jcapobia – Page 2 – GW Blogs from Abroad

Cool Stuff I Did This Week

AdminFebruary 6, 2017December 14, 2018

There’s a commercial that I’ve always thought was pretty dumb, but it bears some relevance here. The commercial involves two friends talking about things they can do with their phones and one keeps telling the other friend, “oh there’s an app for that,” referring to the sheer prevalence and variety of applications for mobile phones and tablets. This week I had a certain, “There’s an app for that” experience, or put more simply, “They have that here.”

If on Monday you would of told me that I’d play basketball for La Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Basketball team or that I’d perform two songs at a Madrid jazz club, I would call you crazy. However, both of these things did happen, and yes I am still surprised by what I accomplished this week. If you have been reading this blog in the hope of hearing about something interesting happening to me, your hope has finally paid off.

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On Opposite Charges and German Friends

AdminJanuary 30, 2017December 14, 2018

By jcapobia

I made a German friend this week.

A week and a half into my study abroad experience I have finally made my first non-American friend. I’m not sure if I should be embarrassed because it took so long, but I’m happy it happened. Since most of my classes are with 1 to 3 of the other kids in my GW Madrid program, its very hard to meet other students. However, that all changed this week when I had a meeting for the law school. After the orientation, all the students were marched down to the basement, where in an aggressive, yet effective maneuver, we were all locked in the basement and forced to socialize and eat stale h'orderves.

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“If you’re the best one in the room, you’re in the wrong room.”

AdminJanuary 18, 2017December 14, 2018

By jcapobia

There's a great quote I once heard: “If you're the best one in the room, you’re in the wrong room.” I think this quote is a call to challenge oneself and get out of one’s comfort zone. A lot of times people miss out on opportunities because they are too scared of the consequences. They hesitate even though they know that they will miss an opportunity for something they will ultimately enjoy.

Let me give you an example:

It's a beautiful day outside and you and your friends go to a pool. You disrobe, put on the sunscreen, and fold your towel neatly on the chair. As you head towards the pool, a feeling of anxiety washes over you and you take a second, hesitating before you jump in the pool. It may be a moment's hesitation or a couple minutes hesitation because you know that when you go in, there will be a shock as the cold water rushes over you. For a few seconds after you jump, (which feel like forever for you), you will feel uncomfortable and cold. However, you know, even before you take that jump, that you will be fine afterwords, the cold and uncomfortableness will go away eventually.

When I chose to study abroad, I hesitated. That is why I have chosen to go so late during my Junior year, I knew my first few days would be a challenge and, true to my imagination, countless times during my first week and a half here in Spain, I have been challenged like never before, in ways I couldn’t imagine.

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