Spain – Page 2 – Valpo Voyager

Tag: Spain (page 2 of 4)

Exams, Experiencing Culture Shock, and the Effect of Snow

No I didn’t get taken, but I have been relatively missing from social media these past couple weeks and I wanted to apologize. I officially have a fully functioning computer, so from now on, I promise posts will be much more consistent.

I’ve done a lot within the last month: explored Madrid, sprained my ankle falling down some ancient steps, entered the famous mezquita of Cordoba, saw Big Ben with my own eyes, and received my official Spanish residency card for the year. Though I’ve had my usual share of fun and adventure, these last couple weeks in particular have been a giant wake-up call back to reality.

The week before last happened to be midterm week.

This wouldn’t be such a big deal if,

A. I was like every other student and had regular midterms every semester. In the history field, I usually have papers. Don’t get me wrong, papers themselves are a lot of work. They just require a different type of work than a multiple-choice test. I haven’t had a proper midterm since the days of living in the basement labs of Neils when I was a science major…

and

B. All of my grades this semester were based upon more than 2 things: my midterm and my final. In all actuality that is how all of my classes are being graded. Only 2 grades for a semester’s worth of work.

That’s a lot riding on just 2 tests.

If you know me well, you know that I am a perfectionist. Especially when it comes to school. I knew that this year of classes entirely in Spanish would be a huge risk for me. I’ve had my fair share of failed tests and bad papers throughout my time at Valpo. Usually, however, classes are weighted with enough papers, tests, participation, and the like to allow for one or two not so perfect assignments. Apparently, it doesn’t work that way in Spain.

So while it’s extremely nice to have 4 day weeks and not have boatloads of readings, 20 pg papers, and in general outside of class work, that also makes for ensured stess leading up to midterms and finals. Not to mention, everything is in Spanish.

It’s a whole new education system to get used to. One that I quite honestly wasn’t expecting.

There have been so many things that I’ve had to adjust to while living here that I never anticipated. It’s amazing how seemingly little things such as your host mom refusing to refrigerate milk, or classes being graded 10-1 vs A-F, all add up to create a huge feeling of being foreign.

Some days, that feeling unfortunately takes over. I’m at the point in the semester where the “honeymoon” is over. I’m still as deeply in love with the city of Granada and with Europe as ever, but now that I know the city like the back of my hand and am a lot more comfortable with it, homesickness has begun to set in a little bit.

On days when I need to buy something, but can’t at the exact moment I want to because the whole city is closed for siesta, or moments when I can’t seem to speak or think a word in Spanish, all I want to do is be back at Valpo where I’m much more comfortable.

Fortunately, I have days like today to remind me just how much I love being here.

This morning on my walk to school, I caught a glimpse of the freshly fallen snow on the Sierras. Suddenly not caring so much about getting to class on time, I took a few moments to soak in the beauty around me. Granada is perfectly nestled within the mountains and I will never get sick of the incredible view. Seeing them covered in snow for the first time was beyond words.

After such a good start, my day and attitude only continued to get better. Booking my flights to Portugal and Germany for winter break, I realized that I only have a month left here before Dec-January break. I won’t be back to Granada until classes begin again in February. Though I’m beyond excited to visit with friends and see more of Europe, suddenly it seems as if my time here is growing very short. I’m blessed to have another semester here and can’t wait to see what it holds. Until then, as I count down the days til break, I’ll be cherishing every moment I still have in this beautiful city.

Oh, and in case you were wondering about those exams I was so worried about? I got my results back. All were not perfect, but I did manage to far exceed the expectations I set for myself.

Maybe I can speak a little Spanish after all.

Morocco Video

October 22, 2013 / Marissa Schmidt / 0 Comments

In order to give you guys a better look into my trip to Morocco, I put together a video of my host mom, the camel rides, and a ton of other fun stuff. Click the link below, check it out, and make sure to read my full blog post about my Moroccan expirience!

Morocco Video

Morocco and Other Musings

October 22, 2013 / Marissa Schmidt / 0 Comments

About a month after my return, I think that it’s finally about time to tell you all about my trip into the heart of Africa. Ok, maybe “the heart of Africa” isn’t exactly the appropriate term for Morocco (both geographically and culturally speaking). Actually, it was more like being thrown into the streets of Aladdin’s Agrabba minus the Arabian Nights theme playing in the background. I kid you not, I saw at least 5 people sporting Aladdin theme notebooks/shirts while we were there. In all seriousness though, the trip was very impactful and one that I will not soon forget.

I had never anticipated visiting Morocco in my lifetime. Nor had I particularly wanted to. That is, until I read more about the Granada program and realized that a trip there was included in the cost. Suddenly, a trip to a country I had never desired to go to became one of the main reasons for choosing where I spent a year of my life. Crazy how that works. Fortunately, the trip lived up to the hype I had created for it. Though (almost) everyone else was just as pumped as I was about this journey, I think that in a lot of ways I had a very different trip than them simply because of some of the knowledge I had going into the 4 days I spent there.

Previous to going, I had a class on Modern Middle East history with the delightful Professor Schaefer. Though not always on topic, he shared so many stories of actually living and traveling within the Middle East and Africa, and as a consequence, broke a lot of previous misconceptions that I didn’t even know I had about the culture and people there. (Side note, if you haven’t read the book Ramza, do it. Now. Go spend the $5 and order it off of Amazon. It’s a fast read and I promise you won’t regret it.) I think that having that base of knowledge really allowed me to come into this trip with fresh eyes and an open heart. (See guys, education really does make a huge difference! I’ll get back to that thought when I post on Teach for America eventually….)

The tour group we went with was actually much less a tour group and much more an educational experience. Most of our guides had spent a lot of time in Morocco, could speak the language, and were personally connected and invested as a whole. As a result, we got to interact with the local culture on a level much deeper than your average sight-seeing trip. Yes we saw the Roman gardens, and rode camels, but we also got to stay with host families and actually sit down and talk with real Moroccans about pretty much anything. For example, from almost the moment that we docked in the port city of Tangier, we were off to a women’s shelter to hold discussions with local women about their rights as citizens and the changes within Moroccan society as a whole. Overwhelming at times? Most definitely. Possibly one of the most valuable learning experiences I’ve ever had? You betcha.

Though we had many interesting conversations throughout the 4 days we were there, my favorite by far was meeting Kawtar.

Photo: Isabelle Hicks

Dressed more fashionably than any Spaniard I’ve met yet and completely fluent in English, immediately upon first impression, Kawtar does not appear to be what one would expect a normal 20-something woman raised in a Muslim society to be like. Yet she is. Within the 3 hours she spent showing Gigi, Isabelle, and I her favorite spots in Rabat, we quickly learned that partying, dating, and college, is all so much the same as what we’re used to- even in the “exotic” place of Morocco. We talked about everything from faith to boys and while sipping Moroccan tea, we even had a heart to heart about working up the confidence to tell a guy you like him.

What stuck out most to me however, was our discussion about opportunity. One of Kawtar’s biggest dreams is to study abroad in America. While that dream might seem totally accessible to some, for her, even though she’s already fluent in English, it’s almost impossible.

You see, while for us the process of getting a Visa to travel abroad might seem like a tedious annoying process, for many Moroccans, it’s not simply annoying, it’s nearly impossible. The Moroccan government requires one to have a certain amount money in a bank account before being allowed to travel outside the country. For many Moroccans, that amount of money is more than they will ever see in a lifetime. So, while it is possible for some people to leave the country, those people are among the vast minority. Most Moroccans will in fact never be able to leave their own country and cross the border to the little section of Spanish land that borders theirs in Africa simply because they will never have the right to a visa. Though they will meet people from all over and see pictures of hundreds of places, many of them will never get to see those things with their own eyes and experience things in their own ways,

So as Kawtar told us her dreams of studying in the US and my Moroccan host mom showed us a million pictures of all of her past host students from every part of the globe, my heart broke. Not just broke, shattered into a million pieces. Here was I, a white American woman spending a whole year in Spain, who only the night before complained about not knowing what country I should book a flight too next after Morocco; complaining because I didn’t think I had enough money to last the year and complaining because my Fulbright and Teach for America advisors are back in Valpo and I had applications to complete; complaining because after the group talk the previous night, I didn’t know how I was going to choose between applying for a Fulbright, or to Peace Corps, Americorps, or Teach for America.

In other words, complaining because I had too many options.

Here I was in a beautiful, yet economically destitute country meeting wonderful, intelligent people and creating tons of connections. The only difference between myself and them was that, at the end of 4 days, I would be able to leave and continue exploring the world. Most of their worlds, however, unfortunately begin and end with Morocco. There are no programs such as Peace Corps and Fulbright. No study abroad and certainly no elaborate eurotrips. For Moroccans, those are things to merely dream about. To strive to achieve, but at the end of the day accept that they are not reality.

If there was a way, I would give my abroad experience to Kawtar in a heartbeat. With all that she has already accomplished in life, she more than deserves it… I wish that there was a way that I could somehow give every Moroccan that chance to travel. Not just to travel, but to have the freedom to travel. Never before have I felt more blessed to come from the country that I have. In these last few weeks amidst the shut-down, I must admit, I may have not shown the most national pride. However, despite the many faults of our (and every) government, most of us, are blessed to come from a country where getting a visa is not impossible. A country where study abroad is so common that now almost half of all students spend at least one semester away from home. Travel here is not a dream, it is a reality. Next time you find yourself complaining about the security line in the airport or the endless paperwork of a visa, remember that not only are you blessed to have the opportunity to do so, you are also blessed with the freedom to do so.

So go out, explore the world! Even if that ‘world’ is only the pizza place down the street that you’ve always meant to try, but never end up actually eating it. You may find that the place you end up and the people you meet are totally different than yourself, or maybe, just maybe, you will find what I came to know in Morocco. Maybe, we are all much more similar than we give ourselves credit for. Different people born into different economic and cultural situations, yes, but in all actuality, the world you thought was so big and different, might not be so big after all.

Mañana, Mañana, Mañana…

October 13, 2013 / Marissa Schmidt / 0 Comments

Well, it’s been a whole month since I found myself in Granada (very scared, but thankfully not alone) attempting to write a blog post that could effectively express how I was feeling about finally being in Spain. Since then I’ve managed to hold several Spanish conversations with complete strangers, had more than one awkward encounter with my host brother, taken 2 level tests, completed 2 weeks of orientation, explored La Alhambra, traveled all over Morocco, ridden a camel, flown up to Ireland, tasted Guinness, seen the Cliffs of Moher, visited Edinburgh, climbed Arthur’s Seat, saw my first castle, travelled to Seville on a whim, met many new friends, and completed a very successful first week and a half of classes. Whew. So if you we’re wondering about the long hiatus between blog posts, the reality is that my life has been crazy lately. Crazy wonderful, but crazy nonetheless.

Judging by the lack of blog posts, it is clearly evident that I’ve had no problem of adjusting to the “No pasa nada. Mañana…” aspect of the Spanish lifestyle. If you don’t speak Spanish or have never been to Spain, you are now probably staring blankly at your computer screen wondering what the heck you just read and muttering the following phrases to yourself: “Mañana aspect? What in the world are you talking about Marissa?!” Mañana in Spanish means tomorrow. From the moment I set my feet on Spanish soil, I have been bombarded by Spaniards uttering that particular word. Ok, you caught me; that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but the Spanish are quite famous for having the mentality of, “Eh. It doesn’t matter. I’ll just do it tomorrow.” While not one to usually play up stereotypes, this particular one has proven itself to be more than accurate. The people here really are on a totally different timetable than those in the US and the procrastinator in me has been enjoying every single second of it. Need to withdraw Euros from the ATM? Eh, I’ll do it mañana. Need to buy stamps so that postcards can finally be sent? Maybe mañana. Need to update this blog? Mañana.

Mañana. Mañana. Mañana. The unfortunate thing about the “mañana lifestyle” is that mañanas never stop coming. Before you know it a whole month can pass and that thing you meant to do mañana is still written in the “To Do:” section of your planner waiting to be done. With the end of orientation and the beginning of a 19 credit semester has come the reality of a schedule. Even though I am in Spain for this school year, I still have many responsibilities. If I am actually going to get done half of what I want to accomplish while I’m here, I have to stop putting things off until mañana and start doing them hoy (today), beginning with this blog. It might mean sacrificing some of my siesta time, but the upside is that I will start to get done everything I need to.

In the meantime, since I now have almost 4 weeks of things to share, I thought that instead of writing a novel, it would be fun to give you all snapshots of some of the highlights from each day over here so far, beginning with my first week in Granada. Hopefully it will give you a good idea of how much fun I’ve had finding my place in this beautiful city!

After checking out of our hostel and successfully finding our way to Hotel Melia, Amanda, Diana, and I met the rest of the group and our program advisor, Veronica. Veronica gifted us with maps and orientation schedules, our roommates and host moms were assigned, and off we went into Granada! I live with another girl from the program, Amelia, a wonderful casera (host mom) named Paqi, and her 20-something son, Dioni, in an apartment on Ribera de Genil. So far so great!

To begin the day, Veronica and another professor, Aurelio, gave us a walking tour of the center part of the city. It turned out to be a great way to get to know others in the group, as well as begin to learn our way around Granada. Afterwards, we had a quick break for lunch, and then found ourselves back at school for our level test to place us into our orientation groups. The night ended up being a late (but great) one as one of the other girls, Katie, and I braved a pub to stay up and watch Nadal win the US Open.

Today began with another Veronica/Aurelio tour. This time, we climbed all the way up the hills of La Albayzín which are opposite those of La Alhambra. Though we were all huffing and puffing, the area is rich in Moorish architecture/history and offers beautiful views of the city, the mountains, and of course, La Alhambra. After our morning hike, we were officially divided into our orientation groups and began our 3 hour temporary classes.

Wednesday was our first morning without a scheduled tour or activity, so I took the opportunity to sleep in. After a full afternoon of classes, Amelia, Amanda, and I decided it was a good night to go out for churros con chocolate. We walked all along the river, but finally found a place that was still serving them despite the late hour. Apparently churros and chocolate are supposed to be eaten for breakfast here. Who knew?

Before our morning meeting, 2 other girls from the program (who are also staying for the year) and I were faced with the task of hailing our own cab and getting safely to the Office of Extranjeros on the outskirts of the city. We all made it in one piece and with a lot of help from Veronica’s assistant, were able to successfully complete step one of extending our Visas and attaining our Spainish residency cards. Impressively, we even made it back in time for the meeting. After classes, we met our intercambios for the semester (University of Granada students who volunteer to hang out with us and help us practice our Spanish) and went out with them for tinto (red wine) and tapas.

I honestly don’t remember much about this day other than that it was the first time I really took time to walk around the city myself. I let myself wander the streets and get slightly lost, discovering tons of new stores, tapas bars, and ice cream places as I went. Even now, I still have yet to go a day without discovering a new part of the city that I’ve never seen before.

To round off my first week in Granada, the whole group went on a tour of La Alhambra. With Aurelio as our guide, we had an endless stream of historical knowledge at our disposal. Though the inside was beautiful beyond words, my favorite part of the day came when several of us stayed behind to walk in the gardens and Generalife. The gardens were gorgeous and the six of us had so much fun exploring and holding mini-photoshoots anywhere and everywhere. All the new discoveries and new friends made for the best possible end to a fantastic first week in sunny Spain!

¡Estoy Aquí!

September 8, 2013 / Marissa Schmidt / 0 Comments

I have tried to start this post in so many different ways, but there’s only one way to say it- I’m here in Granada! I still can’t believe it and I’ve been here over a day and a half already. So far the city has been beautiful. The adventure it took to get here, however, was much more of an “I’m going into the African bush with nothing but the clothes on my back” kind-of adventure rather than the “I’m going for a nice camping trip in my RV” kind. What do I mean by that? Well, to be honest, despite all of the emails, google searches, and Spanish grammar review, none of us really knew what we were in for when we got off the plane. I was able to capture most of it in a (hopefully) entertaining video for you all, but to fill in the details before I post it, I’ve written the whole saga down below.

Amanda M.(another girl from Valpo) and I were fortunate enough to run into 3 other girls studying with Central in Granada who were taking the same flight. That was about where our luck ended, however. After getting our luggage and making it through customs in Madrid, one of the girls, Amanda K., and I decided that the next logical step was to hit up the ATMs and get some Euro. There was just one problem. Neither of our cards worked. After a brief moment of panic, we realized we were using the ATM for European cards and not the one for MasterCard/Visa/etc. After switching ATMs Amanda was successfully able to withdraw the amount she needed. My card, however, was still being repeatedly rejected. Thank God (literally) for the other girls. They were successfully able to stop me from bursting into tears and booking the next flight home and reassured me that all would be well. After my panic moment was over, I realized that right before leaving O’Hare I had downloaded an app to my touch that allowed me to make international calls to the US. After purchasing wifi and call time, I was successfully able to call my Waukesha bank. Turns out that even though I notified them of my upcoming travels, they were never put on my record. The bank had thought that someone stole my card to use in Spain and had therefore shut down my account. Luckily, they were able to confirm that it was indeed my trying to use my own card in Spain. All was well and I was able to withdraw my money. *Insert large thank you to dad for convincing me to purchase said iPod here*

Unfortunately, that was only the beginning of many struggles to come. Our program director had sent those of us flying into Madrid a very detailed email documenting all the ways to get from the airport all the way down to Granada. We decided to go the cheap route, which, unfortunately for us was also by far the most complicated. From the airport we bought train tickets. We almost bought the wrong ones, potentially broke one of the ticket gates, and definitely thought we were waiting at the wrong platform for a moment, but in the end, we ended up on the right train. We also ended up blocking off an entire train car because of the amount of luggage we had between the six of us. We managed to get off at the right station, but struggled getting out, because, fun fact, in Spain you MUST save your train tickets and reuse them to open the doors to exit the station. It’s a great way to ensure that everyone pays their fare, but it’s not so great when you’re an ignorant American student who has no idea about said system. Thankfully we all made it out.

Finally out of the train station, we were ready to conquer the world that is the Madrid bus station. We were able to find the right bus company fairly quickly, but found out that we had just missed the early bus and were going to have to wait for 2 hours to catch the next one. Excellent. We were able to successfully talk with several Spaniards while we waited and even learned the meaning of the mysterious “tío/tía bueno” expression we had been hearing (for those of you that don’t speak Spanish the expression literally translates to good uncle/aunt. Apparently in Spain that’s what they use to describe good-looking people. So confusing, but hilariously and graciously explained to us by an older Spanish woman). The 2 hours actually flew by and before we knew it we were boarding the bus.

Right before we got on, I spotted another college-age girl also sporting a huge suitcase and a Vera Bradley duffel (usually a pretty dead give away that one’s American). She came up and asked if I was also going to Granada, and turns out she’s a Central Abroad student too! After that crazy chance encounter, I settled in for the 5+ hour bus ride to the south of Spain. I missed the entire first 2ish hours of the ride catching up on sleep, but from what I saw of the last 3, the Spanish countryside is beautiful! I’ve never actually seen mountains before in my life, so being able to drive straight through the Sierras was incredible. The foliage here is so interesting. I can’t wait to take advantage of all the hiking around Granada and climb some of these mountains myself!

Anyways, we arrived to the bus station on the outskirts of Granada safely and without much event. Once again though, we had a little trouble figuring out which form of public transportation we should try next. When given the option between a city bus and taxis, we decided to take the “easy” way out and grab a cab. Diana, Amanda M., and I were staying in a hostel vs. The Hotel Melia Granada like the rest of our group, so we took a separate cab. Though the hostel was right behind the famous store Zara, only a few blocks away from Hotel Melia and should’ve been relatively easy to find, our cab driver mistakenly left us off 2 blocks early. Luckily, the owner of another hostel was able to point us in the right direction and we made our way safely there- heavy luggage and all. Even better, the woman and her husband who own the hostel are AMAZING. They took such great care of us! If any of you are thinking of coming to Granada (You all should!) and need a cheap place to stay, Old Town Hostel is literally the best money can buy. €12 for a night’s stay, a hot shower, breakfast, and a rooftop terrace. You can’t beat it.

To say the trip was long is an understatement. I definitely had more than one moment of, “What in the world am I doing here?! I can’t function here for one day, let alone an entire year!” but being in Granada and meeting the other girls made it all worth it. Amelia, the girl we ended up meeting on the 2:00 bus, because we missed the first one? Turns out she’s my roommate for fall semester! She’s also a huge answer to prayer, but that’s a story for another blog post. For now, I need to head to bed. Tomorrow we see more of the city and take our first level test. *Gulp* ¡Hasta lluego!

Kevin's view along the Camino (notice the other pilgrims ahead on the road) while entering one of the pueblos along the way.

Que Aproveches

April 26, 2013 / Emily DeVries / 0 Comments

Since coming to Spain, I’ve learned all kinds of common conversational phrases that we just don’t have the proper words for in English. Yes, if you put them into Google translator, you’ll get some kind of ballpark answer that gives you an idea of what the phrase means. For example, if you take the title of this post and copy it into the translator, you’ll get the response: “you take advantage of.” Que aproveches is one of my favorite Spanish phrases, and considering the fact that I only have 17 days left in this amazing country, it’s a very appropriate thing to be saying during my final stretch here. That being said, Google’s response to que aproveches does not do the phrase any justice whatsoever. It’s something you say to someone else before they enjoy one of the finer things in life: an excellent meal, a night on the town, a vacation, a bottle of champagne, or (in my case) the last few days of the adventure of a lifetime. To me, que aproveches means “I hope you get the most out of it – that you enjoy every last fraction of a second to the very fullest and that you savor it for all its worth.”

The Catedral de Santiago de Compostela, in Galicia.

Nobody takes this phrase to heart quite like my good friend, fellow Valpo student, and traveling companion, Kevin Miller. Back in February, we read an article in class about a tradition that dates back to the middle ages: a cross-country pilgrimage known as the Camino de Santiago. Beginning as a religious journey towards the destination of what was once considered “the edge of the world” (the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela on the westernmost coast of Spain – where the apostle James is buried), the Camino has been traveled over the centuries by millions of “pilgrims” from all over the world. After learning about this tradition in class, Kevin mentioned that he’d really like to try it. Last week, that’s exactly what he did. Kevin wrote a little bit about his experiences for us to read, and gave me some photos from his journey to post here…

Each shelter that Kevin ate at or slept at put a stamp in his "pilgrimage passport".

“It’s dubbed El Camino de Santiago (The Way of St. James), but in reality, it’s a network of many different routes that all converge at the destination point of the pilgrimage, the Cathedral of Santiago. I spent seven days biking on the Camino Frances, which begins in St. Jean Pied de Port, a small French city only a few kilometers north of the Spanish-French border. I began my journey in Pamplona, which is about 100 kilometers from St. Jean Pied de Port, and finished at the Cathedral.

A gorgeous sunset along the Camino.

Most pilgrims do the Camino by foot, normally walking from about 8am until sometime in the mid afternoon, where they then find a shelter where you can shower, get some dinner, relax, and recharge for the next day. But some, like me, decide to do it by bike (and even some, although I didn’t see on my trip, by horse!). Naturally, the Camino Frances is a nearly perfect east to west route. Therefore, each day the sun served as my guide: creeping up my back, illuminating my helmet, and then sneaking down my front side before sending its last few rays over the distant horizon.

Kevin's view along the Camino (notice the other pilgrims ahead on the road) while entering one of the many pueblos along the way.

The Camino attracts people from all of the world, all doing it for some particular reason, whether for religious or spiritual motives or solely for the adventure. During my journey, I spent time talking with pilgrims and Spanish locals, either in the shelters in the evenings or during the day when I felt like substituting my biking legs for walking legs. I met an economist from Denmark, a Venezuelan software engineer, a construction worker from San Sebastian (northern Spain), a mother and son from Alabama, a Belgian architect, a truck driver from A Coruña (northwest Spain), a Canadian medical technician… the list goes on and on. It was quite a beautiful experience, and if any of you reading this have the opportunity to do it, I’d recommend it. You certainly won’t regret it.”

The view of the Camino from the top of one of the hills that Kevin climbed up - looking back to the east.

Kevin’s unique journey across the country of Spain is just one of those things that resonates so appropriately with the concept of aprovechando. Taking advantage of every opportunity, every adventure, and savoring those moments to the fullest are such important aspects of studying abroad, and are things that can only be learned through taking a leap of faith into those types of journeys. It’s a way of thinking that I’m blessed to be taking back home with me. I know without a doubt that all students who have been abroad can easily say the same after experiencing their own individual leaps of faith, savoring the details of such journeys with a new found sense of what it means to take advantage of the moments we’re given.

One of the many patios within the Real Alcazar. See the fishies in the reflection pool?

A Whole New World

April 17, 2013 / Emily DeVries / 0 Comments

One of the many patios within the Real Alcázar, which was once a Moorish fort/palace. See the fishies in the reflection pool?

Okay, before I get started here, I’m going to warn you. I’m about to sound like a travel agent who’s sugarcoating everything in order to close a deal. I promise you, none of this is an exaggeration. Southern Spain is a world entirely of its own, and for lack of a better description, it’s magical. The air is filled with the smell of orange blossoms and the sounds of street musicians playing flamenco guitar, the sun shines in a bright blue sky until 8 pm. Wrought-iron balconies spill flowers out into winding narrow streets, ornate ceramic tiles adorn every door frame, and the clock slows down to match the laid-back, fun-loving lifestyle of the south. Words and pictures don’t do it justice, it’s just something you have to feel… but it exists and it’s definitely magical.

Ceramic tile work outside the Plaza de España. This kind of detail is part of almost every building in the city.

Seville is a city steeped in a rich and diverse history. Thus, its culture has developed over the centuries into a beautiful mix of flavors that is entirely unique to the south of Spain. Conquered by first the Romans, then the Moors, and then the Jewish and the Catholics, the city shows evidence on every corner of how it has aged and evolved over time. Take, for example, the Roman wall that surrounds the city center. After the Romans left, parts of the wall were incorporated into different structures, serving as a supporting wall of the Real Alcázar (one of my favorite places in Seville, a Moorish palace that is filled with acres of incredible gardens and patios), or even being built into houses. There are a number of houses that were built right onto the wall throughout the Moorish and Catholic reigns that still are inhabited today, covered in the intricate tile work common to the Moors and the close influence of Morocco and North Africa. And yet, they bear the family crests from the 1500s-era Catholic families that lived there centuries ago. This type of culture-blending is evident everywhere you look in Seville, and has since become a trademark of the city’s flavor.

The breathtaking view of the city from the top of La Giralda, a 34-story tower attached the the Catedral de Sevilla.

The architecture isn’t the only thing about Seville that serves as a distinctive symbol, though. What brings the real magic to this city isn’t the buildings, but the people and their customs. The home of Flamenco, Sevillianos take their music, dancing, food, drink, and parties very seriously, and everything else kind of happens by its own time. Siestas are an even bigger deal here than in Zaragoza, and nobody’s ever in a rush (unless they’re talking. Understanding the Andaluz accent at the speed with which they talk was next to impossible!) I got hooked on the beauty and tradition of Flamenco while I was there, thanks to a few factors: trying on a traditional gown (I felt like a human Barbie doll!), watching a Flamenco dancing show over a pitcher of sangría, and perhaps most importantly, the buzz in the air regarding the upcoming Fería de Abril.

Alright. Obviously not my picture, since I missed the Fería. But this is what it looks like and is the reason why I was so enchanted.

The Fería started this past Tuesday, and is essentially a week-long dancing, eating, drinking, and socializing

extravaganza. At the edge of the city, they set up 1000+ massive tents, called “casetas”. Each caseta is an exclusive access facility, and you can only get in if you know a member (one of the group of people who are paying for the caseta to function at the Fería). Thus, it’s not unheard of for someone to be on the waiting list to be a caseta member for 30+ years. In each caseta are a bunch of tables, a dance floor, and a bar. Each day at the Fería, women dress in traditional Flamenco attire, and men will wear suits and ties. Dancing is a big part of the event, and the “Sevillana” style of dress, music, and dance dates back to the 1700s. We didn’t get to see the Fería in action, because we left Seville on Monday morning, but we did get to go to the fairgrounds and saw a caseta, thanks to a friend who has been living in Seville for six years.

My friend Margaux (from Marseille, France) and I at the Torre de Oro, enjoying the sunshine!

One of the things I love most about Spain is the way that the Spanish have done such a great job preserving and celebrating their roots. Nothing gets washed away by history… the past is beautifully blended into the present in all aspects of life: culture, architecture, food, lifestyle. Seville is such an explicit and colorful example of that phenomenon, and I’m never going to forget the unending beauty of it all, and the way it swept me away to the point of being unable to convey it in words. I think this is my longest entry to date, and I’m still frustrated that my pictures and descriptions don’t do it justice. Guess that means that you all just have to find an excuse to go there and see for yourself…

I’ll be boarding a plane headed for Zaragoza, Spain

December 13, 2012 / studyabroad / 1 Comment

45 days from now, I’ll be boarding a plane headed for Zaragoza, Spain and embarking on a journey that, 45 days ago, I wasn’t sure I would be taking.

… What?

As an education major, I was told that studying abroad wouldn’t be a realistic option to pursue if I wanted to graduate in four years. I remember being a starry-eyed freshman sitting in my first advising session, and feeling the sinking disappointment that came from my adviser’s warning to me about studying abroad…

“I really appreciate your ambition, Emily. It comes in handy in the education field. But you have to take into account that you will already only have seven semesters to do what most students do in eight. You student teach during the spring of your senior year.”

“So… I shouldn’t get my hopes up about going abroad?”

“Probably not.”

… and that was that. To make a long story short, freshman and sophomore years went by with few bumps in the road and without much more discussion about leaving the country. This past summer, though, the winds of change rolled in and rocked my world in ways that I couldn’t have predicted, leaving me in one of the lowest emotional places I’ve ever found myself in. I was told by a number of people that it was time for me to do some soul searching, to re-discover my identity, and to fully pursue the things that I was most passionate about. The deeply-rooted yet inconvenient desire to study abroad resurfaced, and even though I promised my parents that I wouldn’t do anything stupid to get my hopes up, I went and had another discussion with my academic adviser.

By some miraculous twist of fate, I found myself both academically and financially able to afford a semester abroad. So here I am now – standing on the brink of what’s sure to be the biggest adventure of my 20 years of life.

I’m a different person than I was three months ago, when I started to reconsider studying abroad. At first, it occurred to me that running off to a place where nobody knows my name would be an excellent way to step away from the problems that have caused me so much hurt. As time has passed and my heart has healed, I’ve realized that my motives for going to Spain have changed drastically. I’m not running away from something, but rather I’m running towards something much greater. I’ve grown and changed as a person during these past few months in ways that have amazed me, and I know that going to Zaragoza is only going to help me grow even more into the person I’m supposed to become. Change begins when we leave our comfort zones, and leaving my home and loved ones behind for five months will definitely be out of my comfort zone. I’m terribly nervous, but the excitement I have for what’s to come is beyond what words can say.

45 days and counting…

[as of posting, it’s 25 days, 0 hours, and 42 minutes!!]

By Emily DeVries, Elementary Education Major, Spanish minor, from St. Charles, Illinois. More posts to come!!

Oslo and Norwegian Constitution Day

May 27, 2012 / Jordan Harner / 0 Comments

I recently took my last trip in Europe and I couldn’t have picked a better time to do so!

I went to Oslo, Norway for 5 days to visit a few friends I met in Zaragoza and while I was there, I got to see the Norwegian Constitution Day. Oslo’s a little city (a little smaller than Indianapolis) and is quiet and easy-going. Coming from a bustling Madrid, it was quite the comparison. Nonetheless, Oslo is a great city and I think it’s mistakenly overlooked as a great travel destination.

Getting to experience their Constitution Day was something I’ll never forget. There are hundreds of street vendors selling everything from traditional Norwegian food to Arabic food and thousands of people in the streets in traditional clothes (called a bunad). There are also a number of younger people in red overall-type get ups. They’re referred to as russ which is a part of their graduation tradition there. The picture to the right is of my Norwegian friend Christina in her bunad with my other friend and her boyfriend Jørgen. Some men also wear traditional-style clothes but many nowadays just wear a suit like Jørgen. The traditional dress also depends on what area of Norway you’re from so Christina’s dress is different from a typical dress from another region of Norway. In addition, I got a quick glimpse of the king of Norway and the royal family of Norway as they were waving to the crowds from the balcony of the palace.

One of the things that surprised me about Norway was the prices. Everything is extremely expensive. Going to a normal cafe to buy a caramel macchiato and a muffin cost me around $11. It’s not just the restaurants either. Everything in the grocery store is more expensive as well and in some instances, the clothes in an H&M, for instance, were about twice the price as in Spain. Something else that surprised me (but in a good way) was that because Norway is so far north, the sun began to rise around 3 a.m. when I was there. I suppose I should have realized this before going but it was so cool looking outside at 3 in the morning and actually being able to see the streets lit up but empty. During the summer, there is very little darkness and in the winter, there’s not much light at all. This was just one of the few oddities that made Oslo even more interesting for me.

In all, I had a great time there and I’m so glad I got to visit my friends Christina, Jørgen, and Sandra. It’s a really beautiful place to visit and I can’t speak highly enough about it!

Thanks for reading and if you’d like to follow me more closely, I have a Twitter account. If you’d like to see ALL of my photos, I also have a Picasa account.

The Cathedral located at the far end of the Royal Palace.

Madrid Part 2 – Prado, Reina Sofia, Palacio Real

May 24, 2012 / Jordan Harner / 0 Comments

I thought the best way to cover what I actually did in Madrid would be to make a short list and include some basic information since I did so much there.

The Cathedral located at the far end of the Royal Palace.

Reina Sofia

This is a fairly standard museum and one of the 2 major museums in Madrid. There’s a variety of paintings with a considerable amount of works from both Dalí and Picasso. They were both Spanish painters so naturally the Sofia has several of their respectable masterpieces. By far, the most famous painting in the museum is probably Picasso’s Guernica. This particular painting is famous not just because of who painted it but also because of its subject matter depicting the bombing of the city of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War. In any case, the museum is fairly straightforward, free for students, and you could expect to spend maybe 4 to 5 hours there.

Outside the front of the Prado.

The Prado

The Prado is the top-rated museum in Spain and one of the most famous in the world. I enjoyed it but having already went to the Reina Sofia the day before, I was honestly a little tired of museums at that point so my opinion of it might be a little biased. The two major collections here are from Velázquez and Francisco de Goya. I enjoyed both of those exhibits but I thought the film section was a bit boring. Some people might take a liking to the short, artsy films but I honestly was bored after about 20 minutes. I much prefer the paintings there. Like the Reina Sofia, it’s free for students and just a few euros for everyone else. You could spend a few hours there as well depending on how much of a museum person you are. Even if you never go to the museum, the area surrounding it is definitely worth seeing.

El Palacio Real (The Royal Palace)

The Spanish Royal Palace is absolutely stunning and it’s one of the must-see things in Madrid. I’ve heard people say it’s one of the greatest palaces in Europe and I can’t argue with that. In my previous blog post, I posted a picture of the side of the palace as seen from the royal gardens. On the opposite side is a big church of which I’ll also add a photo somewhere in this post. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to go inside because it’s randomly closed certain days of the year but I think it costs around 6 or 7 euros to enter and I’ve heard it’s extremely luxurious so it’s probably worth it.

Me, outside the gates of Palacio Real (Royal Palace).

Other Areas

Two other areas that are must-sees in Madrid (and that I frequently traveled to) are Puerta del Sol and Plaza Mayor. They’re both very close to each other and basically constitute the center of Madrid. The area is very touristy and there are several restaurants and tapas bars so if you’re planning to eat there like I did, you’ll probably have to search a bit to find a less expensive place. They’re not too difficult to find it’s just a matter of finding something different from everything else. Most of the tapas places and restaurants serve very similar food so they’re almost all indistinguishable from one another next to their respective names. The only real things to see in Puerta del Sol (other than any protests that are going on which are frequent) is the fish-shaped metro station and the famous bear/tree statue. This is the statue that is on the city seal and is most associated with Madrid. One last place that I went to kill some time was the Royal Botanical Gardens. It’s next to the Prado so if you’re into flowers and such, I highly recommend it. They have an extensive garden and it costs around 2 euros to enter. If for nothing else, it’s good to just relax and smell the roses.

That’s it for my blog on Madrid. I hope it didn’t feel too rushed because of my blog limitations so if anyone ever has a question, send me a message or something. I’m always happy to help!