My STEP Project was an education abroad experience in which we studied the multicultural and global history of Madrid, Spain. This was a month-long trip, and it included excursions to Toledo, Santander, and Bilbao, Spain, visits to historical sites, interactions with locals, and near complete immersion into Spanish culture.
This experience was transformative in many ways, but two of the most prominent changes that I noticed within myself were my open-mindedness and my resourcefulness. It is impossible to spend a full month immersed into a brand new culture and not have to venture out of your comfort zone, and, in my time spent abroad, I grew comfortable with these situations. Whether it was trying new foods or hearing new ideas, I became happy to broaden my horizons. In addition, there were many obstacles in the way of my everyday life. The language barrier, the new culture, and the new city all made simple tasks more difficult. Whether I had to speak Spanish to get around, use resources around the city, or work out of tough situations, I learned to be more self-sufficient. My view of the world changed a bit as well, as I was exposed to the vast diversity that exists within Madrid and in Spain as a whole. I have always been proud of the fact that the United States exhibits great diversity in its people, but I was equally happy to see that similar degrees exist around the world.
Nearly every aspect of my experience contributed to the transformations I experienced. First and foremost, the excursions to various cities around Spain showcased the diversity that exists around the country. Compared to Madrid, each city had it’s own unique history, customs, and in the case of Bilbao, a language that was completely unrelated to Spanish. We were able to try each city’s cuisine, see some of their most significant historical sites, and explore what lies around the city. We were able to experience each city in full, but this was just a small sample of what lies in the rest of the nation, which was a true testament to Spain’s diversity.
In the times where there were no events scheduled for our group, we took it upon ourselves to navigate our way around whichever city we were in at the time. This always led to new discoveries and helped to bring us closer as a group, but it also served as a challenge for all of us. Since no one in the group was fluent in Spanish, we all had to work on our language skills in order to interact with others. We were also required to learn the customs of this foreign land in order to be able to navigate the social aspects of life. Nearly everywhere we went, we were experiencing something new, and it constantly pushed us to grow as individuals.
One of the biggest catalysts for change in my experience was our professor, Dr. Burgoyne, who has been travelling to Spain for decades. He is well-versed in Spanish culture and incredibly open-minded in his own, so with his leadership we were all inspired to follow suit and expand our horizons. Along with this, he never missed an opportunity to make a teaching point about a cultural difference, historical fact, or a personal experience that he had. He was instrumental in my experience abroad, and I’m grateful that he was so willing to teach.
This experience has been incredibly significant. I will take every lesson that I have learned and use them for the rest of my life. Gaining a deeper understanding of a new culture will pave the way for deeper connections with others, and also help me to do the same with many more in the future. I will always think back to the times when I was lost in a foreign city when I need help navigating through a difficult situation similar to that. On another note, the relationships that I developed throughout the whole month will last long into the future. My time spent abroad was impactful in every way, and I am beyond grateful for the opportunity.