My older sister urging me to apply to a study abroad program before I graduate was one of the best things that has influenced my future. I successfully applied and attended a study abroad program in Madrid with CEA CAPA. The incredible opportunity to learn about European art, culture, food, and lifestyles opened up my mind to the endless opportunities one can learn. I had never learned so much in my life in a short amount of time.  

I was able to attend classes at the University of Nebrija, in Madrid. My classes in Art at the Museum of Prado, Communications & Media, and Spanish Cinema, together with my remote internship experience taught me so much about the history and culture of Spain through a life-balance lifestyle. This lifestyle also enabled me to explore other cities in Europe. 

The Alhambra in Granada was built on the remains of Roman fortifications constructed in 889 AD. My father is in the center admiring the infrastructure like any engineer. 

Using the "Golden Ratio" technique, the roof of the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba, Spain is displayed. The Mosque is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Córdoba dedicated to the Assumption of Mary. 

Since I have a minor in Photography, one of my passionate hobbies, I took thousands of photos with my DSL camera while voyaging to European cities. Every place I walked in and photographed led my curiosity to expand. Most of the following photos made me question and wonder about aspects of European culture. For instance: how flamenco is practiced and how it originated; the history of Roman, Middle Eastern, and Catholic establishments in Spain; art curiosities in the works of Michelangelo, Picasso, Dali, Vazquez, Goya, etc.; how people built astonishing architectural buildings like cathedrals, with limited tools compared to nowadays. Everything and everywhere I looked was an opportunity to learn about European life. 

In the city of Sevilla, at the Plaza de España, during the weekend groups of flamenco dancers and musicians perform for the visiting public. 

The name of the city of Granada, Spain, is due to the huge amounts of pomegranates that flourish in the fields. “Granada” translates to pomegranate. 

The strongest lesson I acquired from my study abroad experience is the value of the present moment. The culture in which I surround myself in the United States is always a busy, stressful, chaotic, and workaholic environment in which you forget to stop and think about the gratitude you feel towards your life. Studying abroad in Madrid allowed me to compare it to stress-free lifestyles in which one’s creativity and curiosity expand by valuing the present moment.  

Me mesmerized by the ceiling of the São Bento train station, in Porto, Portugal. 

My peers from the CEA CAPA Madrid study abroad program, take a selfie in front of the canals in Venice, Italy. 

I learned that the US lives to work, and Europe works to live. I learned that visiting museums, going on coffee dates with classmates, and going to a flamenco show are not activities that waste my time from my professional and academic work. In fact, it is healthy to stop working all the time and value what you have in front of you.  

My CEA CAPA friend Viviana takes a photo of the impressive and breathtaking Michelangelo’s “The Great David” in Florence, Italy. 

The reflection of one of the buildings at the gardens of the Alhambra, Granada, Spain. 

My biggest takeaway from this study abroad experience is to pursue a work-life balance lifestyle in which my curiosity and creativity about the world can flourish. I hope the viewer looks at my photographs as visual notes of the endless possibilities one can acquire when exploring cultures other than the one we are born into. I hope this story encourages undergraduate students to take a leap, explore, and visualize the opportunities the world has to offer. 

My CEA CAPA friend Mallory standing in front of the Valencia Cathedral. 

Me smiling after the Real Madrid soccer team won the game I attended in September, in Madrid.