This is where I will try to keep my sanity for the next six months while studying in Spain. To those that do not know, I will be traveling to Pamplona, Spain, to study Economics from February into July at the Universidad Pública de Navarra. In this blog, I will share my experiences, photos, expectations, and fears of spending so much time in a country that I have never been to before. Since a primary reason for this is to give my mother peace of mind in knowing what I am doing much of the time, I will keep the posts as clean as possible (for posts on social/night life, find me on Twitter). Also, since this is my personal blog and not a term paper, I hold my right to be as grammatically incorrect as I please, though I will try my best to keep the writing as coherent as possible.

To begin, there are now only eight days left before it is time to fly out of Memphis to Pamplona. Now that all details for my semester abroad have been completed, I am now aware of the realization of the situation- that I am actually going to Spain. This will be the farthest I have ever been from home, and with only two people that I know. On top of that, the Croft Institute expects us to enroll in classes in our languages of study, meaning that all of my classes will be in Spanish. To say that I am nervous and a bit intimidated is an understatement. What if I get there and my language skills are not developed enough to keep up in class? What if I become isolated because I cannot create relationships with fellow students? I have reassured myself numerous times that my language skills are more than acceptable, and I am normally not one to shy away from social interaction. Nonetheless, I would not be prepared if I did not confront these doubts and eventually lay them to rest.

The excitement of being in a foreign country for an extended period of time is also overwhelming for me. I have been trying to split as much time between home and Oxford as possible so as to make the most of these last days. I will miss my family, my friends, and my university (cannot believe I have to miss baseball season too), but this opportunity is one I cannot pass up. Not only will I be able to study in Spain, but I will have opportunities to travel all over Europe and see some old friends that live there. This will be a great look into whether I want to continue studying International Business as I am able to study Spanish economic ideas while gaining an intimate knowledge of Spanish and European culture as a whole. The opportunity cost of not taking this chance to study abroad is much greater than moving forward with this plan.

I am not sure who will read my blog, but I will try to keep this page as entertaining and up-to-date for everyone’s enjoyment. If I have not posted at least once in a three week span, please be sure to contact your nearest government official to check and make sure that I have not been injured or incarcerated in that span of time; I’m sure my mother will not even wait that long. I hope to see as many of my friends as possible in this last week, but if I do not get the chance, social networking is a great tool. Until next time, Hotty Toddy, America, and goodbye.

~ Thomas Womble