Así comienza el viaje

I have never felt more blessed to be granted the opportunity to study abroad at the Menéndez Pelayo International University in Sevilla, Spain. I recognize that I have been given the opportunity of a lifetime and definitely plan to take advantage of my three months in this beautiful country. I am planning on taking exclusively Spanish Language and Culture classes in order to progress my Spanish fluency as well as my understanding of the Spanish way of life. I am also thrilled to be a part of the "Intercultural Development and Global Culture Understanding" internship with my university, where I will be working with kindergarten students with the goal of increasing their understanding of American culture, while tutoring them in several elementary subjects.

I still have one full month until I board the flight to Spain, and several questions and concerns have surfaced. I am forced to face the question, "what am I leaving behind?". Since I have never been away from home for more than a week, leaving everything in my life to go to Europe for three months is quite nerve-wrecking.

1. My supportive family

I am the only child in my family, so naturally my parents are both excited and nervous for me to make such an extreme jump. I have been warned by many fellow study abroad students that I will be hit with the overwhelming feeling of home-sickness at some point during my trip. I understand that feeling homesick is going to be a natural part of this journey, but i refuse to let it effect my ability to enjoy my time abroad. I love and will miss my family, but I believe the time spent away from them will help me gain independence and help me appreciate the new family I'll have during my time in Spain. 

2. Kelly Picune, my best friend

Kelly and I have never been away from each other for more than a matter of weeks so I anticipate being so far from my bestie will present some challenges. However, Skype will make talking to her and other friends back home a lot easier. She has been incredibly supportive of me throughout the entire study abroad planning process and I know she'll be with me every step of the way while I'm in Spain. Plus she knows that I am going to be returning with lots of awesome presents for her. I miss my homey and I can't wait to see her in the winter and eventually have our own apartment together in the summer :)


3. A wonderful man

The fact that I am leaving for Spain for three months has taken a great toll on my social life, hindering past and potential future relationships. This is understandable since I am going to be all the way across the world for such a great amount of time, but it is somewhat frustrating that I cannot pursue the relationships that I otherwise would if I was not going to Spain. Logan and I met in the beginning of the  summer and have grown quite close over the past few months. I will miss him greatly while I'm in Spain and I look forward to assessing our relationship upon my return to America.


4. My friends at the University of Denver

I have grown close to many people at the University of Denver, especially my sisters of the Delta Zeta - Rho sorority. These girls have literally become my sisters and I cannot imagine my life without their love and support. Leaving them will be hard, but I know that they will be keeping up with me while I'm in Spain and they will be incredibly happy to see me and my other sisters who are studying abroad come winter time. 

I am very aware that my date of departure is rapidly approaching, but it still hasn't hit me yet. It doesn't quite feel real to me and I am looking forward to the moment where I realize that I am about to spend three amazing months in the most beautiful country in the world. 

1. ¡Viva España!