Spain

By Kaitlan Doherty

Throughout my time as being a Spanish major, I had always wanted to study abroad. I thought about it as a freshman, a sophomore, a junior, and then .... well, I realized I was a junior and my time at school was almost done without having studied abroad. I sucked it up and decided to just do a service learning course as a replacement option. It was my spring semester my junior year when the one and only, Patricia Gubitosi started advertising a summer program for Salamanca, Spain. It was only one month in July and the deadline wasn't for a few months. It was intriguing, but I had already started my community service class and I didn't think I needed to study abroad. However, the more I talked to Professor Gubitosi (simply in curiosity) the more she seemed to encourage me. The next thing I knew, I was signed up to study abroad in Salamanca, Spain. I really almost didn't apply, but the more I thought about it, and the more I spoke to people, the more I felt the need to go.

It was my own thoughts and anxieties holding me back until I finally came to realize I needed to overcome them and just do this one month study abroad program.

I am so thankful for everyone who encouraged me to go because Salamanca was such an amazing trip and I feel like I grew as an individual in so many different ways.
I was one of the older people on the trip, but I still am so thankful I went.

From this one month adventure, I went through the thrill of flying alone to a completely new country and the confusion of an international airport. I had the most amazing host-mother in the world, with the best salads and meals you could ever imagine. I made lifelong friendships and ate so much gelato in the Plaza Mayor. I even got lost and stuck in Portugal; something I can thankfully laugh about now! It was only a month long, but it was the adventure of a lifetime. Not everyone can say they studied at an 800 year old university! Being in Europe showed me just how long humans have been around, especially when seeing the aqueduct built by the Romans in Segovia from 50 A.D. or when I visited a 500 year old cathedral. This trip gave me a completely different look on life and I just cannot stop talking about it or thinking about it.

If I could go to Salamanca again I would, and I would bring my family, my friends, and honestly anyone who would listen to me. I cannot wait to save up some cash and revisit Spain, and explore more cities and even countries.

Studying abroad is an experience that I think everyone needs to have. Of course there is the difficulty of money and logistics, but if possible, I strongly suggest to even do a small summer program like I did, if a whole semester isn't possible like it wasn't for me. You will still have an amazing experience you will remember forever, and then you'll go and encourage more people to go and create their own memories and adventures too.