My Introduction, My Inspiration- Language Learning

Growing up in Northern New Jersey and going to my grandparent’s and aunts houses in Harlem, New York City many times a year, I heard English, Spanish, French and Creole. As a little girl English and Spanish is what I was introduced to first and heard the most. I come from an English speaking family so English is my native language. That did not stop my interest in the Spanish Language once I realized the difference between languages as a toddler. I would be in Harlem and Spanish music would be playing. I would walk past people conversing and realize that they were speaking Spanish. I always wanted to know what they were saying, not because I was nosy but because I was intrigued by the language that I heard. I fell in love with the rhythm of the Spanish language, the color and vibrancy in the way it was spoken and I started to observe the culture of those who spoke it. I knew I wanted to one day be fluent Spanish in particularly then maybe learn other languages in the future.

I used to love when my cousin Robbie would come and visit. He is one of my Mom’s first cousins and he spoke Spanish fluently. I vividly remember sitting on Robbie’s lap on the porch at my house asking him how to say various words in Spanish. He would patiently translate the words that I  inquired about. I also asked him how he learned Spanish since no one else in our family spoke Spanish that I knew of at the time. He told me that he learned in school and perfected his skills when he traveled and lived in Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic. Robbie could speak, read and write in Spanish just like a native speaker. I thought that if he did it and I could do it too as long as I kept at it. He became my inspiration. I don’t know if he knows it but I looked up to him then and I still do.

Learning another language is often challenging. There were many times when I questioned my progress and felt discouraged. If you are learning a new language or trying something new that takes time to grasp you may feel the same way and that is normal. In those discouraging times remember

your introduction and initial spark of your interest and all the work that you put into achieving your goal of learning that new language. Let that serve as your motivation to keep moving forward.

My surroundings growing up planted the seed for my Spanish language interests. My cousin Robbie was one of the first people to water that seed and nurture my Spanish language endeavor. For that I will be forever grateful.

KoMiSa’s Take Away Thought:

It’s not always easy to learn another language but remembering and drawing upon the introduction and inspiration that leads to this desire can be a great resource of motivation. It’s often a powerful tool to overcome the challenging times as you achieve your language goal. 

Discover Yourself Through Travel

My parents haven taken my sister and I on family vacations since we were little girls. We would go on trips to see extended family, to spend time together as a family, and to visit new places. Most of our travel was in the United States. We took a couple of cruises to the Caribbean Islands and to Mexico. Those trips were the spark to my interest for travel and learning about different cultures and yes there are different subcultures within the United States.

My first experience traveling internationally as a student was my eighth grade trip to Toronto, Canada. Two buses of rambunctious eighth graders having the times of our lives, so we thought J. It was not until just now that I am realizing that is really when the seed was planted for me to become not just an international traveler but an international student traveler. I had no idea how that seed coupled with the seed of wanting to learn a new language would greatly impact my travel life. I now have four study abroad experiences under my belt in Spain (twice), Mexico and Brazil. While I have learned so much through my study abroad experiences I want to share a time in which I learned so much from a solo travel venture.

Last year I studied abroad in Valencia, Spain for 6 months during my graduate studies. While in Europe it is usually easier and less expensive to travel between countries while there. Thus I decided to do a little traveling on my Spring break. In most of my experiences abroad I usually traveled with at least one person that I knew well. I started planning out my spring break trip by making plans to visit another classmate in the United Kingdom. I bought my plane tickets to London for the trip but plans fell through with visiting my classmate. With encouragement from my roommate I decided to do something I have never done before...

I stepped way outside of my comfort zone and traveled alone to two different countries with no intentions of meeting anyone there that I already knew. I changed my travel plans and spent a couple of days in London, England (during the week of the royal wedding), and a few days in Paris, France. This was one of the best decisions that I have ever made in my entire life. I had no one else to rely on. I had no one to confer with. I didn’t even have a cell phone to call anyone. All I had for communication was my iPod touch in which I needed wifi in order to communicate with others. I also stayed in hostels for the first time and no they are not scary like some horror movies depict. At least not the ones I chose to stay in lol. While traveling alone I learned to rely on my intuition and trust my thoughts. I allowed myself to fully open up and experience each place through all of my senses. I met some great people and even became friends with another young woman traveler. We remain friends today. I also got over my apprehensions of being alone. I learned to value my alone time and cherish the quiet moments when one is able to think, reflect and grow. Yes traveling and studying abroad is about seeing the sights, learning about the country and culture, eating the local cuisine, etc. but I learned that traveling abroad can also teach you just as much about yourself as it teaches you about the place and culture in which you are visiting.

KoMiSa’s Take Away Thought:

Take the time to learn about yourself as you are traveling and don’t be afraid to travel alone. Traveling alone can be one of best experiences you have so step out of your comfort zone and discover new things about yourself and the world around you.

P.S this can apply to any traveler whether you are traveling internationally or domestically ;-)

Happy Travels!!!

KoMiSa 

So You Want to Study Abroad...

When you think about studying abroad what are the first things that come to mind?

Some of the most common questions that often come to mind first are:

Where do you want to go?

Will your credits transfer to your home university and how?

How much will it cost?

Where you are you going to stay?

How long do you want to stay?

These are all important questions that must be answered before you study abroad. However there is another question that students and other fellow travels often do not think about or over look. That question is...

How open you are you?

You may be thinking “What do you mean by that question KoMiSa?” or “What does this have to do with studying abroad?” I am so glad you asked. J

When you are in your normal surroundings and in your normal routine you may not be asking yourself or thinking about how open you are. When I say open I mean how willing are you to experience new things, settings, places etc. without judging or rejecting something new and/or different before you allow yourself to learn and explore what’s new and/or different.

Reading and hearing about being in a different place and culture is far different from being in that different place and experiencing the culture firsthand. Doing preliminary research can often be very helpful and give great background information but there in nothing like visiting a new place and being immersed in another culture. There is also a difference between a traveler who is open and a traveler who is closed. Which one are you?

An open traveler:

Tends to experience a new place while exploring and respecting that place for where it is, its culture for what it is, and the people for who they are as the inhabitants of that place.

Examples Include:

·      A willingness to at least learn to say hello, goodbye, thank you, and you’re welcome in the native tongue of the country you plan to visit, or study.

·      Learning the customs of gift giving to those who will be hosting you during your trip.

·      A willingness to meet new people from your host country or other countries that are studying with you.

·      A willingness to take a class, seminar or go on a trip with students who are from the place in which you are studying.

A closed traveler:

Tends to be frustrated when traveling to another country with a different national language and different customs. A closed traveler is not really willing to learn about the culture of the place they are visiting and bring all of the expectations and standards from their own country without taking the culture of the foreign culture into account. Examples include:

·      An unwillingness to try the local food and local reputable restaurants.

·      Easily aggravated if it is difficult to find someone to communicate with while in a country with a different native tongue and/or complaining about someone’s accent if they are able to speak your native language.

·      Constantly talking about and referring to your native country and culture without listening and learning about the country you are traveling in.

·      As a closed student traveler you may only go to class and go back to your residence or only spend time with the students that you came with from your home university instead of taking the opportunity to meet other students from your host country.

It is often that one does not realize that he or she is a closed traveler until one travels away from home and is placed in a new place with a new culture. That is understandable. Once you realize that you are a closed traveler or want to become a more open traveler there are definitely things that you can do open up.

1.Research the country to want to visit/ study in.

·      Use your resources. The internet is a great way to start. Using Google, reading blogs like this one J, and sites such as tripadvisor.com are helpful. You can see what other people think of the place you want to go and find good deals on transportations, restaurants and lodging.

·      Reading books and magazines such as Budget Travel are also another good resource to learn more about the place, the culture and the history.

·      One of my favorites is talking to others who have traveled to where you want to go. They can give you a firsthand tourist and/or student point of view.

·      My most favorite is speaking to a native person from the country you want to study. Former students and my program administrators were really helpful in giving me names of students and professors who were living and teaching at the University of Valencia, Spain where I planned to study the following semester. From that connection I was able to secure a place to live for my spring semester. When I traveled alone to London, my friend put me in contact with her friends in London via email. When I got to London I was able to meet my friend’s friends that I had been emailing the weeks prior. That helped me to feel more comfortable traveling along in a foreign city.

2. Be receptive to new experiences, different ways of doing things, and keep an open mind.

·      Try a new dish that is native of the place you are studying in.

·      Take a tour around the city you are staying in.

·      Ask your administrators, professors, and/or other students for suggestions on where to go and things to do to. They usually have suggestions that you often won’t find online.

·      Be open to meeting new people and making new friends. They can vastly improve your experience abroad. When I made friends in Guadalajara, Mexico and Valencia, Spain I got to travel more, experience authentic meals, went to authentic restaurants, and improved my Spanish. Things I would not have been able to accomplish as successfully if I wasn’t open to making friend with local people. Friends that I still have today.

3. Enjoy the new experience!

·      Have fun

·      Be safe

·      Take lots of pictures and/or journal about the experience

·      Don’t forget to smile.

KoMiSa’s Take Away Thought:

Studying Abroad is not only about taking classes in a different place but it is about being open to all that you can learn from the experience, the culture, the language, and the people. Remember the more open you are to the experience the better the experience you will have.

Happy Travels,

KoMiSa

Allow Me to Introduce Myself....

My name is Kory M. Saunders aka KoMiSa.

I am a life long student of culture. Hence my love for languages, travel, dance, design, food, color and the connection and exchange we as people experience between each other and the cultures in which we live.

I describe myself as being fierce, fearless and focused. The mission that I live by is that I am blessed to be a blessing to others.

I am a mentor, speaker, international marketing and branding professional, and translator. I am also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated. Oh and I not to mention a new blogger ;-). I am a proud graduate of Hampton University with a B.S. in Marketing and a B.A. in Spanish. My undergraduate and post graduate study abroad experience include Spain, Mexico and Brazil. I am also a recent graduate of the University of North Carolina Wilmington with an M.B.A. and the University of Valencia, Spain with a Masters in International Business with an International Marketing Concentration. That educational experience allowed me to live  and have a great time in Valencia, Spain for 6 months. My personal travel include the United Kingdom, France, Canada, and islands in the Caribbean.

Through my love of culture I have developed a strong passion for study abroad, international programs, learning languages, and encouraging students of all ages to open their minds, hearts, and perception of not only to what is around someone but to people and place one may have never thought to explore and experience.

I love to learn and share my knowledge, expertise, and gifts with others. Allow me to be your informant, your motivator, and your guide to all things study abroad, travel, languages, culture etc. 

Hasta el proximo vez (Until next time),

KoMiSa