2018-02-28
Why am I here? Why did I voluntarily put myself in the most uncomfortable situation I have ever been in? Why did I decide to make my biggest fear of college—homesickness—even bigger by going further and for longer? Why did I decide to take a year that depended on my worst subject in school—Spanish? Why...
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Coming from a country where buses are not considered a normal mean of transportation, it is not surprising that I found myself lost trying to figure out the bus system in Florianópolis far too many times. I remember the first time my host sister explained how it works to me in Portuguese, I was nodding...
Read More2018-02-27
Welcome to Carnaval! My host family began counting down the days in October. Every time we wash our clothes (by hand in the cement sink), someone in my family would throw water on me and scream “Carnaval”. I honestly dreaded it and I thought I would hate it. The idea of strangers randomly soaking you...
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This is a letter in response to what I wrote myself during the Stanford week right before starting this interesting journey. Dear Shukura (August 2017), I know you hoped that I would be completely fluent in Spanish but I am not. I really have improved and I am getting closer everyday and try my hardest...
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French And lack thereof I. Do. Not. Speak. French. Sometimes (all the time) I feel like I need a sign on my forehead declaring this to the well-meaning people of Senegal who see my lack of melanin and immediately launch into the official national language, a remnant that still binds the colonizer and...
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2018-02-26
Hey! I’m back. I know it’s been a while. I finally found a moment to sit and write something… Have you ever regretted everything you did and didn’t do after saying goodbye to someone? I have… I always do regret the past Since the beginning of my experience with GCY, I have said goodbye for...
Read More2018-02-23
;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;margin:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:".SF UI Text";color:rgb(69,69,69)”> Dear Grandma Mary & Grandma Peggy, Maybe the most important thing my gap year has done is open my eyes to the importance of family. I have witnessed countless sacrifices made in the name of family, and unwavering love & respect for relatives during my time here. I have always been aware...
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