ag-cadiz

[ag-cadiz]

Back in the USA

I have now been back in the US for a little over a week and I have had time to reflect on my time in Spain. While I am happy to be home and to see my family and friends, there is no denying that I am also a bit sad to have left Spain and the wonderful people there, those both involved and not involved with this program. While I am not experiencing too much reverse culture shock, I have needed to re-adapt to different schedules and practices, such as not eating dinner so late and having to drive in order to go anywhere. In general, everything is pretty similar to how I left it.  My room has stayed the same, my dog still gets excited when I walk inside, and I have quickly returned to my daily routine. However, I did struggle slightly with returning to this routine, not only because of my new eating habits, but also because I wanted to maintain a more relaxed lifestyle such as I had in Spain.

As a whole, this trip has been an amazing experience, and I am already planning a return visit to Cádiz and other towns in Southern Spain. My main goal of improving my Spanish has definitely been accomplished, but while this goal has been met, I am inspired to continue to improve my Spanish language skills. Lastly, I am glad to have met such great people in Spain, as well as in our program, and I look forward to seeing them back in Spain or at USC.

[ag-cadiz]

Last Week in Cádiz

My experience in Cádiz has come to an end. Today I take a train to Madrid and tomorrow I will fly back to the United States. While I am sad to be leaving Cádiz, I am excited to return home and see my family and friends and tell them about my time here. I learned so much and I will be able to share things I learned on this trip, including some of the history of Spain and about the different cultures that make up Spain.  For example, I will tell them all about the Moors in Spain, the catholic kings, and the amazing architecture around Andalusia. I think this trip has changed me in many ways. Other than improving my Spanish, it has also given me the opportunity to expand my horizons and try different foods and activities that I may not have ever tried, making me more willing to try more things in the future. This trip has also greatly increased my confidence because I had to become comfortable with speaking a foreign language to native speakers and not worry that I couldn’t do it or not doing it at all.

This last week in Cádiz has been relaxing, we have had free time after class every afternoon when I either went to the beach or went shopping around the town for gifts for family and friends. I have also spent time enjoying the Spanish food, especially the Jamón iberico. What I will miss most about Spain is the people I have had the opportunity to meet and spend time with, and of course I will also miss the experience of being in a country with so much history, amazing architecture, and good food. However, I am looking forward to returning to the United States and seeing my family, friends, and my dogs. I also look forward to eating some great American BBQ and some of my mom’s cooking. While I am sad to be leaving Spain, I am happy and excited to be returning home.

[ag-cadiz]

Week 3 in Cádiz

I can’t believe we only have one week left in Spain. The time has truly flown by. It seems like only yesterday that we all met up in Seville and began our trip. So far Spain has been extremely fascinating. Though foreign, the entire country seems familiar and is easy to navigate and get comfortable in. While I cannot choose only one memory that has been my favorite, I have most enjoyed the time spent in local coffee shops, restaurants, and bars. The time at these locations have been the most enjoyable for me because of the relaxed nature of every dining experience, not to mention the opportunity to practice speaking Spanish with the waiter or locals around the bar. So far, my favorite food has easily been choco frito, which is fried cuttlefish. This snack is found at nearly all of the restaurants in Cádiz and is delicious every time, but the choco made by our host family easily makes the top of my list. Living with our host family has also been great. The family with whom we live always speaks to us in Spanish, providing us plenty of practice, and they are always very flexible with mealtimes, giving us the opportunity to plan our nights how we want.

Our home is also located in great area. At the beginning of the trip, we thought we were far from a lot of the activities and local shops, but we soon found out that we have a pretty fantastic neighborhood. While we are a 15–20-minute walk to school, we are only a 5-minute walk to a lot of restaurants and plazas, a 10-minute walk to the shops, and only a 7-minute walk to our favorite ice cream shop. This great location means that we always have an opportunity to find something to do, even if we don’t want to walk or take a bus to one of the beaches. Finally, the most important thing I have realized in the past 3 weeks is the importance of giving something a try and not taking yourself so seriously. Once I truly embraced this, I found myself more willing to practice Spanish with people, try strange foods, and participate in different activities that are offered here in Cádiz. Only one more week, time to make the most of it!

[ag-cadiz]

Vejer de la Frontera

[ag-cadiz]

Week 2 in Cádiz

Wow, we are already halfway into our trip in Spain. So far, Spain has exceeded all of my expectations of what I thought the country would be like. The people are kind and hospitable, Cádiz has been comfortable and welcoming, and weather has been perfect. What’s more, in only two weeks I have already made a number of Spanish friends who I run into on the streets regularly, and I have found a few different local coffee shops and restaurants that I have quickly made my own. The weekend excursions have also been quite delightful. Last week we went to Granada where we toured the Alhambra. This week we had a relaxing weekend in Tarifa and Bolonia, where we saw ancient ruins and amazing beaches. However, most importantly, my Spanish language abilities have greatly improved. I can now easily follow and participate in a large number of conversations and discuss topics which I would not have been able to discuss just two weeks ago.

In the next 2 weeks I still have many plans for what I want to accomplish and do while here in Cádiz. Most importantly, I want to continue to improve my Spanish. Luckily, this should come naturally because I am surrounded with opportunities to practice with native speakers. I also look forward to our upcoming cooking and dancing lessons later this week where we will learn to make Paella and dance Flamenco. While I question my dancing abilities, I feel confident that the Paella will turn out delicious. Finally, I hope to continue living life the way Spaniards do, so when I go home I can maintain a lifestyle that is slower paced and more relaxed and happier.

[ag-cadiz]

First Week in Cádiz

It has been one week in Spain and it has been great! Initially upon arrival, I experienced the expected feelings of anxiety, excitement, and slight nervousness of being alone in a foreign country which I have never been to before. However, after a day or two when I was finally caught up more or less on sleep and adjusted to the pace of life here in Spain, I quickly became more outgoing, and was excited to explore the different places to see. So far, my favorite destination, besides Cádiz, has been Granada. The historic buildings, along with the beautiful terrain and layout of the city, has made it one of my top destinations so far. Being in this new environment, I have really enjoyed learning how Spaniards go about their daily lives, and how they make sure to include downtime (the siesta) in their schedules. Similarly, the new environment comes with a variety of new tastes and smells which are uncommon in the United States. Some examples are the smell and taste of the jamón freshly cut from the leg of the pig right in front me, or the taste of fresh cuttle fish right after it has been cooked. These are just a few of the new experiences that I can’t stop thinking about.

Fortunately, I have not yet experienced much culture shock. During the first few days, I definitely had my fair share of uncomfortable feelings, especially when I was severely sleep deprived due to the long flights. However, after I began to acclimate to the local time zone, these feelings quickly dissipated, and I became more relaxed within the cities. With that being said, I have still experienced a number of things that were completely foreign to me. For example, I have tried a number of foods which are uncommon or non-existent in the U.S.,  such as pig ears, which I found quite unappetizing, but still enjoyable. I have also found myself enjoying the more laid-back way of life, oftentimes neglected in the U.S. due to our long hectic workdays and schedules. While Spain is not like the United States, there are a number of things that remind me of the United States.  For example, the presence of youth soccer teams who play in the plazas every night, the enjoyment of popular TV shows like Telenovelas, game shows, and news networks, and I can’t forget the high number of Burger Kings, McDonalds, and Dominos Pizzas which are located around the city. However, there are a number of differences in Spain from most U.S. cities or towns like large numbers of plazas with restaurants and areas for people to socialize and relax, the late dinner times, sometimes as late as 10:30 pm, much smaller stores and restaurants, and a major focus around relaxing, socializing, and enjoying time with friends and family, not working. Finally, there is nothing that I truly dislike about Spain so far, the people are friendly, the food is great, and the atmosphere is relaxed yet lively and I can’t wait to see what awaits me next in this journey!

[ag-cadiz]

One Week Away!

I am officially one week away from the start of the one-month study abroad program in Cadiz, Spain! As with all big trips, the excitement I felt a few months ago has been exponentially increasing, but along with this excitement comes the inevitable stress. Have I completed all necessary COVID precautions? Have I packed too much or too little? Will my dog be alright without me? Luckily, I have slowly been preparing for this trip the past few weeks and this makes me feel better. These preparations included buying tickets for transportation to Cadiz, as well as within Spain, completing a Spanish assessment to determine the level of classes I will take, and gathering the various paperwork needed. While I definitely feel slightly stressed, as a result of my preparations, I am not feeling too nervous. My only real concerns are getting my COVID test back in time for my arrival, making it to Cadiz without any big problems along the way, and making both of my flights in time.

With that being said, there are a number of things that I am very excited about. First and foremost, I am glad to be able to travel abroad once again given that last year provided little opportunity. Secondly, I look forward to experiencing life in Spain and meeting the people who live in Spain. In preparation for these experiences, I have also recently read the book Ghosts of Spain by Giles Tremlett, and it introduced me to some of the history and different cultures of Spain, allowing me to understand more about Spain before I arrive. Finally, I am very excited for the different University classes and extracurricular classes like cooking and dancing which we will be taking. I expect these classes will challenge me in a variety of ways, resulting in a greater understanding of Spanish culture and language. While this is in many ways a vacation, it is important to remember that the reason I am here is to learn and, most importantly, to increase my Spanish proficiency and comfort in using the language. I hope to learn more about the culture of Andalusian Spain and, of course, I hope to learn more about the delicious Spanish cuisine. So… let’s get started!!