Academic Programs International (API) offers comprehensive study abroad programs in 15 countries, 35 cities across Europe Latin America, and the Middle East.
Academic Programs International (API) offers comprehensive study abroad programs in 15 countries, 35 cities across Europe Latin America, and the Middle East.
Siobhan Neela-Stock is an API student contributor to our Tumblr blog, and will regularly report on her adventures in Granada, Spain.
One Second of Commitment
It would only take one second of commitment. Even less. One second to move my hands from the posts and take the jump. I literally was about to jump off of a bridge. This was not a metaphor for the accumulation of my study abroad experience. Everyone stared up at me from 115 meters below. I started to cry a little bit realizing that if I didn’t jump I would regret it but at the same time having to swallow the fear that came with jumping. After a few more seconds of contemplating I jumped. It was the best feeling in the world. Before I even realized it I was swinging on the harness and laughing at myself at how scared I had been just a mere 3 seconds ago.
As I write this I’m in the airport waiting for my last flight back to my home town. It’s a weird feeling after a year of living in a different place to be going back to my old life. I don’t feel the same and somehow I don’t feel like I can fit back into my old life exactly the same way I left it. Leaving Granada was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. The sheer number of people I had to say good bye to was heart breaking. On the flight out of Granada I stared at the beautiful Sierra Nevada Mountains with tears unashamedly falling down my face. Before this year I couldn’t comprehend how such a foreign place could become like a second home to me. In my mind I can see Granada and it’s easy to imagine that I am walking the streets again but then I jerk back to reality and realize that my year abroad is truly over. It’s something that is hard to accept but I am forever grateful for this year. Although it’s cliché I feel like I’ve grown immensely. I’ve been pushed to do things (for example jumping off a bridge) that I never thought I would ever do. Almost every day I was able to interact with people from all around the world and speak Spanish to my heart’s content.
I would like to give a few pieces of advice for future study abroad students based on my experience. I hope it is hopeful and not too cliché!
1. Start with zero expectations. This was the very first piece of advice I was given during API orientation in Madrid. It was made in reference to our host families that we would be living with. I had a million worries and expectations about how my experience would be but I tried my hardest to shed them when I got to Granada. It took less pressure off the beginning of my adventure and allowed myself to just go with the flow.
2. Let yourself grow. For most of my life I have labeled myself as shy. My study abroad experience has taught me that there was no point in trying to fit myself into a box. I grew immensely during this year but in ways also stayed the same. What I am trying to say is stay true to your core beliefs but also allow yourself to try things outside of your normal dimension.
3. Strike up a conversation with a complete stranger. Again, I will reiterate that the majority of the time I would describe myself as shy and the thought of starting up a conversation with a complete stranger is a little terrifying to me at times. In Granada, though, I employed this tactic many times. I figured why not? No one really knows me here and how my personality is so why not try? I’ve made many acquaintances and close friends in Granada with this. I’ve found that often the other person is open to conversation but just might be too shy to start it!
4. Get to know locals!! This should be obvious but I cannot reiterate it enough!! Many study abroad students have this as their number one goal when they start their study abroad adventure. Yet, as time goes on they find it easier and more comfortable to just stick to with their American cohorts. Yes, it is easier and yes it does involve less risk BUT the benefits with this one most definitely outweigh the risks. I’m not saying I did not have my share of American friends in Granada. Of course I did and many of them I consider very good friends with whom I hope to reunite with in the States. However, some of my best memories in Granada involve countless nights just talking with locals over drinks. It was one of the best feelings for me to know that I was getting to know locals and improving my Spanish at the same time. Many of my American friends had Spanish friends and so we would sometimes have dinners together and invite all of our Spanish friends. Your American friends can be your best bridge to making more local friends. Remember that making local friends can be very hard at first (it took me about 3 months the first time but after that it kept getting easier and easier) so keep trying!!
5. Keep a log and/or journal. My first semester I kept a journal and jotted down my thoughts whenever I felt I needed to. Your journal does not have to be a daily exercise but whenever you feel the need to get out your feelings about a certain event that has happened start writing!! It can be the best therapy during a time where you will be experiencing many changes and unsettling shifts. The second semester I changed my tactic a bit and kept a journal and wrote down daily everything I did. It sounds like a lot but all I did was write down everyday a few key words and descriptions that would jog my memory as to what I did that day. My purpose with this was that I didn’t want my study abroad experience to become a big blur a few years down the road. I wanted it to count in my memory.
6. Go jump off a bridge!! Ok maybe not literally like I did (but hey if you’re in to that kind of stuff by all means go for it (but of course, do all your research before on the company and what not)) but try something you’re absolutely terrified of! It was the best feeling after I jumped knowing that I had conquered this fear and knowing that after I felt like I could conquer almost anything. This experience gave me more confidence in myself that I have been building exponentially during my time in Granada.
7. Join a local organization and/or club. This is one thing I regret not doing and I hope you can learn from my mistake. One of my friends who was in Granada for a year as well talked with great enthusiasm about teaching English to Spanish students. She felt that she connected with locals a lot more this way and learned a bit more about the school system in Spain. Whatever your passion is follow it! If you do theater in your home country consider trying to join a local theater group in your study abroad country.
8. Start a bucket list. I’ve realized that with all of the new things I’ve tried this year I wanted to keep continuing that trend. My bucket list started out small but slowly I am expanding it and planning ways to accomplish each goal.
9. Last but not least, don’t compartmentalize your experience after it is over!!! This is one thing I am currently dealing with. I don’t want to forget my experience but I also don’t want to wallow in the sadness I felt to leave Granada. There are a few ways I’ve found to keep my experience alive. The first is to continue my skills that I have discovered. The skill I’ve discovered during study abroad that I most treasure now is my self-growth. I will continue to push myself to try new things and not identify myself under just one label. The second is to keep in touch with the people that I’ve formed bonds with. This serves many purposes: I can continue practicing my Spanish, keep alive the friendships I’ve grown over the course of a year and reminisce over the great times we had. The third is to encourage others to study abroad and to speak with them about my experience. I have a great deal of passion regarding study abroad and I believe every student should have the opportunity to take this wonderful step. The fourth and last step is to go back and visit!! I hope I will be able to visit Granada again in the near future. I don’t want to become what my host brother describes as the typical American study abroad student, “They all say they will return but almost none of them do.
I hope that this advice helps and inspires future students to study abroad!! Although it certainly takes more than a second of commitment for the study abroad process the toil is well worth it!
Kristie Eshelman is from Grove City College, and is currently studying abroad with API in Seville, Spain where she is also serving as an API Cultural Liaison.
More relaxed…
In general, the people here in Andalucia are much more relaxed, and spending time with friends seems to be the highlight of most peoples’ day. Sevilla contains thousands of little cafes and bars, and they constitute an integral part of life here, because they serve as gathering places for people to come and “tomar algo,” (drink something) and simply talk. Of course, people in the States do this too, but on a much smaller scale….you don’t just see people relaxing outside in New York City! In most Spanish bars, it is common to sit down and have your coffee or tea brought to you in real mugs or glasses. Seeing people walking around with disposable cups is pretty unusual; they don’t order something unless they have time to sit down and talk for a time. Also, people pay the bill when they are ready to leave, not right after they have just ordered. This makes it easier for them to order more and allows them to sit and talk without feeling rushed.
From 2-4 in the afternoon is “siesta.” While most people do not actually sleep siestas, all the shops close and people go home for lunch or sit outside to eat, drink, and talk. Once I got over the annoyance of not being able to run errands during this time, I came to love seeing all of the people come out from their work onto the streets (it can get really noisy!), walking home to spend time with their families, or relaxing outside at a café or bar. At around 5:00 in the afternoon, “siesta” ends and people return to live as usual, but throughout the evening the bars and cafes remain full of people. Seeing people walking around with disposable cups is pretty unusual; they don’t order something unless they have time to sit down and talk for a time. Overall, the Andalucian culture seems much more people-oriented and it seems less preoccupied about doing things than simply just enjoying people.
Kristie Eshelman is from Grove City College, and is currently studying abroad with API in Seville, Spain where she is also serving as an API Cultural Liaison.
Encounters
For the most part, I have felt pretty prepared to be here and have not experienced any huge culture shock. Still, it is different from the States, and the longer I am here, the more differences I notice. The general cultural differences can lead to particular instances where I (or my friends) certainly feel out of place and uncomfortable.
Mostly, the biggest thing is just feeling lonely because of the language barrier, knowing that I am outside of something that everyone else is a part of. When you are somewhat handicapped in expressing your personality (your humor, your intelligence, your views, etc.) it really forces you to think about the numerous people in the States who are not fluent in English. I am sure that many of them feel the same way that I feel now, and it makes me want to make more of an effort to reach out to them when I am home.
Sometimes, the closeness and lack of personal space bothers me. I have made friends with an older woman and she feels free to grab me by the arm when we are walking, which can be difficult when I don’t know exactly where she is going. Once, when my skin was not at its best, she asked me why it looked so bad! Explaining that sure stretched my Spanish skills.
I have noticed that Spanish people in my age range are very similar to me, but older people (above 40 years of age) generally act very differently that people in the States. One thing that I have noticed is that older people here are very insistent that the students in their care do things a certain way. They are really just trying to make sure that we do what is best for us and make sure that we are happy, but sometimes, it can get a bit uncomfortable because it feels like our host-parents, for example, are trying to micromanage us. For instance, one of my friends always has to dry her hair immediately after her shower, because her host parents are afraid that she will catch cold. Some of my friends always insist that I drink soda and wine with every meal that I have with them, even though I have tried explaining that I really prefer water. I know a lot of students feel resentful about this, but it is so important to remember that this insistence is just our friends or host-parents’ way of making sure that we are getting what we need.
Alycia Parish is an API student blogger and will be sharing her experiences in Florence, Italy this summer on our Tumblr blog.
After struggling to make coffee with my roommate and figuring out how to pour the unrefrigerated box of cream without a pouring spout into my coffee….I’m sitting at my dining room table looking out our balcony at our gorgeous view of central Florence…take a look…. :)
Sleep deprivation, sore legs, a full stomach, and overwhelming beauty. Just a few of the adjectives that describe my first week here in Italy. I can’t believe a week is over and already I have experienced so much, and already feel like I fit in here in Firenze….well, not quite, but I’m getting there.
My adventure began at the airport where my flight was delayed to Rome because the plane needed “maintenance,” AKA it was broken. Luckily, I met a group of awesome API girls and we had fun chatting while waiting for our second plane. I met 2 funny Italian men who were on our flight too, and I passed the time exchanging a few words of Italian that I knew with them and playing with one of those metal brain teaser puzzle things one of the Italians bought from the airport giftshop. When I told one of the Italians waiting with us that I would be studying in Florence, he smiled at me and said, “That is my town. I have loved it forever, and you will too.” I hadn’t even made it to Italy yet, but I knew he was right.
We found out our plane wasn’t going to take off that night, but luckily for us, my roommate’s mom was there and she was able to get us a flight to London that would connect to Rome. First adventure of the trip, and we weren’t even to Italy yet! Although we didn’t have time to leave the airport, I never planned on seeing London so it was still cool enough to listen to their amazing British accents!
Finally, we made it to Rome, 12 hours later than we planned. We had already missed our first orientation, and everyone else was at the restaurant waiting for us. My first taste of Italian driving——-SCARY!!!! Our cab driver was driving so incredibly fast and was pretty much bumper to bumper with the car in front of him on the highway that all I could do was pray that my seatbelt would do me good when we inevitably crashed. 40 euros poorer and and with a elevated blood pressure we made it to our beautiful hotel in the historic district of Rome! We had dinner with the other API students and had a fantastic 3 course meal complete with Antipasto, Primi Patti, and Secondi. So. much. food. I barely ate any of it because I was still so overwhelmed from our whole travel ordeal but the bites I did take were amazing. At that moment I knew I was going to gain a few pounds here, but they will definitely be worth it.
Rome was amazing. I am mildly obsessed with the abundance of ancient history in every aspect of the city—from the architecture, traditions and passion the Italians have for their culture from their ancestors. The next day we traveled to the historic district of Rome where we saw the Piazza Novana, the old Foro Romano, the Piazza di Spagna, the Trevvi Fountain, and of course, the Colloseum. I was so beyond excited to see everything.. it was crazy that all of these places that I have seen in pictures and dreamed of seeing for what has seemed like forever finally materialized right in front of me.
Despite screaming TOURISTE with our headsets and lanyards listening to our tourguide Manuel (THE BEST TOURGUIDE EVER) narrate everything, I still managed to find a personal connection to the city. During most of the tour of the city I tried to absorb everything, and tried to not just see, but to observe, not just listen, but to understand this wonderful culture and its history. While I think America has a lot of great history, nothing comes close to the rich history of Italy. It can’t be topped. I saw how strong all of the buildings stood on their foundations, built thousands of years ago by the Romans. I have such a strong appreciation for the literal blood, sweat and tears the people of Rome poured into creating their city, their empire, to last for centuries to come. Feeling the worn stone walls of the buildings, I could feel the passion in each stone stacked on top of each other, each perfect column, each perfectly formed human body and face in their sculptures, churches, and frescoes. I was in such awe of the dedication and purposefulness that was so obvious in everything the Romans did. I can’t describe with words or pictures the feeling I felt with my hand on the walls of the Colloseum, imagining how life might have been like if I was a Roman.
After seeing the city, a bunch of us walked around on our own and got lost in the city…walking around the beautiful Piazza’s, shops, and restaurants. Using my limited vocab of Italian, I managed to make a few friends in Rome, using many gestures and charades to find out what each other meant. While there were a few creepers, the majority of Romans we met were funny and so interesting to talk to! A lot of them attended the university there and were typical college students like ourselves. It was nice to finally interact with some Italians our age and try to understand their culture more.
The next day we saw the Vatican… which was also breathtaking. I didn’t see the Pope, but couldn’t help but think he was looking at us below the Vatican out of his little window in his room! It was great to finally say that I’ve been to the Vatican and can say that I definitely feel a little bit holier now. :)
The next day, it was Arrivederci Roma. Time to gather our belongings, leave our beautiful hotel that smelled of fresh pizza from our Italian neighbors next door, and get on the bus to our real destination, Florence, or Firenze as the Italians call it. I was so caught up in discovering Rome that I almost forgot that I wasn’t even in the city I chose yet. While I napped off and on during the bus ride, the glimpses of countryside I saw on our trip to Firenze gave me an immediate sense of peace and comfort.
I knew I was exactly where I was supposed to be.
Kristie Eshelman is from Grove City College, and is currently studying abroad with API in Seville, Spain where she is also serving as an API Cultural Liaison.
Students live with their parents and seem to have a closer relationship with them than we do. There is less of a “campus feel” at Spanish Universities than there is at universities in the states because people go there to take classes and then they leave right away. My intercambio and I had a very long discussion about this, which was really cool, because she lived in the States for a semester and understands residential universities. I told her that I liked the Spanish way of commuting to school because I believe that living on a campus with hundreds of peers is not real life and it often keeps college students from developing the rich and necessary relationships with people in other stages of life.
She countered me by saying that she really missed that feeling of camaraderie that she found at American universities, noting that many students within the same major did not even know each other. In addition, believed that American students—in general—were much more independent (not necessarily more mature!) than Spanish students. By remaining with their families, many Spanish students still rely on their parents to do things like cooking, laundry, banking, etc. and are not prepared to move out on their own when they finish their studies. It certainly am often surprised at the things for which my Spanish friends ask permission, things which I never even think to tell my parents about, such as hanging out with friends. My intercambio’s perspective really made me think and made me grateful for university residence life in the States.
Christine Hurst studied abroad with API in Rome, and served as an API Peer Mentor at Stonehill College
Maybe it’s where you grew up. Maybe it’s where you learned to ride a bike or where you learned to swim. Maybe it’s where you’ve celebrated your birthdays, in the same kitchen, opened Christmas presents or lit the hanukkiah year after year.
The most common phrase I keep hearing, now that graduation is just around the corner, is: “I’m going home.” But the more I hear it – and the more I keep saying it myself – the stranger it is in my head. In the last two years I’ve had four addresses; and only two of them have been in this country. Only one of them has been with the people who raised me. So, yes, I’m returning to the place where I grew up, but does that really mean I’m going home?
To me, home is a concept, a construct, and it’s different for everyone. “Home” could be your porch, your garden, your car, your favorite summer ice cream stand. “Home” could be your suitcase, your passport, your pillow. “Home” could be that faraway look in your eyes when you talk about the foreign city that so intimidated you when you arrived, which you hated to leave and can’t wait to go back. Could be that group of people, perhaps only gathered in the same place in time for a single year or a single semester or even a single summer, and somehow creeping everyone’s Facebook and Twitter and Tumblr isn’t quite the same thing as actually being together again.
For me, “home” is all of these and none of these at the same time. For me, home is the streets and sidewalks I traverse every day, cobblestone or concrete; home is the shops and stores and restaurants which I visit or pass by on a regular basis; home is the familiar smile from the shopkeepers and crossing guards. Home is knowing how the sun hits the uppermost corners of the buildings first thing in the morning, and how sunset touches the rivers and windows late in the evening. Home is knowing bus numbers and routes and stops, and waiting casually at the street corner after school with the locals.
Home is knowing what day the fruit will be fresh at market, or remembering to duck my head when I pass through certain doorways. Home is chatting with the neighbors over hanging laundry to dry on sunny days, then laughing together when it suddenly starts to rain. Home is where I first learned that language barriers only make birthday parties more fun, where I first understood in a very experiential way that all people cry over the same things, laugh for the same reasons, and stop to watch the sunset.
Home is not about things staying the same but instead about growing accustomed to the differences, hearing the sound of Malayalam spoken throughout the house, or the smells of African cooking. Home is making dinner together, though none of us speak the same language. Home is about embracing the togetherness and comfort that we find in one another, which I found in my housemates both semesters I was abroad. Two very different countries, two very different experiences, two very different sets of people. And Skyping with them does not make me miss them less. Though it does serve to remind me how lucky I am to have met them at all. <
And I feel so fortunate in knowing that I’m never too far from a place I call home, because home is all of those things and more. I know that when I move away from the town in which I grew up, I’m not really leaving home but instead relocating to a different one. Making a new one. Nobody ever said I have to have just one. There is something very comforting in understanding that no matter where I go – to a foreign country, among non-English-speaking people, in a far-off land – I always know that I can find a way to feel at home.
Kristie Eshelman is from Grove City College, and is currently studying abroad with API in Seville, Spain where she is also serving as an API Cultural Liaison.
Misinformation and Helpfulness
The biggest cultural difference that I have noticed here in Seville is that people are more assertive and are more likely to express what they want. They also seem very sure of themselves. Even when something is personal opinion or something that is open to debate, they express it like it is fact. Of course, this happens in any country or culture, but it seems to happen a bit more Spain than in the United States. In addition, I find that I usually do have to rely more on word-of-mouth information, as it is a bit difficult to find everything online easily, as I am used to doing. Of course, I must consider the fact that I am communicating in a different language; some of the difficulty arises from hearing people wrong or from others misunderstanding what I am trying to ask. All of these factors combined have lead to some really frustrating moments! Thus, I have found that it helps to ask multiple people the same question, in order to ensure that I do not misunderstand or get misinformed.
Fortunately, people are exceptionally kind and will go out of their way to help—especially here in Andalucia. I have found that when I ask someone a question, they sincerely have a desire to help people, unlike in the States where they often just give an answer without really caring about the person. Once when I got lost, I went into a pharmacy to ask for directions. The woman seemed very helpful, but I could not understand her under her heavy accent. I was too embarrassed to admit this, so I thanked her….and proceeded to continue in the EXACT opposite direction in which she had told me to go. Fortunately, she came running out of her pharmacy, took me by the arm, and physically pointed me toward the direction in which I needed to go. This sort of thing happened a lot during my first few weeks here, and I have become accustomed to being told, “vente,” (come here), taken by the arm, and led to where I need to go. That usually just doesn’t happen in the States!
My trip to the Canary Islands really highlighted this difference. I got so confused and frustrated over the bus system in Tenerife, as did other non-islanders. At the same time, I can’t even express the kindness shown to me. For instance, I went up to one girl to ask directions to the nearest bus stop. She explained that it was not marked and that only the locals knew where it was. Since it was far and was getting dark, she actually drove me there, something I never would have thought of doing in her situation before that trip. The immense helpfulness here has really made me rethink about the cold, closed way in which I have treated strangers in the past, prompting me to go out of my way to help people in the future.
Kaitlyn Nolan studied abroad with API in Grenoble, France and serves as an API Peer Mentor at Stonehill College, where she’ll be graduating soon
As my graduation date looms, I can’t help but think of where I was this time last year. I had similar feelings of despair as I was contemplating saying goodbye to my host city of Grenoble. The quaint French city had become home and I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving. When would I be able to return? Would it hold the same charm? I’m plagued by similar thoughts now of leaving Stonehill. What’s in store for me post grad? How will I feel returning here as an alum?
In the past year, my study abroad experience has had a profound impact that I never expected. The most obvious way this occurred was having the pleasure serving as an API Peer Mentor. I received the opportunity of being able to chat with prospective students from all over the country about my abroad experience and help answer their questions. I then got to interact with my Stonehill community in a way I never have before. I planned on campus events for prospective study abroad students and got to participate in the excitement of planning a semester abroad. However, my favorite event was my Study Abroad Social in which I had study abroad alums share their experience not only with prospective students, but with each other. I also finally had the chance to see what my fellow seniors experienced during their own semesters abroad.
But my semester abroad impacted me in not-so-obvious ways as well. It taught me that life changes require some time to transition and that I must have the patience and flexibility to deal with them. This occurred when I returned home after my semester, but also when I returned to school in the fall. The semester also taught me that I can take on terrifying challenges and come out on the other side a stronger person. When I left school at the end of fall semester junior year, I panicked. What was I doing leaving my comfort zone? Who did I think I was going off to France for a semester? As a monumental change as this was, I learned how quickly I could adapt to new surroundings. I discovered the ability to make a new place home and find a support system made up of invaluable friendships.
Speaking of those friendships, my semester also taught me an important lesson about relationships. I went off to a foreign country and didn’t keep in touch with home as often as I would have liked. But those most important of me were still here when I returned. I found this worked in the opposite way as well. While I haven’t been able to see or speak to my abroad friends as often as I want, I know they’re still there for me when I need them. I also learned that when I couldn’t rely on other people, I could always rely on myself. I learned how to take care of myself in new ways, but I also learned that there are times that I just need to let others take care of me.
The thought of graduating instills a feeling of panic in me and a sense of dread. I don’t want to permanently leave a place I’ve called home for the last four years. Truthfully, I don’t have a concrete plan yet and have no idea where I’ll end up. But I do know I’ll be okay and I have my semester in France to thank for that. As heart-breaking as it was to leave France, I did it and survived. I know the same will be for saying goodbye to Stonehill. I also know the transition will be difficult to post grad life, but I also know how difficult it is to move to a foreign country and back again. I may hate leaving my comfort zone, but I know how to do it. And even if my friends scatter all over the country and the world, I know that they will always be there for me and that Skype is the greatest invention ever.
I hate to admit it, but I know it’s time to leave this phase of my life. But I’m more than prepared and I have my semester abroad to thank for that.
API is a finalist for the GoAbroad.com Innovation in Social Media award - send your positive vibes our way! :)
Good advice from our friends at USA Today College. Oh BTW, notice that the API #studyabroad Blog is listed on their resources (page footer) - w00t!
