December 2019
Hola, ¿qué tal, mis amigos?
Welcome back to the Center for International Programs’ study abroad blog, where we explore new countries and give updates on fun, upcoming study abroad related events and activities each month. This third installment will be the last one for the fall semester, so I’m hoping we can end this year with a bang!
If the Spanish greeting at the beginning (which means “Hi, how are you doing, friends?” by the way) didn’t already give it away already, this month’s featured country is Spain. So, let’s cut right to the chase and see everything the Hispanic nation has to offer!
Monthly Country Feature: Spain w/ Maeve
Spain is a beautiful country with tons of amazing culture surrounding it. Things like the generally warm climate, unique social customs, and amazing food makes it a wonderful destination for people from all over the world to visit. Today, we’re going to listen to what our Global Ambassador Maeve has to say about her own trip there.
Why don’t you start by introducing yourself and your study abroad experience.
My name’s Maeve King, and I have a long history with studying abroad, as my recent trip to Seville, Spain was my second overall trip abroad. I studied there for the spring semester of 2019 through the ISA program. While here at WCU, I’m majoring in Spanish, German, and Political Science with a focus in international relations, so I wanted to study abroad in a Spanish-speaking country to work on my own Spanish language skills.
What kinds of things did you learn while abroad; about the country, about the world, about yourself, etc.?
Language acquisition was definitely one of the biggest things for me. Prior to studying abroad, I had really only used Spanish in a classroom setting, so throwing myself into an environment where I spoke it all the time was a huge adjustment but also a great learning opportunity. The host family I stayed with also didn’t speak any English at all, so finding ways to understand each other also helped me to learn the language on an even deeper level. Another thing I learned a lot about was elements of traveling like booking flights and AirBnBs because I took trips to places like Amsterdam and Germany all by myself, so I had to figure out travel and accommodations all on my own, and I kind of surprised myself by being able to do that.
What was your favorite landmark or attraction you got to visit?
I think just getting to stay in the actual city of Sevilla itself was my favorite part of the whole trip. I got the chance to travel to a new city in Spain every week, and they were all amazing to visit, but I always couldn’t wait to return to Sevilla afterwards. The city really did just seem like a fairy tale to me. If I had to pick one place within Sevilla that I enjoyed the most, it would have to be Barrio Santa Cruz. It’s a portion of the city made up of these super narrow streets that are just filled to the brim with little shops and cafes and things like that. Every time I went there it felt like a new experience; the streets are so mazelike, so I’d spend hours just wandering and getting lost, and I ended up in a new place every time I went, which was such a cool thing to be able to do.
Was there anything about the country you visited that felt very different or strange compared to your home country?
As I mentioned before, the language was a huge thing for me. However, one aspect that I didn’t touch on yet about the language was the accent. The Spanish speakers in Southern Spain where I was staying have such a pronounced regional accent that it was almost impossible for me to understand them at first. They drop a lot of letters and syllables when they talk, so it was so weird to feel like I didn’t know what I was doing after studying the language for seven years, but it was also really awesome to get used to and develop the accent. Another interesting thing about Spain is their scheduling. Life really doesn’t start until nine in the morning; businesses rarely open before then, and people only eat a tiny breakfast such as toast and coffee. Everyone also comes home around one in the afternoon for a huge lunch and then a siesta—or nap—for a few hours before going back to work. They also don’t eat dinner until nine or ten at night, and going out at night is crazy too because bars and clubs and stuff like that don’t even open until two in the morning.
Describe the tastiest piece of foreign cuisine you tried while abroad.
The “Tapas” culture in Spain was definitely amazing. It involves going out for dinner and ordering a ton of appetizer-sized dishes for everyone to share, so you get to try so many different amazing foods. My favorite Tapas dish I tried was called Carrillada, which is meat from a pig’s cheek that is super tender and flavorful. Some other amazing foods I tried are meatballs in this special onion-flavored sauce called Albóndigas, and also a giant skillet of rice called a Paella.
Is there anything else you want to talk about your study abroad experience that wasn’t addressed in any of the previous questions?
Something that people don’t seem to think a lot about is the individual people they will meet while abroad. I got to study abroad with other American, and we all got tossed into this weird and unfamiliar experience together, so it becomes this really scary but cool bonding experience. We all got super close during the trip, and I still keep in contact with a lot of the friends I made to this day.
Upcoming Events/Deadlines
Now that the semester is ending and winter break is just about to start we won’t have any more study abroad events until the spring. However, once again, there are still plenty of things that you prospective or future study abroad students can and should be doing over the break!
Many of you will finally be departing on your own trips during the winter break, and even more of you will most likely be finishing up some final preparations for your spring trips, so this is undoubtedly an exciting and busy time. Don’t forget to breathe and enjoy your experiences, and I know you all will do amazing!
Conclusion
This concludes the third edition of the WCU CIP study abroad blog. I can’t wait to see all of you again in the new year as the spring semester is beginning. Until next time, or as they say in Spain;
¡Hasta luego!
West Chester University Education Abroad 