Growing up in Eugene, I’ve always loved weekend trips to the Oregon Coast. While I have a penchant for searching for shells, wave jumping, or having an ice cream on the dock, I have found that hiking along the coastline brings me a distinct sense of calm and intrigue. Perhaps I feel called to those places for the impressive landscapes, the striking beauty of the verdant spruces perched on cliffsides that meet soft sand, and the deep Pacific blue. Maybe it's the gentle breeze whipping at my hair, the smell of salt, or the butterflies floating from flower to flower around me. Curious as to why I found this spot so uniquely charming, I started to do some research (as any scientist naturally does :)). That is when I stumbled across a phenomenon known as "the edge effect." Very simply, the "edge effect" describes the higher density of biodiversity and unique life that occurs where one ecosystem overlaps with another. These transition zones bring abundant nutrients together, creating a wider variety of ecological niches, allowing flora and fauna to thrive. In this way, ecosystems that may appear very different on the surface (i.e., dry land vs. the vast ocean) complement each other on a profound level. Similarly, the "edge effect" can apply to people too. For example, learning an instrument helps people learn a language faster, practicing multiple sports improves performance in a person's main sport, and research has shown that people who train in a variety of different fields generate more innovative ideas.
I landed in Spain about a month and a half ago and arrived in Oviedo just this week. Within the first few days, I set off to the coastal city of Gijón, only 30 minutes north. While I was there, I realized that the "edge effect" applies to my own life too. I am Spanish-American, and for a long time I've searched for a way to define that for myself. What parts of me are Spanish? What parts of me are American? I would think to myself, "Well, people say I am half Spanish and half American, but what if it's not 50-50? Maybe it's 40-60. Or maybe I am only one or the other?" Luckily, this study abroad trip has allowed me to reflect through reading, conversations, and time with family. Now that I’ve advanced my Spanish language ability to the point that I can engage in complex discussions, I better understand Spanish humor, media, and history, and I have gotten to experience a wider range of Spanish gastronomy, fashion, and art. Thanks to this trip, I've had the incredible opportunity of relating both my experiences and my classes with my identity and family history. Now, I see myself in a new light and have decided that I just am. Enough of fracturing my identity and trying to neatly categorize the complexity that makes me me. I am 100% Spanish-American, and that's that. I don't have to choose either the forest or the ocean; instead, I can sit at the coastline, the happy in-between that allows me to enjoy both.
Irene Rose Ares, Diverse Ducks Ambassador
Advanced Spanish Language, Literature, and Culture in Oviedo
