I do not expect this to be easy.
I hope that this will be an experience like no other. I hope to become fully-immersed and fall in love with Colombian culture, to live by it and appreciate its warmth. I hope to share certain aspects of my culture with my community, to break negative stereotypes of how Americans look, think and believe. I hope to above all inspire and encourage my students, and provide them with vital tools of success for their future.
I do not expect this to be easy.
I am grateful to be placed in such a breathtakingly beautiful part of the world. I am grateful for placement in a Spanish-speaking country. I am grateful to be working on a project that I feel so fervently passionate about, but I am not so naive as to believe that this will not be a great challenge.
However, I have learned a great deal about myself through my most recent experiences. This past year, I have done a number of challenging things. I have backpacked alone through foreign countries, I completed my bachelor’s degree while working 2-3 jobs, and most challenging of all, I taught middle school for a semester.
During this time, my cooperating teacher reintroduced me to the idea of mantras, phrases to repeat to yourself daily to encourage yourself to persevere through a struggle. I taped a few to my mirror and I recite them every morning, but one phrase in particular really stuck with me throughout my experience in the classroom.
This is hard, but I can do hard things.
This is the grounding mantra that I will take with me to Colombia during my service. It will be challenging to integrate into a new culture and community. It will be challenging to become fully fluent in another language. It will be most challenging to leave behind my home, my friends and family in pursuit of this new life and experience.
This will all be hard, but I know that I can do hard things.