Another Year, Another Country

Written by: Katie LaRue

Major: Global and International Studies/ Spanish

Location: Burgos, Spain

2017: I was a junior in high school who embarked on a once in a lifetime opportunity to study abroad in the Philippines for ten months. 

2018: I was a pre-freshman in college that won the WMU’s Global Ambassador’s Scholarship and went to the Dominican Republic for a week. 

2019: I am a junior in college and going to further enhance my studies in Spanish by going abroad to Burgos, Spain for a semester. 

I know each study abroad experience I’ve gone on and will go on will be a different and amazing experience. However, I know one thing hasn’t changed before each study abroad experience, and that is the anxiousness and excitement of going abroad. When it comes to packing for a range of ten days to ten months, the questions that are always brought up in my head, “do I have enough or will I have enough stuff?” and the inevitable nagging of a worried mother asking, “did you pack this or that?” for the millionth time. Or when it comes to school, I always have those worrisome thoughts of how I will manage my studying time or understanding the content, or being able to find my classes on time. Or when it comes to money, I know I can be a frivolous spender, so I have the fear of being tempted or getting carried away with spending a lot of money at a time. Or when it comes to the people who I am with, I have some anxiousness of if I will get along with the other students going with me or if I will get along with my host family and the locals in my host country. Even though I have (had) experience with studying abroad, there are always those doubts and questions beforehand, for me, and it’s sometimes scary going into “the unknown”. However, I haven’t/don’t let those feelings get in my way. I go into each new experience with excitement, determination, and an open heart and mind. And for Burgos, I can’t wait for what lies ahead of me - immersing myself in Spanish life and culture, meeting new people, and improving my Spanish language skills. 

Categories: Predeparture, New Adventure, Spain, Spanish