"On this journey to the past..."

Well it's no surprise from the title that I love the movie "Anastasia". I love most children's films, whether they be Disney or Fox Family or whatever other big movie company there is out there. This is where my journey begins, for before  this time, I'm afraid I don't remember much. However, I can deduce from my mother's letters to me in my baby book, that my literacy journey began very young when my parents and siblings would talk to me. However, my brothers would use actual English whereas my parents, most likely my mother, would use "oh look at you little boopy doo". But enough on that, because I don't remember this and am basing it on what was left for me in a baby book.

Children's films...how I still love them. I can quote the entirety of "Beauty and the Beast" (my favorite) and most other films. When I was little, I would wrap myself in sheets to make a gown and sing the songs pretending to be the characters, most often a princess. What little girl didn't want to be a princess at one point or another? Of course, my favorite song to sing then, and now, was "Little Town". It was from this song that not only was I developing my English literacy skills, but I also got to learn some French too! "Bonjour!"

I suppose my next stop on my journey would be a little later in elementary school, where we were encouraged to read by rewarding us with a free personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut at the end of the month. I personally love(d) Pizza Hut's personal pan pizza, so of course this was a great incentive. I remember having a book fair and all of the girls wanted to join "The Babysitters Club" Club (original name, isn't it?). I begged my parents to let me get all of the books. I believe you started with the first four and then they sent one at a time until you reached twenty. Now for me this was perfect for two reasons: twenty books equaled a lot of pan pizzas and it gave me something to talk about in school. Basically, for the few unfortunate girls who were not reading "The Babysitters Club", lunch time consisted of listening to the rest of the girls who were. This really brought about my love for reading, how I could get lost in someone's story, and truly transport myself there as if it were unfolding right before my eyes.

Then sixth, seventh, and eighth grades came. "The Babysitter's Club" was no longer the topic of interest. Now, if you wanted friends and wanted something to talk about, it was mandatory that after school  you went home to watch "TRL". Who didn't love Carson Daly? I suppose being literate in the eighth grade meant you had better be able to list the top ten videos from the night before.

However, reading still was instilled in me. I loved being a part of this "TRL" faze and having something to talk about, but reading was passion now. Thank goodness for my discovery of the "Harry Potter" series. Once I started reading them and continued throughout high school and college, I immediately became enthralled with this new world being introduced to me. Though the books may seem juvenile to some, they made me feel smart, especially when people would wonder how I could possibly read a book that long. I also learned so much more vocabulary (big SAT booster) and even some mythology. It was more than just leisure. Though it may not have been an assigned reading in school, I learned from it and my vocabulary grew substantially.

My literacy journey has not always been entirely positive. Though in elementary school and parts of high school, I was feeling smart because I was "a reader" and normally was excelling, I soon experienced 11 days where I felt incredibly stupid. I attended the Global Young Leadership Conference, bringing together 350 students from all over the world. We were assigned to countries, where we partook in various activities similar to a model UN situation. I was assigned to China, with 14 other students from various locations: England, China, Germany, Holland, Nicaragua, Bermuda, New Zealand, and several states. I thought I had to be smart to be selected to go but compared to these international students, I felt like I had learned nothing. I spent half the trip wondering "What on earth are they talking about? Should I have learned that already?" Of course, I just went along with it and embraced all that I was learning from these other students.

A similar "iffy" moment in my literacy journey was during my trip to Bangladesh. Prior to traveling here, the only international trips I had made were to Canada, the Bahamas, and Bermuda, where everyone spoke English. Suddenly, I was in this country where very few people spoke English. How was I supposed to converse with anyone? Thankfully, I was with a group of students and my professor, so it wasn't a lonely experience. However, I truly felt as if I had no means of communicating. When we traveled to villages, I would use hand gestures or point to try to get my message across to the locals. It was as if I never spoke a day in my life, because no matter what I would say, they would not understand me and I would not understand their response. It was frustrating and rewarding all at once. I learned a few phrases, such as "What is your name" and "How are you?" but beyond that, it was mainly smiling, gestures, pointing, or calling over my professor to translate.

I suppose this leads me to the present, where I still am a lover of reading, Disney, traveling, and keeping in touch with my international friends. All of these experiences helped form some part of me, the way I communicate, the way I interpret things, and the way I think. I guess I get to look forward to what else I can add to my literacy timeline.