In the Spring of 2023, I was lucky enough to study abroad in Alicante, Spain, a small town on Spain’s southeastern coast. Having taken Spanish since elementary school, I have always been passionate about the language and knew from a young age that I wanted to learn more about Spanish culture, beyond a purely academic setting. Despite the difficulties of navigating the process through a pandemic, I was able to obtain my Visa with the help of Clemson University, and I could not have been more excited to begin my year in Spain. Although I had a few friends who were going abroad as well, I did not know anyone in my program and my nerves soon began to set in. I was introduced to my landlord immediately upon arrival, and she took me and my two roommates to our new apartment. The first challenge was that she spoke practically no English, and our abilities to communicate in Spanish were instantly put to the test. I began feeling very overwhelmed and under-qualified to be living in a new country, but the terrified looks on my roommates faces informed me that I was not alone in this sentiment. 

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The next challenge presented itself when we arrived at the apartment and realized we were assigned to live in a room on the fourth floor. We looked around the first floor for the elevator before realizing that it did not exist, to which we looked at our collective 9 suitcases preparing for the hike ahead. Our landlord chuckled and told us not to worry about it, and that her two sons and husband would take care of it for us. I was comforted by the kindness of her and her family, and found this to be a norm in Spain throughout the next few months as I was constantly met with kindness by the locals. 

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It’s not surprising that my goal for studying abroad was to grow as a Spanish speaker. This goal was undoubtedly achieved, as I took 15 credits while studying abroad and all of my classes were taught in Spanish. Because Alicante is a smaller town than somewhere like Madrid or Barcelona, less locals knew English and I found myself speaking Spanish most of the time while outside of my apartment. What I did not plan for was becoming so immersed in a new culture. I fell in love with the Spanish lifestyle; the pace of my life felt like it was slowing down for the first time since I began college. There is something different about Spain that makes everything feel relaxed, and the leisure-time makes the days feel longer. I particularly enjoyed the time schedule of Spain, as I have always been a fan of an afternoon nap. My typical day consisted of taking the public transportation to my university, which was about thirty minutes away from my apartment in the center of the city. I would eat lunch on campus, usually a “pan con tomaté”, which is a piece of toasted bread with tomatoes and olive oil spread on it. I would get home from class around 3 pm, just in time for siesta, a midafternoon nap. I would then complete my reading or homework assignments, go grocery shopping or maybe take a stroll around the city, and by that point it was usually time for dinner. 

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When my classmates and I would express our anxieties to our professors about upcoming exams or projects, they would tell us we were silly to worry. This was comical to us, as we were accustomed to spending our time as college students in a stressful headspace, worrying about our grades to the point of losing sleep. Although I found my classes in Spain to be challenging, I eventually began listening to my Spanish professors and stopped worrying so much about the grade, and instead channeled my concentration into the material. After this, the Spanish began coming more naturally to me and I could tell that I was improving, which was very exciting. I have brought this mindset back to my more fast-paced lifestyle in the United States, and I am extremely grateful for my Spanish professors, who also served as mentors during my time abroad. They taught many valuable lessons, extending far beyond grammar. 

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Although I loved spending my time in Alicante during the week, I couldn’t help but look forward to the weekend trips. During my five months abroad I visited Madrid, Paris, Prague, London, Lisbon, Barcelona, Bordeaux, Marrakesh, Rome, Capri, and Mallorca. Exploring the different cultures between each city I visited was extremely enriching, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that the locals I encountered wanted to help my understanding of their communities. My favorite place that I visited was Marrakesh, despite the rocky start to the trip. I was meeting two of my friends from Clemson but my flight landed a few hours earlier than theirs. I scheduled a ride to take me from the airport to our Riad, but there was a miscommunication about the timing and my ride was not there upon my arrival. I impulsively decided to take a taxi to my destination, but the driver misunderstood the name of the Riad and dropped me off in the wrong location. I was aimlessly wandering around a square, as my SIM card did not work in Morocco and I could not look up directions or contact my friends, and after just a few minutes a man approached me and asked if I needed directions. I told him the name of where I was staying and he informed me that it was several miles away, to my dismay. He then asked one of his friends if he could borrow their moped, and told me he would take me to my destination. I happily, and again, impulsively, got on the back of the bike and he took me across town while giving me some tips for navigating the city. Once we reached the destination, he gave his contact information and told me to reach out to him if I had any questions during my visit. I was touched by his goodwill to a stranger, and I will never forget his act of kindness or my time spent in Marrakesh. 

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These are just a few of my anecdotes from abroad; I have hundreds of more memories that have changed my perspective for what I believe to be the better. My time abroad was invaluable, and I’m very grateful for the opportunity to understand and appreciate cultures that are very different from my own, which has in turn helped me to better understand myself. Alicante changed the way I learn and think, and I look forward to returning one day.