Studying in Spain was the biggest step out of my comfort zone I have ever taken. This period of time forced me into assuming a strong sense of independence unlike anything I had ever experienced before. I was living in a space where I had to completely rely on myself to communicate with a different…

Three weeks into the program, I was starting to feel more settled in Alcalá. Classes were in full swing, the town was familiar, and traveling in Spain was far less intimidating than when I arrived. I felt very comfortable and in control of navigating the country independently. I was also planning on visiting Málaga over…

You can’t know the things that you don’t know until presented with the opportunity to learn. I often found that major cultural differences—siestas, late-night dinners, and a relaxed sense of time—were not too difficult to get accustomed to as they were daily occurrences established early on. Throughout my experience in Spain, the main sources of…

A person’s first semester of college is such a unique period of time. It ends almost as quickly as it started, but many look back on it with nostalgia. That newfound sense of independence with fresh faces and unfamiliar places only happens once. I could hardly believe it when that same feeling returned as I…