Cáceres, Spain

Why I chose to go to Spain: As a Spanish major, I knew that I would need to study abroad in a Spanish-speaking country in order to be truly competent. Several people had told me that the Cáceres program really helped develop Spanish fluency because K students in this program are well integrated into university classes. Now, as I am mentally preparing for departure, the level of fluency expected is making me nervous. I know that this summer I am going to have to keep practicing reading and speaking Spanish in order to be sharp enough when my plane lands. My interests in history, art, and travel were other factors in my decision. Since I can only take a certain number of courses at K, the opportunity to live in Spain for six months will give me additional opportunities to learn by exploring that historically and artistically rich country and other parts of the European continent as well. In addition to a holiday break around Christmas, I plan to spend two weeks after my ICRP concludes traveling and visiting museums and historical sites. Despite my nervousness, I am very excited about studying in Cáceres; the program not only fulfills my needs for my major, but serves my other interests as well.

Another intercultural experience I had: My most vivid intercultural experience occurred about three miles from my home in Toledo, Ohio. For two summers I worked as a counselor at Camp Ruach at our local Jewish Community Center. Although not all of the campers were Jewish, most were, and the staff had the responsibility of presenting many aspects of Judaism as part of camp programming. In addition, I had to keep kosher, when at first I didn’t even know what the word meant. After those two summers, I definitely knew a lot more about Judaism, Israel, and I even learned a little bit of Hebrew. I gained some new insight on religion in general when one camper explained to me that he thought that Judaism and Christianity are like “that po-TAY-to po-TAH-to song.". While the analogy may be a little bit silly, it definitely made me think about religions and cultural perspectives in general. Even when there are many glaring differences between two cultures, there are often underlying similarities that can help people understand one another.

How class helped me prepare for study abroad: First, I think the class has made me more sensitive to other people in general. I am now more likely to think about and analyze others’ actions than to make value judgments, even when these others come from my own culture. As far as study abroad, I definitely feel more prepared to interact with and culturally acclimate to Spaniards. When I first applied for study abroad, the homestay aspect scared me a little bit, but now I feel more comfortable with the prospect of (social) discomfort and with my willingness and newly acquired ability to discuss it with my host family to sort out the small clashes between our cultures before they become bigger problems.

What I identified as the greatest challenges facing me as I began my study abroad program: Obviously, the first challenges I will have to deal with relate to social conventions. Although I have taken several Spanish courses, conversational Spanish with native speakers will be difficult to understand. Additionally, cultural differences in means of expression, such as body language, will be difficult to identify, analyze, and deal with, especially as they come up in a fast-paced conversation. My U.S. American tendency for strict conformity to a clock will also probably cause some difficulties. I know that Spain, like many other parts of the world, is less concerned about adherence to a schedule. I can willingly participate in arriving “fashionably late” for parties, but I expect to be frustrated when people are not punctual for more important gatherings such as study groups or appointments.

Living with a host family will also be a big challenge for me. In addition to all the linguistic and cultural hurdles, there will also be personal differences, such as eating preferences or verbal idiosyncrasies to confront. I have trouble being outgoing with people I don’t know very well, so I will have to force myself to jump into conversation and (most likely) slaughter the Spanish language. In class, we spent some time discussing exhaustion due to the effort needed to communicate in a foreign language, which will be another challenge to deal with, since I usually need a lot of sleep. Since many of these families have hosted U.S. American students before, perhaps they will understand the adjustment I will need and won’t be offended if I need a lot of time alone to sleep or think in English.

See contact page to arrange a speaking engagement.

Read excerpts from my letters home.