gracie383

[gracie383]

Bought this at a local bookshop in Flat Rock, NC. Can’t wait to start reading! #continuingeducation #donquixote #travelfromhome 

[gracie383]

Post-Return

I’ve been home for 26 days, and only now am I actually sitting down to write this last blog post. I’ve thought about this every day since I’ve been back, but have been unable to write anything until now. In this blog, I plan to accomplish three things: 1) explain the reasons for my delay, 2) muse over how my time in Spain will impact my world-view moving forward, and 3) thank all of the people who made this study abroad experience possible.

1) The Delay

I feel like I’ve had an… unhealthy?… relationship with travel this entire time. When I was in Spain, I was extremely homesick and thought of nothing but returning to America. Once I returned to America, I thought of nothing but how much I loved Spain and how badly I wanted to return. At first, I was unwilling to write this blog post, because I thought if I sat down and consciously wrote about Spain, I’d break down in tears.

Later, this view-point completely shifted. Suddenly, I was thrilled to be back in America, and I wanted nothing more than to forget my time in Spain ever happened. I realized this when I was at a buffet brunch with my grandma. The chef was clearly Latino, and my grandma walked up to him and started talking about how her grand-daughter had just returned from Spain. I felt like my hand was forced, so I started a conversation with him in Spanish about “el desayuno es delicioso.” I was so relieved to finally get back to my table and talk with my family in English. I had the immediate sense that this feeling was wrong. I should not be rejecting my time in Spain- that’s even more unhealthy than missing it to the point of tears. I couldn’t write the blog post until I was feeling and thinking better.

Lately, I’ve been throwing myself into work. I work at the gas station QuikTrip, where I make $11.50 an hour. I planned to work as much as possible this summer to make up for the $1000+ I spent in Spain, but 100 hours is a lot to cram into just a few weeks, especially when I’m not used to working more than 20 hours per week. My manager scheduled me eight-hour shifts almost daily, and I’ve been hitting the 35 hours per week mark. Working at QuikTrip is a physically demanding job. I never sit down, and my “breaks” are never longer than two minutes. When I return  from work, I only have time to think, “I really should write that blog post” before collapsing in exhaustion. I’ve been using my spare time to watch TV and play sudoku, and I’ve had no mental energy for reading or writing.

Now… I have a day off. I’m finally ready to write. Enough time has passed that I feel good about my time in Spain. I miss it, but not so much that I could cry. I accept that the trip happened and that it’s over, and I feel happy when I remember my experiences there. It may have taken 26 days for me to get to this point, but I’m finally here. I’m ready to write.

2) Moving Forward

My time in Spain has certainly changed me for the better. After seeing how easily accessible some public resources are in Spain, I am much more grateful for the things that I have in America. In Spain, health-care is nearly free, college is highly subsidized, and it’s easy to commute with walking and public transportation. In America, this couldn’t be farther from the truth. Yet, I am a healthy college student with a working car. I took this for granted in the past- I considered it a given that at 19 years old, I should be enrolled in college. I have a used car, and since it was cheaper, I considered it obvious that I should have my own vehicle to drive myself to work and school. I have no medical debt, since I haven’t been to the hospital in years. Now, I AM SO GRATEFUL. I am so, so thankful for everything that I have. I hope that in the future, I can be more involved in political activism so that everyone in America can have access to these resources which are so readily available in Spain.

Spain has also influenced me in terms of fashion and food. Since I bought so many clothes in Spain, I want nothing more than to wear them everywhere. Gone are the days of oversized t-shirts and running shorts. I’ve stopped wearing leggings and camisoles. Now, I dress business casual, with skirts or flowing shirts. I look stylish everywhere I go. These clothes are much more comfortable, and I feel more confident wearing them. As for food, I have gotten into the habit of eating bread for breakfast. This is difficult in America, because good bread is hard to come by, but I make do with breakfast rolls. I’ve lost my appetite for eggs and bacon in the morning. This has helped me to lose weight, and I feel it is much healthier to eat lighter in the morning. As for lunch and dinner, I’m still eating spicy American food. I haven’t really tried to incorporate any Spanish dishes into my diet, but I plan for that to change soon- I bought the ingredients to make gazpacho this morning.

The Spanish language is now ever-present in the back of my head. I’m nowhere near fluent, but my Spanish abilities have strengthened noticeably. Sometimes, common phrases will slip out when I least expect it. I’ll say “gracias” instead of “thank you” and “baño” instead of ��bathroom.” One time while drunk, I actually stood up and said, “Voy a ducharme; gracias por las bebidas” to my English-speaking family. I’ve dreamt in Spanish a few times as well. At work, when I see Latino customers, I can easily communicate with them in Spanish. Knowing a second language is honestly really cool. It feels like a whole new world of language and culture is open to me, and I am so excited to continue learning.

3) Thank you

I have quite a few people I want to thank for helping me through this study abroad experience. First, I want to thank YOU, my blog readers, for staying with me on every step on this journey.

I also want to thank my professor Teel Evans, CML organizer Yaye Baena, trip leaders Álvaro y Alejandro, and Cadiz professors Sra. Ines y Candon.

Thank you to my host mom, Anna. You made this trip truly memorable. Also, thank you Roseanne and Cindy for hosting me in Washington, DC when my flight was delayed.

To my parents and grandparents, thank you for financing this experience and emotionally supporting me throughout. Thank you for the daily texts and weekly video calls.

I also want to thank those who would stay anonymous through USC and other organizations, who worked behind the scenes to make this trip happen.

The past two months have been truly unforgettable. I am forever grateful for this experience, and I would recommend travel to everyone brave enough to see the world. :)

[gracie383]

#CaminitodelRey #Renfe 

[gracie383]

Last Week

Wow!! Time really flew by! I can’t believe that this is the last week here in Spain! This will be my second-to-last blog post (the last one will be post-return). For me, the purpose of this blog post will be to make sure that I’ve covered all my bases and given all advice that I think is necessary for would-be travelers. In previous blogs, I’ve talked mostly about culture shock, transportation (both international and local), and my experience living with a host family. Therefore, this post will cover three main topics: 1) budgeting while traveling, 2) Spanish foods/drinks, and 3) balancing academics with tourism.  

1) Budgeting: Oh my G-d… the first advice I have about budgeting: actually have one!! I came to Spain thinking that I would just spend and spend, and if I go “over-budget,” I’ll just work extra hours when I come home to make up for it. Hahahaha no. I have spent so much money that I’ll probably only break even this summer. I’ve bought 25 souvenir gifts for family/friends and sent out 15 post-cards. I lost track of the clothes, souvenirs, foods, and drinks I bought for myself.

I ran the numbers this morning, and it’s atrocious. I have spent over $1000 USD in three weeks. This does not include train tickets or baggage fees. This was just money that I mindlessly spent on food, drinks, clothes, and gifts. Even worse, I don’t regret anything I’ve bought. I can list every material good I purchased, and none of it was overpriced- the one time I bought a cute dress for $30 USD, I spent two weeks mulling it over before buying it.

If you are traveling on a budget, you actually have to budget. Buying a $3 gelato doesn’t sound like much, but if you buy one every day for a month, that’s $90. If you send 15 postcards, and don’t consider the cost of postage ($8 for 5), then you wind up spending $40 on nothing but paper. An $8 mojito every Friday/Saturday night for four weeks adds up to $70. So to recap, indulging in gelato, postcards, and mojitos costs $200. It isn’t hard to see how I spent $1000.

I recommend downloading a wallet app to keep track of everything you spend. I have my bank text me every time I make a purchase, but it’s not like I frequently scroll through my texts to keep track of everything. Plan to spend 2x as much as you think and download a wallet app.

2) Spanish foods/drinks: I did not do very much research on Spanish food before I came here. Like most other people on the trip, I assumed it was all paella, churros, and sangria. It’s so much more than that.

Spanish food is very different from American food- there’s much less spice/sauce and more variety in the actual foodstuffs. For example, a salad in America usually consists of lettuce, croutons, cheese, and a heaping of fatty dressing. Meanwhile, a Spanish salad will have lettuce, tomatoes, hard-boiled egg, onions, and maybe a sprinkling of olive oil. Since the vegetables are fresh from the market, it tastes delicious even without dressing. I’ve never liked plain salad before coming here, but I get it now.

Another thing that’s very unique about Spanish food is that there’s practically no spice (as in burn-in-your-mouth spicy). I actually started to have some minor stomach problems around week two- I was so used to my diet of peppers, hot sauce, and curry that I was struggling in a country where pepper (as in salt and pepper) is considered spicy. I asked my host mom for advice, and she bought a bottle of hot sauce at the market. It was very clearly “hot sauce” since it was labeled pica pica and had two peppers on the label… but it was easily the mildest hot sauce I’ve ever had in my life. My mouth didn’t burn up at all and I used 1/4 of the bottle. I’m not complaining, though- my stomach problems stopped almost immediately, so I assume the hot sauce really did contain hot peppers.

For the rest of Spanish food, there’s honestly too much to go into to write about it in this blog. There’s 2000 years of culture in this food and it’s all unique to Spain. I’ll just list them here, and if you’re interested, you can do some research yourself: Paella Valenciana - Gazpacho - Patatas bravas - Tortilla Española - Jamón - Croquetas - Albondigas - Churros - Arroz con huevo - Empanadas de Atún - Gelato - Crema de Zucchini - Tostadas.

Spanish drinks are relatively quick to describe. Juice is fresh-squeezed (especially orange juice) and rarely processed. Coffee is called “café” and is made torrefacto-style rather than natural. Tea is not super popular here, but it’s still very easy to find. In restaurants, water is given in bottles and charged for, so you have to ask for “agua grifo” to get free water. But since restaurants make their profit from drinks (food is cheap here), it’s polite to get a drink. Some popular drinks here are cerveza, tinto de verano, and sangria. If you’re like me and semi-addicted to energy drinks like RedBull and Monster, you can find them here at most corner-marts, although they’re not all that popular. I recommend trying the “Burn” energy drink- they’re unique to Europe and taste like a sweet Monster.

3) Balancing academics with tourism: … Just do it. Don’t daydream- pay attention in class. Don’t procrastinate- do homework immediately. Don’t wait until the night before the test to study- review class materials daily. If you succeed in schools in America, you will succeed in schools while studying abroad. If you don’t, you won’t. It’s that simple.

I thought the “language barrier” would be more complicated, but if you’re studying abroad, it’s likely that you already comprehend more of the language then you think you do. I recommend watching some Spanish movies and tv shows before leaving so you get used to listening to people talk in Spanish, but that’s all the prep you really need to do before stepping foot in a classroom.

As for “balancing” between academics and tourism, it hasn’t been a problem. Most of my afternoons were “free time” which I could use for studying. Weekend trips were fun and exciting, but they usually involved a 2-3 hour bus ride. I get motion sickness, so I couldn’t do anything but listen to audiobooks and stare straight ahead, but quite a few people did homework on the bus. I’m pretty sure I’m going to end the semester with an A, but I still had time to go to Madrid, Sevilla, El Puerto de Santa Maria, Granada, Tarifa, Bolonia, Vejer de la Frontera, and Caminito del Rey. Some girls even made time for Rota and Cordoba.

These weekend trips were truly unforgettable. I took pictures, bought souvenirs, smiled a lot, laughed like crazy, and had a wonderful time. I saw Guernica, El Catedral de Sevilla, a winery, and the Alhambra. I swam in the Mediterranean Sea, climbed a mountain, and walked through Roman ruins. I learned how to surf, cook paella, and dance salsa. And I did all of this while working hard in my classes.

Since this is my last week here, I’ll end with some final thoughts. Writing about everything I’ve done in Spain has helped me to remember how much I truly love this country. I’ve written at length about my homesickness and culture shock, but at the end of the day, I really did have an amazing time.

I plan to incorporate more Spanish food into my diet back home, and I want to travel more when I have the time/resources to do so. My Spanish speaking skills have improved, and I feel like I have a broader perspective on the world.

Honestly, I’m not ready to leave yet. There’s still so much that I haven’t seen and experienced yet. I want to go flamenco dancing, explore Barcelona, meet a cute Spanish boy, and finally drink a cubalibre (hopefully not all at the same time, but actually these could all be at the same time lol).

This is what I will do when I come back to Spain. I’m looking forward to returning to America, because I miss my family, but I know I will return here someday. :)

[gracie383]

Sevilla <3

[gracie383]

Halfway to/from Home

Well, we are officially at the half-way point for this educational experience in Spain! :)

In my last blog post, I talked about all of the things I miss about America. All of those points still hold true, but I want to keep this blog positive as much as possible. So what I’m going to do is start off with the negatives. (I’m including this, because if you’re reading this, and you are seriously considering studying abroad in a foreign country, then you deserve the whole truth, not just the Instagram truth) Then, I will tell you all about my favorite part of this experience- living with my awesome host family. I can’t wait to talk about the excellent food we eat, the interesting conversations we have, and how incredibly kind my host mom Anna is.

Starting with the negatives… I miss my family. Something you should know about me is that I dislike living at college. I make it work, because I’m a Resident Mentor, so I have to stay on-campus for my job, but I am never as happy as I am when I’m at home with my parents. My parents are the most incredible people in the world. I love them so much, and I’m never truly happy unless I’m either with them or know that I will see them within 24 hours.

In America, this is really weird. I’m a college student, so I’m supposed to love the “college experience.” I’m supposed to never want to come home, because I’m growing as a party-animal strong, independent woman. But in Spain, this is completely normal. Most people here live at home and commute during their college education. They don’t move out until they’re either married or have enough income to afford a nice apartment. It’s completely normal to live at home until you’re 24 or 26- my host sister is 31, and nobody thinks it’s weird that she still lives at home.

I’m grateful I came here to Spain so that I could see this. I’m seriously considering moving back home when I graduate college. I don’t understand why I should set off on my own and be sad when I could stay home and be happy.

So if you’re reading this and seriously considering studying abroad, please understand that if you get homesick easily, these feelings won’t go away when you cross time zones / oceans / national borders.

That being said, I am having a good experience here. I’ve never once regretted coming to Spain. I had to spread my wings to know where I want to build my nest.

A huge part of the reason I’m loving Spain so much is my incredible host family. However, I have heard some bad stories about other people’s host moms. I know one student on this trip tried to skip lunch one day to go to the gym, and her host mom yelled at her for it. I know another student who can never find their clothes/books/souvenirs, because their host mom is always “organizing” and moving stuff around without asking. There’s a host mom who never serves vegetables and another who never eats with the students she’s hosting. So this whole “hosting” system isn’t perfect, but most of us on this trip love our families and wouldn’t change them for the world.

I’m definitely in that group. I love my host mom!!! She’s the sweetest person ever! She puts all of her love and care into every meal she cooks. My roommate Estelle is not a big fan of tomatoes or eggs. When Anna makes salad, she purposefully only makes half of it with tomatoes so that both Estelle and I can enjoy it. One of her favorite dishes to make is homemade fries with a sunny-side egg on top. I love this food and always eat the whole thing. She always remembers that Estelle doesn’t like eggs and prepares her fries without it.

Anna is also very good at balancing American-ish and Spanish food. She never makes actual American food- Estelle and I both said we didn’t want that- but she strikes a good balance between familiar and unfamiliar. For example, if she makes American-style grilled chicken, she would also have quesadillas to go with it. Every meal has meat, vegetables (usually salad), bread, and fruit.

She is also food psychic- she almost always knows what we want without us ever having to tell her. One time I was really craving bell peppers, and they showed up in dinner the next night.

Anna is an amazing chef, but what I love most about her meals is that she always eats lunch/dinner with us. We’ve talked about all kinds of things, including our amazing weekend excursions to Granada/Tarifa, our experience as American college students, Anna’s grandchildren, Spanish lifestyles, and beaches in Cadiz. Anna’s husband Antonio sometimes eats with us too- we usually talk about work, sports, or politics with him.

Anna is also really good about cleaning the house. She usually sweeps/mops every other day, and she does the laundry when Estelle and I are on weekend excursions. She respects our privacy and only cleans our room when it’s already semi-organized. That way, she can clean without having to move our stuff around.

Thank you, Anna. You are the best host mom ever! I’m very grateful that I was able to live with you this month. You truly made this an incredible experience. :)

I might have gone on a tad too long on this point, but I really want to emphasize how grateful I am for my host mom… Especially seeing as I started this blog off by venting about how homesick I am… Even with the best host mom I could possibly ask for, I still miss my family so much that it hurts. One does not replace the other.

If you are reading this blog because you are considering studying abroad, I recommend staying with a host family. It gives you the chance to have an accurate view of how natives are actually living in the country that you’re exploring. You’ll have great food, awesome conversations, and receive the best travel recommendations. You might miss your home-family, but that’s okay, because traveling and experiencing new cultures is the best thing you can do to improve yourself and expand your horizons. :)

[gracie383]

#Cadiz #navegar 

[gracie383]

Week 1

June 4, 2021

Well, it’s been a week. If you’ve ever read a travel blog, I’m sure most of the other posts explain how travel is “life-changing” and allows people to do their “soul-searching.” Well, this is not that blog post. I mean, I like travel, yes. Spain is pretty great. But there is no chance of this trip changing my life- I feel more American here than I ever did back home.

The other night, my roommate and I tried to list ten things that we missed about America. I will share that list here, because I think it’s important.

Houses in Spain are generally much smaller than in America. —- This genuinely shocked me when I arrived. The bedroom I share with my roommate is half the size of my bedroom back home (and that American room is considered small). My host mom mentioned that this house is easier to clean and that it’s easier to live a minimalist lifestyle here. I love my host family, and I love living here, but I miss the actual brick-and-mortar structure of my house back home.

The roads in Cadiz are very narrow and cars frequently come within one meter of you. —- This is actually very exciting for me. I love that heart-in-your-throat feeling when every bone in your body screams “danger.” It’s the same feeling I get on roller-coasters or zip-lining. I love this adventurous feeling, but I wish it didn’t come from cars nearly hitting me 4-5 times per day.

Public transportation in Spain is really good, and there’s no need to take a car anywhere. —- I miss cars. In Cadiz, there are too many cars on the streets… but you never actually sit in one of these cars. I never applied for an international driver’s license, and buses are cheaper than taxis. I haven’t been in a car in over a week, and I really miss it. I miss the feeling of having the windows down and the wind in my hair. I miss the independence of being able to drive 20 miles away from home and still return before dinner. I miss the bass of the radio pulsing in the car walls… but this might just be me. I don’t know if anybody else on this trip misses cars, but I sure do.

I miss my family. —- This one is a given on any list for “things we miss while traveling.” I would feel guilty if it wasn’t here. But in actuality, the homesickness isn’t bad. I’ve gotten really close with my host mom and the other students in our group. I call my family every day, and that’s enough for me.

When staying with a host family, you have no control over your own meals. —- This is also one of those “obvious” points about studying abroad. Of course your host family cooks your meals. But several people on this trip have expressed a desire to eat American food, seeing as it’s been a week. This confuses me, because I didn’t cook my meals even in the states. Since I am a college student, I usually eat in buffet-style cafeterias. And let me assure you, the food in Spain is wayyy better than cafeteria food.

The language barrier is real. —- This is actually my favorite thing about Spain. Everyone here speaks Spanish as if it’s a given. When I first arrived, I would forget where I was and speak English, expecting a response. I would receive confused looks and a Spanish answer. I’m gaining a real appreciation for the Spanish language and I’m starting to understand that English is not the “default” anywhere I go… but now I really wish that I was fluent in Spanish!!!

There is rarely air conditioning in southern Spain. —- This doesn’t bother me as much as I thought it would. The idea is that it’s so hot outside that you have to spend all day on the streets, since the house is cooked hot as an oven. People take siestas in the hottest part of the afternoon, but then they can’t sleep until 1-2 am, when it’s finally cooled down enough that air conditioning isn’t needed. Because I am American, I do miss air conditioning from time to time. However, since I love this siesta schedule, the lack of cold air isn’t usually a problem for me.

Spain uses the 24-hour clock and metric system. —- I won’t elaborate on the metric system, because I expected that before I left and prepared for it. But woww I did not expect 24-hour clocks. It’s so confusing to me. On our itineraries, it says that we need to meet tomorrow in the Plaza del Mina at 18:00. I had to cross it out and write 8:00 pm.

In Spain, people eat breakfast whenever, lunch at 14:00, and dinner at 21-22:00. —- As previously stated, I love the siesta schedule here. I think it’s really cool that most stores close from 16:00-18:00. But I’m always hungry 24/7 because of the late meals. I thought my body would have adjusted to this by now, but it really hasn’t. Like clockwork, I’m hungry at 12:00 and 18:00, and I always have to wait 2-3 hours for the next meal.

Spanish currency (euros) uses a lot of coins. —- This is something that I simply didn’t expect. Euros have 1€ and 2€ coins, and bills start at 5€. It’s really not all that confusing, but when I first arrived here, I tried to pay for a bottle of wine with a 5€ bill and what I thought was a “quarter” when my good friend Lauren explained to me that I just put 7€ on the table, not 5.25€. You learn something new every day!

I hope this list helped you to understand that culture shock is very real. Everything in Spain feels very different from what I know in America. I don’t think that any one way of life is necessarily better, they’re just very different.

I recommend travel to everyone who can afford it. Even if your experience isn’t “life-changing,” you will still gain a new appreciation for a culture different from your own. You will expand your world-view and maybe even learn a new language! :)

[gracie383]

[gracie383]

Story-time: My Pre-Departure Adventure

Yesterday was all kinds of wonderful and stressful at the same time. This is my pre-departure post, because it still feels like it will be a hundred years until I’m actually in Spain.

Note: This is a long-ish story, but it has a happy ending.

I booked my flights separately, so after flying from CLT to DCA, I had no official connecting flight. I had to go to baggage claim and back through security before flying to JFK, then Madrid. The CLT -> DC flight was easy-breezy, but I didn’t see it as the start of my trip. DCA is where this story really begins.

I thought that I had everything prepared for international travel. I had my proof of purpose, passport, insurance, QR code, and covid test/vaccine. I gave myself five hours in the DCA airport just in case anything went wrong. I was ready to go... and then I was informed that I had the wrong covid test.

Apparently, I had taken an AG (antigen) test instead of a PCR test. I was shocked. When I got the test, the CVS nurse said I was cleared to travel. Now I couldn’t even get past security, much less fly to another continent. I was scared, but I remained as calm as I could.

I went to the airport covid testing center. They said they were out of tests and told me to go to Dulles, the next airport over. Yeah, no. Not doing that.

I ubered to CVS and got another antigen test. The nurse told me to call the public health department to ask about PCR. I called and there was a pop-up PCR testing center nearby. I dropped my luggage off at the CVS pharmacy (yes, I was still carrying around my luggage at this point) and walked a mile to the pop-up center.

The nurse at the pop-up PCR center told me the results would not be in until the following morning at the earliest. I called another uber, picked up my luggage from CVS, and returned to the airport.

- Fun sidenote: My uber driver had been to Spain and spoke to me in Spanish for the majority of the ride. It was so much fun and I was able to practice speaking. -

When I returned to the airport, I saw the same ticket agent. He told me that proof of test wasn’t enough. I needed a negative result. I asked if I could still fly to JFK, where I had family friends. He said that would involve heavy fees. Instead, he bumped me to the same flight the following day.

I have no connections in DC. I was scared out of my mind. Suddenly, I was looking at hotels. I’m 19 years old! I’ve never booked a hotel before!

Then, a miracle happened. I’d written in the USC study abroad group chat that I was stranded. Another student’s mom was willing to host me. I was so thankful.

I actually had an incredible time last night. She helped me with my covid test results and then we ate dinner in DC, talking about the upcoming trip. She’s a wonderful host, and we’re planning on doing some sightseeing before my flight.

---

This morning, I woke up to an email... negative PCR covid test!!! I’m going to Spain!!

I believe that everything happens for a reason. I don’t know why exactly I couldn’t fly to Madrid last night, but I do know that I’m having a wonderful time here in Washington, DC.

To anybody nervous about international travel, I will tell you: it’s not easy. There’s a lot of paperwork, fees, and small print. But even when everything goes completely wrong, there is still a bright side. No matter how difficult the journey is, you will eventually make it to your destination.

Never let the fear of flight stop you from the amazing experience that is traveling. :)