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In the summer of 2010, I received an awesome opportunity to study abroad in Pamplona, Spain with the University of Alabama Engineering department. As an Auburn student, I was a little hesitant to call myself an Alabama student, even while I was overseas. However, the experience was more than I could have ever imagined. Pamplona is full of history and beauty. I'm sure many people in the city thought we were crazy because we took so many pictures of random buildings but we don’t see that kind of history and architecture here in the US. Pamplona’s Town Hall is a gorgeous mixture of three different architectural styles and it was amazing.

Pamplona is made up of almost 200,000 people. Our host introduced my roommate and me to her entire family and made us feel so welcome. Each Sunday, we attended their family gatherings to eat and just talk. We only spoke in Spanish and, by the end of the trip, I recognized a substantial difference in my language skills. We had five hours of Spanish lessons each day and the excursions were conducted completely in Spanish, so it was weird when we returned home and had to speak English again. Our teachers were very friendly and they would even joke around with us during class and go out with us at night. As an engineering student, the most memorable thing I will take with me from this trip is how committed Spain is to helping our environment. Pamplona is the capital of the Navarra region which is Spain's leader in renewable energy. There are solar panels on top of buildings, windmills everywhere you look, and recycling containers on every street. Commercials feature Spain’s national soccer team reminding everyone to turn off the lights if they’re not being used. Protecting the land is so much a part of their culture and they are very intent on preserving it for the future. Through this experience, my perspective of the US and the world has changed, for the better. I'm so grateful I was able to see all the beautiful Spanish sights and participate in the culture, even if it was just for a short time.