Written by: Victory Sampson | Fall 2023
Butler Semester in Spain (Alcala)
I want to know and understand things I am not supposed to—things hidden away from me. Languages spoken away from their places of origin are often like blankets of protection. However, they can also be tarps of seclusion and isolation that cause the understanding of one’s experience to be eluded by others—the soft Portuguese singing of a family member, the raucous inside joke from a Spanish-speaking friend, or even the rantings of a frustrated parent in Haitian Creole. If I cannot understand them, how can I be of service to certain people in my community? Even if I do not speak their language and never will, what about their culture? Could I decipher the small daily actions done without thought? The pointed lip, a high-pitched “eh”, or purposeful contortion of the face? Or, would they all pass me due to my lack of non-stereotypical schemas and lenses to view different cultures? This thought process is why I live my life like it’s research. It is why I learn with such urgency and interest. Everything and everyone has roots, and when allowed, I love to learn more about them.
Since arriving in Spain, understanding 
this important unspoken part of the Spanish language has aided me in creating connections with many different people. From the barista at a coffee shop who taught me the dramatic disdain of a “tsk, tsk, tsk!”, to my profesora, Ava, that taught me how much more of an amount that a “mucho” with a clasped hand next to the mouth communicates. My advanced proficiency in Spanish has been instrumental, but the more that I learn about Spanish cultural norms and traditions, the more that I understand how much more important cultural understanding is when trying to build relationships in a different country. It made me question why, during the planning process of this trip, I stressed so much over thinking that somehow my nearly seven years of Spanish-speaking experience would not be enough to navigate through the obstacles that everyone faces in a new country. It brought me to this understanding that many of the barriers that held me back, and many people I know, from studying abroad are more mental than they are linguistic. Leaving a comfortable university environment like Butler to go on an eleven-hour flight journey to a continent on the other 
side of the world was a big decision that can be frightening in many ways. However, it is something that aligns with a vision I have for myself and has proven to be completely worth the effort. One thing that I think readers can take away from this article is that even if you are not a polyglot who speaks every language in the world, learning the commonly utilized nonverbal cues of a different place can permit communication through the most solid language barriers. Do not let fluency be the reason you pass up the opportunity of a lifetime! ¡Que te diviertas, viajero!