Greta Fiedler, senior and Spanish major in CLA's Languages and Mathematics student community, studied abroad in Toledo, Spain during spring semester, 2003. If you ask her about her experience in Toledo you'll likely get an earful, and it's virtually all glowingly positive. Even the few struggles that she speaks of are amongst the experiences that she considers an integral and important part of the semester she spent abroad.

Greta fondly describes Toledo as a small walled-in city with much history, a short 50 minutes away from Madrid, Spain's capital city. Greta's reasons for choosing Toledo were simple: it is a Spanish speaking city, plus Toledo is the only U of M sponsored study abroad program to Spain. Although she remembers language as a barrier during her first couple of weeks in Spain, Greta recalls that she quickly adapted. That's not to say that she was not faced with other challenges, however. In fact, Greta's initial experience in Spain was a challenge from the moment she stepped off the plane.

For starters, her primary piece of luggage was lost in transit. After the length of the flight she was exhausted, hungry, and jet-lagged, which contributed to her getting considerably car sick on the ride from the airport. After a bus ride and a tour she was introduced to her host family. Greta explains that the family, which was providing housing for five other women, was not particularly hospitable or friendly. She was tired, lonely, living in a foreign country, and wearing the same clothes for several days without knowing when or if her luggage would surface. After a week in Toledo Greta contacted the Study Abroad Host Family Coordinator and was placed with a new family, with whom she still has contact today. Once placed with a new family, Greta's misfortunes subsided, and she began to thoroughly enjoy her semester in Toledo.

Greta believes that the first few weeks abroad offer challenges for most students, but the personal rewards of the experience certainly make it worth the initial struggle. Greta loved living in Spain so much that she was not emotionally prepared to leave at the end of the semester. Although she doesn't believe that she would have preferred a full academic year of study over one semester, she does wish she'd had one more month in Spain.

Greta at school in Toledo, Spain

Greta's courses took place in a revamped 16^th century convent, complete with computer lab, cafeteria, and housing for students who chose not to live with a host family. There were approximately 120 students from around the world, mostly from the U of M and Notre Dame, but also from Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Argentina. Instructors were natives of the area, and students were instructed to speak only in Spanish.

Of course one of the other advantages of a study abroad is the food, which Greta loved. Lunch was always the main meal of the day in Toledo, consisting of lots of fish and other meats. Greta recalls sausages as a common staple, which she never quite got used to. She had no trouble adapting to the rest of the food in Spain, however. Her host mom even made the point of telling Greta that she was a "good eater!"

Planning for her study abroad was relatively painless, Greta explains. She started by attending one of the Learning Abroad Center's first step meetings. She utilized the written publications from the Learning Abroad Center, as well as other online resources, and met with the One Stop regarding financial aid. She believes that choosing a U of M sponsored study abroad program may have helped in assuring a smooth planning process, since all of the coursework was pre-approved.

When asked if she has any advice for students considering a study abroad, Greta asserts, "You just have to go." She believes that college is one time in your life when you have the opportunity to take advantage of going abroad, an opportunity that for some may not present itself again. She adds, "Don't be afraid, just go."