Conversation Partner Meeting #3

Today when I met up with Ileana I knew I wanted to learn more about her. The previous two meetings, while enjoyable, had been more casual. Today I wanted to know something concrete about her.

When we met up, I told Ileana about this and she asked if this was going to be like an interview. I said I hoped it wouldn't be, but ensured her she should ask me questions as well.

I wanted to know about Venezuela and her life before TCU.

Ileana told me her hometown is a beautiful, warm place. She remarked several times about the nature surrounding it and beautiful and warm weather. She does not like the cold and hopes there is not another ice-storm this year.

We talked about Florida and how Florida and Venezuela seem similar in weather. Very warm, humid, tropical places. None of this freezing temperatures thing, which we would both like to avoid.

She told me that one of the best parts about home was the people. People are warm and friendly and she was always welcome to any of her friends' houses. She likes the "open-door" policy. I told her that I felt the same way about my friends back home, and she said, "Don't you miss it?"

I do. It's odd going from knowing people your whole lives to coming to a town you've never lived in and being forced to live with people you never met. I was comfortable at home, but that's the thing about college: it's not comfortable. Instead it is powerfully different and a complete 180 from the comforts of home. You do your own laundry and make your own plans.

Ileana and I discussed this at some length. We both miss home, but love Fort Worth.

Then I asked Ileana about her family and things she misses from home.

Ileana has an older brother who lives in Mexico and her parents, while divorced, have a good relationship. They both live in Venezuela.

She misses the food the most from Venezuela.

I told her about my study abroad next semester in Florence and said that I knew I would miss American foods, too.

I get nervous about what else I will miss while abroad too.

TCU, home, food, people I know, comfort.

But that isn't what this time in my life is about. I want to break out of my nine dots and explore the world around me. I have barely scratched the surface of places I want to visit. I have a thirst for learning about cultures different from my own, and it can only be quenched by travel.

I think about Ileana and her experiences and often find myself trying that on for size. Her parents and brother live in different countries than each other and her. How and when do they get together? My little brother is one of the closest people to me. I would not like not seeing him every time I went home.

This opened my eyes to how different and similar Ileana and I are. We both go to TCU, but she is learning English and I am learning Strat Comm. We both have brothers, but mine is at home with my parents. We both will study abroad, me in Florence, her in Texas.

The more time I spend with Ileana, the more I see her in a new and different light. Every time we meet there is a new facet to her which I didn't see before. I hope to learn more about her culture, too.

I wonder what will happen next time?