Being sick is the worst. I thought being sick in college was the worst, but I did not account for the fact that I would get sick abroad. Sure, I brought my American drugs: Tums, Nyquil/Dayquil combo, Tylenol, and Advil. I have a whole pharmacy in my closet, but hearing about how clean Japan was, along with the fact that I was doing so well a whole month and a half into traveling with all the crazy things I've been exposing myself to (new environment, traveling, food, people, etc.), I thought I would come out scot-free.

Expectations

Everyone has expectations before coming to study abroad, I had a whole bucket full. Maybe you wrote them down or have them in a mental list in your head. So go to that list, visualize it. You got it. Okay now throw it all away. Having no expectations not only will save you from the inevitable let down if you don’t accomplish them but it can help you live a little more freely, having more acceptance for the reality of whatever your situation will be. I’ll give you some of my expectations and some of my realities.

My sole purpose in choosing Spain was to improve my Spanish. During my time here, I've not only made progress with the language but also gained valuable insights about myself. I'm becoming more attuned to the local accent and the pace at which people speak. They tend to shorten their words, dropping S’s or cutting them in half. It's interesting to note that this linguistic trait is also present in Cuban and Puerto Rican dialects, which has been an unexpected advantage for me. It's made me realize just how deeply rooted I am in Caribbean culture.

There is some point where we've all thought about it. What if there's a group chat with everyone except me? What if there's a party going on that only I wasn't invited to? What if everyone has plans this weekend except me? If you've never felt FOMO, then I and the other 98% of the world really envy you. But thoughts of FOMO is something I'm quite sure most people can relate to.

I had a wonderful time visiting my friends in Córdoba, Argentina this past weekend. We spent our time exploring the city, eating delicious food, and just hanging out. I got to meet my friend's families and spend time with them alongside just catching up with my friends and talking about what had happened in our lives recently. The friends I was meeting I had not seen since my high school study abroad in Belgium five years ago. I'm so glad I got to spend time with my friends and experience a city other than Buenos Aires so I could get more of the “small town” Argentina.