It is very tempting to conform to the quintessential "study abroad op-ed and spew run-of-the-mill" objectiveness that “you’ll only understand if you study abroad,” like unusual foods, annoying outlet converters, and the ambiguity of the bidet. However, if I were to do that, I would simply be another individual whacking away at a lifeless horse.

Instead, I find it important to write about two intangibles that I have absorbed during my tenure as an American citizen temporarily living in Spain. Coming from a college where it’s unusual to not recognize almost every face you see, studying in a foreign city populated with 3.2 million residents is nothing short of different. Walking through the narrow streets of Madrid, I felt as if I were one of a million ravenous anchovies demanding the renowned “Krabby Patty” down in Bikini Bottom.

At first, living here left me with a lingering feeling of sorrow. Everything that surrounded me was unfamiliar. I would like to think that eating a ham and cheese sandwich for breakfast is quite odd, and that greeting the opposite sex with a back-to-back cheek kiss is borderline creepy. All of these norms that I was unaccustomed to enclosed me into a dark corner that slowly began to ware away at my confidence. I was lucky enough to have a friend with me that was familiar with the Spanish culture, and in any given situation I was in, I could quickly rely on her. However, I knew that if for some reason I were alone, I would crumble fast.

Over time, I realized that I had to adapt to my surrounding environment, because my surrounding environment was definitely not going to adapt to me. If I wanted to gain my confidence back, it was imperative to learn the ins and outs of the city. As I slowly became more comfortable with my surroundings, I was led to the first intangible that I obtained while studying abroad...

1. Adaption

I will not deny the fact that being out of your element will leave you feeling like a lost puppy. But, if you put aside your preconceived mindset, and learn to adapt, this feeling will slowly subside.

A large city with different cultural norms does a stellar job at making one feel insignificant, and truthfully, that is not such a bad thing. The 7,000-student bubble that I was wrapped around in gave me a false sense of reality, as I thought as if it was the only bubble that mattered. Once I realized how vast the world is and how trivial my bubble was, I quickly drained any irrelevant worries that once consumed my mind, and gave myself room to self-reflect and realize what is really important to me. This second intangible I absorbed was...

2. Humility

The glory of living in a large international community is the large international opportunity that comes with it. So, my advice to anyone who wants to seize that opportunity, is to learn the quality of adaption and humility, for both are not only essential while roaming the intercontinental world, but also for progressing as an individual.