Having been traveling for awhile now, I have met many like-minded people. Travelers love sharing stories and have many of them. The world is such a big & beautiful place - differing so frequently.This is the first in a series that gives me the chance to discuss & then share an in-depth look into a friend's travel experiences and how those experiences helped shaped and change them.
This first one is very special to me because it is for one of my dear friends who is still state-side. Today- is her birthday. What a better way to celebrate the life of a wonderful person than to share her wonderful tales (and beautiful writing) with the world.
Kathleen is a recent graduate of the University of Central Missouri where she studied speech pathology. We met through mutual friends & ultimately through a love for travel that we both shared & discovered when we both joined a study abroad student organization on our campus.
Kathleen and I were roommates during our last semester of school. What I remember most about living with her was that she was always eating really delicious, healthy food and keeping things clean *which I appreciated more than anything*. Her and I have a lot in common and I'm sad to not be able to spend time with her often.
She spent time in Stockholm, Sweden and Madrid, Spain. I was really excited to be able to ask her the following questions about her time abroad.
Here it is:
the interview
1. Why did you choose to go to Sweden and Spain?
I
never quite felt at home or comfortable in Missouri and always felt stuck.
Since high school, I had wanted to study abroad, and my sophomore year of
university I was finally able to go to Stockholm for a semester. I chose Sweden
because I thought that I would identify largely with the culture there, which
is known for its fashion, film, music, and general appreciation for the arts,
as well as its progressive and advanced and developed society and ideals. I was
right. Living in Stockholm was the first time I had ever felt a sense of
“home”. Whilst living in Stockholm, I became close friends with the other
exchange students at my university, the majority of which were Spanish.
Thus, I
spent the following two summers living in Madrid, Spain visiting my friends and
working as an Au Pair, a freelance English tutor, and studying Spanish at a
language academy.
(I have spent a total of eight months in Sweden and six
months in Spain.)
2. Describe the people of that area.
Swedish people are so
respectful of each other. People are strikingly reserved, quiet, and
introverted, but always willing to help each other. The society is highly
educated, wealthy, and fluent in English.
Spanish people are the polar opposite
of Swedish people in terms of…everything. Spanish people are loud, I mean,
louder than Americans loud. The Spanish society has engraved in its people a
deeply rooted sense of YOLO. No one in Spain is in a hurry, everyone is
relaxed, and the people lead very active social lives. In my opinion, Spain
would be a great place for someone to study abroad, but I do not fit in well
with the lifestyle, whereas I could see myself effortlessly assimilating to a
life in Sweden.
3. What was the hardest adjustment you had to make?
I have
to say that nothing was that hard of an adjustment, but here are a few somewhat
obvious answers: Not speaking the language, or not speaking it well, resulting
in not always being understood or not always understanding (in Spain). The lack of internet on my phone simply
because I neglected to pay for it at all—thus, I couldn’t use googlemaps, so
before leaving my flat, I would have to screenshot all the directions to
anywhere I would want to go and which subway lines to take and what stop to get
off at, etc.
Besides that, I would say that overall most cities in Europe are
relatively easy for an American to adapt to based on the similarities in
culture and the great diversity within those cities. I also really missed craft
beer.
4. Tell me about one person you met.
One of the best friends I made is from Stockholm. His name is Joakim. He
and I have such similar ideas about the world, and I find it endlessly
fascinating how people from different sides of the world can have so much in
common. We are always sharing ideas and music and plan to
keep traveling together as often as we can.
5. What was the weirdest or scariest thing that happened
to you?
Something quirky that happened in Spain was that the grocers at a
supermarket yelled at me for touching the fruit (without a glove on). Don’t
touch the fruit in Spain. I can’t actually think of anything scary that
happened; I always felt very safe. I also got used to getting lost and having
to find my way again. A traveler also gets pretty used to seeing things they
would not consider “normal” so instead of thinking, “oh, that’s weird” every
day, I would think “oh, that’s so Spanish/Swedish”, much like everything I do
is “so american” according to my European friends.
6. Tell me about an experience that changed you or had a
big affect on you.
THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE(S). I have grown so much from my time
spent abroad; it has made me more adaptable in spur of the moment situations,
less afraid of life, less reliant on others, and more confident in my own abilities
to fend for myself, AND I’m a REALLY good planner and map reader now, too. The
time spent out of my comfort zone and my culture has made me thankful for the
ease and convenience of life in the United States.
When you travel, you become
aware that everything that you
believe to be true and fact in life is simply a byproduct of your culture. You
realize how tiny the world you know is. When you live abroad, you expose
yourself to the many wonderful ways to live life and the many wonderful ways
people choose to spend their days, and you learn that there is never just one
right way to anything. I have become a better person by valuing these
differences.
7. Now that you're back in America, what do you miss the
most about Sweden and Spain?
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION! Also, people who are
educated and informed about the world (Americans tend to know embarrassingly
little about the outside world and are oftentimes even oblivious to what’s
going on around the U.S.) Fresher
and healthier food options. Cities rich in history and beautiful, old
architecture. Broad appreciation for art, film, music, and fashion. I really
miss Spanish food, too.
8. How have you changed since your trip?
Honestly, in
every way. I am conscious about being culturally competent. I recycle. I dress
differently. I listen to different music. I have a great friend group from all
over the world. I speak Spanish. I care a lot about current events. I care a
lot about traveling more and traveling often. I easily make friends with other
travelers because there are so many values that we share. Living abroad
completely changes perspective on everything.
9. Lastly, give me a little sneak peek on what is next in
the life of Kathleen Brandt.
I just graduated from my university with a bachelor’s
degree in speech-language pathology and a minor in international studies. I
have applied for a Fulbright English Teacher’s Assistantship in the Czech
Republic for the year 2015-2016 and found out last week that I have been
recommended – I will find out if I am awarded the position around March. If I
am selected, I will teach English/American culture in a Czech high school and
act as a cultural ambassador for the United States. If I do not get selected, I
will hopefully be attending graduate school in Seattle in the fall to get my
master’s in speech-language pathology.
Now- indulge in these highly-lesbionic & extremely lovable photographs of Kathleen and myself.
FIN.
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