Hello All!

My name is Marissa T. and this is my first blogging experience ever! I am in second year University majoring in Honours Psychology and lovin' every minute of it (except of course, the homework). I've created this blog to enable others to share with me in my preparation for and eventual travel to, Esteli,Nicaragua.

I'm travelling to Esteli by way of the University program Beyond Borders - an international program that aims to allow University students to put their education towards making the world more just and peaceful. In Esteli, I will be working with a program called Funarte, a community art program that teaches children about important social issues. I'll do some investigatory research into my placement and include some more info. on it in future posts.

Leading up to my trip in May, I am taking a few courses offered by my University to prepare me for what I will experience in my host country. In Fall Term I took a course titled "Current Ethical Issues" which taught us about the inequality and differing perspectives on life existing in other countries (not that I was unaware of them before that course). This term (Winter 2009) I am taking another course called " Justice, Peace and Development". This is less of a standard "class" course and more of a participatory class. We only have 5 classes in a span of 13 weeks. The other 8 classes will be spent volunteering at The Working Centre - details to follow in later posts, once I find out more info. about it.

I'm so excited for this opportunity and I hope you'll share with me in my mental, physical and emotional preparations for this trip, including my experience at the Working Centre, in class and fundraising, as well as anything else relating to this trip. I'll try to post some links or pictures as I go along, relating to the country, myself and possibly my actual trip.

Later days!