As we take off in a couple of hours, I look forward to immersing myself in another culture. I have traveled throughout Europe and spent time in high school studying a few European cultures. Being in a culture is vastly different from reading and learning about them at home. Last semester, I took the Issues in Resource Management class with a focus on the Cook Islands. In this class we learned about some of the culture on the Cook Islands. I am curious to see how I anticipate the culture to be from this class to how it actually is. I have never traveled to an Island outside of California, so I am eager to see and learn how the culture differs from living on mainland. The size of the Rarotonga and Aitutaki are both so small I envision a close community with traditions that have been preserved throughout generations. I look forward to see the Cook Islands 50^th anniversary and get to experience all the traditions and celebrations firsthand.

In addition to learning about another culture, I am most excited about learning more about marine ecology. I began loving fish and other marine species at an early age. I have only seen marine life in southern California, so I look forward to seeing clear waters with tropical fish. I am eager to broaden my knowledge about specific fish species and other marine life.