identity advances as the shoes wear their path

Chic 3507 - Fall 1996 Final Project

#1

When I had first arrived in Nicaragua, I felt so foreign--I guess it could be because I was. But really it was more so--Nicaragua is preceded by quite a reputation in the American mind. And now that I know Nicaragua better, I can say that most of Nicaragua's reputation (at least by the time I had arrived) was unwarranted. Nicaragua is unique--a country to itself, isolated because of poverty, revolution, civil war, blockade, American meddling, influence, and propaganda. I felt lucky to experience it--also nervous because I was me, big blond American Tina. But some of my initial feeling of unease, and discomfort had lessened by this Monday. It was to be my first bus trip alone and I had settled into the semi-comfort of having taken the bus before.

I was prompted to post this undergrade paper here after discovering a copy in my mom’s files. Here are my instructor’s comments after locating my own copy.