South Korea: End of Program by Brooke Chong
End of Program
Thailand & Indonesia: Post-Program: “Coming Home” by Kylund Prior
Portugal: End of Program: “Goodbyes Hurt” by Jeremy Caldeira
It is now less than 10 days until I set foot on American soil again. I have spent the last 98 days based in Portugal. It has been an eventful 98 days of adventure, of meeting new people, of trying new foods, of exploring new places. I wouldn’t give back a single moment of it. But, now, I face the reality that I will have to give up a lot within the next 10 days. I will have to say goodbye to so many people that have made this experience worth it, some that I may see again, some that I may not. I will be saying goodbye to places that have become part of my routine. I will also be saying goodbye to some things I won’t really miss. Nevertheless, no matter who or what I am saying goodbye to, it doesn’t make any of these goodbyes any easier. Goodbyes hurt.
New Zealand: End of Program by Emily Webster
Now that I’ve returned, it’s time to start to wrap up this blog. I have enjoyed sharing my adventure with those who followed along. The next two posts are requirements for the travel writing program, but they also offer a valuable opportunity for me to reflect on the last four months and begin to think about the next four months and what they have in store for me.
France: End of Program by Grace Peyerwold
Senegal: End of Program by Sage Romey
Ireland: End of Program by Lena Pulve
End of Program: Finland by Mathew Papaly
I leave Finland in two days. Time for a little venting and reflection.
Czech Republic: End of Program by Laurel Messenger
Saying Goodbye and Heading Back Home
Italy: End of Program & Maintaining International Connections by Kaylee Hersch
End of my Internship Program: Preparing for Re-Entry & Maintaining my International Connections
Spain: End of Program: “Hasta luego, Sevilla” by Olivia Esparza
End of Program: Hasta luego, Sevilla
Spain has many great things but what I’ve missed the most from home is the ease of communicating in a language that is comfortable to me. Although my Spanish has improved immensely it is still not nearly as comfortable as English. Nine months without being surrounded by my native language reminded me how fortunate I am to live in an environment that I find comfortable. Spain is a beautiful country and I’ve loved living here, what I will miss the most are the friends I’ve made while abroad and the beautiful places in Seville. Becoming friends with local students was one of the highlights of my semester, because of it I got to know Spain and its culture better. When I return home I don’t think I will experience any culture shock. While home for Christmas break I adjusted back to culture and had time to reflect on my first semester before going back to Spain. Now at the end of my second semester I am already familiar with the feeling of returning home after being gone for a long time. Now at the end of my nine months I’m ready to go back to the states and reengage with life at Western. Studying abroad provided me with many wonderful experiences that I would love to keep in my life. Speaking Spanish with native speakers is one experience that I plan on maintaining while I’m back in the states, Spanish friends and I have planned to keep speaking by Skype to practice. My nine months abroad have changed my appreciation for other cultures and have inspired me to travel more of the world.
France: End of Program: “Coming to Terms With the End” by Brenna Roach
Coming to Terms With the End
We are now 12 days away from the end of my semester abroad, and to sum it up into one phrase, it’s been one crazy journey.
Spain: End of Program: “All Good Things Must Come to an End” by Alexis Mathews
All Good Things Must Come to an End
As I prepare to go home I am beginning to realize that I am going to miss many things. But there are things that I have missed about the United States. The main thing that I miss from the United States is my family. Traveling and living half way across the world and only being able to see them through Skype or talk to them on the phone has been difficult. The other thing that I have missed is the variety of food. In Spain there is not much variety when it comes to ethnic food. The main type of food here is Spanish food and sometimes I long for Mexican or Asian food, which I cannot find here.
The thing that I will miss the most from Spain is constantly being surrounded by history and being immersed in the Spanish language. I will miss the winding streets with balconies and wide open plazas. I will miss going to the art museums and having a picnic in the park. Many of the quintessential Spanish things I will miss the most.
I do not think I will experience reverse culture shock when I return. The hardest part of culture shock was when I first arrived to Spain. There were a lot of different things I had to adjust to and I had adjusted just as my time here is coming to an end. On the other hand returning to the US will not be as difficult because I am familiar with it.
Since I will be returning to the US before the school year starts I will have more time to adjust. I plan to resume my daily life and begin to make things normal again to lessen the effects of reverse culture shock. I plan to share as many photos as I can with my family and friends and share with them my experience. My study abroad experience has been an important part of my education and I plan to incorporate as much as I can of what I have learned into my life and in the future. I plan to maintain the friendships that I have made here and to continue to communicate with my host family. My Spanish is a part of my everyday life so this will be much easier to maintain than other things that I have learned. One thing that I have learned while abroad is to remain engaged and informed with events not only in the United States but other countries as well and that it is an effective way to remain internationally engaged.
~Alexis