Blog #12 The End

     Wow, I can't believe this is almost over.I feel like this year has just flown by! (sorry for being so cliché...)  When I first decided on taking this class I was super excited about it, because I had always wanted to learn more about Latin America. This class has met and exceeded my expectations. I feel like I know so much about Latin America now (though I know there's still much more to learn). I'd say that the indigenous cultures, the Conquest and the Mexican Revolution were probably the most interesting things we talked about. And my favorite assignment both semesters was the final project documentary, I just had so much fun making these and thought it was much more enjoyable than writing a paper. I also liked the writing of the blogs, but I think that homework assignments should not be due the same day as a blog because this semester felt like we had a lot more to do.

     A big thing I owe to this class is helping me to figure out what direction I want to go in life. Let me elaborate; upon arriving at college I was dead set on being an orthodontist. That meant 4 years of science classes here, then 4 more years in dental school, and then 3 more years specializing. Now I'm a Spanish major and I feel fifteen billion times better about my life. I realized that I shouldn't base what I'm doing for the rest of my life on my family's expectations and ideas. This class kind of forced me to accept who I was, and that Spanish was my true passion. Whenever Serrata would give us readings in both Spanish and English, I found myself always trying to read them in Spanish first. This class also forced me to realize that the world is such a bigger place than I thought. Now I'm planning on studying abroad in Chile for a whole semester, and I'm looking forward to it immensely. Honestly, at this point I could actually see myself living in a different country and being part of a whole new culture, whereas before I wanted nothing more to get married and settle down in my hometown of Grand Ledge. Now I can really see myself doing anything and everything. Granted this might be in part due to college in general, but I think a lot of it stemmed from this class. This class really opened my eyes and got me to consider the possibilities.

     My final thought is once again super cheesy, but I really loved getting to know all of you guys :) I would not have adjusted to college nearly as well without the friends I have made from this class :) I enjoyed working with all of you and getting to know everyone. I found it really interesting that we are all such different people, with different majors and backgrounds, but we all shared the common interest of Latin America. Thank you all for making this year great, and I hope that when we see each other on campus in the coming years we will do more than just a nod of acknowledgement, but we will actually talk and remain friends. :)