Unfortunate Things that Happened to Me Abroad

1. A group of school kids in Sevilla decided to all stop in their tracks, point at me, and yell “Norte Americano” repeatedly. Thank you for pointing that out to me…

2. I was in a rush and trying to catch the green crossing signal so I jumped up on a grassy area to bypass the slow walkers in front of me. I failed to notice the 2 foot ditch that I proceeded to fall into. People came running from all directions to pull me out and yell various things in Spanish at me. Needless to say I missed the crossing signal and had to stand with all my saviors for an uncomfortable amount of time.

3. I got pick pocketed…twice.

4. Morocco. First, our hostel was basically located at the end of an alleyway of a market and across from the entrance was a big lot of dirt that people were digging through. One morning we were walking to the main road, heard a cute little chicken, and then saw a butcher holding it by its neck with a large knife in his other hand. Second, we made a list of things that were said to us during our short stay in Marrakech. Examples include: “I love you 3000…no 2000”, “I love you from afar”, “Hello flower” and a variety of other slightly creepy things. I was also physically trapped in a shop until I agreed on a price of a shirt that I wanted to buy…

5. I found out that riding a bike is not necessarily a skill that stays with you. My friends and I rented bikes in Mallorca and after 30 minutes of them trying to teach me, they put me on the back of a tandem bike.

6. My host mom was giving me besos after returning from a trip and I went to move onto the other cheek when she wasn’t ready yet. We kissed on the mouth instead.

7. I was fortunate enough to have had a dress to wear for Feria, the Flamenco festival in Sevilla. I had just gotten back from a trip and was sitting on the floor of my room and my host mom burst in and told me to take off my clothes. I literally stood in her office in my bra and underwear with the door wide open as she put on different dresses to figure out which one fit the best.

8. Guys in clubs enjoyed petting my head, running their fingers through my hair, and picking me up for no reason. All of these acts confused me greatly.

9. I ate a questionable apple that my host mom packed me and puked in the main trash can outside of UPO, the university I attended in Sevilla. I then sat in a bathroom stall for the next hour and puked 5 more times until I was confident I could take the metro back home without incident.

10. Even though I spent four months in Spain, my Spanish accent still sucks. And people were not afraid to let me know. A shop owner even said, “Ehhhhhhh… Más practica”. On the other hand, people loved to come up to me and start speaking Spanish and asking me for directions. And don’t forget, someone told me that I spoke English very well. Thank goodness for that at least!

Despite these incidents, the four months that I spent abroad were the best in my entire life. I would not trade any of the experiences or adventures for anything in the world. I made great friends and we will share unforgettable memories together. I can only hope to one day travel back to Europe and maintain the friendships that I have formed with the people that made my study abroad experience so positive and fun.