It was hard for me to get excited about my upcoming semester abroad during the weeks leading up to my departure. I had never been to Europe, so I had no idea what to expect.
I was afraid of putting Spain on a pedestal, which could lead to disappointment. Friends and family kept asking me whether I was scared, excited, or both, and I had no true answer.
I didn’t allow myself to get excited until I stepped foot in the apartment I would call home for the next five months. In my mind, I had no choice but to be excited because I’m in a completely new community, which will be my home until this summer.
I already know I’ll be one of those people who tells everyone how much I love studying abroad. I have this fear, which I hope is wrong, that I will never be able to travel as freely as I can now. But this fear makes my adventure in Spain that much more thrilling.

During my second weekend in Madrid, I had the opportunity to visit El Escorial and Segovia, both of which represent significant aspects of Spain’s long history. My first stop was El Escorial, which was formerly known as San Lorenzo de Escorial. I boarded Citylife’s charter buses with many tourists visiting Spain.
I had no prior knowledge of either place, but I could feel the history and culture reverberating around me just by walking through the streets. I walked through the vast gardens of the Escorial Monastery, a royal palace dating back to the 16th century.
Now, I will admit that I don’t usually care much about history. Still, as someone born and raised in the United States — a relatively new country — it was amazing to stand where almost half a millennium of history still resides. Today, El Escorial is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The public can explore the interior, towers and all, a library and roughly 1,600 paintings. The garden and courtyards are also open to the public.

Segovia, the second destination I toured, encompasses even more history, as it resulted from a tug-of-war between various groups that occupied Spain. The architecture in Segovia is influenced by the Romans, Arabs and Germanic groups.
A Roman aqueduct is one of the three most notable pieces of architecture in Segovia. On this trip, I also explored the Cathedral of Segovia, considered the last Gothic building in Spain, and finally, a medieval castle, Alcázar of Segovia.
Even if I hadn’t gone on this trip, I would still have learned and explored several cultures different from my own just by staying near my apartment.
One of my closest new friends is also studying abroad in Madrid, but she’s originally from France. During orientation, I met someone visiting Comillas from Germany who asked me many questions about the United States.
A conversation sprung up between me and an exchange student named Sol after I mentioned that I live near a neighborhood in Madrid called Sol (meaning ‘Sun’). She also had a lot to ask me about the stereotypes surrounding Texas. We are now in the same Spanish class and working together to better our language skills.
While I once doubted my future abroad and was afraid to be excited about what was to come, it was crazy for me to experience a complete reversal of my emotions and expectations for the future. I could go on about what I have experienced in Spain thus far and hope to do in the four months to come, but then there wouldn’t be much to say in my next blog post.
The University of Texas at Austin is an amazing university with exceptional professors, many notable in their respective fields. I have learned and grown so much during my undergraduate studies. It can be easy to become engrossed in one place, community and culture, so much so that you start to ignore the world around you.
I think it’s easy to find comfort in what you know or where you always thought you’d end up. I also believe this can limit many of us from exploring our full potential and what we can learn from people outside our comfort zone.
In just eight full days of classes, I have already learned an immense amount of information from experts from all over the world. It is amazing to learn about other cultures and how professional interests may vary depending on where a professor has worked.

Because I am admittedly a fan of clichés, I’ll say this: it’s OK to be afraid to pop the bubble you have formed around yourself. Stress is good in the proper context. But we are capable of so much more when we don’t limit ourselves to one pathway and instead welcome new ideas, cultures and perspectives.
Even if you disagree with elements of what you discover outside of your comfort zone, at least you explored your possibilities, which is more than most can say.
If you have the incredible opportunity to study abroad, go for it! People are right when they say it’s an experience you won’t regret.
This post was contributed by Kaitlin Castillo, a Global Ambassador for Spring 2025. Kaitlin is a junior studying abroad in Madrid, Spain.
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