Hola chicos, qué tal! My name is Kendra Espiritu, I am a Junior at New Mexico State University, born and raised in Las Cruces, NM. I am pursuing my Bachelor’s in International Business and minoring in International Studies and Spanish.
Here in the beautiful city of Barcelona, I am attending the Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona and taking international business and humanities classes in both Spanish and English. I am living in an apartment in the heart of the city with the coolest roommates, exploring the city by foot, meeting new people, making life long friends and of course constantly practicing my Spanish. It’s been an incredible experience so far and it is not even halfway through, I can’t wait for what is to come!
It’s not until you move across the world and live in another country that you realize…you can.
One of the most empowering things anyone can ever do is truly step out of their comfort zone; doing things in which you have no idea what to expect along the way. Uncertainty and discomfort are the drivers of adventure – nothing incredible in this world was ever achieved with ease. It might sound a little cliché but I’m going to say it anyway:
No one knows what’s going to be on the other side, but let’s climb that mountain anyway and find out for ourselves. What’s waiting on the other side is something no one can anticipate, because the view is different in all of our eyes.
That is what makes studying abroad and these experiences so important. The fact that we are all here, looking out across the same view, yet, we all see entirely different landscapes. We’re all presented with the same opportunity, yet, how we see and live this experience is completely up to us. We can make it whatever we want.
This entire experience is based on uncertainty and discomfort. But we wouldn’t be here if we didn’t kind of like the idea of being a little uncomfortable with new things. It’s daring and different from what we’re all used to in our daily lives. And when in our lives are we going to have an opportunity so unique and life-changing at our fingertips again? This too is uncertain. So, take this chance and run with it, shape it into what you want it to be and most of all… be uncomfortable and embrace the unknown with an open mind. Who knows what you’ll discover. Maybe some of your closest lifelong friends, the travel bug, a passion for new languages and cultures, or possibly a new place to call home. Who wouldn’t wanna take the chance and find out?
Kendra Espiritu
Kendra is an International Business major from New Mexico State University, and studied abroad at SIS during Spring 2020.
