Blog 7 — Not Dreams, Realities

Thinking back to August and writing what my goals are, I do think I have progressed towards them. I can certainly say that I was able to positively impact my students in Honduras and inspire them to continue pursuing their English studies, even as such a young age. As for independence, I do not think I was able to progress towards that goal as I was shielded a lot by my family, being that Honduras is not the safest country to visit. Yet, as for meeting people, I could not be more pleased with my experience working at E.I.L.L. My new teacher friends went above and beyond to integrate me in their school life and personal life at times and I truly know that I will share that connection with them for life.

One connection that I formed which I do hold dearly is with my friend Noemi. I met Noemi through the application Tandem while I was looking for a PenPal in France to help me learn before my arrival in Paris. From not even knowing each other existed, Noemi and I have formed an incredible bond solely through Tandem, Snapchat, Instagram and WhatApp. The benefit of this friendship is that once I arrive in Paris I will have a French friend to morally support me while I become Independent in the city of lights.

As I continue to embark on new adventures it has become clear to me that I dont need to readjust my goals, but add more.

1. Letting go — I have realized that as much as I am a social butterfly I hold myself back from new experiences because I am shy. Sometime I feel like the world is watching my every move therefore I holdout on doing things I would like to do.
2. Daring to make mistakes — This goal goes hand in hand with letting go. I no longer want to feel pressure (from myself) to not make mistakes; in fact, I want to enjoy the adventure that the mistakes lead me to. My goal is to toss away the map and go with my gut, travel with not specific destination and soak in my surroundings with the utmost admiration.
3. Accept change — Although I feel I have a pretty good grasp of this goal, I still would like to include it in my list of accomplishments. This next semester I will be living in Paris, France and Caen, France with two different families. After communicating with both families I have noticed that their family lives are very distinct. Learning to accept change between both of my host families and my actual family back home is an important aspect of completing a successful and enjoyable gap year full of cultural exchange and learning experiences.
4. Trusting people — Yes, beware not everyone always has the best intentions, yet I think it is still imperative that I keep and open mind when meeting new people in different countries. I strongly believe that the most memorable moments are when meeting new people and having random conversations thus my goal is to talk to as many people as possible during my time abroad.

Looking forward I will continue to do as I have but with more desire to fulfill all my goals. I will say yes to every new opportunity that comes my way and forget about being shy. I will trust myself and do as I please, even if I have to go sightseeing by myself, the fear of being lost will no longer inhibit me from doing and seeing the things I want. I will seize every day and love every minute. I will not hold myself back from speaking french to locals because of my accent or due to lack of knowledge. I will arrive to my host families home(s) with an open mind and soak up every little difference I encounter. As for trusting people, I hope that I will be able to not only meet strangers but become friends with them and share memories.