I’ve known I was coming to Spain for a while now. It’s actually been something I’ve been dreaming about since I was a little girl. My only reason was so that I could become fluent, and be in Europe. Well when the time finally came, I couldn’t believe I was actually leaving, for real. It still hasn’t really hit me, and I’ve been here almost two months.
     The experience is something that I don’t think is possible to convey in just a couple of paragraphs. Imagining at leaving the country for four months and studying in a foreign language sounds like an eternity. In reality, it is not nearly as much time as I would like to have spent, given the amount of opportunities available. Not only am I able to see the culture first hand, but I live with a family so I get to see how they view things as well.
     I have also been able to travel a lot, and have done so just about every weekend. I’ve gone to places I would have never imagined visiting before coming here, including Morocco and so many other parts of Spain. This is a once in a life time experience, just as college is. One of the main differences is that this experience only lasts one semester while college lasts for four. So I am taking advantage of the time that I’m here, and making the best of everything that is happening in Europe now as well. There can be many opportunities in the future for traveling, but none as great as the opportunity to live there and be a part of the culture in comparison to being an outsider looking in. I can’t imagine spending my semester any other way!

--Ashley Kramer, ‘05