Leen Jawhar
UMBC Faculty-Led:
Major: Biological Sciences
Hey everyone!
My name is Leen, and welcome to my blog 😊 I’ll be using this space to document my study abroad experience in Spain throughout January. This is my pre-departure post, which feels a little surreal to write because it means that this whole thing is actually happening.
As of right now, I am feeling a mix of excitement and nerves. I’m excited to experience a new country and step outside of my usual routine, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous too. I don’t know many people in my class yet, and my Spanish is definitely not as strong as I wish it were. I do think it would be stronger if Covid never happened and I did not start taking Spanish online…
Anyway, I’ve never been to Spain before, so I’m going in with no expectations and a completely open mind. One thing I am really looking forward to is being near the beach, even if it’s still cold. I told myself I was going to go to college right next to the beach, and while I don’t think UMBC qualifies, studying abroad in Spain feels like a step in the right direction. I traveled to Europe for the first time at the end of high school, and I completely fell in love with it. Ever since then, I’ve wanted to spend part of my life living abroad. I love being exposed to different cultures, languages, and ways of life; it really puts things into perspective. Also, the time I spent in Europe, everyone seemed happier doing day-to-day life tasks, which I am excited to see again! This program feels like the perfect way to get more exposure to the world and, honestly, a pretty amazing way to start off 2026.
A little bit about me: I’m a sophomore at UMBC majoring in Biology on the pre-med track, and I also play on the UMBC women’s soccer team. Between academics and athletics, my schedule is usually pretty packed. Having both a fall and spring season, studying abroad during the winter semester was the best option for me. It fits with my soccer schedule, and the class counts toward my major, which is honestly rare as a biology student. When this opportunity came up, it felt like one of those “now or never” moments, and I’m really glad I went for it!
One thing I’m especially excited about during this trip is having the time to do the things I love. During the semester, life can feel like a constant cycle of classes, practice, homework, and trying to squeeze everything into a day. Studying abroad feels like a chance to slow down a bit and be more intentional with how I spend my time. I really want to go hiking while I’m in Spain and explore the country as much as possible. As an extrovert, I am also excited to see the nightlife! We have a four-day break built into the program where we can do whatever we want. Hopefully by then I’ll have made some friends, and maybe we’ll take a train to another city, or even another country. I love how easy it is to travel within Europe and the idea of spontaneous weekend trips.
Right now, though, I’m in full pre-departure mode…which mostly means packing and stressing about packing. One thing about me is I overpack. I always convince myself that I’ll need every single item “just in case,” and suddenly my suitcase is overflowing. I’m currently trying to narrow things down while also reminding myself that I’ll survive without packing my entire closet. This is definitely a work in progress.
To future Leen (and maybe to anyone else considering studying abroad), here are a few questions I hope to answer by the end of this journey:
- What ended up being the best part of studying abroad in Spain, and why?
- What do I wish I had done differently, or prepared for more, before leaving?
- What do I wish I brought with me (and what definitely stayed in my suitcase unused)?
- How was the workload between balancing classes with exploring, traveling, and actually living in the moment?
As nervous as I am, I’m more excited to meet new people, use the bus system + electric scooters, learn (and probably mess up) a new language, and see what the country has to offer. If you’re reading this, thank you for following along! I hope this blog gives you a glimpse into what studying abroad is really like, the good, the challenging, and everything in between. I’m excited to share my journey with you, and I can’t wait to see how this experience unfolds.
See you in Spain 🇪🇸✨
xoxo,
Leen