It has been a bit over a week since I landed back in the Unites States after my adventures in Granada. This last week as given me time to catch up with friends, family, and take time to reflect on this amazing opportunity. As I look back on the past two months I thought about some of the lessons I learned. One of the most important things I learned is the value and importance of independence. Situating myself in a new country, beginning to learn a new language, meeting new lab members, and running my own experiment were all vital to gaining more of my own independence. Even though I have had opportunities to travel in the past, living in beautiful Granada for two months forced me to push myself to find a “niche” or a “home away from home.” I also feel extremely lucky to have traveled with the other PIRE undergrads Rebecca, Maggie and Abby. I miss them so much already and am very grateful for the new lifelong friendships that were formed. I learned a lot about conducting my own research and working with participants. I could feel my confidence increase as the weeks passed. I am so thankful for my advisers, the PIRE community, Teresa Bajo and her lab, and my fellow PIRE undergrads.
