GRANADA ADVENTURE Chronicle copy editor Niki Harris juxtaposes American and European life as she studies abroad

Over the course of this semester, I’ve had the privilege of writing from all around the world. From racing to send an article by its deadline in the five minutes of Wi-Fi left in a hotel in Morocco to leisurely typing on my phone as my ferry cruises by Santorini to today, as I am borrowing a computer at my friends’ office in Sevilla, it’s been the most incredible experience.
As the Spring Semester comes to a close in Utah, so does The Daily Utah Chronicle and thus my tenure as a travel writer. But thankfully, I still have a month left abroad to take in as much of the world as I can before I return to Utah.
That’s the kind of gift studying abroad gives you — the opportunity to travel and experience everything in a completely new way. Yes, there are classes, but to be honest, they’re hardly the priority. You get the chance to experience the world, whether it’s with your program, with friends or by yourself.
You get to meet people from so many walks of life with whom you would never come in contact if you stay trapped in the U.S. bubble. You have to push yourself every day to learn new things, especially if you’re in a country where you don’t speak the language. You have the chance to adopt another culture and learn it inside out. That’s why you study abroad.
Professors in the United States can tell you about their own experiences in other countries to supplement their lectures. They can teach you all about the sevilliano style of dance and the Feria de Abril, and they give you a skeleton idea of the fashion of that entire week. But you won’t really know it. You can’t until you experience it for yourself. That’s why you study abroad.
I’ve made an effort to travel to different places every week with the intention of opening up my heart and mind to whatever would come my way. And each time, I’ve emerged from it with a fresher perspective on my life, a new goal to strive for in the future or a part of me completely changed.
Those who have been in another country for a long period of time can understand what I’m trying to spit out. There aren’t words, really, to describe the kinds of changes that have taken place while I’ve been in Spain. In a way, it’s ineffable.
I’ve fallen in love with a new country, new cities, a new culture and new people. I’ve made friends — both in the states and all around Europe — I know I’ll never lose touch with, because we’ve all been a part of the most incredible experiences abroad. Every day, I fall more in love with my city and my home here in Spain. Yes, it’s a home. It always will be. These are the reasons that you go abroad. You don’t get these experiences anywhere else.
My final words for The Chrony from Spain? Just go. Go abroad and discover the world.