Traveling to another country was something that I have always wanted to do, however, due to the prices of hotels, airlines, and food, it was a dream that seemed so infeasible, unrealistic. One day, I stumbled across an advertisement for Eureka College taking a group trip to London. Though that would not be the first on my list of places to go, it was intriguing, and I was prompted to start asking about other locations I could see.
After speaking with Dr. Eaton and Dr. Harlin, I discovered that I was eligible to receive 3 grants, all of which would help me to go abroad. I signed up for a summer program through ISA Worldstrides (International Studies Abroad) and was able to spend 5 weeks in various locations across Spain.
Dr. Harlin was extremely helpful during this process, stressing the importance of doing what you can to put yourself in a position to travel abroad.
“The world is huge and full of so many different cultures and ways of life… Understanding and experiencing other cultures makes us smarter, more thoughtful participants in our own culture,” she said.
I left for Madrid, on May 28th, 2024, very anxious and nervous to be traveling alone. However, Beatriz de Miguel Martin (Bea), a woman who has worked for ISA for 13 years, was very reassuring and a big comfort as my group and I navigated a foreign place for the first time in our lives. It is evident that she loves her job, and she strived to make sure we had a good time.
“All our work is focused on making the experience of all our students as positive as possible,” Martin said.
Upon my arrival in Madrid, my group and I got to explore the city on our own, have some delicious paella, and even visit El Museo del Prado, which had many interesting art pieces.
After Madrid was Toledo, which was genuinely one of the most beautiful places that I have ever seen. There was vastly different architecture and rolling hills, stunning golden cathedrals, and not to mention lots of gorgeous art and antiques. Though we were only able to spend one day there, we got to return to a 5-star hotel with a gorgeous pool and resort.
Then, we left for Salamanca where we would meet the families that would host us during our stay. After a couple days of readjusting to the lifestyle, it was time to begin school. I attended the University of Salamanca for 4 weeks, Monday through Friday, then had scheduled trips on the weekends.
The program I signed up for included 2 weekend excursions: the 2nd and 4th weekends we were there. Santander, which is a small beach city off the Northern coast of Spain, was one of the best weekend trips. The water was a beautiful shade of teal, with an expansive beach strip and cute boutiques along the water. Despite the rain and cold weather, our group took a surfing lesson through some locals in the area. However exhausting, surfing was the perfect activity to acclimatize ourselves to the area.
My next weekend abroad, I traveled by bus to Porto, Portugal. Almost every building was ornate and beautifully decorated with white and blue tiles, not to mention, the town originates the best sandwich I’ve ever had: a “francesinha”.
The following weekend, ISA took us to Segovia, Spain, where we learned about aqueducts and saw the beautiful palace, Alcazar de Segovia, which is the inspiration behind Disney’s Cinderella Castle and logo. Built in the 12th century, this well-renowned castle in Spain was home to many Kings and Queens throughout history.
My last weekend abroad, I traveled to Valencia, Spain. While there, I saw the iconic City of Arts and Sciences, and also toured the largest aquarium in Europe. I saw many species of plants and animals unknown to the United States, and I got to watch a dolphin show.
In the time I have had to reflect upon my return to the United States, I would say overall, this experience was culturally enriching. While in Spain, I was actively practicing my foreign language skills and bettering them as I am sort of “forced” to use them in a sense. Overall, it dramatically improved my comprehension of Spanish, and it was a fun place to learn and understand a new culture and way of life. It gave a sense of adventure and independence that helped me gain confidence and knowledge in future endeavors. Dr. Harlin states this impact well:
“I think studying abroad can be a huge benefit to a student in all kinds of aspects of life, [such as] the opportunity to see yourself in a new way. When you study abroad, you will navigate a new city, a new country, and a new culture on your own! In general, you’re going to learn to overcome problems (delayed flights, language barriers, public transportation maps, etc.) by yourself. It might be a little scary at first but learning how capable and independent you really are will give you the strength and confidence to navigate tough situations in your life back home as well!” she said.
Martin came to the same conclusion, having witnessed first-hand the difference between when students first arrive in their host country, to when they have to leave.
“I think it is normal to be nervous at the beginning, since for most is their first time in Spain. When the end of their program comes, they always tell us that they have a mixture of sadness and excitement to return to their country and their life there. I would like to think that the time they spend [here], all the experiences they have and everything they learn will always be with them and will positively influence their personal lives and future work,” Martin said.
All in all, I was so thankful for this trip. Had it not been for scholarships, it would not have been feasible. Though I was extremely nervous for this experience at first, it was a life-changing opportunity that I will never forget.
“Being nervous and hesitant are totally natural feelings when you think about going abroad! But those feelings shouldn’t stop you from taking the opportunity– especially since for many students, opportunities to go abroad for significant time (and with financial help from their ELGs and scholarships) simply aren’t as available after graduation,” she said.
Dr. Harlin stresses the importance of reaching out if you are interested in traveling, or even using up all the grants Eureka has to offer.
