Hola Barcelona

 Countdown to Spain: three days. Currently, I am seated in the back seat of my mother's car with my younger sister, on the way to visit St. Mary's University on the eastern shore of Maryland. My sister and I are four years apart exactly, so she will be entering her senior year of high school as I enter my senior year of college. It amazes me that four years ago, I was in her shoes: knowing that after a busy year full of college visits, applications, and enjoying every last memory with high school friends, I was about to embark on the next big step of my life. Growing up in the Maryland suburbs of the greater DC area, Southern Methodist University was certainly the most random school to which I applied. Every other school I considered was on the east coast, and I had not even heard of SMU prior to my college counselor's recommendation that I apply. My visit to the school's campus in the spring of my senior year was also the first time I had ever been to the great state of Texas. I would soon discover that this region might as well belong to a different country than the DC suburban bubble in which I had grown up and was accustomed to. Yet SMU and Dallas appealed to me, mostly because of the excitement of the unknown. I have always loved trying new things, as the challenges that arise when embarking on adventures ignite a personal spark of determination. Beginning my freshman year in Dallas, Texas constituted one of my first great life adventures. 

Today, three years later, it continues to astound me that while seemingly a miniscule amount of time has passed, I have experienced a great amount of personal change. I remember as though it happened just yesterday how I felt when I was in my sister's position, selecting schools and anticipating the beginning of college. However, today, instead of appearing as a great adventure, Dallas feels like a second home to me. I have grown so comfortable at SMU and in Texas that it may have even replaced itself as the safe "bubble" in my life that I formerly considered DC. For this reason, I have chosen to seek a new life adventure by traveling to Barcelona for the summer. I know that working as an intern at Desigual in Spain for eight weeks will not be easy, but I am looking forward to embracing the challenge of living outside of my comfort zone, and experiencing the thrills and excitement that are most certain to come. 

In the upcoming weeks, many of the experiences I will encounter remain yet unknown. I have high expectation that through complete immersion in the Spanish culture, I will strengthen my ability to adapt to new environments as well as my Spanish speaking skills. I also expect to gain valuable firsthand insight into working in the European fashion industry, an area in which I have limited prior knowledge or experience. I remain confident that through all of these life lessons and acquired skills, I will experience a new kind of personal growth, providing me with a fresh perspective as I begin my senior year. I especially look forward to blogging about my abroad experience, so that my family, friends, and others can join me as I undergo my next life adventure in Barcelona.