Week Four: One Month Down, Many More Memories to Make

We’re officially wrapping up week four and heading into week five, which means one full month in Guyana is already behind me. It’s wild how quickly time has flown by. It’s that bittersweet feeling—on one hand, I’m fully embracing the adventure, soaking in new experiences, and creating some really cool memories. On the other hand, I’m already seeing how quickly the months ahead will pass.  It’s my reminder to stay present, take in everything this experience has to offer, and focus on making an impact while I’m here.

Finalizing the Work Plan & Setting Personal Goals

With the first month behind me, the work plan is now finalized, and I have a clear idea of the projects I’ll be tackling. I won’t dive too deep into the specifics of my work here just yet, but I wanted to share some personal goals I’ve been refining. If you remember from my initial blog, I set three key pillars to focus on during this journey:

Strengthen & Sharpen

Social Media

This one is obvious since most of you are reading this through social media. My goal is to continue experimenting with different formats, channels, and opportunities. While Instagram and LinkedIn remain my main platforms, I’ve started exploring TikTok and YouTube to better understand the video landscape. Social media is constantly evolving, so I want to challenge myself to learn new things, push my content in different directions, and see what resonates best. If you’re in the marketing space and want to collaborate, I’d love to hear from you!

Writing

Writing has been an interesting journey for me. A little behind-the-scenes secret—I often voice-record my thoughts and then transcribe them into articles. So, while I call it “writing,” I’m really just speaking my way through ideas. So far, I’ve been consistent with my weekly blogs, which I truly appreciate everyone following along with. But I want to push further, writing more about my learning journey, marketing insights, and even practical tips.

From a professional standpoint, I’ve been thinking about content optimization—what topics I want to rank for and how I can structure my writing to have a lasting impact. In biodiversity and conservation, organizations need strong digital footprints to be found online. I’ve been exploring search optimization strategies that could apply both to the work I do here and my own personal brand.

Photography

Photography has been a growing passion of mine, and I’ve been practicing with my mirrorless camera over the last year. This month, I’ve been thinking about ways to improve—whether it’s composition, editing techniques, or storytelling through images. I also want to get better at portrait photography, which is a new challenge for me. Incorporating different visual styles and drawing inspiration from filmmakers is another goal.

Building Global Connections

One of the most exciting aspects of this experience is meeting people from all over the world. I’ve been lucky to build relationships with colleagues here in Guyana, other marketing professionals in the Caribbean, and people working in biodiversity. Expanding my network is a big priority—I want to reach out, have more conversations, and learn from as many people as possible.

I’ve also set two fun informal goals:

1. Meet someone from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
2. Connect with someone from National Geographic

I have a couple of ideas on how to make these happen, so stay tuned!

Exploring the Future of Storytelling

Beyond my creative goals, I’ve also been researching tools and technologies that will shape the future of digital storytelling. There are five specific programs I’m diving into:

1. Figma – Exploring user experience and design beyond static graphics, focusing on interactivity and engagement.
2. Google Analytics – Improving data analysis skills to measure the effectiveness of content and campaigns.
3. AI Tools (Perplexity & Midjourney) – Understanding how AI-generated content can be used effectively in marketing.
4. Chatbots & Customer Support (Dialogflow) – Learning more about automation and digital engagement.
5. Unreal Engine – Exploring how 3D environments and gaming technology can be leveraged in storytelling and marketing.

Each of these tools represents a step toward staying ahead in the digital landscape and finding innovative ways to share meaningful stories.

The Good, The Challenges, & What’s Next

😎 The Good: My comfort level with navigating the city has definitely improved. While public buses and taxis were initially a challenge, I’m feeling much more confident. Walking is still tricky in the heat (I sweat a lot), but I’m getting better at planning ahead and adjusting to local transportation norms.

😱 The Challenge: Food budgeting and planning meals efficiently. I’m still figuring out the right balance between grocery shopping, meal prepping, and eating out. Nothing has gone bad yet, but I’m constantly thinking about how to manage portion sizes, what to freeze, and how to avoid waste. Maybe it’s more of a budget challenge than a food challenge—but I’ll leave that up for debate!

🤠 What I’m Looking Forward To: Holi is coming up on Friday, and I already got a taste of the celebrations over the weekend at a Pagua Mela. The big event at the cricket stadium is supposed to be incredible—full of music, color, and energy. From what I’ve heard, it’s not just a celebration within the Indian community but embraced by everyone in Guyana. I can’t wait to experience it firsthand!

Month one has been a whirlwind, but I’m embracing every moment. Between refining my goals, expanding my network, and immersing myself in the culture, there’s so much to look forward to. Thanks for following along, and I’ll see you in the next update!