25 Mar Expect nothing, Embrace Everything – Absolute Alumni
This is Evan Guzman, an Absolute Alumni and Brand Ambassador living in New Jersey, US. I’m currently studying at Fairleigh Dickinson University and I was an international intern in Barcelona, Spain last summer 2019. This is my story!
Intern Abroad in Spain
As my fingers scurried along my laptop keyboard in attempt to find a mildly entertaining video on YouTube, I glanced hesitantly over at the clock on my desk: 3:00 AM. In attempt to fight my lack of productivity and to set the tone for the next day (which for me would start in 4 hours) I checked my school email. A seemingly never ending list of spam, homework reminders, and website subscriptions I never remembered making greeted my sore-and probably bloodshot- eyes.
Suddenly, my attention is caught by a long heading that started with 4 words I never knew I needed to read my whole life: Intern abroad in Spain. Just as any home-stricken college commuter would, I opened the email just to entertain the idea of doing so. In my head I knew I was just teasing myself. I knew I wouldn’t have the courage to go, or the ambition to apply. I mean…
“Why would I go to Spain for an Internship? How could I find the time? I barely even speak Spanish, how would I get around?”
It wasn’t until the point where I found myself struggling to hail a cab with my horribly under-used Spanglish on a curb outside El Prat airport that the reality of my decision finally hit me: I was in Spain. I was on my own. I have no idea how to order food.
All in all, this trip would be the longest time I’ve been away from home, and I honestly had no idea what to expect. Growing up with older siblings, I always had some kind of roadmap or form of guidance ranging from what teachers to take, how to make a resume and other aspects of this nature. But this trip…
“This trip was all about me. I was excited at the prospect of learning more about myself, living on my own, and managing my own time.”
In my opinion, what made this experience so memorable for me, was that I went into it with no expectations. I didn’t have a clue what I was going to be doing, how I would react, and what would lie ahead. But that’s the beauty of life. The future is unknown, and if you’ve never experienced it before, how could anyone have expectations?
Life is simply about letting experiences come to you, rather than rushing to meet them with standards. Let the moment happen, live in it while it is happening, and look back on it with fondness. That was what my time in Spain taught me, and to think one of my greatest life lessons began with a measly 3:00 A.M procrastination YouTube binge, is something truly special
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