Growing up, my parents would always tell me that I should study abroad in college to be able to explore and learn more about the world. My mother studied abroad in Austria, and she always talks about the amazing experiences and memories she has from her time there. My dad, on the other hand, constantly told me that his biggest regret in life was not studying abroad. Having been told this my whole life, I knew that college needed to include a study abroad experience for me. 

When my sophomore year was coming to a close, I learned about the opportunity to study abroad in Salamanca, Spain, and to earn nine credits towards my Spanish degree during the summer. Because I had just switched to a double major in Spanish and Linguistics and was behind on credits, I decided to apply. The next thing I knew, I was on an Iberia flight headed to Salamanca. 

The UMass Salamanca program is set up so students take 3 classes every day, Monday through Friday, for four weeks. My goal in participating in the program was to improve my Spanish reading, writing, and speaking skills while getting to explore the city. I took an intense grammar class, a Spanish history class, and a Spanish culture class. Because these courses were set up to teach international students, the material was centered around learning the language and some cultural aspects of Spain. I learned more than I ever thought possible in four weeks, and it prepared me for the harder courses down the road. Additionally, in the short time I spent there, I made friends from Brazil, China, France, and Japan. We would often teach each other how to say words such as ‘butterfly’ in all of our languages, and it fueled my curiosity about language differences. I was not expecting to study alongside students from outside the US, but I am very lucky to have been able to do so. Leaving Salamanca, I was a more knowledgeable student who had friends all over the world. 

My experience with the Salamanca program was so positive that I was enticed to return to Spain for an entire semester. Granada seemed to be the perfect place to study because they offered linguistics-related courses taught in Spanish, as well as internship opportunities. At this point in my Spanish education, I was confident that I would test at a more advanced level. However, when completing my online placement exam, I did not get to the level I had hoped. For me, that meant that I was unable to take the linguistics course I wanted to take, as well as other courses that had caused me to go abroad through API Granada. Because of this disappointing news, when I arrived in Spain I lost all of the confidence I had gained from my classes in Salamanca and at UMass Amherst. I was too nervous to explore the city because I felt like I would embarrass myself talking to people in Spanish. I spent my time after school and API group activities in my dorm room reading, and I would only go to different places if I was with my friends. Luckily, after about a week, I was able to talk to the course director at the University of Granada about my placement exam results, and she told me that she did not receive the answers to my open-response questions, even though I submitted them. After our conversation, she realized that I should have been placed at the level I wanted initially. I immediately gained back my confidence. I should have never doubted myself in the first place. I started to believe in myself again, trust my abilities, and grow some independence. On Thursdays, I would take myself out to breakfast at a gluten-free café and enjoy my own company. I took a bus to Nerja and explored the caves without the comfort of my friends. I conquered my abnormal fear of camels by traveling to Morrocco and riding one. I broke through the walls of my comfort zone and did things I did not even know I was capable of doing. Going to Granada, I was insecure and anxious, but leaving Granada I was the best version of myself I had ever been. 

After both of these study-abroad trips, I finally realized why my parents continued to tell me that studying in another country was the best experience one could ever have. In Salamanca, I grew academically and rediscovered my love for the Spanish language and culture. In Granada, I overcame my fears and learned to love myself and to enjoy each and every moment. Not only does studying abroad as a Spanish major improve your skills in reading, speaking, and writing, but it also gives you the best gift you could ever receive: a wider perspective of the world. I am so thankful for both experiences, the good moments, and the not-so-good moments. After four years of college and two study-abroad experiences, I have finally discovered a career path that will allow me to utilize these new perspectives of the world to help people and make a difference: bilingual speech-language pathology. My message to all the incoming Spanish majors is to study in another country if you can or become involved in a Spanish-speaking community, and take advantage of each opportunity that the Spanish program offers you here at UMass.