For my final semester of coursework, I studied abroad in Córdoba, Argentina. Although required for my degree at Clemson, I have always had a passion for traveling to new cultures. Before leaving for my study abroad experience, I expected to have a different level of confidence in my language skills. I knew that living abroad in a Spanish speaking country would elevate my Spanish skills in a way that studying in a classroom in the United States could not. I had a goal for fluidity and confidence in my speaking skills. After arriving to Argentina, I was confronted with new dialect, different pronunciations of words I had known for years, and an extra conjugation that I needed to become accustomed to and embrace. In fact after landing in Argentina, I was greated in the airport by my host mother and began the journey of figuring out the city before classes started. And I ran into the issue of not understanding everything that my host mother said while she tried to give me directions to the bus and to the university. It was such an eye opening moment on how vast the Spanish language is.  Spanish is such a widely used language that this is something that I had predicted to happen but to experience was perfect for elevating my language skills. Aside from becoming more fluent in Spanish, my time in Argentina helped me gain the skill of adjust my language skills to a dialect and this is something I constantly want to improve on.

My time in Argentina opened my eyes to the fast paced life I was accustomed to in the United States. I was adjusted to having business open for when I needed to run errands instead of closing for siesta for a huge chunk of the afternoon. I was accustomed to having my car and being in charge of my own commute instead of a 30 minute wait for a crowded bus. I was so used to juggling school, work, extracurricular activities that it was refreshing to come to Argentina. My local friends regularly scheduled time for mate, tea, and social time in the park. And my host family regularly made time to have meals as a family. I enjoyed that the culture I lived in placed an importance on social and interpersonal time. This is something that I had long forgotten to regularly build into my schedule in the United States.  

My most meaningful experience while in Argentina would be how quickly the local students accepted us into their world. At the beginning of the semester, we were all assigned 'tutors' that would act as mentors to help us adjust to our first month in Argentina. Most of these mentors were other students of local universities with jobs, studies, and their own social life. I knew that they were assigned to help but I was amazed at how quickly that these tutors became our friends. They were patient with our Spanish skills and quickly taught all of us the local slang. Although my home town seems half a world apart from Argentina, I was suprissed to be able to quickly relate and make friends with students that only shared my second language.

As I look toward my graduation, I regularly enjoy reflecting on my time abroad for insight on the type of worker I want to be in my career. I gained the ability to find creative insight from the world around me while also always seeking both common ground and insightful differences in every new person and culture that I encountered. My linguistic skills improved but my insight and ways of addressing new and difficult dicissions will equipt me to handle any situation I find post graduation.

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