Introducing FilipinaLatinaAbroad!

Growing up, I only had two goals. When I say these goals meant everything to me, I mean it. They were the subject of small talk in the playground, chats waiting at the after-school program, or dream board collaging during art class; I was THAT kid. My first goal came after watching Harry Potter for the first time. The robes, the dormitories, the magic -- I wanted to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry -- to BE Hermione Granger. It wasn’t enough to simply watch and read about this world. I knew I could do better. The second goal came after learning about my dad's studies abroad in Scotland during his senior year at Dartmouth. I like to think I was early to the whole “dark academia” aesthetic. Scotland and Hogwarts felt like peak living to me; beautiful, gloomy weather and pretty classrooms made learning seem desirable. Nonetheless, fasting forward ten years, I find myself entering my junior year at the moss-covered Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon. Although my dad claims the school leans closer to The Shire rather than Hogwarts, the campus has the romantic effect I was so seeking. And regarding my second goal of scenery and travel, I am writing this entry as I sit on a plane to Miami preceding my eight-hour flight to Santiago, Chile.

 

I suddenly find myself completing both goals I idolized my entire childhood. It feels strange and unreal that, after talking about it for so long, I’m finally here. Unapologetic with my FOMO, I hardly ever say no to opportunities if they push me out of my comfort zone. This coming academic year may just be my biggest push yet and, because of that, I am going to set a radical new goal for myself: Be Present.

 

As a result of trying this new method, out comes FilipinaLatinaAbroad, my brand-new Blogspot blog. I was trying to best figure out the way to keep my loved ones updated while I traveled this coming year, and this one felt most authentic and accessible for everyone. I am organizing my blog into a ‘Posts’ page and then two other pages: one for ‘Food & Drink’ and one for ‘Slang/Vocabulary’. I will have a more concrete schedule for posts and updates once I get settled into my academic life in Chile. For now, I am planning on every Sunday. Stay tuned for entries on what a Day in My Life is like, meeting my host family, and other fun adventures!😊

 XoxOo

Lucinda

P.S. A big thank you to my wonderful parents and family for their continued love and support of everything I do; more to come regarding them in future posts.