Minneapolis to Madrid: The Start to My Study Abroad Journey

MSP Airport, Minnesota, USA.

“Current time: 6:24 PM,” the TV screen in terminal F3 in the Minneapolis airport flashes.

I’m sitting in a row of black seats just below the sign, facing the window where planes and little trucks that look like bugs are rolling around under the grey Minnesota sky. My flight leaves in two hours and five minutes, and somewhere, underneath the terminal, my big grey suitcase is wheeling around carrying all of the things I need to live in Spain for 10 weeks.

“The world is so big, and I’m about to go see more of it.”

That’s what I told myself when I found it a little hard to breathe when my parents dropped me off at the Delta gate and hugged me goodbye. I couldn’t tell if I was more nervous or excited as I took deep breaths and strode into the baggage check. I’ve known for months that I’m going to study abroad in Spain this summer, but I suppose it took walking into a big airport by myself for me to believe it.

So, What am I Exactly Doing This Summer?

After a three-day stop in Baltimore to visit one of my best friends, I’m heading off to Madrid, Spain on May 27th. My program is located in Salamanca, Spain (about an hour and a half northwest of Madrid), and I’ll be taking six to eight classes throughout the course of eight weeks. The courses are all in Spanish, and I’ll be living in a residencia (a student house) with around 20 other international students from Spain and all over the world. After my eight weeks of classes, I’ll have two weeks to travel, and right now, Italy, Croatia, and Greece are all calling my name. We’ll see what else gets added to the list later!

But Why am I Studying Abroad?

The basic answer is that I need to study abroad for 10 weeks for my International Studies double major. However, the real answer is much more exciting than that.

When I was 15, I worked at my church’s coffee shop, which was right across the hallway from the Hispanic ministry. One Tuesday morning, a lady from the ministry stopped me, looking confused, and asked me a question in Spanish. She knew little English, and at the time, I knew about 3 things in Spanish - hola, adios, and numbers 1-10. I stuttered and apologized, and after a pause, she shrugged nervously and walked away.

That interaction left me thinking for days. At the time, I was deciding between studying Spanish or Latin for my high school’s language requirement, but that interaction made the decision for me. I wanted to be able to communicate with people from other backgrounds and cultures because I loved learning about the people that make up the world, but I realized that I could make even greater connections with people, learn more about the world, and grow my understanding of other cultures and the society I live in by challenging myself to learn a language.

I've always loved traveling, and I consider the ability to go see the world from a tourism perspective such a blessing. I grew up in an environment where my parents pushed me and my sister to interact with people who were different from us, whether they be refugees, international coworkers, or the servers at restaurants. I’ve found that the more I learn about other people, the more my curiosity about the world grows.

Now, after four years of Spanish, I’m embarking on a trip that will test what I know and push me to learn even more.

Dreams Do Come True

As my gate fills up with even more people, I find it hard not to smile. I’m a naturally curious person, and as I look around at all the faces looking at their screens, their families, or off into the distance, I realize that each person has their own story of why they’re about to board this flight. My travel story has just begun, and I will continue to document my travels in a way that I can remember and others can read - right here on this blog! I am an English major, after all, and I’m excited to use my writing skills and my discovery skills to document a trip that will showcase more of the world I’m about to go see.

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