I chose the baja bound osprey block because I am passionate about learning and speaking spanish, and I was so excited to have an opportunity to travel and apply the Spanish that I’ve been working on. One of my main goals for this course was to develop the ability to understand Spanish, even if I couldn't speak much spanish. I also hoped that I could build a better relationship with my peers on the trip through our shared travel experiences. I definitely feel closer with my other peers in the travel group, and we now have many shared memories. Along with hopes I also had fears prior to the trip to Todos Santos, and my fears were that there would be conflict in our group or that I would have trouble navigating the different personalities and dynamics in the group. This was a very real challenge, but I believe that it also helped me grow socially and I was able to have more confidence in my ability to navigate the different friendships and dynamics after having more experience. As far as speaking Spanish, my goals were to broaden my vocabulary and be able to think of Spanish phrases and sentences quicker so I could possibly make conversation en espanol. It was very exciting when I was able to understand even just snippets of what the students at the elementary school were saying, or using context clues to understand new words. I was able to formulate simple sentences and conjugate verbs when speaking en espanol, which was my initial goal for the trip. The biggest challenge for me was navigating the different social dynamics on the trip and the constant interaction with peers. I love my peers and had many friends on the trip, but it was challenging to show up with constant energy with no breaks. I’m used to going home after school and having some time to myself, however I do believe that it was good for me to be around people, maybe a little more than I would normally choose, just to push me outside of my comfort zone. My biggest success was everything I learned on the trip, not just speaking Spanish but also learning about the economy and lifestyle of the people of Todos Santos. I felt like I got some insight on their lifestyle through visiting the schools and taking the cooking class. One of my biggest takeaways from this trip was just how much we take for granted and how easy our lives are in Durango. I have traveled before and I have seen this perspective before, but this trip was unique because we were more immersed in the lifestyle in Todos Santos. Another takeaway for me was that I had the realization that I often get wrapped up in socializing and insignificant interactions, where I should be focusing on my surroundings and experiencing Todos Santos while I'm there. My next steps for learning and speaking Spanish are taking Spanish 3 at Animas, and taking Spanish classes in college. I would also love to have future opportunities to travel to Spanish speaking countries and have the opportunity to be immersed in the language. |