As a young male I see the world as a very inviting place that is full of opportunity. The catch is that those opportunities will only lead to success if you are willing to put in the time and effort. I also identify as an athlete; therefore, my main source of entertainment and feelings of happiness mostly stem from playing sports. Whereas an individual who is not fond of sports will see the world in a different light. Furthermore, I believe that my identity affords me the advantage of having easier access to the tools that will help me be successful at the beginning of my adult life. For example, going to a great high school in a community with strong morals has led me to Rollins, a school known for academic excellence and career/personal development. In fact, one of the many reasons why I chose Rollins was because I had a former student tell me about how great Rollins was at giving students individual attention to help them reach his/her goals. To continue, I have not heard too much regarding the population or the culture of the people within Oviedo. Therefore, I am uncertain if they identify more strongly with their region or entire country. I do know that football (soccer) is a very popular sport there so many Spaniards may identify with one football club over another but love the game as a whole. Moving forward, the difference in governing style may impact how Spaniards experience the world differently from me. For instance, how a democracy and constitutional monarchy may foster different outlooks. Another way Spaniards may experience the world differently than me is that they have easier access to different countries with different cultures, which may help increase his/her cultural literacy. While in Spain, I hope to increase mine as well by traveling to different parts of the country as well as others around Europe. Lastly, an advantage for these people to identify as culturally literate is the knowledge gained may even change the way he/she thinks and/or restructure his/her values. I am very excited about this opportunity to travel abroad not only to experience other cultures but to become completely fluent in Spanish!
Alex Saul