Countdown to Peru!
Bienvenidos to my blog amigos! I have procrastinated writing this post because I have put unnecessary pressure on myself by advertising my blog extensively to my friends and coworkers because I did not expect them to be seriously interested (hello coworkers and friends). Nevertheless, I am touched by the amount of support I’ve received from my workplace and friends who encouraged and validated my participation in this seminar. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading my classmates’ entries because it is not often that we are given a space in our class to express our thoughts and opinions and simply peer into their minds about their general interests and expectations.
Although the course has not started yet, I am extremely eager to start the course and engage in the learning. I feel that in the past, I did not focus on learning or challenging myself in courses, rather my focus was directed toward what essay topic would give me the highest likelihood of obtaining the highest mark, and how I could utilize my current strengths to excel in class assignments instead of broadening my knowledge by taking courses I was interested in but was not as strong in. Therefore, considering this is the last course I will be taking in my undergrad, my goal is to simply enjoy the learning process and be comfortable with grappling unfamiliar concepts and challenging myself by exploring and researching topics that I have not been exposed to previously. Being a political science major, I am especially interested in learning about the political framework of the country and its implications on the organization of the country and overall stability. The political climate in Peru is particularly foreign to me as most of my studies were concentrated on politics in North America and Europe, thus, this is a great knowledge opportunity and area for growth.
I am extremely grateful to have been selected to participate in this course (thank you Jon for letting me slide through the cracks). I participated in a semester abroad in Sweden last year and I can confidently say that it was one of the most gratifying experiences of my life. Therefore, I cannot wait to begin learning and travelling with this unique group of students that Jon selected. I sincerely appreciate the opportunities to bond and socialize before the course as I had the privilege of meeting wonderful people such as Jasmine, Emma, and Ben. I am eager to develop a closer relationship with the rest of you as well!
Before my exchange to Sweden, I did not travel much at all. The only travelling I did before last year was a few visits to China to see relatives as all of my relatives live in China. I never thought much about exploring this world until I studied in Sweden and experienced a different lifestyle and culture where people invested most of their free time and savings in exploring different parts of the world and significantly valued gaining insight into other cultures. This way of living differed drastically from the environment I grew up in where the intention of working was to survive and there was little time for personal enjoyment. Therefore, since my realization of the rewards that come with travelling, I am especially enthusiastic about the experiences we will gain on this unique learning opportunity.
Although I am sure as many of you know (because Jon exposed me in the WhatsApp group), I have unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) left my phone behind. I can’t say for sure where it is, or if I will ever get it back, but I hope if someone finds my phone and is not able to return it for some reason, that they are at least able to put it to good use or make a pretty penny. Maybe this will allow me to fully live in the moment! I will already be fully present though because I don’t know how to conjugate past or future tense in Spanish so losing the distraction of a phone will only allow me to immerse more deeply in my environment :D.
Again, words cannot express how grateful and excited I am to begin this journey with all my class members, and I hope to see you all very soon!
Bienvenidos Emily! Reading your post has me smiling and has revived my excitement for this trip so I can now get through this last flight to Lima. Your point about learning for the sake of learning versus academic validation really struck me. I think this is such a cool opportunity with a highly motivated group of individuals who are really committed to actually learning. And you have the best attitude about missing phone! I mean people survived pre-cell phones right?
I loved hanging out with you guys when we went out!! I'm excited for us to have more moments soon. We will gab and gash and chat and have so much fun. Perhaps having no phone will be a (forcibly) enlightening experience!