There are plenty of practical reasons for why I should study abroad. There’s the fact that I would be able to finish my Spanish minor, become fluent in the language, and get credits for both of my majors. There are the understandably cliché answers like, “I want an awesome life experience,” or “I want a fresh perspective on the U.S.” Those are great, and are included in my bulleted list of why I want to go to Segovia, Spain this spring. But I think the real reason I want to travel is because there is a deep longing present within me to be intensely inspired, and in turn, express. There’s something about the adventure of immersion in a new culture that naturally seems to evoke this in me. I want to be in sensory overload, more in awe of God. As a writer, actress, visual artist, and singer, I want to plant myself amongst a different brand of humanity and see what happens. I can just imagine all the new material I’ll have to work with! I want to try new foods, explore and appreciate the country, have a hard time transitioning, grow to love the locals, let my fashion tastes be swayed. Meanwhile, I want to paint it. Whether with words or oil pastel, it doesn’t matter. Thousands of students have gone on this very trip and written about it, but I’m itching to observe my own unique response. Which aspects of myself will emerge? What kinds of stories will unfold? That’s all art is about, you know. Telling stories. Telling the truth, as you see it, about the world. I am excited to tell the stories of locals in Spain, the other students I will meet there, and my own experiences. I want to inspire myself, and inspire others along the way. I want to create from a new perspective.