Harvey Scholar Travels- Rachel K. in Spain

Rachel Keatley: Spain 2015

            In the spring of my sophomore year at Mines, I decided to use my travel funds to spend a semester studying abroad in northern Spain.  While living in Gijón, I took classes at the University of Oviedo and also got to explore the city and other parts of Spain.  Living in a large European city was definitely a different experience for me since I had grown up in Colorado my whole life,  however I was never bored in Gijón.  There was always something going on and I loved that the city had two beaches which touched the Atlantic Ocean.

                Although leaving my friends and family for a semester was a scary thought, I learned so much about Spanish culture and also about the world.  Probably one of my favorite and most unexpected aspects of my time in Spain was the chance to bond with the huge group of international students who came from all over the globe.  I actually got to live in an apartment with other international students: a girl from Germany, a guy from Mexico and a guy and a girl both from Turkey.  This really gave me a chance to learn firsthand about different traditions, opinions and upbringings while also realizing that sometimes people aren't all that different from you.  Our group was definitely tight knit, and some of my best memories come from spending time with them in such an amazing place.

There's so much more to say about the incredible experience I had, more than I could ever put into words on a short snapshot like this.  It was hands down one of the most incredible experiences of my life and I am so grateful that I was able to do this thanks to the Harvey scholarship!  I would definitely recommend studying abroad to anyone who thinks they may be interested, you won't regret it!