It feels surreal to be writing this final blog right now and crazy to think about how these past four months have flown by. This semester has truly been an experience of a lifetime, and I am forever going to be grateful for the opportunity. In this post, I am going to reflect on what I have learned and my feelings on the experience as a whole.
Firstly, I feel like I grew as a person tremendously this semester. From being away from everything that was known to me back home to moving somewhere completely new, I became a lot more independent. I learned how to navigate new situations (like public transportation, which truly is no easy task), how to be comfortable doing things alone, and also how to adapt to new ways of doing things. Navigating these past four months has strengthened my ability and confidence in myself.
Secondly, I gained a more global perspective. I was able to gain first-hand understanding of a new culture through participating in festivities, trying new food, and simply just observing. Through living with a host family, I was extra fortunate to learn even more about their culture, including personal family traditions, norms, and values. This has been such an incredible experience and has helped me gain perspectives different than my own.
Thirdly, I have been able to practice my Spanish skills. Being fully immersed in the culture and language has helped me tremendously with my language learning. Immersion is one of the fastest and best ways to learn a language, and these past months have been a testament to that for me. I have gotten the opportunity to pick up on local expressions while also learning new content and vocabulary in my classes. This has helped my overall education and growth as a Spanish speaker.
Finally, my faith has grown. There were times when being away from home was hard, but I found a lot of peace in the presence of my Savior. I grew deeper in my faith and beliefs by attending a church here and having lots of quiet time to think, reflect, and pray. My ability to complete this semester really wasn’t my own ability at all, but the constant guidance of Jesus.
So, although it is sad to pack up and leave behind this place I have gotten to call home the past four months, I am excited to take everything I have learned and the experiences I have gotten to live back home with me. This semester was full of settling in, passing time, having fun, eating good food, learning a lot, traveling around, and now packing up. Thank you for reading about my journey, and thanks Alicante for a great semester!
