Guadalupe Espinoza
CAS ’26
Political Science and Urban Studies
SA: IHP: Cities in the 21st Century
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- Switching countries every 4 weeks, going from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Barcelona, Spain, and Cape Town, South Africa
- Staying with homestay families and adjusting to a new city
- Speaking Spanish while being a Native Speaker, but in Argentina, there was a different dialect, and in Spain, they spoke Catalan
- Navigating public transportation in each of these cities
- Managing classes and exploring the city that you are in
My Experience Abroad:
One of the best 4 months of my life! This study abroad experience was not only academically challenging but also gave me the incredible opportunity to visit three different continents in one semester. I would absolutely do it again if I could.
The classes were taught by local professors in each country, which allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of each city through their unique perspectives. My academic focus was a comparative analysis of Citizenship, Migration, and Urban Borders—a fascinating topic to research across different cultural contexts.
Beyond academics, it was an amazing personal experience. In each country, I loved having dinner with my host families and observing different cultural traditions and family dynamics. Most importantly, I cherished traveling with 22 other students from different universities, bonding over classes and planning evening activities after our classes.
Other Highlights:
- Dancing at our farewell “prom” in South Africa, where we celebrated with superlatives on our final night together before departing
- Exploring Bariloche in Patagonia, Argentina during a four-day weekend with most of my cohort—an early trip that helped us bond and learn more about each other at the beginning of our journey
- Building independence and confidence: I overcame my fear of doing things alone, like dining at restaurants by myself, which was a significant personal growth milestone
