Happy Hoods at Home
It is crazy to think that almost an entire semester and summer has gone by since my study abroad program in Guatemala! The trip was truly a life-changing experience. I had done and seen things I had never done before. Life in Guatemala, their values, norms and beliefs, are so much different than in the United States. It is a true gift to have this type of perspective on a whole other culture. So often I feel I take for granted such basic things like a nice home, food security and good health. I feel so fortunate to get to live my life and have these experiences that really help me grow as an individual. After Guatemala, and seeing what life is like in other parts of the world, I feel there is really no reason not to be happy and appreciate the problems that I am presented with.
I have been able to reflect a lot on my time abroad and apply much of what I’ve learned in Guatemala to my coursework this semester. I was fortunate enough to take Dr. Cloutier’s course again this semester, Sustainable Neighborhoods for Happiness. Many of my classmates from Guatemala are also enrolled in the course so I don’t have to miss my Guatemala family too much. It also has the same title as the study abroad program and we have similar goals, which we apply towards a Tempe neighborhood.
Through the experience I had abroad I was able to go in to this class with a good understanding of how happiness and sustainability are related. I also had some experience with community engagement, which proved to be very beneficial for this semester’s course. It has been really interesting to work in two different phases of these projects. In Guatemala we were the first group to go for this project. Much of the work we did was to get a better understanding of the culture, their problems, and different stakeholders’ roles. In Tempe we were the second group to work on this project. Last semester’s class had laid out the foundation. We started the class already with some knowledge on the community we were working in and some areas of need to focus on. This allowed us to really get in to the community and do some work.
This semester I was working on connecting food with happiness and sustainability. Last semester’s group had identified many ways in which we could improve their food accessibility. They also had formed a relationship with a resident that was interested in re-starting her backyard garden. Our group built a strong relationship with this resident and worked the whole semester to build a garden for her needs and desires. Throughout the semester our group removed dead trees and acquired materials for a garden including seeds, soil and lumbar for the structure. We also planted four trees.
Working with this resident was a complete joy. The experiences in Guatemala were great stepping stones to get to all this work done. Working with residents and knowing how to ask the right questions was a valuable skill we were able to develop in Guatemala. We also explored the idea of trust and how to build that in different communities. I think this was very beneficial for this semester’s work because we really were able to build trust with our resident and form a real relationship. Our resident ended up feeling comfortable enough to share meals with us, drive around town to different events with us, and ask us for help on problems not pertaining to the garden. Working with amazing individuals like this resident has made me love this work even more and inspires me to continue the work of Sustainable Neighborhoods for Happiness, whether in Tempe or abroad.