Exploring Europe, Round Two!
Ciao amici!
My name is Ryann Howard, and I am a junior at Loyola University. This is my first time blogging, but not my first time studying abroad! I was in Rome last semester, and my four months there were some of the most incredible of my life. I traveled to places I only dreamed about prior. In total, I went to 13 countries and visited over 25 cities from the time I left America (August 21, 2012) to the time I returned, (December 20, 2012). I met the greatest people, both teachers and students alike, that I hope to stay close with for years to come. I wanted to remember all my experience so I kept a journal last semester to document everything. I admit that I struggled to write in it every night or every weekend. I hope to change that this semester though by keeping up with a blog instead. I also hope this will be a good way to reach out to others, especially Loyola students, about how amazing studying abroad is. I intend to write here at least once a week. Who knows what I will write about – could be a wonderful weekend I spent exploring or how I struggled with a paper and homesickness. I hope my experiences will enlighten others about the study abroad experience as well as documenting how I am changing and growing from spending a whole year abroad. I believe blogging will be a great method for reflection, as well as my outlet for emotions and stories, the good, the bad, and the downright hysterical ones. I have a tendency to babble a lot too, but hopefully I can control that 🙂
Okay, well now that I have gone over the basics, I think I can begin sharing my time in Spain so far. First, I decided to go to Alicante, Spain for several reasons. USAC and the Universidad de Alicante offered all the classes I need to take to finish my Spanish major, as well as some other courses for my Sociology degree. I did a lot of researching beforehand to make sure this would be the best, which everyone should do. I also chose Alicante because it is considerably smaller than Rome, and even Chicago (my hometown) for that matter. I have always been a city girl, and decided I should change it up and go somewhere smaller. Alicante is on the coast of southern Spain, so it is much more tropical and beautiful than the Windy City. I also wanted to be in a home stay, something I didn’t get to experience in Rome (campus dormitory). Considering my options, it was clear to me that Alicante was the place I wanted to spend my second semester abroad.
I was so excited for Alicante that I started to plan for it even before I left for Rome, filling out all the proper paperwork (course approvals, home stay requirements, etc.) and planning my trips while there. This planning process was fun, when it wasn’t stressing me out, of course. One of the most important and time consuming of Alicante preparation was the scholarship application process. I know studying abroad is not something for most, particularly because it is so expensive. I knew this long ago. However, back in high school when I first started thinking about college and studying abroad, I didn’t let cost stop my dreams. I had always dreamt of studying abroad and traveling around Europe when I was older, which is the reason I began working as a lifeguard at the age of sixteen and started saving for Europe with my first paycheck. I worked multiple jobs (hostess, party planner, and student leader, etc.) throughout high school and college, saving as much as possible. Don’t get me wrong, I still had plenty of time to enjoy my first two years of college. I also applied to every scholarship I could possibly find. I didn’t win all, but I was able to get a few, and it was those couple that helped my dream become reality. I won the USAC Scholarship as well as the Gilman Scholarship for Alicante, both within a week of each other while I was in Rome. My face hurt for days after the good news because I could not stop smiling! I worked hard for these awards, and knew the work would not stop there. I knew the struggle was, and would continue to be, worth it. The scholarships were the final part of preparing for Alicante. Once those were settled, my flights booked, my courses approved, my host family ready, and after three wonderful but busy weeks home with my family and friends, I was ready for Alicante!
I practiced packing my suitcase multiple times, like I had before I left for Rome, and found myself just as excited as I was for the first time I went to Europe. I knew this was going to be a completely different experience, and I counted down the days before I left. Some of my friends thought I was crazy for going abroad for a whole year, but I can’t think of another way I would rather spend my junior year. I left America at 4:45 pm on January 8th, and arrived in Madrid, Spain the next morning. From there I spent a week exploring Madrid with the USAC group, with visits to the ancient cities of Segovia and Toledo. I loved watching other student’s reactions to everything European, from the signs in other languages, to the food, to the beautiful foreigners, and, of course, the old castles and buildings that were thousands of years older than even the oldest building in America. I knew I did the exact same thing when I first went to Europe. Even so, I still found myself gapping at various things. I had to remind myself that I was in Spain, and I was spending the entire semester here, not just a short visit. I had never felt so fortunate as I did when I arrived at my host home. I was ready for another completely new experience.
Alright, I realize this post is rather long, but I had to get the background in! My next post will be after I spend my first full school and home stay week in Alicante, and I promise it won’t be nearly as long. I can’t wait to share more about my experiences!
Sincerely,
R. Howard