7_Weeks_In_Bogotá

Almost there....3 Days!!!!!!

kristiek — Fri, 27 May 2011 19:48:00 GMT

Hola,

I got back from my trip to Wisconsin yesterday, and am currently in Indiana before I leave on Monday!!!! I cannot believe that I will be going to Colombia in less than 3 days!!! It is such an awesome and nerve-racking feeling! Time has really flown by and before I know it I will be on a plane heading to Bogota.

When I was at the airport yesterday, I was just watching the planes, imaging what my trip to Colombia will be like. I am way too excited lol :) I absoluetly LOVE traveling and flying, so I am looking forward to my flight. I have multiple connections in the US first, before I take my final flight to Bogota. In total my flight time will be 7 or 8 hours. But because of the layovers, etc. I will be at the airport for quite some time.

I went shopping today, and bought way to much stuff for my trip. I will probably start packing tomorrow. It's going to be hard deciding what I want to bring with me. Also to preare for my trip I made copies of my passport. I always have this strange fear that I am going to forget my passport, and will not be allowed to get on the plane! lol..so I will have to double check that like 100 times haha

Chau!

8 days!!!!!!!

kristiek — Mon, 23 May 2011 03:50:00 GMT

Hola!

Wow..it has been sooo long since I have written in my blog...oops! I actually got really busy with finals. Also, I have been in Wisconsin for the past 2 weeks spending time with my family, friends, and boyfriend before my departure to Colombia.

I can barely believe that I am actually leaving for Bogota in 8 days!..This is so awesome. Lately I have been trying hard to listen to more movies, music, and TV in Spanish. Also I keep talking to my boyfriend in Spanish, which I have mentioned before isn't always very helpful! haha Also, I bought an electronic dictionary, so I can carry it around with me while I am there. I figured it would be a better option than lugging around an awkward paper dictionary!

I know I am quite prepared, but I still feel like I have so much to do. When I get back to Indiana I still have to pack 2 suitcases and buy tons of random stuff for my trip. I am so worried I am going to forget something. I'm sure that wouldn't be a big deal, considering I can probably buy most things I need when I get there.

Ok, well I will try to update 1 more time before I leave, but I can't make any promises..lol

Chau!

What!???...ONLY 5 WEEKS!?!?!?

kristiek — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 23:48:00 GMT

Hola,

Wow…I only have 5 weeks left until I go to Colombia! Que Bueno! I am so excited! I can clearly remember when I had 5 months to go, and I couldn’t conceptualize what it would be like to be leaving so soon. Well, I am in the final countdown, and I am so excited!

I have never been this excited to go somewhere before! I think it is because school is really stressful and difficult this year, and I just need some sort of vacation. Something to remind me that I don’t have to write anymore papers for a few months.

I have 1 week of classes left, and 1 week of finals, and then I get to go home to Wisconsin for a few weeks. Time is really flying. I just need to make it through this week, and then finals week will be a breeze.

I have been taking a Spanish class at my school, in addition to my other courses. My goal was to be able to understand spoken Spanish better, and I think I have accomplished my goal. At the beginning of the semester I was having trouble understanding mi profesor, but now I almost always understand what he is saying (unless I’m not paying attention) haha. This will be my last week of Spanish class, and I really hope I can maintain my current skill level for the month that I do not have class.

Also, I started making a packing list. I was shocked when I realized how much I need to bring with me! I have NO IDEA how I’m going to fit it all into 2 suitcases…and to think I was considering only bring 1!! Yah right… But anyway, I got too overwhelmed making the list, so I stopped. I will add more to it when I have more time.

And for the sake of learning, here are some new verbs:

Envolver = to wrap

Desenvolver = to unwrap

Chau!

An interesting documentary...

kristiek — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 00:54:00 GMT

So lately I have been interested in learning about Bogotá as much as possible, so I was trying to find some documentaries to watch. Well, last night I stumbled upon a documentary about homeless people living in the sewer system of Bogotá. I have heard about things like this…but to see it is just sad.

It can be found if you google “sewer people of Bogota”. Some of the stories the people tell are almost unbelievable.

6 weeks!

kristiek — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 09:21:00 GMT

Hola a todos!

So it’s official…I am leaving for Bogotá in 6 weeks (and 1 day..)!!!!! Time is really flying. In 3 weeks I will be in Wisconsin, then before I know it I will be back in Indiana preparing for my trip!

I just have to get through these next 3 weeks of class. I only have 1 class that is stressing me out, and I feel like the rest are just there to remind me that I am not allowed to have summer vacation yet...

Right now I am trying to practice Spanish as much as possible. Sometimes I feel pretty confident with my Spanish, but it goes in waves, because the next day I will feel like I know nothing! I have this fear that I am going to be so overwhelmed when I arrive in Colombia that I am going to forget all of the Spanish I know. I doubt that is possible, but that would really suck!

So to prepare I have only been listening to Spanish music, looking up new words, and talking in Spanish with my boyfriend (He normally has no idea what I’m saying…so it’s really not useful in building conversational skills…lol). I decided I wanted to learn Spanish about 10 months ago, and when I compare my skills (or lack thereof) from then to now, I feel I have come a long way…so that keeps me motivated.

Hmm…I suppose I can throw in a new word and verb:

Word: estereotipo = stereotype

Verb: secuestrar = to kidnap

There, stereotype and kidnap…now I can have some interesting conversations in Colombia..jkjk

Chau!

Spanish Word of the Day!!!!!

kristiek — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 13:34:00 GMT

Buenas tardes,

Ok, so I thought I could make this Blog useful (for myself and my readers), since it already has so many other qualities of a great blog...

So I have decided I will feature a Spanish word of the day, verb of the day, as well as a short phrase. I will pick words and phrases which I have never encountered before (or could never seem to fully remember). Because I only have 7 weeks (and 1 day..) until I leave, I really need to increase my vocabulary, so this may be something very beneficial! =)

Right now my Spanish level is intermediate across the board…meaning I can read, write, listen, and speak at that level. Basically what I'm saying is..I could use all the help I could get at this point!

So here it is, the first ever, Spanish word, verb, and phrase of the day:

Word: el abecedario / el alfabeto = the alphabet

Verb: quitar = to remove / to take off

Phrase: Me hace ______. = That/It makes me _____. You can fill in the blank with an adjective. Por ejemplo (for example): Me hace nervioso. = That/It makes me nervous. Me hace feliz. = That/It makes me happy.

Hasta luego!

The Countdown Begins!

kristiek — Sat, 9 Apr 2011 11:15:00 GMT

Hola a todos,

I thought it would be appropriate to say Hola…because I AM going to Colombia after all! =)

I have decided today would be the perfect day to begin writing in my blog. I purchased travel insurance, and along with that came the opportunity to have a blog. I figured, why not? Most likely I would have been too busy to have set up a blog on my own. So here I am.

Why am I going to Colombia you may ask!? Well, my goal is to someday be bilingual so I can work as a bilingual psychologist. Therefore, that would require that I be fluent in Spanish, so I picked Colombia because they are known for having very clear Spanish. Also Bogotá seems like a city I would enjoy visiting and I hear the people are very welcoming and friendly. While I am there, I will be working with children who go to a childcare center during the day. I will basically be entertaining them, helping them out with chores, and teaching them English. I really like working with kids, so I think I will have an overall great experience. I am just afraid I will have a hard time understanding little kids speaking Spanish! That may be somewhat challenging. I am going through a volunteer organization called IVHQ, which is based out of New Zealand. They have very affordable prices, and I have found a lot of positive feedback about their programs. I am looking forward to seeing if they live up to their reputation. Most likely I will be living with other volunteers in a volunteer apartment, but I won’t know for sure until I arrive. The barrio (neighborhood) I will be living in is called “Los Rosales,” and is a modern portion of Bogotá.

I am officially going to Colombia in 7 weeks and 2 days. Yup, I am counting down that precisely. lol I have known about going for the past 6 months, but it is really starting to hit me now. I have less than 2 months to prepare for this trip. There is so much I have to accomplish in the next 7 weeks!

I still have 1 month left of classes, and then I will be going home to Wisconsin to visit my boyfriend, family, and friends for about 3 weeks. Then I will come back to Indiana and leave for Bogotá a few days later! Soooo exciting! I still have to get a few travel vaccinations before I go, and also I need to decide how much luggage I want to bring and what to pack. Apparently it will be about 56 F everyday in Bogotá, but the rain and temperature can vary a lot throughout the day.

Alright, that is all the exciting news I have so far…which wasn’t even that exciting!!..But I will keep you updated, and I plan to post some pics of Bogotá (including pics of Los Rosales).

Chau