In Their Words

Study Abroad in Spain: Last Days

My last days in Spain I felt content and very ready to leave. The beginning was very difficult to adjust to. Interestingly enough, I had more culture shock in Spain than I did in Taiwan - or maybe I should say that it was much easier to adjust in Taiwan because it felt more welcoming and was an environment that fit better with my values, allowing me to feel more comfortable and a stronger sense of belonging. I think that in Taiwan I had a much better support system and had a great roommate that I did most things with and she was much more proficient in Mandarin so she took me under her wing in the language department. Although as a whole I did not specifically enjoy my time in Spain, I respect the experience for what it was and how it helped me grow as a person. I... Read more →

Study Abroad in Spain: Sevilla FC Match

I’m glad I was able to make it to a soccer game during my time in Spain. It was a difficult process to get tickets for the teams I specifically wanted to see, but the team I was able to get tickets for was one of Sevilla’s teams - Sevilla FC. Since I saved money by not going on any big trips, I decided to splurge a bit on my ticket so I could have a good seat in the middle and close to the field. I ended up being just a few rows back from the field and loved feeling so close to the action. At the start of the game there was a song that everyone sang and throughout the game there were periodic chants and cheers from the stands. We ended up winning 1-0. At the end of the game I stayed as long as I could... Read more →

Study Abroad in Spain: Faro, Portugal

Although we did not have a Thanksgiving Break, there were Holidays that fell conveniently in a row so that there were open days for a long trip without missing any class. Many people planned trips to places such as Germany, but I wanted to go somewhere closer and without a plane ride to eliminate the chances of Covid related issues. I also didn’t want to go on a very long trip considering that finals were that next week and I wanted to have plenty of buffer time to study. I settled on spending three days in Faro, Portugal. It was only about a three hour bus ride from Sevilla. Crossing the border to Portugal, officials stopped the bus and got on to check everyone’s Covid vaccinations and tests which was drastically different from my trip weeks ago to Lagos, Portugal. That trip our bus was not stopped at all and... Read more →