From Jose, Jan. 5

After a few months of anticipation and a few weeks of pre-departure work on Microfinance projects in Nicaragua, I have finally arrived in Managua, Nicaragua!  It's been a pleasant welcoming thus far.  It’s been many years since I have visited Central America—El Salvador, specifically—and I look forward to spending the next two weeks in Nicaragua, polishing my native-language skills, and learning about economic developments that affect third world Spanish-speaking countries. 

                Throughout the next few days, I am a bit worried that our professor, Dr. White, who was tentatively going to join us on the trip will not be joining us anymore.  While our group still has University of Maryland faculty who are just as knowledgeable about the work will be doing in-country, I have never studied abroad without the professor present.  However, I am sure things will turn out just fine, if not better than expected!

                On a positive note, I look forward to making great friendships with my classmates throughout the next two weeks.  I have never spoken with many of the students in the course and will for sure make great friends with them by the end of the trip, especially the members in my team which I was assigned on for the majority of the trip.  The last time I studied abroad in Dubai, I became very good friends with all my classmates; therefore, I am expecting similar outcomes from this trip.

                Lastly, I look forward to meeting everyone in Nicaragua who is part of the Micro-financing initiatives that we will be assisting in Managua, Granada, and San Juan del Sur.  As I aspire to be involved in microfinance one day, I hope I make life-long relationships in Nicaragua that will help me throughout my career after college.