Fears

I've been meaning to do this post for a little while, and I hope that I can do so in the right way.  You see, it is important sometimes to acknowledge our fears so that we can take a closer look at them and realize that they may not be that scary after all.  Fear all really stems from one thing: the unknown, think about it and you will recognize that most of your fears will come from, at least in part, the fact that you don't know how things will be.

What are some of my fears in going to Mexico?  First of all one of my major fears is not being able to communicate well.  I am still learning the language and I don't want to be stuck inside my head surrounded by people that I don't understand.  I am practicing Spanish everyday, and I am overall not too concerned, however I do sometimes wonder what hinderences will bar my path because of my inability to express myself fluently or understand others completely.

I suppose this stems from not know the full extent of my Spanish abilities, coupled with me not know how well I will be able to understand the native speakers there.  There are a few things I can do about this: first, I need to get a better understanding of my speaking level.  This is tied to the idea that I need to create a better study plan to acquire the Spanish language.  Second I need to practice my ability to understand native speakers.

Both of these problems are primarily solved by practicing speaking with people from Mexico, and I am lucky that I have a few Mexican friends.  But I can also practice comprehension by watching movies in Spanish and practice speaking by setting a certain amount of time each day that I will speak Spanish with my roommate or class mates or others.  Lastly, I can always ask for help and advice from a large group of friends that served foreign language missions and have more skills and experience in language acquisition than myself.

So... that's the plan (rule the world).  It's simple right?

Benjamin