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8:31 pm - Tue, Jun 14, 2011

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¿Cuál sería el mejor país para estudiar?

Damn this Spanish language. Why the hell did the conquistadors have to be so aggressive with their territorial expansion? They’ve created a legacy that spans virtually a whole continent, spawning numerous distinct countries and cultures, and consequently leaving me with far too much choice regarding where to go for my immersion/study.

It shouldn’t be difficult, but I don’t fare well with too much choice. I guess I need some limitations. The only way I’m going to get fluent is to immerse myself, that much is clear. But where to go?

Spain

I’ve been to Barcelona before, and was convinced due to the prevalence of Catalan, that it wouldn’t be the best of choices for an immersive study. I just spent two hours talking to a native Catalán/Castellano speaker who pretty much talked me out of that notion. Madrid obviously has the monopoly on language schools, but my aim is to try to avoid tourists where possible, and I can’t see myself ending up there. Were I to go to Spain I’d probably visit a city in the north like Vigo or Oviedo, somewhere less obvious. But let’s be real here, the issue at hand isn’t the choice of city, it’s the choice of country.

If I were to choose Spain, I could literally take my savings, book a flight, book my classes, and even go look for a job while I’m there. This idea is unbelievably tempting when you’re as sick of your surroundings as I am. Sure, it’s not as adventurous as going to Latin America, but it’ll get the job done, and that’s what counts after all. My other choice will require me to stay here for months on end, and although that’s plenty of time to save funds,  it’s such a drag…

Mexico

So I really wanna go to Guadalajara at some point, with the idea being to stay there for a few months with a host family before flying into Houston for a week or so to carry on studying, and finally visiting Austin for SXSW. This idea seems awesome, and gives me lots of time to study, but like I said, I’m getting really impatient here.

What I’ve posted here are just the two most prominent options I’ve got right now. I haven’t even began going into detail of all the other places I’ve considered (Ecuador, Peru, Argentina, Cuba, Chile), because I’ve been trying to narrow it down somewhat. I gotta do some more research…