Global Citizenship and the Purpose of Study Away: Buenos Aires (MO)

Study away means something different to everyone and I think that this is perfectly acceptable. If every person experienced study away the same way...there would not be a point to it. I am proud to say that my study away experience is very different from that of others. I have also been given the opportunity to study abroad before, in Germany for a year, and my experience in Germany was completely different than that of my experience in Argentina. I recently had this conversation with different people in my life and it has really allowed me to grow on the fact that my experience here is unique. Although at times it may seem like having a unique experience is not what one seeks while studying abroad, I am very content with the idea that my time here in Argentina is one of a kind because I wouldn't want it any other way.

The infamous Argentine Urban Literature Professor
on a class field trip

Yesterday in my Argentine Urban Literature class, I was discussing with a fellow classmate an interesting concept that our professor had explained to us. Although the concept is very abstract and pertains to living in an urban environment, I also believe that there is a huge connection with studying abroad. My professor explained to us that while walking down the streets of a city, we only catch glimpses of ourselves in the reflections of store fronts, cars, glass, and through the eyes of people we pass on the street. She then further explained that because we are only able to see parts of ourselves, it is like the city is breaking us apart, so therefore although the varying parts of us put us together and create a whole, the city first has to break us apart. She then explained that we only see the parts of ourselves that we want to see because we subconsciously choose what reflections we see of ourselves.

Some wonderful friends I have made this semester

Although it is slightly hard to comprehend, I believe that this concept directly correlates to the way that one feels while studying abroad. Living in a new culture and in a new country allows one to break down to our fundamentals, while also completing ourselves. I believe that my experiences abroad have allowed me to grow as a person and have allowed me to understand myself better as a whole. Of course I have chosen which reflections I am seeing of myself, but I am seeing them in a different setting, in a different culture, and in a different lighting. These differences have allowed me to put my many pieces together and develop myself as a whole while abroad, which for me is one of the many objectives of study abroad.

According to Brockington and Wiedenhoefft: "While the curricular goals of global competence and global citizenship share many of the same attributes, education for global citizenship extends global competency by the addition of instilling in students a respect for and desire to connect with others different from themselves" (Brockington, 121). I believe that this is also a large aspect to study abroad. For me, the purpose of study abroad is to engage and learn about another culture. One needs to meet new people, hear their points of view, learn new customs, and new languages to grow as a global citizen. By having the opportunity to meet so many amazing argentines, and other americans I constantly have been able to expand my views of other cultures and of the U.S. while being abroad in Buenos Aires.

Plaza de Mayo, Buenos Aires

Conclusively, I think that explaining study away experience to a prospective employer or to a graduate school may be a little troubling. I am not sure how I can express to others that things that I have experienced during my time away. I believe that study abroad is only beneficial for the person that is studying away. I think that it would be wonderful if somebody who has studied abroad is able to share stories about their new "home" and about the culture that they have been thrown into, but I also do believe that study abroad can only hold emotional ties to the person who actually experienced it. As many times as I tell my mom about the things that I see everyday on the street, or the way that I feel every morning when I am being shoved into the subte, clearly exceeding capacity, the amazing foods that I have been able to try, and the many new phrases and words I have learned in Castellano, she will never fully be able to understand what study abroad means to me.

Me and my Abuelito (Borges)

Study abroad means something different to each person that is willing to take the leap into one of the biggest adventures of life, and I believe that, that is exactly what study abroad means. Study abroad is exactly what you want it to be. With that I am going to leave you with two of my new favorite quotes:

"We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.” – Anonymous

"No estoy seguro de que yo exista, en realidad. Soy todos los autores que he leído, toda la gente que he conocido, todas las mujeres que ha amado. Todas las ciudades que he visitado." - Jorge Luis Borges