Blog 7: Final Reflections and Looking Ahead

I will start this blog post off by saying that I intend to add much more to it upon arriving back in the States from Nicaragua. At the present I am sitting in this limbo time between the end of LACS 20 and the commencement of the Nicaragua CCESP and I couldn’t be more excited. I imagine once I come back I will have tons of reflections, experiences, and information I want to share from my journal to make this more of a complete picture but for now I am going to reflect on the course and talk about my anticipation for this trip.

LACS 20 was really an invaluable class. It combined so much of what I enjoy with class material and learning opportunities and I can’t imagine preparing to embark on this trip without the class. I am a member of the community health team but my interests vary far from simply science and medicine. I really enjoy learning about history, especially modern, social history, as well as about other cultures. Before this class I would have absolutely said that I was least familiar with Central America and similar areas in the world than any other and now I have a much deeper understanding of it, past and present. Furthermore, the social aspects, seeing how the history of the 1980s is so evident in every part of Nicaraguans’ lives, including their attitudes towards Americans, is so interesting and unique because it is such recent history. The guest speakers were possibly the most helpful and interesting part of the class because they had far more experience and expertise than us and also contributed to our discussions and my thought process. I definitely think I became much more of a critical thinker about issues like development, voluntourism, and traveling abroad because of this class. Finally, I am so glad that I got to meet, get to know, and work with my future CH team members and CCESP participants before the actual trip. I am so happy with my group and my final project and I can’t wait to see how we can implement it in the clinic and Casa Materna, as well as collaborate with other groups. We really have a great group and I am so looking forward to everything ahead of us in Nicaragua.

Sitting at home now, I am doing whatever I can to prepare for this trip. My Spanish knowledge is pitiful so I have been studying the Spanish language guide like nobody’s business but I’m sure I’ll learn so much more actually interacting with Nicaraguans. When we learned about the accommodations that we’ll have in Hormiguero many of my classmates seemed a bit uneasy but I just joked that “it’s like India, but I won’t know what anyone is saying.” However, my mother’s worrying about packing lists, whether I have enough bug spray, things to pack in case of emergency, and all manner of other things now has me a bit anxious. Outside of these minor worries though I am so excited and ecstatic that we’ll be on our way in a little over a week. This is truly my first experience like this and everything that I have heard about it has me believing that it fits perfectly into my interests and aptitudes. I can’t wait for it to be real!