This week, I started my new service-learning job at a small bilingual magazine in Granada, Spain. I never expected to work abroad during my college years, but today I found myself sipping milk tea and struggling to find the @ symbol on a European keyboard (It’s surprisingly difficult). One of my favorite aspects of my study abroad program SIT Spain is the focus on learning through immersion, which naturally translates to working in the community.

Compared to my classmates, my project is a bit unusual. Working for a tourist-oriented magazine means that I would be doing research on culture and events in the community as an observer, rather than contributing to the community through more direct service. However, being a part of a small publication means that there are many more opportunities to write and report on issues that are of interest to you. I already have a list of potential article topics including organic/vegetarian dining, community gardens, and street art in Granada. By the end of my service project, I hope to gain a better understanding of issues such as environmentalism, unemployment, and immigration from talking to natives.

Volunteering or interning abroad definitely has its unexpected challenges that are more intangible than the confounding keyboard layouts. If you decide to go to a non-English speaking country, getting accustomed to the language is probably the most difficult and rewarding process. Though everyone at the magazine speaks English, I wanted to speak Spanish as much as possible to improve, and keeping up with the daily newspapers of Granada is part of my job. Also, what you expect from a professional environment may be complicated by a cultural context. Indeed, “abandon all expectations” is probably the most important advice about study abroad that I’ve received. However, I think that it is equally important to recognize and reflect on your preconceptions and judgments about the culture, especially when you are interacting with communities as an outsider. Finally, “cultural immersion” has been much more difficult than I anticipated, and forging less superficial interactions with my family, people in the workplace, and the community has been difficult due to language and cultural barriers.

Studying abroad in a Spanish speaking country has solidified my dreams of working abroad after graduation. Although I loved the idea of challenging myself with an unfamiliar culture and language, I had never experienced the joys and hardships until now. In the future, I know that I want to work with a smaller community organization that focuses on human rights and social justice. I have been checking websites such as Idealist and LinkedIn for potential post-graduation programs and ideas, and I encourage Scrippsies to seriously consider studying abroad and/or working abroad for an invaluable experience.