Rachel's Reflection
This trip to Spain was the best learning opportunity I have ever had, and I enjoyed the two weeks a lot. It felt weird in the beginning because I had never been so far away from my family for such a long time, but I got used to the distance since I could call them everyday. When I was preparing for the trip, I was worried I would have trouble communicating in Spanish because I didn't have much experience outside of school. However, although I didn't know many words, I found it easy to speak with my host family and even with people in public.
Next, I had never seen pictures of Spain before I arrived, so I didn't have any ideas about what it would look like. Salamanca was similar to the image I had in my head, but Madrid was vastly different since it was more of a big city than a small town. I didn't have a lot of ideas or stereotypes before, so I was not surprised by anything, but since we discussed it a lot in the meetings, I was expecting a lot of crime and pickpocketing. However, I didn't experience any pickpocketing, and I always felt safe no matter where I was.
Then, my favorite activities we did on this trip were kayaking and cooking. My family used to kayak a lot when I was younger, and we still like to cook all together, so these activities were perfect for me. Kayaking down the Tormes River was beautiful even if we ran into a couple tree branches. Also, the foods that we cooked in the class were delicous and I had never tried anything like them before. Additionally, the food of Spain in general was very good. My host mom was a very good cook and I really liked her Tortilla Española. That was probably my favorite food I tried in Spain which is strange because I usually don't like eggs. Although I did miss American food, I enjoyed trying all of the Spanish foods.
Finally, I am very grateful that I had the opportunity to study abroad, because I learned how to be independent, and I got to experience cultural immersion. Before this trip, I hadn't had a strong desire to study in another country, but after going to Salamanca, I think everyone should try being immersed in another culture since it will improve your language skills and open you up to new world customs.
Next, I had never seen pictures of Spain before I arrived, so I didn't have any ideas about what it would look like. Salamanca was similar to the image I had in my head, but Madrid was vastly different since it was more of a big city than a small town. I didn't have a lot of ideas or stereotypes before, so I was not surprised by anything, but since we discussed it a lot in the meetings, I was expecting a lot of crime and pickpocketing. However, I didn't experience any pickpocketing, and I always felt safe no matter where I was.
Then, my favorite activities we did on this trip were kayaking and cooking. My family used to kayak a lot when I was younger, and we still like to cook all together, so these activities were perfect for me. Kayaking down the Tormes River was beautiful even if we ran into a couple tree branches. Also, the foods that we cooked in the class were delicous and I had never tried anything like them before. Additionally, the food of Spain in general was very good. My host mom was a very good cook and I really liked her Tortilla Española. That was probably my favorite food I tried in Spain which is strange because I usually don't like eggs. Although I did miss American food, I enjoyed trying all of the Spanish foods.
Finally, I am very grateful that I had the opportunity to study abroad, because I learned how to be independent, and I got to experience cultural immersion. Before this trip, I hadn't had a strong desire to study in another country, but after going to Salamanca, I think everyone should try being immersed in another culture since it will improve your language skills and open you up to new world customs.
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