May 15, 2013 - 5:51pm
Maura's Study A-Blog: The anticipation
BY MAURA LEVINE
Preparing for study abroad takes a lot of effort. Not only is there paperwork to be scribbled and logistics to be sorted out, but the language barrier causes an intense pit of anxiety in one’s stomach. When I took the online preliminary proficiency test for my Spanish excursion this summer in Barcelona, España, I was told I still have a lot to work on before I’m ready to live with the locals. Obviously, the Residential College’s proficiency program from last year has not fully stuck with me. I fear walking into my home-stay and being inundated with not only a woman I can’t understand but a culture that puts me in shock. Luckily my best friend, Monjira, whom I met through the RC Spanish program, will be traveling in the same boat as we navigate the waters of a foreign country together.
When I’ve traveled internationally the clock has always felt like a safety net to me. No matter what happened—whether the trip is unpleasant or culturally new and scary — I was always sure that in two weeks I would safely be on a plane back to the states and in my cocoon of Michigan. But this summer poses a new challenge for me—academically and personally. I will be in Spain for over two months taking classes — fully in Spanish — and trying to assimilate myself with local customs and culture. I’m excited at the prospect of extreme independence and great fortune.
I’m especially excited to get to know my home-stay host, Florentina, through the medium of a different language. When my sister spent a year abroad in Israel, she reported to me that she had to “create her identity as an Israeli.” The way she explained it — finding the slang and phrases that make her unique in a different language — took time. She had to express herself through body language and quickly learn local customs in order to share herself in a meaningful way with people who she wanted to connect to. This anthropological phenomenon—of language being an expression of the human personality — will be one of the most fascinating angles that my trip to Europe may reveal.
I have a feeling that I already know what one of my first Spanish adventures will entail when I arrive next week. A couple of weeks ago, my trip coordinator emailed me saying that when I arrive I’m responsible for finding my own gluten-free foods to bring to Florentina’s apartment. I have Celiac disease — cutting my consumption of all foods with wheat, barley or rye. My mind started racing as I thought of finding a grocery store, trekking around an unfamiliar city and finding sustenance — all in Spanish. To my surprise, I found several gluten-free blogs online about Barcelona! Now I can do my Barcelona map searches and scans from the comfort of my home as I pack my bags, knowing that when I arrive in Europe I’m a little less likely to get hives.
