I’m still in awe as I sit back looking at the totality of my experience living in Madrid. My sense of amazement is spurred by a mixture of emotions that both empowered and challenged me leading up to and during my nine-month experience.
As an undergraduate in college, I always had the desire to study abroad in a foreign country. For a variety of reasons, I wasn’t able to do so as a student. While the feasibility of the idea of studying abroad dwindled with each passing semester, the desire to do so did not. At the mid-point of my graduate degree, I knew that I still wanted to have the experience abroad, so I began researching programs that would allow me the opportunity. With the completion of 2nd my degree imminent, at the age of 25, I knew that I had a unique opportunity in front of me and that I might not get this chance again. Once I had a family I wouldn’t be able to simply pack up and move across the world for extended periods of time. I decided if I was going to do this, I would have to do it now. This led to taking an internship at my university’s studies abroad office where I learned more about the programs for graduates. I discovered the program I chose and the rest was history.
The ending result was truly incredible because I was able to help others achieve as well. With the help of the other English Language Assistant Instructors at my school, the team was able to significantly increase the number of students who passed the dreaded Trinity College Examination in Spoken English when compared to last year’s results. I was also a private instructor in my free time and helped improve the success rate of four other children, either passing similar exams or improving their overall usage of the English language.
However, my time wasn’t without personal sacrifice. It wasn’t easy saying goodbye to my family and loved ones for nine months. This was the longest amount of time I had been without my family. It was difficult going into the experience knowing I wouldn’t be there for holidays, birthdays, and simply spending quality time doing the little things that we take for granted. It was hard to process leaving for a different country knowing that the only chance I had to communicate was through the occasional Skype call and also having to schedule them through the nine-hour time difference. At times I wondered if I should even go; maybe I had missed my opportunity.
Ironically, it was only my family’s support that allowed me the courage to keep pursuing the adventure I was seeking. They were the ones that provided me the strength to move forward with my decision and the courage to keep dreaming. And with that support, I took the plunge. And the end result was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had.
Jerad Pettaway 