IRES Reflection Paper. Kameron Raburn. University of Texas at Arlington

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1 IRES Reflection Paper Kameron Raburn University of Texas at Arlington

2 IRES Reflection Paper 2 IRES Reflection Paper The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land; it is at last to set foot on one s own country as a foreign land. G.K. Chesterton After six weeks of living abroad the time has now come for me to return to the usual routines of American living. I am incredibly fortunate and thankful to have been given the opportunity to live and work in Spain this summer. This adventure was truly an eye opening experience. I can hardly wait to return to Spain with my family so I can show them all of the wonderful sights I saw. The Culture The culture of Spain could not have been more different than American culture, but this is expected, considering Spain and America are located on opposite sides of the world. Language, people, food, art, and interactions are some of the largest properties defining the culture of a society. Language While traveling abroad, there were many difficult cultural barriers I was forced to overcome. Once I began studying at Universitat Politècnica de València, the barriers multiplied and became increasingly complex. While living in Spain, the biggest barrier I faced was language since I am a non-native Spanish speaker. Although I took three years of Spanish in high school, I found it incredibly difficult to speak with the locals, at times. On the plus side,

3 IRES Reflection Paper 3 communication is not only a verbal art form. When attempting to convey a request or even simply tell a story, I discovered many ways to communicate with the locals. You never appreciate the value of being able to play charades until you are caught in a situation where no one speaks your language. During my stay in Valencia I resorted to many methods of communication including; but not limited to: drawing simple sketches, physically acting out a scenario and imitating sound effects. People The people of Valencia were something else! Prior to traveling to Valencia I had never seen people of any city have the extreme level of happiness that Valencian people possess. Although they are facing hard times economically, they have not let this stand in their way of having fun. Nearly every night of our stay, there was some type of art or music festival! Partying and having a good time seemed to run deep in the blood of everyone there. Food One of the cultural aspects I enjoyed most about Spain is the fact most businesses and restaurants close down on Sunday, so people can spend time with their families. This is something almost unknown to Americans in this day and age. On the other hand, one of the cultural aspects I least enjoyed about this country was the food. Forget your TEXAS sized portions, because you will not find them in Spain. Neither will you find anything spicy. The food of Spain was very fresh, and I could occasionally find some flavorful foods, but I definitely had withdrawals from Texas cuisine!

4 IRES Reflection Paper 4 Art The sights of Valencia were incomparable to anything I have seen around the world. This was truly a city of great architecture. Valencia is home to some of the most beautiful buildings, fountains, parks, beaches, and bridges I have seen. Sadly, this country is facing an intense economic crisis, and funds are being cut everywhere possible to reduce government spending. Upkeep of the majority of these public locations has nearly come to a complete halt. Algae growth is overwhelming most fountains and street cleaning has been reduced. Interactions The biggest difference between Spainish and American culture was time. The people of Spain DO NOT follow the same basic time schedule we follow in the USA. Everything happened later in Spain. Starting at the beginning of the day, breakfast was usually around 8:00 am, followed by a mid morning break around 11:00 am, followed by a large lunch around 2:00 pm. Next, you would notice that almost everything shut down between 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm for nap time. Finally, if you were hoping to eat an early dinner, then you could forget about it because food establishments typically opened for dinner between 9:00 pm and 2:00 am. The way of life in Valencia is something I could never fully describe on paper. You would have to visit the city to fully understand the way of life for the people of Valencia. Everything was different there, but one thing that reminded me of home was how the people of Spain were so nice and laid back.

5 IRES Reflection Paper 5 My project and interaction with mentors Performing research abroad introduced me to new civil engineering knowledge, skills, and, competencies. After working at UPV for a short amount of time, I gained a vast amount of knowledge on my research topic of Deep Dynamic Compaction of Granular and Cohesive Soils. Working with international subject matter experts has gave me the chance to learn new civil engineering skills which I might never have been exposed to in the United States of America. Views on future academic pursuits Now having international research experience under my belt, upon my return to The University of Texas at Arlington, I feel as though I will be much more likely to pursue a graduate level degree. Seeing first hand the type of research a graduate level student conducts has shown me that I really enjoy this type of work. I believe this international experience will have a heavy impact on my decisions as I focus on future career objectives. Learning what it really means to be a researcher has been incredibly inspiring. Although I am still not 100 percent sure as to how exactly I want to shape my career pathway, I now have a better understanding of the type of work a researcher conducts and I feel as though I would enjoy a career in engineering research. International research has most definitely opened my eyes to a whole new world and level of collaboration. Working with individuals who speak very little English proved to be perplexing, but I was able to show myself I am capable of adapting to new and challenging work environments.

6 IRES Reflection Paper 6 Lessons learned about global outreach and international engagement. Chauvinism The topic of international engagement can hardly be discussed without the interception of this topic. Defined by Merriam-Webster s Dictionary, chauvinism is the belief that your country, race, etc., is better than any others. I find this to be a very interesting characteristic of international social engagement. One of the many things I noticed living abroad with my fellow students, and yes I am guilty of this as well, is that we always made comparisons. In nearly every situation whether it was social interactions or simply indulging in new foods, we almost always made a point to examine the situation and pass a judgment as to how the experience was inferior in comparison to how it would have played out at home. This thinking process obviously stemmed from an extension of the pride and love we have for our homeland. One thing you must always keep in mind when traveling abroad is this is someone else s homeland. The people living in the area you visit will likely also have embedded in their social identity a since of chauvinism. Natives will feel their country and their home, is the best in the world. In order to communicate respectfully and enjoy your time abroad to the fullest, you must pay very close attention as to how you socially engage and interact with native citizens to ensure you are respectful of their culture and traditions. H. Jackson Brown said it best, Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. I had the privilege to do exactly that. Most people only dream of travelling abroad. When presented

7 IRES Reflection Paper 7 with the opportunity, I challenged myself and explored the unknown lands of Spain. My discoveries will last a lifetime.

8 IRES Reflection Paper 8 References Brown, H. Jackson, Jr. P.S. I Love You: When Mom Wrote, She Always Saved the Best for Last. Nashville: Rutledge Hill, Print. "Chauvinism." Def. 2. Merriam-Webster. Encyclopedia Britannica, Web. 10 July Chesterton, G. K. "50 Inspirational Travel Quotes." Rough Guides. Rough Guides, 15 July Web. 15 July 2015.