1. Pre-global experience
For my last quarter in college, I decided to study abroad through the Politics of Soccer and Beyond program in Spain for one month. I chose this program as I already knew the professor and had a few friends on the trip as well that were going. I was also curious to learn more about the injustices happening in soccer.
While in Spain there were many challenges that I faced that affected my overall feelings about the program. I would say one of the biggest challenges I faced was being an introvert in a group of people that were predominantly extroverted and talkative. I felt that I would often be looked over or ignored because I was quiet and my personality often clashed with my classmates. I realized that although I couldn’t change my personality, I could try to find people who thought similar to me and become friends with them. Instead of just hanging out with the same people every day, I made an effort to hang out with different groups of students and learn about their cultures and family backgrounds.
Through this experience, I wanted to learn what it would be like to be alone in a foreign country for a month without having any family or close friends nearby. I have never lived abroad without my family before so this experience was very interesting. I learned that having a good support system matters the most when abroad, especially as a foreigner when you are viewed as an outsider by the locals.
Before going abroad, I was most anxious about getting homesick. Even when I would go on family vacations, I would immediately get homesick within a few days of being in a new country. I tend to have a hard time leaving the comfort and familiarity of my home, so being abroad in a new country where I would be traveling to new cities every few weeks would be a major challenge for me.
2. In Leon
The Politics of Soccer program is a one-month-long study abroad trip where I spent the majority of time learning about the injustices occurring in soccer. I would take a Spanish class in the morning at Centro de Idiomas which is a local college in Leon, Spain where I stayed during most of the trip. Then in the evening, I would go to the UW Leon Center to take a class with my classmates from UW and learn about the politics that are involved in soccer. At the end of the program, we all presented research findings on a topic of our choosing. I presented about how privilege affects soccer.
I was expecting to travel to more places and explore more of the Spanish culture. I felt that this program did not help me achieve that as we spent the majority of our time in Leon which is a very small city in Spain. There is not much to do in Leon as it is pretty similar to Central Washington where there is just a college and shops nearby. After talking with most of my other classmates, we all collectively agreed that we would have enjoyed spending more time in Madrid and Barcelona as there are much more things to do there. It was also hard to learn the Spanish culture when we spent most of our time only talking with each other and having limited opportunities to talk to locals.
3. Preparing to finish
I am glad that I went into the program and pushed myself out of my comfort zone despite the setbacks that I faced. It was a good learning experience for me to navigate my identity as an Indian American in a foreign country. I would like to continue working in international affairs when I return to the US and hope to live in a different foreign country as well.
4. Post experience reflections
I learned that Spanish people take their rest very seriously. It is important for them to come home and relax between the hours of 2-5 pm and they do not like to be disturbed during that time. A lot of shops are also closed during that time and no one goes to work which I found very interesting.
If I could do something differently, it would be to do more research before committing to a study abroad program. I did not know that we were spending only a few days in Madrid and Barcelona and wished I knew that beforehand before committing to the program. I felt that I did not get the most out of my study abroad experience by only staying in Leon for 95% of the trip. I also wished I checked with the financial aid office to see how much money I would owe as this trip was very expensive even after I got scholarships and grants.
This program proved to me that I am strong enough to be able to travel abroad for a month in a foreign country and navigate my identity. I also learned how to set boundaries and let people know when I am not comfortable with something which I had a hard time doing before I went on the trip.
The most important thing that I have learned is that although I am an introvert, I need people. I need a group of people that will be my support system and support me regardless of what is going on in my life. I also enjoy doing activities with other people and do not enjoy spending all of my time by myself.
