Week 3 by Amanda Knight

As this week has come to an end, I have realized how important it is to think like a local. With a new culture comes differences, challenges, and sometimes barriers, but the key is to keep an open mind. When we let go of the way we are used to living, we allow ourselves to step out of our comfort zone and become someone new. This is a crucial part of studying abroad that I believe many people forget to consider. To fully experience a culture, there is a need for sacrifice, courage, and curiosity. Becoming a local is more than just visiting the same café over and over again, it’s forgetting the way life was back in your home country and focusing on the way life is here in your new host country. One of the greatest things about traveling is the adventure and there is no other way to adventure than to go out and try new things. Before coming to Spain, I read many blogs and articles about studying abroad in hopes to get the most out of this experience. One of the greatest tips I took from them, which has stuck with me throughout this trip, has been to say “yes.” Say yes to trying new food, to meeting new people, to traveling to new places and to making new memories. Looking back on my time here in Cáceres, I am thankful for the times I chose to say “yes.” These are the memories I will have forever and the moments that have meant the most. Like someone once said, “I will look back on this and smile because it was life and I decided to live it.”