Author: Kaila Jordan

I’m not going to tell you what I’ve been up to lately in this post. Instead I’m going to go into some depth about things that I haven’t spoke about before mainly two things: Spanish Social life and host families. They’re both things that I thought I was prepared for but I wasn’t.

Spaniards are Social

“Spanish social life” and “Spanish life” are pretty interchangeable terms. Having friends and going out is incredibly important to Spaniards. I had only been here a few days before people started asking me questions like “do you have friends? Are you making friends? Do you go out with them?” This surprised because I had been in this country for less than a week. I really didn’t know anyone. But there was this pressure to make friends and go out and do stuff with them. I mentioned this pressure to someone who works with Greenheart and they explained to me that success here and happiness is more dependent on the social connections you make. If you’re spending time with friends then people think you’re unhappy.

This may sound redundant but these are social people. They are always meeting up for coffee or going on walks together. If, by some chance, someone is alone then they are likely on the phone with someone or planning to meet up later. In my small town it feels like everyone is connected- and they really are. Somehow everyone knows me. I’ve been walking down the street when someone goes “Hello Madison!” to me which is very nice and also a little confusing because I’ve never met them before. Social circles are big with lots of people plus other people who are parts of intersecting circles. This makes it hard at times because people are constantly coming and going. As someone who isn’t the best at names it sometimes feels like a test. At times I need to scan my brain to remember if I’ve met this person before, if we’ve introduced and if they’re related in someway to someone else. Formalities are quickly dropped after introductions (the which are done with a kiss on each cheek). People don’t shy away from terms of endearment like “hija” (daughter), “guapa” (beautiful) or “cariño” (dejar).

In the U.S. social life is important but it’s smaller. In the U.S. social get togethers are often held in your home. Here, that is very rare. If you’re meeting up with your friends then you usually do so in a bar. My friends will send me a message saying something like “9:30 en Cristos.” Then we’ll all get something to eat or sit down in a bar to talk or go to the “disco” (which sounds nerdy but it’s just a place with loud music, flashing lights and dancing, usually only young people go too.) This arrangement makes it easier for lots of people to to be together and come and go freely. Children tag along too, with their parents. They figure out their own fun in the bars and restaurants. It’s sometimes amazing how creatively they use their resources to make up games. To a person from the U.S. It can sometimes seem exhausting and chaotic. Like why can’t we just have a movie night? However, it’s a great position to be in as an exchange student because you get to meet a lot of people.

Living with a Spanish Host Family

All host families are different so by no means is what I say totally correct. Host families are exciting though. I remember the day I found out my assignment and the details of my family. I probably read their profile a hundred times. Then I emailed with them regularly in the months leading up to my arrival. But nothing can totally prepare you for living with them. For me I think there was a gap between expectations and reality. It was in no way negative though. When I thought of my host family I thought my host sisters would be like the girls I work with as a camp counselor. And I think my host family had some expectations too: that I’d be like all the other teenagers they know like their cousins for example. We both sort of forgot that we had never met. Making the first few weeks important for getting to know them. In many cases your host family is your first and best friends. They’re the people you can rely on and become familiar.

What I didn’t expect was how much of a family we’d become. A host family is not a group of perfectly posed group of models. They’re a family, they’re loud, they fight, and they have a good time. At first I felt like a very welcomed guest, only for a very short time, but I felt like an observer. Then I joined it, I became part of the family. I argue on occasion with my host sisters, I help with the chores and I found my place. My host sister feel the same way and unabashedly ask me a million question. Other exchange students have had the same experience. You aren’t always happy with your host family. How could anyone always be happy with the people they live with? However you become comfortable with everyone’s quirks and the pick up on yours. I would have missed out on so much if I hadn’t lived with a family here. Being part of a family exposes you to a lot of the culture: the food, the daily habits, and generally experiencing culture through their eyes.

It’s important for me to appreciate all the aspects of the culture. It would be easy to focus on only certain parts of life here and shape my view around those. Instead of cropping the picture though I try to view it all. There are negatives of life here and even the positives can be viewed as negatives when you’re tired and feeling frustrated. The time here is limited which is both a gift and curse. When I face the things I don’t like I have the comfort of knowing I don’t be here for very long.

 

However this comes around to the positive side too. While having great experiences I always try to take a moment to really enjoy it because I don’t have a lifetime ahead of me here.

Have you ever gone running while it’s windy outside? Not during the winter where it’s frigid but on a fairly warm day. Sometimes the wind is really helpful, it pushes you from behind and blows into your face to cool you off. But then you’ll turn a corner and it whooshes into your ears, making every step a little more difficult. That’s sort of what living in Spain is like. (A quick apology if you’re sick of my extended metaphors). It feels like a long run in the wind. It’s exhausting at times but with every step it’s more rewarding. And the wind can be a struggle but it can also be exhilarating.

I’ve been in Spain for over two months. Today someone even rounded up and said three. That threw me for a loop, me? Here? It’s already been almost THREE months! Three seems a lot longer than two, but April has been flying by. March ended with vacation. It was well deserved as there’s no February vacation here. It was also Semana Santa. For those of you who don’t know what ‘Semana Santa’ is, neither did I.

Right before we all went on break my class had a bit of field trip. My gym class walked to Berlanga. Berlanga is a town over ten kilometers from my school. We left during first period and walked. We trekked along paths through farmland and forest. Of course, it was unusually cold that day so we stuffed our hands into our pockets the whole time. But we joked around and talked, some kids had brought small speakers and played music from their phones. At the end of the walk I was surprised to find a zoo! Kids fed the ducks bits of their sandwiches and I got to see Emus and Peacocks. We relaxed for a while in park before taking the bus back to Azuaga and walking to our homes. Just in time for lunch! I asked why exactly we were walking to a town during a school day. They told me it’s just part of the physical education program and they walk somewhere every year. Since walking to Berlanga, we’ve gone on various walks through Azuaga during class.

The first Sunday of vacation my host mom instructed me to go to the end of our street to watch it around 11 a.m. So I did. Now, processions are sort of hard to describe. First there were people walking along in floor length robes, followed by more people, of all ages and genders, walking in the same type of robes but different colors and they had a cone mask on. The best way to describe these masks -and I apologize in advance- is that they look like KKK masks.

This is followed by the town’s band who was always playing. Songs that leaned to the side of somber. Then there were these models? I’m not sure what to call them but in Spanish they’re called ‘Pasos de Semana Santa.’ They’re essentially wooden platforms with a Jesus or a Mary (Cristos and Virgenes) on them and lots of flowers. Underneath the model a group of fully covered figures carry it on their shoulders. There were lots of processions! Sometimes more than one in a day. The colors of robes varied and the models carried. Sometimes the processions were late at night until early in the morning, marching all around town, other times they took place in the morning. The processions were a bit chaotic to my foreign eyes and confusing. Also (at times) almost frightening.

Vacation was great. The weather was really beginning to look up then and we have lots of sunlight. I spent afternoons and nights with friends from school. A former exchange student visited Azuaga and we had a great time chatting about the culture from our perspectives. And speaking English! I spent a total of three days in the countryside. One day I went with friends to where lots of teens were camping out and the other two I went with my host family. My last day of vacation we visited Córdoba. It was such a beautiful city!

We stuck to the shopping area mostly, the streets were wider there as they usually are in the newer parts of cities. I didn’t get a chance to do a lot of sightseeing but I’m hoping to visit again. There was also plenty of trees! Which I definitely approve of. And then vacation came to a sad close with the start of classes again. Although vacation was very funny with plenty of time to relax it was a little stressful. In traditional Spanish sense things were not on a schedule and plans were never given much thought. More than once I received texts saying “let’s go” or my personal favorite, “come outside, we’re here.” I suppose all teenagers are bad at planning but being a foreigner just adds a little bit of stress to the situation. I read once that when you go on any vacation you’re a bit stressed just from having your routine broken, I guess that really rings true here.

This past weekend I was given another great opportunity. I went to Badajoz! I visited another American girl, Christina, who’s in the same Greenheart Travel program as I am. We met in Madrid when we arrived in Spain and have kept in touch since then. I took a bus through the green plains and arrived there Friday night. Christina met me at the bus station and we got right down to business. Our first stop was to get Churros.

When a weekend begins with Churros- or involves churros at all- it’s usually a good sign. We walked around the city Friday night, burning off the churros and exploring. On Saturday afternoon we went to a huge mall called “el Faro.” We bought cheap shoes and clothes and there’s a fountain there that can drop water to spell stuff. We took a bus back to downtown and visited Plaza Alta, a beautiful and delicious bakery and got ice cream. The residents of Badajoz (and through most of Extremadura) are extremely nice and always willing to give directions. On Sunday I took the bus home but not before taking a walk with Christina to a huge field of flowers. It was a sea of purple, yellow and white, absolutely gorgeous. I took lots of pictures but we didn’t enter the field as you can hear the buzzing of hundreds of bees from the path. It was an amazing weekend and now we’re planning for Christina to visit me so that I can show off Azuaga.

My time in Spain is going by fast. I sometimes forget to step back and realize it. I try to take things day by day and so looking back nearly always surprises me. Now, I’m working harder than ever to juice everyday before I’m in my last days. The first month it felt like I was going to be here forever and now it feels like I could stay here forever. Spanish is always on my tongue. Even when I should speak English it sometimes slips out. That’s a good thing though. The days are getting even longer with each passing week and the weather is becoming reliably warm. I still go running everyday, echoing the metaphorical run that I’m doing at the same time. And just like the nice breeze,my runs always show me something I haven’t noticed before.

 

At the end of my last post I played with the idea of including a part about having finished my first month abroad. I decided against it because I was one or two days short. Ever since I’ve been putting off writing because I wanted a nice round amount of time to write about. So, today, I can proudly write that I have been in Spain for seven weeks.

And seven weeks is not a short amount of time. There have been wars shorter than that before. (Trust me, I do my research). I am about a third of the way through my time here! On the other side of things, I still have three full months to explore and enjoy this beautiful country. Time flies though. Well, it flies sometimes. It crawls during Philosophy class…and Economy.

What have I been up to? A little bit of everything. My life is definitely getting more of a rhythm and a routine at this point. The word ‘routine’ often is connotated with ‘boring,’ but I assure you, that is not the case. I am constantly surprised by each day even if it’s just one thing. So the past few weeks hasn’t been full of lots of major events but rather lots of cool small events.

This is my school in Spain.

A few weeks ago I went on a day trip to Madrid with my school. This sounds simpler than it really was. Because Madrid isn’t “day trip” distance. At least not in my opinion. It is a five hour drive, ten hour round trip. Which means we left a little before six in the morning. Luckily, we had a nice, comfortable bus. In fact, bright yellow school buses just don’t exist here like in the U.S. We even watched three movies during the trip. We also stopped halfway through each way for a little break.

In Madrid we went to a University Fair. There was tons of stands and information about education. Us students were free to walk around and check everything out. Most of the information didn’t really include me as I’m not a citizen of Spain nor am I planning on attending college here. However, I learned a lot about the education system and what my friends plan for the future. It was all interesting.

Eventually, we regrouped and went to a shopping mall where we wandered store to store for two hours. We also went to the food court and had McDonalds. My town doesn’t have any large brand fast food places so whenever we leave town we end up stopping by a McDonalds. To my disappointment the “Shamrock Shake” does not exist here. It’s definitely something I’m missing out on this St. Patrick’s day. (I suppose I’m missed out on St. Patrick’s day entirely as it’s not widely celebrated here.) Our day came to a close after arriving back to school after one in the morning. My day ended up being 21 hours long. However, it was well worth it. I got to spend the day getting to know my classmates better. Also how many foreigners get to see a University Fair in Spain?

This past weekend my lovely host family and I also visited a neighboring area. We drove through the countryside for around an hour down winding roads. There’s two type of roads here: the kind that cut through the country, have tunnels through mountains and are very straight, or the kind that were built around the countryside, winding in and out of hills, sometimes near cliff edges.

Our first stop was an old mine. The rocks were stained black from iron in some parts. There were little paths that lead through narrow gaps in rocks. The water was a sort of greenish-blue color and pooled at the bottom of the cliffs. There was also remains from the miner’s old houses and equipment. Afterwards we went to a restaurant that was down more narrow, dirt roads and was- in absence of better words- in the middle of nowhere. The food however, was delicious.

Later we went to yet another spot where we hiked down a path and got to see waterfalls! We climbed out on the rocks and took pictures and enjoyed the view. If was a beautiful spot full of green that I am sure cannot be replicated in Maine this time of year. To top off the day we briefly stopped in a small town wander and merienda (afternoon snack). My host family and others commented on what a gorgeous town it is and I agreed- however I think that about everywhere we visit.

School is going well, probably how you’d imagine school in a foreign country: boring because that remains a trait of school no matter where you are but interesting at times and confusing. The second trimester just ended which meant lots of exams. Up until this point I’ve been an honors student. That’s not quite the same here. Luckily, my teachers are very understanding.

In a few classes here I am a great student. For example in English class I am the star pupil. I’m also on better side of the spectrum in math, but this isn’t true for a lot of classes. A few teachers have me take exams like everyone else but don’t grade them the same. Usually they fix my grammar and compliment the things I did right. One even gave me a passing grade (5) because I had tried and studied despite not answering everything correctly (or understanding some of the questions). Other students go above and beyond and make alternative exams for me or give me packets to work on that are easier. That leaves one or two classes where I just don’t do the exam. Which is a bit hard to explain to my classmates. I remember on one occasion someone was handing out the exam and tried to give me one and I just said “oh no gracias” (no thank you) and they were quite confused. However, in most of my classes I at least try to do the work and follow along. According to my principal my teachers have seen an improvement in my Spanish which is very encouraging.

This is the road I walk to get to school.

I mentioned previously, I’ve been doing a lot of things. Obviously. I live here. But here’s a few quick summaries of things from the past few weeks: I joined a biology class for a day and helped to plant holly around the school. I went to a play with my class on a Saturday night. It was called “El sí de las niñas” (the English name is “The Maidens’ Consent”). It was a great show, the ticket was only four euros and the theater is a three minute walk from my house. Needless to say, I’d definitely recommend. I made brownies with my host sister. We celebrated El Día del Padre as well (father’s day). This was a little confusing for me because as most of you know, in the U.S. Father’s Day is not in March. However, I made sure to wish all the fathers I know a good day- just in case.

There was also a solar eclipse! We weren’t in the perfect viewing area but we were in the partial eclipse area. As I’ve mentioned before, the weather here is generally great- clear skies and not much rain. That being said the day, (and the whole week for that matter) of the eclipse was cloudy and rainy. So, we didn’t get to witness it directly. It did get significantly darker at the time though. It seemed a little bit like the world was ended with the dark clouds, pouring rain and then additional darkness. But that’s just my point of view.

A church that I pass while walking at the center of the town.

Life is becoming more comfortable here. It’s not the same as home. It’s not the level of comfort where I’d kick off my sweaty socks in the living room but I might take them off like a civilized person. I’m getting to know friends better as well. This is for obvious reasons great, however this also means they’re starting to notice my accent more. Which means enduring the “can you say ____ for us?!” Surprisingly, it’s often equally entertaining for me as it is for them. I’m becoming closer with my host sisters and parents as well. A lot of the time becoming ‘closer’ with people means being able to talk about more with them. Which means although I learned a lot about the culture here in the beginning, now I’m starting to explore it in depth. I’m also able to share more about the U.S. now than before. This is because we’ve gotten through the simpler differences like language and foods. Now, I’m getting the opportunity to discuss things more deeply such as differences in education and the benefits and disadvantages. In return this has helped me reflect on U.S. culture a lot.

Now, I’m soaking in the Spanish ways of life. I’m learning new things each day and even the mundane can be so exciting. Being an exchange student means I have limited time here. So, I try to do something each day to make it worthwhile. And on the days where I’m not feeling the brightest, I think the same thing: ‘I’ve only got so many more days.’ Even waking up on a Monday morning, I try to remember ‘I only get to do this 13 more times.’

 

 

To my Instagram followers, I’d like to make a formal apology. The number of photos that I posted over a short period of time is indeed cruel and abusive to the system. I have but one excuse: Granada is really freakin’ beautiful. And even with the ridiculous amount of pictures I posted I still believe that I haven’t done the city justice.

My host family and I recently made a long weekend trip to Granada. Granada is a city with a history. According to in-depth research (Wikipedia mostly), the area around Granada has been populated since at least 5500 BCE. Which means people were living there for thousands of years before the pyramids were built, just for some perspective.

One has to fast-forward through thousands of years to even get to when Granada was a Roman municipality in 1st century A.D.  Fast forward hundreds of years to when Granada was under Moorish control and then more until it became Catholic until finally you arrive to today. This being said, Granada is a city of the people. It’s a historical place with evidence of its past everywhere. I like to think of it as a place for humans and it’s evident. It’s evident in the beautiful graffiti, in the well worn walkways made from stones long ago, and in the narrow, steep streets, created long before cars were a concern. People walk in the streets at places, only to move to the side calling “Ciudad! Coche!” to make room for cars coming through.

We drove to Granada on a Saturday morning, leaving early and stopping for breakfast halfway through the trip. We traveled with two other families bringing our total person count to thirteen (I’m not sure if 13 is bad luck here, no one seemed very concerned on Friday the thirteenth). The drive was around five hours, luckily, I have the advantage of being a foreigner, meaning looking out the window is extremely entertaining.  A little bit before lunch we arrived at the hotel. We spend the afternoon exploring the city streets and paid a visit to the Cathedral of Granada, which is so big that you cannot fit it into a picture. It’s a gorgeous place that serves as a reminder of how much money and time the Catholic Church was willing to give. Seriously, the Catholic Church has probably paid so much money to designers and architects over the years.

On Sunday we all arose from our slumber and had breakfast in the hotel restaurant. Then we took four taxis to The Alhambra and Generalife. The Alhambra is a palace that began being built in the 9th century, only to be added on and renovated for hundreds of years by Moorish rulers. Generalife is the garden are attached to the city. And my oh my what a beautiful place. It’s only of the most visited places in Spain and I see why. It looks down at the whole city and the mountains surrounding the area.

 

Everywhere you look there’s another special detail. For example in some rooms poems were carved into the decor in Arabic. I took dozens and dozens of pictures of everything. We eventually found our way down the slope that the Alhambra sits on and back into the city. After refueling we went to a famous balcony that looks out at the castle and the large mountains behind it named Sierra Nevada.

To get there we climbed up those steep, skinny streets that I previously mentioned, at times hallways would be a better word to describe them. But the view was well worth the effort and we stayed for a while, marveling at the sight. This same view can be found on thousands and thousands of postcards and dozens of fotos on my camera and phone.

The next day we took on Sierra Nevada, in all its snowy majesty. We drove up the curving roads of mountains, the view getting better and better with each passing moment until we were above the clouds looking at only mountain peaks. Once we arrived at Sierra Nevada everyone was very excited and enthusiastic about the snow, even though at first the snow we were looking at was slushy, dirty snowbanks. However, to my travel gang, this is the only time they’ll see snow (live! In person!) all winter. To me, a Mainer, it took me a moment to remember that snow was cool! Not just something that messes with traffic and occasionally gives the children a day off from school. However, I digress.

Popi (my host mom), Lola (a host sister) and I got fitted for skiing gear then headed up the mountain even more in a lift. Now I know what you’re thinking (or may be thinking, I don’t actually know…): Maddy, what are you doing? Do you even know how to ski? The answer to this is… Kind of.

I think every kid who grows up in Maine knows how to ski a little bit. Even if their only experience was those few days in fifth grade where we strapped on old, half functioning cross-country skis and waddled around the school campus. However, I digress… Anyways, up on the mountain the three of worked with an instructor for two hours and more or less learned how to ski. Lola and I, were, of course phenomenal, and we’re expecting word from the Spanish Olympic Ski Team anyday now. The beautiful view of the snow, clouds and mountains matched the experience of skiing.

With the end of skiing, came an end to our weekend. This, however, allowed me even more time to gawk out my window at the Spanish countryside, including while the sun was setting. To say my visit to Granada was great is an understatement. I’m so grateful to everyone in my life supporting me from The U.S. to Spain. (I know: this isn’t funny! It’s sincere and boring! Save it for the acknowledgements!)

Living far away from home is not easy. It’s not even medium. It’s actually quite difficult. (Or at least if it was a sudoku game I’d give it that rating.) The best way to explain it is this: here I’m in a Contemporary History class, right now we’re studying how the Nazis gained power in Germany, which is a pretty complicated thing. Now imagine that all in a different language, now imagine having old documents to read and analyze in that different language then have to respond in the different language. It’s difficult.

However, I am lucky because at each step of the way people are looking out for me and cheering me on. To the people at home: I cherish your emails. To the people here: your besos and smiles mean so much to me. Thank you.

You  know how when you move your furniture you spend the next few weeks bumping into everything, collecting bruises and small gashes. And when you try walking around in the dark? Forget it. That’s what I’m doing right now but for a whole town while studying in Spain. I get caught on the corners of hallways and bang my elbow, I run into chairs, miss steps and occasionally almost get hit by cars (they’re more aggressive drivers here). I’ve brought my clumsiness to a whole new level and I have a fair collection of bruises to show for it.

Of course, it’s not just all physically running into stuff, it translates onto a whole new level. Just like how you slowly find your way around your living room I’m finding my place here in Spain. Each day I learn how to speak more. I’m learning that while studying Spanish for 3+ years has been extremely helpful it also isn’t as applicable as one may imagine.

For a lot of reasons: people don’t pronounce everything clearly, I only had really practiced Spanish with other beginners, peopletalkreallyreallyfastsometimes, and I was taught how to speak in certain ways for situations. For example in class we’d be told “you’re telling someone about your vacation last April to the Grand Canyon: now go.” However, even if you are telling someone about your visit to the Grand Canyon, chances are there will be lots of questions and interruptions.

Slowly, I’m remembering and recognizing more of the vocabulary and being able to understand it. As opposed to a class where you only need to remember the vocabulary until the test.

School Updates 

School is going well. I’ve completed two weeks of classes and I’ve begun to make friends. Some classes are easier than others. The easiest ones are where the teachers take notes on the board because then I can understand and copy them. However, sometimes I can’t read their handwriting which results into normal notes up until one word that I more or less made up followed by more notes.

I mentioned in my last post that English would be my easiest class which holds true. Math is also not as hard as I first thought. We’re studying things that I’ve already learned so as long as I can understand the question, I can answer it. Physical Education also is on the list of classes I understand because it’s very easy to just follow along with everyone else. As a result the hardest classes are the ones that the teachers lecture in: History and Philosophy.

I’ll try my best to follow but eventually it gets to a point where I cannot focus any longer. It’s harder than you may think to pay attention for that long. It’d be a lot easier to pretend to listen and nod occasionally but that’s also a lot more boring and useless.

I’m currently enrolled in: Castellan (literature), English (the language), Math applied to Humanities, Contemporary History, Philosophy, P.E., Contemporary World Sciences, Economy, and a computer type class that from what I gather is about data imputing. Now, I don’t have all my classes everyday, I have six.

School starts at 8:30 then I have two classes. Then we have a 20 minute break and then two more classes followed by another 20 minute break then our last two. Then I go home for lunch at 2:30.

Spanish Eating Schedule

Before you panic, let me quickly explain the whole Spanish Eating schedule real fast: I eat breakfast around 8 before I leave for school. I then have a snack during one of my breaks. Almuerzo (Lunch) is around 3pm and is the main meal of the day. Then around 5 or 6pm I eat another snack. Dinner is then a lighter meal, like an American lunch, and is eaten around 9:30/10pm. Got it? I know it seems totally weird and out of balance but others are just as shocked when I tell them the American eating schedule.

Living in Spain

Azuaga is not a very large town but unlike small town U.S.A. it’s more concentrated, with lots of narrow streets and alleys. It’s like a really little city. It’s built on a hill, so if you get lost you can just walk uphill until you find the main street. At the very top, above the rest of the town is ruins to a really old castle from the fifteenth century as well a small church and a statue. From there you can look down at the whole town and surrounding land. Around the town are stretching fields of green backed by grayish purple mountains. Because everything is on a slope, looking down the street you can see the mountains and hills sprawling out. In those hills is my host family’s “casa en el campo” (house in the countryside) that we visit each weekend. It’s a peaceful place with lots of animals and beautiful sights.

My first few weeks abroad have been a bit of a slip and slide. It’s been confusing and chaotic and I’ll admit there are times where it feels like I’ve just jumped out of a plane with a parachute that only has a 50/50 chance of opening. But other times I feel content and so grateful to be here. So even though my furniture has been move around in new, weird positions, I’m slowly beginning to like the design of it all.

This past week has been similar to a trip to a theme park underwater. It’s been confusing and different but also it’s been really incredible. I flew out monday evening. My flight was supposed to be at 7:15pm however around midnight we finally felt the plane leave the ground. Flying over Spain was surreal. I couldn’t believe what was going on, that I was finally here, that this is Europe.

After landing I was quickly whisked away to our few magical days in Madrid. Tuesday afternoon was filled with hello’s and lots of kisses on each cheek (how they greet one another). I met four other exchange students and together we took Madrid by storm. In around 48 hours we went to tons of shops, ate lots of tapas, went to El Catedral de Maria, Los Crytos, El Palacio Real (the royal palace), La Reina Sophia (modern art), had our first Paella, ate more tapas, went to the Prado Museum and somehow still had time to sleep.

 

On Thursday another student and I boarded a bus to Villanueva. The ride was five hours, however, outside the windows I could see the countryside and all the mountains and I beautiful sunset. (seriously. If you haven’t checked out my Instagram it’s filled to the top with pretty things: @themaddymj)

We arrived at night and as soon as I got off the bus I saw my host-mother standing there and she called my name and I gave everyone big hugs. After eating we drove to their home (which is gorgeous). Popi showed me the whole house and my room. It’s perfect and I could not be more grateful to them.

This brings us to today, Friday. I was allowed to sleep in. Then we went to a shop and bought me a phone I can use here, in Spain. Then we went to my school: I.E.S. Miguel Duran. Lucky for me the director of the school is also an English Teacher. She, along with everyone else was very welcoming. Two of her students gave me a tour of the school in English. Then I had my first class.

Now, I want you to pause for a moment and imagine this. It’s your first day, you don’t understand very much and you’re about to walk into a room full of excited teenagers. You walk in and the teacher introduces you as Maddy-saun (that’s how everyone pronounces it). Then a bunch of kids yell “HALLO!” then start clapping. Crazy right?

My first impression of school? Loud! In America the teacher speaks and the students only can when they have permission, right? Well in my first class as the teacher spoke… and so did everyone else. Kids yelled stuff out from behind me and seemed to be fighting with the teacher at times. Two kids got sent into the hall… I think? It was all very chaotic. Then class was over.

I tried asking the girl next to me where my next class was before she explained to me that we stay, and the teacher comes (something I had almost forgotten). Great right? Well, similar to the U.S. they have a few minutes between classes. My desk was sudden swarmed by over a dozen kids all introducing themselves and talking over each other. They were very kind which makes the fact that I can’t remember a single one of their names worse. Before they could burst my eardrum class began.

This class is probably going to be my easiest: English. It’s my native language! This class was quieter. From what I’ve gathered, it depends a lot on the teacher. (Whom by the way the students all call by their first name or nickname) They were excited to try out their English on me and I was happy with a tiny break from the Spanish.

I cannot repeat enough how welcoming they were: There were presentations for me and introductions. The teacher gave me a pack of lollipops as a welcoming present. (Lollipops are actually native to Spain.) Then my day was done. I only went to two classes but I’m glad to ease into it. Now I have all weekend to work on my Spanish.

I’ve met so many people this week and so many have greeted me with open arms. Everyone has been so patient with my broken Spanish and confused expressions. My host sisters are very kind and are helping me learn fast. Their hospitality and generosity are exactly what I need, being a foreigner. So, a “Muchas Gracias” to everyone who I’ve met so far. May we meet again and may I remember your name.

 

In three days I am going to hop on a giant robotic bird and fly over an ocean to a country – sorry a continent – sorry, A HEMISPHERE I have never been in before. However, I don’t feel incredibly nervous, only incredibly excited to be studying abroad. Firstly, I love robotic birds (or as most people call them: planes) so the whole flying thing is actually something to look forward to.

The new hemisphere is more of the nervous part. I apologize for jumping right into the action, this story does have a beginning, where I shall return to in order to tell you how I arrived at this situation.

 About a year ago I had a really long study hall. Actually, by school standards it was an average sized period, however it was right before a very big pre-calc test so I was suppose to be studying. But, like any teenager I didn’t want to be studying, so I started brainstorming ways to not be in this situation: A way to achieve new and great things while not staring at messy notes and beat up textbooks.

That’s when the idea of studying abroad hit me.

Things did not become solid overnight; for a while it was an abstract idea. I decided very early on that my destination (if there was going to be one) was going to be Spain. There were hours of convincing my grandparents and mom that sending me away for nearly five months was, in fact, a good idea.

There were meetings with guidance counselors , paperwork, talking to teachers. Then I had to pick a program to travel though. I decided on Greenheart Travel and crossed my fingers that they weren’t going to take my money and disappear. Then the entire application process that, despite being simple, still filled me with anticipation.

Until finally the beautiful day came when I got acceptance information. Even better than being accepted was finding out who my host family would be (which I did in October). After that our e-mail exchanges became very valuable to me.

Now, I don’t want this to be read wrong. I did NOT decide to study abroad to get out of future math tests. I chose to go abroad to learn more this pale blue dot that we live on. I’ve always had this love for learning that seems like it cannot be clenched. It doesn’t end in the classroom. It follows me into public while I interact with strangers and listen to what they have to teach me.

It follows me in my spare time while I read biographies and autobiographies. It follows me while I take pictures and teach kids how to do it themselves. It follows me into the darkroom as I experiment with making images appear on paper. My curiosity has followed me as I read book after book about Spain and practice speaking Spanish everyday.

That curiosity is following me abroad too. Luckily, it doesn’t weigh much because my suitcase is already packed pretty full. I’m excited to learn about the culture and the people who make it up. I’m excited to learn more of the language and history. Most of all I’m excited to have this opportunity to learn.

Which brings me back to today. I am merely days away from leaving. I’m saying goodbye to everyone and packing everything up. (Living in Maine, we did just get a huge blizzard so I’m also shoveling a lot). My room is empty as if it’s not mine at all and all the things I’m bringing are packed. 

It’s not a painless transition- I keep trying to explain to my siblings (ages 3, 5 and 6) that I won’t be around but it’s just over their level. Being a junior, when I return to my high school in the fall, all of the seniors won’t be there, so I’m saying goodbye to them as well.

As I set off on this adventure I feel a lot like an astronaut going to space. Yes, I’ll be gone for a while and I won’t see family and friends, in fact I won’t even speak to them often. I’ll be far away from home in a foreign land. But, just like how an astronaut always has a radio home and back up engines for support, so do I. 

Each step of the journey I know everyone will be there rooting for me, there to back me up, from my host family to my birth family. And with this knowledge, in a few days I’ll be able to buckle up in my plane seat and not feel the weight of nervousness on my shoulders, only the flutters of excitement.