My STEP Signature Project included a four-week long education abroad experience focused in Madrid, Spain. Previously, I had taken a course over the Spanish history and culture, and the study abroad experience allowed for me to bring my classroom studies to life understanding further how the historical and cultural density of each city contributed to Spain today.
This education abroad experience was my first time out of the country, so I didn’t know what to expect upon arrival. At first, I was apprehensive about using the small amount of Spanish I had learned from previous classes because I doubted my ability to converse with natives affectively. After walking through the Barajas airport for 20 minutes, I finally mustered the confidence to ask someone for directions and realized I was nowhere near where I needed to be to meet with the group. I quickly realized that this was going to be a long uncomfortable four weeks if I wasn’t willing to step out of my comfort zone to practice the language and be open to new experiences. Too often, we as Americans get too comfortable with the idea of being comfortable and fail to accept change and growth. We don’t realize that getting uncomfortable for even a little bit to allow for change and growth to happen opens a new door of endless possibilities. Not only did I learn more about myself through this experience, but I also learned more about a culture very different from my own.
Overall the culture in Spain comes from a mix of many different religions and cultures from around the world primarily from Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. The country is a result of love, war, and peace over the past thousands of years with the rise and fall of countless leaders. Cultural characteristics we explored during out time abroad included gastronomy, attire, immigration, and inevitably the language.
The first couple of days being in Spain was full of group explorations and tours in the heart of Madrid, and in cities outside of Madrid. Our first excursion included visiting the Roman aqueducts in Segovia, and exploring the beautiful landscape Segovia had to offer. This was also our first night trying a dish we had never heard of, cochinillo (suckling pig), which introduced us to Spanish gastronomy. The waiter brought the baby pig whole and chopped it up table side then served the pieces to us. This was different than traditional American cuisine because we rarely eat the whole animal but rather pieces and discard the rest for waste. This showed us how much pride Spaniards have in regards to gastronomy and how less wasteful they are in comparison to the US. Throughout the four-weeks, our experience was full of trying new foods and savoring all the different flavors. Another distinctive characteristic of the Spanish dining style included spending hours enjoying the company of friends and family as you enjoy your meal. This really helps in developing and strengthening lasting relationships with those around you helping our little group of 13 develop close relationships as we learned more about each other.
I enjoyed being in the group because it allowed for me to develop lasting relationships with amazingly unique people I may not have met while on campus at OSU which overall enhanced my college experience. Eventually though, after being in the group dynamic for a majority of the first couple of weeks, I soon learned that spending most of my time with the group was inhibiting me from growing and making the most out of my study abroad experience. I wanted to explore certain areas and learn more about what the city could offer me personally during my time there. I found myself disagreeing with the groups desires to explore one thing and often wandered on my own while growing comfortable with my individuality.
Aside from the dining culture and learning more about my individual desires, I also grew confident in my ability to understand and speak the Spanish language. While abroad I had to communicate with Spanish speaking individuals to gain directions, ask about menu items, and even in casual conversations as I explored the city. I learned to be more accepting of such a rich culture different from my own, and learned how to adapt to new opportunities I’ll encounter in the future. As a pre-med student, I think its important for healthcare professionals to be understanding and accepting of various culture in order to allow patients to feel secure in accepting health care, and this experience has done just that for me. It also encouraged me to continue with my Spanish education in hopes of becoming fluent so that I may be able to further help many others in the future.
After living in Spain for four weeks, I now have an understanding of the Madrileño way. Knowing that Spain will always have a place in my heart, I look forward to my next trip to Spain in the future ad exploring more of what the city has to offer me. After all, gato se hace no se nace.
