by Stacey Padilla
My goals for studying abroad in Montevideo, Uruguay:
1. My most basic goal is to improve my fluency in Spanish. I want to be able to hold a conversation without the anxiety of “How would I construct that?” and to be able to write messages in Spanish without agonizing about whether I should have used the subjunctive. I’m not saying that I’m BAD AT SPANISH, but there is just so much I’m looking forward to improving!
2. I want to better understand the perspective of an immigrant. I am a second generation immigrant raised by one parent who moved to the US as a young adult and another parent who grew up in the US as an ethnic minority. I already know what it’s like to feel “on the outside looking in” culturally, but I think it’s a valuable lesson to remove yourself completely from your home and experience total readjustment.
3. While this trip will more directly benefit my Spanish major, there are also SO MANY aspects of it that can contribute toward my education in Sociology (my other major). Uruguay is a very interesting country in regards to its government system and high level of safety. I bet there are some good thesis opportunities topics just waiting to be uncovered…
4. In a very big and rather vague way, I want to better understand where I, as a Latina, come from. I am not of Uruguayan descent, so I cannot call this a pilgrimage to my roots, but I am really invested in seeing what the culture of Montevideo reveals to me about my own culture.
How I’m feeling about this impending journey:
Right now my feelings are mostly positive. I feel immeasurably fortunate to have the opportunity to study abroad, and am even further psyched that I was nominated to my first choice of university, La Universidad Católica del Uruguay. I have had many international friends at my college, so it’s a little bizarre, but very exciting, to find myself in their shoes (or, looking at their shoes & preparing to put them on…). I’ve already researched Montevideo through the internet, a travel book, an e-book for expatriates living in Uruguay, and a whole lot of Google Earth. I get pretty giddy about it.
At the same time, it does make me nervous, because I have seen my friends struggle with adjusting to a new culture, finding a comfortable social group, and navigating a non-native language. I’m a shy person, so many of the social aspects of this trip are nerve-wracking for me, particularly knowing that I will be staying with a host family. I worry that I will be one of the international students that nobody gets to know, who feels homesick because they haven’t created a home-away-from-home, who effectively disappears once she boards the plane home. Still, I know that more likely than not, I will make friends, figure out how to operate in the culture, and be able to laugh really often about all of the silly mistakes I’m going to make. Change is hard, but this opportunity is too amazing to feel down about.
Some ideas of how I will make the most of my experience:
1. I want to buy or rent a bike so that I can see the city. Cars can take a lot of the life out of wandering around, and walking only allows a certain range of discovery. Riding my bicycle is one of my favorite ways to explore, so I am going to put real effort into this! If it ends up being impossible, I’m sure I can have some insightful experiences on public transit…
2. I am going to do my best to not hang out with only Americans. We’re fine folk, but I’m travelling to Uruguay to experience something different. Along this line, I want to be speaking Spanish at least 90% of the time – not using other English-speakers as a crutch!
3. While I plan not to be too hard on myself about culture shock, it is my intention to push myself to be more outgoing. I would really like to travel during breaks from class or after the semester ends, so I need to find other adventurers to explore with! I want to create real bonds with other students, and through service work, create bonds with community members. This is an exercise in ~coming out of my shell.~
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