For my STEP Signature Project I traveled across the Atlantic ocean to Madrid, Spain. During this 4-week long program we focused on the global cultural history of Madrid as well as traveled to four other cities in Spain: Segovia, Sevilla, Toledo and the Basque Country. Our time there consisted of lectures, walking tours, visiting museums and churches and so much more.
Leaving Ohio to go to Europe, for the first time, filled me with excitement. Not only had I never traveled across the Atlantic Ocean, but I knew very little about Spain and the Spaniards culture. I was a little nervous because I was going to be living in an unknown country for 4 weeks where I would have to learn the culture, food, the lifestyle, meet new people and most importantly the metro (transportation system). This experience tested my abilities to be independent whether that be finding my way around using the public transportation system, or budgeting for 4 weeks.
Not only did this trip teach me how to more independent but it taught be about the diversity in Spain. Before coming to Spain I was unaware of the diversity. Spain is filled with people from all over the world and is unabatedly a multicultural society. Walking in the streets of Spain it is not surprising to see Africans, Arabs, Asians or Latin Americans. A great example of a neighborhood that we visited that is home to many immigrants entering Spain, was Lavapiés. This neighborhood was filled with clothing shops, restaurants and grocery stores owned by individuals from many different ethnic backgrounds. It was fascinating to hear the different languages being spoken in addition to primary language, Spanish.
Having class about 30 minutes away from where we were staying and having to arrive there on our own, played a huge role in my transformation of becoming more independent. The excursions we went on as a group were an essential part of the development of my own understanding of the culture, the people, and Spain as a whole. In addition, exploring the city on my own and talking to locals contributed to my growth as an individual.
The discussions I had in class with my classmates, professors, TA’s and the guest lectures helped contribute to my understand of Spain as a diverse country. In class we would be presented with a topic, for example: immigration/emigration, by the professors followed by a student discussing and lastly a guest lecturer. After discussing the topic in class, we had field trips were we would go and experience what we were learning about in class. In combination this made for a valuable transformational experience.
The field trips taken and the OSU students and faculty I met is what made this experience so transformational. It was the interchanging of ideas that made this experience so valuable.
My education abroad has definitely enriched my academic experience because it has allowed me to live what I was learning in the classroom. It wasn’t the same to learn about something, like the Muslim influences in Spain, and then go out on field trips and actually see it in real life. Additionally, studying abroad for one month immersed me in a culture completely different from my own and allowed me to adapt as well as learn from people different from myself. I think I can say that I am bringing back to The Ohio State University a new perspective on life whether that be taking a break to have a “café con leche” (coffee with milk), or looking at the topic of immigration differently.
