Seizing the Opportunity in Spain
As Dawn broke, stretching her fiery fingers into the monotonous darkness that is night, I sat, basking in the glory of a new day (an event that I always took for granted), pondering all that was ahead of me, and all that I'd left behind. Darkness began to vanish, taking with it my preconceived expectations and, thankfully, my inhibitions. I came to the realization that this experience would unfold day by day until the point where I would return home, whether I wanted to or not. The sun would rise and fall, the harsh hand of Father Time would turn, leaving memories as the only evidence that these times ever existed. I don't know if it was the magnificence of a new day being born, or the death of the day past, but I decided that I couldn't just sit around and let life come to me.
There are the audacious sorts of people that await the new day anxiously, confident that they lived the last day to its fullest. There are others who are not as fortunate as these lucky souls; they lament the lost opportunities that disappear with each lost minute, letting their inhibitions and indecisiveness take hold and keep them in the life they've always known. I decided that morning that I would be the person who took full advantage of the wonderful opportunity that had been given. I would become that audacious, outgoing person that I've always wanted to be.
When you're away from home,everything takes on a new personality. Things that were normally common,become
wonderful, totally new and utterly exciting. I sat and watched the sunrise on the dawn of my new life as if it were the first I had ever seen. All the brilliant colors and shapes absolutely floored me. Suddenly I wanted to turn that corner, down the unknown street, not caring if I got lost, actually hoping that I would get lost, wanting to find something, anything, as long as it was new.
There was one day towards the end of my stay in Santiago de Compostela, when I was out walking with my sidekick, my companion through all of these experiences. Our walk took us through familiar streets, the very streets that have become home to us, when we decided to take a different turn, not knowing where we would end up. We hadn't a clue of where we were going, but we began to smell the pungent aroma of fish. It wasn't the sort of smell that repulsed, but it didn't beckon either. Our curiosity drew us closer until we found an amazing open-air market, with every sort of animal, vegetable and mineral imaginable. This may not sound the least bit intriguing, but when you live in a small city for almost five months, thinking that you've seen all that your new home has to offer and then come upon something totally new, it makes you realize that there are always surprises both on and off the beaten path. The trick is just finding them. Our market experience made us realize that we had fallen into routine, always going to the same cafes and bars, falling victim to the very
human comfort of familiarity. We liked patronizing our familiar pubs and cafes, but what we were sacrificing was the precious little time we had to try new places.
The point of this story is merely to provide narrative to a common sentiment. Don't let life pass you by. Get up and enjoy it. Easier said than done, and I will not be a hypocrite and tell you that I have no regrets now because of idle time spent while I was there. There were days where I let my indecisiveness hold me within the confines of Santiago, a city that sometimes seemed to constrict around me, becoming much too small and overwhelming. Sure, there are things that I wished I had done while I was away, but they don't overshadow the wonderful memories that I made when I seized the opportunities that were available.
I found myself in front of a different window, five months later, staring out into the predawn light of the new day. I watched in agony as Dawn's long fingers tore away at the last night I had in the new life that I created. The new day would bring an end to my adventures; the reality that I had made for myself now became a memory, a stage in life that I now have to refer to as "that semester I spent in Spain." The moment I had to refer to my experiences in the past tense was a disappointing one. I so much rather prefer speaking in the present. I've played the Circle Game on the great wheel of life that is always spinning. I was watching the same sun rise into the sky, on a different day, under totally different circumstances. This sunrise was not anxiously awaited. In fact, the contempt I had for leaving made this one almost unbearable to watch. But the colors, blurred by tears, somehow moved me, reassuring me that this was not the death of my old reality, but the birth of my next stage in life. I left all that was familiar to me for my old life and all that I knew, confident that I would return when the wheel spins my way.
I would love to provide you a story, one that is so descriptive that it transports you to the very scene in which I had experienced it, recreating everything to perfection. There are so many experiences that stand out, but the truth is, I can't recreate them because it's simply impossible for you to live vicariously through them. Instead, I encourage you to make your own memories. Seize the opportunity you've been waiting for and leave for that place that interests you. There are so many options out there, so many beautiful places to see, and so much to do. Don't be one of those people that always wished they had studied abroad. Be the audacious one, the person that has taken the chance and in turn, taken advantage of their once-in-a-life-time opportunity.
Tim Blackburn
Understanding the Differences in Ireland
When I first thought about studying abroad I was apprehensive about issues regarding grade transfer, expected graduation date and leaving the country. Upon my return from Cork, Ireland, I realized that these concerns were miniscule in comparison to what I learned about life.
I am very fortunate to have spent the amount of time in Ireland that I did, and to have the opportunity to travel Europe as much as I was able to. I enjoyed being in the city and trying to become a part of the community. Traveling to so many places opens your eyes to what makes people unique. No matter where you go, something will happen that makes you think differently, and this
is what I have come to learn after traveling through England, France,
Spain, Italy and Ireland.
Walking down North Main St. in Cork City, I was stopped by an Irish gentleman who asked me if I knew where he could find Cook St. As I began to answer him, I thought about the Irish sense of direction (which is to usually wave your hand in a general direction and reply "it's over there!") and how different I was from this man. I told the man I was heading in
that direction and I would point Cook St. out when we came near it.
Brian Fallon on the top of the "Bells of Shandon" looking out over Cork, Ireland.
Of course our short journey required casual conversation and since my accent gave my nationality away, our talk instantly gravitated toward what I was doing in Ireland. After explaining that I was a KU student studying at University College Cork we had practically gotten to Cook St. The mansaid, "Thanks a million," but before I could walk away he mentioned something that put my
whole Ireland experience in perspective. He told me that what I would learn walking around Cork is more that they could ever teach me in the class rooms at UCC.
I have found this lesson to be the most invaluable of all. I learned in the classroom and even picked up a little Ghaelige (the Irish language); however, what I retained more than anything else is that all parts of the world have something special about them. It's our job in life to search for those special meanings and make them our own.
Slán go foill. Ádh mor!
Brian Fallon
Jayhawks Abroad
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