See you soon Italy!

In the Fall Semester of 2015 I spent the semester abroad in Spain. Before I left, I had a whole plan of how my life, both educationally and personally, was going to go. I was a Biology major with plans to become a Forensic Technician for the FBI. I was going to get my under graduate degree at UC Santa Barbra in Biology. After that I would have a job or internship in the forensic field while I went to school to get my graduate degree in Forensics in either New Orleans, Louisiana or Knoxville, Tennessee. Once I earned my graduate degree, I would begin to work on my PhD in Pathology. At that point, I wanted to be working my way up the ladder in the forensic department for the FBI and getting my PhD simultaneously. Throughout my childhood I had wanted to pursue many careers, from nursing to marine biology. In seventh grade, I discovered forensics and was instantly hooked. I was so fascinated by how you could know so much from something as small as DNA or a drop of blood. I took this intense interest as a sign that this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. But after my semester abroad in Spain, I realized that that intense interest was not what I am meant to be doing for the rest of my life.
The semester after I came back from Spain, I continued on my biology pathway, taking biology, chemistry, and calculus. I did not enjoying those classes at all. I made some great friends but I no longer felt the drive and need to learn and pursue biology. At first I attributed this feeling to what I called “the after Spain glow”. How could anything compare to living and traveling in Spain for almost four months? I dug in my heels and stayed with biology. As the semester continued, my interest and drive steadily declined. I didn’t understand why my classes here weren’t as interesting and fun as my classes in Spain. In Spain, I had taken Spanish, International Relations, Argumentation, and Spanish Life & Culture. I struggled through finals that semester but passed all my classes. For the summer, I took the semester off and worked full time. As summer quickly came to an end, with the fall semester was just around the corner, the feeling of dread of having to take biology, chemistry, and calculus came back. I again decided I would stifle this feeling and continue on this path that I was familiar with and had planned since seventh grade. A few weeks into the semester, that feeling was the worst it had ever been. I was so overwhelmed with taking classes I didn’t enjoy that my pessimistic attitude towards them began to move to the rest of my life. I felt lost in my own life. I struggled to deal with this until I really thought about my semester in Spain.
My classes were so fun and interesting there because I was truly interested and wanting to learn more about them. From living in Spain, I know that I want a career that will allow me to travel and I especially want a career where I can interact with people all over the world. With this truly life altering revelation, I went to my college counselor the next day to change my major from Biology to International Business with a focus in Spanish and Western Europe. I now have no specific plan of where I want to transfer to or what my dream job is, but I am extremely happy about this new path and cannot wait to see where it takes me.
My semester in Spain opened my eyes to the world and I would not be who I am today or on the path I am without that experience. Had I not studied abroad that semester, I would still be a Biology major working towards a career in forensics. I know how my semester in Spain effected both my personal and educational goals and I will be forever grateful for that opportunity. 
With that knowledge, I am beyond excited to say that I will be studying abroad again this coming semester!! With my change in major, I have the time in my education plan to study abroad once more before I transfer out of the SRJC. My study abroad destination this semester is Italy! I will be living in Florence for three months and then spend a month traveling Europe on my own.
I cannot wait to see how a semester studying abroad in Florence will help me further experience this amazing world and continue to help me grow as an individual, both in my personal and educational life. It will broaden my understanding of exactly where I am meant to be in this world. This coming semester abroad will allow me to continue discovering myself and all I can and will accomplish in the vast, fascinating world.