Rice paddies, palm trees, and towering volcanoes. Three weeks in and I’m still in awe. The magic of this place. The peace. The balance. I was meant to be here. To see all of this, to live it, to experience everything we have on this trip. From harvesting rosella, star gazing, and sunrise hikes to meeting Undiksha students, developing business models, and site visits. Every moment of this experience had been an incredible learning opportunity. I have learned more from striking up a conversation with Balinese locals than I have in any classroom.
Last night we all sat around the pool and reflected on our highs and lows of the trip. Everyone had about three main high points and struggled to fine a low point. In the trough of the social sprint, I told Bruce how surprised I was by the complexity of these problems. Every minute of research uncovered a new layer to the issue. I was flustered, but surprisingly, I said, “but it’s never felt possible until now.” There is so much work to be done in the world. So many wicked problems to address. We learned about them and spent hours conducting field research and talking to locals. We worked through these problems with the Undiksha students. Breaking them down, getting to the root of it, and developing successful, impactful models. It wasn’t until that conversation with Bruce, at my lowest point, that I also realized my highest point of this trip. I was frustrated and exhausted from the work, but more than anything I was relieved and confident. I finally proved to myself that I am capable of creating systemic impact, I don’t have to convince myself anymore.
We are all capable.
Comments