The Spanish language has been an overwhelming monster for most of my learning career. So naturally, I was determined to study abroad in a Spanish seeking country while in college. Prior to my time at Drury, I had spent four years studying Spanish, the last two as part of the International Baccalaureate Program. It was by far the most difficult subject for me. I am a wallflower by nature which means when I am speaking in front of a class or crowd, I like to prepare what I am going to say beforehand. I have never enjoyed being caught with nothing to say. When learning a new language, it is that very discomfort you must go through to grow your vocabulary and speaking abilities. Studying Spanish has never been because I am deeply passionate about the language or because I had a natural talent. It was more about challenging myself to become abetter someone, to push my comfort zone in order to grow.I knew that I had been given a good foundation during high school and now at Drury, I had the opportunity to create something from that foundation. So, it all began. After four semesters of Spanish, I completed my Spanish Minor by spending the summer of 2019 studying in the heart of Spain. It was a 5-week program locatedin the city of Valladolid. We took two courses, a culture class and a language class. These courses were taught entirely in Spanish at the University of Valladolid by professors of the university. We also stayed with a host family in sets of pairs. I was with my now best friend Camille, and we stayed with a middle-aged woman named Carmen. Carmen spoke no English, so dinner conversations were always interesting to say the least. Initially this experience wasoverwhelming. I had never been out of the country before, I had never spent more than a week away from my family, and I had never been around so much Spanish. It was exhausting at first. A simple question about laundry was suddenly a taxing 30-minute activity. But as the days and weeks unfolded it became one of the most impactful experiences I have ever had. I not only grew in my Spanish abilities, but I grew in my confidence, strength, resilience. I learned so much about myself and what I value in life. It physically, mentally, and emotionally wearing but it was worth every single moment. I did not come back from this trip fluent by any means. But honestly, fluency was never my goal. I pushed my comfort zone and did something I wasn’t sure I ever could do. As a future teacher, I have a better understanding of what my English Learners will be going through, allowing me to better meet their needs in the classroom. I have enough understanding of the language to communicate with Spanish speaking families and children, allowing for better parent-teacher relationships. I have an incredible journey and amazing memories that have shaped me into the person I am today.