Emily: Goals for Spain

In a few days, I leave for my semester in Barcelona, Spain. Right now, so many different emotions are bubbling to the surface every other minute–which is making me quite miserable actually–people are not meant to change emotions so frequently! I am, overall, excited and grateful for this opportunity; yet, there is a piece of me that is nervous (to be expected, I would presume).

One of our pre-departure tips was to think hard about our goals for our study abroad experience (beside taking classes for our major). I want my goals to always be nearby as I have found the more I read my goals and spend time thinking about them, the more likely they are to be achieved.

1. Learn more about myself and how I can use this experience to not only better myself as a person but also those around me. 
2. Completely immerse myself in the Spanish language and be able to have and keep a conversation going by the end of December.
3. Learn, live, appreciate, and experience the culture in Barcelona without letting myself get trapped in the “American” or “tourist” bubble. 

I will be aboard my flight in Minneapolis heading to Newark, NJ before boarding my flight to Barcelona. I have begun the process of packing my bags (almost done, just a few odds and ends left). The summer has flown by. There have been numerous times throughout the last six months where I am just in awe of where my life has taken me. I would have never in my wildest dreams imagined how many opportunities I would get at the age of 21 to travel the world, not to mention the United States as well.

I know that many of these opportunies would not have been possible without the support of my parents, my sister, my boyfriend, my close friends, my school advisors–so thank you, to each and every one of you. Leaving for a new country (even to only be there 117 days–a small sliver of time when considering a lifetime) is somewhat overwhelming. Yet, having this wonderful and strong support system truly makes the “leaving” part of the experience much easier knowing that all of these people will be back will be behind me.

 Onto a new adventure…

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