Exploring Valencian Culture #HogsAbroad in Spain #ThrowbackThursday

Hi! My name is Olivia Pledger. I am currently a sophomore in the Walton Honors College studying Finance with a minor in Spanish. This past summer I participated in a study abroad program in Valencia, Spain through an external program called University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC).

As someone who loves traveling, meeting new people and learning about new cultures it was a priority for me to dive deep into Valencian culture while there. One of my favorite ways to explore new cultures is through FOOD! If you are like me and want to immerse yourself in a new culture and eat authentic food for cheap, I HIGHLY recommend living with a local family. Not only will you be enjoying local homecooked meals, but your ability to communicate and understand a new language will increase significantly.

While in Valencia, I not only studied Spanish to earn credit towards my Spanish minor, but I also took advantage of other courses offered. For example, I took a Windsurfing and a Spanish Cuisine and the Mediterranean Diet course. Both of which allowed me to practice my Spanish with locals and experience what it really means to be Valencian.

In addition to living with a local family, I recommend researching a few things before arriving to your country. I found it very beneficial to do research on any holidays/festivals occurring during your studying abroad, especially if you choose to do a summer program as you will find that time really does fly when you are having fun! While I was in Spain there was The Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, a fire festival called Gran Fira De Valencia and a National holiday. Many of my friends took a train to Pamplona to experience the famous Spanish tradition of the Running of the Bulls. I chose to take advantage of the long holiday weekend to fly to Paris for the weekend with some of my new friends from my program.

If you are struggling to find a U of A program that fits your needs fear not! There are many credible external programs that you can find on hogsabroad.uark.edu or through your study abroad advisor. Now is the best time to start exploring the world!! I can truly say that this has been one of the most memorable experiences of my life and I encourage every student at the U of A to participate in some form of study abroad.

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Finance major & Spanish minor Olivia Pledger spent the Summer 2019 term in Valencia, Spain with USAC, with the help of our Office of Study Abroad Scholarship.

Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

New Friends, New Cities, New Experiences #HogsAbroad in Mexico #ThrowbackThursday

Learning to make black clay pottery in Oaxaca.

 Hi!! My name is Chloe Williams and I am in the School of Art studying graphic design. I am also working towards a Spanish minor which led me to dreaming about studying abroad one day. This summer I had the opportunity to study in Puebla, Mexico through the Faculty Led Program at the U of A. Being in the Spanish Language and Immersion program increased my confidence in the language dramatically. It also gave me a wonderful experience learning about the history of Mexico and its culture.

Our group visiting the pyramids

My first week in Puebla was a whirlwind of events. We arrived at the end of May and began an orientation session at UPAEP, my host university. The staff at the University had prepared us dishes native to Puebla such as mole poblano and frijoles charros for our first day. Traditional Mexican dancers came in and showed off their talent. They tried to teach us afterward even though we were all horrible at it! The best part about the first day was meeting other students. Our Arkansas group quickly became friends with a group from Colombia and enjoyed the challenge of speaking in Spanish with them from day one. We bonded over hilarious errors in communication and spent time with them after classes for the rest of the week.

A Baroque museum in Puebla

Throughout the weeks, I attended four hours of language class every day. My professor prepared us with writing and speaking practice as well as games so the time always went by fast. In the afternoons, our group attended cooking and dancing classes. It was such a fun way to experience more of Mexican culture and have a nice break from the intensive language course. Every day I went home to my host family and my two host “nephews” who were two little poodles! I adore the time I got to spend with my family there. Our nights were filled with deep discussions, games, and laughter. They helped me navigate the city of Puebla and gave me a deeper understanding of the Mexican lifestyle.

One of the many beautiful churches of Puebla

My favorite part of the experience was our weekend trips. We visited a new city at the end of every week so I was able to see more sights and variances in culture. I could never choose a favorite place because each one was so special from the waterfalls of Cuetzalan, a small town in the mountains, to Mexico City, one of the largest cities I have ever been to. There were so many foods to try, markets to walk through, and museums to visit. Seeing the art in Mexico and learning more of its history were especially exciting! My art history lectures came to life when we were shown pieces from the Aztec and Mayan empires. The colors of Mexico itself are an inspiration for any artist. Every building, piece of clothing, and artifact seemed to be alive with vivid color and energy. I cannot wait to return one day to visit my host family, try new foods, and take in the warmth of such a special place.

Delicious market food

Taking in the scenery

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Graphic design major & Spanish minor Chloe Williams spent the Summer 2019 term abroad with the U of A Faculty-Led program, Spanish Immersion & Service Learning in Puebla, Mexico, with the help of our Office of Study Abroad Scholarship and the Department of World Languages, Literatures & Cultures.

Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

Meg's Study Abroad Story #MondayMotivation

Meet our peer advisor Meg! Meg is majoring International Business Management with a minor in Spanish. She studied abroad in Bilbao, Spain with USAC in Summer 2019, and was able to complete coursework toward her degree. Meg tells us why her study abroad experience was meaningful, from exploring her host city to adapting to new challenges.

Learn more about Meg's study abroad program in Bilbao with University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC).

Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

Frenklyn's Study Abroad Story #WanderlustWednesday

Meet our peer advisor Frenklyn! Frenklyn is double-majoring in Kinesiology Exercise Science and Spanish. He studied abroad in Valencia, Spain with USAC in Spring 2019, and was able to complete coursework toward his degree. Frenklyn tells us why his study abroad experience was meaningful, from language learning to forming lasting relationships.

Learn more about Frenklyn's study abroad program in Valencia with University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC).

Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

Meet One of Our Study Abroad Peer Advisors: Mia Dalton

Me in Mykonos, an island of Greece.

Hey y’all!! My name is Mia and I am a junior studying political science with a minor in Spanish. I spent the last two summers studying abroad with International Studies Abroad (ISA) in Málaga, Spain and Athens, Greece. 

Me and my friend Sarah at the Parthenon on the Acropolis in Greece.

This is my second year as a peer advisor and I love being able to help other students discover how incredible the world is through study abroad. In fact, I sent four of my closest friends abroad last summer and loved hearing all about their adventures. My biggest advice for students is to take advantage of the study abroad opportunities at the University of Arkansas. Many students don’t believe they are able to study abroad for reasons ranging from majors to financials, but trust me we can get you there! 

The city of Toledo in Spain.

I personally spent the last two summers away on honors college scholarships and could not be more grateful. In Spain I was enrolled in an intensive Spanish language course and stayed in a homestay with a local family where I enjoyed home cooked Spanish meals. We were in the city of
Málaga on the Mediterranean Sea and took trips to many other Spanish towns and even one to Morocco. In Greece, I lived in student apartments in a suburb outside of Athens. Living with other students and attending an American college was a very different experience from my previous summer in Spain. We took classes in English with Greek students and were responsible for our own meals. Not knowing the language was also an interesting experience, but luckily most Greeks know English. I spent my weekends traveling to Greek islands and exploring the different cultural norms in each of the isolated towns. I loved my teachers in Athens (and the gyros)! 

Both of these experiences have taught me so much about inter-cultural connections and interactions, as well as increasing my self-awareness of my strengths and weaknesses.

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Learn more about International Studies Abroad (ISA) programs in Málaga, Spain and Athens, Greece.

Come meet Mia and the other peer advisors for a HogsAbroad 101 drop-in session at the Study Abroad House! Come to the office weekdays from 3-5 pm to get all the study abroad basics. Peer advisors are available to help you review your options for study abroad and start searching for a program.

Meet One of Our Study Abroad Peer Advisors: Meg Feeley

In the center of Bilbao at Plaza Moyua. 

Hi! I’m Meg Feeley, a junior at the University of Arkansas. I am studying International Business with a minor in Spanish. I was able to study abroad in the summer of 2019 through USAC in Bilbao, Spain.

While I was in Spain, I got to explore the city and meet people from all over the world. I chose to do a homestay and because of that I learned about the life and the traditions of someone completely opposite of me (and got to live with the sweetest dog ever!). I ate authentic food, spent time with wonderful people who had lived in Bilbao all their lives, and practiced my Spanish everday.

My sweet roommate, Kiñu.

Not only did I visit spots in my city that normal tourists wouldn’t normally go, but I was also able to travel to other countries, such as France and England, and my favorite trip was to San Juan De Gaztelugatxe -- otherwise known as Dragonstone from Game of Thrones.

Before the hike up the 241 steps seen in Game of Thrones. 

Study abroad helps you meet new people and make life long friends.

I wanted to become a Study Abroad Peer Advisor because it is my goal to help other students find a program that will exceed all of their expectations! I recommend that anyone thinking about studying abroad takes the time to search for the program that will meet their needs and not be afraid to step out of their comfort zone. I hope to encourage others to take a chance and go explore the world!”

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Learn more about the USAC program in Bilbao, Spain.

Come meet Meg and the other peer advisors for a HogsAbroad 101 drop-in session at the Study Abroad House! Come to the office weekdays from 3-5 pm to get all the study abroad basics. Peer advisors are available to help you review your options for study abroad and start searching for a program.

Returning to Madrid #HogsAbroad in Spain #TravelTuesday

Hola! My name is Danni DeLozier. I’m a senior who is majoring in Criminal Justice, Sociology, and Spanish. Last year, I participated in the faculty-led summer program in Madrid, Spain, and am now blogging again as I just finished my study abroad trip in Madrid again this fall. It has officially been 2 weeks since I returned to the U.S. and I am missing my city dearly. I spent a total of 6 months in Madrid in 2018 and can confidently say I will be returning for a third time.

I have made so many memories in such a short period of time and I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to return to Madrid. I have honestly never felt so at home anywhere else. During my time abroad, I traveled to many cities in and outside of Spain. In total, I went to 12 different cities in Spain and 8 cities in other countries (Paris, Amsterdam, London, Munich, etc.). During my travels, I made many friends from all over the world and had the chance to visit their cities with them. It is nice to visit an unfamiliar city with locals to show you around!

As far as school, I took all courses in Spanish while in Madrid. I feel very confident in my Spanish after studying for 2 months in a language school and for 4 months in the university. Of course I have had many Spanish courses over the years, but my conversation skills definitely improved while I worked on my conversational skills in and outside of the classroom. I think the most helpful way to practice was speaking with my host mom at dinner every night. She would always just ask about my day and what plans I had for the week, things like that. We could talk for hours about anything and that is what really gave me a confidence boost in my language skills.

Now, being back home with my family, I am very happy to see everyone, but my heart is aching to return to Madrid. As I write this blog, I am also working on my application to teach English in Madrid starting in September! I graduate in May and after that, I plan to work all summer so that I can save up enough money to move back to my favorite place in the world. I will cherish all of the friendships and memories I have made over the last 6 months, and I will never forget how this experience helped me grow into the person I want to be.

Nos vemos pronto, Madrid!

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Criminal Justice, Sociology & Spanish major Danni DeLozier studied abroad in summer 2017 with our U of A Faculty-Led: Spanish in Madrid. She also spent the fall 2018 semester in Spain with through our U of A Exchange program at Universidad Nebrija, Madrid with the help of our Office of Study Abroad Scholarship.

Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

4 Things #HogsAbroad in Chile

Hi! My name is Katrina Kinzel and I am studying International Business and Spanish. Last semester, I studied abroad in Valparaiso, Chile. I went through an external program called ISA and I lived with a host family. I took classes with Chileans and got to travel throughout the country! It was a great experience, and I want to share 4 things I wish I would have known before studying abroad.

1. How much money I was going to spend. I went in with the naïve expectation that I would not spend very much money at all. I thought that $500 would be sufficient spending money for the course of the semester. I was very wrong! I spent a lot more than $500, but it was worth it! With the cost of daily public transportation, extra food and snacks, toiletries, and, of course, travelling, it is easy to spend over $1000 on everything. I had friends that took multiple out of country trips and must have spent a couple thousand dollars during their time abroad. At first, spending money stressed me out and I tried to avoid purchasing things at all costs. But then I made the decision to enjoy my time there and though I spent more money than I had planned, every penny was worth it. 
2. How hard it is to make friends with locals. This was also something I was not expecting! During orientation, they encouraged us to leave the gringo bubble and put ourselves out there, but I didn’t realize how challenging that would be. It definitely depends on the culture, but in my experience it was hard to make friends with Chileans. They are initially shy and closed-off, and have sometimes negative view of Americans. I am also shy when meeting new people and found it hard to leave my safe bubble of Americans to interact with the locals. However, I was able to make friends eventually and it was worth the initial discomfort! 
3. Challenges of living with a host family. Living with a host family was one of the things I was most excited about. And it was really fun! But it was also challenging. Not having control of what or when I ate, lack of privacy, and cultural differences sometimes made me feel awkward and uncomfortable. I loved getting to know my host family and interacting with them, but there were definitely moments when I was very excited to come back home and have more control over my life. 
4. It is still normal life! This is something a lot of my fellow study abroad students struggled with. It was easy to start thinking that, since we were abroad, we needed to be doing cool things at all times or we were wasting our time there. But that is not realistic! There were a lot of times where I hung out in my room, or I was bored, or I had to work on homework, or where I just read or watched a movie. It is important to remember that life is still life, even in a foreign country, and it is important to rest and practice self-care. 

Though learning these things was challenging, it didn’t detract at all from my study abroad experience and I have no regrets in going! It was such an amazing opportunity and I wouldn’t change any of it.

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International Business major Katrina Kinzel is spending the Fall 2018 term in Chile through ISA with the help of our Office of Study Abroad Scholarship.

Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

Adventure Therapy #HogsAbroad in New Zealand

Kia Ora! My name is Lauren and I am a College of Education and Health Professions student, studying Recreation and Sports Management and working on getting a Marketing minor. This past summer, I got the chance to participate in the U of A Faculty-Led: Adventure Therapy and Leadership program in New Zealand. 

When we arrived to Dunedin, I felt right at home. We were assigned a host family to stay with for the week. My host family welcomed me with open arms and cooked for me every night. They had a daughter of their own as well as another exchange student from Germany.

We moved around a lot when we were over there and got to explore many different parts of New Zealand. When we went to Adventure Development, we got to stay in a lodge with our group, which was a blast. On our last stop, in Queenstown, we stayed in another lodge with other tourists.

If you are traveling to New Zealand keep in mind that they drive on the other side of the road, everything seems more expensive because the price you see is the price you pay (tax is already included) and to make sure you know what season it is before you go. Since New Zealand is in the opposite hemisphere as the United States, it is always in the opposite season as us. Another thing you should remember is that New Zealanders are known for being very adventurous. While I was abroad, I was able to climb the world’s steepest hill, go bungee jumping off the Kawarau Bridge, and paraglide off a mountain. There are so many unique thrilling experiences/adventures to go on when you are in New Zealand. Make sure you budget and just go on as many excursions as you can.

Overall, this study abroad experience was an adventure of a lifetime. The country of New Zealand is stunning, the hospitality is great and I found so much joy in experiencing their culture. I cannot wait to go back!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Lauren spent the summer 2018 term in New Zealand with our U of A Faculty-Led: Adventure Therapy and Leadership program, with the help of our Office of Study Abroad Scholarship.

Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

Personalized to Me #HogsAbroad in Mexico

I had the most amazing experience studying abroad! I attended the Puebla, Mexico program under the health professions bracket. This program to me was unique, it was 5 weeks long (which to me is the perfect amount of time, it was in the summer) and it was personalized to my degree and future profession, nursing! 

My favorite parts of the experience included my host family, the weekend excursions, and the amount of free time we were able to have. My host mom, Rosa, cooked AMAZING food every day and I was so blessed to be able to eat that well every day because we all know college student diets aren’t the best! Rosa and her family were so incredibly welcoming and supportive!! They also taught me a lot about Mexico, took me to popular sites in Puebla, to the markets, and even taught me some of her recipes (her salsa verde was my favorite). 

The weekend excursions allowed for the students to learn more about the culture and explore different cities in Mexico. It also provides opportunities for souvenir shopping, photo ops, and getting to know your fellow study abroad candidates! What I loved most about this trip was the amount of free time we were given, both on the excursions and from the day to day basis. There is so much to explore in Puebla, and we got through most of them during our time there. 

I cannot begin to explain how improved my Spanish was upon my return home from Mexico. Areas that I lacked in included listening and comprehension, however after 5 weeks in Mexico myself and my peers noticed overall improvements in our confidence in speaking with others in Spanish. This study abroad experience was everything I had hoped it would be plus more! 

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Nursing major Hannah Mosman spent the summer 2018 term in Mexico with our U of A Faculty-Led: Spanish Immersion & Service Learning program in Puebla, Mexico with the help of our Office of Study Abroad Scholarship.

Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

Barcelona Internship #HogsAbroad in Spain

Hi, my name is Allison Kennedy and I am a rising junior studying Accounting and Finance in the Walton College of Business here at the University of Arkansas. The past eight weeks I have had the pleasure of not only studying abroad, but interning abroad in my new favorite city; Barcelona! Located on the northeastern coast of Spain, Barcelona has so many different aspects to enjoy and discover; from its unique history, culture, landscapes, and even language, there was not a day to go by, where I wasn’t exploring some unique aspect of this incredible city.

The first four weeks of my program, I was enrolled in an Intermediate Spanish course, where I took classes at my external program’s Study Center (the CIEE Institute at Barcelona). Going to class was one of my favorite parts of studying abroad due to the interactive nature of the class, and the sweet CIEE staff.

Walkway to the CIEE Institute

My CIEE Program Director: Nando. Part of the amazing and helpful CIEE staff.

In addition to the Spanish course, I was enrolled within an Internship Seminar Course that complemented my actual Internship. For eight weeks I had the pleasure of working for a startup logistics company based out of Barcelona called Innroute. Essentially Innroute acts as a liaison between shipping companies and their customers to contract and manage shipments of pallets with rapidity, visibility, and the most competitive prices. During my time at Innroute, I worked as an Accounting intern, helping verify customer payments, inputting invoices into the accounting database, reconciling financial records with banks statements, and contacting customers regarding overdue payments. Interning abroad was such an incredible experience that helped me expand my cultural boundaries, and concurrently develop intercultural skills while gaining real work experience. 

Inside view of the Innroute Office 

Street view of my building

When I wasn’t in class or at my internship, I spent most of my time exploring Barcelona! From the mountains, to the beach, to the city’s architecture there was never a shortage of things to see in this city.

Lastly, my favorite aspect of my Spain experience was living with a host family. If you ever have the chance to study abroad and are deciding between living with a host family or in an apartment… LIVE WITH THE FAMILY. You can live on your own for the rest of your life, but when it comes to authentic home cooked meals, great conversations, laundry done for you, and developing new lifelong relationships… why wouldn’t you pursue this opportunity? This was the sweetest, most immersive, unique, and rewarding experience I have ever done. My family did not speak a lick of English, and before coming to Spain I had not taken a Spanish class since my Junior year of high school, so needless to say, my Spanish speaking skills were a little more advanced than a toddler watching “Dora the Explorer” on repeat. HOWEVER, by the end of the 8 weeks I became proficient in speaking Spanish, and fell in love with my host family! They made me feel right at home and were the most giving people I have met in my life— definitely one of my hardest goodbyes! 

My host family and me on my last night in Barcelona (if you look closely you can see the tears forming in my eyes).

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Accounting major Allison Kennedy spent the summer 2018 term in Barcelona, Spain with the help of our Office of Study Abroad Scholarship. Learn more about Allison's CIEE program.

Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

The Final Days Abroad #HogsAbroad in Mexico

Packing + hanging out with friends + coming back to the US has been hectic, but here is my recap of my fifth and final week in Puebla!

Monday:
This week my rotation is in surgery, so I’m spending all week in the OR watching different surgeries. Today I watched a coronary bypass surgery, which was one of the coolest things I have ever seen! It is so humbling to see a beating heart and also to see how much knowledge the doctors have to fix a heart. Seriously, there are so many times where I had to write in my notes to look up how they were doing the surgery, because it blew my mind that they were able to take a vein from the leg and put it in the heart. We were there for about three hours, but only saw about half of the surgery. At one point, the surgeon had to step out to change gloves, so we were able to stand near the patient to watch them put him on bypass and watch the heart. I think I’ve said this before, but the heart is my favorite organ, and it was so so cool to see it beating and working in real life.


Tuesday:
There weren’t any surgeries today, so me and the other girls at my hospital went to a starbucks close to us and talked about our time in Mexico! Later that night I went to dinner with some friends, and also to the Estrella de Puebla.


Wednesday:
Today Mexico played in the World Cup, so some friends and me went to go watch the game at a restaurant! The atmosphere is so fun and it was a nice break from the hospital. Even though they lost, they made it past the group stage onto the round of 16. My mom came to Puebla to visit me and so we went to dinner in El Centro, and I got to show her around! It was so nice to have her in the place where I’ve spent the past month, and I can’t wait to show her around more. At night, I went out with some friends, but we didn’t stay out too late since we had to go to the hospital the next day.


Thursday:
My last day at the hospital did not disappoint! After waiting around for a little bit, I got to scrub into a brain surgery to remove a tumor! The doctors we observed were all very helpful and willing to teach us, and it was so cool to see how complex the surgery was, but also how talented and knowledgeable the surgeons were. It was an 8-hour surgery, and I only was able to stay for 3 hours of it. But what I saw was unforgettable and I learned so much even from just observing. I was sad to leave the hospital, but I’m so grateful for the experiences I’ve had and everything I’ve learned.

the doctor and resident who let us scrub in!

Friday:

Today since we don’t have our hospital rotations, we had a farewell breakfast at a restaurant near school. Afterwards, we went to a drive through safari about 30 minutes from Puebla! It was such a fun experience and a fun way to spend time with everyone one last time before we went back to the states. After spending most of our day there, we headed back to Puebla where I grabbed lunch with my friends near UPAEP. At night, we went out with some of our intern friends from the hospital, to celebrate the end of their intern year and us leaving! We went to their favorite place to go dance and it was so fun to see everyone one last time! They taught us so much in the hospital, and so kind to become friends with us. I’m going to be sad to leave Puebla and the local friends I’ve made here, but also grateful that my U of A friends will all be together once school starts!

Saturday:
Today is my last day in Puebla! In the morning, my friends and I went to the market in El Centro with their host parents. We shopped around for a little bit, and I bought some Talavera and other souvenirs. Then my friend’s host parents took us to some of the tunnels that run underneath Puebla. They were telling us that the tunnels were how the Mexican army was able to beat the French during the Cinco de Mayo battle. It was really cool to walk through, and we probably wouldn’t have found the tunnel without the host family’s help! Next, we went to a store called “La Oaxaqueña”, where we bought chocolate, vanilla, and mole from Oaxaca. For lunch, the host mom bought us cemitas (which is a giant sandwhich- google a picture of it!) and we ate at their house. For dinner, my host mom invited her whole family over for mole Poblano, and it was the perfect last meal in Puebla. Later that night after we had all packed, my friends and I went out for some ice cream and to hang out together one last time in Puebla! Five weeks went by too quickly; I am not ready to leave this city and all the memories I’ve made here, but I know I will be back in Puebla soon.

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My name is Lili and I am from Dallas, Texas! I’m an honors junior Nursing student and also minoring in Spanish. This summer, I’ll be studying in Puebla, Mexico in a service-learning health professions program. I’ll be living with a host family, taking Spanish classes for health professions, and also shadowing a doctor in one of the local hospitals. I’ll be writing about my experiences in the hospital, around Puebla, and on the different excursions my group is taking. I hope you follow along!

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Nursing major Lili Barrientos is spending the summer 2018 term in Mexico with our U of A Faculty-Led: Spanish Immersion & Service Learning in Puebla.

Read more from Lili at https://lettersfromlili.wordpress.com/blog/.

Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

An Unforgettable Experience #HogsAbroad in Spain

Hi! My name is Felipe Manolof and I had the great opportunity to visit Spain with the faculty-led program to Madrid. I’m an international business major with a concentration in marketing and a Spanish minor. I want to start by saying that one month wasn’t enough because I had so much more of this wonderful country to explore and experience.

Royal Palace, Madrid

I already spoke Spanish before I landed in Madrid, so it wasn’t hard for me to get by. One of my goals was to visit my two sisters living in Tenerife (Canary Islands) and Almeria (Southern Spain) and to experience the culture and learn about the history, both of which I later found to be extremely rich and stunning. I met great people, both from Arkansas and the U.S. and also from Spain and the rest of the world. Madrid is a very diverse and fun city that welcomes people from all over and has a great deal to offer –very appetizing food, beautiful parks and gardens, huge and small museums, stadiums, amusement parks, and art everywhere. My host parents were great. Unlike most of the other people from my program, I lived alone, but not having a roommate wasn’t a problem at all because there was more delicious home-cooked food for me! After class, I would go home and eat lunch, sometimes watch a World Cup game with my host dad, and then take a nap to escape the heat. At night, I would meet some friends and enjoy some tapas, walk around the city, or go dancing for a little bit before the metro closed (taxis are expensive). As students, we got to visit museums and palaces for free! A few of the many amazing places we visited included the Royal Palace (second biggest in Europe), Museo del Prado, and Museo Reina Sofia (both of which are a must visit, even if you think you’re not interested in art).

Catedral Nueva, Salamanca

Salamanca was a trip included in our program and I’m very glad because this historic city was mind-blowing. Salamanca has a huge Plaza Mayor and also the oldest university in Spain as well as one of the most prestigious in Europe. It was crazy to think that I walked on the same streets as important historic figures like Christopher Columbus, Hernan Cortez, and Miguel de Cervantes. The buildings had a very elegant façade with a Romanesque and Gothic style and they were all reserved and maintained very well. One of my favorite buildings was the Catedral Nueva, which was a huge and breath-taking structure, not just because it was so beautiful, but also because we had to climb so many flights of stairs to the rooftops and the campanario (bell tower) of the cathedral.

One of the gardens at Alhambra, Granada

Since only Madrid and Salamanca were included in the program, I planned weekend trips outside of the city because I wanted to explore more of Spain. As I mentioned before, I visited one of my sisters in Tenerife, Canary Islands and my other sister in Almeria, Andalusia. Both places had very kind and welcoming people, who also practice the Southern hospitality we know in America, and are a little different from the Madrileños because they’re a bit more laid-back (and better dancers in my opinion). There is obviously more sea food and fish dishes and if I thought it was hot in Madrid is because I didn’t know what real heat was before I went south; however, the breeze from the ocean would always refresh me. The beaches in Andalusia are some of the most beautiful in Spain and Europe –from what I heard—but something I loved even more was the crystal-clear water; I could see the fish swimming around my legs and, on one occasion, the jellyfish swimming at me before they got a chance to sting me.

Almeria Beach

The two other cities I visited were Malaga and Granada, also in Southern Spain. Malaga was a lot more like Almeria and we happened to go while they were celebrating the Fiestas de San Juan to welcome the summer in Spain; this is celebrated on most Spanish beaches and people go swimming in the ocean at night and jump over small bonfires. While in Malaga, we also had the chance to go to a concert on one of the beaches and it was amazing, the best part was that we got in for free! In Granada, we went to the Alhambra, one of the most beautiful palaces in Spain. It took us about four hours to walk through most of the buildings, mosques and gardens. It was a good thing we took big bottles of water with us.

The whole experience was great and unforgettable. I wish I would have had more time to visit other places like Valencia, Barcelona and other cities in Northern Spain. I have nothing but good things to say about the Spanish people and I am extremely grateful for the opportunity. I only regret not having studied abroad earlier.

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Felipe spent the Summer 2018 term in Spain with our U of A Faculty-Led: Spanish in Madrid program, with the help of our our Office of Study Abroad Scholarship.

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