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5 Goals for Cuba 2013 – Michael Lasonczyk

My name is Michael Lasonczyk, and while I am here studying in the city of Havana, I hope to accomplish many things.

  • First among these goals is to improve my Spanish.
  • When speaking Spanish currently, I sometimes get nervous, flustered and apprehensive about making mistakes.Hopefully by the end of the trip, I’ll be able to put my nerves aside and just talk.
  • Secondly, another goal I have while I’m here is to gain a better sense of the Cuban perspective of the current regime, communism and US-Cuban relations. Just as there are varying opinions in America, I expect to find the same here, but I’m interested to know what the average Cuban thinks.
  • Along those lines, my third goal is to become more independent in my thinking. Being raised as an American citizen is predisposes oneself to certain views of other countries around the word, and I hope that this trip will help break down some of the stereotypical American views of Cuba and come to form my own opinions.
  • Fourth, I aim to converse and get to know someone new everyday that we’re here. I know I can’t meet everyone on the island, but I think that so much can be gained talking to people out on the streets that could never be learned in a classroom.
  • Which brings me to my last goal: make good grades. Although Havana is an amazing city that I would love to explore all day everyday, we’re students foremost, and I have to remember that.