Anything Can Happen, I Hope for the Best!

By Sofia Tascon

While I´m studying abroad in Spain for the summer, I would love to take part in different global experiences through the opportunities gifted to me. For instance, I plan to travel outside of Spain while I´m over there. Many students are planning a trip to Morocco and that is a place I´ve been wanting to visit for a while now. I also would love to see Greece or Italy one day. However, I would be sure to not just visit spots like a tourist, but to really take the time to learn about the culture of the locals there and to prioritize respect wherever I am. I would hope to visit somewhere like museums while I´m in whatever place in order to take the time to learn about the detailed history of where I am. These are more personal goals for making memories and making the most of my experience, in both the research and social side. I´m planning on bringing a camera to capture all of the beautiful spots I see. Another thing I would like to do during my summer experience is definitely spend time with my family who are actually from Spain and explore their favorite parts of their country with them.   Finally, as a personal goal of mine I plan to stay active while abroad. Although I am away from my normal routine and regular spots, I hope to maintain my health either by walking a lot or going to a gym. I´ve just started prioritizing this part of me more and am determined to not lose that while abroad. 

As for the research I am conducting for Global Scholars, two skills I will improve on will be for sure my communication and adaptability skills. Conversing with individuals that I have never met before surely makes anyone nervous but I will be working on my confidence as I do this work. Additionally, it will be interesting to practice my Spanish while I am conducting these interviews. I am grateful for the opportunity to converse in this language that means so much to my heritage. While conversing with these locals, I expect to improve upon my adaptability skills and the ability to think more on my feet, as you never know how someone will react to a question, so if I need to reword or rephrase something, I will learn to do so quickly. This is an important skill not only for interviews and everyday conversation, but in the courtroom as well since I plan to go into law in my future career. I am prepared to strengthen these skills for the benefit of my future use. 

Thinking about how soon this summer experience is for me, I would say one song that encapsulates how I am feeling is the song Anything Can Happen by Ellie Goulding. As the title states, the singer described the epiphany she has in the possibility of anything occurring, and that is exactly the kind of attitude I like to have when going into new situations and life changing moments. I hope for the best!