Adventures Abroad: Culture Shock

¿Qué tal todos? Vamos a ver lo que ocurrió en los días pasadas. A lot has happened. It’s already the second day of Palma, the second day of study abroad. You know the old saying, “Carpe diem?” Yeah. “Seize the day.” Never have I seen it be more relevant than now. Each moment, each passing second is time that I will never get back. There is no opportunity for missed experiences, no time to waste regretting what has been already done. And with only four weeks to explore the island, experience Spanish culture firsthand, learn about marine environments in class, and make new friends and family, it’s a lot to juggle. A part of me feels overwhelmed at everything—the people, the language, the culture, the directions—it is so much to take in. And yet, another part of me can’t get enough of it. It’s fascinating to see how people across the world can be so similar, yet so different from the culture you are used to. It’s so different from travelling to Hong Kong or Australia, where you have roots and know how to prepare for the culture shock. Here, despite everything I have learned about Spanish culture in school, everything is new, different, amazing. It’s ~sparkly~. I hope it never loses that shine.

(View of Palma from the Plane)

Already we’ve explored Palma, from the many plazas to restaurants and shops around the city. The streets here are a fusion of old and new—there are places, like the Plaza Mayor, which is a reflection of the older city, a time that has come and passed. Intermingled with these older buildings, there are new shops, new signs, modern buildings which bring a taste of what is to come. The mix of people here is diverse—mostly locals, but many, many tourists from all different parts of Europe. Rarely will you walk around (at least in the summer months) and not encounter at least one or two people talking in non-Spanish languages. It’s really fascinating. It’s a type of diversity that is rarely seen in Boulder or anywhere in Colorado for that matter; if anything, the tourists are American or at least familiar with American customs and the English language. Here, I can see tourists struggling with communicating with locals, and adopting local culture norms—yet their culture is not left behind in the midst of these interactions. It is a really neat and unique thing to see.