Look around, soak it in, and don’t talk about Furman.  In case you haven’t noticed already, Furman does not reflect life as it really is.  You need to look around, soak in life as it is, and let that affect your every move.  You’ll stay in places that are far too nice for traveling and you’ll never go hungry, so don’t worry about that, but make sure you do not forget what is outside the fence/hotel.  The places and people are beautiful, but there exists a misery that even this trip will not connect you with.  I hope it makes you sick and I mostly hope it makes you think a lot about your life.  The books are not as important as the experiences and neither are your grades.  In regards to practical advice, you do not need more than 5 pairs of clothes.  You can wear them more than once, and if you smell, so does everyone else.  Keens are the bomb.  Wash your clothes in the shower.  Love the food.  Think of your life, relax, and don’t get stressed.  There is nothing to complain about. - Kyle Beaulieu, 2009, Philosophy and Political Science

While it is important to learn and get smarter academically, don’t let yourself get bogged down in concerns over whether you’re able to remember every fact.  It is far more important to feel, and sometimes academics can serve as a distraction from what is really important.  So focus your best energy and thoughts on feeling the experience and deciding that those feelings mean for you.  One changes your GPA while the other can change the world.  - Chris Bradt, 2008, History

Don’t try to “feel out” the group based upon what you hear about people on the trip from your friends at school before the trip.  Read and/or review basic history of the Cuban Revolution.  Read at least one recommended reading book and or movie.  Pack.  Then unpack and take out at least half of the items you packed.  Repack.  Repeat.  Bring something small (like a magnet or keychain) from Furman or home to give to home stay hosts.  Probably 5 or 6 items.  Don’t opt out of hikes, home stays, or any other “optional” activities.  Do it all.  You’ll be exhausted but glad you did afterward.  Women, bring skirts.  They’re comfortable and cool.  Also, bring at least one “cute” going out top/outfit.  Journal!  Even when you are a) tired or b) have reading to do.  Don’t stress.  Whether you like it or not, you’re having the time of your life.  A “once in a lifetime” 2 months full of experiences.  - Elizabeth Brown, 2009, Spanish and TESOL concentration

They say be flexible, but they do a remarkably good job of sticking to the schedule (once you actually get a schedule).  If you’re a girl do two things:  One, throw away the packing list.  Two, ask Abby Elsener what you should pack.  Realize that you will be mentally prepared for the first home stay (probably somewhere in Mexico) – due to all the info/advice you’re given before the home stay, but it will be the most luxurious home stay experience on your trip – i.e. prepare for more heat, bugs, etc in future home stays – it will be great!  Realize that the books are important so study for the quizzes that are actually more like tests, but don’t let that prevent you from experiencing the country you’re in or forming relationships with the people you meet –i.e. if you can make guacamole with a local woman or take a few minutes to read . . . don’t think twice . . . make guacamole.  Take advantage of the people you get to meet (and even your professors) and ask lots of questions.  When other people complain it affects the whole group (and we are all guilty of it at times).  Try to keep a journal (even if it’s not an academic journal) because it will help you to process everything you’re experiencing.  Be 100% open minded – your worldviews/political views are limited by the lifestyle you live.  Laugh out loud even when you have diarrhea . . . respect your diarrhea!  This was the best semester/experience of my Furman career (ant that is not an exaggeration). - Alli Buckner, 2008, Political Science

• Don’t whine.  It’s annoying.
• Don’t let Dr. Ching convince you that Lemon Emporadors taste good. 
• Do eat from street vendors (at your own risk).
• Don’t try to process each experience right away.  Let it affect you first.  Make sure you have all the raw material before you try to fit it into your own intellectual framework.  If you put your own spin on it too soon, you might discard aspects of the experience that could change your perspective. - Pete DeMarco, 2008, Political Science

Don’t underestimate the importance of the people you will meet, or the amount of primary source information that you are going to be exposed to.  When the trip is over, you will realize that very few people have the opportunity to talk to all the people you have.  Nothing is too trivial to write in your notes.  Write it all down!  In talking to local people, especially about their personal experiences, they may mention something that no one has ever taken the time to listen to before.  Listen well and ask good questions.  -Weston Dravenstadt, 2009, English and Latin American Studies

Always:  Ask any and all questions you can of speakers.  Opt for a home stay.  It may be uncomfortable, but it is a rare experience to have while traveling.  Who knows, if you’re lucky, you’ll end up killing cockroaches above your bed in your underwear with a Salvadoran woman in the middle of the night.  Keep your fingers crossed.  Attempt to learn Spanish if you don’t already.  Successful moments of communication are incredibly rewarding.
Never:  Complain within earshot of fellow travelers.  If you must bitch about something, call home.  Journal.  Write and email or just don’t.  Drink the Water.  Pass up an opportunity to explore an area or bond with a classmate or any other unique experience to get more reading done in your hotel room.  - Abby Elsener, 2009, History and Political Science

Enjoy the journey.  Take in the sights, sounds, and smell around you as they are what will most shape your experience and make it real for you.  Be open to hearing difficult stories and sharing your internalization of them.  Pack lightly and bring plenty of pens.  Beyond this, you are on your own to learn and be changed.  Good luck! - Leslie Fuller, 2008, French

This trip will be challenging in nearly every way possible – intellectually, emotionally, socially.  Days attending discussions or tours, eating, living and socializing with each other, and being exposed daily to issues of poverty, global justice, and your role in everything will be exhausting.  But it is the good kind of exhaustion, and a good type of challenge.  The trip is a lot of fun – particularly if you like climbing volcanoes – but it is most useful as an opportunity to understand who you are and what the world really is.  - Marguerite Moeller, 2009, History

Try to at least read a Wikipedia article on each country’s history before leaving.  It would have been helpful to have a general understanding of each country’s history before hearing from people in the country.  Girls:  Bring a pair of shoes to wear to an embassy, ballet, etc. (ex: flats).
Try to figure out a good way to clean your Tevas, Chacos, etc. along the way.  They will SMELL by the time you get to El Salvador.  - Catie Patterson, 2009, Math, Spanish, and Political Science

An instinctive response to poverty is flinching and looking away.  It’s hard to understand, hard to see and hard to reconcile with one’s own ideas of what human dignity is and should look like.  In many ways, this trip is a hard one because it doesn’t allow you to keep looking away.  It forces you to try to understand the causes of poverty - how it fits into a historical and political framework - and it forces you to consider the influence that such knowledge will have on the course of your own life.  - Emily Pusser, 2008, English

The pre-reading and movies that are suggested are worth the effort.  It might seem like a lot of work early on, but you will appreciate the added background when you get here.  You’ll get out of the trip what you put in, so start putting in early.  Enjoy it and challenge yourself to discuss the issues that come up.  You’ll find out more about yourself that way.  Use the trip as a time of reflection and learning; don’t let yourself get bogged down with concerns from Furman.  Use the time to really think and be separate from normal daily concerns.  You’ll have limited chances for that in the future, so take advantage.  - Michael Reddish, 2009, Chemistry

Wow.  Get ready for an incredible 9 weeks!  You will learn more in 9 weeks that you ever thought possible.  You will be academically challenged.  You will think in new ways.  You’ll broaden your horizons.  You will meet some of the most amazing and caring and friendly people.  You’ll see the world in a completely new way.  You’ll come back changed.  You might look at your future in a completely new way.  You’ll indentify with people who really aren’t like you at all.  Your beliefs will be challenged and you’ll like the new person that you are.  Other than that, be a team player, make new friends, and try to get along with everyone.  You’ll be sharing your experiences with all of these people and your memories will last your whole life.  Be flexible and open-minded, experience everything around you, and have fun! - Carly Roessler, 2009, Spanish

This trip has made me more politically conscious and aware of the reality of the world’s injustices and what role my country’s government plays in it.  I have seen things and talked to people that have moved me to the point of tears and that I will not be able to forget and that will affect the rest of the decisions I make in my life.  Be prepared to change on this trip. - Emily Sydnor, 2008, Sociology

Bring a dressy outfit and shoes; be prepared for strenuous hikes; travel sheets are so worth it.  On a more intellectual note, be as observant as possible; talk to native people outside of lectures as much as possible; write everything in your journal; stop and reflect (on your own) as you go to keep yourself in check mentally and emotionally especially related to your goals; use your emotions and inspirations here to create something whether a poem, book, or just notes here and there; let everything affect you deeply, don’t try to push it out or hide from it, as they say let it “ruin your life,” and as Sister Peggy says, “Pig out on life.”  I’m almost done and still feel lost and wondering but that’s the joy of it.  I never knew these questions existed and it is already affecting my thoughts constantly.  If none of that makes sense, it will.  Enjoy the journey, it’s amazing! - Julie Wills, 2009, Spanish and Political Science

This trip will change you in ways you can’t even begin to anticipate or understand.  What I will suggest is to keep an open mind and heart and don’t go in with expectations of what this journey will mean for you.  Don’t let bad feelings or sickness, exhaustion slow you down and definitely don’t let anxiety for quizzes or papers keep you from taking advantage of where you are and what you’re doing.  Learn from others on the trip and speakers you’ll meet because they’ll change you, help you grow and teach you something you wouldn’t know otherwise.  Just have fun and realize that opportunities like this don’t come that often.  Good luck!  - Lyndey Zwing, 2009, Political Science