I do not even know where to start my reflection on what I’ve learned this semester. Even though I am an English major, none of my classes have ever helped me improve my writing skills as much as this one. But that’s not the only thing I’ve learned in the past few weeks.

My learning process certainly began in the first two weeks of the semester when we studied sirens and Christianity. Who would have thought that the beautiful image of Ariel I had in mind before taking this class would be changed forever?

Apart from that, I encountered so many different narratives about mermaids that I would never have discovered without this class. Mama Wati, Oannes, and others brought many new perspectives to the surface that I will never forget.

Through this class, I have learned a lot about how we perceive wilderness and the ocean. The narratives we’ve read have taught me how closely literature is connected to, for example, environmental crises—and that they offer lessons on life!

Literature and storytelling have always been important for diving into the archives of different cultures. Why did I grow up so narrow-minded as to forget about other histories? Thanks to this class, I now know that in the future, I want to incorporate narratives into my geography lessons when I become a teacher.

I could continue writing at length about the aspects I’ve learned in our class, but I feel I should stop before I start to get sad that my semester abroad is about to end. Thanks to everyone in that class, I feel like I have broadened my horizon. I got to know so many wonderful people and will surely keep the class atmosphere and even how to teach with such passion in my memories!