Study Abroad and Domestic Study Away

Hello, I’m Jazlyn Mendieta-Castro a senior at Lake Forest College studying in Madrid, Spain for the 2022 fall semester.

I wanted to talk about my first month here and the usual stages students who are studying abroad go through where it starts off with the honeymoon phase, flowed by culture shock then adjustment and finally acceptance as their program gets closer to ending. This was not the case for me, for a while I felt so homesick and alone while I saw people around me following the usual stages. Since all my time at LFC I have been a commuter student I always had my close people close by like my parents, siblings, and friends but coming here changed that overnight and being in a different time zone added more to the struggle. I really didn’t expect to struggle so much, but I did from not having friends here or people I could rely on to show me around or simply talk to. I felt a little envious of the people around me since it seemed they were able to adapt and to follow the usual stages, now that I have been here a bit longer, I am grateful for this stage I went through. I had that moment of only having myself because I could only depend on myself in all aspects from landing and getting to my apartment learning how to use the metro, navigating the city and exploring. This really taught me that although its nice to share moments and experiences with others just because you don’t have someone to share it with doesn’t mean you should limit yourself, its okay to explore by yourself or get lunch by yourself. I have been able to meet new people and develop friendships from different countries but I’m glad I had that moment of only having myself because it’s important to show that having a rough patch when studying abroad is normal and sometimes you have to feel uncomfortable to grow. In the short month of studying abroad I have grown so much and gotten stronger as an individual. I can’t wait to explore more during my time here!

I wanted to thank my donors G. Dale Smith and Ruth Peterson Smith and the Forester Day Donors for the scholarships I was able to receive.