Background:
From grades 5 through 12, I took Latin in school. As a child, I was very lukewarm towards learning Latin. I didn't hate it, but I certainly did not like it. I did my school work, but out of necessity, not enjoyment. However, in my senior and final year of learning the language, I took AP Latin. There were only 2 other students learning AP Latin with me in the class, which made the learning environment very focused but also very friendly. I remember I began to love my Latin school work. We were learning the Latin language by reading Catullus, and in the spring we also began learning Greek by translating The Iliad and The Odyssey. I felt like I couldn't get enough. When I got tired of studying for Calculus or AP Biology, I would work on my Latin translations. In my senior year of high school, Latin became my favorite subject to study, hands down.
Why Spanish?:
When I was 17, I embarked on a month-long mission trip to Southern Peru. I am comfortable saying that this trip was the best experience of my life thus far. I think the reason for that is because this trip provided me with numerous challenges. One memory sticks out in particular. Less than a week into the trip I was attempting to book 13 bus tickets for my group using the hostel’s phone. I did not know any Spanish aside from “Hello”, “Goodbye”, and some colors.
On the phone, all I heard was a man speaking words in rapid succession that I could not decipher. He raised his voice as he became frustrated. I felt so embarrassed and helpless. I wanted to say “Nevermind!” and hang up, but I knew I couldn’t because we needed those bus tickets.
There was a very old, slow computer at the hostel. We would each take turns using it every few days to email our families. I went over to the computer, pulled up Google translate, and frantically entered the words that I wanted to say. I didn’t even make complete sentences. I remember looking up “bus” and “tomorrow”. We got the bus tickets, and I got off the phone. I felt so embarrassed that I wanted to crawl under a rock, and I also felt so relieved that the phone call was over.
The above picture is from the day we got off of the bus I had planned via the embarrassing phone call! We traveled overnight from Arequipa to Pisco.
Following my trip to Peru in the summer of 2011, I began my senior year of high school and fell in love with Latin. I think being abroad showed me how much there is to love about different cultures and languages, and this trip gave me the push I needed to enjoy learning Latin. I am now inspired to take on learning the Spanish language so that when I work in the medical field in years to come, I will be able to converse with Spanish-speaking patients. I hope to bring them comfort through our common language.