I spent two weeks in Argentina doing a language exchange with five other CA students. It was a great opportunity to not only work on my Spanish, but also learn about a new culture. The summer before, I had the privilege of studying at the University of Zagreb’s Croatian as a second and foreign language program. Despite being the youngest student there, it was a great chance to meet and learn about people from all over the world, each with their own reason for learning Croatian. During the second half of my trip not only was I able to visit family in Croatia, Bosnia, and Germany, but I had the chance to help my grandparents after their home was damaged from flooding earlier that year in May.

 

I considered myself an independent person before the trip to Argentina, having had the chance to visit family in Europe on my own before. However, I discovered a new independence living with a different family for two weeks and relying on my Spanish skills while taking “adventures” through Buenos Aires.

 

Both opportunities to improve my language skills, in Croatia and Argentina, gave me the chance to talk with people in different languages from all over the world. These conversations made me think in a different way, and I was often forced to consider perspectives I had never even thought of before. This has proved extremely helpful in class discussions, allowing me to better relate to others’ ideas and approach problems from multiple angles. I also think it has helped me more clearly communicate my ideas, as I was forced to phrase my thoughts differently in Croatian and Spanish.