I am genuinely so happy I chose to go outside of my comfort zone and attend the Experiencing Spain OCS program. Entering Carleton, I was certain I wouldn’t study abroad. I insisted that there were too many interesting classes I wanted to take on campus and that I loved my time at Carleton too much to go across the world for a term. And although it’s true that my home away from home truly is at Carleton and the course offerings are absolutely fantastic, I am so incredibly glad I took the leap to study abroad. The opportunity to study Spanish full-time in Spain with Carleton is the perfect mix of immersion and connection. I now realize that my insistence on staying put was really the result of allowing my fears to control my decisions, and I am grateful I chose to override those doubts.
From the second I stepped off the plane and was greeted by my host family holding flowers, giving me the traditional dos besos and embracing me in hugs, I felt accepted and welcomed. From there, I was whisked away into the world of rapid Spanish conversations, constant smiles, and incredible connections. Every evening, my host family gathers for dinner, and we take turns sharing the best moments of our day, reminding me that home can be halfway across the world, as long as I’m with the right people.
The jump from a summer without a word of Spanish to constant immersion in the language was definitely intimidating, but the support of everyone around me made it instantly better. I’ve learned to be comfortable making mistakes, to listen carefully, and to appreciate the ups and downs of learning a language. Most afternoons after class, I like to explore a new café, discovering Madrid one neighborhood at a time and overhearing snippets of Spanish conversation that once flew over my head but now make perfect sense.
This program is uniquely interdisciplinary. Every day is a blend of learning that allows us to be immersed in the changing landscape of Spain while constantly improving our Spanish. All of our classes follow the same timeline, whether it’s learning about economics, ecology, politics, history, or culture. For instance, when we learned about the transition out of the Spanish dictatorship, one class focused on the historical facts, another on the slang that emerged as language became less regulated, and another on the development of free improvisation as a socio-aesthetic practice. Our field trips are also thoughtfully tied to what we’re studying, such as attending an improvisational music concert to witness in person what we’ve discussed in class. We even had the opportunity to meet the musical artist in his studio the next week to ask questions about his work.
Every week, we meet with coeducadores, retired individuals who lived through the history we’re studying and who accompany us on trips. From them, I’ve learned so much about the power of perspective and how history is passed down through generations. With them, it feels as if I have ten different grandmothers at once, and there’s never a lull in conversation or a shortage of incredibly sweet compliments.
One of my favorite aspects of this program is how our coursework extends outside of the classroom through weekend trips to different regions of Spain, each accompanied by our coeducadores. These excursions take us to places rarely visited by tourists and allow us to see firsthand the history that we study in class. In Castilla y León, we became shepherds for a day, managing a flock of sheep and learning about rural life during and after the dictatorship. On another adventure, we hiked through the Bilbao mountainside to explore the touristification of País Vasco and discuss how local communities negotiate identity, economy, and sustainability. We also spent an evening with a Galician folk band, learning traditional rhythms and instruments while discussing how regional music expresses local identity. Beyond these larger group trips, I have also been able to travel in smaller groups. Most recently, I returned from a day trip to Valencia, where I admired the city’s mix of old and new architecture and enjoyed experiencing a different regional culture within Spain.
We have also been working with the Laboratory of Audiovisual Anthropology (LAAV) throughout this program, recording weekly video diaries, grabbing clips of our daily life here in Spain, and learning how to use professional cameras to document our weekend trips. At the end of the program, we’ll use these videos to produce a documentary film, and I absolutely cannot wait to see it all come together (and for everyone back at Carleton to see it as well!).
Every assignment, trip, and experience feels meaningful on this program, and I truly believe I’ve become a better person through it. I feel more equipped to face the challenges of today’s world by thinking deeply about how my actions can make a difference. Every moment here requires collaboration and a willingness to step out of my comfort zone, from a 6 a.m. rapid, half-asleep Spanish conversation with my host dad on the way to the airport, to working as a group to decide which clips to include in our LAAV documentary, to having a deep conversation with a coeducadora about collective memory on a four-mile walk through the streets of Bilbao.
Studying abroad has reminded me that growth happens when we embrace discomfort and go beyond what is familiar. Spain has taught me not only a new language but a new way of seeing the world, and for that, I am endlessly grateful.
