Great Expectations
Before I arrived in Spain I can't say that I really had specific expectations for this semester. I wanted to improve my speaking and learn about a new culture, but for the most part I just wanted to come into this with an open mind and learn from the experience. I've never traveled outside of the US and Canada, so I knew living in Spain for a semester would be the experience of a lifetime. When I first arrived I definitely experienced some degree of culture shock; everything was different and I was out of my comfort zone. Even though I've been here for 3 weeks now I am still out of my comfort zone. I have adjusted to the Spanish lifestyle, but everything is still different than what I'm used to in the US. I know that I would experience culture shock in terms of the language, and I definitely have. The Spaniards speak so much faster and with a stronger accent than I have ever been exposed to, which makes it so much harder, if not impossible, to understand them. However, I was surprised at how quickly I've improved my ability to have a conversation in Spanish and be understood.
My main academic reason for studying abroad was to finish my minor. However, since I only need one more class to fulfill my minor, I really hope to just enjoy the experience without worrying excessively about classes and grades. I had hoped that coming to Spain would help me figure out what I want to do with my life, but I'm actually more confused now than I was before I arrived. I'm no longer as interested in my major as I used to be, and that scares me. As the semester progresses, I hope that the people I meet and the places I travel to inspire me to realize my potential and what I am meant to do with my life after Allegheny.