A view of the Segovia cathedral, my final destination before returning home

Author: Ashley Laster | Major: Biology | Semester: Summer 2023

Tired, overwhelmed, and scared, I stood in the Madrid International Airport wondering what I had gotten myself into. I realized that no one around me spoke English, and I tried to remember everything from my previous Spanish classes. Then, I met my roommate and my nerves calmed down. The first week I met some amazing people from the University of Arkansas, and I realized that Spain was the place for me. Once classes began, I realized that the teachers were only there to help. My language teacher, Esther, was absolutely amazing. She did not speak any English, but she found simple ways to explain a word or a concept in Spanish. This was what I was most surprised about when I went to Spain. All of the teachers at Nebrija were so kind and wanted us to learn more about their culture and language. Another one of my classes was a culture class where we learned about the different music, languages, and festivals that took place in Spain. We learned about one festival in particular called Las Hogueras de San Juan translating to the bonfires of San Juan.

My friends and I visited Alicante during this festival. This festival had many important parts that made it unique. We arrived at Alicante, and we were greeted with the most beautiful paper machete statues that I have ever seen. We walked all around the town and saw the hundreds of statues that had been on display all of June. That night we watched the fireworks and listened to the canons. We also went to the parade and saw all of the local dancers and native people of each region dress up in their traditional attire and tried their native foods that they offered us. The next day we watched the bonfires as all the statues were set to fire. The firemen stood around as the people shouted, “Water,” and then the firemen sprayed all of the crowd. This was my favorite part of the entire trip because I got to see how important the festivals were to the Spaniards. During the normal school week, my friends and I frequently visited local coffee shops and museums to learn more about the culture we in which we were living. My favorite coffee shop was about a two-minute walk from my school and the barista was always so kind, and I learned more about him throughout the two months I spent there.

Studying abroad was always something I wanted to do, and once I chose minor in Spanish, I knew I wanted to study abroad in a Spanish speaking country. I decided to study in Spain because I wanted to study abroad for the entire summer and stay with a host family, and this program allowed me to do both. I am studying to be a dentist here at the University of Arkansas, but I want to learn Spanish because I want to go on medical trips during college and after dental school to other countries. Learning Spanish allows me to communicate with a broader community as well as eliminate language barriers in my own community. As mentioned earlier, I stayed with a host family, and my host mother helped me find shadowing opportunities with local dentists. This allowed me to grow both my language skills and my dental knowledge. After finishing the program, my language skills were stronger, and I learned more about the Spanish way of life.

Looking back on my experience, I will be forever grateful to Spain. This country welcomed me with open arms and allowed me to make mistakes in order to help me grow. I feel prepared now when I speak with native speakers, and I am ready to travel again. This experience was probably the most challenging experience I have ever faced, but I am truly grateful for all that I learned from it. I would recommend studying abroad to anyone because it changed my perspective on life. The most important thing to remember though is to have an open mind and try everything. It will be the best decision of your life.