Summer plans

“!Eres bonita!” “!De nada!”

This summer could potentially be the most rewarding – or stupidest – undertaking of my college career. I will be spending two months in the rural, mountainous, farming community of Chaguitillo, Nicaragua. And let me tell you, I’m scared!

Not because I am afraid for my safety or health (although the possibility of catching malaria or dengue fever is certainly on my mind), but because I don’t really speak Spanish.

Of course, fluency in the language is one of the requirements for the program sponsored by the Foundation for Sustainable Development. And of course, I took four years of Spanish in high school and an additional semester here at UNC. But fluency? I still confuse ‘gracias’ with ‘de nada’! I am supposed to be helping this community – whether as an English teacher, health educator, or museum curator is still an open question – but I am afraid the summer will merely consist of patient repetitions of simple commands until I nod pathetically, lying that I understand. When I decided to spend the summer in Nicaragua with so little preparation, why didn’t anyone stop me?!

Because I am in college now. And the greatest blessing and curse of college life is that no one is going to stop you. The resources are all there, and the possibilities are endless! Hundreds of organizations cater to college students looking for a cultural immersion experience – FSD, SIT, and CCS to name a few. And the University provides you with a one-stop vaccination and travel advice center. Of course, they may not tell you that appointments fill up months in advance or that the clinic is hidden in a secret location. So it may not be easy. And they can certainly discourage you. Believe me! My mom made it quite clear how crazy I am for doing this. But she still let me make my own decision.

And of course, no one can truly be prepared for their first experience in a totally foreign environment. You can leave with lofty ambitions of saving the third world, but in the end, the experience will have a far greater affect on you than on the community you set out to save. But I recognize this fact, and despite my fears, I am very excited. I am excited to learn about a new culture, a new history, perhaps a bit of latin dance, and maybe, just maybe, make my small impact on Chaguitillo. But not to aim too high, I have decided that if I actually, through immersion, learn Spanish during my experience (as everyone keeps assuring me I will), I will consider it a successful summer.