For example, did you know that people from Argentina love to make friends and invite people into their homes? It’s amazing to see that Argentinians love spending quality time with their community, just like the people of Valencia!
Another thing I learned was that it’s okay to make mistakes when learning a language. For example, my Japanese friend named Yusuke loved to help me learn Japanese sentences. With each mistake I made, he corrected me with a heartwarming smile. It’s okay to not know a language perfectly. In fact, people from other countries love to see you practicing their language! Thanks to my study abroad experience, I got to learn about amazing cultures across the world and see how kind people are.
Additionally, studying abroad helped me lose my fear of not fitting in. When everyone around you is speaking a different language, it can feel overwhelming. Sometimes I even had conversations with people using hand signals because we didn’t share a common language! After visiting many countries across the world with different languages, I learned to love how different everyone is and that I am a person with a wonderful background, too.
I couldn’t have made it studying abroad alone. Countless communities believed in my ability to succeed abroad, especially the Gilman International Scholarship Program. The Gilman International Scholarship Program supports students who come from low-income backgrounds to study abroad. Without their support, I couldn’t have achieved my dream of studying abroad . There are so many communities out there who believe in your potential, so much that they want you to adventure and become a more confident person!
I have loved sharing my journey in Spain with all of you.
