Henry Caver Spain 2018

Arrival

As usual, I arrived late to the airport meaning that I needed to hurry in order to catch up with the rest of our group. I may now be known as the caboose of the group of MBA boys to visit Spain this summer. The flight to Spain was the beginning of my first ever intercontinental trip. The flight would have been an average one for any regular traveler, but airplane meals and free movies were firsts for me and a very interesting start to my travels. Upon arriving in Madrid there were quite a few noticeable differences. For example, our wait for the bus from Madrid to Salamanca exposed our group to the reality of how much Spaniards smoke. The difference in architecture, natural landscapes, and surprisingly even graffiti were observed on each trip from city to city. Meeting my host mother and seeing our new home of three weeks were both a bit shocking, but I and the two other boys that shared my small bedroom in the apartment were calmed by the amicable nature of our wonderful host mother, her daughters, and especially their tiny dog.

Anti-corruption protest seen on the afternoon
of our arrival in Spain

The Plaza Mayor of Salamanca on
 night of our arrival in Spain

Salamanca

The plan was to stay in Salamanca for three weeks with a host family and attend a language school before traveling from city to city during the final week. We would learn much about the Spanish culture, realities of Spanish life, and how to improve our utilization of the language. We soon learned that most homes are much smaller in Spain than they are in the United States, warm water becomes cold very quickly, and air conditioning is optionable even in the summer. Each day we would spend three hours in school initially reviewing what we had learned about the language prior to our travels and then later diving into more difficult facets of Spanish grammar and vocabulary. Our classes were a mix of mostly American students our age, but I also had the opportunity to meet two Indian students and a Japanese-Italian student from Budapest, Hungary who also attended our language school. I encountered many different types of people while in Salamanca for various reasons. First of all, it is a bit of a tourist destination due to its large cathedrals, historic district, and the plaza in the center of the city. Second, Salamanca is considered as somewhat of a college town with its very old universities. This means that there were many tourists in the city whom I observed to usually be from Western Europe and Asia. There were also many students in the city. Some of which were students of the universities, but the majority of them were similar to myself: Europeans or Americans my age that had come to learn about the culture of Spain and improve their language skills. Whenever I would go out to the plaza or walk around the city, we would meet other students like us. I really enjoyed my experiences with students from Ireland, the Netherlands, Hungary, and France. Many of these experiences I had in my first week were organized through my language school. We would go on “excursions” each weekend to a different town or city nearby to see the various historic landmarks. We visited Alba de Tormes where we met a man who had dedicated his life to traveling by wagon, specifically on the “Camino de Santiago” and we visited an old cathedral where the heart of a saint was held. Our second excursion was to Segovia where we visited the famous castle in which Christopher Columbus asked the royalty of Spain for the funding of his first trip to the Americas and the ancient Roman aqueducts of the city. I believe my time spent in Salamanca were three of the best weeks of my life.

My friends and I playing soccer on a futsal court

My friends and I making gazpacho and messing around

Soccer field in a beautiful park next to the city

Sevilla

        My visit to Sevilla is highlighted by memories of the FIFA World Cup and tapas. In the mornings, afternoons, and evenings we would enjoy assortments of tapas highlighted by ham and cheese, coffee, Spanish omelets, and more. Our entire group went out for dinner one night at a tapas bar where they were showing the Spain vs. Morocco match on the television. This experience was fun due to the tense but exciting nature of our Spanish peers in the restaurant. Spain scored a last-minute goal and it was very exciting. We visited an enormous cathedral, a large garden, and a grandiose plaza. I can still remember the street musicians singing, “Sevilla tiene un color especial.”

Sevillan sunset

Breakfast tapas

Granada

In Granada, we encountered a culture that was different to the other Spanish cities which we had visited. Granada has a Mediterranean climate and much cultural influence from the Moroccan neighbors to the south. I tried sardines as well as calamari for the first time there and spent much time walking around the city looking for the city’s soccer team’s shop. We visited a spot upon the hills of Granada which provided a view of the city, the Alhambra, and the Sierra Nevada in the background. We toured the Alhambra which showed off the Islamic influence of the city. I did, in fact, end up finding the team shop and still have the jacket I bought there.

Left background: the Sierra Nevada mountain range; center:
the Alhambra; foreground: Granada

Madrid

I loved walking around Madrid and observing the similarities of the metropolis with familiar American cities as well as Spanish cities that I had visited. Parades, celebrations, music, performers, and large groups of people all seemed to be themes in the capital city. Our group had opportunities to visit the Royal Palace, parks, famous plazas, markets, restaurants, and renowned art museums like the Museo del Prado and the Museo Reina Sofia. We spent one of our days in Toledo visiting the large cathedral and touring the old city. We dined on our own a few times while in Toledo and Madrid providing us with opportunities to challenge ourselves in learning the language by ordering and functioning as a Spaniard. Madrid was a very exciting place to be but also an exhausting place to be due to the extensive walking required.

Scenic view of the Royal Palace and the city of Madrid

Thank you

I would like to thank the Wilson family and any teachers and administrators that made this trip possible. I learned and improved exponentially in my speaking and understanding abilities while in Spain. I learned so much about Spanish culture, how it compares to American culture, and what I can learn from my new understandings. I have countless memories and stories to tell my friends, siblings, parents, future children, and their future children. Finally, I made important friendships that I have continued since I have returned to the United States. It is not an understatement to say that my 2018 trip to Spain has genuinely changed my life.

Nikhil Peterson - Spain 2018

Arrival in Madrid

We arrived in Madrid after the seven-hour flight and were all tired and jet lagged but ready to begin our adventure in Spain. We immediately began our immersion into the Spanish culture with a traditional Spanish lunch as soon as we arrived. As we were only with the American group in Madrid, we really had no reason to speak Spanish in place of English, but we started to form language pacts in which everyone had to speak Spanish and whoever spoke English first had to do a funny punishment. During those three brief days in Madrid, we visited a number of famous tourist sites such as the Reina Sofia Museo, El Museo del Prado, and the Royal Palace. It was very interesting and educational to see Spanish pieces of art such as La Guernica y Las Meninas which we had studied in class in real life. I also enjoyed hearing our tour guide explain the significance of each piece and comparing to the way we had studied the art in class. At the Royal Palace we had an audio tour which took us through a variety of throne rooms and showed us much of the gold and silver pieces which the Spanish royal family had accumulated over the years. By the end of our orientation in Madrid, our entire group had grown very close and we all felt like we had known each other for months. The next phase of our trip in Spain was our homestay in the small town of Guadix.

The Royal Palace in Madrid

Brief Visit to Toledo

The bus ride from Madrid to Guadix was approximately six hours but we took a one day stop in Toledo. Before actually entering the city, we stopped on a road outside the city and looked down on the historical city of Toledo. Toledo is built on a large hill and surrounded by a medieval moat and from our vantage point, we could see many historical buildings such as one of the largest cathedrals I’ve ever seen. During our day in the city, we saw the cathedral from outside and roamed around the city. We also learned about the crafting of gold, one of the more famous arts of Toledo. We visited an actual artisan shop and they showed us how the made and carved the gold. They also showed us the difference between handmade gold products and the pieces made on an assembly line. Soon, it was time for us to finish our journey to Guadix and finally meet our host families.

The group of American outside of Toledo 

Homestay in Guadix

As our bus arrived at the bus stop in Guadix to a large crowd of our Spanish families, all of us were feeling a mixture of nervous and excited. None of us knew quite what to expect in terms of our ability to converse with our Spanish families or our ability to assimilate into the Spanish culture, but there was no need to worry. As soon as I met my host family which was composed of my host mother, father, and two twins, a brother and a sister who were about my age, I knew that my time in Guadix with them would be the best part of my trip. My brother and I quickly bonded over sports such as our both being fans of F.C. Barcelona. On my first night in Guadix, my host siblings and I went to dinner with another American and his Spanish host brother. During that first dinner, Levi, the other American, and I were both fairly quiet as we were still struggling to keep up with the quick Spanish conversation. However, we still had fun with our Spanish host siblings laughing about Spanish words we couldn’t pronounce or English words they couldn’t say such as ketchup or mayonnaise. Throughout the almost two weeks we spent in Guadix, we did a variety of activities or excursions which helped us learn about the Spanish culture. On our first night we took a walk through the city and both learned our way around the city and heard stories about the history of the city and certain legends. Over the next few days, we explored the city more, visiting the famous cave houses and doing community service at the park by picking up trash, painting benches, and trimming bushes. Some of my favorite excursions included a trip to a beach about an hour away from Guadix, kayaking in a river, and hiking along waterfalls at Castril. All of the Americans quickly grew close with their Spanish families and we all felt at home in Guadix within only a few days. During our free time my host siblings and I would meet up with the other Americans and host siblings at the park or at the pool and we would either talk or play Spanish card games. During all of this time, I was growing more comfortable with holding full conversations in Spanish and I no longer struggled with the nerves I had felt on the first night. During my stay with my host family, I was constantly being fed by my host mother and I tried a variety of traditional Spanish food. The time finally came for us to leave our host families in Guadix and move on to Granada, and saying goodbye to my host family was one of the toughest things I’ve ever had to do. Although we all somberly waved goodbye as the bus pulled away from Guadix, we also looked forward to exploring the much larger city of Granada.

Our group of Americans and host siblings at the caves in Guadix

Classes and Activities in Granada

In Granada, we took classes for four hours each day, and the classes were highly interactive and enriching. We spent two of the four hours learning about the Spanish culture, usually by walking through the streets and interviewing people from Granada. During the other two hours we focused more on our use of language and improving our ability to speak. Although my Spanish definitely improved during my time in Spain both through the classes and conversing with native speakers, my favorite part of the classes was going in depth with the Spanish culture. I learned a lot about the culture of Andalucia, the region where Granada is, especially their food and long history with the Moors. We went to an authentic Spanish grocery store and asked people there how to prepare certain meals which we later prepared for a party we had. After our classes each day, we had daily activities which enforced our learning about the Spanish culture even more. The highlights of those activities included our visit to La Alhambra in Granada and a lesson in flamenco. Flamenco was great exercise and La Alhambra included a lot of intricate architecture and both historical and religious significance to both the Muslims and the Christians. It was interesting to see the differences between the Muslim and Christian architecture and how the two religions or societies had interacted in the past. As we neared the end of our trip, we began to prepare ourselves for goodbye and our return to the U.S.

La Alhambra in Granada

Last Day in Madrid and Goodbye

To finish our trip we returned to Madrid for one final day before our flight home. It was amazing to see how familiar everything seemed but also how much we had changed in terms of our Spanish abilities, our awareness of Spanish culture, and how our group was even closer. On the last night we went out to dinner at the Plaza Mayor and enjoyed our last meal together. When we woke up in the morning it was time for us to pack up and board the bus to go the airport. The flight home went by much faster than the flight home because I never wanted it to end but when we finally arrived in New York we said goodbye with lots of tears and hugs, and my trip to Spain had officially come to an end.

Thanks

I would like to extend my thanks to the Wilson family for this incredible opportunity and experience in Spain. I met so many incredible people on this trip including my host family, Spanish friends, and American friends which I never would have known without the Wilson family’s generosity. In addition, my ability to speak Spanish greatly improved and I am now even more ready for my final year of Spanish classes at MBA. Learning about the Spanish language and culture has helped me consider more thoroughly studying Spanish beyond MBA in college and after firsthand experience of the Spanish culture I have a greater understanding of different cultures. Once again, I would like to say thank you again for this wonderful, life-changing opportunity.

Jacob Kovick Spain 2016

Jacob Kovick EIL Spain

My trip to Spain truly began with the gathering of the group in New York City. We met at the airport several hours before our flight to Spain, so that we were all at least acquainted with each other and the level of Spanish of our group. I immediately noticed that even though everyone in the group had had two years of Spanish, like me, Jackson Satz and I were miles ahead in all parts of the language. This detail made it difficult at times to speak fluid Spanish with the group, sort of the opposite of what I had originally expected, which was to be difficult to keep up with a higher level of the language. However, it is also a testament to the fantastic language program we have at MBA. The group as a whole was quite anxious to finally get to Spain, and hop right into the culture and the full language immersion.

Madrid (Days 1-3)

Upon arriving in Madrid after the grueling seven hour flight, we were greeted immediately by the intense Spanish heat and business of the big city. As we sleepily gathered our bags, we prepared for a long first day of sightseeing and cultural immersion. Throughout  our three day orientation stay in Madrid, we saw almost every major landmark, including El Palacio Real, El Prado Museum, and La Reina Sofia. These visits served not only as fantastic sightseeing, but also as great opportunities to learn numerous reasons as to why Spain is as it is. During the free time in Madrid, I spent much of my time walking around and exploring the different types of shops, restaurants and much more. This was a great experience to see and try new things, and to re-immerse myself in the Spanish language. Right off the bat, I noticed the difference in the Spanish that we have learned and the language spoken in Spain: new verb conjugations, accents, and much more. We also used this time to acclimate to the Spanish schedule of late lunches and late dinners, due to the siestas and late sunsets. Throughout the city, I began to notice the amounts of poverty and lack in wealth throughout the city, and what would be the country as a whole. This feature was complemented by my learning that Spain is one of the poorer countries in Europe, due to its past governing and much more. However, Madrid is a beautiful city, and served as a great place to get to know the group, and begin our stay in Spain. 

El Palacio Real

Toledo (Day 4)

On our way to Andalucía, we stopped for a few hours in the ancient capital of Spain, Toledo, to explore some of the history and monuments there. Adding on to my knowledge of Spain from Modern Euro history, we learned more about the relationship between the Spanish state, the Catholics, and the Moors (Muslims). Here, we were given the freedom to explore the city and walk around. We saw some beautiful buildings and views, which complemented the history and beauty of Spain. The amount of amazing artisan projects and art there showed the change from the history of the city to where it is now. Finally, we departed more towards the south for the bulk of our stay in Spain. 

Overlooking Toledo's palace and cathedral

Granada (Days 5-17)

Having arrived in Granada the night before, we were tired yet ready to begin a more constant routine in living the Spanish lifestyle. For the first day, we began the daily routine of morning classes, followed by lunch, siesta and different fun activities throughout the night. The group stayed in the dorms of a boarding school in Albayzín, the Arabic-influenced part of Granada. However, it was an easy walk to any of the three parts of the city, as we would do almost every night.

During the cultural classes we learned about the heavy Muslim influence in southern Spain, the significance of bulls to Spain, and about the Flamenco. Our first big group activity was a visit to La Alhambra, a massive, ancient Muslim fortress which the Christians would conquer later in history. The construction feats and the views were magnificent and was a true demonstration of some of the culture contrasts of which we had learned. Then, one other night, we went out in the city to see a flamenco show at one of the most famous flamenco bars in Spain. The rhythm, speed, and emotion of the dance were indescribable. Another artistic experience we had was a gymkhana, a massive scavenger hunt around the whole city. The objective was to see the difference between vandalism and the graffiti. Due to the difference in social classes and resources available, much of the graffiti was beautiful art which displayed the true, anonymous, attitudes of the people. I also talked a little fútbol with my awesome teacher, Juanfe. I expanded on my previous knowledge of the Spanish league by learning that the rivalries were more about the intense mutual hatred between cities instead of the teams themselves. The classes were a great way to learn more about some of what we had been seeing and would see.

The group in front of La Alhambra

During the afternoons and nighttimes, we filled our stay with plenty of activities, planned and unplanned. Each day we would have a full group activity, which was run by our group leaders and also our Spanish leaders. These ranged anywhere from water balloon fights to spending entire half-days at the beach. My favorite activity was the day when Arturo, one of the Spanish leaders, invited several Spaniards to come to our dorms and play soccer, basketball and much more with us. After this visit, these same Spaniards of our age continued to return for more of our activities and would also take us out into their city at night. Most of these nights we would go walk around the city and hang out in parks or go with the girls shopping. (I forgot to mention that our group contained just three guys, including myself, and nine girls). Because of this detail, the boys often found ourselves having to make our own fun because we were heavily outnumbered. The group became accustomed to the city very quickly though. Before we knew it, we had found favorite restaurants and ice cream places, just as if we were living in our own home cities. By the time we had to leave Granada, everyone was sad to leave our new Spanish friends. However, we were also excited to finally meet our Spanish families and I was pumped to mostly lose English for the next 10 days.

The Beautiful Mediterranean from the beach at Salobreño

At the Center of Granada 

Guadix (Homestay) (Days 18-28)

We woke up on the morning of the travel day, and immediately left for a one hour drive to our homestay city of Guadix. Upon arrival, we noticed the significant difference in size and population between the two cities. Our host families greeted us with hugs and double-cheek kisses (a commonality in Spain). From there we were on our own with the families, and truly living and acting as a Spaniard for the next ten days. As I got to know my family, I learned that both my host brother, José, and my sister, Cristina, either had learned or were learning English, respectively. For the first two days of my stay, my brother had his final two English exams so we agreed to speak English and Spanish to help him study. Through this, I learned that even while José spoke very very well and Cristina was learning, the majority of Spanish students take English only because it is mandatory in school, and do not progress very far. Also, when I thought that Spanish couldn't get any more different, it continued to change. Guadix has its own dialect, which they call "Guadixismo". Through this, many s's become silent because of the speaking speed, there is a lisp on any soft c's and all z's, and many words were shortened. For example, "Más o menos, me gusta hablar el español para mejorarlo todo" (more or less, I like to speak Spanish to improve all of it) becomes "Ma o meno, me guta hablar español pa mejorarlo to". Needless to say, this was very difficult to learn, but came easier as time passed.
 Each day, the group would all gather, along with host brothers and sisters, and participate in several different and exciting activities. These ranged from community service, to going hiking, to going to the beach. The highlight of these activities, for me, was our visit to Castril. There we began by hiking through a mountain range and seeing some of the amazing views of the plains. At the top of one of the mountains, there was an awesome pool where we spent the rest of the day swimming, playing cards and enjoying the nature. During the days, when we weren't at an activity, José and I would typically go hang out at the pool because of the heat. There we would swim and play cards with his friends, some of which I got to know pretty well through my time spent with them. At nights, we would typically go out with his friends or with the group for tapas, and then either go hang out in the park and play games or go to parties throughout the city. Because of this, tapas quickly became one of my favorite foods. The sense of community in Guadix was something that I had never experienced. Everybody knew everyone and all were good friends, for the most part. Therefore, when one town celebrated, so did everyone. I was lucky enough to experience this one night with my brother and the rest of the Americans at the Fiestas de Santa Ana.
The homestay was truly a life-changing and memorable experience as I learned so much about myself and about the amazing Spanish culture. All the families were sad to part, and as we all left, we realized that we only had one more Spanish night to live up in Madrid. 

Hiking in Castril

The Boys and our Brothers

The Return (Days 29-30)

Finally, we spent our last night back in Madrid. We arrived mid-afternoon and proceeded to shop and walk around until dark, while spending as much time together as a group as possible. We spent our last night talking into late hours at El Retiro, the same park at which we began our journey as strangers. We left the next morning with a long day of travel ahead of us, including almost missing our flight back to America because of a broken train. As we arrived in the States, emotions built up, if they hadn't been already, and everyone was sad to leave the family we had created over the past month. We said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. I knew I would definitely miss Spain and all it had given me, but I was happy to be back on home soil. 

Thank You

Firstly, I would like to thank Sr. Paolicchi and Sr. Kamm for all that they have taught me about the wonderful language that is Spanish. It has already opened so many doors for me, and I am sure it will continue to do so. Also, many thanks to Sra. Victoria and Sr. Paolicchi for all the hard work they put in to ensure that everything went smoothly on the detailed end. Thanks to Montgomery Bell Academy and the Spanish department for selecting me to go on this trip, and enhance my language skills.

Also, I am sincerely grateful to the Wilson Family and its generosity for sending me on this trip. It means so much to me, and many more that we are financially able, and have the opportunity to go on trips like these, because of this. Much appreciation. 

Lastly, thank you to everyone I met as a part of my trip, either through The Experiment, or the Spanish people. Thanks to José and my amazing homestay family for accepting me, and making me an honorary Spaniard for a week and a half. You all made my time there one to remember. 

Jackson Satz: Spain

Part 1: Arrival

On June 28th, I was part of a group of 10 American students, including another from MBA, and two group leaders, that left from New York for Madrid. After a long, and for the most part sleepless seven hours or so, we touched down in the Spanish capital around noon. We all scrambled onto our phones, searching for the precious airport WiFi so as to let our friends and family back home that all had gone well after having to wait an extra hour or so in New York to take off.

The Madrid airport was an immediate spectacle, with its high, colorful, and arching ceilings supported by curling wooden beams. We made our way toward the baggage claim on multiple trains and escalators, all constructed with much more glass than was probably necessary, though it gave the airport a modern feel.

After collecting our bags, filling our water bottles, and walking outside, we were quickly greeted by a kind woman named Ilina. We would later learn that she was the adopted daughter of the couple in charge of our program, as she was born in Russia before being brought to Spain. A bus took us, as well as another group of students participating in an EIL trip, into Madrid, where we all got our rooms at the Hostal Persal, a small, but comfortable hostel where we would spend our four days in Madrid.

Part 2: Madrid

Our time in Madrid was really an adjustment period, where we got to know all of the members of our group and got used to being surrounded by the Spanish culture and language. On our first day in the city, after enjoying a fairly normal lunch during which many expressed their shock at water’s not being offered without charge, we enjoyed an extended siesta after our long day of travel, and then ventured out to El Retiro, a very large park filled with people, old and young, and swarming with vendors and roller-skaters. There, we walked around, took photos, and some bought ice cream. That night, we were allowed to go into the city in groups of three for dinner. With the assumption that this dinner would be our last opportunity to get a taste of comforting American food, three of us went to KFC, where we shared a bucket of chicken.

Over the next few days, we visited the Reina Sofia and El Prado, both of which are art museums. They were very cool and informational, and we did special research about Picasso’s Guernica, a truly incredible piece. We had different eating experiences, stopping in both markets and restaurants, though the majority of our time was spent freely, simply exploring the city.

Part 3: Toledo

We spent part of a day in Toledo as we drove from Madrid to Granada. It is a very historic city, and aside from a tour of the cathedral, nothing was planned. A Spanish man introduced himself on the street, and told us of an artisan fair going on, so we followed him, and found many interesting trinkets, best of all some incredibly large swords. Everyone bought postcards to send home, and then we split up into groups for lunch, trying between the five of us different types of sandwiches, pizzas, pastas, and a couple different spins on a fried egg. We then returned to the bus to move on to Granada, where we would stay for two weeks.

Part 4: Granada

Upon arrival in Granada, we were dropped off by the bus and immediately had to climb a sizable hill in order to arrive at the boarding school where we would be staying. The school was located in a region of the city called El Realejo, and was a 20-minute walk on top of a 10-minute bus ride to the small school, called Celei, where we would be taking our two classes, one covering Spanish, but more specifically Andalusian, culture and history, along with a class focused on grammar and vocabulary. Celei was located in the Albaicin, the region of Granada build by muslims and directly across from El Alhambra, the ancient muslim palace. We took classes for four hours a day over the course of two weeks, learning about the origins of Andalucia, the city's architecture, and many celebrations throughout Spain, including La Semana Santa and las corridas de toros de San Fermín. The boarding school in which we were living was run by a man named Francis, he cooked us three meals a day, took care of our rooms, and did everyone's laundry. The amounts of food he served at each meal were incredibly large, and he often worried that we did not like his food, but it was often just a case of not being able to eat ten pizzas as a group.

We took a few excursions while we were in Granada, going to the beach, hiking, and participating in a scavenger hunt through the city by finding different works of graffiti. We also spent many of the scorching hot afternoons playing games like capture the flag with water balloons outside of the school, and a small group of Spanish kids joined us, and became our friends for the rest of our time there.

Part 5: Guadix/Purullena

After two weeks in Granada, we left early on the morning of July 15th to drive about an hour to Guadix, where we would all live in a separate family’s home. We all felt a mix of nerves and excitement as the bus pulled into the city, but as we stepped out we were all greeted very kindly by our family. My family, though, along with that of one other boy in my group, lived in Purullena, a tiny town that was about a ten minute drive outside of Guadix. My host brother, Antonio, and his mother, picked me up and drove me back to Purullena, where we went for tapas with the host family of John, the other American student.

Over the next ten days, John and I would spend some time together every day, as our host brothers were best friends, which was very nice considering that we were a little isolated from the rest of our group. Every day though, with the exception of weekends, we had an organized group activity with the Americans, whether it was visiting a historical site in Guadix, which has the largest population of cave homes in the world, or simply going to the pool. The cave homes, while for the most part occupied by poorer families, are actually very economical, as they self-regulate temperature, and are very safe during earthquakes.

A typical day with my host family was very tranquil; it was typical to spend most of the day either eating or resting, waiting for the night to go meet up with friends. An especially memorable time, though, was playing basketball with a few people whom we met at a court in Guadix, both of whom were wearing NBA jerseys. It was fun to play and talk with people we had just met, exchanging lots of jokes. Immediately after, as I was filling my water bottle at a nearby fountain, I befriended a group of ten or so little boys who were planning a water balloon fight. They checked if I played Pokemon Go (sadly, I did and do not), and I then asked that they hit me with a balloon, as it was really hot out. Though I will likely never see him again, Henrique and his bucket of water balloons will likely always be remembered.

I was able to meet many of Antonio’s friends, all of whom were very kind, and excited to balance practicing their own English with my practicing Spanish. They shared experiences with past American students, and could not have been more inclusive. My host brother’s family was also unrelentingly kind. My host mother was a cook, always concerned with the amount I was eating, and whether or not I was staying in touch with my parents. My host father was a truck driver, so he was gone Monday through Friday, but I will always remember his pulling up to the house on a Friday evening in a rented Mercedes convertible, something I definitely did not expect in a rather barren desert town. Antonio, who was 19, had two siblings, a younger brother Manu, who was 16, and an older sister Anabella, who was 25. Both were exceedingly kind and patient. Anabella was in a way a second host mother, always checking in on me, asking if I enjoyed the food, and making sure I was never too tired to do something.

Although the first few days brought a bit of a shock, we were all sad to leave Guadix for Madrid. There were many hugs, many thank yous, and many gifts exchanged. My mother made sure to add me on Facebook, telling me that I must come see her when I return.

Part 6: Departure

We left Guadix for Madrid, where we again stayed the night in the Hostal Persal before leaving the next morning for New York. That night included lots of souvenir shopping, all of us searching for gifts for our family and, most importantly, ourselves. Leaving was bittersweet, as it was difficult to leave the country to which we had become so close, but touching down on American soil was a comforting prospect.

Thank You

Finally, I would like to extend my thanks to everyone who made this experience possible, from all of the American students to our Spanish families. Also, I am especially grateful to the Wilson family for their incredible generosity and willingness to help me and others further ourselves with such meaningful cultural experiences. Lastly, but certainly not least, thank you to Sr. Paolicchi, Sr. Kamm, Sra. Victoria, and all the other members of the language department who spent time reading applications, organizing flights, and making sure that I was well prepared for an amazing time.