My name is Michael Rambousek, and this spring I was graced with the opportunity to travel abroad to Seville, Spain, with CIEE’s Liberal Arts Program from the beginning of January until the beginning of May. With the aid of my program, my time abroad included courses taught at la Universidad de Sevilla, a marketing internship at a local business, la Banda de la Musica del Sol, and various excursions throughout Spain as well as all over Europe, even in Africa! Most importantly, as I ventured through Spain and Europe, I experienced diversity and unyielding inclusion, which inspired me to embrace my true self fully.
"I was granted the opportunity to work alongside people of a completely different culture in my internship, something which undeniably will be useful in my professional life."
For context, I just graduated from the University of Iowa as a communication, music, and Spanish major. More so, I am a gay man. Because of this, I was hesitant to travel to a foreign country. As LGTBQIA+ discrimination is rampant in our own country, I could not fathom what it would be like across the globe in a predominantly Catholic nation. I feared how I would be able to cope with any intolerance I faced. As I witnessed throughout this past semester, thankfully, my fear never came to fruition. Spain and the city of Seville could not be more accepting of the queer community. Nobody cared whatsoever who anyone was attracted to; everyone embraced everyone for who they were and simply celebrated life. This mindset was one of the aspects I adored most about Spain, which encouraged me to be adventurous rather than fearful during my time abroad.
In the spirit of their inclusiveness, Spain is also a very communal, lively country, something which I did not expect. The majority of people do not spend their free time relaxing in their houses. Spaniards love consistently socializing in bars and cafés; they thrive off of spending time with loved ones in the streets and spend little time stressing about their jobs, schoolwork, etc. This way of living is something I have tried to incorporate into my life now that I have returned from Spain. While our careers and schooling are important, obviously, Spain has taught me that my life is not defined by my career or my schooling. Now, I routinely attempt to dismiss any persistent work or school-related anxiety and remind myself to relax and enjoy the simple things in life.
"To anyone who has any doubts about traveling abroad, understand that while it may be daunting, living in another country is the best thing you can do to broaden your horizon and truly experience the world and another culture firsthand."
Thus, my time abroad was an eye-opening, once-in-a-lifetime experience. Spain taught me to embrace myself and others fully without taking the stresses of life too seriously. Along with that, I was granted the opportunity to work alongside people of a completely different culture in my internship, something which undeniably will be useful in my professional life. From traveling across Spain and all around Europe, I am blessed to have seen how other people celebrate life within our world.
As grateful as I am for what I have experienced abroad, I cannot help but remember how frightened I was right before I left the United States. As I was boarding my flight, I recall asking myself, can I truly live in a continent where I do not know anybody for four months? Will I truly enjoy myself? Will I be okay as a queer person? To anyone who has any doubts about traveling abroad, understand that while it may be daunting, living in another country is the best thing you can do to broaden your horizon and truly experience the world and another culture firsthand. I knew no one before I left, but now I have lifelong friends who I can visit the next time I travel to Spain. So, my advice is that even though it sounds intimidating, there is nothing more thrilling than adventuring outside your comfort zone, traveling abroad, and experiencing for yourself a whole new world.
LEARN HOW YOU CAN APPLY FOR A GLOBAL ACCESS AMBASSADOR SCHOLARSHIP
The Global Access Ambassador Scholarship program provides awards to study abroad for a summer, semester, or academic year. The scholarships are intended to support students who study abroad with the intent to serve as Global Access Ambassadors upon return to the UI campus. Upon completion of the study abroad program and return to UI, award recipients are asked to submit a photo and an open letter to prospective students or suggest an alternate means of sharing with prospective students.
Please note that the opinions and views expressed by ambassadors are solely those of the students and do not reflect or represent the views of International Programs or the University of Iowa.
International Programs (IP) at the University of Iowa (UI) is committed to enriching the global experience of UI students, faculty, staff, and the general public by leading efforts to promote internationally oriented teaching, research, creative work, and community engagement. IP provides support for international students and scholars, administers scholarships and assistance for students who study, intern, or do research abroad, and provides funding opportunities and grant-writing assistance for faculty engaged in international research. IP shares their stories through various media, and by hosting multiple public engagement activities each year.