This time last year I was headed to Spain for the first
time. I was anxious, excited, nervous, and elated, but mostly a big ball of
nerves. I honestly had no idea what to expect. I was sad to leave my home, my
family, and my comfort zone, but I was about to embark on a journey I had been
dreaming of since I was a high school Spanish student. The true desire to study
abroad arose from my favorite teacher, my Spanish teacher, Ms. Tyree. I have to
give her some of the credit because I really am not sure I would have continued
Spanish courses, declared a Spanish minor, or studied abroad. Like I have said
numerous times, it was the greatest learning experience I have ever experienced
in my lifetime. To be honest, it was hard. It was very hard to get comfortable
living with strangers who soon became somewhat of a family (lol), walking unfamiliar
streets, and being a student of a professor whose first language was Italian. I
was stretched to my limits, sick of hearing Buenos Dias before I had my café con
leche and exhausted from conjugating and translating all day long, yet I wouldn’t
have changed a thing. Not only was it the greatest learning experience, it was
the most rewarding experience and I cannot place a price tag on that.
In saying that, after a month of Spain ready to return to
the states, I never thought I would have the opportunity to return. I left my heart
in Alicante and I am so blessed to be returning in six days. As I look back on
my previous July in Alicante, I try to think back to what I want to do
differently this time or what am I looking forward to most.
What I want to do differently:
-Travel to more cities inside of Spain
Last
July I took small day trips to Guadalest and the island of Tabarca (places in
Spain), and my big trip was to Rome, Italy. This July I really hope to visit
Elche (where my intercambio Pedro is from) and Valencia inside of Spain. A trip
outside of Spain is still in the works J.
What I am looking forward to most:
It is a three way tie between-
-Seeing my Intercambio Pedro
-Ice cream, of course
-Walking the streets again
I was
blessed to have had a great intercambio last July (my intercambio was my
speaking partner, aka tutor.) We have stayed in contact, and he has helped me
keep my Spanish up. He truly has been a big blessing. The ice cream was part of
a daily routine. I absolutely loved spending hot afternoons after the beach or
school with my friends at either Borgonesse or Antiu Xixona. Last but not
least, I still believe I have every street I walked still engrained in my
memory. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t think about the city; it
is almost like I never left.
After working three jobs in May and June to pay for this
trip, I believe I am ready for this Month. España here I come, ready or not.
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