Expanding beyond your city limits

Since my first years of high school & a certain woman whom I'd gladly name my mother, I've been inspired to reach farther in not only traveling, but actually learning different cultures & appreciating what variety God has created in this world. This passion has not always been instilled in me, but was discovered when I ventured off into the unknown & began to learn Spanish in the 9th grade. My Spanish teacher was not that of an ordinary teacher, but an insight for all of her students in hopes that they too would find a love for the world beyond their city limits. At first, I was scared beyond means because of the fact that taking Spanish at my high school was not the "cool" thing to do. Instead, learning Latin was the easy way out, as students liked to refer, & a simple task that put an advanced stamp on their diploma if taken for two or more years. Mrs. Pamela Merkel, was most certainly not easy & strict not only by discipline, but by lifestyle. In Merkel's class, Spanish is not the only subject taught & defining the total essence which can be derived from completing her courses, is not a simple task. Depending on what type of person you are makes a difference in the benefits you are willing to accept from Merkel. Being late, absent, rude, dishonest, uninterested, & unwilling are not qualities that work well when mixed with her classes. Instead, one must be open to improvement in all areas & prepared for the unexpected & most importantly, prepared for the world. More often than once, Merkel will inspire some part of you to want more out of life using a variety of speeches including stories of her own experiences. Merkel speaks eight different languages, has traveled all over the world, & has created memories that the majority only dream about. The relationship that I & Merkel have is not one that many would call common. From the beginning of our knowing each other, she guided me through life in the most essential ways, showing me what opportunities lied merely at my feet & was & continues to be a mother to me in more ways than one. I owe it to her for not only teaching me Spanish in the most advanced manner, but teaching me about life itself & the implements one must possess in order to be successful. Through each of her projects that took night after night to complete, papers written solely in Spanish, & tests that I never finished within my allotted time period, I learned responsibility, patience, discipline, & respect,"los valores de vida," the values of life that will never part me. As a junior, I was blessed to be able to travel with Merkel & a group of students to Spain. My eyes had never been so open. It's been four years now & I think about that trip every day, waiting for the next opportunity to see what else is out there. If I could offer anyone any advice it would be to expand beyond your city limits...there is way too much to be discovered to sit around the house all day.

Whit