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My First Time Abroad

艾米丽克尔
March 22, 2021

My facsination with 西班牙 began in elementary school when the movie, Cheetah Girls 2, premiered on Disney Channel. For those of you who aren't familiar, the movie centers around a teen music group that travels to 西班牙 to compete in an international singing competition. 西班牙 always had this sense of magic. I don't know if that was due to the move or this fantasy that I had built in my head, but all I knew is from that point on I was hooked. Somehow and someway I was going to go to 西班牙. 

When I was 17, the chance finally came when my high school Spanish teacher hosted a trip for Spanish Four students. After months of preparation, a small group of us embarked on a trip that would take us to seven cities in 西班牙 and end in Paris, 法国. Now, let me preface that our teacher was our only chaperone, and I use that term loosely. Her boyfriend was going to be traveling with us which meant that she was going to be distracted and we would be left on our own. Imagine a group of high schoolers traveling in a foreign country for the first time with little to no adult supervision. If you imagined absolute chaos, you would be correct. 

 

Emile Kerr and 朋友 in 西班牙 1

We began our trip in Madrid and worked our way south throughout the week. 在格拉纳达, 西班牙, we participated in a scavenger hunt that had us sprinting, yes SPRINTING, through the city. My friends and I asked a local for help and he ended up completing the scavenger hunt with us, running around the city in his work suit and dress shoes. Another night, we met a group of high school students from 西班牙 at our hotel who were on a field trip. We were all in the courtyard practicing speaking to each other in foreign languages. The excitement was palpable and we got so rowdy that security started chasing us for being too loud. 在马贝拉, 西班牙, we lounged on the beach only to find out halfway through the day it was a nude beach. You can probably imagine our confusion and shock when we started seeing people strolling along the shoreline naked.  

 

So many things were happening on this trip that I started cataloging everything into the notes app on my phone. Looking back, I am so glad I did this because it allows me to revisit the memories and revel in nostalgia, even if just for a moment. 当时, I really just thought I was having fun, but through further reflection, this trip has come to be so much more than a fun Spring vacation. Going to 西班牙 marked the beginning of me becoming a 全球 citizen. It was also the first time I was really surrounded by people whose culture was different than mine. And, it was then that I truly began to analyze my own beliefs in a way I hadn’t yet done.  

 

Emile Kerr and 朋友 in 西班牙 2

I would give anything to go back to 西班牙. To see the country through the lens that I have now and compare it to my 17 year old perception of it. I feel as though every experience I had on this trip changed me in some way. If you’re questioning studying abroad, just do it. Jump head first into an opportunity and see where it takes you, both literally and figuratively. 谁知道, maybe it’ll inspire you and you’ll be sitting in my seat telling other students about life abroad