Studying abroad in Spain

The last four weeks have been very challenging for me, but I'm really happy that I had the opportunity to experience everything that I did during this month. Frankly, I never thought that I would leave the United States, much less go stay in another country without any friends or family. Throughout my life, I've been very dependent on other people to help me navigate obstacles, and when things would become too overwhelming for me and I didn't think I could handle it on my own, I would just give up. This trip taught me that I am capable of managing a lot more on my own than I previously thought, and I will always be grateful for that lesson. Of course, there were times where I let my anxiety get the best of me; for example, I had one particularly abrasive sales clerk treat me like I was the stupidest person he had ever dealt with, and that kept me from going into a store by myself for over a week. However, my most unpleasant experiences here have taught me that even when I...

I'm not sure if it's fair to generalize my experience with my host mom Belen to the entire Spanish lifestyle, but my time with Belen has been so fantastic. Her lifestyle and values are rather different than the lifestyle and values I have back home, but I've really been enjoying the new perspective. For example, Belen puts a lot of effort into the food she prepares for us. She takes the time to sit with me and my roommate Frankie while we eat, and she always asks how we are, how our day has been, and what we're learning in school. Belen is very dedicated to her family, and she has graciously extended this same dedication to me and Frankie. I love my own family dearly, but we are far more individualistic, as I think many American families are. We all have our own busy schedules, so we don't really have the opportunity to be together in the same room, let alone share two meals together everyday. Food in America is pretty often just a necessity of life, so I, like many...

Since arriving in Spain, I've faced a variety of personal challenges that either I didn't expect or I didn't think would impact me as much as they have been. For example, of course I knew there would be a language barrier while I worked on improving my Spanish, but I didn't expect to encounter so many people that seem irritated with or, at the very least, apathetic to having to interact with me when I try to speak to them. It's discouraging for me because I want to improve by talking to other people who live in Granada, but I feel like the only person here who is patient enough to talk to me is my host mom Belen. I've been feeling pretty isolated the past couple of days and it's getting harder to solve problems on my own. I usually just end up calling my mom or my boyfriend to complain because I don't feel like I can come up with a solution, so the only thing I can do is to vent to people who understand me back home. My anxiety has increased a lot from b...

So far, the majority of my experiences have left me feeling both uncomfortable and lost, but I expected to feel this way. It's a very strange and unsettling feeling going from being fully independent in my own country to completely dependent on others for everything I need. Even earlier today, I needed a SIM card for my phone, but I needed my abroad director, Maria, to do everything for me because I don't speak Spanish well enough to communicate what I need. I end up feeling like I'm a child who can't do anything for myself. Other matters beyond communication that I have struggled with are things like figuring out some of the bathrooms; in certain places we've visited, like our hotel in Madrid and some of the bars, the bathrooms seem to be unisex or at the very least they are not marked clearly enough for me to distinguish. I very well could be using the men's bathroom and have no idea. Additionally, the toilets and showers are all different than in the US, so i...