And so it begins...

Well hello there! Here we are: Post #1. To be honest, I have no idea how I am supposed to start this. Should I introduce myself, or do you just read that later in the "About Me" section? Who knows?

How about starting out my reason for starting a blog? I never thought I would, but lately the idea has been stuck somewhere in the back of my head, like an itch you just can't reach. So here I am. And here you are! I wanted to start this blog to track the adventure I am about to embark on, and I wanted others to join me for the ride. This summer, June 25th to August 13th, I have the amazing opportunity of studying abroad in Mérida, Yucatán, México! Doesn't that sound incredible?! I am mainly going to study Spanish at la Universidad Modelo {and hopefully fulfill my dream of becoming fluent...ish}, but I will also travel to some amazing sites like Uxmal, Chichén-Itzá, and la Ruta de los Cenotes. When I found out I was accepted into the program, I cried. Yeah so, pretty excited.

Going to be my home for 50 days!

In preparation for México, I have to take a pre-departure class for the last block of the semester, and Friday was my first class. There were about twenty other people in the classroom, varying in age, major, and Spanish-speaking ability. I really am looking forward to getting to know all of them and hope I don't keep to myself too much. I have a bad tendency of doing that if I feel uncomfortable. The program is being lead by a professor of Spanish, Dr. Alvord. He seems really cool. We spent the majority of the class introducing ourselves and then had a short presentation on Mérida.
Next week we're going to start diving into the Mayan history and culture of the Yucatán.

I guess another reason I started this blog is that I'm hoping to keep it going, even after Mérida. As a Geography major, I hope to travel the world and share my experiences. I want to influence lives for the better; to leave my mark on the world. I'm starting to become obsessed with reading travel creative non-fiction; the people in them have so much spunk! You know, people that decide one day to quit their job, pack their bags, and spend 6 months in Papua New Guinea. Spunk. I'm in the middle of Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Maybe a bit cliché, but I like it. No worries though; I have an entire Pinterest board dedicated to more books I want to read {another bad habit-Pinterest addiction}. I also recently discovered this blog of a British girl who just travels the world by herself. She is the epitome of spunk. You should check it out! {Pommie Travels}

Anyway, if you're reading this, I thank you first of all, and hope that you'll help me keep this up by reading it when you can. :) T minus 83 days until México!