For a gleeful New Year: Ending 2021 thankful and self-motivated

To my fellow Glocals,

It is the time of the year to reflect and be highly grateful to our health, efforts, long essay nights, lockdowns, travels, breakdowns, mobilities, professors, lessons, disagreements, resilience, global economy, creative cities, etc… Being thankful for the good and bad, highs and lows, for the journey we are on… (halfway done for cohort IV). For what we have learned, continue learning and for what life would continue showing us. Life teaches us many things, and one of the most important is learning to get up after falls and never give up! To overcome criticism and trust ourselves, set clear goals and objectives and conquer them. Dreaming big has become part of me, YESS. We could overcome fear with a great attitude and mindset. Taking risks and getting out of our comfort zone also make us strong.

Moving HUGE steps forward? Yes, yes, yes. Sometimes we find ourselves at a point in our lives where we have to find a way to move forward. Advancing when something is not going well, moving forward when something did not work might be difficult sometimes, but it is the best way out in any circumstance. And in my case, the only option. Before starting the Glocal master program, I wondered how I would do it? With what strength? With what encouragement should I move forward? How was I supposed to calm the sorrow and give my best while figuring out how to put my life back together after the decease of the most influential people in my life? A few months before starting a new path abroad and a unique opportunity, Glocal. Being so far away from home in another continent, where everything was different with no other alternative but to draw strength from the deepest of my heart.

Celebrating having had some face-to-face classes and the end of the Barcelona semester.

Throughout the year, self-motivation became essential for me daily. “Yes, I can do it. I don’t know how but I will do it”… Days in which I did not have the energy nor feel strength, without anyone being able to understand the grief and emptiness of losing someone important—without finding a way out of sadness, just surviving and smiling on the outside. Self-motivation was the basis to improve and move forward, considering that I was living my Glocal dream. Besides self-motivation and courage, there was hope, love, and empathy from now Glocal brothers and sisters. I will always be thankful for being surrounded and getting closer to amazing, supportive people at the right time that filled me with positive vibes.

#BollywoodNight: Getting to know more about the Pakistani and Indian culture

For the upcoming Glocals,

Glocal has been the space to get to know me more, open up, and find hidden talent and creativity. Knowing that I can achieve much more than what I set out to do with optimism and self-motivation. So if you are reading this, remember that you have to fight to reach your dream, the power is in you, and you have to sacrifice and work HARD for it. Motivation and empathy are two key things to keep in mind when going abroad as an international student. You will meet colleagues from different countries and cultures and friends for life. Enjoy the opportunities, every minute of the program, and always be grateful. Those are the memories and knowledge you will carry for years and wherever you end, be the change you wish to see in the world. BE GLOCAL, ACT GLOCAL.