Las muchas maravillas de España

The past week has undoubtedly flown by as every day so far in Spain has been full of activities, traveling and learning. I have traveled more in the last week than I have in a very long while and I have never felt more out of my element. Having never left the United States, I had no idea what kind of things to expect upon coming to Spain. Sure, I had taken several classes on the Spanish language and culture but it is something that has to be experienced, rather than taught.

I have always considered myself "decent" at the Spanish language, confident that I would be able to navigate myself through a city, or even a country, solely on the linguistic skills I have gained through my past six years of Spanish classes. Much to my chagrin I was greeted in Madrid by an entire word of unknown vocabulary and accents. Everyone around me was speaking 100 miles per minute and I couldn't understand a word, and I made it clear to everyone around me with my thick American accent and map of Spain that I am obviously not from this country.

It felt so foreign to me, something that I strongly disliked. Since I had taken various classes on Spain and had done quite a bit of research before I arrived I felt confident that I would conquer the culture and language, no doubt. Unfortunately though, as soon as I arrived in the Madrid Barajas airport I was knocked down by a wave of culture shock that I am still attempting to overcome.

This culture shock had a special affect on me upon meeting my host family, people who have lived in Sevilla all their lives. I live in a beautiful part of Sevilla called Triana with a mother and father (María and Miguel) and two children (María del Mar and Aurelio) and their cat (La Luna). They are a fantastic family and welcomed me into their family immediately. I feel very accepted in this family but the language and culture barriers are very unfamiliar to me. Sometimes they poke fun at me because whenever I don't understand what they're saying to me (which is often) I have the tendency to just nod my head and say "sí, sí, sí" without even knowing the question. They tell me I need to listen better.

I think the hardest thing to get used to so far is the eating agenda. It's completely different than the United States and I still haven't gotten the hang of it. They will wake up around 7:30 or 8 and eat a small breakfast of toast and coffee, perhaps some fruit. Then they eat a huge lunch at 3 or 4, starting with appetizers and a beer, followed by a main dish and glass of wine, and finally a dessert and another form of alcoholic beverage. This meal usually lasts around two to three hours. They finish the day with a small dinner around 10:00 usually consisting of small finger foods called tapas. It's the strangest schedule and I'm still trying to wrap my head around the concept of one giant meal in between two smaller ones. Don't get me wrong, the food in Spain is absolutely incredible, I only hope that I am able to eat at more regular times when I get back to America.

For the most part I feel like I have overcome the homesickness that I have been feeling for the past week. I have made a number of new friends through my program and I look forward to spending the next 3 wonderful months with them, learning, traveling and growing. I still miss my amazing family, my sorority sisters, and my best friend Kelly Picune, but being able to keep in touch with them via Skype and phone calls has definitely made it a lot easier.

During my time here I will keep in mind a quote from an email my Dad sent to me just the other day:
""Oh, and don’t forget that you’ll be talking about the next 2-1/2 months for the rest of your life. Make the most of your time in Spain and you’ll create great memories that will last a lifetime."

I miss everyone at home so, so much and I can't wait to see everybody in December :)

Viva España!

Triana Bridge

Los primeros días

I have finally arrived at my destination in Spain and have been having a wonderful time in the most beautiful country in the world. However, there have definitely been some setbacks.

The plan ride from Washington D.C. was surprisingly depressing and not as exciting as I had imagined. It seemed like halfway between America and Spain it finally hit me that, “Wow, I’m actually going to be in a foreign country for three months without my friends, without my family and without the support system that I have grown accustomed to”. I am actually on my own here. Luckily I had taken a Valium right before my flight so I appeared a lot calmer than I actually was. If it hadn’t been for the medicine then I probably would have started crying on the passenger next to me.

Day one was quite similar. I was experiencing somewhat of a depressing phase, realizing that I wasn’t going to be able to return home for another 90 days. It was all sinking in as I thought about all the things I was missing out on at home. For example, Delta Zeta is about to undergo recruitment, an activity that I was very much involved in last year and greatly enjoyed. Missing this year’s recruitment is going to be sad, but I can’t wait to meet all the new Delta Zetas when I return. I also realized that my family is going to be traveling without me, something that we had always done together. Not being able to be with my family for vacations and the Thanksgiving holiday made me sad and made me wish I were back home. Also realizing that I was not going to be able to see my best friend and boyfriend for another three months made me feel left out and wonder how life was carrying on without me. Kelly Picune, my best friend, text every single day about our lives and every moment apart from each other is literally painful. So needless to say not being able to see her for an extended period of time is quite depressing. I love you, homey. I also wonder if three months without seeing Logan will create a distance between us and diminish the closeness that we experienced before I left. I often get paranoid about him finding someone else and forgetting about me since I am halfway across the world.

With all of these fears, doubts and second thoughts I took some time to myself during our second day in Madrid to reflect on my trip and what I hope to accomplish during my time in Madrid. Walking around the building and seeing all of the beauty that Spain has to offer really brought me peace of mind and relieved all of the doubts that I had the previous day. I came to the conclusion that yes, three months is a long time to be away from home and the lifestyle that I grew up with, but being able to travel in Spain and Europe for three months is a once in a lifetime opportunity and is literally a dream come true. Yes, there are drawbacks but the fact that I am currently living in the most amazing country, being able to study and work with Spanish children on bridging the gap between Spain and American cultures is absolutely marvelous. And once again, the butterflies of excitement were back and now I couldn’t be happier.

Our ISA group spent the day in Toledo today, one of the most fascinating cities I've ever seen. The streets create a labyrinth that would be impossible to escape without a tour guide, and all of the roads are made of black cobblestone. The buildings are built on hills and there are magnificent churches, mosques and synagogues. We learned from this that Toledo, back in earlier centuries, was one of the only cities in Spain where Catholics, Jews and Muslims could all live in harmony together in tolerance and free of judgment. Toledo is an incredible city that I would definitely consider living in if the opportunity ever arose. With all the festivities in Madrid and Toledo, and with all my concerns and fears out of my mind, I look forward to the next chapter in my study abroad experience as we finally venture to Sevilla tomorrow morning.