¡por fin!

Well, let me just begin this blog with a triumphant: “I’m Here!!”

It’s been a busy few days and there’s no way that I could begin to describe to all of you what’s been going on. We’ve had orientation, activities, new foods, new families, lots of travel, and so much more. So, I’m going to list for you what I call my “victories” of my first 4 days here:

1. I made it through customs fine, with all of my luggage
2. I almost know all the names of the 47 other participants
3. Nothing has been stolen yet (trust me, that’s huge)
4. I love my host family
5. I think I can make it on my own on the buses next week
6. I’ve slept really well in my new bed!
7. My hair looks really good, even without a brush (I know, superficial, but it means a lot to me, somehow)
8. I’ve been healthy so far
9. The food has been really wonderful
10. I’m excited to see the next 3 months develop!

So, that’s a few things that have been going on, in a nutshell. I’ve also discovered more of what my classes are going to be like, which is a nice feeling.

For the month September, we’ll be having Spanish classes in the afternoon. I don’t know what class I’m in yet (I’ll know Monday), but those will be M-F every afternoon. Some mornings we’ll have a “Core Seminar” that focuses on History and Issues in Latin America. It sounds a lot like a Gen300 class to me, but more focused on Latin America.

In October, I’ll first travel to Nicaragua for 10 days and then we’ll have the Core Seminar full time in order to work on papers and presentations. At the end of October, we’ll have our Fall Break for 4 days.

In November, we move into our concentrations. I chose “Advanced Language and Literature,” which means that I’ll be spending more time with the Spanish language and we’ll also be talking about cultural issues “through the lenses of literature” (as it was explained to me yesterday!).

On December 3rd, we’ll leave for Guatemala, where we’ll spend 10 days there. Then we’ll travel straight to Miami for some debrief/re-entry type information/class stuff. Then, on the 17th (Sunday), I’ll come home!

So, there’s my life the next few months in a nutshell. I’m sure you’ll hear more details as time goes on. Everything is going well, I hope you’re all doing well, also 