July 10, 2007- Freedom without cost

Freedom without cost

In a park in Bilbao, some fellow students and I wandered around a huge fountain that exhibited a magnificent water display. As I posed for a picture around the fountain, I noticed a couple kissing passionately and gazing into each other’s eyes. Behind them in the grass was another couple lying down, one on top of the other, laughing and talking as if no one were around. It seemed as though neither of them cared if anyone was watching or that they even felt ashamed for touching and kissing passionately. In Spain, it seemed that the people didn’t care if the world was watching; they had an openness I had never been exposed to before this 3-week trip to the Iberian Peninsula.

A couple sitting on a bench in Bilbao, Photo taken by Sarah apolinar

It might not seem like a big deal, but why didn’t they kiss and touch in the privacy of their own homes? As the weeks in Spain went by, I started to find out that couples in every city all over Spain were always that passionate toward one another in public. It was sweet and cute at first, but sometimes I thought they went a little too far. If they didn’t see any problems with displaying their affection, why should I? I asked Gerardo, a student on the trip with me, what he thought about the Public Display of Affection, and he said, “It makes me miss my loved ones, and I know that I couldn’t do that in the U.S., because people are so reserved. The Spanish people are just more open. They don’t care.”

Living here in America, you don’t see people making out and touching in public every day, probably because you can get into trouble here more often. Almost always someone will make a comment or groan toward your PDA (Public Display of Affection). Some mother with her two kids might tap you on the back and say, “Get a room!” Americans have a different view of a lot of things and when something is out of the ordinary, frankly, we don’t like it.

For instance, the gay issue in America is a big deal. Many people oppose same-sex marriage or same-sex anything. Being gay or lesbian in America is often not respected, and it is looked down upon. Gay marriage is outlawed in most states, and many gay activists are trying to change the law. In 2005, Spain’s government passed two laws, one legalizing gay marriage and another that allows gay couples to adopt children. This year, Spain had over two million people from across the globe attend Europride, a gay/lesbian Pride celebration in Madrid. Spain hosts a gay/lesbian pride event every year, but this year was the official event for all of Europe. People, gay and straight, arrived in the city for a big party to celebrate diversity and have a good time.

Gary, our tour guide, is straight, and he was having the time of his life celebrating Europride. He wanted to take us to the hottest spots in town. He yelled, “I love this place! You can only do this in Madrid!” He waved his arms up in the air to the beat of the music. It was a great experience to be in the large crowd. It was like being in a Utopia. Everyone got along; it seemed. No gay hate groups ruined the event or started riots. Everyone, gay or straight, white, brown or black, had the time of their lives. It was like the whole country of Spain got together as a family to celebrate diversity.

After the gay pride event, I sat down in my hotel room talking to my mother about the night’s events. After some questions, she finally asked the one I had been waiting for, because it’s so typical of her. “Sarah, did you drink a lot?” Since I tell my mother everything without hesitation, I answered, “No, Mom. I had four beers is all."

My mother disliked the very thought that I could buy alcohol in Spain without any hassle. Spain’s drinking age is 18, yet when you go to a local bar or club you don’t see any 18 year olds there. In fact, the crowd is usually in their 20s to 30s. Sometimes I felt as if we were out of place when we walked into a club. It’s like it’s unheard of to be 19 and at a club or a bar. Drinking is not that big of deal, except at dinner and siesta time, when you want to enjoy your tapas. When I asked Krystal, a fellow classmate how she felt about being able to buy alcohol she replied, “It felt cool, because I’ve never been able to buy alcohol or drink at all.” In America, binge drinking is a concern, but Spain doesn’t seem to have that problem.

Whether it’s underage drinking, being openly gay, or showing passionate affectionate in public, some things will be different in Spain than in the U.S. Their differences may in fact be their strengths. You learn to embrace the differences and see everything in a new perspective and then you become different in your own way. I loved feeling free and being able to look at someone and not judge them by how they love someone. Spain offers you a way to view the world in a different light and to allow yourself to become a part of this wonderful Utopia.

Madrid

It's the hardest to describe and quite frankly I'm terrified that even the description won't be enough for you to really understand Euro Pride.

It's like walking into a giant party. As you walk the streets of Chueca you are greeted by the shrieking voices of people. You don't know any of these people but they all have smiles on their faces and you can only smile back.
Two-million people graced the streets for the biggest gay pride event, in Madrid. Of course I had to see and experience the event for myself so me and three people from our tour including our very own guide settled out to what would be the most exciting event of our whole trip.

Arm in arm with Erica and Gerardo we tried to keep with Gary as he took us through a maze of people. It was crowded, at some points we could not even walk and it took some football playing to fight through the crazy crowd. All around you can hear music and people yelling hysterically. Then we finally stopped in Gran Via where the party was supposed to be happening. There was a parade going on and the wide four lane street including sidewalks was packed to the brim. The only thing getting through the street easily was the eighteen-wheeler holding people on it. The floats were not your average floats, they were trucks with railing and loud music. Some people on the floats were naked or wearing close to nothing. But none of that mattered, they were having a good time dancing and getting the people down below hyped up. It was an amazing sight seeing so many people jumping and dancing with Sangria or beer cans in their hands. The first thing that came to mind was Fiesta San Antonio but then I knew that this event was bigger and louder and in better control.

After dancing around and meeting new people we decided to retreat back to Chueca were there was performances taking place. Now this was a beautiful sight to see as well. The buildings surrounding you in this square were brightly decorated with the colors of the rainbow and people were singing from their balcony's. Full grown men were dressed like beautiful women and the whole crowd was going crazy for them to perform. Finally after waiting a couple minutes they started singing a song that I didn't know and everyone else did. Everyone's beers and hands went up in the air and they began singing at the top of their lungs just like we sing the National anthem at the Super Bowl. As you stand in the crowd and look around you have no time to think only gaze in astonishment at how the crowd reacts. So being that you don't want to be different you fall into this trans and do what everyone else is doing. You feel just as happy as they do and even though you don't know the song, after the third time you hear the chorus your singing it to.

Chapter 3 Medieval Spain

The Visigoths were people that ruled Spain for more than three centuries and oddly in Toledo the remains of them are not present at all.

The Visigoths had the largest and strongest kingdom in Western Europe. This invasion marked Spain's first attempt to becoming a unified nation. The Visigoths brought large scale herding, the horseshoe arch and some Germanic words that later entered the Spanish and English languages. Their greatest impact was settling in Roman Toletum ( Toledo) where for the first time the advanced coastal region looked to the interior for power.


The Goths and the Romans lived together when the Goths took over in 476. The Goths used Roman coins and lived in Roman cities because there were not any Goth ones. The Goths although they were abundant and ruled they still were very intimidated by the last rulers. A major difference of the two people was religion. The Goths practiced Christianity while the Romans practiced " Roman religion" later known as Catholic.

In 675, the Moors would come and try their hand at conquering the land but in the end fail. But later after successfully taking over the Moors would rewrite Spanish history and make Spain different again. They were Berber or Arab people which refers to all Muslims. The Moors brought new religion and culture. After Tariq took over he took some Goths and cut them in pieces so that they could be boiled in cauldrons. Ironically Tariq spent the rest of his winter in Toledo, the old Visigoth capital.
The Moors took over Spain easily, the Visigoths were weak and the Romans didn't like their Germanic rulers. The Moors would soon that conquering was not easy, they became entangled in Arab rivals. It was Pelayo who led some Asturians and surviving Goths to the first Christain victory. A new dynasty then came when Abd-er-Rahman came into power. Al- andalus became very wealthy with it's farms and commerce and culture. The Great Mosque became the Moors notable accomplishments as it was their legacy. Another thing that was important during this time was the fact that there was three distinct religions that separated everyone. You were either Jew, Muslim, or Christian and this in turn made the social ladder to position a way of thinking.

7/4/07 San Antonio

It was a relief to see my family and friends waiting for me at the airport. I was so excited to be home but sad that the trip had come to it's final end.

I'll never forget Spain and now as I show pictures and talk about all the wonderful places we visited it makes me kind of sad to know that I don't know when I will be going back. But one thing is for sure, I have to go back.


This trip made me realize a lot of things about myself and also the culture and the very different world I never new till now. A major thing I learned about myself when we were traveling around Spain is that I wasn't responsible. You know being at home is different and I thought that I was pretty good at managing time and being able to keep up with work, but as the first days went by I could see that I was awful at being on time. Then I hardly ever wanted to do the readings. I mean it was my first time in Spain and all that I wanted to do was do my own thing and not worry about school work. But I changed my mind set immediately when I was warned of the consequences of not being on time and not reading and doing the work.

Usually on the bus we had our class sessions and Mariana and Denise were always in good spirits talking about what we were supposed to read and how our learning's would help us with blog writing and knowing where we were and how it would give us a little insight of the places we would see. That helped us tremendously throughout the whole trip, I felt like I was always one step ahead of the Alaskan group because we were always given so much information ahead of time. If you did not read the readings then it was like you were always behind and didn't know what was going on and lucky for me I found out early on that the work was beneficial and not something to blow off. As for being on time, I really want to make sure that I am ahead of the game then behind everyone and being looked at. This trip taught me the importance of time, and how much that it not only affects you and makes you look bad but it hurts everyone on the trip.

Since were in the year 2007 I always thought the world was up to beat with all the new technology and new advances that have broken through. But being in Spain changed my mind dramatically. There are so many things that are different there that they have and don't have. I wonder what it would be like if Spain underwent an American intervention project. Where we stepped in and built larger roads and increased American food places and made everything less expensive. In the North for example like Bilbao and Pamplona it seems as if they are old ancient towns that refuse to develop. They are beautiful small cities, but they just don't look advanced. No huge tall buildings of economic importance, or sub divisions of housing. I wondered where the town lives at times. It's just a different culture all together and these places looked so homely and secure but small and out of reach with the world at the same time.

Spain is different and it will always be that way. I loved the towns we visited and the journey all over Spain I must say was a wonderful adventure that never really ends. I can't describe to you what it's like because you have to really experience it for your self to understand and see a culture that is amazing and full of tradition. This experience will never be forgotten and I hope that everyone in their lifetime gets the chance to see and experience all that I had the chance to.

6/25/07 Madrid

Missing blog entry for Thursday June 19

Madrid, Madrid were finally back in the hot spot. I must say that traveling around Spain was the greatest experience ever. We saw so many things and experienced all the different city life that each town had to offer. Now were really on vacation and I think that everyone has been waiting to get back here since the first day we left.

In Valencia, for lunch a group of about eight of us wanted to eat somewhere close and reasonable at cost and so we picked a place called Cafe& Tea. This was small but nice place and as we walked in the waitress sitting at the bar looked at us with a stern look. The waitress looked tired and her hair had not been done at all, it had a scattered and dirty look to it. Her apron was black and she wore a black t-shirt that had stains from the days work. She might have been on a break and therefore got annoyed with us coming in because as soon as we sat down she immediately looked the other way.

For about five minutes we sat and waited for her to come by, but we new right away that maybe she was giving us the cold shoulder. Finally she came over and by then we were kinda restless with the heat and the service. Anyways she came over and asked what we wanted to drink and of course after looking at the menu for five minutes all of our minds were in a different place trying to imagine what something new might taste like. I said I wanted a Coke and after that half the group followed and she just walked away without a word and not a smile on her face. Now that I think of it I think we came in during the siesta time and that's probably why she looked bothered.

When she came back with our drinks she wanted to take down our order, and this is where she got really annoyed. In Spain not everything on the menu is in English and so many of us began asking what some of the words meant and exactly what came with the plates. After all our questions she began tapping her pin and making these funny faces. It's funny thinking back on it because I don't think that she knew that anybody was watching her. Well I was and good thing that here in Spain you don't get paid tips and if that was the case we wouldn't have given her anything.

In the end we all hated out food except Dave, but we did all drink our Coke's. We had a little taste of heaven drinking our Coke's and I think that's why we just didn't care about the waiter anymore.

6/22/07 Torremolinos

Bathing suits and short shorts is the perfect gear here in Costa del Sol. People flock to this city to lay out in the sand all day, either topless or covered. Kids play a game that I couldn't figure out that involves patting a ball back and forth while their parents sip drinks and read.

It's very peaceful here. All you hear is kids laughing and the waves crashing. You feel as if all the worries in the world are gone. You have endless time to think about nothing really, and you're happy that today is a beautiful sunny day.

As you lay out in the sun, you can hear the waves running up the dark stained sand and you wonder if the water feels just right. Later, as your perspiration starts to accumulate all over your body, you decide that maybe you just don't care whether the water is right or not. You just want to go in. So you run into the sparkling clear blue water and then immediately run out! Your feet are so numb and your whole body feels like it's in shock. That's how cold the water is, but after walking back to your spot on the sand, your body starts to feel cool and the breeze helps to bring your body heat back to normal. You're not shivering anymore and the water running down your back feels like that nice cold shower you will have after you leave for the day.

Laying down again on the hot sand you feel at ease and comfortable. What a place this is and you think about how you could spend your entire life living like this. Relaxing all day motionless and without worry.

6/21/07 Costa del Sol

Finally, the beautiful beach of Costa Del Sol, this place is like a resort town with its many hotels and bars and restaurants on both sides of the street. We arrived here after a 2 hour drive from Granada. In Granada, we had the chance to tour the Alhambra which is an old peaceful garden with many palaces that surround it. This place was a great place to see and the artwork inside and out of the palaces was magnificent to look at. The writings on the walls were all Arabic and you could tell that the words told a story or had a special meaning. In class we are backtracking to chapters 4&5 and we just started discussing the Moros and the Christianos fight over Spain.



In the beginning the Moors controlled two-thirds of the peninsula and the most powerful of these places were Sevilla, Granada, Cordoba and Almeria. A ruler from Sevilla by the name Motadid, used human skulls for flowerpots around his palace. As for his amusement he kept the heads of rivals in leather cases. The Moorish-Christian had a depiction of an early wild West because it attracted all kinds of adventurous people. This would then cause the Reconquest (La Reconquista) which is the most distinctive factor of medieval Spanish history.



Fernando I of Castilla had been the leading figure in the reconquest with his capturing of Valencia then Portugal. Later after his death a new man who became one of the most exalted figures in Spanish history known as El Cid Campeador. El Cid made his fame by a great epic poem in Spanish history. Later he became known as a national hero, because it had been said that he could subdue lions at a glance. He eventually became exhiled by Alfonso VI who had been a military figure that pentrated Andalucia then later capturing Toledo in his first crucial capture of the Reconquest.

6/20/07 Granada

Today we are in Granada. this place so far has a small town feel to it. We arrived around four in the afternoon and right away me and my roommate decided we were going to the pool. Yesterday was our last day in Valencia and I had the chance to see the Holy Grail. I couldn't believe that I was actually less than 10 feet away from it. I'm not that religious, but I must say that being in the room and seeing it gave me such a good feeling. I mean as you walk into the room you are in awe with the sight of the Holy Grail Today's blog is about Antonio Gaudi, one of the most influential artist in the 20th century.


Antonio Gaudi made himself the hottest break through artist of the 20th century who had a very unique style of work. One example of his astounding works is the beautiful Parque Guell, which has the most astonishing colorful mosaic tiles that sweep the concrete benches to sit on. Around you are tall arches that have a dusty but elegant look to them. This place is peaceful with the wild flowers growing all around you. Some of the small houses that surround the area look like small gingerbread houses. They are colorful and have tall castle-like arches with unique designs.

His work also include the very beautiful Sagrada Familia church that looks more Gothic with its very high arches and dark stained walls. This church also is still in the process of being finished it has a separate part that is very modern with its round edges. What I noticed about this particular church is that it looks like Gaudi was having a fun time with all the designs he made up. It’s something that you can only see in his work because he was just a talented artist. He really made his work stand out, and that’s what separates himself from other artist from then and until now.

6/19/07 Valencia

Our last day in Barcelona was a day filled with people around the world and ourselves touring the place that none of us had ever been to. This place is not as beautiful as Madrid and frankly I think of it as a big ash tray. So many people smoke here and as you walk through La Rambla, the air is filled with a thick smog that hits your face all day.


I wish that I was fluent in Spanish because it would help me get around a lot easier and it would also give me a better sense of what the people here are talking about as I walk past them. Today's blog is supposed to be about a conversation we over hear. I did not have a chance to understand anything that was going on at least until me and Dave ran into some Texans.

It was sigh of relief because it was like I was closer to home in a way. These two women approached Dave because he was wearing his A&M hat, and asked him where he was from. Then all of a sudden we were all happy to be talking to one another because they thought just like us that they were the only Texans. I don't remember their names and to be honest I was so excited to be talking to them that I didn't pay any attention. One lady is a native to San Antonio and actually taught at Madison High School. These ladies live in the valley though and miss Texas a lot. We talked about how bad we wanted some enchiladas, tortillas and salsa. Here in Spain you do not get served salsa or ketchup with anything. It's like it doesn't exist here and even the salt and pepper are rarely around to make your food have some taste. These ladies were also with EF Tours and were on the Spanish Festival trip only here for ten days.

It was an unexpected run in, but I really enjoyed talking to them about missing Texas and missing the wonderful food we have back in San Antonio. I think a lot of us on this tour were really surprised about the culture change and how very different it is here. Some people have even said that being here has made them appreciate their country a lot more. It's a wonderful place to travel to I think but as the days go by I am still adjusting to the culture and the many different foods.

6/18/07 Barcelona

The Story of Spain Introduction Chapters 1&2

The story of Spain includes many invaders who entered the country on a chance to gain control and seek power. The Iberians are among the first to come. Iberians had dark skin and had really long skulls. Also they lived in hilltop settlements. Their character was said to be stoical and devoted to bulls and horses. Iberians had a superstitious religion and were very respectful of others. Among the Iberians there were also many other groups that influenced the peninsula, such as the Basque people who speak a language that has no direct correlation to any other language.

Later the Celtics came and were apart of the Iberian Peninsula migration. The Celtics had fair skin and round faces and entered the peninsula around 900 BC. The Celts brought iron metallurgy and the short broad sword. Celtics drank fermented beer and the word cerveza actually comes from the Celtics.

As the Celtics settled on the peninsula a group known as the Phoenicians entered through the south. The Phoenicians had dark skin and wide foreheads, with hooked noses. The most important thing that the Phoenicians brought was the alphabet which is still used today but is modified. To the Phoenicians mining and fishing were of economic importance. Even the Phoenician coins had a tuna fish on it. When Phoenicia was defeated by Assyria and Babylonia Carthage came into place. The Greeks quickly made trading posts in Spain. Even though the Carthaginians ruled the Mediterranean coast for two centuries, historians still know very little about them.

The Roman Conquest

The Romans ruled the Iberian Peninsula for six centuries. They brought so many things with them and were the most important invaders in Spain history. Romans built roads, bridges and aqueducts which can be seen still today. I have personally had a chance to see them and form a far they look extraordinary. Romans had an advanced legal system and a new religion called Christianity. As I refer to the text it’s said that Christianity ¨served to unite disparate ethnic and linguistic groups¨ (pg. 33). It was very hard for the Romans to come to the peninsula and quickly gain control. In fact it took over two centuries and more thatn one-hundred and fifty thousand lives to actually take over the peninsula. Romanization started around 200 BC and was complete in areas around the coast and river valleys. The legacy the Romans left are the laws and language.

Saturday 6/16/07

Today we are in San Sebastian, we started our morning with a guided tour of this beautiful city and our guide was very funny. His name was Eduardo, and he was always making jokes with us. This town is very lavish and the most that I have enjoyed so far. There is an incredible beach that is the center of the town . I think this is the first place that I have been to where they have 135 bars in a single place. You would think that they would not be packed all at once but they are. Every bar at around 2 in the afternoon is overly packed with people drinking and enjoying fresh Tapas. Tapas are finger foods that many of the people enjoy eating at the cafes and bars here in Spain.


Back in Madrid, we went to many places and my first museum was the Prado. This museum has a lot of sixteenth century to seventeenth century art work and one of the main reasons for going was to see the work of Francisco de Goya. His work also was said to have inspired the works of Manet and Picasso. At the Prado, we were instructed to see the painting " The Third of May".This particular painting depicts a scene of Spanish war liberation. The art work is vivid and sad at the same time. You can see how horrible Napoleon's troops were and how they handled the uprising of Spain. In the painting, there are troops on one side and civilians on the other side with hands held up because the troops are holding guns up ready to shoot them. Goya goes in detail with men laying dead on the ground already and women and children in the background scared for their lives. Goya greatly contributed to history of Spain with these paintings because he was directed by the king to paint them to show Spain's suffering.

6/14/07 Burgos

We just arrived in Burgos, and we are sitting in an Internet cafe that is like a bar. Today´s blog we have to write about the connection between San Antonio and Spain in general. Well to be honest, I don't see any connections. Only the fact that there are some stores that are the same,but there are a lot of differences though, like the roads are cobble stones and the buildings are all stuck together in a long row. The church's here are also a big thing and today we are having a 2 and a half hour tour of a really huge church that took over 300 years to build. So it´s very important and the name of it is Catedral de Burgos. It's just astonishing to look at with it´s high walls and huge bells. It´s something that I have never seen before, and I'm really excited to see it.

Another thing that I wanted to mention was the fact that people around the world should care about what we as a class are writing. Denise, our teacher, asks us why should you care as a reader about our story. I think it's important to learn about a completely different place and to learn what I am learning and enjoying. There is so much hidden history that a lot of people never really want to hear about. But Spain is special and something that not only can I tell you about it but you have to see it for yourself and really get the feel of life here.

Day 1 of Madrid SPAIN

Wow, I am finally here in Spain and it is incredible. It looks like an old town with really old fashioned buildings that look like a work of art. There are so many people that flock to this city for the sights and tastes of Madrid life.

The flight over here was really long 5 hours to Newark, New Jersey, and then another 6 hours and thirty minutes to the capital of Spain. Touching down to the city was exciting, and then my worst nightmare happened luggage was lost, luckily for me and Denise our luggage was found on another plane after an hour of waiting. Thank god it turned up though because I would have been without clothes. The lady at the airport really helped us though and i think that if we did we have to leave the airport with our luggage that she would found it and returned it..

After the long flight I experienced jet lag bad. I was so tired getting to the hotel that I all I wanted to do was lay down and catch up on sleep. Since there was a seven hour difference it's hard to adjust so quickly. Right after we went to our hotel we had about an hour brake and then we were set to board the bus to go to a Royal Palace. That was the first palace that I have been in. Let me tell you it is a sight to remember.All of the rooms were different patterns and greatly furnished and held pictures of the Kings and Queens that roamed the very rooms that I was in.

Our tour guide Gary is a handsome Spanish man who seems to take is job very seriously,always making sure that everyone is on the bus and on time.Something that I did not get until he made an announcement that time was everything and that we were on a tight schedule.

After the Royal Palace we walked around the La Puerta del Sol where we were briefed on the different places to go and the precautions to take as we walk by markets and restaurant's. This place is in a beautiful setting, so many people are walking around talking and having a good time. No one has been rude or made mean gestures. It´s quiet in the parks and loud in the streets. As soon as I could blink I was sitting in the very elegant Museo De Vino, we were to dine in. I felt like I was in a very expensive restaurant and I could smell the fresh bread from where me and Dave were seated. Even the Sangria I drank made me salivate before I put my lips to the mug. Our food was delicious and it reminded me of home. Our first course meal was rice,chicken with sauteed red bell peppers and clams. I loved it, and I think I ate it too fast, because after a while I felt dizzy.

Well time is cut short here so that's the day so far. Although this is a lovely place I still miss home.

San Antonio, 6/5/2007

After class today I can honestly say that I had the sense of urgency to leave for Spain already. All of the information that we were given in that short 2-hour period of class I was just so overwhelmed with the amazing things I'm about to experience.

When I get back from Spain, I already know that this is going to be one place that I am always going to want to write about. Even though I know I am not the best writer, my brother is, I know that if I just write what I see it will still be a great story. The book that we are required to read, "The Story of Spain" just gives you an insight of the all the culture that is there just through reading about the history. There had been so many invaders of Spain and that's what makes it so culturally diverse. As you can see Spain has a lot to write about and I want to do just that because I want my family members and friends to experience it for themselves.

On the other hand some of the most important subjects that I would want to write about are Global Warming, Art and Family Tree. Global warming is something that involves the whole world and I want to report on it because so many people see it as minor issue and not a major one . I want to particularly write about what the impact would be, and how our society can help reduce the risks of global warming. Art has always been a passion of mine. I love to look at different forms of art. I think it captures me because it's so secretive to everyone looking at it. Art has so many different forms and I think everyone should at least have an understanding of what they mean. So I would want to report the different classes of art in a way that we could understand it better.

My family is a big part of my life. I think it should be that way for everyone so the next big thing that I would like to report on is my very own family tree. I think it would be a very interesting task to take on identifying who I really am and where I came from. It's a very important thing to do in your life and actually one of the students gave me that idea when she mentioned that her aunt actually had a book of her family tree. Just think how awesome it would be to see who your great great uncle and aunts were.

6/4/07 - San Antonio

My hopes and dreams for this Study Abroad experience are to gain the knowledge of a new culture and make this trip one to always remember. I want to see different places and experience something new and I think that Spain is the perfect place to start. I really want to come back from Spain knowing the language and the culture so that I will be able to share that with my family and friends. It's not every day that you are able to pick up and leave to another country so I am really grateful that I will be able to. Not only will I see different places and learn the culture but through this process i will grow personally because I will see and experience a whole new world.

It's hard to say what I expect Spain to be like. But I can already imagine what it would be like walking into El Museo de Jamon, I can see all the people waiting to put in their orders and talking amongst themselves. Also i imagine it to be cheap and really fun. I hear that once I go to Spain, I will never want to come back home. I have some big expectations only because I have never been to a place that has made me want to never come home. I love home and to feel like never coming back would shock me. That's where growing personally comes in. Maybe I will want to stay? If so, then that means being very far from my mother and father. It may be a possibility but that very thought scares me. What I am really excited about is trying the food. I have had some great feedback but then on the other hand I have heard that I wont like the food. I love to try new foods, and most of the time I love whatever I eat. I'm not at all picky and I'm just anxious to see the different foods that they mostly eat. I cant wait for this awesome trip to start and I am really excited about it!