Q u o t e o f t h e d a y: "Change is inevitable, growth is intentional." -- Kaizen family
What's Happening
Just shy of two weeks into Remote Year, and Split already feels like home. I've eaten octopus (with the succulents on it), I've found a little family in a group of people I have never met before and I learned how to speak a bit of the language (Kako se zoveš?). Oh na na, what's my name? Thanks Rihanna, I can ask that one now.
But what really happened? *realized nobody cares about the octopus you ate* Like Pink says, "we're all gonna get in a fight!" Na Na Na Na Na Na Na, not really. Emotions were out of whack though, there are now three calendars in my daily schedule. Unofficial (try Acro Yoga, salsa dance at Gladiator), Official (you better show up, you paid for this) and work. Am I the only one who wants to do everything and anything that poses as a good opportunity to learn? Well I hate to break it to you my fellow readers, you can't on RY (Remote Year), it's impossible. Thankfully our fearless leaders Jen who is a blonde, bubbly Aussie and Silvia who is a petite but powerful Italian, broke down what the next few weeks to 12 months will look like and how we can manage it. All the while the next 11 cities, multiple events and endless nights of laughing until it hurts is very exciting, its realistic to expect that we will all hit a slump period. It's inevitable with so many changes happening at once, but this is where we begin to grow and learn as we triumph through the challenges we face, and together.
Did I over-pack? I know that's the question you all really want me to answer. No matter what I throw in my suitcase, as you can tell from above, it won't help me along the journey. However, I have yet to come across something in my suitcase that I haven't wanted or needed. Check back with me after month two and i'll let you know if I brought one too many crop tops, and if I really needed my digital photo frame to see your beautiful faces. *thanks her A+P team for the only momenta she has*
The Deets
Na na na na, Na na na na, hey hey hey, goodbye.
I seriously have to leave this place in two weeks? But I just got here. Before I left for RY, it felt as though a month in each place would be a little long. Truth is, there is not enough time to see a country in a year, little yet a month. I'm hoping to at least cover much of Split, Dubrovnik (which i'll be visiting in pure Real World style with the other 50 members of my group) and as many waterfalls as possible. So far, I've seen the Krka Waterfalls and Old Town Split, and way to much Tommy for my liking. *laughs because the Croatian grocery store is actually called Tommy, short for tomato*
What to do when Will Smith comes on and all you are singing is "getting jiggy with it?"
Go with it. That's what this experience is all about. If I've learned anything to summarize my first two weeks here, it would be that I've truly done a better job of just going with the flow, accepting that I may end up doing something completely different than I had planned and for that reason entirely, I'm doing less planning. No really, I booked an AirBnB in Montenegro with my small group that we like to call the Kotor Krew, and our mascot is naturally Hodor, and we have no idea what we'll be doing when we get there.
So, I'll leave you with this -- just a few things I've learned in my first two weeks experiencing RY;
1. The water is really hard here, accept that you might have dreadlocks by month three
2. Remote Year groups are extremely productive, no like you work harder because everyone is doing it
3. Happiness is a feeling for every day, even on the bad days, you remember you are somewhere awesome and you aren't alone
4. THIS IS REAL LIFE...HOLY CANNOLI
5. You will deal with cliques, but it's not always a bad thing
6. It's way easier to keep in contact with family, friends and coworkers at home then you would expect
7. You only have to walk 100 feet to see something spectacular and unique everywhere you go
8. You need to pack peanut butter, tell everyone
9. It's really overwhelming to try and fit everything in your schedule, remember to take time for yourself and watch netflix
10. You are officially living in a new country when your targeted ads are in that country's language
11. Don't act like you know me is the best theme song
12. Waterfall swimming is really freaken cold
Cue Michael Jackson's Pretty Young Thing.
