Shenandoah Oehlbaum Cornish's Photographs from Spain (photographs)
Date
7/4/2014Author
Cornish, Shenandoah Oehlbaum
Subject
Study Abroad Photo Exhibits
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
International Studies, Business and Culture
WLU Winter Term
Spain -- Barcelona
Metadata
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These photographs were taken by Shenandoah Oehlbaum Cornish in Barcelona during Winter Term of 2014. These photographs were part of the Study Abroad Photo Exhibit on October 14, 2014. Shenandoah Oehlbaum Cornish is a member of the class of 2016 of Washington and Lee University. Student statement about their experience: "As a tourist, you get glimpses into different cultures, you get to see incredible sights and meet amazing people. Living abroad is completely different. Instead of flitting from sight to sight, you have the incredible opportunity to really get to know a place. I breathed in the smells of Barcelona; the food, the people, the places...my daily rhythm was in sync with the very heartbeat of the city. From cafe con leche in the mornings to wandering around the incredible barrios at night. There is absolutely no way to get to know a culture quite like actually living there. The way you see the place (and afterwards, the world) changes entirely. You see wherever you are through two different sets of eyes. Those you came in with initially, and those you develop only after you wrangle out an existence in a completely foreign place. You learn how to carve out a life for yourself. How to meet the people you want to associate with, how to learn what you want to learn. If I wanted to know what it was like to hand make spanish guitars, I walked into a shop and asked. If I wanted to learn how to make Paella, I asked. It is an incredible sense of power to know that if you really want something--anything--you can make it happen.
With this in mind, my biggest piece of advice to anyone who wants to study abroad (or travel at all) is to just step out the door. Commit and don't look back. The scariest part by far is just setting out; the rest you just take in stride. You are capable of so much more than you can imagine."