Pre-Departure Introduction/Blog

By:

Alejandro Romero

Published:

Countries

Demographics

Majors

Regions

Compilation of Thank You videos from 2013-2014 Scholars.

Hello everyone! I am very excited to start blogging about my experiences abroad! First off,ย  I would like to introduce myself for those of you who do not know me. My name is Alejandro Romero, but I go by Alex or Alexander. I guess I can be classified somewhat as a polyglot because I can speak English, Spanish, Japanese, some Russian, and a little bit of Mandarin Chinese. My interest include Languages, Travel, Study abroad, World Cultures, History, Linguistics, and International Affairs. I have been to Japan trough an exchange program, and it was there where I truly learned to view the world in a new way and gained a deep interest for world cultures and lifestyles. My Current Dreams are to be able to Study abroad in at least two more countries after Russia, and hopefully learn a lot about the language and culture.

And now for the real reason you are all here….to read about my experiences in.. Russia!!ย  It is only a few days before I leave to Moscow (The Capitol of Russia). Russia (for those of you who don’t know) or the Russian Federation is located in both Europe and Asia…Eurasia if you will. It is the largest country in the world and has a unique Slavic culture. And no..it is no longer a communistic country.. -.- …in fact it is somewhat of a Republic, Federal Republic to be exact. Unfortunately many still view Russia as a dark and gloomy place, but I know that Russia has a lot to offer.

In Russia I hope to learn a lot about the rich culture and history, as well as the Russian language. This is why I choose to study abroad in Russia, I know for a fact I will learn to view the world in a new perspective, as I did in Japan. ย Growing up in Hallandale (Which statistically holds the most Russian speaking natives in Florida) I have made a lot of Russian friends, who have furthered my interest in Russia. Although I am very excited, there unfortunately isn’t much to talk about yet. I am still packing and making final preparations, but as soon as I get settled in Moscow, I shall return to you with another (Great *puts thumbs up and smiles*) blog, and I hope that you “My Readers” will continue to follow me on this fantastic journey which will be filled with surprises! =)

Alejandro Romero

My name is Alejandro Romero, but my friends call me Alex. I was born in Hialeah Miami, to a Costa Rican father and Puerto Rican mother. When I was young my parents divorced. I was raised primarily by my mother and my Irish-American step-father in Hollywood, FL. I have two younger siblings, a brother on my mother's side, and sister on my father's side. Growing up, English was my first language and Spanish was my secondary. In middle school, I had the wonderful opportunity of going to Costa Rica with my father. While I always had an interest in foreign languages and cultures ever since I was young, I was amazed with how different daily life was in another country. In high school, I became fascinated with the Japanese language and culture and started teaching myself before having the opportunity to take it as a class. I studied Japanese for 4 years before finally getting the opportunity to participate in a student exchange program in the summer of 2009. To this day, I say that was the greatest experience in my life, and it has allowed me to see the world in a different way. Recently I have fallen in love with the Russian language and culture and wish to pursue the same great experiences I had during my Japanese Studies. My goals in life are to use my skills of languages and cultures to help improve international relations, and change some of the misconceptions people have towards other cultures.