It's been a very exciting journey and I am inspired to try my hand at paella one of these days.
Transportation
The urban lifestyle is one that I will always be grateful for. It was not until I left Jersey City that I realized that navigating public transportation easily and with confidence is not an easy feat. I am really lucky to have had so much practice all these years because the mass public transportation in Spain is not that different.
Local Language
As you may know, I am half Nicaraguan and half Mexican. During my childhood, I had a hard time speaking to my immediate family from Central America. Although Spanish is an extremely common language, every Spanish-speaking country has its own dialect, pronunciation and expressions. Coming to Spain has given me the confidence to practice speaking Spanish without fear of pronouncing a vocabulary word wrong and has allowed me to feel comfortable navigating a new environment.
Meeting New Friends Abroad
I chose the University of Zaragoza because I wanted to take classes with students from all over the world. However, I completely forgot what it felt like to attend a new school for the first time. Growing up in Jersey City, I went to high school with the same people I graduated with from middle school, and then when college came, I still knew a couple of students. I craved a new environment. It was really important to me to join a group because part of the abroad experience is being open to new surroundings.
