When I left for Spain in August, December felt like a lifetime away. Now that time has come. As I leave this beautiful country I am filled with pride and happiness. I know that I took every opportunity possible to make this trip a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I traveled around Spain and Europe. I tried new foods and new customs. I stepped outside my comfort zone. And, above all else, I improved my knowledge and understanding of the Spanish language immensely.
My improvement in Spanish came gradually. At first, I didn't even realize how many more spoken and written words I could understand. But one day this week, my last week, I was reflecting on how little I actually knew when I arrived here. My vocabulary has also increased beyond belief. Do you know the word for pillow? I didn't until I came to Spain, because I never used it in conversation before (it is almohada, by the way). Honestly, at the end of last year, I thought I had learned everything I could about Spanish. My classes felt repetitive and I was at a point where I didn't know what I still needed to learn. All that changed because of my study abroad experience. In my classes and daily life, I was constantly learning, constantly improving. Now I can read and speak with ease.
