E134 Isabelle Sinclair Travel & Studying Abroad
Let’s Be Well Together Podcast - Episode 134
Date: August 20, 2024
Participants: John Webster, Elise Seifert and Sheila Webster
Guest: Isabelle Sinclair
Start Times and Segments:
[0:00:35] What’s On Your Mind: Elise was reflecting on how it’s easy to get stuck in our heads. It opened a discussion about mind-body connections, and how to connect to our body more.
[0:11:13] Expanding Minds Interview: We’re convinced that travel enriches us and improves our wellness. It’s great to explore this thought with guests. Isabelle Sinclair spent four months studying abroad, in England. She loves travel in that every day is a different opportunity to learn something about others, and about herself. She loves seeing what the world has to offer. She joined a competitive basketball team, which helped her see many cities in England. She and her friends took the opportunity to see European cities. In general, traveling made her feel more positive. She felt she was achieving a childhood dream. She felt enriched.
[0:27:38] Move That Body: On the Episode 127 interview, Martin Pytela noted that our lymphatic system doesn’t have a natural pump. It only moves when we bounce the body against gravity. We need to move that body (walking, running or other activities) to circulate extra-cellular or interstitial fluids. A sedentary lifestyle creates a swamp inside us. We were struck by that. It’s another great reason to move that body.
Quotes and Take-Aways:
Isabelle – I love traveling, because I feel like every day is a new opportunity to learn something about others and about myself. I like pushing myself out of my boundaries and trying new things, or being put in scenarios where I don’t know everything.
Isabelle – I love seeing what the world has to offer, as much as possible. My youth is the perfect time to do it, before I have too many commitments.
Isabelle – I’ve always been fond of England and the U.K. in general. I have heritage in England. I’ve always wanted to study abroad. University of Waterloo offered it as a program. It was a chance for me to see where my family comes from. Also, England is where English literature developed. I wanted to study English literature there to get a better sense of understanding of how things developed across the world.
Isabelle – My favourite author of all time is Virginia Woolf. I was fortunate enough to visit her house in London, which was full circle for me.
Isabelle – York was so cool. The way York looks is what you would imagine seeing if you open up a Harry Potter book.
Isabelle – J.K. Rowling wrote the Harry Potter series based on a street I Edinburg, Scotland. I was able to walk down that street and I felt in sync with my inner child that day. There were many Harry Potter themed shops along the way. I was in the right space to be my true nerdy self.
Isabelle – In general, traveling made me feel more positive. I felt I was achieving a childhood dream. I felt enriched and positive all of the time, and proud of myself for moving across the world for four months at my young age. I thought, “Okay, I’m going to try this. If I don’t like this I’ll need to suck it up.” Luckily, I did like it.
Guest Information: Isabelle is a fourth-year student at the University of Waterloo double-majoring in English Literature and Legal Studies. She’s studying in the co-op stream. In her free time, Isabelle enjoys reading, running, and travelling anywhere she can!
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Thanks for joining us,
(-(-_(-_-)_-)-) Your wellness check-in team
John, Sammy, Cameron, Sheila, Elise, Isabelle, Noura, Julie and Riley