A Spanish Excursion: Studying Abroad In Valencia

Name: Hannah Griswold

Type of Project: Education Abroad

 

During the summer, I studied abroad in Valencia, Spain with International Studies Abroad (ISA). While in Valencia I lived with a host mom, took classes in Spanish, and traveled to various cultural sites in Spain. This trip abroad was my first international experience; I have never flown outside of the United States before accompanied or alone. Before I left I had many anxieties: I was afraid of getting lonely, the locals not understanding my American accented Spanish, or simply not enjoying being in a different culture. However, as the weeks passed, I gained my footing and grew very confident in myself as a solo traveler. My most significant takeaway from this experience was the independence I cultivated as I overcame fears of being on my own, and as I learned how to navigate unknown land and make plans to keep myself busy while travelling.

Out of my whole summer abroad, the three most important factors to my transformation were living with my host mom, adjusting myself to Spanish culture, and taking weekend excursions to other cities. Living alone with an older woman was a great way to use my Spanish and see what it was like to live like a local. Adapting to the Spanish time clock, diet, and shared history made me feel more culturally competent and realize that I could live internationally in the future, which would be exciting. Weekend trips honed my travel skills and taught me to really enjoy spending time with myself.

My host mom, Mercedes, was an absolute delight. The ISA housing director was spot on with my pairing. Mercedes was a fiery 74-year-old woman from Madrid, who sang at the local retirement community and did not even know the word “English” in English. Mercedes was an old hat at having host students; from the moment I walked in the door I knew the WiFi password, how to lock her four-deadbolt door, and even how long my showers were supposed to be. However, and maybe I am too partial to think otherwise, Mercedes and I had an undeniable family chemistry. We would sit and gossip over morning coffee about everything from her friends, the news, all the way to long discussions about organic farming. Talking to Mercedes improved both my Spanish comprehension (she talked unapologetically fast with a beefy vocabulary) and Spanish production. From the moment I woke up, I had to switch to Spanish brain and I continually surprised myself with how many complex concepts I could communicate. Chatting and spending time with Mercedes solidified my decision to keep learning and using Spanish, made me more likely to strike up conversation with other locals, and was one of the highlights of my experience.

Living in a culture as rich as Spain’s showed me how to be both intellectually stimulated and fun-loving at the same time. I had an idea of what Spain would feel like before I left, but it was completely different from actually experiencing the country. Spain is most definitely not a homogenous cultural blob and has very distinct regional personalities. However, across the board it seemed that Spaniards carry around less stress than Americans (or at least me). Studying in such a relaxed environment where I could easily transition from a lesson on Spanish art or an intensive museum visit to siesta and then to drinks with friends without feeling the need to go go go allowed me to be reflective of my own culture and values and envision some new ones. In the states I usually fall to two extremes: I am either incredibly relaxed or incredibly stressed, but this summer I was able to recalibrate myself and conceptualize what a more balanced life may feel like, which I plan to pursue going forward.

Although my study abroad was in Valencia, a significant amount of my transformation came from using Valencia as a home base and traveling on weekends to other areas of Spain. ISA took our group of students on programmed trips to Madrid, Toledo, and Barcelona. I loved having a structured tour of these places, which allowed me to learn the historical and modern relevance of each place, but the unstructured free time was a great jumping off point for exploring on my own. From the baby steps of going to bars recommended by locals in Madrid, discovering the Picasso museum in Barcelona, and purposefully getting lost buying pastries baked by cloistered nuns in the labyrinthine streets of Toledo, I was prepared to spearhead trips on my own. Almost every weekend that we did not have a preplanned trip I created one for myself. Based on the suggestions of my host mom and professors I visited the towns of: Calpe, Cuenca, Cordoba, Granada, Salamanca, and I spent an extra weekend in Madrid before my flight home. My first weekend alone was to Calpe, a coastal city near Alicante with a beautiful clearwater beach. I stayed in my comfort zone and slept in an AirBnb and took taxis. By my next few weekends – like my trip to the UNESCO world heritage site of Cuenca, aka one of my favorite places on the planet, I was taking public transit, staying in hostels, and talking to locals! Now, I absolutely adore public transportation, especially the railways that run all throughout Europe (we need that across the states…step up your game Amtrack!). Despite my bad sense of direction and tendency to stray off track, I even was the designated navigator for a small group of my friends on our trip to southern Spain. It was hard to leave Spain, but it definitely left me with the travel bug and I plan to return to both Spain and Europe promptly.

This experience, especially my newfound independence and self-confidence will be endlessly useful to me in the future. On a base level it allowed me to complete some requirements for my Spanish major, but this summer was ultimately so much more than a checkbox. My love for Spain, Spanish culture, and the Spanish language was reinvigorated, and I feel so much more connected to this part of my studies and life. Even more importantly – I am itching to travel again! Now that I know how to move around, explore, and enjoy a new place I cannot wait to go again. An education is not complete in a bubble and my travels are a way of learning more about the world and myself. I am not certain where I am headed next (maybe somewhere in South America…?) but I am certain that it will not be long until I board another flight.