I must admit, I have never written blog articles like these before, so this experience has been new for me. I originally wanted to be a volunteer traveler with Reach the World because I knew that when I was a student, I would have enjoyed talking with a traveler. But now I can see that I have learned a lot too, by pushing myself to do something new and writing these articles. As cheesy as it sounds, this has challenged me to think more deeply about the experiences I have had instead of simply letting them pass me by.
When I began studying Spanish in high school, I saw Spanish class as an easy class where I could relax a little with friends and not work as hard. I didn't see learning Spanish as interesting or an important skill to have. After traveling abroad to Nicaragua and attempting (and failing) to speak with people there, my interest in languages was sparked as I saw how practical learning a new language could be. In high school, once we moved past learning the days of the week and breakfast foods, I became more interested as we began to learn how to conjugate verbs and used more important vocabulary. I began to see how I could communicate ideas in completely new ways. Each new language that we acquire also provides a new way of thinking and a new perspective through which we see the world. It also gives us a way to connect with a whole new group of people.
