One More Day!

I purposefully saved blogging until the last day because thats when all my excitement has gathered, and I'm sooo ready to go (except I haven't started packing yet)! My expectations is to learn, listen, and follow new advice and find mentors who can shape me. I'm going to really try to not compare this trip to last years; the energy of this group of people is different, and so so so great! I really think that the energy of this group can help make this trip a great one. With everyone supporting and backing each other, and helping other meet their goals for this trip, we are all in for a really great and fulfilling time. 
Something Dr. Rieck challenged us to do last year is to strive to make someone's trip better than your own. I think that really impacted me last year and the way I looked at this trip, not just going for personal gain but to go and help others achieve their goals. I really want to do that this year, as well as really get to know everyone, although I know everyone on a friend-based level. That has to be one of the things that I am really looking forward to the most, is seeing everyone really enjoy their time and achieve whatever they wanted to achieve, as well as the group becoming closer through out this amazing experience. 
Along with a personal and professional goal, I have come up with a cultural goal as well. Next year I will be hopefully attending either Queens College or New Jersey City University through the National Exchange Program, and both of those colleges have high cultural diversity, which isn't something i'm used to, coming from UWEC. My goal is to not only tour these schools, but to get a taste of what going to school will be like in a highly diverse situation. I will do this by opening my mind and not having a pre-determined view of what is going to happen or how people are going to act. This is going to be both a challenge and also very good for me as a growing young adult. 
I'm so excited to see everyone and start this week long journey! I plan to take each moment in and not  think about what is happening next, or all the things I have to do when I get back to school for the spring semester, but instead get as much as I can from every experience of this immersion. 
See everyone soon!!

Laura