End of the Semester

In this Humanities class, we studied many great works of literature, artwork, music, and film by Latin American artists. I came to recognize how vast of a subject "Latin American Humanities" really is. Not only does "Latin America" include a huge group of people, but this people is composed of a mesh of cultures and traditions that is still changing. The works we studied helped me to gain some insights into this group and to have a more open mind towards learning about cultures and beliefs that are different from my own.

My favorite work we studied this semester would have to be Bless Me, Ultima. First off, this story was very engaging. In class, we were reading the book over a couple of weeks, but I finished it in the first. I couldn't stop reading! Beyond the engaging story line, I liked that this book emphasized the importance of questioning the world and coming to know for yourself what is truth. As Antonio grows up, he has many influences telling him who and what he should be. His mother hopes he will become a priest, while his father doesn't see as much importance in education. He always seems to be pulled between his mother's grounded Luna side and his father's free-spirited Márez side.

Then Ultima comes to stay with the family. In my previous blog post, I wrote about how this was an "origin" for Antonio- a significant change in the course of his life. She teaches him that "good is always stronger than evil... The smallest bit of good can stand against all the powers of evil in the world and it will emerge triumphant" (98). Ultima practices magic and most the town believes she is a witch, but she gives Antonio importance guidance in his life. To me, this novel was an example of how much we can learn from cultures and ideas that may seem different from our own.

Personal Connections

"I love you with all my heart. I love you more than all the earth and all the sea. And all the stars and all the sky" (La Misma Luna, 2007, Directed by Patricia Riggen).

In this early scene in the movie, Rosario calls her son from a pay phone to talk for just minutes. She had been living in L.A. for nearly four years while her son remained in Mexico. She speaks these words to Carlos and cries when the call nears an end. La Misma Luna focuses on the characters' emotions to draw more attention to the humanistic side of the immigration issue in the U.S.

For a while, I would go once a week to our local nursing home for Alzheimer's and Dementia care to play games such as bingo with the residents. A few residents could play their own boards, but for most, I would walk around and place pieces after reading the letter and number. Most did not remember much about their own family members. None of them would remember me the next week I came. One sweet lady made the same comment each week: "This is a wonderful game for teaching children numbers!"

After a while, I found out my aunt had been diagnosed with dementia. This news had a big impact on me, having seen first-hand the disease's effects. I have many memories growing up around this aunt. We have sadly watched as she has lost her ability to work and function in the way she used to. Now when I return to the nursing home, I see my aunt in the people there. I recognize more fully that these people once lived normal lives. They had jobs, families, sweet memories, and hopes for the future. My personal connection through my aunt has made the issue something I care for more deeply.

My dad with my aunt

The makers of La Misma Luna wanted to create this kind of personal connection to the plight of immigrants. They wanted viewers of the film to see immigration laws not only from an economic viewpoint, but from seeing these people as human beings. From the very beginning of the movie, they establish the deep connection between Carlos and his mother to draw the viewer in emotionally.

Making Dreams a Reality

"No, this isn't my house I say and shake my head as if shaking could undo the year I've lived here. I don't belong. I don't ever want to come from here... 

No, Alicia says. Like it or not, you are Mango Street, and one day you'll come back too" (Sandra Cisneros, The House on Mango Street, pg. 105).

Esperanza dreams of a different life for herself, of owning her own nice house, of being more beautiful, of having a best friend, of living somewhere far away from Mango Street. Through her experiences and the people she encounters, Esperanza learns she cannot change who she is or where she comes from, but she can take control over the outcome of her life.

This quoted passage reminded me of a devotional I attended. The speaker claimed that the key to happiness is focusing on what is within our control, while the key to being miserable is dwelling on that which is outside of our control. For example, someone who doesn't like the shape of their nose could dwell on this feature. Or, they could try to maintain a clean and presentable appearance. In my relationships with friends and family members, I could think about how I want someone else to change. Or, I could focus on changing my own behavior and outlook to avoid problems and strengthen these relationships.

After thinking about this devotional, I could see this idea woven throughout the novel. Esperanza meets many people who dream of a reality different from the one they know. Some of her neighbors focus on things outside their control. Marin is waiting for a man to marry her and take her off to live in a big house. Rafaela "dreams her hair is like Rapunzel's" (79). Esperanza's Mama dreams of winning the lottery and buying all the things they've ever wanted.

On the other hand, Esperanza learns from the examples of those who do all in their power to make their dreams a reality, by focusing on what is within their control. Her friend Alicia "is young and smart and studies for the first time at the university. Two trains and a bus, because she doesn't want to spend her whole life in a factory or behind a rolling pin" (32). Alicia understands that we can't change some circumstances, but that we will achieve the most in life if we accept this and continually strive to improve in the ways we are able.

Magic in Their Hearts

"It seemed that the more I knew about people the more I knew about the strange magic hidden in their hearts" (Rudolfo Anaya. Bless Me, Ultima. pg. 109).

In Bless Me, Ultima, Narciso is known as the town drunk. One night Cico brings Antonio to the garden of Narciso- a garden with every kind of fruit and vegetable, with soft ground, and with sweet fragrance. Antonio eats a carrot and says he has "never eaten anything sweeter or juicier"(109). Cico tells Antonio that Narciso dances and sings as he plants by moonlight, and that the garden is drunk like Narciso. Antonio realized that people don't simply fit the labels assigned to them by others.

In high school, I became involved with genealogy, using censuses and other records to piece together more of our family tree.

Part of my family tree on my dad's side

For a while, it felt like I was just looking for names. Then I came across a thin book with the story of my ancestors who had come from Denmark to the United States. I read their story and realized that each of those names had been a real person. The more I learned about them, the more I recognized there was so much I didn't know about their lives. Instead of just wondering about names, I wondered who they were as people.

Similarly, as Antonio learns more about the world and the people around him, he has more and more questions. He wonders why evil goes unpunished, why good people suffer, and why people are the way they are. In Narciso's garden, he learns that people should not be categorized. He sees magic in the heart of Narciso that the rest of the town could not see through the label of drunk they had placed on him.

Antonio sees magic in many places growing up: in Ultima's ability to heal, in the evil practices of the Trementina sisters, and in the stories told by the adults and children. He comes to see this magic within other people, but he also sees the magic in that people are unique and complex. The more we learn about others, whether our ancestors or the people around us, the more we realize there will always be more to learn about who they are as human beings.

Beginnings

"Let me begin at the beginning. I do not mean the beginning that was in my dreams and the stories they whispered to me about my birth, and the people of my father and mother, and my three brothers--but the beginning that came with Ultima" (Rudolfo Anaya. Bless Me, Ultima. pg. 1).

In this novel, Ultima is a curandera, "one who cures with herbs and magic." She delivered Antonio into the world, and is a close friend to his mother. Antonio's six-year-old life changes when Ultima comes to live with their family. This is where he begins his story.

We often try to establish "beginnings" and "ends" to things. Some things seem to have definite beginnings and ends. Take for example running a race. All the racers stand at the starting line, and the gun or horn signifies the "beginning."

Starting line at the Top of Utah Marathon

Whenever I cross the finish line in a race, there seems to be a definite "end".

Me crossing the finish line of the St. George Marathon

But if someone were to ask me where the "beginning" was for me, it would be last June, when my husband and I started following a regular training schedule. In fact, I could even say that my "beginning" was in 6th grade when I discovered a love for running.

In our Humanities class, we have discussed the topic of "origins." What are the origins of Latin America? Are they in European conquest and colonialism? Are they in the indigenous peoples? Are they in a certain war or event in history? What about the origins of an individual? Are they in the time they moved to a new city? Are they in the day they were born? Each of these points represents a major change in a life or a society. When I started training for a marathon, I changed by growing stronger and I developing more endurance. After a war, especially a civil war, a country is changed and will often never be the same.

There is a famous quote saying, "The only constant is change." In our lives, there will always be change as a result of our choices and the choices of those around us. Whether we call them changes, origins, beginnings, or ends, they continually define who we are and shape the course of our lives.

Building From Others

Alcione Dias Nazareth, Não Deixe o Samba Morrer

This song is a classic example of Latin American Samba. Samba music originated in Brazil, but much of its roots are in African rhythms and drum beats and European influences. Like much of Latin American music, it is a fusion of traditions from different cultures. Great creativity and innovation can come from building off of others' ideas and creations.

One invention that had a huge influence on modern music was the development of Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) in the 1980's. MIDI devices, including electronic keyboards, speak a common language, with messages describing what notes are to be played and for how long, the tempo, which instruments are to be played, and at what volumes. The invention of MIDI allowed for the development of notation software. With notation software, music may be entered into a music score on the computer, played back via MIDI instructions, and revised extensively before being printed. This was a totally new kind of work space for composers, and it led to a burst of creativity in music composition.

Finale Music Notation Software- user workspace

Just as notation software provides a new kind of work space and a new way to think about music, the fusion of cultures that has taken place in the history of Latin America has provided a multitude of new ideas and ways of thinking about music. When African and European people came together, each had their own instruments and their own musical traditions. Bringing these ideas together gave all the people new ideas to work with. The fusion allowed for the creation of something new: the music of samba.

The music of Latin America continues to evolve as composers are influenced by interactions with others and by inventions such as electronic music. Whether new instruments, new software, or new musical ideas, the creations and inventions of others can provide us inspiration to help us think outside our bubble and create something unique and beautiful.

Bifurcations in Time

"In all fiction, when a man is faced with alternatives he chooses one at the expense of the others. In the almost unfathomable Ts'ui Pen, he chooses—simultaneously—all of them. He thus creates various futures, various times which start others that will in their turn branch out and bifurcate in other times." (Jorge Luis Borges, The Garden of Forking Paths).

In this short story, Yu Tsun's ancestor wrote a maze-like novel. Rather than events having one outcome, various outcomes would occur simultaneously, leading to various futures. Theoretically, Ts'ui Pen considered all possibilities for the future and for the past as having occurred.  This philosophy of time can be better understood in comparison to Bifurcation diagrams in biological modeling.

Take for example an equation to model population size with respect to time, the discrete logistic equation: 

x_n+1 = rx_n(1-x_n)

x_n is the population size at time n. So the equation compares the population size at time n+1 to the size at time n. In the equation, "r" is a constant that describes the growth rate of the population. Depending on this parameter "r", the population will exhibit different growth patterns. A bifurcation diagram compares the value of the parameter "r" with the long-term behavior of the population size.

When "r" is small (less than about 3), the population will converge to a certain size. When r is greater than 3 but less than 3.5, the population will cycle between 2 population values. This is the "split" we see in the diagram (called a bifurcation point). When "r" is larger than this value, we begin to see more chaotic and less predictable behavior in the population size.

Ts'ui Pen novel could be seen as a sort of bifurcation diagram. He considers many possibilities of what could occur at each point in time. The "bifurcation points" in his novel are the events that change the course of things. The greater number of changes that Ts'ui Pen considered, the greater number of future possibilities he could see. The events that occur each moment determine the directions things will go. 

Just as a tsunami could throw off our model for population size, life will have many unexpected turns. Ts'ui Pen tried to demonstrate these different possibilities in his novel, but even then he did not cover all the possibilities. The future truly does hold an infinite number of possibilities.

Re-creation

"It is always difficult to give oneself up; few persons anywhere ever succeed in doing so, and even fewer transcend the possessive stage to know love for what it actually is: a perpetual discovery, an immersion in the waters of reality, and an unending re-creation" (Octavio Paz, The Labyrinth of Solitude, Mexican Masks, pg. 42).

The Labyrinth of Solitude is a collection of essays concerning Mexican identity. Paz claims that the Mexican feels a need to protect himself, to build a wall around his inner feelings. However, the fiesta is described as a time when society communes and the Mexican escapes from himself and lets everything out. "It is a true re-creation" (Paz 52). I found it interesting that Paz used the same term, "re-creation," to describe both the fiesta and the feeling of love. While the fiesta is a one time escape, a loving relationship can be an "unending re-creation."

Spencer W. Kimball said, “Love is like a flower, and, like the body, it needs constant feeding... love, also, cannot be expected to last forever unless it is continually fed with portions of love, the manifestation of esteem and admiration, the expressions of gratitude, and the consideration of unselfishness.”

Growing up we had a corner garden where we grew flowers. It took daily care to keep this garden flourishing.

One year, we neglected our garden, and the flowers were all taken over by tall grasses. These weeds block the sunlight, and they steal water and nutrients from the ground. Companionship is the sunlight of life. Paz said love is "an immersion in the waters of reality."  We feel a sense of purpose and joy when we are able to connect with others, and we can come to know ourselves more truly. Shutting out the people around us only inhibits us from growing to our full potential, just as these weeds inhibit flowers.

Once the weeds dominated, we had to spend hours chopping the grass, then covering the roots with newspaper and soil that would smother them. Just like the fiesta is described as a time to let everything out, we had to give our everything to reclaim that garden. 

When we give our garden daily love, the flowers grow to their full potential and are beautiful throughout the season. Every day is a fresh start for them to grow higher and bloom more fully. Each of us needs this re-creation,  this feeling of a fresh start, this nourishment that comes from companionship. When we learn to love others and let others in, our life can continually bloom into something more beautiful and fulfilling.

Finding Yourself Through Music

"The orchestra not only transforms the public that hears it. Before transforming the public that is listening, it has already transformed itself" (Tocar y Luchar. Dir. Alberto Arvelo. Cinema Sur and Explorart Films, 2006. Film).

Tocar y Luchar is a documentary about the Venezuelan Youth Orchestra System, a network of hundreds of orchestras throughout Venezuela. This film focuses on how the system has affected participants, "feeding their souls" and transforming them into people who can better lift society.

Watching the kids' dedication reminded me of the scripture, "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it" (Matthew 25:16 King James Version). Practicing an instrument faithfully does require losing yourself: shutting out distractions and giving the instrument total attention. As a pianist, I know that hearing a song once is completely different from hearing the song after practicing it time and time again. You become familiar with the song's intricacies. You know what to expect and recognize more fine details in playing techniques. You come to see the music in a different light.

But the Savior was referring to losing yourself in the service of others, while practicing a musical instrument can be very individual.

The Venezuelan Orchestras exemplify such service. They serve their listening audiences. They serve each other through the teamwork required to play as a group. The musicians listen and respond to each other, working for the group to create harmony and union of sound.

The biggest service, however, is from the teachers. Indeed, the majority of teachers are former students of the program. "They understand both the social and musical mission of the program — they nurture both the individual person and the musician at the same time. Teachers are able to provide individual attention to each student. If they notice a child has missed a second day at the nucleo without prior notice, they often go to the home to inquire about the absence" (http://elsistemausa.org/el-sistema/venezuela/). Such teachers remember the impact music had on them growing up. They might hear a melody, or see someone's facial expression, and remember the thrill of learning. They delight in witnessing others improve as a result of their teaching. It inspires them to continue reaching for something higher and helping others do the same. Such teachers "find themselves."

Me with my piano teacher, Betty Alexander

A Leap of Faith

"She saw the beautiful fields of Ipu, the slopes of the sierra where she was born, Araquém's hut, and felt longing; but even at that instant she did not regret having abandoned them" (Alencar, Iracema, 93).

The Brazilian novel Iracema tells the story of the relationship between the beautiful indigenous woman Iracema and the Portuguese soldier Martim. After a while, Martim began to long for his homeland of Portugal. He searched the seas for white sails and thought constantly on the land of his "brothers." Iracema also looked back sometimes and missed her tribe and homeland, but she never regretted having left. She never hoped to return, even through all her suffering. Why this difference between Martim's and Iracema's desires?

In considering this, I thought of other situations where people have missed distant homelands. In 19th century China, many women had to leave their families to join their husbands' households. In this society, "a marriage [was] not made by choice and [had] only one purpose — to have sons" (Lisa See, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan).

(Clip from Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, film)

Unlike such women, Iracema did make the choice to be with Martim because she loved him and she did not want to become the wife of the warrior Irapuã. But in going with Martim, she chose to separate from her tribe forever, similar to the way Chinese women had to separate from their families.

"Iracema", painting by Antônio Parreiras

In different ways, marriage has always required a leap of faith. Throughout history, this leap has been especially great for women, who have often cut ties with their families to follow love or to marry. I think Iracema knew that she was taking the risk of suffering or being left alone. To her, that risk was worth it for the happiness she could possibly have with Martim. That is why she never regretted her decision.



Martim, on the other hand, never took this same risk. He could still return to European society and be accepted. He was also accepted by Poti and the Pitiguaras. Since he had all those other sources of belonging, he did not rely on Iracema as completely as she did him. He put less out on the line from the start, so he turned more readily back to the homeland he had known before.

Landscapes of Life

Velasco, José María, The Valley of Mexico from the Low Ridge of Tacubaya (1894)

José María Velasco was a 19th century Mexican painter known for his love of nature and landscapes. He trained with the Italian artist Eugenio Landesio, but moved from painting an "ideal nature" to a more natural effect.

While observing Velasco's landscapes, I started to think about what scenes I would want to preserve. I tried to imagine not having the luxury of modern photography to capture images. There is one scene I know I would never want to forget: 

View of Mt. Rainier from Enumclaw, WA

This landscape is beautiful, but to me, it is more than that. It is the memory of driving home from school and turning the corner where it first comes into view. It is the memory of daydreaming on my trampoline while gazing at the mountain. From nearly everywhere in my hometown, Mt. Rainier is visible and glorious. I associate this mountain with all my experiences under its shadow. What did Velasco experience under the mountains of Mexico that made that scenery so significant to him? Was it just its beauty that attracted him? If so, he would likely have looked for beautiful scenes in Europe and other countries. Indeed, Velasco traveled to Europe and tried painting with the Impressionistic technique, but on returning to Mexico, he returned again to the natural themes portraying the landscape of his homeland. When emotions are tied up in the subject matter, the artist is more passionate and paints with purpose.

Our book relates his paintings to nationalistic attempts to "[strengthen] the idea of Mexico as a nation." But I believe that Mexico already was a nation to Velasco. It was his nation. I believe his painting was more than an attempt to create a Mexican identity through artwork. The more natural rendering was an attempt to preserve the image of the Mexican identity that already existed in the landscape of daily life.

Solitude and Innovation

"So solitude can mean introspection, it can mean the concentration of focused work, and it can mean sustained reading. All of these help you to know yourself better" (William Deresiewicz, Solitude and Leadership, 7).

In a lecture given to students at West Point, Deresiewicz discussed why solitude is necessary for true leadership. Taking the time to learn who you are and what you believe will allow you to face unfamiliar situations and make individual judgement calls, rather than always conforming to the ideas of others.  As I read this article, I was reminded of one of my favorite music composers: Johannes Brahms. Just as with military leaders, artists must also have this sense of self in order to be original- to be a "leader" in their area.

Brahms wrote 11 Chorale Preludes in his last year of life, right after the death of his close friend, Clara Schumann. This was introspective music, written for himself, not intended to be published. I think his work was an expression of his solitude- his yearning to find purpose in the trials he was faced with. The text that accompanied this organ music spoke to God and showed his sense of despair: "Give me a healthy body, so that in such a body I may have an unwounded soul."

Solitude, as described by Deresiewicz, can include conversing deeply with a friend, reading thoughtfully, concentrating on work, or meditating. No matter what form it comes in, I believe it is about searching for the answers to life's deeper questions in a way that would lead you to act on that understanding. In Inés of My Soul, Pedro came to the Americas with ideals that he stuck to. His relationship with Inés was also a form of solitude, deep connection, and self-discovery. Later, he seemed to lose sight of what he really wanted, relying on the honors of men rather than the confidence gained through solitude. We all experience solitude throughout our lives. These are the times of contemplation, of deep pondering. Great leaders don't push away these thoughts. They face them, hoping to gain greater confidence in who they are and what they really believe. In doing so, they become capable of the greatest innovations, the greatest creations, the greatest accomplishments.

Wartime Instincts

“On the dirt floor, the blood of Christians and animals flowed together” (Isabel Allende, Inés of my Soul, 198).

In this part of the novel, local Indians had attacked the newly established settlement of Santiago de la Nueva Extremadura. When the Indians got close enough, they started to kill the domestic animals as well. In this battle, the blood from the animals and the humans literally “flowed together.”

This reminded me of a line from “Animal Farm,” by George Orwell. In this allegory, the animals revolted against the cruel human farm owner and established their own society. By the end of the story, the animal leaders had become as bad as the previous human ruler. The pig rulers invited the humans from the area, and the other animals made the significant and symbolic observation:

“The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which” (George Orwell, Animal Farm).

I do not think it was coincidence that Orwell chose pigs to symbolize leaders in the Communist Party. One of the messages here was the way he saw these leaders. Similarly, I think Allende was trying to point out that the different groups in Santiago had become like unto animals. Indeed, Inés began to “[foam] at the mouth and [curse] like a harpy” (Isabel Allende, Inés of my Soul, 197). This description sounds like a crazed animal. 

In times of war, people can cease to see their enemies as people. They have to see them as objects in order to be able to kill them so mercilessly. In this case, the Indians were killing both animals and people, without seeming to discriminate between the two, and the Spanish explorers did the same in return. Going beyond this, I believe that seeing other people in this way changes the person himself or herself. As individuals on each side began to kill without mercy, something within them began to change. The blood of Christians and animals flowing together meant that those Christians had become like animals themselves. In war, sometimes people begin to see others as animals; this changed viewpoint changes something within them, until their own instincts have become like a ferocious wild animal.

Moral Conduct and Self-Esteem

"I realized from the start that Pedro and I could never marry unless Marina died, something neither of us wanted, and so I had torn that hope from my heart and instead rejoiced in the love and complicity we shared, never thinking about the future, or gossip or shame or sin" (Isabel Allende, Inés of my Soul, 102).

Inés and Pedro each traveled from Spain to the Americas in the 16th century. In this novel, some of their moral conduct seemed to change upon coming to the New World. What allowed them to be together without feeling any shame regarding Pedro’s wife, Marina, back in Spain?

This passage reminded me of the situation of Jane Eyre in the novel by Charlotte Brontë. Jane is a governess at Thornfield Hall, and she unexpectedly falls in love with the master, Mr. Rochester. On the day of their wedding, she discovers he has a wife, Bertha, who has gone insane. They could not marry unless Bertha was to die. Unlike Inés, Jane made the difficult decision to leave Rochester:

“Feeling… clamoured wildly. ”Oh, comply!" …soothe him; save him; love him; tell him you love him and will be his. Who in the world cares for YOU? or who will be injured by what you do? Still indomitable was the reply--"I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself. I will keep the law given by God; sanctioned by man.” (Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre, Ch. 27)

Recent film edition of Jane Eyre

Jane’s support of the laws was based on maintaining her own self-esteem. Because of her deep conviction that God had laid down the law, she could not accept herself if she chose to stay with Rochester and be his mistress. She also needed to establish her independence and to break the bonds of reliance that she had always lived under.

Inés, however, could be Pedro’s mistress and still accept herself. I believe this was for two reasons: First, living in the New World, she had come to believe that God was more lenient there. Being surrounded by immorality and atrocity made her actions seem more acceptable. Second, she had already established her independence- financially through using her skills to provide for herself, and physically through leaving her homeland to find freedom. In this unfamiliar territory, she allowed her deep need for human connection to supersede. But her decision, like Jane's, was based on her own self-acceptance, not that of others. While Jane and Inés made opposite decisions, they both were strong-willed women who followed their personal beliefs first.

A new name, a new culture

Hello! My name is Julia. I am a Mathematics major at Brigham Young University. One of my favorite things to do is play the piano. I have also enjoyed learning to play the organ here at BYU. I am a runner! I have now run 3 marathons and qualified twice for the Boston Marathon. I am from the Seattle area. I grew up with four sisters, and as of last week, I have a nephew!

I am starting this blog because I am enrolled in IHum 260: Humanities of Latin America. Let me tell you about the recent events in my life that led me to be enrolled in this class. When I went home to Washington from school last summer, I met up with Evie Mejia. We started running together and dating, and before too long we were engaged.

The 4th of July with Evie and my sisters

Evie's parents are from Mexico, and he was raised speaking Spanish. Throughout the summer, we were at his parents' house quite a bit. I loved spending time with his family. I wanted to learn Spanish, both so I could better communicate with his family, and so that we could pass that heritage on to our children as much as possible. Last Semester, I enrolled in Spanish 105, and I loved it. Not only did I love learning the Spanish language, but also about Mexican and other Latin American cultures. Evie served a mission in Chile, and his sister Yuri is now serving in Honduras. I like hearing them talk about their experiences in these places. 

At a Mexican seafood restaurant with Evie's family

I am grateful for the exposure I have already gotten to a different culture through dating and marrying Evie. Evie and I were raised very differently, but we also have so many similarities and common interests. One of these is our love of running! We trained all summer for the Top of Utah marathon, and we reached that goal together back in September.

  

I have now happily been Julia Lynn Mejia for 3 weeks. I love that learning about other cultures allows us to see the world through a different point of view, while also finding common connections. I am so excited to take this class and continue learning about Latin America!