Thoughts During the Pandemic
May 1, 2021. By Athena Rapinan Over quarantine I have done some self-reflection. I have had plenty of time to think about my long term goals, and what I hope to accomplish. While the pandemic was definitely a challenge to get through, I believe that I benefited from the experience: I was able to spend more time with my family, it gave me an opportunity to do well with my college courses, it
allowed me to recover well from my ACL injury, and it gave me plenty of time to do some planning. Here are some goals I’ve set for myself during the pandemic.
Pursue a career in the medical field.
This has been something I’ve wanted to do for as long as I can remember. I want to grow up as a responsible and reliable adult, someone people will look to for help or advice. I find joy in helping others, and having a career in the medical field will definitely allow me to have a positive impact on my community. In order to accomplish this goal, I need to get accepted into medical school and become a physician; possibly an anesthesiologist.Visit the twenty one wonders of the world.
I want to travel to every continent, meet new people, and learn about different languages and cultures. I will also be looking out for volunteer and study abroad opportunities. The world is so big, and there is so much I haven’t seen yet. I want to experience the way of life in other countries as well. Some of the places at the top of my list include the Philippines, Greece, Japan, South Korea, France, England, the Nordic region, and Italy. (see image of Positano, Italy).
Become fluent in another language - Spanish and/or Greek
Making long term goals is a good start to ensuring that my future turns out the way I want it to be, and that I live life to the fullest. A TED Talk video I stumbled across on Youtube helped me gain confidence to pursue these goals. The video made me realize that I am more than capable of doing anything I set out to do. I don’t have to be the smartest person in the room to become successful. It all comes down to hard work, perseverance and grit.
The pandemic has been a learning curve for all of us, whether you are still a student or are already in the workforce. We are constantly adapting to what the world has to offer. We have learned to overcome these hardships, and ultimately learn more about ourselves through the process. I have taken advantage of this pandemic to plan out my future. I have made clear what I want to achieve, and will dedicate myself to doing so.
