I've been back in the US for about three weeks now and I have started to think about all that I have learned this semester. This list could be so much longer, but these are just a few that have impacted me the most and ones that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.
Learning languages is SO important
As a Spanish major, I obviously enjoy learning different languages. However, my interest in it has only deepened since my time in Spain. Learning a different language means more than just being able to communicate with others. It is learning that there are different ways to interpret the world and that while we may have different words for an object, they are both equally correct and have the same meaning. It's appreciating the differences in cultures and taking a moment to realize you have only seen a glimpse of what the world contains. You are never too young or too old to start learning a language. While in Morocco, there were kids (some only 7 or 8 years old) who knew 4 or 5 languages. Is it because they all went to really good private schools or are prodigy children? No! They interact with tourists every day and learn that way. We may not get to interact with people from all over the world like they do, but we have unlimited resources at our disposal. Take up learning a new language as a hobby! Whether it be Spanish, ASL, German, or Arabic, all are equally important! Even if you chose a language not commonly spoken in your area, it is still useful for growing, not only your knowledge about other cultures, but your understanding of what it means to view the world a little differently.
Just because your situation changes doesn't mean you'll be a different person
I would love to sit here and say that every moment in Spain was the best time of my life and I was happy 24/7, but that would be a lie. In all honestly, there were a few weeks that I was sad and disappointed about how things were going. I thought that every day would be such a great adventure, that I'd go traveling every weekend, and that I'd make tons of friends and go out all the time. While it is totally possible to travel every weekend and be the life of the party, that's just not who I am. The farthest I had traveled on my own before Spain was driving two hours to go to college and anyone who knows me knows that I am not the most extroverted, talkative person. So why did I think that once I got to Spain everything about myself would change? That I would all of the sudden be a confident, world traveler taking on new countries every weekend? I vented to my friends about this and explained how I was feeling. My friend Alex told me something that really helped me out. She said, "Traveling isn't about living another life. It's about living yours. You're still you." I don't think I am alone when I thought that studying abroad would be a chance to "get away" and see what it's like to "live another life". Living in Spain was a life changing experience, but I'm still me. I wasn't there to live another person's life; I was there to live mine and make the most out of it. Certainly do try to get out of your comfort zone and seize every moment you can! However, don't get too down on yourself for not living up to unrealistic expectations you have about who you "should" be.
No country has it all figured out
Studying abroad will change your prospective, not only on your host country, but on your home country as well. Europe does not have it all together and neither does the US! For a short time, I finally got to see the States from an outside view. I watched Spanish news channels cover events from the US, and was able to see how the Spanish people reacted to it. Our country has a long way to go. In exchange, there are also things that I observed in Spain that provoked a different reaction than what the locals had. Spain has issues they have to settle too. We have so much that we can learn from each other's culture and history. Europe has a lot more history than we do. There are buildings HUNDREDS of years older than our constitution. It wouldn't hurt to take a look around and take some pointers.
Don't forget about how far you have come!
It's easy once mostly through your study abroad experience to feel like you didn't do everything that you wanted to. However, it is so important to remember how much you have accomplished. Once you have these new experiences under your belt, you can forget about how terrifying and scary it all seemed before. I remember meeting people who had studied abroad and thought they were so brave and different from me, but now I am that person. I'm proud of myself for taking the chance on going to Spain. I could have stayed home and continued to long for traveling and seeing other parts of the world. It was a lot of hard work and researching to study abroad, but I did it! No, I didn't go to as many places as I thought I would- but I've slept in the Sahara desert, swam in the Mediterranean sea, watched the sun rise on a boardwalk in Portugal, and saw the beauty of Ireland. That's nothing little. Comparison is the thief of joy. Everyone else may have traveled more, but I've seen and experienced more than I thought I ever would in life. I'm so thankful for every moment. While at the time it seemed only relevant to study abroad, now I realize how important it is for the rest of my life as well. There will always be someone smarter, more outgoing, more confident, more traveled than you. But your journey is a great one and you should be proud of how far you have come!