One Month Away

When the opportunity knocked for me to be able to study abroad for 8 months, I didn't hesitate to open the door. I study Spanish language at the University of Louisville and my professors inspired me to apply for scholarships to Study Abroad. I could choose anywhere in the world. I could have went to Peru, Panama, Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador... Anywhere within the Spanish speaking population. The world was my oyster. I contemplated what would be best for me, where I would be the happiest, where I could learn about more myself from the people I meet. The choice wasn't as easy as some would think. It would have been much easier for me to choose somewhere in the Americas. Peru would have been nice. Machu Picchu has always been on my bucket list, but at the end of the day, I already knew where I wanted to be. When I was told that I had been given a scholarship, I knew that my decision had been the right one.

Where are you going?

On September 18th, I'm leaving the US for Granada, Andalusia, Spain. The decision to choose Granada rather than Madrid or Barcelona came after I read about it and learned that Granada is one of the most popular college cities in all of Europe. The University of Granada (UGR) has roughly 65,000 students, of which only around 2,000 are international. UGR has a Modern Languages department that is similar to what the University of Louisville has, so I knew that the transition would be somewhat easy. Granada is located in the south of Spain along the Mediterranean Sea. I have the best of both worlds. I will be living in the city next to the Sierra Nevada mountains and will be a short distance to the Mediterranean. After seeing photos of Granada and reading testimonials from other students that had studied there, I was confident that it was the place for me. My adviser had studied in Granada and throughout the long and never-ending process of applying to study in another country, she shared her stories and memories that helped me realize that I was doing the right thing.

Who are you living with?

I'm living with a host family. The idea is both exciting and terrifying. Imagine moving in with a family of strangers that may or may not speak your language. The thought does scare me. I would be lying if I said it didn't, but living within the culture inside a Spanish home is the best thing for me in terms of learning not only the language, but the culture as well. At this point, I still don't know who they are. I'm playing the waiting game, waiting for someone to adopt me. I should know who they are within the next few weeks. I'll update everyone when I know more. The only thing I know about them is that they will be centrally located near the university. 

What are you going to do if you are homesick?

Let me be clear... I'm already homesick and I haven't left yet. I am leaving behind everyone and everything that I have ever known to live my dream. I'm going to miss my family, my friends, my hometown, my home university, and everything about the United States every single second of every day. I already know that. But I'm also going to be living my dream, something that I have worked endlessly to have. This opportunity did not come easy and I struggled for over a year in trying to make it happen.  I'm so excited and ready for what this stage of my life has in store for me. I have waited for this moment for as long as I can remember and despite my love for the United States, I miss Spain. I've always missed Spain. Ask anyone. When someone mentions Spain, I light up like a Christmas tree. I'm going to be so absorbed in my new life that I won't have time to be homesick. I'll be in contact with my family every single day. I will have a cellphone. I'll be able to get on Facebook. I'll still tweet daily. You can write on my wall, send me a tweet. It will mean more to me than I could ever describe. You will remind me of what I'm coming home to. I'll need that optimism and support. It'll keep me emotionally stable to know that there are people  back home rooting for me to succeed.

When are you coming back?

As of right now, I'm scheduled to come home on May 23rd. That's when my semester ends. School in Europe is a little different than in the United States. I begin classes on October 1st and I finish classes at the end of May. I'll come home when classes are finished.

It is possible that I could make a surprise visit on Christmas Eve. Don't start playing "I'll Be Home For Christmas" yet because there is no guarantee. There has been talks of flying me back for the holidays because of my grandfather's health and not being sure of how many more Christmas' that I'm going to have with him. I have no objections to spending Christmas with my family. If I come home, I will be able to stay for a few weeks and then I'll go right back to Granada. 

What are you going to miss?

My family, my friends, my 21st birthday, Thanksgiving, ice, my pets, cold milk, English, Green River Cinema 6, the season premiere of the Vampire Diaries, Taco Bell, standard US plug-ins, bacon, driving around Louisville, driving in general, wide streets, trucks, Geico commercials...

Mostly, I am going to miss my birthday. I'll be turning 21 without the people who helped raise me. However, I have plans already in Spain to celebrate the occasion. Can someone say Real Madrid?

Do you think it is safe to travel by yourself?

Yes, but I'm not alone. God will be with me every step of the way and when I arrive in Spain, I will have guides to meet me at the hotel. I'm not by myself once I get there. The only time I'll be by myself is when I am flying. Airports are so heavily guarded, I don't have any fears of being kidnapped, and I trust our government enough to feel safe en route. I understand traveling. I understand airports. I know what I have to do and the rules that I have to follow. Accidents and tragedies happen, but I'm not afraid of any of that. I am confident that I can travel safely on my own. There is danger everywhere. I can't let fear keep me from pursuing my dream.

What advice would you give to someone that wants to study abroad?

When you believe in something with everything you have, you can find a way to make it happen. If you are interested in studying abroad, attend a study abroad fair in college. They are usually at the beginning of the school year, which is right around the corner. Look at their brochures, talk to program representatives. They can explain any questions you may have. If you already have a place in mind, then focus on that... but still give other options a second look. I originally wanted to study in Barcelona, but in the city of Barcelona... the people speak Catalan. I could have studied there, but it would be more difficult to learn Spanish if the city I live in speaks something different. You have to be reasonable and weigh your options. Don't pick something on a whim. Do your research and understand what you will be getting yourself into. There are short term stays and long term stays. I chose the long term because I will come home fluent in Spanish. I like the idea of perfecting a language that I have grown to love. Short term stays are great for people that don't want to be gone for too long, but still want to have that cultural experience. If you have any questions about studying abroad or college in general, don't hesitate to shoot me a message.

The purpose of a blog...

I have always planned to have a blog while I was gone. I typically keep a diary when I travel and write in it daily about different things that I've done and what I've seen, but I thought it would be fun to keep my hometown updated on what's going on with me. There are more people that care about me than I realized. When I started to let people know that I would be taking a year away from UofL to study abroad, I had so many people send me love and well wishes. My family reads these blogs, my friends read these blogs, and hopefully people that I barely know will read them as well. I want to inspire people and encourage them to see other walks of life from a different perspective. I want to give people who don't have the time or the ability to  travel the opportunity to see what I see. I want to make you laugh, make you think, and make you realize how much the world has to offer. Who knows, maybe my little ol' blog can make you choose a country to study in. 

There is a comment tab below to give me feedback, your thoughts, and any questions that you may have. Or there is always Facebook and Twitter. I'm excited to share Spain with you and I hope you can take something away from each post that I write. Let me know what you think. 


Buenas noches, amigos.