During the first half of my intercultural it felt like such a surreal moment. I had always dreamed of studying in Spain since I was a little kid. When the opportunity came, it felt like a full circle moment. As a native speaker, I had some background on Spanish history and language that helped me navigate through this experience. Through my curiosity, I was able to ask questions regarding the life of an estudiante espa帽ol (Spanish student). Where, I discovered that their education system prepares them through a program called 鈥淏achillerato鈥� a pre-requisite for college. I was fascinated by how much time and preparation it takes to get into college. Which has made me so thankful for being able to study abroad and to learn from my professors through their teaching methods and engagement. Although the course was three weeks long, it became a bit overwhelming to wrap up so quickly. I had gotten used to the routine of waking up early, catching the metro and heading to class. But after this intercultural, it has made me want to pursue Spanish education in the future. I am left with new words and phrases to use in my every day life. 馃檪
-Victor Acosta
One weekend we went on day trips to Toledo and Segovia. On Saturday we went to Toledo, a mid size city in Castile La Mancha that used to be one of the most influential and largest cities in Spain and its capital before Madrid. We explored its old town mostly autonomously and toured its cathedral. The old town was huge and beautiful, sitting on a large hill with a river mostly encircling it, with the defensive capabilities of the hill being the reason behind its location. The Cathedral was also beautiful, with many altars and tombs for significant figures in its history like prior archbishops and the like. Its layout was rather closed, so you couldn鈥檛 see much of the building from any one location, giving it a maze-like feel. Afterwards, we explored a nearby monastery. It is well preserved, and you could easily envision what life would have been like for the people living there. It serves a different purpose today than it used to, but still has an active community! On Sunday we went to Segovia, a small city in Castile and Leon. We started the visit with exploring the castle, which was the inspiration for the castle in Snow White. It鈥檚 a big castle, with a surprisingly navigable interior, besides the steep, spiraling staircase to the rooftop. The rooms are decorated to fit their intended purpose, with many original items. It was an excellent experience. Then we had an opportunity to explore the old town for a bit, most of us got burritos near the main plaza and then went off and explored. It鈥檚 a beautiful city. Our next major destination in Segovia was the cathedral. It鈥檚 a much grander building in its feel, but not much different in size to the one in Toledo, with large, imposing rooms and a gothic design that constantly points your vision up. We were able to explore on our own, so people took their time to take in all the details and sites, which was great. Afterwards we went back to Madrid. It was a fantastic weekend!
-Noah Loker
Some of the activities I have been enjoying most after school are going to the park for lunch and spending time at a pool. Recently, I have especially enjoyed relaxing, and hanging out with my friends there. I also love going to a caf茅, sitting outside, and people-watching. I am always catching myself wanting to observe the people around me. Public transportation has been very different from what I am used to. In Madrid, they use the metro system, which is very convenient, but it is also extremely crowded because so many people use it. Most recently, while coming back to our hostel, a few people from our group got onto the metro just as a woman started pushing through with her suitcase to get on. I ended up having to stand on one foot to allow space for her to get on, which was very difficult. One thing that has always caught my attention is the escalator etiquette. People stand on the right side to allow others to walk up on the left. Another thing I have noticed that we do not see at home is the nightly street-cleaning crews. Every night, large trucks drive through the city spraying water, while workers pick up trash and help keep the streets clean.
-Hannah Kepler