Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Post-Program Reflection



            Ever since I’ve been home from my amazing three-week excursion program to Cadiz, Spain, everybody has been asking me what my favorite part of my trip was. To be honest, I can’t pinpoint one portion of the trip and mark it as my favorite. Instead, I choose to say that my entire experience as a whole was a favorite because it was so different from anything I have ever done before. Of course, there are some things I enjoyed more than others (like the gelato in Plaza Mina and tortilla espaƱola) but I have to say that the memories and experiences I’ve had over the course of three weeks have been beyond words.
            Upon arrival in Cadiz, Spain, I felt a change of atmosphere and environment. I felt welcomed and I fell in love the instant we arrived. I was overly excited to explore the wonderful city in front of me, and I couldn’t wait to get started. The Abbey Road Staff was beyond wonderful and easily approachable. They were friendly and personable and I’m so grateful I was placed with such wonderful staff on my excursion to Spain. They knew that it was hard for teenagers to adjust to a completely new lifestyle – even though we would only be there for three weeks. They were there for all of us when we got homesick, or when we just wanted a recommendation for where to eat. They were lively and bubbly all the time, and they were always able to put a smile on anyone’s face.
            The academic aspect of my Abbey Road Spain experience was delightful and entertaining. I definitely enjoyed the way Abbey Road chose to introduce academics into the program, which involved learning a bit in the classroom and going out into the city to use what was learned by interacting with locals. I thought that was a great way to improve my Spanish and I can say that this hands-on learning technique has improved my conversational Spanish skills without a doubt.
            The activities set up by Abbey Road were awesome and amusing. I had so much fun with each activity and learned a lot about the city of Cadiz and the culture and history of Spain through these activities. My favorites included our evening “excursion” to Playa Victoria, our photo scavenger hunt and our game of Humans vs. Zombies, just to name a few. My favorite excursion was to the nearby city of Ronda, which was filled with gorgeous sights at every turn. The scenery made for beautiful photos that my family and friends were thrilled to see. 
            Because of my Abbey Road Cadiz immersion experience, I am more comfortable speaking Spanish and it seems to come more naturally to me now. Being forced to speak only Spanish in my home stay (for my host mother did not know any English) allowed me to improve and better my Spanish and it is something I am extremely grateful for. I leave my three-week immersion in Cadiz with better speaking skills, a handful of new friends, and a keen sense of the Spanish culture and way of life that I am so thankful I got the opportunity to experience with Abbey Road. 

Friday, July 27, 2012

Last Days in Spain

Where have the past three weeks gone!? I can't believe time has flown by so quickly. I remember arriving on the first day thinking, "Wow, we actually have so much time left! This is going to be great!" That feels like yesterday...!

Just to sum of what we have done recently: On Tuesday we went to AquaLand, a water park nearby with really fun rides. There were a ton body slides and a few tube slides. Overall, it was a pretty relaxing time. We came home around 5 and had a noche en casa. We ate dinner at home (and had an awesome egg baguette sandwich) and headed out for ice cream and time in Plaza Mina, one of my favorite plazas (especially because of their ice cream).

On Wednesday, our last full day, we spent our late morning in town buying our final souvenirs and a gift for our host mom, Rosa. When we came home, Rosa told us lunch was being delivered today instead of made by Rosa herself. The girls and I were surprised to find pizza, empanadas and french fries! It was so sweet of her!

Our farewell dinner was at a gorgeous restaurant! We were served several appetizers and were given a choice between three exquisite options for dinner. The night couldn't have been better. Those not going on the extension said goodbye to those headed to Cordoba and Seville, and we headed back home to (attempt to get some) rest for our early morning ahead.

I'm going to miss everyone from session 2 so much! It was such a pleasure meeting all of you and thank you so much for making this summer amazing!!!

Nial and Taylor
Debbie, Darby, Me, Sarah, Maddie and Taylor

Me and my roommate, Debbie

Me, Maddie and Liz

Nial, Me, Allie

AITOR!!!

The slang of Spain

Maddie and Taylor

The Crew

Adios Espana, hasta luego!

Saturday, July 21, 2012

An Excursion to Ronda

Today we spent our afternoon in Ronda, a town about two and a half hours east of Cadiz. Even though the bus ride was some what long, the views from our windows were stunning. We passed lakes of crystal blue water (picture below) and endless fields of sunflowers. It was so beautiful! 

When we got there, we visited the oldest bull fighting ring in all of Spain. It was interesting to see! One of our counselors told us how it worked and what each person's job is in a bull fight. I thought it was interesting to hear about because personally I barely know anything about bull fighting. 

We were then given free time and were allowed to either walk around the city to explore or tag along with Pancho and Javier for a hike to see Arabic baths and castles. I chose to stay behind to explore the city with a few friends, and we had a lot of fun. We grabbed lunch at a local restaurant, where I had my favorite meal: tortilla espanola on a baguette. We then grabbed ice cream, and headed down the road where we found a gorgeous look out of the city and below. Ronda is a city located right on the edge of a cliff and is also considered a pueblo blanco or white town. We looked over the edge and were in shock of how high up we were! 

Overall, it was a nice excursion. The weather wasn't too hot and there was plenty to do. I think we all had a great day.







Me, Darby, and Debbie

A Trip to the Museum of Cadiz

Yesterday during class time we took a trip to the Museum of Cadiz. Our tour guide explained to us the history of the phoenicians and their connection to Cadiz, as well as the works of several artists such as Zurbaran and Murillo. We saw artifacts and several sculptures. Overall, it was an enriching experience and I think we all learned a lot!






Friday, July 20, 2012

An Extra Addition

I don't know how Rosa (our host mom) does it! A new exchange student just moved into the house tonight, and she's from Beijing! Her name is Maria Jose, which is short for Maria Josefa. There's now a total of 5 exchange students in our house! I think it would be extremely interesting to try and hold a conversation in Spanish, because that's the only language we all have in common. It should definitely be an interesting experience! Vamanos!

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Volunteering

We spent most of our class time today volunteering at a local day care (I think I blogged about this before, it was our second time there). It was a lot of fun and it was nice to see all the kids playing together and having a great time even in this brutal 95 degree weather. 

Liz and Andrea 

Bryn and Noemi

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Wednesday in Review

Today's routine was the same, except we had our photography class at 4. It was a lot of fun because we got to take portraits of each other. Even our photography teacher modeled for us. After our elective classes, we met at the Cathedral for "Stipend Night", which meant that Chris (our director) would give us money to go out and eat dinner with our friends. My friends and I chose an authentic Spanish restaurant (other than the fact that it served hamburgers), in which I had a Spanish tortilla (potatoes, egg, onion, and scallion {but not always}) which has become my favorite Spanish food! We then headed to the movies as our evening activity to watch Ice Age 4 in Spanish! That was interesting to say the least...

Some sample portraits:


Sarah and Debbie

Jose, our photography teacher

Kirby, another blogger, imitating a Monster ad