I recently passed the halfway point of my time in Colombia. The timing lined up with my return to Bogota from the research field, so my time in-country segmented well into two halves.
I am feeling very good about my time here thus far. I have done so many interesting and impactful things (both ecologically and socially), and I look forward to the rest of my time here in Bogota. The only consistent difficulty is the language. This is something that every student in my position faces and it is nothing that surprised me. My Spanish has improved immensely. Several of the people in Bogota who met me before I left for the field have commented over the past few days how much I have progressed. And I still have so much to learn. I am excited to see where my language skills are at when I depart.
1 Comment
Robin
6/27/2017 04:23:48 pm
For those who have never had the experience, it is difficult for people to imagine how challenging it is to live in a different country and try to operate in a language that you did not speak from toddlerhood. I remember when we were in China, initially, we had every intention of speaking Chinese at home at much as possible, instead of English. But, by the end of the day, after speaking in a second language all day, you don't want to have to think anymore in that second language. You simply want to relax in your mother tongue.
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Ben JohnsonI am a junior at Rice University majoring in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and minoring in Environmental Studies Archives
June 2017
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