I am Rachel Wagner, a UW student from Fort Collins, Colo. majoring in Journalism and focusing on Public Relations. I am spending my spring semester studying abroad in Malaga, Spain, a city on the southern coast. My decision to study abroad was pretty simple. I had always wanted to learn Spanish, so I thought to myself, “What better way to learn the language than be immersed in it every day?” It turns out there was no better way. My Spanish has improved immensely since I arrived.
But my Spanish skills have not been the only change since arriving in Spain. Since arriving to Spain, I have become intrigued by history, a topic I never enjoyed or cared much about in the past. Before coming to Malaga, I was a “don’t look behind you, look in front of you” kind of person, but this has all changed. My new love of history has taken me to places that I never thought I would see. Around every corner, there are a thousand stories to tell and generations of wisdom to be passed onto the next curious traveler. At countless times during the semester I have stood on the streets of this historic town and said to myself, “I wish I could close my eyes be able to see what I see now, but 300 years in the past.”
Malaga also has its fair share of history. The most intriguing history, of course, is the history that is not well known, the story that is not told. History like that of my host family’s ancient staircase. My host family lives in the hills. Two or three times a day I climb the hill home. As I climb, I walk about 100 steps up a very old staircase. The staircase is oddly positioned, almost hidden, between two entrances, and as I climb, I often wonder whether it was in fact a secret staircase. While I climb, I imagine the many people who have walked the staircase and the stories that they each must have. It never ceases to put a smile on my face as I think that I am but one of many ancient people who have walked the antique staircase throughout its long life.
I am always impressed by Malaga’s roads, buildings, architecture, and side streets. Exploring these areas never ceases to entertain me. However, never in my wildest dreams, would I have expected to spend my time this way. U.S. history is so short in comparison to the history of Spain. Spanish history has captured my attention in a way that U.S. history never could. And this is just one way I have been changed by my study abroad!
