Cooking Empanadas with Dr. Archer
I have always loved to travel, even since I was young, and so I knew that when I went to college, I would go on to study abroad somehow. I could not have imagined how my experience in Montevideo this spring would change and challenge me.
The program that I chose was the Spanish Immersion here in Uruguay, and going with this type of program is one of the best decisions I have ever made. I have gotten to immerse myself in the language and, through that, the culture and its people. I even got to have a class at one of the local universities here and learn about Spanish literature with an Uruguayan professor that taught us so much. Learning a different language and having to apply it in practice every day would, at some times, be exhausting or frustrating, but it is so incredibly rewarding. Getting to talk to locals in their own language and hearing them share their love for their home and their traditions is truly a delight. And something I have learned while here is that kindness is universal, and our differences can be so beautiful.
Through my classes on culture and language, I’ve learned that just because something is different doesn’t mean that it is better or worse than what I’m used to; it means that it is something unique and wonderful to experience. Studying abroad this semester has made me a more empathetic and observant person. One piece of advice that I was given before I left was to let myself be open, and taking that advice at the beginning of the semester made my time here so much richer. It was so important for me, as an introvert, to say yes to things that I might normally back out on cause I didn’t want to go. I still got my time to recharge, but because I said yes to new experiences, I got so much more out of my trip.
It also helped that I knew that my group had my back and I theirs. Speaking of the group that I went with, I have definitely made some lifelong friendships with these people. We have traveled together to different South American countries, like Brazil and Argentina, and shared life experiences with each other. It is so important to lean on and laugh with each other because being in a place that is unknown can be scary, but knowing that you have others in the same boat as you makes all the difference. I definitely have so many stories that, to other people will seem strange or meaningless, but to those seven other people, they will be a memory of a time in our lives that we will never forget. The people I’ve met here, the important lessons I’ve learned, and the impact of experiencing a different culture, will stay with me forever.
Bontanical Gardens in Buenos Aires, Argentina
El Ateneo in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Cristo Redentor in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
First Day in Montevideo