When I went back to Redlands to finish up a course for may term I greatly dreaded going back to school but it ended up turning around to be a good thing. I took this class called Making Magazines and on the first day the teacher told us to pick a topic to elaborate on. You can guess the first place my mind went to.
I used the class to cope with the severe home-sickness I was feeling for my spanish life and made a magazine about Barcelona. The best part about it was that I wrote the entire thing in Spanish, which helped with the gap I was feeling from not speaking Spanish anymore. It proved to be great therapy writing about a culture I had come to be so passionate about and expressing my feelings in the language I had grown so fond of and by the end of the course I finally felt a little closure. When I finished it all I finally felt like I could accept being back in the U.S. and what's more is that I was left with this amazing little piece of my life I could flip through whenever I wanted.
It's crazy to think how big of an impact such a brief period in my life could have on me but that's the most beautiful thing about studying abroad. It gives people the opportunity to really experience different cultures, meet so many different people, and learn even more about themselves than they thought. It's almost as if you get the chance to live a second life.
For me, the biggest thing I think I learned from it all is to roll with the punches. Breaking my ankle and traveling impaired made for a high-intensive course in that lesson but also a powerful one. Things don't always go your way, especially when you're in a foreign country trying to fit into a different lifestyle but the quicker you adapt, the easier life gets.
It's sad to think that this amazing experience has all just become a picture on my wall but it has also become one of the veins across my heart. What ever happens next, I will always have Barcelona as a keepsake in my pocket to help me embrace the punches that roll ahead, whatever and whoever they may be.
For those of you thinking of traveling or studying abroad my advice is don't think twice about it and do it. It will be one of the best things you will ever do and if you pick a place that is perfect for you, you may never leave. If you're considering Barcelona, my magazine on Barcelona may be able to help you decide. It's all in spanish but there are some great pictures and that is what google translate is for!
http://www.blurb.com/b/4352174-the-looking-glass-en-espanol
It's safe to say I have become addicted to traveling and I know these past months were only the beginning for me. I look forward to the many adventures that lie ahead.
¡Hasta luego!
