Study Abroad and Domestic Study Away

One of the best parts of my study abroad experience was staying with my host mom. I chose this option because I wanted to get as much exposure to the language and local culture as possible, and I was placed with a single woman photographer. I did not know what to expect from this experience, and ended up having a great time getting to know her. We had long talks in Spanish over dinner, and she even introduced me to some of her photography students. I was able to spend time with a group of local people speaking mostly in Catalan, which meant that I had to get by with my limited Spanish and without understanding the majority of what was being said.

There were a lot of things I had to adjust to in the first few weeks of my program. Certain things were easier to understand and adapt to, like the more frugal attitude towards water and electricity usage here due to the higher cost and the drought in Catalonia. However, some unexpected things were the differences in style and mannerisms, the lack of diversity compared to Chicago, and the language barrier in everyday life. Even though I have been learning Spanish for years and many locals speak English, this was the first time I was forced to communicate in public mainly in Spanish, and with Catalan being the first language I often could not understand things at all. Despite these initial moments of culture shock, I was able to adjust within the first few weeks and learn to appreciate the differences between Spain and the United States. Having my host mom and a network of other exchange students to rely on helped me adjust to the differences. It has been such an incredible experience to travel around Spain with my program, and I am so grateful to the Margaret Thomson Pavelka ‘70 Scholarship for helping me get here.

Visiting Girona in Spain: