2008: For a trip to Guatemala with Global Visionaries (G.V.) we were required to write letters to ourselves. Boy was I surprised when it showed up a year later! I just found it and felt the need to share some of my brilliant advice in life!
2004: "My Dearest Rachel,
'Hey sexy!' says Sarah Rose Roope. Where does one begin when writing a letter to themself? We'll start with this...Next Sunday I move into my dorm at WWU. Excited or scared? Not sure.
I want to keep my traveling up. I hope to go to Belize, the Dominican Republic, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, France, Italy and Spain. I've learned a lot about travel from G.V. even little things like exit tax and drinking lots of water. By the time I get this letter I hope I've been to one of the places i just listed and that Sarah and I have made it back to Antigua. I want to help the hospital so badly. I hope I can become somewhat fluent in Spanish through my first year of Spanish at Western. I also hope that I've learned some Italian by now. Have you been in contact with your Costa Rica and Guatemala pals? And how bout Megan Vogel? Oh, you have been good about that? Great! That's what I like to hear! Haha! Have you been going to C.C.F.? God loves you so you should. Keep your heart and morals Rachel. Don't let college interfere with who you are and what you want to be. Marco Antonio told you to share what you learned in the hospital with your family and friends. Go out there and live life to the fullest. Spread your love and your smile.
Today we did the activity about expendable income a.k.a. the money you spend on unnecessary things. It came out to be over $4000 per year for me. i don't earn that much in a year and that didn't include travel expenses so I must have seriously over estimated a lot of stuff! But, it's still disgusting. i'm going to try and cut back on entertainment costs, clothing (which shouldn't be too hard since I have no room for it) and eating out. When i think of the ecological footprints and the product trails involved with all of that I feel horrible. Please, tell me you've joined or started a club about culture, global and media awareness. You need it. Everyone needs it. We're kept in the dark. That's a huge part of the problem.
Good luck with life. you rock my socks off! Met any cute boys? Go get 'em Tiger! Better go! Love you lots!
Love,
Rachel
P.S. Start a company like G.V. and get a kitten...and be Ms. Vogel.
P.P.S. How's the coffee shop going? Tight?"
2008 update:
I leave in a couple weeks for my 5th trip to Guatemala. I took two Spanish classes, one Italian and a French class at Western. I have now been to Australia, New Zealand, France and Italy and will be going to Spain this summer. I am fluent enough in Spanish to get by in Spanish speaking countries. I still drink lots of water. I have donated clothing, money and time to the hospital in Antigua. I still see many of my Costa Rica and Guatemala buddies especially Megan Vogel. I just gave someone else a lecture about how they should not let anyone or anything "interfere with who you are and what you want to be" and still fully stand by that. I'm starting the initial planning for a business similar to G.V. which will be run with my parents. I have a kitty. The coffee shop that my dad started is, in fact, tight.
This is Rony. He lives in the children's ward at the hospital in Antigua.
Plaza in Antigua.
View of the volcano from the street.
El Arco!
2011: Megan Vogel continues to be one of the most strong-willed and inspiring people/educators I have ever met. Yes, it is still my goal in life to be even slightly like her when I "grow up" and I would like to think that I am well on my way. I went to Belize last summer for a class and it was better than I ever could have imagined. The Masters program that I and the Belize course are a part of, focuses on inquiry education, learning in the field, conservation, the importance of biodiversity, etc..., much like the ideas that G.V. introduced me to many years ago. I keep trying to reduce my carbon footprint where possible, but society is not set up for us to actually reduce levels of CO2. What to do!? Saving the world gets a bit overwhelming sometimes! As for the languages, I took a little more French, a year of American Sign Language and I am currently immersed in Spanish, seeing as I am living in Spain. As of today, it looks like I will be in Madrid for another school year as well. Assuming I get my butt in gear and actively seek out Spanish lessons, there is a good chance I will be "fluent" by the time I leave here. The aforementioned coffee shop burned to the ground about a year ago. Arson. It was sad, devastating really, at the time, but it is finally open in a new location (only around the corner) and business has quadrupled! That's right, it is still tight.
