Space to breathe.

I love being a social work student at the University of Pecs.

I love being a pre-school teacher at a Hungarian & English language preschool. 

While my adherence to these two social identities is strong and positive, my core identity of self has recently fallen by the wayside. This has been causing dissonance between my actions, emotions and values. In order to reconnect with myself, I have reduced my work days from four a week down to two. This was a difficult decision because I am scared of missing out of every opportunity possible while studying abroad and I kept using the excuse that I simply needed to manage my time better and I would be able to do anything. Perhaps my American upbringing has led me to internalize a packed schedule as a sign of success. Regardless of the reason, after a few weeks of trying to do so, I realized that my plate was just too full and I needed to lighten the load a bit.

To care for oneself is difficult and seemingly unnecessary when there are so many other tasks demanding your attention, but I believe that it is crucial in the long run to allow space in our lives to breathe. I will continue to make an effort to leave room in my life so I can make the most out of every aspect, not just studies and work. 

To be honest... I feel better already.