¡Hola desde
Espana!
 |
| Toledo at sunset |
I left the States believing that six months was a long time.
I mean, it’s half a year! Yet here I am in the beginning of April already
depressed that I have to leave in 65 days. I remember calling my parents two
days after I arrived in Toledo and telling them that I was never coming back!
My experience in Toledo has been AMAZING. It’s not been without its ups and
downs (not finding an apartment right away, trying to figure out the very
different school schedule, realizing my Spanish wasn’t as good as I thought it
was, etc.). However, in the last three and a half months, I have learned more
about myself and what I want to do with my life than I ever imagined.
 |
| Toledo at night |
While I didn’t really go through that period of culture
shock, I have really enjoyed taking note of all the differences not only
between Greensboro and Toledo, but also comparing life in a small city like
Toledo to some of the bigger ones like Madrid. I have to be honest and admit
that my favorite part has been siesta. I’ve definitely gotten used to living in
a country where napping is a national institution! I love living in a culture
that’s so family-oriented. My apartment is right in front of a school so one of
my favorite parts of the day is listening to all the kids chatter with their
parents as they walk home from school. Also, Spaniards have zero sense of personal
space. I don’t think I’ve given so many hugs and kisses in my entire life as I
have here! That was certainly an adjustment.
 |
| Hiking |
School was and still is rather intense. I learned very
quickly that my Spanish was not as good as I thought. Between the accents and
the speed, sometimes it takes complete concentration to understand even the
simplest sentences. Thankfully, my Spanish has improved a lot! The professors
here are so relaxed. It’s so weird to me that they don’t care if you come to
class! Then there’s the fact that there is little to no homework. So easy to
fall into the trap of not studying!
 |
| When you try to feed the pigeons..... |
One of the best parts of studying abroad in Europe has been
how easy it is to travel. So far I’ve been to Lisbon (my favorite so far),
Sintra, Paris, Madrid, and London. I have plans to visit Barcelona, Dublin, Valencia,
Cuenca, Venice and Rome in the coming weeks once school winds down a little
bit.
 |
| Wandering around Madrid |
 |
| Adventures in Portugal |
 |
| London trip! |
I have to say my favorite part of studying abroad has been
all the wonderful people from all over the world that I’ve met. My roommates
and I hosted an international potluck with a bunch of the other international
students from our school and ended up with thirty people representing fourteen
countries! It was so cool to taste a little piece of each country! We had a
blast and created some great memories!
 |
| International Dinner |
 |
| International Dinner |
I’ll end with this. Don’t take the opportunity to study
abroad for granted. Do everything! Face your fears, travel, get to know people.
I know it’s cliché, but SAY YES! You never know what amazing memories you’ll have
the chance to make.
 |
| I can't believe I am living here! |
!Hasta luego!
Dominique Brown
Universidad de Castilla-Mancha, Toledo
Toledo, Spain
No comments:
Post a Comment