More Travel to Come

Here I am, back home in my childhood bedroom sitting at the desk where I had imagined traveling far, far away not too long ago. I have come full circle. Prior to leaving for Spain, I sat here, completely unsure of what was to come. Spain was just this place I had wondered about, painting pictures in my mind of people in Flamenco dresses eating paella and taking siestas, but now I have replaced those images with real memories—me in a Flamenco dress, awkwardly trying to learn the steps alongside the wailing music, and me lying down in bed in the late afternoon for that much-needed siesta.
Studying abroad, especially in the setting of a dialogue, was one of the best decisions I’ve made in college so far. I would definitely recommend other NEU students go on a dialogue if they haven’t before—it was such an immersive and amazing experience. Especially since I got to have the home stay experience in Seville, which was my favorite part, I feel like the other students on my trip and I really got to be part of the culture which we were studying. Plus, it was great practice for Spanish! Studying abroad is the best way to learn a language because you are forced to use it all the time. To anyone who is going to study abroad for the first time, my biggest recommendation is to just do everything. Sign up for all the activities set up by the professor or the school, see all the sights, and talk to new people. The time will fly by, and you will be gladder that you did too many things than not enough. Also, it’s okay to be a little nervous, but don’t worry too much before leaving. All you can do is be as prepared as possible, and then just take the leap!
Looking back on my trip, I would definitely say that I have grown as a person and become more aware of cultures different from my own. The world seems like a smaller place, yet there are still so many more places to which I’d love to travel. Although I’m not sure about doing a semester abroad, I am really interested in possibly doing a coop abroad instead. That way, I wouldn’t have to worry about fitting in all my engineering courses, and I would be interacting with the locals much more. So, although I think I’d like to do my first coop in Boston, the next one I’ll be sending my resumes out to places throughout Europe, and maybe even Australia. This chapter of my travels may be over, but I know there are many more to come!