I’ve always prided myself on having a global mindset. As a first-generation Indian-American living in a largely Caucasian suburb, I was accustomed to splitting myself between two drastically different cultures. As a result, I often felt I could understand what it means to be a global citizen more easily than most. My motivations to study abroad for a semester stemmed from both my upbringing and my desire to further understand the lives of those around the world.
Never for a second did I stop to think this could be such a challenge. When I first arrived in Barcelona to study, I opted out of living with other students from my university in favor of living in an unaffiliated student housing complex. I wanted to have an experience in Barcelona that was my own, where I didn’t have the security net of traveling or spending all my time with those with the same background as me.
I never anticipated that this would mean living with students from 30 different countries. Instantly, I was in a world of differing opinions, lifestyles, modes of communication, and senses of humor. I was surprised by how much longer it took for me to develop close friendships.
It went beyond having incompatible personalities—many of us had drastically different processes of thinking, reaction, and analysis because of the countries and cultures we came from.
But with time, we learned more about one another’s countries, had complex conversations, and understood each other’s outlooks. I learned about the bluntness and tactful logic of my German friends. The free-spirited yet hardworking attitudes of my Spanish friends. The penchant for luxury and financial prowess of those I knew from Switzerland and Belgium. And even the traditional love for excretion of local Catalans.
As as we learned about one another, we learned from each other. I edited my friends’ English in papers, while they taught me about their respective economies. I helped give them a working knowledge of the American government, while they helped me understand the global perception of my country. And this all happened as we watched one of the biggest political conflicts in the world unfold outside our windows in Barcelona.
Going forward, when I write, I know I will consider if people from other countries will find my English too colloquial to understand. When I work in teams, I will have an increased emotional intelligence and empathy for others. And even better, when I travel, I have true friends around the world.
Being 3,896 miles from home, these people became my global support system. We learned from one another. We learned as we stood next to each other.
The craziest realization of all was that I had learned more about the world in four months than I had in my whole life.
I couldn’t be more grateful for my semester in Barcelona. As I look back on this #YearinReview, I know that my experiences will guide me in more ways than one, for years to come.
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