For my STEP Signature Project I studied abroad at the University of Salamanca in Salamanca, Spain for six weeks. In addition to being enrolled in four classes, I had the opportunity to learn the history of and explore many famous and important cities, including Madrid, Toledo, and Segovia. I was also able to experience Spanish culture firsthand because I lived with a Spanish family who provided me with two authentic Spanish meals every day and I lived in and interacted with a Spanish community for six weeks, learning so much about Spanish culture that is only possible to learn through an experience like this.
Living abroad in Spain helped to develop my understanding of the world and challenged my assumptions about how other countries compared to the United States. Before my study abroad program, I idolized Spain and other Western European countries. I thought they were so much better than the U.S. because, from the outside, they seemed to have better politics, better public systems like transportation and healthcare, and so much more that I felt the U.S. lacked. I was used to living in the U.S. and experiencing first hand the issues of this country on a daily basis, and that clouded my view of it. Living abroad gave me the opportunity to see and experience the issues of other countries and realize that the United States isn’t unique in its problems and that other countries aren’t perfect. My experience living abroad was life changing and incredibly inspiring and helped me grow to appreciate my home country and to better understand the nuances of the world.
One of the experiences most influential to my change in attitude toward my home and my understanding of the complexities of our world were the protests in Barcelona against tourism. I didn’t experience one first hand, but seeing the coverage on Spanish news channels and hearing the discourse around the issue was very eye opening. I didn’t realize how much of an effect tourism has on daily life in Spain, nor how many different opinions there are about what the best solution is. Observing this helped me stop idolizing Spain and start seeing it more similarly to the U.S., a complex country full of many different people and ideas trying to work together to enact change for the betterment of the whole country. Seeing the complicated politics and hearing about the failings of the government helped me realize that the United States is not unique in its imperfectness and that made me feel less resentful about my home.
Another experience that helped me understand the world better was visiting the aqueducts in Segovia. They are truly a sight to behold and standing under them while learning about their history, their function and how they were built, made me appreciate humanity and our potential when we work together. This was something I experienced every time I got the opportunity to visit a historical building, which was often. Standing where other humans once stood, hundreds and even thousands of years before me, and marveling at the product of their labor which was still standing, and in some cases still operational, made me feel so connected to my humanity and to really appreciate and cherish that I was a person. It allowed me to forget my gripes with the world and reminded me of why I started fighting in the first place.
Speaking with my host family and other Spaniards allowed me to hear different points of view about both the United States and Spain. My host mother explained to me that utilities are very expensive in Spain compared to in the U.S., which shocked me. I have always thought of the U.S. as a very expensive place to live, so to learn that one of the main living expenses was more affordable than Spain was very surprising. She also said that clothing was cheaper in the U.S. and other Spaniards I talked to corroborated her claims. All of this led to a change in perspective and mindset for me. I was able to observe my country from a foreigner’s eyes and see things worth admiring that I was blind to before.
This change in perspective has greatly affected how I interact with the world. I now have a better understanding of our world’s nuances and complexities, and this allows me to have a well rounded foundation to continue my education from. I believe that having experiences different from the normal life you are used to is incredibly important to getting the most out of university education. When I begin my career as an interpreter, this will allow me to have the mindset necessary for interacting with many different types of people in many different situations, and will aid in my ability to empathize with and understand the people I will be working with, most of whom will be strangers to me.
