Study abroad or school sanctioned vacation?

This weekend me and a few other students in my program went on a wine, cava, and tapas tour. There were eight of us total from our group, along with three other couples that took the tour with us. When we all sat down for tapas together, one of the men in the group asked us why we were all here in Barcelona. After explaining to him that we were here for studying purposes he made a joke about how it is more like a vacation. We all thought this was funny, and maybe in some ways true, but it got me thinking about how exactly I have managed to keep up with the work in my classes, while seeing as much as possible. 

During the first week of being here, I fell into the trap of almost forgetting I was also taking classes. I would attend all of my classes, but then afterwards, me and other students would take on a full day of adventuring. This kind of came back to bite me, when I had to spend a full Sunday working on homework and trying to catch up. When you go abroad it is easy to get caught up in all of the excitement and forget about your responsibilities for a while, but it is also important to remember why you are here. I have found that the best way to think of it, is that I am here to both learn in the classroom as well as to learn from my experiences. 

Some advice for you if you plan to go abroad:

1. Don't feel like you have to cram everything into one week, most abroad programs are a month or longer, and it's amazing what you can see and get done in that time. Spread out the adventures. Find a good balance. 
2. It is okay if you have to dedicate one day here and there to just studying and getting things done. Remember, whatever it is you want to see will most likely be there tomorrow, get your work done and keep on top of your grades too!
3. Fit in as much fun as you can. If you find a good balance with your school work, you won't have to spend hours studying. Find ways to fit something new and fun into each day, even if that is just stumbling on a cool new cafe to do some reading, or laying on the beach and relaxing for a day. 
4. Finally, remember you're not only learning in the classroom. Every experience you have or person you meet, there is something to learn. Really embrace that, and you will find that you are really learning during every moment of your days. 

In a place where it is often hard to choose whether to go out and explore or to spend your time studying, being abroad has given me some even better time management skills. As my time here is coming to a close, I am grateful I have been able to find a balance. 

All about learning

                I never quite realized the many lessons that are ingrained into my brain that are really only a part of my culture until I came abroad and started communicating with those that have a different cultural background than me. Being in a home-stay during my time in Barcelona has been of great benefit to me as I have really been able to fully grasp the cultural values that are held among those living here. A few days ago before my host family and I sat down for dinner I had the pleasure of talking with our host mother’s boyfriend for a little while. During our conversation he talked with me a lot about the current state of Spain and Barcelona, and how some in the Catalunya area want to separate from Spain. In this conversation he inserted his opinion on this sort of politics and brought up the conversation as if it was no big deal. As I was sitting there I started to think about how back home I was always taught that because things such as politics are controversial and can bring about arguments, it is best to not discuss them with those you do not know that well. This conversation made me realize the difference in mind set between my culture and the culture of the people in my home-stay. Nicholas was not at all uncomfortable with talking about this sort of topic, and it seemed that he was more focused on teaching us about what is going on in Spain rather than worried about bringing up something of controversy.

                Having this conversation taught me that with intercultural communication, there aren’t always the same “rules” that may be followed. In some cultures, it is okay to talk about certain topics while others it may not. I never thought it was wrong of Nicholas to bring up this topic, in fact I was happy he did. Not only did I have a moment where I was able to see a difference in cultural communication styles, but I was also able to learn more about the present state of Barcelona and Spain as a whole. When approaching conversations of intercultural communication, it is important to remember that while a topic may come up that you are not used to having with people you do not know, there is always something to learn from this discussion. Be open minded to the fact that they may not be thinking the same way you are about the topic, be willing to understand what they are trying to talk to you about, and be understanding of the cultural differences between you and others during these conversations.

                Talking with others in Spain has allowed me to come to the realization very quickly that each culture has a different way of communicating.  I am grateful that I have been able to talk with people like Nicholas because I believe it has given me a better understanding of the culture in Barcelona. It is not always easy to communicate with people from a different culture, and you may hit some bumps in the road, but as I keep saying, being open minded will help things become a lot easier and will most likely help you communicate with others better.

                

Jumping right in!

Months, weeks, and even days before this trip to Barelona, I had no idea what to expect. Everything I heard from students that had studied abroad is about how great things were, and how wonderful of a time I would have. The build up to go abroad was definitely a big one, and as the days approached I had the same feeling, excitement, and being one of the biggest worriers on the planet, I for some reason was worried about nothing. I was almost comforted by the fact that I didn't know much and was ready to take on this new adventure.The day I arrived I admit I started worrying. Here I am, a young American girl that speaks little Spanish being thrown into a completely new place where I only sort of know a handful of people that will be on the trip with me, it was a little scary. I didn't begin to really think about the times in which I might struggle here in Spain until I actually experienced them.

Meeting my and Elaine's (my roomie) host mother was a huge moment where I switched from being that eager excited little American, to a nervous one. Our host mother picked us up at the study abroad office and we quickly realized she didn't speak much English. This woman is one of the sweetest people I have ever met but I began to fear that we would not be able to communicate with her in ways that we would wish to, and that this would make living in the home-stay very hard. Slowly but surely we began to find ways to communicate, whether that was through her boyfriend that spoke English and would help us translate or her two daughters that would also be around from time to time to help us as well. In this initial moment however, I wished I had taken my dad's advice and brushed up on my Spanish before heading over. I was told so often not to worry that I didn't speak that much Spanish and I think I took that to heart a little more than I should. This is important friends: knowing some basic Spanish phrases and at least trying to speak in Spanish will get you a lot father with the locals. My host mother is a lot more patient with us than the average person, and unlike most locals is excited to have us here. I picked up quickly that most of the locals aren't totally excited for you to be here, and if you come off as someone who is unwilling to try and accept their culture or speak to them in their language they will most likely not be willing to accommodate you when you need their help.

Being completely enchanted with this new place definitely describes a large portion of my feelings throughout this week. But I also noticed there were things I would lose my patience with so quickly. Without sounding like I am making a  generalization, I have come to notice that the people here drive like they have somewhere to be, but they sure don’t walk like that. I am an incredibly impatient person and when I am walking behind people in the metro who are walking extra slow, I get so aggravated. What I learned with this is to just keep calm. It sounds so simple, but with every new experience you have abroad, I find the best way to handle things that are different from what you are used to is to be willing and open to immerse yourself in the culture that surrounds you.

I got in a cab the other day and when the driver asked me what address to take me to, instead of saying four hundred and forty-four, I spit out “cuatro cuatro cuatro.” He immediately laughed and poked fun at that by plugging his nose and repeating what I said.  I wasn’t even upset by his jokes

 because this made me realize that even when I try, I’m definitely not going to just blend in, I will always look and sound like an American, and instead of focusing on blending in, I need to focus on learning and growing from the cultural experiences that surround my everyday life abroad.