I will be the first to say that I am an independent person.
Point out anything to the contrary, and I'll get defensive. Seriously, try it sometime.
Still, despite these claims I have been somewhat sheltered during my trip to Spain thus far. Most of our professors, not to mention the random people we might ask questions of throughout the city, know enough basic English to make themselves understood one way or another.
We have a professor here from OU who can mediate for us whenever needed. We're in a group, which offers its own form of support. Although studying abroad is obviously going to be a test for anyone's independence, we've had plenty of safety nets.
For me, the prospect of traveling somewhere new and spending a weekend there by myself brought up a whole new set of questions and concerns. I wouldn't have friends with me. I wouldn't have a professor to answer my questions. I would be completely alone.
Intimidating? Yes, but after I was told by several local friends about a nearby town I just had to see, I decided to suck it up and go on an adventure. Last weekend, I traveled - by myself - to a small town in Spain called Cuenca, which is about 185 kilometers (that's 115 miles) from Toledo.
For two days, I explored. A lot. I toured museums. I found small, friendly cafés. I figured out how to get a hostel room. I took photos. I saw places and views that were so incredibly stunning they took my breath away.
The most obvious were the Casas Colgadas - the Hanging Houses - which are one of Cuenca's main attractions. However, wherever I went there were amazing views of mountains, gorges, rivers, canyons and valleys.
I did find a tourist map and sought out some of the sites it displayed; however, on my second day in Cuenca, I went past the touristy places to an area not shown on my map. There I found a rugged area with several outcroppings of rocks offering astonishing views of the canyon and river below.
Someone with a fear of heights would probably regurgitate their delicious Cuenca lunch at the thought of traversing some of the places I climbed and squeezed into - and I was almost no exception. But I'm so glad I swallowed my fear (and bile) and took the risk. The hour I spent climbing rugged stone stairs, clomping up and down gigantic rocks and squeezing myself along the edges of steep precipices made for not only some amazing photos, but also a time of discovery for myself.
See, during the two days I spent in Cuenca I wasn't able to lean on anyone else. I didn't have someone to watch my back - and my purse - when I was wandering around at night. I didn't have someone there who could speak for me when my Spanish wasn't cutting it. And, perhaps most frighteningly, I didn't have anyone who could read a map for me and pull me from my directionally challenged haze.
Despite all of this, or maybe because of it, my two days in Cuenca were one of the most incredible experiences of my life. More than traveling to Spain, more than discovering Toledo, more than speaking almost solely in Spanish for the last two weeks, this experience showed me what I am capable of.
Does this mean I am going to return to the United States, buy a motorcycle and turn into someone who lives for thrills every day? Maybe not, but I will tell you this - skydiving is looking a lot more appealing.
After two days spent exploring a whole new town in a foreign country by myself, hurtling through the sky would be cake.
- Rebecca McKinsey is a sophomore studying journalism and Spanish who is studying abroad in Toledo, Spain. Send her an e-mail at rm279109@ohiou.edu.
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Rebecca McKinsey
