Gustavo Armas

Q: Why did you choose to study abroad?

A: I chose to study abroad because I wanted to be immersed in a different culture and have the opportunity to learn in a different country with professors who come from unique backgrounds compared to those at State. I also wanted to travel and take advantage of my time abroad as much as possible maximizing both my learning and cultural experiences.

Q: What is one of your favorite memories from studying abroad?

A: After finishing my final exams, a couple of friends and I rented a van and went on a van-packing trip across Europe for 2 weeks. We started in Marseille, France, and went up all the way to Munich, Germany. I have so many memories from this trip, but my highlight was the days we spent between Interlaken and Lauterbrunnen. We got to go paragliding through the valley by Lauterbrunnen and got some insane views from up there. The area’s landscapes and nature were breathtaking, and sharing it with my close friends really tied the experience together.

Q: Where were you able to travel during your time abroad? What were some of your favorite things about your host city?

A: During my semester in Madrid, I got to visit 42 cities and 12 countries (I promise I was still studying).  I started by taking advantage of Madrid’s central location to visit different towns and cities in Spain such as Barcelona, Sevilla, Málaga, and Valencia which were all a quick train ride away and very accessible. Later on, I expanded to other parts of the continent heading into France, Italy, Malta, and Greece among others, getting all different kinds of views, food, and meeting great people all along. Madrid is a great city with lots to do. Its nightlife is great all around with a big exchange student network (referenced as Erasmus in Europe) with its massive parks, great restaurants, and different barrios (neighborhoods) there was always something new you could discover about Madrid.

Q: How do you think studying abroad contributed to your future career goals and/or academics?

A: Studying abroad established a global mindset that is carrying on my post-grad plans. Getting to be immersed in a completely different culture and learning about traditions, way of life, and the historical background of Spain made me more interested in seeing the rest of the world. Being put in this situation where you’re somewhere you’ve never been before and now have to learn to adapt and live in this place for the next 5 months while putting yourself out there isn’t the easiest thing for anyone. Coming out of it after the semester was over, I learned to adapt to different environments, got to put myself out there to meet people from other backgrounds, and became more open to hearing about unique perspectives. Now I’m planning on pursuing independent journalism to capture real perspectives from all around the world and get rid of misconceptions about these places that traditional media is bringing which leads to many people being swayed away from exploring certain parts of the world.

Q: What is a challenge you faced while abroad and how did you overcome it?

A: While traveling with some friends in Greece, we had set an entire itinerary around having a car and getting to explore/hike different parts of the country. When we landed in Thessaloniki, we were denied our car rental because our U.S. licenses were “too new” (had just renewed them less than 3 months from this time) and our entire trip was disrupted. We had to think on our feet since we had to catch a flight back home on the opposite side of the country. We were able to buy bus tickets for the next day to Corfu and while we didn’t follow our original plans, we had a great time exploring the island of Corfu and still managed to explore while maintaining good spirits. I think it is key to not catastrophize and stress yourself out in these kinds of scenarios which are bound to happen as you travel during your time abroad and remember that its all part of the journey.

Q: What advice do you have for future study abroad students?

A: 100% put yourself out there. You make your study abroad experience which for many only happens once in life. Explore your host city, meet new friends (never know when you’ll be coming back to these places, and having a place to stay in the future is always nice), try new foods, try things you’ve never done before, travel as much as you can, and always keep an open mind as you will see and experience so much sometimes you forget to put it all in perspective. Make the memories that will last a lifetime!