Bienvenidos a Uruguay

¡Bienvenidos a Uruguay!

1st week--

I have officially been in Montevideo, Uruguay for one week. What a full week it has been!

Earlier this year I took a trip to the Dominican Republic to work with the Haitian people for a week. When I returned to the States, I found it very difficult to explain all of my experiences to others. We had done so much, and I often had little time to explain. I usually ended up pointing them to the blog posts that my friend Ryan and I had worked on while in the DR. The blog helped me to explain. If it was hard for me to describe a week abroad to others, imagine me trying to explain a whole year! Thus, this blog has come to be. I hope that through my posts you can follow along with me through my journey. I can’t wait to share it with you all—my dear family and friends.

This week has been such a mixture of emotions. I have felt everything from heavy homesickness and nervousness to pure excitement and curiosity. Thankfully, I haven’t had much time to be homesick, as I have been busy with the process of discovering a new city, culture, and (of course) a new language. Upon arrival, I felt instantly welcomed by my new host family. They have helped teach me how to live in Montevideo. I now eat dinner at 10 pm, stay up really late, and take the bus to and fro without fail. Well, I’m still working on the last two… It has been a blessing having the Beloqui’s around to help me become situated in this new and very different atmosphere.

I have already met so many wonderful Uruguayan people, as well as others from around the world—Finland, Austria, Germany, Poland, Mississippi, Connecticut, Chapel Hill, and Raleigh. Everyone has been extremely kind. The Uruguayans don’t seem to mind if I simply stare in concentration as I try to understand their discussions. I am starting to pick up more and more Spanish in conversations—although by the time I think of how to contribute to a particular topic, it has usually passed. My pre-semester language course has helped me feel more comfortable with the language, as it is taught all in Spanish. I am excited for the real classes to begin. My hope is that my listening and speaking will only improve. It is still so hard for me to wrap my head around being able to fully comprehend and speak a different language! But by the end of this year, I WILL know Spanish. That is my goal.

In addition to trying new foods, visiting new parts of the city, and learning how to survive the cold, I have been discovering exciting things about myself. Already, in this first week, I feel more confident when it comes to dealing with new endeavors. With the help of steady support both here and back at home, I have not let anxiety or fear of the unknown overcome my experiences. Most importantly, I have really felt the hand of God guiding me through this first week. I feel like I have grown to more fully rely on and ardently trust in Him. As always, there is still a lot more room for personal and spiritual growth—but I hope that I use this year to really grow as a person and as a daughter of God.

I look forward to keeping you posted on my attempt to grow in knowledge, virtue, and faith throughout this year. I cannot thank you enough for your prayers and support. I am so thankful for all of you!

¡Hasta luego!

Los extraño—

Courtney