This week officially began my last full week at CIMMYT. On July 29th, I'll be on a plane headed back to the States and then to Iowa, ending a two-month life-changing experience. This week was filled with goodbyes, thank-yous, and final experiences. 

On the way to the comedor (dining hall), there is a raised flower bed full of purple agapanthus, also known as the Lily of the Nile. Every time I walk past it on my way to dinner, I can hear the lizards skitter away into the leaves. But one day, something else caught my eye: two butterflies, light and graceful, hovered among the blooms.

Anyone who knows me at all knows that I can’t sit still to save my life. I’m always tapping my leg, clicking a pen, twisting in my chair. You also know how much I dislike sitting at a desk and working on my computer all day. I prefer to go outside, get my hands dirty, and just be doing something active. Knowing all that information, you can imagine how hard it was for me to sit in my office for two days straight, working on my internship report so that it would be finished by next Thursday.

“We are our own worst critic” -Unknown

Every day after work, I try to go and work out. Nothing too drastic. I don’t spend hours in CIMMYT’s gym doing intense cardio or lifting weights. Typically, I run. Not very far (2 miles normally) and not very fast, but I do it. I do it to feel better about myself after I had been sitting for the majority of the day. It helps to keep me in the right mental state when the day feels long.

In the world today, there are over 3 billion people aged 0-24. These people are classified as youth according to the United Nations. Of these 3 billion, 11% will face food insecurity every single year; that is 330,000,000 people aged 0-24 who do not receive adequate nutrition annually.

Provecho is a commonly said phrase throughout Mexico before a person eats a meal or snack of some sort. It is very similar to people saying Bon Appétit in France or Mahlzeit in Germany. However, when translated to English, provecho means:

Uncomfortable.