Study Abroad Reflection:
   My study abroad experience started on the 14th of July when I made the trip from Guayaquil, Ecuador, where I was visiting family for the summer, to Córdoba, Argentina. I have made the trip to a South American country multiple times before, where I would go and spend the entire summer visiting and staying with them throughout my time there, so I figured that I would have a leg up when it came to living abroad for such a long period of time as the one that I was going to partake in, which this trip definitely showed me that this was going to be a whole new beast. The visa process was done in a very roundabout manner due to the last-minute changes the Argentinian Consulate in Atlanta had put in place for those applying to go abroad that summer. I had taken the initiative to contact the people in charge and was put on a Zoom call with the people in charge to be able to finish the new instruction manual they were going to give out to incoming students that were looking at studying abroad in Argentina in the future. 
   My journey and path to deciding to go with this faculty-led program in Argentina were one of many trials and errors, especially including the course I was going to take with my major. Originally, I was an accounting major at Clemson for two years with the majority of the instruction being done online due to COVID-19 afflicting the nation. The classes I took during this time really did not click very well with me due to the nature of the instruction and the hardships I was facing during this period of isolation and quarantine, but the bright spots included that in the classroom with my Spanish instructors. Their diligence and form of instruction really hit a chord with me and stuck with me as I found the value of honing and perfecting the Spanish language and broadening my worldview in the sphere of business. With that being said, I switched my major to that Spanish and International Business in order to keep in line with the knowledge I had acquired in the past as an accounting major and to be able to keep making my Spanish better and better while being able to use it more on a daily basis. This change in pace was integral in jumpstarting the passion for my college career that I needed. 
   With that being said, I elected to choose the program with Clemson Córdoba as a recommendation from one of my Spanish professors whom I respect a great deal. He told me all of the great opportunities I would have to go to the expansive country of Argentina and the amount of care, dedication, and flexibility the instructors and the coordinator emphasizes while we are there. All of these pieces of information put me a lot more at ease, but definitely had me mostly wondering how the mode of instruction would differ in Argentina at la Universidad Blas Pascal versus what I had been accustomed to at Clemson for the past three years. This is in addition to how cultural norms and how the way of life works over there. Knowing that each country in South America does things differently meant I had to brace for a culture shock, as small or as large as it may have been. 
   As soon as my classmates and I touched down at the Ingeniero Aeronáutico Ambrosio L.V. Taravella International Airport, the weather was what caught me by surprise at first. I was way colder than I expected it to be when I first got there, but that was in contrast to the warmest welcome I had ever received from my host family that was receiving me. We instantly clicked and connected on the spot with the conversation we had in the car about my family and their entire family that I was going to get the opportunity to meet while I spent my time there. Getting to be acquainted with my host dad and mom felt surreal, but a very welcome change from what I was normally used to.

     As the semester went on, we took many trips all over the country, including sightseeing in the country's capital, Buenos Aires, trekking in the province of Jujuy and Salta, and enjoying various activities such as the wine tour and horseback riding in Mendoza, all while studying at la Universidad de Blas Pascal under some of the kindest and interesting professors that I have ever had the opportunity to study under during the semester. I was enrolled in the following classes: The Hispanic World: Latin America, Survey of Spanish-American Literature, Comprehensive Writing in Spanish, and Advanced Spanish Conversation and Composition. In addition to these classes, we had to complete an internship which we completed 3 times a week for a total of 140 hours. Having to find the balance between studying and keeping up with the material taught in class, the internship with the university's soccer team, and the trips taken around the country revealed to me how I needed to manage my time effectively to make the best out of my study abroad experience. 
   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     Daily life was something I very much had to get accustomed to as this was going to be my new home for the next six months. Having to master the "art" of public transportation was one of these situations that I would have to get used to. On the first week there, my friends and I were looking at options to get to the apartment that she was staying at with her host mother, so we decided to split up into two groups and take separate taxis to get there. The problem with this was the fact that I did not have cellular service and nor did the person that I was riding with, so keeping in communication with our taxi driver was sketchy at best. Now, in Ecuador, taxis come in all shapes and sizes with various safe options not having to be a marked car, so I had the bright idea of calling down a car that someone had just gotten out of from their trip prior. That was not the taxi that was going to be waiting for us. We were totally safe in the end and the guy ended up taking us to our destination even in the end, he gave me his business card with his number so if I needed a ride anywhere else, I can call on him. This was a great lesson in not assuming that all countries in South America work the exact same and that it was pertinent in being familiar with and aware of the differences as minute as they can be wherever one goes. Learning to step out of my comfort zone was another thing that was always something very difficult for me to deal with. Getting to share all the experiences I was able to share with my newly made friends over the course of the trip taught me to be flexible and roll with the punches as they come since not everything will go to plan as it did during the course of this study abroad experience, but it taught me to learn, to overcome, and to adapt. 

     In conclusion, this trip taught me a lot about the relationships I make with people and aided in my overall growth as a person. Being able to step out of my comfort zone by being in a whole different environment, learning to think on the fly with whatever situation might be thrown my way, or learning to effectively allocate my time to the things that really matter this trip gave me the opportunity to grow and improve. In addition to this aspect of personal growth, my Spanish-speaking skills improved by a considerable amount by being completely immersed in the culture and the language 24/7 while I was there, something that I am very grateful for. Overall, this trip was an unforgettable experience that I will forever hold in my heart and reminisce on and take with me in my future endeavors. 

 

     

 

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