Students Recall Eurosummer

busy that everyone ran into each other. However, after the trio began dancing, others joined in and they managed to get “the crowd to dance in the streets of Barcelona.”

In another experience, Campbell described a time when she and Rovira found a street performer they loved. The pair leaned against a light post and listened to him for a while. Elaborating on how this experience differed from what would occur in the U.S., Campbell said, “In America, we try to rush through life. We don’t just sit and enjoy something. We just let it pass by us really quickly.” In Spain, people take time to enjoy life and do not rush so much. Upon leaving Spain, Campbell had a realization that she felt could explain why some Americans tend to feel at peace abroad in nonEnglish speaking countries and find the experience more fulfilling and enjoyable than being at home. Throughout her time in Spain, Campbell could only communicate with others in a very broken form. She was in the process of learning Catalan and spoke only small amounts of Spanish. English was not widely used around her in her day-to-day life. Therefore, when Campbell returned home, she was immediately surrounded by English speakers and felt overwhelmed by them. She feels there is peace to be found in not knowing the language being spoken around us. We can truly listen to ourselves and pay attention to our surroundings without being drawn in a million directions by different conversations.

Overall, there seemed to be an overarching theme and difference between life and time spent in Europe. There is a life and an essence of living in the moment that is not often present in the U.S. Due to infrastructure and culture, it is often much more difficult to plan events with friends or have an experience that many would consider truly living, something that is represented by a phrase used in Spain that states “We’re on Spain time.” While simple, it holds a lot of meaning. The culture is less focused on “we have this task at this time” and more centered on living in the moment. As such, Campbell noticed life seemed much more enjoyable and fulfilling for her.

Both Campbell and Touchard enjoyed their time in Europe last summer and appreciated the cultural differences they experienced.

By: Maggie Parker