By Lila Franco (UC Santa Cruz)

Growing up, I was always a cautious kid. I recall frequently mentioning that I had never broken a bone throughout my life. I have also always been a very superstitious person, frantically searching for the nearest piece of wood to knock on every time I made this statement.

Recent events have led me to believe that I must have knocked on some seriously fake wood sometime before studying abroad!

One Wrong Step

On February 1, 2024, less than a month into my study abroad experience in Barcelona, Spain, I embarked on a night out in the city with friends, feeling completely invincible and elated. The world was my oyster; I felt on top of the world in a completely new environment. I had stars in my eyes for study abroad, and during mandatory UCEAP presentations regarding safety measures that I attended weeks prior, I wondered, “will I ever need this information?”

Little did I know, the information provided by UCEAP in those presentations would be the way I would soon handle an absolutely life altering event.

On my night out with my new study abroad friends, I was having fun and never thinking anything could go wrong. A few seconds and about three steps later, I was being helped off the ground by a new friend in my program. I realized in that moment that my day-to-day life was about to change drastically for the foreseeable future.

A Hospital Bed Was Not in My Study Abroad Plans

I recall looking down at my arms, and seeing that one of them was completely bent out of shape. I don’t remember being in a lot of pain, most likely due to the shock of my fall, but I instantly knew that something was wrong.

I soon found myself in a taxi alone, in the middle of the night, with a dead phone, no keys to my apartment, and a driver who could not understand my broken Spanish. As the pain got worse, I realized I had no way to make it home, and no way to contact anyone I knew.

I tried to remain calm, as the taxi driver did his best to help me get to a safe space where I could either receive medical help or be in the hands of someone familiar. Zach, if you ever find this blog post, I owe you big time!

As a person from the United States, you can imagine what was going through my head at this point: How am I going to get help? Where do I go? How much is this going to cost?

Thanks to the help of my housemate, who by some miracle was awake in the middle of the night and picked up an Instagram call I made on the taxi driver’s phone, I made it to the hospital that accepts the study abroad insurance that UCEAP enrolled me in and was able to be treated.

I received the diagnosis of a double fracture in my wrist and ended up having to get surgery the following evening.

I remember balling my eyes out the entire surgery, and would continue to do so sporadically throughout my hospital stay. I was scared out of my mind and had no idea how to deal with this situation while abroad, but thanks to my study abroad insurance, and the help of the hospital, I was able to have everything covered – my stay, surgery, physical therapy, and all of my follow-up appointments.

Finding Strength In the Unexpected

Spending a chunk of my time abroad in a cast and attending daily physical therapy was not what I imagined for my once-in-a-lifetime experience studying in Spain, and yet I felt very supported throughout the entire healing process.

I was limited in my capabilities to partake in some activities for a couple of months. I suddenly couldn’t complete tasks I never thought I’d ever struggle with, such as folding laundry and washing dishes, but my wrist healed over time, and I believe that I came out of the situation stronger.

I never thought I would ever have to navigate hospitalization in a foreign country. It was not easy in the slightest. However, I am proud of the fact that I was able to persevere, and come out of a tough situation with a positive attitude and a newfound appreciation for my healed physical condition and current safety.

Your Night Out Safety Checklist

It might seem like a no-brainer, but I cannot stress enough the importance of having these things with you on every single night out in case of an emergency:

1. A fully charged cell phone (maybe even a portable charger if you can!)
2. Keys to your residence
3. Emergency (local) cash
4. UCEAP safety cards with emergency phone numbers (as well as other emergency phone numbers, such as those of your housemates)
5. Your study abroad travel insurance card (download your copy here)
6. A trusted buddy (I would have cut out a lot of obstacles while trying to get to a safe space if I had a friend by my side)

The Silver Lining: Lessons from My Barcelona Battle Scar

While I faced a physical hurdle in addition to dealing with all the other challenges that come with participating in a study abroad program, I would not change anything about it. As everyone always says, going abroad is a learning experience; you’ll take it with you for the rest of your life.

There’s no way that I’ll ever forget Barcelona now. I quite literally have a piece of it in my forearm!

The truth is, even if you don’t think that unforeseen and scary situations can happen to you, they can, and thanks to studying abroad with UCEAP, support from my peers, and my own endurance, I was able to handle the situation.

What’s left of this whole experience? A battle scar and some metal plates and screws in my arm. But this permanent souvenir from Barcelona reminds me of my strength. It taught me to never take the little things for granted (like having two working arms!) and showed me how to find joy in life, even when things get tough.

My advice to anyone worrying about emergencies while abroad or if the thought of one occurring has yet to cross their mind—be careful, and if an accident happens, know that you will be okay! You are in good hands with this program when it comes to your safety. Please—have fun, but be smart!

Learn more about navigating health, safety, and unexpected hurdles while abroad:

• Brooke McKenna Taylor (UC Santa Cruz) explains how building a practical safety plan, including laminated emergency contacts and roommate check-ins, creates peace of mind when you study abroad.
• Discover what travel insurance as a UCEAP student means for you when you study abroad.
• See how Kaitlyn McWalters (UC Berkeley) navigated a chronic illness while studying abroad in Japan.