#KeepingUpWithTheInterns
For as long as I have been in the working field, I have not been a part of the morning commute. That time of day when you leave your house at 7.55am and arrive on time, but leave at 8am and arrive late. The time of day when traffic is at its highest, the crowds are hustling, the rush to work. The early bird gets the worm right? I have been many things in my life but a 9-5 girl was not one of them, until now.
Consistency and routine are two things I have struggled with, I began to label myself as consistently inconsistent. As a person who prefers the road less travelled, adhering to the morning commute has been an adjustment.
Shifting the focus to the work I am undertaking and the team that I am working with, makes the routine morning commute not so bad. The passion, knowledge, expertise, and patience is unwavering. There is that saying about who you circle yourself with… if you want to be a runner, hang out with runners, if you want to play the piano, hang out with pianists, if you want to save the world… take on an internship with aditus.
Beginning something new involves a process of navigating. The morning commute, so innately ingrained into persons undertaking their regular journey to work, often is the start of this navigating process.
Did you know that even pigeons undertake a similar process? And in Malta they are trained to race? When you look up, you just might see a flock of homing pigeons practicing their navigating skills. Most are non-migratory, however, if a pigeon is released far from its home, it will return home. Pigeons are trained, taken away from their home, released, and begin a new journey, much like that of a person commencing a new life in a new place, a new job, working out the best route home, navigating the morning commute.
Malta has been just that for me, a new adventure, a new journey, a new navigating process. And although I may never fully master the public transport in Malta, throughout all of this, Malta has felt known, comfortable, and just right. Working with aditus has taught me so much in such a small amount of time, and has deepened my passion for the wellbeing of humanity. The far reaching impact a small organization can have is made prevalent everyday as I sit in the office.
A day can be spent in the office, researching, writing, and absorbing depths of information. An afternoon can be spent collectively walking in peaceful protest for families facing separation, for integrated persons facing deportation, for stability not uncertainty Stabilità, mhux Inćertezza. Another afternoon at the Immigration Appeals Board, supporting clients detained upon arrival into Malta. A morning spent at a Detention Centre hearing the personalized experiences of individuals halted in their quest for freedom and safety. It is clear to see that the work done in this NGO is so important. It is humbling to be personally involved in many facets of its mission.
Furthermore, I had the opportunity to be a part of the largest global human rights event, The Fundamental Rights Forum, held in Austria. The opportunities here are immense, the connections are paramount, and the experience, so far, has been invaluable.
Time is flying by, I feel like I am where I am meant to be. As if, all of my travels have led me here.
Malta, a rock in the middle of the chaos, has been such an inaugural part of my journey. And just like that, as my time is coming to a close, the morning commute, although hectic, navigated. Until next time.
Maggie Maz
#KeepingUpWithTheInterns