Last semester, I had the wonderful opportunity to study abroad in Madrid, Spain. Although my trip was cut short to only four months, it was the best time of my life, and I got the opportunity to explore Spain, France, the Netherlands and Portugal. Studying abroad was a magical experience and although it was cut short due to COVID-19, it was an unforgettable, incredible opportunity. I’ve known I wanted to study abroad since I was in high school, and the experience was even better than I could’ve imagined. While I had a good life until that point, commuting to school from home, since I could stay in the city I grew up in alongside my friends and family, I’ve never been able to step out of my comfort zone and live on my own. Studying abroad made me realize how independent I can be if needed. I decided to study abroad alone since I wanted to push myself to be social and meet new people... and this is exactly what I did! I made lifelong friends from different parts of the world. Along with becoming more comfortable in social settings, I began appreciating time on my own as well. There were days when my friends were unable to meet, but being in a different country is so exciting that I explored Spain on my own a lot. This is something I’ve carried as I’ve returned home.
This was my first time going to Europe, and learning about Spain's history and seeing how beautiful these countries were left me in awe. There were moments where the experience felt so surreal I cried tears of joy. I am grateful for everything I was able to experience. In addition to enjoying the social aspect of studying abroad, I was exposed to a completely different education system and some of my classes were in Spanish.
