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I quit my job and became a scuba instructor (part-time) in the Caribbean.  This is my story

In Search of Xen

Looking for balance, contentment and fulfillment

Corals Under the Sea

About

Jenifer Foster

diving pic.jpeg

Hi everyone...

 

My name is Jen.  I am a lawyer and a licensed independent clinical social worker.  In the midst of the pandemic, I came to realize that my life had become 95% about work.  This was ironic for me, given that I’d spent years spouting off the importance of work-life balance.  But, when life gave me an opportunity to live abroad, study another language, take dance classes, absorb culture and see new things – I started to understand just how off-kilter I was.  So, over the following years I made some changes.  Lots of changes.  Significant changes.  Now I’m living for part of the year in another country working as scuba diving instructor.  I’m on a personal journey to find better balance – and I thought you might be interested in coming along.  

 

In social work, we often talk about wellness.  We talk about the various dimensions of wellness.  There are different ideas about this – but, many agree that there are eight dimensions of wellness: emotional, spiritual, intellectual, physical, environmental, financial, occupational and social.  For my part, I had done quite well in the occupational and intellectual side of wellness, and was absolutely neglecting the other dimensions.  I also realized that for me – the driven introvert, I had attended to the factions which were easiest for me.  I had no idea just how much I had neglected some of the other aspects.  My goal here is to do a few things – 1) help connect these different dimensions of wellness to each other – and explore how they are all interrelated; 2). explore my own personal journey.  I really do believe if I’m going to talk to other people about how they are living their life, then I should be attending to my own.  In social work, we generally don’t share much about our own journey.  Counseling sessions are about our clients, after all.  But, because I’ve had a lot of people talk to me about how inspiring they think the leaps I’ve taken are – I thought it might be helpful for people to know the journey (and know that I walk the walk myself – I’m not just preaching).  3).  I am genuinely interested in the connection between things like nutrition and mental health, and spirituality and financial wellness (etc).  I think it might be fun to explore these things here.  Those are my goals.  They might change along the way – but, that is where I’m starting.

 

Oh – and what is with the name?  Well – in my family, my father got to name us before we were born, and my mother after.  My after birth name is Jenifer.  I’ve bemoaned the fact that my name is so dull – and that my mother must have been bored when she named me.  (I also grew up in the generation when Jennifer was as common as a cold... I had one math class in high school where there were five Jennifers).  But – my before-birth name was Xenobia.  I love this name – it rings of the uniqueness and the mystique I so craved in my own life.  My alter-ego if you will.  I also loved it because if you shorten it – you get Xen.  And – well, that’s what I’m after: contentment, enlightenment, happiness... all of these mystical aspects of life.  So – In Search of Xen... sort of makes sense now? Hopefully.  We’ll see if I can find her.  I’m definitely on a journey to try.  

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** Extra shout out to my sister, Kate and my friend, Jessie.  My sister is always amazing with helping me try to be a bit more artistic.  If this blog looks at all good, you should thank her.  Jessie has been my editor and critic (in the best way).  I couldn't have gotten this together without either of them.**

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