The Experiment in International Living

I never believed Italy, the tiny little boot by the Mediterranean, could teach me so much in a matter of days. This was my first experience--traveling alone--without my family or friends, but with strangers from all over the U.S. On top of that, I experienced and was entirely immersed in a culture, that was seemingly not like my own, but that I connected to by the end of the program.
I adored my homestay family, I even text them on a regular basis now that I am home! Although, I did miss home. I won't deny it. I knew I was in another foreign country, one I hope that others get to visit, and not only to check off a tourist-like list. The culture is so vibrant and nearly everything in Italy is gorgeous. However, Italy wasn't about its aesthetic, but rather what it allowed me to learn. For the first time in my life, I was taught, that even with a language barrier, people are all interconnected.

Italy, at the moment, is facing a lot of immigration issues and corrupt policies, just like back home. In Houston, there are constant protests and rallies held in support of immigrants, the Black Lives Matter movement, Women's Rights Movement, and many more. In Italy, protests were consistently held in Rome, and I appreciated it. Italy was not just another place for a vacation, but rather to engage with. My host family and strangers--that I now call friends--taught me this, and I couldn't be more thankful for it.
If anyone is reading this, I hope that when you travel, you also get to enjoy the unique culture and not simply spend endless hours in gift shops.

I had an amazing time on the study abroad trip in the UK with the Experiment in International Living organization. I have gained skills such as, learning how to navigate a subway, or "the tube" as they call it in London. I have also learned how to spend money wisely when shopping, as well as making sure I had enough room to pack all the souvenirs I brought back. I also learned quite a lot about journalism such as how to set up a camera, how to do street interviews, how to work the individual mics, etc. I also learned a lot about Britain, as well as current events such as Br-exit, the cutbacks in the National Health Service, and so forth. I also learned the language difference and cultural difference between each city. Such as the Scousers of Liverpool and the Londoners of London. On top of that we did lots of site- seeing, things like the London Eye, the London Bridge, Buckingham Palace, and Westminster. Another thing that made my experience so amazing was my group. There were 15 of us all together plus 3 leaders. The group was so caring and kind of each other, we always looked out for one another, and we still keep in touch till this day. Memories of us singing and dancing in the rainy streets of London still permeate my brain. It was the best summer of my life.

My experience was amazing in every way shape and form. The whole thing was so well organized and my leaders could not have been more amazing people. I met the very best people, improved my Spanish and had THE most amazing time. I only wish I could do it over again. I learned so much about myself and about Argentinian culture. I made friends with people who didn't even speak my language. I still speak to them all and saying goodbye to them all was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I will never forget my experience in Argentina with The Experiment. The support in their office is excellent as well. I was helped through my application the entire time and if I ever had a question, it was answered. I could not have had a better experience.

In Japan I had lots of fun. From the streets of Tokyo to the woods of Nanae in Hokkaido, our group traveled everywhere. The anime classes we attended were great, as it was a type of learning that always introduced an exciting aspect to it. We did voice lessons, worked with professional animation technology and tools, and we learned from experienced instructors. The people I met were amazing, and I'm sure to keep in touch with them.

Junior year started and I wasn’t ready to think about the summer to follow. I had just become an upperclassmen thinking I’m just that much closer to becoming a senior. While having that in the back of my mind my junior seminar teacher told us about the opportunity to study abroad with the Experiment of International Living, EIL. I went home and talked to my mom about it and she thought it was a great opportunity for me to pursue. Later that month there was a mandatory meeting, so we could get started with the application process. While filling out the forms, I began to worry about many aspects of our trip. This trip took me completely out of my comfort zone. I had never left the country before or even away from my parents for a long amount of time. Additionally, I was afraid that I might not fit in with the other students in our travel group. Meeting new people and not being as social as others I knew it would be a challenge. However, it is apparent to me that this trip showed and made me appreciate the person I am inside and out.
After getting accepted into the program, I was given the invitation to go to Spain. Now for the best part of the travel prep, shopping. I bought my suitcase, passport, and even a case for my passport ,so I wouldn’t lose it! While packing my clothes and making sure I had everything needed for my trip, I noticed I didn’t. I didn’t have my full heart into it. Yes, I was excited about leaving the country and yes I was excited about this being a new experience for me, but I really set my hopes up for the United Kingdom program studying journalism. With this being a bump in the road for me I had to push myself to keep an open mind and to appreciate the opportunity I have been awarded that not many other high school students are able to get.
As my departure time from John F. Kennedy Airport arrived, I started to notice that this trip was going to either make or break me. I initiated casual conversations with the people in my group and got to know just the surface of everybody. When we boarded the plane I was shocked that we all weren’t sitting next to each other. That’s when I thought to myself “not only am I alone on this flight overseas, but I am not close to anybody that I “quote un-quote know”. Honestly, this scared me. At this point I knew it was time to grow up. Beginning with improving my skill of being responsible. I had to keep track of my plane ticket, make sure I had all my things together and not become astray from my group.
Once we landed we began to do projects and come together as one; it was as if we had known each other for years. In Madrid we really got to see ourselves produce something that could possibly be used in everyday life. We designed many things for a park that was really ran down. We started off by brainstorming together to see what the area needed. Most of the conversation was self-lead, but taken in consideration we are all teenagers somebody needed to step up and mediate when things got a little rough. I took it upon myself to make sure our conversations went smoothly, which overall helped my leadership skills. We engaged with the community by going around asking them exactly what they would like to see in the park. Thereafter we gathered all the information, went back to the drawing board, and started to produce the actual objects. In the center where the 3D printer was we sat in front of computers with a partner and started to design. Most of the time in the partnerships each person wanted to do something different so to cause less confusion I decided to make a list of everything that needed to be made and everybody as a couplet choose one. This seemed to work out very more successfully than how we were doing it in the first place. We also designed many bike racks for the vast amount of riders in the community, thinking it would be a good idea to give them what they need. The racks were cut out of wood from a laser cutter that our instructor taught us how to use. During this process I learned that it’s okay to not only be a leader by my actions, but also by the things I may communicate. The city of Madrid was the place that I noticed this trip was going to make me a better person overall.
To end this wonderful experience I learned that I can do things on my own and not rely on anybody. While learning how to be independent I also improved my leadership skills by helping out the group when need be and help lead group discussions. Honestly, I feel like this two to three page limit is not enough for me to explain how much I grew on this trip. Just know that this experience was truly an experiment and I got the result I hoped for.