How it feels to be a foreigner

Kaitlyn Richert is a sophomore double majoring in magazine journalism and informational graphics/publication design, with a minor in Spanish. She is studying abroad in Toledo, Spain for winter quarter 2012.

People always use the expression “walk a mile in their shoes” and that is what I’ve been doing for the past 2.5 months. I am on the other side of that wall – I am the American, here in Spain, going to McDonalds when I crave some Chicken McNuggets and a McFlurry, because I miss home. I am the American shopping in European clothing stores, speaking English and using “like” in my sentences without even realizing it. I am a foreigner now. So, what’s that like, you might ask? Here’s a bit of insight into what I experience:

People stare at me everywhere I go, no matter what I’m doing. Even if I’m not talking, they persist. Maybe it’s because I have the “Snow White” combo – dark hair, light blue eyes and pale skin (well hey, in my defense, it is winter), but it’s pretty obvious that I’m American. I’m not a blond, but I might as well be here – I stand out just as much.

People assume I don’t understand Spanish. People see that I’m American, and then if they can speak English a little, they do so. But I’m living here for a period of time and I love to practice my Spanish.

They enjoy a good American accent. When we worked with a classroom full of Spaniards who were learning English, we listened to them speak our language. I spoke with three Spanish girls. As soon as the English words rolled off my tongue and my accent was clear as ever, they turned to each other and smiled, nudging one-another as if to say, “This is so cool. I want to speak like this some day.” I remember feeling this way in high school when I heard a Spaniard speak Spanish. I could hear that fluency and I thought, wow. This is the real deal. This is incredible. It was interesting, for me, to be on the other side of that experience.

“Hablas muy bien español.” When I go shopping, workers frequently say this, which means I speak good Spanish. Although it may be a self-esteem boost at times, I think it might be a sales tactic. Spaniards know I’m a foreigner and they believe the flattery will increase my chances of buying something. Maybe it will, maybe it won’t.

These are the observations I have made during my time in Toledo, which will be coming to a close this week. But even as I pack my bags stuffed with newly purchased European clothing and remnants of ticket stubs for traveling, I know that part of me will never leave this city. They say that Spaniards don’t say goodbye. Well, neither do I. Toledo, ¡hasta luego!

“In the b-r-i-t I say British Isles” By Kristen Spicker

I’ve been back in the United States for nearly a week, and yet it already feels like London was ages ago, or even a dream.

The entire trip I joked with my flat mate that it still hadn’t hit me that I was in London. Even though I could see the London Eye in the skyline on my walk to class and I was surrounded with accents, I didn’t feel like I had ever crossed the Atlantic.

Unfortunately, the day I realized I was actually living in London was the same one when I realized I had to leave.

It didn’t help that this happened while I was walking to my flat without anyone to distract me from becoming an emotional mess, which took all of five seconds for me to complete. All I could think of was how lovely everything was in London. The weather was light-years better than Ohio (London only rained a handful of days), the people were polite and nearly everyday I was either at a concert, play, museum or just exploring. There was no such thing as downtime or boredom.

Even now, I cannot believe half the things I did or half the people I met. My biggest fear I had in regards to studying in London was that I had built the city up way too high in my mind, and that I’d be completely disappointed. I do not know if I experienced disappointment the entire two months.

If anyone asked me whether or not they should study abroad, I’d definitely tell them yes. This is easily the best decision I’ve ever made and the most fun I’ve ever had. I seriously never thought that I’d be able to do something like study abroad, so the fact that I just lived in the one city I’ve always wanted to see for nine weeks completely blows my mind. I’ve already decided I want to return after graduation, and have been bookmarking flats online. If I was able to wait twenty years before my first time leaving the country, then I’m sure these next two years will simply fly by.

Barcelona, a day in a fairytale by Annamarie Montecalvo

Let’s recap the past ten weeks that I spent in Spain and recognize that I cannot believe that I am already home. Whoever said that time flies was dead on. I just spent the past ten weeks in the gorgeous city of Toledo, Spain, under the roof of a wonderful host family. I also traveled through the Spanish cities of Barcelona, Cadiz, Salamanca, Segovia and Madrid. Not to mention, I hopped across a piece of the Atlantic Ocean to Dublin and Galway in Ireland. I would have to say that it is nearly impossible to pick my favorite place out of the ones I have just listed. However, if I was presented with the opportunity to get on a plane today and I had to choose one of these, I would undeniably choose Barcelona.

Barcelona is a magical place, and when I say magical, I mean I literally felt like I was in a fairytale. To many, Barcelona is also known as Gaudi’s city. Antoni Gaudi was one of the most influential architects of the twentieth century. In fact, many people in Barcelona consider his death one of the saddest days in their history. He led the modernist movement and used his imagination to create the most beautiful architecture that I have ever seen. Unfortunately, I only got to spend three days in Barcelona, and this was not enough time.

The Saturday I spent in the city of Barcelona can be classified into one of the top ten best days of my young life. We woke up early because we did not want to waste time, and the weather was on our side as the sun was shining brightly. The girls that were with me and I freshened up and quickly got into a cab to Parque Guell. I did not know that I was soon about to enter one of the most beautiful places that I have ever been. Parque Guell is Barcelona’s very own version of Happily Ever After. The park contains Guadi’s house and also one of his masterpieces: the park itself. Everything is beautifully crafted with mosaic art and has the best view of Barcelona in its entirety. My best friend from home was able experience this moment with me. We got to the highest point of the park, the sun was shining on our faces and we both just paused. The pause felt like a lifetime, but I knew that our reaction was the same. We were taken aback by the view. One could see the ocean, the city and why Barcelona is one of Europe’s top visited places. This place was a slice of heaven and I could not stop smiling. The only thing that could have made this place more perfect was if my family was standing next to me.

After spending nearly four hours at the park, we ventured down to Guadi’s second masterpiece of Barcelona, the Sagrada Familia. Since being in Europe, I had seen just about a dozen gorgeous cathedrals, but Gaudi did it again, and added the most beautiful cathedral to my perfect day. Pictures couldn’t even do this cathedral justice. As soon as I entered the cathedral I said a prayer, thanking God for blessing me for this day, and asking him to give me the grace to make all my days as perfect as this one by allowing me to see the magic in every day, and in every place I may be. Since then, as cliché as it sounds, I have.

My perfect day in Barcelona ended at the beach, as I touched the Mediterranean Sea for the first time. Once again, the sun was shining on my face and I smiled, knowing that life is a blessing. Barcelona was without a doubt, the most beautiful place I visited. The magic of this city will leave you breathless. I still cannot grasp the city’s magic, so I look at pictures, wishing I had more time there. Viva Barcelona!

Across Europe by Matthew Bishop

Before deciding to “travel Europe”, one should always consider the other options available—working abroad, studying abroad or taking a study abroad opportunity, as I did, and turning it into a “traveling Europe” experience by taking advantage of every three-day weekend as much as possible, and by fully utilizing Ryanair, unreliable as they are. Regardless, the experience of being a vagabond across a continent of separate cultures is truly amazing, unique and enlightening. When I think of my favorite moments during my study abroad in Italy, most of them are in fact not in Italy—and so I have to say that traveling Europe is a must for someone who really wants to see the world.

I will assume that everyone reading this is traveling on a budget when I say use public transportation wherever you go (or rely on friends or people you meet along the way, which is really the best way to get to know a country). Don’t feel like you need to have a set schedule in mind—there’s almost always something amazing to do that you can find on your way to wherever it is you’re going. My best experiences in Ireland, Scotland, Greece and Barcelona (and even in Italy really) were entirely unplanned. If you’re staying somewhere for a while, go out and meet people the first night. Always try and speak their language. If you’re hostel-surfing, get to know your hostel-mates as soon as possible—hostel outings can be very fun. Don’t count on weather reports, and if you’re in the British Islands, realize that it will always rain. A lot of places—such as the Greek Islands—are really only open during the summer season, so make sure if you plan a schedule that you confirm that they are open on the day you want to partake in some activity. If you’re in Greece or Italy, always bargain—every eighty cents you save is another espresso, remember! Most importantly, try the food in every country you cross—the variety of tastes and recipes across so many small countries has been one of my favorite things about Europe, and it’s something which must be experienced by anyone wanting to traverse Europe.

One thing I love about having traveled Europe is what I will be bringing back. I’m not talking about cups or shot glasses or things like that—and I’m not just talking about memories and sentimental things, of which I have plenty. I’m taking back a pair of shoes which have hiked across I can’t even remember how many nations. I’m taking back recipes from inns, pubs, friends and people’s houses from across Europe. I’m taking back knowledge of so many different cultures, and so many different ways of thinking and living, that it’s difficult for me to recall them all even now. Europe is an entirely different experience than just any one nation, but to experience Europe you can’t just hop from city to city—that’s the worst thing you could do. Find a way to see the villages and towns, and even the smaller cities of Europe. Check out local parks and festivals, instead of just giant cathedrals and touristy bars. The best touristy experiences are oftentimes not touristy at all, and that’s a part of what makes them so great, and a part of what enables you to take so much away from Europe.

Inside Italy, don’t just stay in the north. The south is totally different and has amazing things to offer, although sadly I never went to Sicily! Some parts of Europe are dangerous, and of course, the south of Italy is perhaps the most notorious regions—but the people I met there (I’m not talking about the slums of Napoli when I say this) were some of the kindest I’ve met in Italy, and even when they waved their hand and told me I should have studied in Bari instead of Rome, it was with a smile and a laugh. Also, when navigating around Italy, keep in mind that directions are always tentative, and if there are four ways to reach a destination, you just need to ask four different people to hear all four different responses. It’s an exercise in improvisation, so you better have a good sense of direction and keep track of where you’re going! If you pick one city in Spain, do not make it Madrid. See Barcelona, known as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. See the south of France, or wine country if you’re more partial to that, not just Paris—and if you have to pick between the two, skip Paris! Don’t believe what people tell you about the French. I did meet some who were rude to me because I was American (most Europeans do have a grudge against America, just a head’s-up), but more often, I met people who evaluated me as an individual and not as an American. Even so, expect to be treated badly sometimes—if you speak other languages, it’s a good idea to pretend like you’re from another country! Oftentimes, it even gets you cheaper prices—this is true across Europe, and even moreso in Italy.

The art of traveling Europe is in the people and the history, the past and the present. You cannot expect to experience Europe without knowing Europe, but the best way to learn Europe is to learn it from the Europeans in Europe as you travel—that is how I ended up with a handful of experiences which I know will define my favorite memories of my time across the ocean. It’s not always something that someone tells you, as much as it lies in your own observations of how people live and conduct themselves day-to-day. Conversation is a huge part of it, of course, but if you find yourself ignoring the people around you – the people who grow up and die in the places you are visiting - you can never take away as much as you could from a European expedition. It doesn’t always mean talking and asking questions—perhaps more importantly, it’s just about listening and looking at what’s all around you.

Introducing correspondent Erik Alexoff

Erik is a senior at Ohio University studying audio post production. He is currently interning at a video game company in Christchurch, New Zealand.

So since I’ve recently joined this blog, I’ve been in New Zealand for just over a month. After growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, I was shocked to find this country a lot greener than I could’ve imagined any place near a city would be. I felt like the obvious tourist when I was shocked to find that I could see a field- and not like a patch of a grass, an actual field – from inside the airport when I arrived in September. I live in Christchurch in NZ, and it’s such an awesome city. It’s quite small and slow-paced for being the second largest city in the country. There are also a ton of parks and trees and green spaces all around the country. There’s even a small river that runs right through the center of the city. This is definitely the place for anyone that wants to be outside.

Since I have been living here, again only about a month, I have come to realize that I am more of a local than three-fourths of the people that I pass in this city. Our program tour guides and other random locals that I have gotten to talk to keep telling me that Kiwis like to leave home and travel around – and they weren’t kidding. Every time that I get lost in the city and have to ask directions so I don’t miss a bus or something, I generally have the same conversation with about three people before I finally get an answer that helps. It always goes the same every time:

Me: Excuse me, I was looking for such and such bus, or location, and I was wondering if you could direct me.

Other Person: Oh, Sorry mate. I just got into town last night (or last week, or two days ago), I don’t know anything about this city. I could maybe tell you in a day or two.

Talk about frustrating. On the bright side, I’ve met people from all over the world just in my day-to-day activities in the city. I can’t think of anytime in the U.S. where I’ve met people from South Africa, New Zealand, England, Sweden, Asia, and even other U.S. citizens all in one place. And I do this most days of the week. It’s definitely an experience to hang out with people from everywhere you can think of together all in one place.