In August 2014, I left the comfort of my home in the Rocky Mountains to embrace a new culture, language and people. Travel, communication and cultural adaptation presented an array of challenges in Salamanca, Spain. My independence blossomed as I faced

the adversity and obstacles of moving to a foreign country largely on my own. Throughout the 4.5 months I spent abroad, my self-motivation and confidence in decision-making grew dramatically. Now that I have successfully planned and executed trips across Europe, taken a semester of classes taught solely in Spanish, adapted to a new culture and taken large steps toward my goal of fluency, my perspective on what I can personally achieve has vastly expanded. While I hold collaboration in high esteem, independent drive is also a virtue. Studying abroad showed me the value of confronting obstacles even without the guidance and encouragement of others – affecting my personal and academic life and giving me a skill to carry into the professional field upon graduation. Additionally, I have always been a quiet person and struggled with insecurity. This shyness held me back from living up to my full potential because it prevented me from taking risks that could help me to grow. Due to my desire to improve my Spanish and abandon my reserve, I pushed myself to speak and reach out to Spanish speaking friends whenever possible. Stepping out of my comfort zone lead me to fortify and create relationships and experience the Spanish culture. I now realize that it is important to embrace my quiet nature, yet still throw myself out into the world by reaching out to people and trying new things. I am no longer so afraid to take risks because I know that I can soldier on through obstacles life presents and grow from the experience. Furthermore, one can read about other people and ways of life in textbooks but will never achieve a complete understanding until they have walked the streets, eaten the food, befriended citizens, and watched the music of another nation being played. Salamanca is rich in culture with ancient sandstone buildings, traditional Tuna bands roaming the streets and history etched into the walls, paintings and sculptures of downtown. One of the oldest Universities in the world rests here, offering not only a historical context but also an opportunity to interact with native students, thus forming relationships and practicing the language. The value of studying Spanish in a classroom pales in comparison to hearing it spoken constantly and being forced to express your ideas to the best of your ability in speech and writing. Studying abroad stands out in my mind as both a great challenge and opportunity. Because of my passion for travel, my constant quest of self-growth and my love of the Spanish language and culture, studying abroad in Salamanca, Spain was a fulfillment of my aspirations.