Charlie Hawkins: Spain

Guards of Charles I's castle in Madrid

View of me on balcony of castle

Garden in Madrid

Group picture on beach of Mediterranean Sea

Done with school in Cordoba!

Group photo

Charlie Hawkins: Spain

I arrived at the New York airport and met fourteen of the people that I would become great friends with for the next month. My leaders Darius and Gillian assimilated the group with activities to learn more about the people in the group. After arriving at the Madrid Airport at 10:15, we took the bus to Hostal Persal and had Spanish meals together for lunch and dinner. The next morning we took a tour of Charles I's castle and saw many antique paintings, carpets, and over 1800 rooms.       Later that day, I went on a scavenger hunt around the city, bought a Ronaldo jersey, and took a very difficult Spanish placement test. The Spanish hotel served the same breakfast every morning, a model of consistency. After a few days in Madrid, we took a bus to Toledo and went into a church. We went to eat at a cafe and bought the famous Chupa Chups lollipops. We then took a bus to Cordoba, where we would spend the next two weeks, and had a dinner of soup, chicken, and fries. Each night we would have a group discussion called "Rose, Bud, Thorn" describing the positive, looking forward to, and negative parts of the day. The school experience in Cordoba for two weeks was a very special experience. Each day we would walk to school and interview the locals on the streets of Cordoba. The best way to improve my Spanish skills was through trial and error. Even though we were in Spain, there was still a plethora of ice cream stores, which our group visited frequently. After a siesta, we visited a mosque and a park. The soccer game that afternoon that we played in Cordoba was a great way to get exercise and play the most popular sport in Spain. We took a trip to the local pool and met a variety of interesting people, like the Gypsies. The next morning, after a breakfast of churros, we walked to the botanic gardens. That night we went to a guitar concert and outdoor Will Smith movie in Spanish. Spending the Fourth of July was very unique. The faculty at the school surprised us with Miley Cyrus' "Party in the USA" and made us feel at home. After the hotel staff gave us a very American lunch of hamburgers and fries, we relaxed at the hotel before going to the roof at night and looking at the stars. I learned to keep a good attitude even when it took the hotel three days to do my laundry. The next morning at breakfast I had a few thoughts. While language barriers may separate two races from one another, smiles and gestures are universal. During this trip, I discovered a great deal about myself and my strengths and weaknesses. As one of two people from the South in our group of fourteen, I learned to express my opinions with people from very different backgrounds, religions, political views, and cultures. Eating at an Indian restaurant in Cordoba as Americans represents a unique amalgam of three cultures brought together. One night we went to a very loud flamenco show, and I developed an appreciation for styles of music to which I was unaccustomed. For the next twelve days, I would experience a very memorable homestay. I arrived in Guadix and met my family. My father was a local business owner, and my mother was a homemaker, who served delicious gazpacho. I had three brothers who were very conversational and made me feel at home. I found it funny how my eighteen-year-old brother's room was filled with Disney movies and toys. My mom would cook every meal and give me hot chocolate for breakfast every morning. My eighteen-year-old brother, David, was a city-renowned artist, and I shared a room with him. On several occasions, he took me to the pool and to the fiestas every night of my homestay with the other Americans in my group and their Spanish siblings. One day we went camping in the Spanish mountains and walked up to a stream for lunch. We played a Spanish version of dodgeball by the cabin and walked to an abandoned building for ghost stories that night. At my brother's friend Juanma's birthday party the next night, we stayed up until 6:30 in the morning at a carnival and disco party. Our group went on several cathedral tours in the city of Guadix, and we had a very fun day on the Mediterranean Beach. Swimming 300 yards into the Mediterranean Sea and going to a karaoke party that night capped off a very exciting couple of days that were highlights of the trip. Whether observing a view of the caves in Guadix from the top of a mountain or the Virgen Carmen parade, I will remember my time in Guadix. The last fews days of the trip were spent drawing cartoons with the group in an art studio and at Al hambra gardens and palace. We had a banquet the last night in a local hotel. All the families came together, and each American gave a thank you and goodbye speech, bringing some of the audience members to tears. The next morning we went to the Madrid airport only to find that our flight to New York had been cancelled! After 16 hours of flights, delays, and layovers, I made it back to Nashville. I made some unforgettable memories in Guadix, Madrid, and Cordoba, and I am very thankful for having the opportunity to go on this trip.  I wanted to give my utmost thanks to the Wilson Family for making this incredible trip possible, and to conclude, in the words that my brother David said all the time, "Venga, hasta luego."