our travels we went to Sibley park (named after Sibley of course…just kidding its the other way around) as we began the hike which I was not properly clothed for whatsoever, I was able to acknowledge my surroundings and compare the scenery to hikes back home, it was really different yet at the same time felt familiar. During the hike we ended up in a small labyrinth in which people would bring photos and letters, this was great because in my head I made connections between how bonding with nature and physical exercise can be an emotional journey as well. Being able to notice how many people felt that way well even at least just from the amount of letters and what not that I saw I felt some sort of energy there and  feel as if I want to get more deep into using exercise as my main form of stress relief rather and including it as more of my routine, to try and maintain that balance. I felt like toward the end of the last trimester I was starting to form that habit and it was helping me focus more, so this hike definitely reminded me of that and made the desire just grow.