Lessons Learned

Hi! I created a tumblr to write, specifically about my adventures abroad and my experiences. I’m a first generation American from Los Angeles and my parents are originally from India. I am currently interning at Manos Abiertas, a midwifery and women’s clinic in Ciudad Vieja, Guatemala (close to Antigua). The clinic focuses on empowering women to make their own decisions for her body and her family. We provide all kinds of services, such as natural birthing options, pediatric care, and family planning options. There is a lot more depth than the average traveller. 

I think the beauty of this internship is that it’s the most spontaneous thing I’ve ever done. I had no clue how to speak Spanish and I wasn’t sure if I actually wanted to be a midwife. I kind of just packed up my bags and left and went where the country took me. 

So why intern in Guatemala at a midwifery/ women’s clinic? Well, it was a process. During my first semester of sophomore year of college I hit a mental wall and somewhat quarter life crisis of what I wanted to do with my life, otherwise known as the “sophomore slump.” I gave up on being the studious person I’ve always been, smoked more weed, and didn’t really have a lot of motivation to get out of bed. I guess during that time I didn’t love my body or my mind and sort of checked out from the world. It was a very convenient time for my university to force me to declare a major, to be sexually harassed, for one of my closest friends to drop out of college, and for my grandmother to pass away and consequently for my mom to have depression. I felt myself drowning and didn’t quite know how to save myself without telling my friends or family.

Then I started taking a maternal child health class. Not that this fixed any of my problems listed above, but it was a way out from all of this darkness. For the first time in what felt like ages I was finally interested in something. I didn’t know if I wanted to do this for the rest of my life or not, but something that brought me this much happiness shouldn’t be taken lightly. That’s when I heard about the internship program in Guatemala. I always wanted to work abroad and explore international health and I could learn more about this fascinating topic.