When I first considered studying abroad in college, I was about thirteen years old. Now, you may be thinking, ‘you are kidding, right?’ No. Studying abroad has pretty much always been on my radar. In eighth grade, my Spanish teacher (who inspired my love of education and Spanish) opened up to my class about the adventures she had while studying abroad in college. She told us about the sweet, old couple she lived with and about the funny way the Spaniards talked. She even told us about the opportunity she had to teach young Spanish children the English language in a local school. Her stories inspired me, and from that point on, I knew I was going to study abroad in college. I just had to.

Several years later in my first semester of college at Virginia Wesleyan College, we were required to make a ‘four-year plan’ including all the classes we would need to take for our major(s). This four-year plan had to be precise so that we would be able to take classes at the right time in order to graduate on schedule. Knowing my love of planning and my desire to study abroad, can you guess what was included in my first four-year plan? That’s right– study abroad, and specifically for the spring semester of my junior year.

Although some classes have been tweaked from that first draft of my four-year plan, studying abroad has been consistent. I planned it for the spring semester of my junior year, and it is happening. It is actually happening.

Now, upon applying for the opportunity to study abroad, I had to go through my school first. Virginia Wesleyan College offers an amazing program, called the Global Scholars Program, which helps fund the semester-long study abroad experiences for eligible students at VWC. I can honestly say that without the Global Scholars Program, studying abroad might not have been possible for me, and for that, I am forever grateful.

Of course, the Global Scholars Program does not give their money to just anyone. There was an application process that required recommendations, transcripts, and many other forms. Aside from the many forms, we were required to draft an essay for the application that touched on our qualifications and goals for study abroad. In my mind, this was the fun part. I could be as creative with the essay as I wanted to be, while still answering the prompt of course.

While I was crafting my essay, I wanted to come up with something fun and original to use as the underlying theme. I knew I wanted to be interesting, but I could not figure out how. I was stumped and discouraged. Like any procrastinating college student, I put the essay aside and went to my thinking place: the shower. And just like that, the fun and interesting idea for my essay came to me!

Playing off the Glacier Theory, I realized that studying abroad is much like reading a book. To better explain this, here is a little chunk of my study abroad essay that explains the thinking behind the Book of Salamanca:

When one picks up a new book, there are only a few pieces of information that can be gathered without opening the book and starting to read its contents. The title of the book may reveal the topic of the book, or it may foreshadow to an event or metaphor that the book will focus on. The author or authors of the book will credit the writer with the creation of the work. It is possible the cover also includes an image of sorts, which gives a visual of what the work may discuss. As the book is flipped to its back cover, often times a synopsis will offer readers a usually limited overview of the topic of the book. The back cover could also give short yet sensational reviews of the books from reputable sources, such as the New York Times, or from ordinary readers who suggest the work to other potential readers. Other than these few pieces of information that can be gathered from merely looking at the front and back cover, it is impossible to know everything a book has to offer without opening the book and reading its contents. In comparison, I would argue that studying abroad to a different country can be viewed in a similar manner. Like a book’s cover, one can only know but so much about a country in which he or she has yet to visit. The country’s name, important figures in politics or pop culture, images, a short history, and even reviews from other travelers can all be gathered easily with a little research. However, in order to be truly knowledgeable of the customs and the history of a country, one must travel and study there. As one opens the pages of a book to learn and experience what the book has to offer, one must travel to a country to study and absorb what the country in order to truly understand and experience the country in its entirety. As for myself, I have only picked up the book of Salamanca, Spain and read its cover. I can only learn and understand but so much about this city and country without studying there and experiencing it for myself.

After reading this, you may be thinking, ‘well, why is this important?’ Well, at the time of its creation, the Book of Salamanca was a short-term romance. I only created it to allow my study abroad essay to stand out. However, upon reflecting on what the Book of Salamanca really is, I could not just let it die with my essay. The Book of Salamanca must survive, and it will live on through this blog.

My goal for this blog is to focus on my experiences relating to studying, interning, and traveling in and around Salamanca. With the Book of Salamanca as its centerpiece, each post will mark a new chapter in this metaphorical book.

My hope is that by the end of my time in Spain, I will have read as much of the Book of Salamanca as possible, and that with each new experience, I can offer insight and advice to all those who are interesting in reading the pages of this book as well.

sinceramente