Two Americans step off a plane in Madrid, Spain and contemplate their first impressions of a foreign land. One person thinks to himself how confusing the signs are compared to back home. He tries to scope out a vendor selling hamburgers, as he curses the European food served on the plane. The other inhales the new air while admiring the structure and creativity of the architecture. He notices the habits of the natives as they avoid eye contact and communicate quietly in as few words as possible. Tourists are bias in what they encounter, limiting how much they consume of a new place, while travelers are open to new ideas and traditions. Travelers make vacationing worthwhile; tourists give Americans a bad name. I was fortunate enough to know the difference between the two, and took on all five weeks with my eyes and ears open.
. . .
aveling to Spain opened a door in my life that I had not previously found. Attending UT, I will gain the chance to learn about various ideas and interests from many different kinds of people. I plan on completing my schoolwork at the University of Texas at Austin while maintaining an impressive academic score. No one could be fully prepared to encounter a new way to live, like myself, I tried my hardest to adapt and learn. As I became a traveler in the streets of Santander, I discovered a profession that I will hopefully spend a lifetime exploring.
I made it my personal goal to pick up on any ordinary maneuvers that seemed foreign to a sheltered American. It was not until after the trip that I realized I was ready for college in the states. As a psychology major, I would have the chance to discover and understand the differences in peoples lives based on their backgrounds. I looked back on the challenges that I overcame like the 20-minute walk to school that my roommate and I found together, or the decisions that we faced concerning the nightlife in Santander. This influenced me to pursue an academically outstanding college with a large and diverse population. I know that I am ready to take on the pressures of a full college life because of the transforming and maturing that I encountered in Spain. I was truly overwhelmed by how people are so heavily shaped by their particular living conditions. Many nights I sat back and observed those in a city square, not knowing a person, only admiring our differences. I was able to live on my own, bound by only the money that I had saved up for the trip. Twirling pasta was unheard-of and a 15% tip was a lucky day.
Approximate Word count =
568
Approximate Pages =
2 (250 words per page double spaced)
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