As I cross out one more date on my calendar, my heart skips a beat like every other morning I wake up and cross yesterdays date. I am getting more and more excited and more and more nervous to be traveling abroad for more than just a couple days. I am not an avid traveler and I know the reason why: I am a certified home-body. I don’t feel attached to the people here as much as I am attached to my everyday routine and lifestyle. A lot of it is recent changes, and I am not willing to give it up for a month as a student at UDLAP in Mexico. I want to learn and change myself as much as I can without losing sight of the goals that I have put so much work into.
The first part of my new and improved lifestyle is nutrition and fitness. Since November 2012, I have lost nearly 50 pounds. I feel a lot of pressure to change my diet for the month that I am abroad but my gut and self-will both are telling me that I will regret that decision. I don’t want to throw away all my hard work from the past six months for a month of trying cultural foods. Food just isn't as important to me as it is to other people anymore. It’s just fuel for my body. I am a lot more interested in seeing sights, gaining personal experience, and growing as an independent young adult. I want to gain confidence and independence rather than just simple bodily experiences like food. I work out nearly every day here in the United States. Although it might be a challenge, I am actually quite excited to get to work out in Mexico and try to work around my obstacles with what types of weights are available in the other country. The following link tells some of what exercise equipment is offered at UDLA. It is in Spanish, but most computers are able to translate it for those of you that can't read the language.
The next part of my lifestyle that I am not willing to be apart from is my Christianity. Since religion is a new thing in my life, I like to be a part of group worship in order to put myself in a learning position. I would like to attend a church while I am in Mexico and that is one of my goals while I am there. I don’t know how much of the sermon I will understand but I will probably be able to get the general idea of it using my Spanish language skills. However I feel confident I can bring my bible and try to do so self-taught learning if I feel unsatisfied by a sermon that I can only half understand
Although I will miss my family, I am used to not living close to them and not talking to them each and every day. Although there is one non-family person I really care about and am sure I will miss. That would be my always supportive boyfriend Justin Milne. I know he will support me while I am jumping at this opportunity and will be waiting for me when I get back. I don't doubt that our relationship will survive the distance, we always end up smiling like you can clearly see from this picture.
During my time abroad, I also plan to make personal videos to assist me in seeing the development in my language throughout my language immersion process.
In all honesty, I am not that nervous about studying abroad. The worries that I do have are small and I have a plan to help myself get through those struggles. I know fully that I can do anything I put my mind to and get through any obstacle set before me and I will be sharing my path right here.
:)
