I was born in Blue Ridge, Georgia but my parents moved us out to Phoenix when I was 2 1/2 so already from a young age I was destined to travel and explore the world. Part of that meant visiting/returning to the place I was born just last summer which I loved being able to do. While I do like to embrace my Arizona/southwestern country cowgirl roots I am equally as proud of my Mexican heritage so I have my dual citizenship, am fluent in the language of Spanish, and enjoy cooking the recipes that my lovely abuelita passed down to me.
My reputation of being a traveler has always been a large part of my life but my passion for it definitely was heightened as a result of my experience with CIEE since I had the opportunity to experience multiple different cultures as part of their Open Campus Block program. I am glad that I have been able to return in the capacity of Alumni Intern for CIEE Madrid because while I loved my experiences at the other centers I am excited to be able to find out more about this new city. Over time I gained the confidence to travel with friends or on my own which is how now I even went so far as applying to and enrolling in a master’s program abroad in Budapest which luckily is where one of my fellow classmates that I met in Dublin is now living.
Having connections from all over the world is one of my favorite things from studying abroad because there have been countless times where I’ve been able to call up a friend to let them know I’m coming to their city and most of the time we are able to at least meet for a coffee or in some cases I have a free place to stay. Learning about other cultures through experiencing them in person is some of the most priceless knowledge I have and I will always encourage people to leave their home country at least once so if you’re thinking about it and looking for a sign this is it :)
