The Beginning

January 25, 2010, 10:45am

Today is the first of many on my South American journey. As I sit in the airport I think about today’s travels: from Minneapolis to Chicago to Tampa to Miami to my final destination Santiago, Dominican Republic. I feel a mixture of excitement and nervousness as I think about the adventures ahead.

The plan is to spend almost three weeks in the Dominican Republic visiting my friends, host family, and community where I studied abroad just over a year ago. After that I am off to Chimbote, Peru where I will be volunteering for three weeks, taking in the Peruvian Spanish and ways of life. On March 4 I will return to Lima, Peru where my CIEE Business and Society study abroad program begins. Through studying at la Universidad del Pacifico, a prestigious business school in Lima, I will directly enroll in international business coursework. It will be challenging, especially being that I am the only participant in my program this semester, but I believe it is an opportunity for tremendous growth.

That being said, it was still hard to say goodbye to my family and my comfy bed. However, being away just makes being together that much special. Before I fully embark on this extraordinary voyage, I want to take a moment to thank all those who have showed their support. To all those at Carlson (shout out to the UGP and UBCC!) thanks for your excitement and interest in my travels. To my Brothers of Sigma Lambda Beta International Fraternity Inc. I thank you for your support; I can hardly wait to come back to continue kickin’ it. To my whole family, most of all, whose love and presence continues to guide me in all that I do: thank you and I will keep you all in my heart.

Well, here I go to jump on a few more planes before I arrive in Santiago where my friend from the swim team will be there to pick me up. I cannot wait!!