Lessons Learned

“If we were meant to stay in one place, we’d have roots instead of feet, he said.”

I vividly remember packing for my study abroad to Salamanca, Spain, filling my suitcases to the brim.  I wanted to be prepared for anything, so I opted to pack up my whole life, rather than two months’ worth of it, and thus, found myself in jeopardy of having to pay the extra baggage fee when I arrived at Dulles International Airport.  Hesitantly, I removed two sweatshirts, a box of granola bars, and three notebooks from my check-in, with my mom in the background saying, “As long as you don’t bring anything extra back, I think you’ll be fine.” Ya, I was fully prepared for the baggage fee to be embraced on my return flight home.

10 weeks, 8 bus rides, 6 train rides, and 3 plane rides later, I packed it all back, and along with my luggage full of clothes and objects, I carried a suitcase of places seen and feats taken that far exceeded the 50 lb limit. I walked into my study abroad knowing I’d take classes, travel, and learn about another country and its culture, but I never realized it would affect me so much more than how I first imagined when leaving home.

I think I speak for any study abroad program when I say the type of learning you embrace reaches far beyond the walls of a classroom, and isn’t confined to a PowerPoint slide or a textbook page. You study by seeing the places you read, and interacting with the locals in the language you were just lectured on.  You don’t just learn about a subject, you live it. Everything you immerse yourself in makes you think about what you want in life and what you live for, what your passions are, the direction of your career, what you like and dislike, and what you can and can’t live without.

So without further ado, here’s what I learned with 10 weeks in Spain, that 10 years of school can never outdo:

You learn to appreciate a different way of doing things.  You learn to love the strange, or at least what is strange to you.

You learn that sandwiches mean different things to different countries.  For example, in America, a sandwich normally means lettuce, tomato, a little bit of meat and a lot of mayo.  A sandwich in Spain (aka a bocadillo) amounts to a slice of ham and cheese plastered in between a huge French baguette.  So although you learn ordering a bocadillo translates to, “I’ll take an entire loaf of bread with a side of ham”, that loaf will far surpass any slice of Wonder bread you’ve ever made grilled cheese on.

You learn how to seize the night at hand and remain semi-functioning the next morning. You learn that broken Spanglish, accompanied by random hand gestures somehow works as a form of communication.  You learn to rely on one pair of shoes to get you through the daily 10-mile commutes (Converse, I owe it all to you).  You learn to trust public transportation (that was one I never thought I’d say).

You learn it’s the little things of the trip that stick with you the most. The morning walk to school, the climbing of a cathedral (Catedral de Salamanca), the feeling of peace and empowerment you get at the top of a mountain (Los Picos de Europa), the view from a hotel window (Parador of Fuente Dé), and sitting by a river (Rio Tormes) where all you need is a bottle of wine, an acoustic guitar, and a group of friends to make the moment one-of-a-kind.

You learn to take notice of who you are.  You learn of new things that tick you off and bring you peace.  You learn to be patient with every day, and let the journey’s route take you where it may.

Last, but certainly not least, you learn the group of people you are with become the quickest group of friends you’ve ever made. You learn to accept them as your support system, your family, and your home away from home. Together, you tackle fears in one way or another, and put yourselves in situations where comfort zones are out of the question. You all grow in some shape or form, and come out of the experience with a brightened perspective and a newfound appreciation for the life you get to live.

Any study abroad becomes an adventure that can never be replicated; it’s far from normal, and that’s what makes it extraordinary. Spain was a series of moments; moments that can’t fit in the box of JMU or Home, and can’t be categorized as a vacation, school, or work.  Spain fell into a category of its own. It was, and will always be, an irreplaceable experience, with people met, places ventured, and lessons learned that will last a lifetime.