As the world spins indefinitely, I desire to make the most of my life.
I chose to study abroad in Barcelona, Spain through UTC’s Communication department because it was my last chance to do something grandiose during my time in college. At the time of writing this, I have only one more semester left to go before I graduate and receive my Bachelor’s. The universe delivered an amazing opportunity right in front of me at the perfect time, so I took it without hesitation.
I am thankful that my innate wanderlust has led me to some amazing locations over the past four years. I have traveled extensively throughout the United States, both for leisure and for work through a national service program called AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps, but I had never been out of the country before this study abroad experience. I can confidently say that my relatively short time in a different country has changed the trajectory of my life going forward in more ways than one.
I now envision returning to Barcelona and living there for a while, possibly to pursue a career. I foresee countless hours of studying Spanish to form more meaningful relationships with more people. I long for the same sense of belonging that I felt. Despite not being able to fully communicate with the Spanish and Catalan speakers, I developed a strong sense of community in Barcelona. I met incredibly friendly, hospitable, and inspiring individuals who each contributed to my positive experience. Conversely, I can thankfully count on only one hand the amount of negative interactions I found myself in.
I visited breathtakingly gorgeous sites like Tibidabo and La Sagrada Familía and consequently formed an appreciation for architectural marvels. I somehow took responsibility most days in leading the nine other students with me on the trip around the city through the alleyways, the streets, and the underground metro lines. They jokingly proclaimed me their shepherd (the joke stuck), and I now wish to lead them wherever we find ourselves in the future. I will forever cherish the time we spent together.
Despite their company, however, a few waves of culture shock inevitably hit me. I vividly remember when one such wave hit. While the rest of my group planned and went on an excursion out of Barcelona one weekend, I declined and instead impulsively booked a seven-hour ferry ride (approximately an hour before its departure) to Mallorca, an island in the Balearic Sea. I only stayed on the island for just over 24 hours, but visiting Palma, the island’s capital, was the first time in my life I had ever traveled by myself. My curiosity fueled me more than anything—I discovered great vistas, ate delicious food, and learned a little about Palma’s history.
By nature of traveling alone, though, I had to face the fact that nobody shared my memories with me. Through this mental confrontation, a uniquely sad rendition of culture shock washed over me. I gazed forward out of the ferry’s windows during my return trip to Barcelona and admired the seemingly endless horizon. The sky was gray. I felt completely alone. Spinning simultaneously inside my head was the beginning of somewhat of a cultural awakening.
All I’ve known in life is the United States (predominantly southern-middle Tennessee). After a few weeks of reflection stemming initially from that melancholic ferry ride, the inextinguishable flame beneath my passion for seeing the world and meeting people has once again begun to burn brighter.
Sometimes I’m met with opportunities that spin my life around in ways I previously thought were impossible.
Spain spun me around in the best way imaginable.
Trevor Rogers (BA Communication) spent the Summer 2023 studying abroad in Barcelona, Spain as part of a Communications department faculty led trip through API. Trevor had the following to say about studying abroad, “If you have the opportunity and it is within your means to study abroad, you should. As someone who had previously never been out of my home country before, exploring another culture for the first time completely shifted my perspective on life in the best way possible.”
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