Hello all, ¡Buenos Días!, and welcome to my blog <3
My name is Isabella, I am a third-year English and Spanish student who spent a year abroad studying Modern Languages at the University of Granada, Spain.
Given the nature of my degree, my focus of study on my year abroad was specifically centred on Spanish, with modules in linguistics, literature, as well as philosophy and Spanish philology.
In this blog, I hope to inspire, encourage and relate my experiences as someone who is Neurodiverse, to hopefully help you understand the true year abroad experience and why I would personally recommend it for all students (including those of you who are scared/anxious or doubting your ability to do so). So, with that being said, let’s begin!
Living abroad- confronting expectations
Now, in all honesty, the year abroad is not an easy experience and not for the reasons you might expect. Living abroad challenges you, not to ‘leave your comfort zone’, but rather to expand it. The experience is an opportunity to reflect, embrace and develop those parts of yourself that you forgot you had and/or haven’t yet discovered.
When I first moved to Granada, I was expecting to suddenly be a whole new person simply because I was in a different country. I thought I would overnight become someone who goes out and parties, makes friends effortlessly and generally participates in everything. My expectations were huge! For the first few weeks, I pushed and pushed to try and participate in everything and anything that came my way, and (spoiler alert) it made me burn out and break down. I was trying to be someone I wasn’t, and, trust me, that never works. It took me to a point where I had to reflect on what I wanted this experience to be for me personally- did I want to continuously force myself into things I didn’t enjoy and wasn’t ready for, or did I need to take a step back and reflect on the things that made me comfortable, safe and happy to then transition those things to this new environment? It was in that moment of self-reflection, and the hours I spent on the phone with my friends and family (credit where credit is due), that I concluded that I needed to make my comfort zone work.
Finding comfort in a new city
Over time, and yes, it does take time, I built up my comfort zone, and I did so in manageable steps. I asked myself, what do I like, what do I really feel nourishes me and how can I make this work in a way suitable for me now? At first, I joined a dance group through the University of Granada, (The University of Granada has a very broad range of societies, so I can guarantee you, there is something suitable for everyone), I gradually started speaking to people in class, I started making friends, and then, in manageable increments, my comfort zone grew. I didn’t need to do things that didn’t work for me, I just needed to understand that I needed to transition the version of me that was authentic and comfortable into this new environment.
Skill development and socialising
The year abroad teaches you about resilience, self-advocacy and compassion for the process of self-development. The version of me that first moved would be astounded at the fact I can navigate without a Map, take trains cross-country with ease on solo trips to Malaga and Cordoba, go to Queer rights meetings, protests for gender equality, speak freely with new friends, go out dancing and step up in situations to look after myself even when the anxiety is overwhelming. The year abroad has been a time of reflection and unimaginable self-development; I am stronger, more resilient and a whole lot more in tune with myself as a person because of it. My language skills have improved, but so have my interpersonal skills, my ability to hold boundaries, to advocate for my needs and to tolerate the uncomfortable, all of which have been done in the most beautiful city imaginable.
My advice and final thoughts
I was not necessarily ‘brave’ before my year abroad, I was committed. I would frequently have to remind myself in those difficult moments: I love Spanish, I want to live in Spain, I am committed to making the year abroad work. Throughout the entire process of transitioning to my new life here in Spain, I have not been brave; I have simply shown up scared because I wanted it to happen. This notion of needing to be ‘brave’ to do a year abroad is a myth. My advice to you: if you are someone who loves languages, a specific country/culture, or wants to extend themself beyond the ‘normal’ degree programme, the year abroad is for you, regardless of whether you feel confident doing so. If you are passionate about what you want to do and committed to making it happen, the year abroad is the perfect opportunity to do so. You don’t need to be someone new, you just need to show up authentically with your eyes open and allow the experience to expand your horizons. So embrace it! And my final words of advice, embrace discomfort and show up and do it all scared. Be scared, be anxious, pace yourself, and the rest will fall into place. The year abroad is for everyone; the only limits on success are the ones you place on yourself.
With love from Granada,
Isabella
