Reading the recent posts Living in Two Worlds at Once and Living a Double Life got me thinking about a challenge I feel like I’ve been working on for most of my life. How do you balance your time among all those parts of your life that you want the most?
During my time in Argentina, I feel like I live three lives. To start, there is my life as a volunteer and temporary resident in Argentina. With this life, there are daily obligations and a helpful routine to my day. Then there is life as a traveler and guest which adds variety and a wonderful amount of chaos. And then there are work obligations back home. Despite being on an unpaid leave of absence, managing a busy office means consistent time with staff and administration. And beyond my work obligations, I enjoy keeping up with my professional contacts in my field of international education everywhere I travel. Of course, I have not mentioned the time I want to spend keeping up with friends and family during my time abroad – or managing my life back home.
I must admit (as any good Gemini would), I love the variety and uncertainty of my life here; however, I fear my lack of focus and organization means I don’t do such a good job keeping up with any of my lives. And this challenge doesn’t end with my return home. We all manage obligations and personal ambitions in our daily lives.
So volunteers and world travelers, how do you manage your time to keep the focus on what you want to accomplish? When do you know you’ve hit the right balance?
Mia Scavone is currently a volunteer with Fundacion AFOS in Córdoba, Argentina. You can find more of her posts here.
Latest posts by miascavone
- Volunteers and NGOs: The Argentine Perspective - March 12th, 2010
- Day in the Life: Gualeguaychú Carnival, Argentina - February 26th, 2010
- Why We Do What We Do - February 12th, 2010
- Talk to Me! - February 2nd, 2010
- Arriving Just In Time - January 22nd, 2010
