When choosing the colleges I wanted to apply to, the one mandatory part I always looked for was their Study Abroad program. Two years into my Oberlin experience, my application to study away in Barcelona, Spain, was submitted, my visa issued, and my ticket bought.
The study away office on campus was extremely useful in helping me transfer my financial aid and making sure I could take classes whose credits would count. The day I left Oberlin, I was the most excited sophomore you have ever seen: I was about to live in Barcelona for a semester! Truthfully, I had every right to be excited. The city was unbelievable; it embodied an energy I hadn’t felt in any other city before. The melting cultures and languages, the complex history, the infamous cuisine, all warmed my heart and soul with each passing day. My classes, all held at a local university in the city, were some of the most inspiring classes I have taken, and the cultural immersion was the best addition to my global understanding. I learned about cultural dimensions in my Intercultural Communication and Leadership class, and I had at least ten different field trips for my Culture and Cuisine in Spain class, each time trying different elements of Spanish and Catalan food. It made me realize that there are opportunities in the world I wouldn’t have deemed possible if it wasn’t for the classes and professors I met there. Because of this, I will always and forever recommend a study away program to students interested in it, and will always give my most detailed tips on how to make the most of it. There are always new experiences to be chased, and this one is a great one to take advantage of.
However, my biggest takeaway of my time abroad wasn’t what I experienced in the time I was away. Rather, it was the moment I came back. I was the most excited sophomore before getting to Barcelona, but I was the most excited student you have ever seen coming back to Oberlin. I realized, in all the immersion of the cuisine, language, and culture, I missed my anchor and my home here too. I arrived at Cleveland airport on a warm evening in August, and in all the excitement, I couldn’t stop smiling on the whole drive back to campus, knowing I was finally back home.
We Obies like to complain about the busy schedules and the overwhelming workload sometimes; yet this is what I longed for while I was experiencing life in Barcelona. I realized, I have built a complete and rich life here – one that is so meaningful, I begin to miss it when I’m away. I missed the rush and socialization of Stevie and Azzy’s lunch time; I missed my favorite job at the Cat in the Cream, making the infamous chocolate chip cookies and serving tea; I missed Tappan Square in spring, when the trees starting blooming in pink; I missed my very dear friends whose pictures and messages would give me a bittersweet feeling; I missed the way the Science Center is lit up at night, the sunny days at Wilder bowl, jazz events, the former Biggs smoothies, the Goodwill close to campus, and even the vastness and flatness of Ohio.
I missed, I realized, my home. My study abroad brought so many new revelations to my life – a major one being my utter appreciation for the (short) period of my life I am lucky enough to spend at Oberlin. I will always recommend studying abroad, because a part of it is realizing what you have and beginning to be more appreciative of it. However, I will also always remember that what I have at Oberlin is an experience that’s very special – an anchor, a home away from home.
