Antes de la aventura...

"I'm going to do a Spanish study abroad in the Dominican Republic."

I keep repeating that phrase to all my friends when they ask where I am running away to for the next month, but I don't think I have any idea myself what that really means. This has all come together for me within the past month or so, and I can hardly believe it is happening! I have traveled to a lot of different places around the world but never to the Caribbean; so this is a familiar feeling, and yet so new. I have been thrown into full language immersion before, but every country and every experience is so different!

I despise fear, but there are a few things about this adventure that make me nervous. I honestly know very little about the plans for the month, but that has also been a good lesson in trust. I'm pretty sure I'm older than most of the other students, so that should be interesting... I am also nervous that I won't understand the accents and will have a headache for a month solid. I'm not too concerned about picking up the language, but I worry about losing my French fluency as I dive into Spanish.

For the most part though, I am so excited! I am excited to get to know my host family. I love meeting new people, especially in their own homes. It is such a sacred thing to be invited into their lives, and you learn so much more about people than you ever could in any other situation. I love heat and I can't wait for the humidity! I am excited to go dancing, see the sites, and go to church with the locals. Most of all, I look forward to just being there and soaking in a new place and culture.

Through this program I hope to build my confidence in Spanish and improve my fluency. I think this experience will help me be a better teacher myself, especially as I head into my licensure year. I want to build friendships and find opportunities to help and serve. I want to be a stronger, happier, healthier person when this adventure is through. I recognize that growth comes through both failure and success, and I look forward to the roller coaster that is to come. My life is just a series of adventures, and I am so excited to set out on this one!