Volume 9 Issue 1

Spending eight weeks in
Europe gives college students
chances to grow, learn, adapt to
a new life and make memories
lasting a lifetime. While these girls
adapted to the Spanish culture and
spent their weekdays almost the
same as they would in America,
their weekends are what made the
difference.
Hoping on a flight to
Mallorca, Spain to ride in a van
with a local giving a tour on the
island and cliff jumping at all the
secret spots was one thing that
will never be forgotten by these
girls. Going out until 6 a.m. at
the clubs and then walking to
the beach to catch the sunrise
and swim in the ocean, driving
5 hours to Pamplona, Spain to
actually running with the bulls with
thousands of people from all over
the world, spending a weekend
in Switzerland running through
the beautiful flowery fields and
laughing away the evening with
friends is what made their trip
abroad so magical. These are the
memories that Hooten and her
roommates laugh and talk about
almost every day as they reminisce
about their summer abroad.
While a summer abroad
is known to be everyone’s goto
when thinking about living in
Europe, UA students Erica Martin
and Sophia Cenci decided to live
there for an entire semester this
past spring. For Erica Martin, her
daily routine was almost the same
as Hooten’s.
“On a weekday in
Barcelona, I would have two or
three classes at my programs
center. I would walk or metro there
and afterwards spend some time
walking around and shopping at
the local stores,” Martin says.
Martin explained how the
hardest thing to adapt to was the
time change.
“I definitely had to get used
to the time change from my family
and friends and learn a schedule
when it was best to communicate
with them,” Martin says.
Her best friend and
roommate, Megan McKay was
with her in Spain as well, making
their four months stay a little bit
easier.
The group of roommates
spent four months traveling
all over. From London to Paris,
Munich to Madrid and even
Florence to visit their best friend
Sophia Cenci another student
here at UA, they explored almost
everywhere. Cenci, too, spent
her semester in Florence, Italy
where she went alone but quickly
adapted and made many new
friends and connections. During
her time in Florence, Cenci didn’t
experience much of a language
barrier like Hooten and Martin did.
“Where I was studying,
fortunately English was well
spoken by most. I think the hardest
time I had with the language
barrier was while traveling. I
handled it by always being aware
and using context clues around
me, and I always had Google
translate available,” Cenci says.
Cenci too was there to
study, so her Monday through
Wednesdays were spent in a
classroom and the rest were spent
traveling.
“Those three days were
very similar to any school, I would
go to classes and come home and
do my schoolwork,” Cenci says.
Studying and traveling abroad is
meant to help students to grow,
explore, learn and mature. Getting
uncomfortable is the first step to
having those experiences.
These women had to
adapt and learn quickly to get
used to their everyday lives.
These students look back and
smile whenever they think about
their second home abroad.
Relationships and memories were
made, and these girls were able
to go back to their friends and
families to share their experiences
and stories from the time they
went abroad, and encourage
others to do the same.
Photos by
Sarah Mitchell &
Caroline Simmons
Design by Sarah Mitchell
Alice Fall 2023 45