Meanwhile in Merida: A Day in the Life of a Global Health Intern

A Day in the Life of a Global Health Intern

Kim, Jake and I received a change of projects again this week. We were sent to the Centro Integral Juvenil, a youth center on the far east side of the city. Previously we have been working in the afternoon so it was nice to be switched in the morning. With that being said, here goes a play-by-play summary of my days while working in the centro juvenil.

5:45. a.m. - Wake up and get ready for a run.

6:00 a.m.- Go on a run in the relatively cool Merida morning. Running on the streets this early in the morning is nice because they are super crowded yet. I typically go running with one or two other volunteers.

6:30 a.m. - Return from the run. Get showered and clean up for the day.

7:00 a.m. - Breakfast time! Breakfast typically consists of eggs, toast, cereal and a variety of fruits.

7:45 a.m. - Leave for the bus to the centro juvenil. It is about a 10 minute walk to our bus stop then we wait for a few minutes before the bus takes us on a 25 minutes drive.

8:30 a.m. - We arrive at the centro and Jake and I go to the back field to help with the recreational and physical activities. There are four different age groups. We have a set of games with play with the younger two groups then a set of games we play with the older two groups. The kids love being outside and having the ability to run around for an hour. They are seriously the cutest little people!

9:50 a.m. - There is a 30 minute break for the kids to rest and eat a snack they bring from home or buy from a vendor outside of the school. This is a great time for us to also rest then talk and connect with the kids. So many of them are fascinated by the opportunity to talk with a white person and even learn a few words in English.

10:20 a.m. - Jake and I continue or participation with the recreational activities.

*On Thursdays this changes slightly. After the 9:50 break, we give health/nutrition lessons to the kids. This is a great opportunity for us.

12:00 p.m. - The activities are done and we wait for the kids to be picked up by their parents. Once all the parents have arrived, we are able to take the bus home. By this time of the day the sun is pretty scorching hot. The big difference between the AZ heat and Yucatan heat is that it is always humid here. I would say the sun is stronger in AZ but the heat is more suffocating here due to the humidity.

1:30 p.m. - We arrive back to the hostel and eat a hardy lunch. The lunches are great because the cooks at this hostel provide us with a variety of dishes. This is a good time for a little bit of socializing with our friends and fellow volunteers who are at other centros or hospitals.

2:30 p.m. - A nice nap is in order after a busy morning and yummy lunch. Once the nap is complete, I work on a little bit of homework and hang out for a bit around the hostel.

6:00 p.m. - Dinner time! On most days, we go in groups to local restaurants close by the hostel. This also includes a little bit of time to just walk around and explore the city.

11:00 p.m. - Bed time!

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