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| Getting ready to board my flight |
When I first came to Duke, I wasn’t
sure if I’d want to spend a semester abroad. To take the classes I wanted and
make the most of my four years, I figured I should stay on campus. Even more
importantly, I didn’t want to leave the friends that I had made during freshman
fall. I decided on a compromise: I would take six weeks of summer classes in
Alicante, Spain. That way, I wouldn’t miss out on any time at Duke during the
school year.
My summer
in Spain didn’t go as expected. I thought it would satisfy my desire to spend
time off campus, but instead, it only made me want to travel more. I loved the relaxed
pace of life I found in Alicante, which was a welcome change from the constant
stream of meetings and classes at Duke. I appreciated getting to know the other
students in the program, and I learned a lot about myself when I traveled alone
for two weeks after our classes in Alicante ended. I knew I had to spend more
time studying abroad.
From July 18 to December 1, I’ll be
taking classes through IFSA-Butler, a third-party company that connects American
students to Argentine universities in Buenos Aires. One of my classes will be
with the other students from the US, where we’ll learn about language and
culture. The other courses will be at universities in the city, taught in
Spanish with students from Argentina. I won’t register until next week, but I plan
to take courses that touch on the country’s history, culture, politics, and
economics.
As I board my plane to Buenos Aires,
I don’t know what I’ll take away from this semester. Academically and
professionally, I’d like to improve my Spanish speaking skills, learn more
about Latin American politics, and develop a better idea of what my research
interests might be. Personally, I would like to build friendships with people
beyond Duke and think more critically about how I spend my time and what I most
enjoy doing. Even with these goals in mind, however, I know that the most
important lessons and memories from this semester won’t be planned.
I’m excited—and nervous—to be
going on this adventure! I’ll update this blog about once every two weeks
as I start off the semester, and I’ll add occasional posts after that. Until
the next time, chau!
