YIPPEE!!! Nine weeks of school flew by and the time for travel is finally here! Allow me to give you a rundown of all my team and I have accomplished since my last blog post. 

We finally finished our scope of work and sent it to our client. That alone was a huge relief and great accomplishment, and crazily enough, it was not the hardest part. The most difficult part was not figuring out where to start either, but rather jumping right in. The team had a few ups and downs with this one especially being four high-achieving busybodies. We often found ourselves on different pages or being ahead or behind each other in understanding the different tasks and communicating in general. It was a large lesson in project management. I was grateful for many of our class readings and discussions being focused on teams because it gave us starting points to strengthen how we interacted. Some of the things we changed included making an iMessage group chat in addition to WhatsApp and taking a few more notes to share with each other during meetings. We also utilized signups for tasks instead of leaving open what needs to be done so that each person can choose what best suits them and be accountable for something. Additionally, we tried setting aside a weekly “check-in” time to work together and bring each other up to speed; however, we will have to revise what day we meet after our travel to make sure we can better accommodate each other’s schedules. Four members brings a nuance to the scope of our work, but I feel that each week we are making strides towards being a more cohesive team.

Now, with only mere days before departure, here are the things I am excited about.

First and foremost, it is my first academic study abroad and my first time in South America. While it will be a little intimidating to travel without my family, I am elated to add a new continent to my list and understand a country far deeper than I have before. In fact, one of my favorite readings from the semester was “Developing Intercultural Competence by Participating in Intensive Intercultural Service-Learning” by Nadia De Leon. This article used an experimental pre/post assessment of a course like ours and found positive effects on intercultural competence on strategy and action aspects. I really loved it because as I was reading it, I realized how much of our course models that of the study, and it excited me that I could grow in skills to facilitate effective and appropriate communication with people in other cultures. In addition, not only will I see a new way of communication, but I will also actually be prepared for it. This preparation is derived from our cultural presentation which was genuinely thought-provoking and fascinating. I had the opportunity to do a deep dive into Bolivian culture using Hofstede’s framework and I learned a lot from my team members who covered history, the current situation, and Bolivian etiquette. 

The study also found that the closer the interactions with locals and the more anxiety experienced, the greater my intercultural development will be. I will get a chance to interact with the locals on a resounding level, working with the amazing non-profit CEOLI. They are the second reason for my excitement as I was inspired by their mission, so I cannot wait to see it in action and be transformed by it. In terms of anxiety though, I was a little uneasy until I heard from a speaker this past weekend who said, “We fear what we don’t know, so the more you learn and critically question, the better you can combat anxiety.” We talked in class how it is pivotal to lean into discomfort to move forward, so that is helping me to truly value the reflection aspects of the trip such as our daily debriefs and personal journaling. 

The third aspect that excites me is the other forms of personal learning I will obtain on this trip. For example, generally in Bolivia, relationships are developed first in business which contrasts the fast-paced American culture of getting things done first. As a person who has strengths in relationship building yet who likes efficient means of getting work done, I look forward to being part of a flipped work environment compared to American culture. Furthermore, it will be incredibly insightful to see how to successfully be a part of this relationship building process despite a language barrier. Our team’s gifting plan will surely break the ice, but I truly hope to bring back deep and meaningful connections that I can foster throughout the future. It will surely require flexibility, quick thinking, and successful articulation from me. While I anticipate that this could be challenging on day one, I have no doubt these skills will grow by the time I leave.

Lastly, I already mentioned how thrilled I am to be seeing CEOLI, but I want to clarify that it is for more than simply working with locals in a business setting. One reason their mission inspires me is how it works with children, adults, families, and the community to foster a supportive education environment for those with disabilities which is amazing in and of itself. The second way CEOLI inspires me is how it has done this for years with minimal government funding and a heavy cultural stigma looming over it. I have no words for how moving it is to hear of how people have streamlined helping their community despite a myriad of challenges. I want a job that has task significance and makes an impact to even a sliver of this degree, so I am truly grateful to be part of an opportunity that shows me how people prioritize this.

So, to summarize, yes, it is all very exciting, and I do not think I need to tell you just how much I have been counting down for this trip; however, there are a few potential obstacles that worry me. One is the cultural norm of being evasive rather than frank. I greatly want to make CEOLI, Amizade, and Pitt proud and articulate the deliverables we have been working on to gain feedback to make sure we align with the expectations. My team does not want to fall short of their expectations, so I hope we can build a great foundational relationship for them to feel that they can be open and honest with us and our progress. I also want to ensure that our project addresses a real need that CEOLI has and will illustrate to them our solidarity (unity in goals) rather than a feeling of reciprocity (give and take).

Another norm that could be challenging is the ideal of “yapa.” Yapa is a Quechua word meaning a little extra, and it tends to sweeten the relationship between people in an exchange. It has a very positive connotation and is not to be confused with bribery. Despite this positive translation, it is something to be vigilant about. Oftentimes, Bolivians aside from giving a little extra, may ask for a little extra such as a small task to go with the bigger project. While the team may feel obligated to appease them, we must make sure we only promise what we are able to fit within our scope, and for tasks that are a little ambitious for our time frame, we can surely implement them into the larger 10-Year Plan. Another interpretation of yapa is that we are expected to go a little above and beyond our scope. One of the faculty and our class guest speaker, Meade Johnson, even told us that a general rule of thumb in consulting is to give a little extra in interactions. Knowing this is expected means that we must be sure to achieve at a higher level to help our client.

I also mentioned the language barrier which we have mitigated with different translators we are working with in our group. Another factor that might pose difficulty in relation to language is the cognitive overload that may provoke frustration and fatigue in the new language environment. I studied Spanish for over six years, though I am a bit out of practice now, and I remember how draining listening exercises could be. Spending time in Bolivia will be a good way to be immersed in the language, but I will still need to give myself grace if it becomes a little much for one time. 

A final major challenge is packing. Yes, you read that right. Packing is so difficult! It is a tough balance to walk the line between casual and somewhat professional and still attempt to fit in. One thing I know for certain is that I want to dress colorful to match the lively atmosphere and culture, but I suppose the reality of what I will pack will reveal itself when I start putting things in my suitcase. Plus, I tend to overpack which will hopefully be stifled by the weight rule when traveling. It is a hard life being a student with too many and not enough clothes at the same time.

Overall, the travel itself will be long, but it is all about the journey, right? The journey for transformation and delicious, delicious potato and fruit based Bolivian food. See you soon, Cochabamba!