"Tell me about your weaknesses."

This is the most classic question asked at job interviews, and is one of the most difficult questions to answer honestly. After all, no one wants to admit to being weak, especially during a job interview. So you have to be creative and come up with a "weakness" that is actually a strength in disguise. Usually I say something to the effect of, "I'm too hard on myself," or "I expect perfection, even when it is unrealistic." And those are both true. But if you asked me that question today, here's what I would tell you: "I have a tendency to over plan and over prepare."

It sounds like a good thing, right? But honestly, that isn't always the case.

I have known that I was going to study in Chile for over a year, and I was thinking about it long before then. Hence, I have had a lot of time to research the country, the city, the university, the culture, the food, the holidays, the language, the weather, etc, etc, etc. If I thought it would be at all helpful, I would probably research what kind of lollipop the Chilean people most prefer. All of this investigation has left me really well-prepared... to spout out tons of random information about any of these various topics and pretend like I know what I am talking about. 

But I actually have no clue what I am talking about. I have never been to Chile. I can learn tons of random facts, but will they really help me in my everyday life there? To a certain extent, they will. It is definitely useful to know that I need to bring an converter/adapter for the outlets, and that when I arrive it will be the middle of winter. But at some point, all this information is going to fail me. I can't anticipate every conversation I am going to have, or every situation I am going to face. Those are experiences that I will have to deal with as they come along.

So my task until I leave is to shut my brain off (or at least the part that constantly plans), and put away the research. I would say I need to stop making lists, but honestly, that will never happen. I still have to pack, after all. The point is, the only goal I need to carry with me now is just to stop making goals and plans, and instead focus on what is happening in the moment.

Wish me luck!