Never have I felt more inundated with new information, and my mind bombarded in a way that demands a new kind of thought process. I am typically a good student, I strive to be efficient, and yet here in Mexico, along with nine other students, I am sleep deprived and at times feeling behind.
What presumptions do students have prior to studying abroad? We all knew it was an intensive course, and yet have we subconsciously convinced ourselves that this is some kind of vacation? Sure, we need our social time, and we literally need days to explore, to see all the historical sites, visit all the restaurants, and see whatever it is we came here to see and be a part of. But where do we draw the line?
This is the end of week five, we completed our midterm exams, and we have five weeks remaining. We have visited the pueblo de Bernal in the state of Querétaro, Mexico. We hiked the worlds third largest monolith, experienced new food, learned a language and communicated in an entirely different manner than we were accustomed.
I turned in a combination of work that I hardly support due to a lack of faith in the quality of that work. And yet it is important that I step back and review the situation. I have in the past completed work that, according to my professors was, for a lack of better words... complicated. I have been told that I am strict, that I am challenging myself in ways that are not necessary, and that I am attempting to conjugate verbs in a way that we have not yet learned. With that said, allowing myself to slip-up and turn in work that I would have spent many hours completing and complicating in the process will suffice. And ultimately, I am happy with these results. I am happy to put forth the minimal effort and reap the benefits.
I have come to the conclusion that all this effort, all this time, and all this money must not go to waste. Other students have shared similar thoughts, and it's hard to come to grips with the fact that some of us may decide that the use of Spanish beyond this trip is not necessary. Well, I look forward to learning other languages, I look forward to challenging myself as I have never quite felt this challenge before in my life and I value every moment as I'm here in a foreign culture, struggling, and growing.
We have found ourselves without control, without the sort of ability we had back home where communicating was nearly effortless, and where beyond body language we knew a great majority of the words that were spoken to us. Now, in a situation where I personally struggle, I am knowing and not knowing every word spoken to me. I am tired and I allow myself to be frustrated. I have found myself having good days and understanding much more than I thought possible. With a smile on my face I have been delirious and I have been cranky. But I would have to say that this process of learning is humbling, it is the best opportunity to step back and ask yourself questions. How am I reacting right now? How should I respond? I don't understand what they're saying but their body language tells me more about the situation.
To be continued...
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