Heather Caughell

Study abroad had been a goal of mine since starting at Cal. It seemed like an amazing way to integrate into a different society and culture, gaining new perspectives and meeting new people. I loved the idea of traveling around for a semester and having a break from the routine of Cal. I ended up choosing my abroad program in Spain primarily for the purpose of gaining more practice in speaking Spanish. Spain became the winner as it also gave the opportunity to bounce around Europe and visit other places I had never been, but always wanted to go! I chose the Córdoba program because I wanted to be in a smaller city, less international, so I could better dive into the culture and the language.

I think the most interesting part of the Spanish culture, especially in Andalusia, that I participated in was siesta time. I did not fully comprehend the extent that this practice of siesta was carried out until my first couple of weeks when the streets turned into a ghost land. Families all came home for lunchtime around 2, and then the streets would be empty, the stores would be closed, and people would stay in their homes either to nap or to relax for a few hours. I loved it! But it definitely was interesting to see how carefree and regularly the "siesta" was practiced.

My biggest challenge ended up being this sickness I contracted from our class trip to Morocco. It seemed minor but as time went on got significantly worse. The sickness itself wasn't too horrible, but I think my biggest concern was voicing it to my host family. I didn't want them to be nervous for me or feel like it was their fault, so it took me a while to tell them I needed to get checked out. I also was nervous about going to the doctor and trying to explain myself in Spanish and hear his advice and diagnosis in Spanish, but it all ended up working out. I think that was a challenge of wanting to be an easy host student for my host parents and then also nervous that going to this unfamiliar doctor who knew nothing about me wouldn't help, both false and both something I had to overcome.

For the weekdays, we had class from 9:30-2 each day with a half hour break in the middle. I would walk to school with a friend from the program, during our break a bunch of us would sit and order "cafe con leche y media con mantequilla" for 1.70 EURO (such a steal for a huge piece of toast and a coffee), and after class at 2 we would all walk home to have lunch with our host families. The afternoons varied from taking siestas, studying at a local cafe with others from the program, teaching english classes, or meeting up with friends for a drink and tapas. Then dinner at 10ish with our host family, and typically we'd watch a movie or a show together before bed! This is discounting the weekends which ranged from spending time in Cordoba and going to the discoteca with everyone or traveling around!

The Córdoba program is GREAT, because they just have a set class schedule where you choose 3/4 classes and you take it with the other students in the UC program. We took a Spanish Language class, the History of Spain (taught in Spanish), and an International Relations class (taught in English/Spanish). Our professors were amazing, and that class became our family. All three classes were comparable in content to Berkeley classes for the most part, the Spanish Language class was definitely difficult but I feel like was taught in a more effective way than what I've experienced from our language classes here. And as for the other two, there was way less homework. So in some sense it was easier to manage, but the content of the classes were equally challenging and similar to readings and discussions we have here.

The most meaningful aspect of my time abroad was the relationships. On all levels, I got to experience such great friendship with the other students in my program, my host family became like a real family to me, and our teachers and directors poured so much care into the program that our last day everyone was in tears to say goodbye. I didn't think I could become so attached to people in such a short amount of time, but it truly made my time abroad what it was and made it especially hard to leave.

I think because of those relationships that I built with the people in Spain and with the students from the program, I realized how important it is to invest even in a short time. The amount of kind Spanish students that would take us out dancing or to get drinks in the town, welcoming us with ease, really impacted me to be more aware and more inviting to the international students we have here. I experienced such great hospitality, and it's something I hope to integrate into my life because those small friendships that are made to last just for a couple months do make a difference. That is something I will never forget!

It's important that you evaluate what you're most looking to get out of the program. I think a lot of students get hung up on going abroad to fulfill all these requirements, which is so so important, but the experience of study abroad is so much more than the units that transfer over to Cal. And for the most part, there is a lot of opportunity to get those units and fulfill certain requirements, but it's is so much more than that. So definitely have a perspective of going for the purpose of experiencing the culture and lifestyle of where you choose to go. As for Córdoba, Spain, if you're confused as to where to go, go there. Spain has so much going for it, from being an inexpensive place for travel and eat, to a rich history everywhere you look, to the amazing hospitality of the people, it's just hard to beat. But Córdoba, specifically, ended up being better than I could have imagined. The program creates an experience within itself with our guided tours of Granada and Morocco, and with classes with passionate professors aimed so that you constantly feel like you're learning inside the classroom but out on the streets, too. It's a more intimate program, but I think that's what made it so valuable for me.