Things I Want To Learn This Year

1. Art History

I took an art history course my senior year of high school and it changed my life. I never thought paintings, sculptures, sketches, architecture, and design could capture my attention until I learned about Michelangelo, Basquiat, Frida Kahlo, and Da Vinci. Now one of my biggest travel goals is to see famous buildings, statues, and paintings. There is nothing more rewarding than finally laying your eyes on something you have thoroughly studied. I want to deepen my knowledge of art history every day so I can truly become an expert. I am even considering going back to school to get an art history masters.

2. Portuguese

Portuguese is the language that made me fall in love with languages. I began my journey when I was around sixteen years old. I felt like my Spanish had gotten to a decent level (in reality I was probably only a high A2 or low B1) so, I wanted to add another language. To be honest, I only started studying Portuguese because I was told it would be easy to learn after learning Spanish. What I did not anticipate was that I would fall in love with Portuguese, Cape Verdean, and Brazilian culture.

My initial days of studying Portuguese turned into me visiting local Portuguese, Brazilian, and Cape Verdean communities in my home state of Massachusetts. Then, in 2019 I visited Portugal for the first time. Portugal quickly became my favorite European country and I have made two additional trips since. I want to keep studying Portuguese because my current goal is to see Brazil. I am crossing my fingers that 2026 is my year to have a caipirinha at Copacabana Beach.

3. Italian / Sicilian

I took one semester of Italian in college, but unfortunately, forgot almost everything! It is such a beautiful language, but between improving Spanish and Portuguese, I let my Italian fall to the wayside. However, after visiting Sicily in 2022 I know I need to learn. I want to go back and be able to have conversations with locals. My dilemma is I am not sure if I want to learn standard Italian or Sicilian. I am Sicilian-American so I feel like that is the obvious choice. At the same time, I think standard Italian may be more helpful in the long run.

4. North Korea

Yes, you read that right I want to learn more about North Korea. I have already read three books and seen countless documentaries this year alone. However, with this fascinating country there is always more to learn. The more I discover about North Korea, the more it blows my mind. I could write 20 blog posts about the DPRK, but I am going to leave it here.

5. Latin American History

I am ashamed to say that after living in Latin America for two years, I am still quite ignorant about the history of this region. I could talk for hours about the current political, cultural, and economic environment of every Latin American country I have visited. However, when it comes to history I only know the basics. I can tell you about little bit Fidel Castro, Simon Bolivar, and Benito Juarez, but I should know more. My goal is to read one of the many books I have bought on the topic that have been collecting dust at my parent's house.

Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in the Alameda Central by Diego Rivera is one of my favorites works of art. I was lucky to see it in Mexico City after studying it!

Me in Taormina, Sicily in 2022!