Digital Storytelling

Here it is! The final project of my Experiential Learning class.

A digital storytelling.

Coming Home

Leaving Sevilla felt pretty normal, besides saying goodbye to the friends I'd made in Spain. I had left Sevilla lots of times throughout the semester to travel and spent much time in airports and on buses. For this reason, my 36-hour trek home wasn't so crazy. It wasn't until my third plane was descending into San Francisco did I realize that I had actually, truly, left Sevilla.

I had been anticipating my return home for over a month. Not because I was eager to get home (although parts of me were), but because I had finally felt so immersed in Spanish culture that I didn't know how I was going to react to the switch. I thought about how I had changed, what I had learned, the customs I appreciated and the people I held dearly since. I thought about my long struggle to feel comfortable in Sevilla, from living with strangers to learning how to interact with Spaniards, and how all the discomfort I felt in the beginning of my study-abroad experience had transformed into a deep love for the culture; I didn't know how I would be able to return to living without it. 

I thought about this so much before returning home, in the most productive way I could, that I was able to grasp the idea of transitioning back into the society I had left four months ago. Nevertheless, I could not prepare for the sudden feeling of void that came over me as I looked down upon the California skyline. 

Don't get me wrong-- I was overwhelmingly excited to see my family. I was looking forward to my friends, to returning to my commitments and figuring out how I would use all that I had learned abroad in my 'normal' life. I knew that I had fallen in love with Sevilla throughout this experience, in a slow and enriching process. I knew I had grown accustomed to the Spanish lifestyle. But, for better or worse (or truthfully, both), readjusting to my return was not as shocking as I was expecting. I realized that I had fallen in love with Sevilla for reasons beyond Sevilla itself-- I loved my adventures and learning a new culture, but mostly I loved the growth that came with these experiences. I learned the Spanish lifestyle, but I also learned how to adapt. And I used all the tools I needed to adapt to Spain again to adapt back, this time (hopefully) a better person for it. 

Thinking about problems and issues in more complicated and global ways became a must. Being surrounded by people you can barely understand, who seem to know so many things that you don't, is quickly humbling. The whole struggle to understand, both the language and the customs, pushed me to be patient and observant. Slowly beginning to understand was so satisfying that judgement just disappears. And realizing how incredible a culture is, which only comes with letting go of judgement, changed my entire way of thinking. 

If people asked about a transformative experience, I would have to say the whole semester because it was filled with transforming experiences. With every moment came a new perspective, and the more perspective I gained, the more I transformed as a person. Even learning how to order a coffee, which in Spanish is something like "Give me a coffee", changed my outlook entirely.

I faced many obstacles in Spain every day, from Day One until the bitter end. Personally, my biggest obstacle was living with my host-family and the ways my program did and didn't help me. I can go on and on about why, but I have so many great experiences that overshadow this one. I took away lessons from this obstacle, including how to appreciate diversity even in the face of great challenge.

So, readjusting home wasn't so shocking. I began to feel at home in Sevilla, so I was anxious about what I would feel like once I returned home. But I think one of the biggest shock-absorbers was the eye-open, observant, adjustable mentality that Sevilla has given me, and I was able to feel like home and away-from-home all at once.