1 month and 4 days. The countdown to reality begins. I’ve already alerted the family that I will have to be single-handedly dragged out of my wonderful host family’s home when it comes time to leave Spain behind and make my way back to Claremont. They were less than amused by this option.
However, I could already see that American mentality kick in. The Countdown. For me, it’s interesting that so much of my daily routine is based around countdowns. The countdown of hours in until my first psychology paper is due, until my summer internship applications are due, and, of course, until the next paycheck arrives. On the contrary, Spain countdowns have include the following: The countdown until lunch. The countdown until my next churros con chocolate. And, of course, the countdown until siesta (I’m REALLY going to miss those). I can’t say that my classes here haven’t been rigorous because they have definitely challenged and pushed me, but it seems that the cultural perks of being abroad have “vale la pena,” which basically means “makes it worthwhile.” I’m unconsciously waning out the Spanish countdowns as my usual mindset sneaks its way back in.
However, I’m reenergized. The beauty of being abroad is the ability for this experience to make a student realize the possibilities out there. I was highly considering making this blog about how unbelievably critical my study abroad experience was in shaping my career choices, but as I read over my previous write-ups, it seems that I hit that one home a long time ago!
Instead, I would like to chit-chat a bit about priorities. At Scripps, we seem to attract and shape extremely academically minded individuals. Even those English majors who claim to hate numbers are constantly clawing for the summation of their point values. I fully admit that I am one of those individuals. Those little numbers and letters that are printed into my transcript hold quite a bit of value. I consider it my golden ticket to the future. However, like Willy Wonka continues to remind me, there is more to it than just getting the ticket.
Speaking of tickets, this January, I will be attending my FIRST Lakers game courtesy of one of my best friends. This particular individual and I have just about nothing in common when it comes to our academic experiences. I was shocked/flabbergasted/concerned/speechless when she informed me last year that she was up and leaving her university of choice to pursue internship opportunities in Los Angeles. I had full faith that she would achieve what she hoped to accomplish, but the thought of leaving my college was never an option that even crossed my mind. She was ready for something new she told me. Moving hundreds of miles from home was nothing short of new. So she made her way to La-La land where she began this new adventure of hers. Interestingly enough, one of my first questions to this day tends to be something along the lines of, “So how are your online classes going?” as she gushes about the amazing experiences she is having in the real world. After a year of feeling out the unpaid internship world, she did it! She is now officially a paid intern for a top NBA team just as she had hoped for. And by the way, her online classes are going just fine.
You know how I love to make the moral of my stories clear, so I will do it once again. Moral of the story: everyone takes a different path. Though the academic world has been mine thus far, it is not for everyone nor is it always the path to ultimate success. Gasp I know. So as you attempt to figure out your future goals, and I attempt to solidify my own, make sure that you are considering all the options available to you rather than just the obvious. What is your final countdown leading to?