Now that I have finished the first month of my program abroad here in Spain, I believe that I have finally begun to settle in. I did not experience major culture shock or anything of the sort, but various things about Spanish culture have added up to create a necessary adjustment period for me.
Things like the time at which Spanish people eat (very late), and consequently what times restaurants and cafes are open. The more relaxed and slow lifestyle was also different than the United States, where speed and efficiency are commonplace. Adjusting to mostly using a new language-even one that I speak-was also another point of conflict.
Overall, being focused on embracing the differences of culture as part of the reason that I am here rather than as an annoyance that I have to overcome, has helped me a ton. I am here to experience Spain as more than just a tourist, and immersing myself in the culture is a must for that goal. I now feel that I am settled in well, and even this adjustment period has been a great experience for me in terms of being able to travel around and meet new people. I believe that being ready to embrace Spanish culture in the way that I have, helped prepare me for the adjustment period I faced, and helped make it a shorter adjustment than it would have been had I not embraced the change. Because of that, I was able to make more of my time here so far than I otherwise would have been able to.
Collin Pivnick
Fall 2024
GW Exchange - University of Navarra
Columbian College of Arts & Sciences
Political Science & History Double Major