The Next Step?

Hello All!

This Watson has been a constant battle of whether to stay true to myself or to stay true to my project, which surprisingly doesn't always line up. Who would've thought?! I know the Watson funds people not projects, but I still do want to get the most out of this year in regards of my project. Something I thought I would be doing more of is going into the outback and into the indigenous areas of all the countries and continents I have been to. But as I have come to realize, unlike a lot of existing Watson projects I chose to study something that isn't naturally occurring. Although it can be argued that there are many things within societies that operate like social circus, it isn't yet naturally occurring in small villages and impoverished areas worldwide. Although the movement is certainly growing, it must be grown carefully. I have come to the following tough realization: It is actually more self serving and selfish for me to go into indigenous areas with a bunch of juggling balls than it is helpful for the people I would interact with. Most likely if I made juggling balls out of balloons and rice, when I would leave these villages they would break open the balls to eat the rice. I have absolutely no desire to be the "white savior" who comes for a weekend and then abandons the project. Additionally, the Watson doesn't really allow staying with projects for long enough to make true and deep meaningful progress in establishing a sustainable programs. I am finding that social circus is currently more relevant for me within cities or with already established programs, mostly done with gang members, elderly, and at risk women and children. Although indigenous programs are important, it is absolutely crucial to have a permanent person stationed with each project to ensure safety, and the continuance of the project. 

So in light of this realization I have reorganized the rest of my trip. I will now be headed to Central and South America. Since I have started immersing myself into the circus world across continents I have solidified in my mind that this is work I would like to be doing for the rest of my life. Something that will be very important in setting up and running social circus programs in The States is knowledge of the Spanish language. Although I was recently invited to visit and explore the social circus world of South Africa, Ethiopia, and Kenya and I was excited to go to Brazil, I am putting my foot down. In all of these cases I believe these experiences would greatly add to my knowledge of social circus worldwide, and would add to my project in unique and diverse ways that other countries would not. None of them however would help me to learn Spanish. Although I LOVED studying Latin in middle and high school, I am now cursing myself that I have become one of the ignorant Americans who only knows English! So I have reprioritized and come to the conclusion that the Spanish speaking regions of Central and South America are as good social circus sites as any. The social circus sites in Central and South America that I have contacted are in Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Peru, Chile, Argentina, and Brazil. I will begin in Guatemala and go from there. 

I have ditched everything besides emergency medicine so I can carry my trapeze, collapsible hula-hoop, some juggling balls, and an aerial rope! In total contradiction to what I said before, I will be trying to spend some more time in communities that don't have social circus on the rest of my trip. Instead of looking at it as social circus, I will just play with kids and see what happens. Who knows!? I am looking forward to the change of pace and this new refocusing of my relationship with social circus. I also will be leaving my computer for the rest of the 5 months starting in 1 week. I couldn't be more excited.

In my last week here in Australia I will be playing in an ultimate tournament, going on a three day bike trip. and doing a bunch of flying trapeze. I am going to try to squeeze some sightseeing into my remaining time also! I realized I have been so focused on circus that I haven't seen as much as I thought I would in this beautiful place. Although I have seen wallabies I haven't seen a kangaroo yet! Alarming I know! I've only seen them dead. So my mission in the next week is to take a bit of a break from the circus overload of my life and find a kangaroo!

In other news have decided to apply to a full time circus training program that will start this fall. The applications are due in about a week, so I have been going absolutely nuts training and trying to get it all done in time. I joined a gym briefly to figure out how to do chin-ups (since I need to be able to do 10 in a row! IMPOSSIBLE I AM SURE OF IT!), and have been spending a lot of time writing about myself. And yes, I have been spending a lot of time on the computer the past two weeks networking, and filling out applications. I can't wait to get away from the computer again and leave it in the hands of...fate? or whatever else there is out there. I came to the realization that I needed to be able to do more skills and more apparatuses in circus than I can already do if I want to be a teacher of circus. I cannot wait to go back to school! Fingers crossed that I get in!

I hope the world isn't too cold in the US of A! I miss snow myself.

Lots of Love,

Sophie