As I wrap up my final days abroad, I?m thinking about how awesome my time here in Barcelona and beyond has been. I knew coming into it that I would learn and grow in a lot of different ways but I didn?t exactly know how. It?s cool now to see how everything played out. Not every day was easy and fun but the whole adventure was incredible.
One of the coolest things in my classes here was the opportunity to work in 3 different teams out of my 4 classes. All multinational groups allowed me to work with and come to understand many diverse perspectives. It sure has had its challenges but bringing different backgrounds and thinking to the table always makes for a more well-rounded, valuable team. I?ve come to really appreciate the value of a different perspective than my own. I?ve also learned to communicate and lead more effectively with people, especially those who don?t speak English as a native language. Being understood definitely plays a big role in a team dynamic.
Something I didn?t realize was how easy it would be to speak English here. I mostly wanted to come to Spain because I?m learning Spanish but it turned out to be harder to learn naturally than I originally thought. All the international students can speak English and a lot of people know English wherever you go. So I had to really be intentional about learning and practicing. I have grown a lot in speaking and understanding Spanish but I?ve learned that the best way to learn is going somewhere where no one knows English.
All in all, this semester’s exchange has been such a blessing. So many great conversations, memories, and lessons learned. The one thing that I would encourage someone who is deciding to do a semester exchange is to do it to grow and learn and experience new things. Don?t just do it for the Instagram pics and so you can say you did it. If you?re considering doing a semester exchange even a little bit, do it.