Saturday, May 9, 2009

2009: A Latin American Summer

Back in January, Matt and I applied for teaching jobs at eleven different schools in Latin America that were hiring for fall positions that we were qualified for. This brought us no success.

We will be in San Diego for at least another year and maybe forever, because we just like it here that much.

We do like to travel though, so we are taking this summer to do so. It will not be a Latin American year, but it will be a Latin American summer.

Here is the plan:

June: Nicaragua for 3 weeks, living with a host family and going to a Spanish language school

June: Yosemite for 1 week (my favorite place in the world) to celebrate the college graduation of my brother (one of my most favorite people in the world)

July: Peru for 4 weeks to conduct field research for my capstone project for my master's degree (The working title of my project is "The Role of Education in Post-conflict Peacebuilding: Case Studies of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Peru.")

August: Costa Rica for 1 week to take my last master's class "Educational Leadership for Peace and Sustainability." This class will be held at Costa Rica's University for Peace and is through the School of Leadership and Education at University of San Diego. (Matt will not be going on this trip with me.)

Matt and I have been extremely lucky in the past 7 or so years to have been able to travel as much as we have. I feel guilty for the opportunities we take to see and experience the world, but I am also so grateful, because the traveling I have been able to do has really molded me into the person I am and has shaped a lot of my values, actions, and philosophies on life. So, here we go again.

P.S. I like parentheses, in case you couldn't tell.

4 comments:

  1. That sounds awesome Brooke!

    Here is a quote for you:

    "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow mindedness, and many of out people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, charitable, wholesome views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime." -- Mart Twain

    I commend Matt and your commitment to travel. Have fun!

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  2. Thanks for the quote Greg! I really like it, and it will be one that I write down and refer back to throughout my life (along with a handful of others that I have).

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  3. I am so jealous! We are going to peru next summer and we can't wait. We hope to be world travelers like you and matt are :)
    kara vizzini murano

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  4. what a wonderful summer the two of you will have. I agree with you so much...witnessing different cultures and seeing different ways of living life really does mold you. i've always been a firm believer that it also make you a more well-rounded person. when you see people doing things differently, it opens your eyes to a world you never knew existed. people so often get caught up in the way things are done here, but the value so many cultures hold in family or a lack of technology can truly be a blessing. have a great summer!!

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