For their first day of school, most students got on their buses, into their cars, and on their bicycles to make the trek to school. But unlike them, senior Landon Wright stepped onto a Boeing 747. As many students get used to school again, Wright is taking on a more unusual experience.
Since early May, Wright has been working toward becoming a Rotary scholar, which means he will be studying for a year in a foreign country. Wright chose Spain when he was selected for the program.
“Spain was appealing to me because I’d taken Spanish for a few years so I felt comfortable with it,” Wright said. “It will be interesting to get to live somewhere other than America.”
Wright will attend high school in Madrid for his senior year. This could be intimidating with the language barrier and being the new kid in school. Despite the intimidation, Wright is excited to experience the differences at his new school.
“I was scared I wouldn’t be able to understand Spanish once I got there,” Wright said. “I was afraid the whole language barrier thing would prevent me from finding my way around or making friends. It would suck to spend a year alone in a foreign country.”
Yet, Wright feels this timidness is trumped by the opportunities available to him such as meeting new people, learning a new language and visiting new places.
“I’m torqued about being able to meet people that aren’t Americans,” Wright said. “I want to make contacts with people and network with people from across the world. If I maintained all of those relationships, who knows what kind of opportunities could arise in my future.”
Upon his arrival, Spain presented Wright with some challenges. First was the jet lag from lengthy flight.
“I’m trying to get acclimated to the time change,” Wright said. “I’m making sure I can figure out how they do things here. The meals are at different times than they are in the United States. I normally eat dinner at around 10 p.m.”
Wright was also keen to point out differences in how his host family acts. These differences included a strong focus on family.
“They’re really family oriented over here. Everyone my age here spends more time with their families than my friends back home do,” Wright said.
Despite the differences, Wright knows that the opportunity to spend a year abroad is rare. He is grateful that he has this chance to learn.
“I’d like to thank everyone for throwing so much support behind me as I tackle this challenge,” Wright said. “I can only imagine what I will learn.”
As Wright represents the U.S. and RBHS in Spain, he will be sure to remember his roots.
“I love America, and I love [RBHS],” said Wright. “I think my experiences at [RBHS] have really prepared me for my challenging year ahead.”
By Alex Burnam
If you are interested in following Landon’s escapades as he travels abroad, you can follow him on twitter at the link below:
https://twitter.com/#!/steeeve32