Through my abroad experience I have learned many new things about myself and have gained many new skills. One thing that I am particularly proud of is the way my communication skills have developed over the four months that I have been in Spain. Not only have I learned some Spanish so that I can communicate through language, but since my Spanish is not well, I have had to learn different ways to communicate with others. These forms of communication have mostly been non-verbal communication.
One reason I have developed these skills is because of my experience hurting my shoulder abroad. When I was traveling one weekend early in my abroad experience, I fell skiing and hurt my shoulder. This was less than ideal and because of this injury, I found myself communicating with locals in Barcelona a lot more than I was before. Whether it was doctors at the hospital, nurses at the hospital, staff members from the school I attend or teachers, because of my injury I had the unique experience to connect with these people.
One of the toughest things to deal with was communicating with a doctor who does not speak the same language as you. While I found this incredibly difficult at first, throughout my experience, I developed different ways to communicate so that I could get more out of my visits to the hospital. Whether it was pointing to where it hurts, moving my body in certain ways, or even testing out my Spanish, after practice, I was able to make the best of my visits with the doctor.
Other people that helped me through this journey include my teachers and staff members at the school that I study at. These people were so accommodating and helped me through my injury every step of the way. Through these people I had the chance to learn more about the culture of Barcelona as I would spend time with them talking about various topics.
I am excited to take this skill that I have learned abroad and apply it back at home. This is an essential skill in any workplace as communication is key to success. With this leg up, I would hope that whatever situation I am in, I can stand out because of my skills. I am so thankful that my abroad experience had opened up such great opportunities for me to learn and grow. I will never forget the months I spent in Barcelona and I will cherish them forever.
Hannah's Blog 