3,2,1 Goals

By Jean-Luc Cruz

1. I want to try and have a full conversation in Czech during my time studying in Prague. It is important to note that, as of right now, I only know how to say “hello” in the Czech language. But, whenever you travel somewhere and don’t speak the language, you tend to absorb certain phrases naturally. Having a full, if not basic, conversation in a new language will definitely be stressful for me, but it’ll push me out of my comfort zone and hopefully help me to connect with people in Prague a bit more. I see this goal as both personal and project focused. Knowing a bit of Czech will give me the confidence to approach people for interviews in Prague and languages are an interest of mine outside of academics in general. 
2. I want to try 5 new food items that we don’t have in the United States. This is purely a personal goal and is something I try to do on all of my trips. Food can be such an important way to connect with the people around you and learn more about the place you’re in, both of which are always goals of mine when I travel. I try to pick items I think I’d like, but sometimes I see something so weird that I have to try it even if I think it’s gross. Five is a bit of an arbitrary number but I felt that 1 was too easy, it’s a loose limit so I’ll probably go beyond it. 
3. I would like to visit some memorials in Prague to the victims of the holocaust. This is more of a project focused goal, but that’s not to say I don’t deeply care about respecting these victims and understanding what these memorials represent. Some of these visits will be conducted through excursions within the classes I’ll be taking, but I also want to find some on my own and visit them by myself. Different types of reflection can occur outside of an academic setting, so it’ll be important for me to engage with both scholarly and personal reflection throughout my experience. 

Skills 

1. I would like to focus on developing my critical thinking skills during my summer experience. I’ve already gone through several experiences in my life that have helped me hone in these skills, but being in such a unique environment this summer will empower me to take these skills to a new level. Through opportunities such as site visits and  presentation assignments in my courses, I’ll be able to leverage my time in Prague to help me learn how to critically think outside of my comfort zone.

Here’s a picture I took of a buddha statue during my visit to the National Museum of Japan in Tokyo. Buddhism is a religion that isn’t on my mind all that often because there are few Buddhist sites of worship where I live. However, a large portion of Japan is Buddhist and thus, there were several temples dotted throughout the cities I visited and many Buddhist artifacts in the museums I went to. Seeing all these Buddhist images made me critically think about the Buddhist religion itself and the way in which this belief system has impacted Japan over the centuries. 

1. Another skill I’d like to focus on during my experience is communication. Several assignments in both of my courses abroad have some sort of teamwork component to them, and strong teamwork requires effective communication. Additionally, I will have to communicate with academics in Prague that will be presenting to the program I’m a part of and locals in Prague that I intend to interview for my research. Beyond this program, these communication skills will serve me well both during the rest of my time in college as well as in any future professional opportunities such as internships or masters programs.

Quote

“Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind” – Anthony Bourdain. 

This quote holds so much significance to me because it represents some of the fears I have about my summer experience. During my time in Prague, I will be studying some extremely tragic events that are bound to have a personal and emotional effect on me. For example, one of the scheduled site visits is to Krakow, Poland to tour the Auschwitz concentration camp. I personally am unsure if I am ready to be in a place like that, but will do my best to compose myself during the visit. Through all the difficult subject matter though, I hope that I can both positively change the people I meet abroad and be positively changed myself through this experience.