This past summer was probably the greatest summer of my life. I got my first passport, got on my first plane, traveled to the bottom of the globe, met incredible people from all over the world and made a difference in children’s education. I could add a million other things onto that list, but I don’t think I will ever be able to do my experience justice, so that’ll have to do. I was able to have the amazing experience through a global volunteer program with the largest youth-run non-profit organization in the world, called AIESEC. I lived in Cordoba, Argentina for a month and a half with a host family (that had only one member out of three that was learning to speak English, by the way), worked 20 hours a week at a school in a marginalized area with children whose ages ranged from 2-13, and came back with a completely different mindset. In honor of this life changing experience, I’ve compiled some of my greatest takeaways from my world wind summer for your reading pleasure. Maybe they’ll encourage you to branch out of your comfort zone.
1. Family is so Much More than your Blood Relatives
As I mentioned before, I lived with a host family during my stay. I had never done anything like this before. Me, being someone who feels bad about having a friend’s mom make me breakfast when I sleep over and vehemently tells people I’m not hungry when my stomach sounds like a lion, had to impose upon them for six weeks. I had a second mom, dad and sister, all of whom spoke solely Spanish, besides my host sister, Maca, who had began taking English classes on the weekends. My host family took me all over their city, introduced me to all of their friends and family, shared with me as much about their culture as they could think of (most of which was translated by Maca), brought me to all family events and put my favorite type of tea out every morning. About two weeks into my stay with them, I told them about the other volunteers calling their hosts their family, and they were very touched and excited to accept this sentiment.
I felt like a daughter to a new set of parents, they were always protecting me, telling me to be careful—suerte— and to go out and have fun. It was no easy task having me as a daughter, I know, especially since I got lost on the bus my first time alone, with a dying phone and no sense of direction. I will never forget the look on Cati, my host mom’s face, or how tightly she held me when I made my way back home three hours late. Maca was the sister that I never had, and I hope I taught her as much as she has taught me about doing things that make us happy and trying things that we aren’t used to. They will be my family for as long as I live. I wouldn’t trade my time with them for anything… Even a million wins over USC.
2. UCLA’s Language Requirement is Actually Really Important
Like many students that attend UCLA, I was pretty bummed to have to take another language in college even though I had taken two years of it in high school. That was first year me thinking. Second year me fell in love with the Italian language and took it all the way through level six. Yeah, I know, what a 180. I consider this one of my best decisions in college to date because it allowed me to go to a foreign country and communicate with local people, as well as pick up on Spanish, because they were so similar. God bless you, romance languages! With that being said, it was still really nerve wracking heading to a foreign country of which you do not speak the language of. Before I started adopting the Argentinian accent and learn a better pronunciation of things (whenever there is a double ‘l’, they make a ‘sh’ sound, instead of the traditional ‘y’). The Argentinians would ask me if I was from the Northern regions because I had a funny accent. This is something I found hilarious, since they were speaking a form of Spanish that I was not used to hearing. Can you imagine Shakira’s Hips Don’t Lie sounding like “baile nel casshe del noche” or heading to “El Possho Loco” for lunch? Because I can’t un-imagine it.
Another reason why learning another language is important is because every person I encountered while abroad, both locals and other volunteers, knew how to speak more than one. In fact, many could speak three or four fluently. I almost felt under qualified to be there, because their effort in studying other languages far surpassed mine. I talked about this observation with many of them and for the most part, they told me that they were so used to learning foreign languages because it was implemented in their education systems at a young age, because everybody wants to (or feels like they have to) learn English since it has the whole “universal language” status. Not only did they take on a foreign language with relish, but they had an appetite to learn more (a mindset that I think we can benefit from while living in a country that already speaks the language that so many want to know). We shouldn’t take it for granted.
3. You Won’t Know Until You Go
We read about culture and history in books and films while we are in college, through lectures and PowerPoint slides, but that is a very limited definition of knowing. For me, knowing means walking down the streets of Buenos Aires and ordering a Nutella-filled churro from a vender. Wrapping a scarf around my neck before leaving my host family’s house to work every morning. Trying the best mozzarella pizza I have ever tasted. Watching the news in a foreign country. Having your host sister inform you that a woman goes missing every eighteen hours in Argentina. Going to your first boliche and maybe kissing a cute guy that you meet on the dance floor. Having people ask you if you voted for the current president of the United States and explaining that people in the States do not hate Mexico. Listening to Latin Americans expressing their frustration with people who act like North America is the only America. Telling them that not everything they see in Hollywood movies is necessarily true (but, yes, we do have large breakfasts with all the works.) Spending late nights with your host sister and her friends where they ask you if prom is really a thing, and scream when you tell them that you were the prom queen in high school. Kissing your host family on the cheek for the last time when you leave to the airport and waiting until you pass security to cry. This is knowing.
There are so many things in life that we have access to here in the States, so many opportunities to explore life beyond the black and white textbook page. All we have to do is look up, take that first big leap into the unexpected and mysterious, and experience it for ourselves. We can learn about culture, people, food, religion, politics, architecture and art this way… But, most importantly, we learn something about ourselves. You know, there’s a John Green quote from Paper Towns that says “you have to get lost before you find yourself,” and roaming the streets of a foreign country without a GPS is a pretty good way to get lost, so that solves the first part of phrase, but the finding yourself step comes next— and it’s up to you.
Photo Courtesy of Aubrey Freitas