Story Location: Spain
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Studying Abroad in Barcelona: A Leap of Faith
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Deciding to study abroad in Barcelona was the biggest leap of faith I have ever taken. I left behind a college where I would walk around campus and see a dozen familiar faces, surrounded by corn and highways. At Notre Dame, comfort came so easy when everything and everyone felt known. But suddenly, I was…
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A Surreal Season of Growth: My Study Abroad Experience in Seville
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Studying abroad in Seville with IFSA was truly one of the best time periods of my life. I honestly didn’t think I’d ever be able to do something like this—but with God’s help, hard work, and the support of amazing people, I made it happen. Experiencing Spanish culture One of the first moments that stood…
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Study Abroad and Assimilation: Worth the Effort
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“I haven’t gone there,” my host-mother declared in Spanish one night early in my study abroad experience. We were eating dinner together, and I was sharing my plans to go to a restaurant the next day with a few of my friends that I had made while studying in Sevilla, Spain. “It’s a place for…
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Learning to Slow Down in Seville
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Expectations as a senior going abroad Going abroad as a senior, I assumed most of my growing and learning was behind me. After all, I had already navigated the challenges of college and even studied abroad in Spain. Surely, this experience in Seville would be a breeze—an opportunity to refine my Spanish and enjoy the…
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Rely on Your Anchor: One Key to Adjusting Abroad
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Everyone has an anchor. An interest, hobby, activity, or passion that tethers them to comfort. Some people have had the same anchor their whole life, and some spend years figuring out what it is. These anchors are essential as a mental reset, no matter where you are or what emotions you are feeling. Navigating Culture…
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A Foodie’s Dream Experience
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Food has always been an interesting topic for me. It was one of the driving factors of my decision to study abroad. The opportunity to experience new cultural diets and tastes all over Europe was hard to pass up. While I knew that I would be able to further my learning and interest on my…
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The Benefits of Cultural Immersion
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One day my roommate (and now lifelong friend) Joyce, went out to find a pastry shop to get a treat. We found two rivaling bakeries across the street from one another. One barely had anyone in it, the other was packed. The packed bakery was the one we were planning to go to, but the…
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The Little Things with Studying Abroad
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Before coming to Barcelona, so many people warned me about culture shock. While studying abroad is an invaluable experience full of opportunity, you are also uprooting your entire life to move across the world for three months. As I was told, the stages of culture shock are the honeymoon phase, anxiety, adjustment, and acceptance. Based…
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The First of Firsts
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Going abroad, in general, can be scary and challenging, however, I didn’t realize my experience would be so different compared to others. I am a First-Generation college student, the first to join Greek life, the first to join clubs/organizations, and the first to ever leave the United States. Because I was having so many firsts…
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Catalonia Beauty: Exploring the City of Girona
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During our time abroad, my classmates and I learned extensively about the complex history of Barcelona as well as the entire region of Catalonia. Not only have the citizens dealt with political upheaval, civil war and economic struggles since becoming a Spanish territory, the majority remain so passionate about achieving independence from the Spanish government…
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