“If we allow, global learning will not only carry us into the world around us, but also into this world within” said by Slimbach. Throughout all of our readings he has provided us with numerous quotes that we can relate back to our study abroad experience. And now that it is coming to an abrupt end we can really reflect on our time overseas. In my personal experience I was able to travel to other countries and saw many cultures that were different from the states and from my host country. This connects back to the quote, I was able to see the world and dive deeper into the culture by the food, people, museums, and sites. Also by many of the videos and readings throughout the semester had an impact on me because I was able to see many different sides of cultures around the world.
All of my experiences have molded me into a brand new person. Before my time abroad I have never been to Europe, I have only heard stories from family and friends, and seen pictures from their travels. But now that I have lived in Spain for four months and have gotten to know the culture, values, and social norms of Barcelona I feel as if I am in the slightest bit a local. Towards the end of my time abroad I was the one getting mad at the amount of tourists in the city, and how many people were in the streets in general. But at the start in January I was a tourist myself. It was funny to me how in such a short span I was able to adapt and change to a culture that was so much different to what I was used to for my entire life.
As this journey comes to an end I can truly say that I had the time of my life, and it was a life changing experience. I met people that will be my friends forever, and that I will definitely meet up with in the future. I traveled to places that I wouldn’t have even imagined going to, and I have memories that will last me a lifetime. Now that I have to say goodbye to the people that I have built relationships with and not know when the next time I will see them is very hard to do. We will probably go out to a nice dinner with some drinks for one last hoorah. It will be a sad time, but as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end.
My emotions at this point are very mixed. Since my family visited just two weeks before I got home I really missed them for the last weeks, but I really felt like I could live in Barcelona forever. I have been talking to my friends back home more since I will soon be with them, and my parents have been preparing for my return home as well. I am very anxious to go home since I haven’t seen my extended family in four months but I still want to travel and explore more. But I know that I have to snap back into reality when I get back home.
One quote that I would say highlights my emotions after studying abroad it would be from a travel article that I found online. It is by Ibn Batutta, “Traveling – leaves you speechless, then turns you into a story teller.”
t3ROPE 