During my time in this study abroad program, I have learned many things about myself. I have learned that, no matter where I am in the world or who I am with, I can handle any situation on my own and solve any problems that I may face along the way. In addition to this, I have also come to learn that it is completely okay to ask for help whenever you may need it. There were many instances where an obstacle or a mishap in plans would occur, but it became incredibly easy for me to figure out a solution because of my newfound sense of responsibility in any new situation. One specific instance that provides a good example of this would be the hurricane that caused issues with my flight plans to get to my final study abroad destination. A day before the start of classes in Spain, I was meant to fly out of Houston, layover in Newark, New Jersey, and then fly directly into Barcelona. Unbeknownst to me or the other Aggies that were on the same flight path to Barcelona, Hurricane Beryl decided that this very moment was the perfect time to strike down. Because of this, we didn’t know if we would be flying out on time if we would have time to make our layover in Newark, or if we’d have to stay in Houston for the night and wait to fly out some other time. It was a very stressful time because the flight kept getting delayed, and I didn’t know if things would work out properly. Despite this, I felt confident in my ability to figure things out and get my flights rescheduled, even though I had never had to do that before. At this point, I was completely alone and didn’t know anyone else on the flight, so I had to rely on myself to figure it all out. I was feeling calm and collected the whole time, but shortly after getting a full understanding of what to do next, 4 Aggies (Tommy, Taylor, Ryan, and JJ) all gathered near me and we all established what our next steps were and how to handle them. We knew that we needed to get our layover flights changed, but if we managed to make it out of Houston, we would need to book a hotel in Newark because we figured out that the next available flight to Barcelona would be in the evening of the next day. Everything was up to chance, but we got everything sorted out and managed to fly out of Houston, 6 hours after delays. During our flight, we had to contact our parents to help us get a hotel room because none of us were 21 (the legal age to book a hotel room). When we landed, we were able to figure out that the hotel one of our parents booked had a personal shuttle that was ready for us once we landed. We put our belongings in our hotel rooms, and we got our itinerary prepared for the next day and a half because once we landed in Barcelona, we had to head to class immediately after dropping our luggage off at our student apartments. After we got settled in Newark for the night, we decided to make the most of our struggles and take a small “side quest” trip to Times Square in New York. After visiting the concrete jungle for a few hours, we went back to the hotel and spent the rest of our time sleeping and studying for class the next day. We waited patiently for our flight time to arrive, headed to the airport early, flew to Barcelona, and, finally, started our study abroad program after a day and a half of obstacles and issues to solve.
All of this is to say that my learning experiences on this trip started even before leaving home. I figured out that there is never a time when you are not learning, and there is never a guarantee that things will always go as planned. It is incredibly useful to be flexible and adapt to change because you never know what can happen at any given point and time.
To the Aggie who is considering taking a CIBS study abroad in Spain… do it. I regret absolutely nothing from this trip, and I will say that this was one of the greatest experiences of my life. I will never forget the things that I saw and the places I went to in Spain. It is absolutely beautiful no matter where you go, the culture is so rich, and the people are incredibly friendly and helpful. In Barcelona, the beautiful beaches, the architectural masterpieces, and the vibrant city life are some of the key points of what you’ll see/experience when you decide to visit this phenomenal place. Not all, but most of the food that I ate in Spain was so good, and I would go back just to have it again. Some of the small and local spots in Barcelona have some of the best food that Spain has to offer. Make sure to keep your eye out for little hole-in-the-wall restaurants because that’s where Spanish food tends to shine the most. I can talk for hours about how wonderful the food and the sights were, but my favorite part of this study abroad was, by far, the people who went. I decided to go on this study abroad all by myself, and it ended up being the best decision. I was able to befriend every person on this trip very quickly, and we all got along so well. We made long-lasting memories together, we went on weekend trips together, and we experienced Spanish culture together as well. I felt so welcomed by every person on this trip, and there was never a moment where I was even slightly upset because I was constantly being uplifted and encouraged by my newly-acquired friends. If I could recommend doing a study abroad program for only one reason, it would be because of the people you go with and the lifelong bonds you create with them.
