Peace Corps 

Having graduated college with a major in Visual studies I will be preparing for my Peace Corps experience. During my first trial year in south America most likely Brazil I will be learning Brazils language and picking a focus group to work with. I will naturally be drawn to the english and liberal arts groups and try to find a way to make them colloid. My first couple months away will be very hard; noting that the only time I was away for an extended amount of time was when I studied abroad. I will miss my family, familiar faces, the easy access to food, water, entertainment. It will definitely be hard but it will allow me to look at myself through a whole different sense. I will see with my own eyes the effects of our government on other countries and make a difference. During my first few months I hope to meet one or two people I can really let my guard down with and feel a connection to; I think this will really determine weather or not I can make it the two years.

After going through the training I will choose liberal arts as my focus field because it does not pin me to one specific job. I can be more flexible in terms of how I approach and help this specific community. I have met Lola who lives down the street and has been practicing her english with me. We do not always understand each other word for word but we naturally felt comfortable with one another. I have my first class this afternoon and I am nervous how the children in the community will feel about having a gringa has their teacher. As much as I want to relate to them and see myself in them I can not. I was brought up in completely different circumstances than these kids how could they respect what I have to say. Of course someone like me made its; I had supportive parents, education, money , plentiful food and water and they were lucky if they had one of those things. I am hoping that they see that I care and want to share everything that I have learned and paid for with them so they can succeed like me.

My class went okay. It wasn't exactly what I was expecting but I guess that the students showed up at all is  a good sign. I started the class with some brain teasers and a get to know you activity so we could all feel more familiar with each other and surprisingly the kids have never played such things. It is exciting to see the similarities and differences we would never encounter if it wasn't for traveling and forcing yourself into a different cultures. Things we consider "no brainers" are not necessarily taught worldwide. I am going to see if I can work with older students because I find that all though the younger kids are honest and interesting to analyze I don't have as much knowledge on how to weave intellectual academic information in a simple kindergarten level. In hopes that I can find students that are enthusiastic about the arts and are more developed so I could establish a high school newspaper run by the kids in the community.